Capgemini Exec Says Successful Leaders Stop Layering AI, Simplify Processes First

Enterprises are rushing to deploy AI, but many of these initiatives are set up to fail. Instead of using artificial intelligence to reinvent their processes, leaders are layering it onto legacy workflows. Now, that approach is only amplifying existing dysfunction. By treating AI as a plugin for inefficiency rather than a design tool for transformation, the result is faster chaos, not tangible value.

For an expert's perspective, we spoke with Dinand Tinholt, Global Industry Lead of CPRD Insights & Data at Capgemini. Drawing on decades of experience in data-driven transformations, Tinholt explained how other leaders can escape this cycle. For him, the industry’s obsession with superficial metrics and legacy processes is the root cause of its struggles with AI.

"Business intelligence and BI reports are a bit like adult coloring books for executives," Tinholt said. "They're nice, peaceful, and very therapeutic, but they often stop short of driving action." He believes the path to a lasting ROI requires a radical shift in mindset.

• Decisions over data: The solution is moving away from creating prettier reports and toward driving more intelligent decisions, Tinholt explained. "I don't care about business intelligence. I care about decision intelligence."

The rush to implement AI has led many organizations down a familiar, flawed path, according to Tinholt. Rather than rethinking broken systems, most are simply trying to automate them.

• Automating dysfunction: Meanwhile, this approach is little more than a shinier version of old automation techniques that fail to unlock AI’s true potential, Tinholt said. "It's just taking the existing process and saying, 'Can I replace a human there? Or can I get a bit more efficiency?' That's kind of like RPA 2.0, and it's not being creative," he stated.

But the real path to transformation begins with simplification, Tinholt said. Before deploying a single algorithm, leaders must first challenge the logic of their existing operations.

• Simplify the solution: "The first thing that you really need to do is look at what process you are doing. Can you standardize, can you simplify, and can you minimize the process first?" Tinholt asked. "We have this whole methodology: Eliminate, Standardize, Optimize, Automate, and Robotize."

• Design over decoration: Also important is a disciplined, foundational approach that prioritizes clarity over speed. "Don't treat it as a plugin," Tinholt advised. "Treat it as a design tool and take a systems thinking approach."