How to Succeed with Automation: Aneesh Gupta and Jon Davis of the Ivy Collection Speak at UiPath TOGETHER 2023

At the recent UiPath TOGETHER 2023 conference in London, Centelli was proudly invited to take to the stage. Our Managing Partner, Aneesh Gupta, alongside Jon Davis from The Ivy Collection, delved into the transformative capabilities of intelligent automation. Here’s an inside look at the event’s highlights and the knowledge imparted.

Meet the Dynamic Duo: Aneesh Gupta & Jon Davis

Aneesh Gupta, the visionary behind Centelli, founded our organization in 2014 with a singular purpose: to assist businesses in maximizing efficiency, productivity, and customer and employee well-being. With two decades of experience spanning across multiple industries, Aneesh has helped Centelli enhance business operations for countless clients.

Accompanying him on stage was Jon Davis, CTO of the esteemed Ivy Collection. For those new to the name, The Ivy Collection is a prestigious conglomerate with over 125 iconic restaurants and members’ clubs across the UK, US, and UAE. It encapsulates luxury brands like The Birley Clubs, Caprice Holdings, and of course, The Ivy itself – probably one of London’s most famous restaurants.

Together, they showcased how intelligent automation, with a partner like Centelli, could revolutionize age-old processes in industries like hospitality.

Unpacking The Ivy Collection’s Automation Needs

A central theme in the discussion between Aneesh and Jon was the imperative for businesses to adapt and modernize. Like numerous businesses, The Ivy Collection discovered that many roles within the company had evolved to handle much more administrative and low-complexity work, rather than what they were brought on to complete.

Many of their employees found repetitive and time-consuming tasks completely taking over their day-to-day roles. This led to disadvantages for everyone involved- less efficient work for the company, poorer services for the customers, and lower morale for staff. The Ivy Collection wanted to get back to business-focused operations, and having worked with automation in the past, Davis knew this was the only solution.

Navigating the Automation Journey

While the promise of automation was tantalizing, its path had its share of challenges. Bringing about change in a tradition-steeped sector like hospitality required not just the right tech tools but the right mindset. Davis reminded the audience that the every-day person might not be familiar with automation and may not understand its purpose. This hesitation is further compounded by fear-factor apprehensions – which lead them to ask “will this replace my job?.” The only things automation will take from your job are the boring and menial tasks, leaving you to get on with the things that truly matter.

Aneesh said the success of transformative change hinges on having a champion or sponsor. Without someone to steer the ship, even the most promising solutions can get waylaid.

Jon’s belief in the power of automation to drive meaningful change stemmed from his previous role. So, in the Ivy Collection he worked to identify other advocates across the business. To dismantle misconceptions that employees might have, it was imperative to have departmental champions who could assure teams, “this is not replacing you. This is to get you back doing what you’re meant to be doing day to day.”

Facilitating Change with Finesse

Centelli’s partnership with The Ivy Collection was pivotal in the brand’s automation success. While The Ivy provided the vision and internal champions, Centelli brought the expertise, facilitating a seamless integration of intelligent automation processes into the company. When Aneesh probed Jon about his vision for automation, he emphasized the need for tangible outcomes, not just theoretical discussions.

Jon cited a poignant example: during the busy Christmas period, instead of having two employees constantly declining tens of thousands of inquiries, why not shift the focus? Why continue processes just because “it’s always been done that way?” Truly valuable automation should work autonomously without the need for constant oversight. We don’t want employees moving from monitoring one tedious task to another. Luckily, these independent, powerful solutions are the kind Centelli provides.

Moreover, the event shed light on the importance of success stories and case studies, which Centelli was able to provide. These also helped greatly in building trust and minimizing employees’ concerns.

A Bright Future: Automation & Employee Happiness

Perhaps the most heartening insight from the discussion was the transformative power of automation on employee well-being. As Aneesh pointed out, when intelligent automation takes over repetitive tasks, “you actually make people’s lives more meaningful…” With automation handling administrative tasks, employees had more time and space to carry out the work they joined for.

“The fun part is when you actually see somebody and there are smiles on their faces because this has really transformed their life,” he observed. “They’re doing things today that they really didn’t want to be doing. This is what their job is supposed to be.”

Closing Thoughts

Centelli’s experience at UiPath TOGETHER 2023 was an opportunity to share and learn as well as being a testament to the potential of intelligent automation in reshaping and transforming industries. As champions of automation, we’re so excited about the possibilities ahead.

If you missed us at the event, no worries! We’re always here, ready to share, guide, and collaborate. Here’s to reimagining the future, one automation solution at a time!

For more insights, case studies, and a deeper dive into the world of automation, stay tuned to the Centelli blog, and watch the full UiPath TOGETHER presentation HERE.