1. The Myths of Automation
TSAM 2017
The Myths of Automation
The shadow business architecture
and how to really help your business
Matthew Oakeley
March 2017

2. The Myths of Automation
The whole experience often isn’t great for many users

3. What are the Myths? They are all statements that might be true…
“Our systems run our business”
“We need to implement a new system. It will save me 2 FTE”
“All we need is more data… Get me some Data Scientists and a Hadoop Cluster!”
“It’s just about workflow – get a tool and we can automate most of this away”
“Best of Breed gives me the right tools – after that it is just plumbing”
“Single systems are better than Best of Breed – bring me Aladdin!”
“Digital Transformation will streamline everything”
They are all statements that might be true…

4. What is the Reality?
Systems do manage a lot of what we do… but there is a lot that hides in the shadows
Automated workflows are more complicated than manual ones
Systems needs specialists to create, implement, manage, support, upgrade and adapt them
This is why automation is almost always bigger than you first expected
The costs and complexities of automation must be worth it
(Blockchain discussion anyone?)

5. This is clearly nonsense
Big Data…
… the truth is out there!
There is a general assumption that to harness Data for investment,
all you need is:
Lots of data…
… and a good-sized cauldron.
You add a bay leaf and sprig of thyme…
… and say the incantations:
Out will come truths and insight
This is clearly nonsense

6. I’m not really knocking Big Data
But long before you get to ‘Data Science’ in all its grandeur
We need to think about the small stuff.

7. That shadow architecture…
We like our neat architecture diagrams…
The reality is often that lots of materials are produced manually
If you think they don’t do it at your firm, your firm is marvellous… or you are misinformed
Custom attribution?
Portfolio analysis?
OMS
Direct reporting to clients from investment team?
Ad-hoc extracts?
Custom reports?
Requests to Client Ops?
Data Warehouse
Client Reporting
Marketing materials?
RFP Responses?
Formal Fund Documents

8. The truth is… A Monster People get asked to produce things
The systems don’t always make this easy
Getting IT to develop it is too hard
(or you aren’t important enough to get on the list)
You don’t know where to get the data from…
So you do the best you can.
And over time we collectively create
A Monster

9. Is the IT guy really being
rude about IT systems?? No

10. What can you do? Think about enabling people
Recognise that people need to solve problems
If the systems don’t help, they will go round them
Think about enabling people

11. A Final thought The Digital Workplace is about people
Make your solutions focus on how to make their jobs easier

12. Thank You