Building Automation That Actually Scales
Episode Overview
Sean and Ari sit down with Yaju Suneja, Global Head of i-Automation, Customer Strategy and Transformation at Stefanini Group, to unpack what it really takes to make automation stick. Yaju starts by getting practical on the barriers that still slow progress today: adoption, trust, security, and skills. Along the way, he shares how to shift to a durable operating model, why shared goals and KPI commitment matter more than funding, and how teams can measure value beyond time saved.
Key Takeaways
- Automation journeys are most successful when they start with business outcomes, not tasks. Yaju’s early shift from “saving effort” to “steering the business” shaped how he approaches transformation at scale.
- Modern automation has become user-centric. With low-code tools, natural language interfaces, and orchestration layers, automation is increasingly accessible to non-technical users.
- The biggest barriers to scaling automation today are still adoption and skills, not technology. Fear, resistance to change, and talent gaps continue to slow progress even when tools are proven.
- Sustainable automation programs require a shared executive vision, measurable business commitments, and ongoing support. Treating automation as a one-off project instead of a capability leads to failure.
- Value measurement is shifting from basic efficiency metrics (time/FTE saved) to strategic outcomes, including experience, resilience, compliance, prevention of incidents, and enterprise-level impact.
FAQ
Q: How has the nature of automation changed in the last few years, and what does “user-centric automation” really mean?
A: Automation has shifted from being something only technical specialists could build into something far more accessible and conversational. With modern tooling, people are increasingly focused less on “Can we automate this task?” and more on higher-level questions like “What’s the architecture?” and “How do we orchestrate this end-to-end?”
Timestamp: 10:01–12:32
Q: What are the biggest challenges organizations face when scaling automation and AI today?
A: Adoption remains the largest barrier. Many organizations still struggle with fear around job security, trust, and governance. Skills gaps also persist as technology evolves rapidly.
Timestamp: 13:08–16:43
Q: How should leaders think about measuring the value of automation beyond time or cost savings?
A: Measurement is shifting toward strategic impact. In addition to productivity and error reduction, organizations are tracking experience metrics, adoption rates, compliance, infrastructure resilience, reduced incidents, and faster recovery times. Preventing outages or security incidents still delivers measurable value if organizations learn to quantify avoided risk and downstream impact.
Timestamp: 26:15–32:55
