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If the constant pressure to modernize, transform and generally maintain a state of perpetual change feels like an invention of the modern age, you’d be wrong. In the 6th Century BCE, Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated that “the only thing that is constant is change”.

While recognition of the need for change – or indeed, the inevitability of it – isn’t news to businesses, acting on it is by no means easy. The need to implement a digital-first strategy isn’t the sweat-inducing demand that it once was – but the unpleasant truth is that we want to change without going through the uncomfortable process of changing.

That, of course is reflected across the business landscape. IDG’s Digital Business Survey revealed that nearly 20% of company leaders didn’t know how to approach digital transformation and that only just over half of companies saw technology disruption as a positive factor. Of the close to half that didn’t, a quarter thought it was an outright threat to survival, according to Futurum Research.

Change, while sometimes inconvenient, has always been an unavoidable part of business – it’s just that now change happens so rapidly that the cost of not keeping up becomes a genuine threat all too quickly.

Now, we could tell you that Redwood’s automation solutions take the repetitive manual work out of core business processes and free people up to carry out higher-value, more rewarding work. And it’s true, they do. It’s why we do what we do.

But throwing technology at a problem alone isn’t the answer to surviving an existential threat.

Instead, developing a coherent business process and technology lifecycle that takes advantage of incremental upgrades without disruption to the ‘day-to-day’ is vital. Being responsive – across the front-, back- and middle-office – is a key goal of digital transformation.

The tendency for change to be viewed as a problem when it should be seen as an opportunity, is slowly shifting, but not quickly enough for some. A structure that allows agility is no longer just desirable, it’s essential.

And at the center of that, there’s an acceptance to be made. One that might not come naturally: To be successful, we need to be OK with feeling uncomfortable.

At Redwood, we strive to help put processes and structures in place that work for you, wherever your business is on its automation journey. By removing unnecessary repetitive human activity, you get to focus on what you know best: Your business.

About The Author

Devin Gharibian-Saki's Avatar

Devin Gharibian-Saki

Devin Gharibian-Saki brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise on enterprise IT, the SAP ecosystem and business process automation to his current role as SVP of Business Development and Strategy at Redwood Software. Experience within product marketing, product management and enterprise software sales enables Devin to drive strategic initiatives and alliances for the organization and unlock new business models and go-to-market strategies. Acting as an executive advocate for the customer, Devin is passionate about delivering the best solutions to make the most out of a customer’s environment. His approach centers on connecting with customers, prospects and partners to better understand how Redwood can help their digital transformation initiatives, improving their automation roadmaps by leveraging a combination of his SAP and process optimization proficiencies.

Prior to working for Redwood, Devin was an SAP Technology Consultant, working directly at SAP and at EnBW, the 3rd latest utility in Germany. Devin holds a diploma in Mathematics from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany and as well as two patents.

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