Ep. 19 - Automation Without Fear: A Practitioner’s Journey

Roy Dreyfus, Senior Director of IT at Market America, discusses his 14-year automation journey with Dan Twing and Tom O'Rourke on the Enterprise Automation Excellence Podcast. Roy shares how Market America has evolved from basic, disconnected automation tools to a sophisticated orchestration platform using HCL Workload Automation (HWA). Market America is now transitioning to HCL's new AI-powered Uno platform, which combines automation with artificial intelligence capabilities.Key PointsEvolution from Basic to Advanced Automation: Market America transformed from using simple automation tools starting in 2016 to implementing enterprise-wide orchestration platformsStrategic Vendor Partnership: - After their licensing costs tripled, Market America selected HCL HWA based on exceptional pre-sales support and ongoing customer engagementCross-Process Orchestration Value: Roy highlighted a use case building automated metrics and analytics that examine system performance data to provide meaningful insights for business owners and executive leadershipTakeaways for Automation LeadersFear is the Main Barrier: The biggest obstacle to automation adoption is fear rather than technical limitations. People who avoid automation typically haven't invested time in learning about or using these toolsStart with Partnership: When exploring new automation technologies, work closely with vendors to access their expertise and provide feedback that shapes product development. This collaborative approach ensures better outcomesEmbrace Experimentation: Companies that want to stay competitive must allow their teams to experiment with automation and AI tools, recognizing that failed experiments still provide valuable learning experiencesAI Enhances Rather Than Replaces: Successful automation implementation focuses on making human workers more efficient and capable of deeper thinking, rather than eliminating jobs entirelyExecutive Buy-in is Essential: Advanced automation initiatives require top-down support and investment, as sophisticated AI and orchestration tools typically require significant financial commitment and organizational changeCI/CD Pipeline Automation Opportunity: There's significant potential to automate software development processes, with 6-7% of enterprise automation jobs already focusing on CI/CD pipeline automationShow LinksRoy Dreyfuss discussing HCL automation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F6Z_3-xfGoRoy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leroy-dreyfuss-cio/Dan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantwing/Tom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorourkeEAE Podcast Home: https://em360tech.com/podcast-series/enterprise-automation-excellenceFeedback & Questions: mailto:[email protected]

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