Prashant Gautam

The Amalgamation of Excellence, Innovation & Perseverance

Prashant Gautam

Head of Service Now Delivery Automation and StandardizationGBA,

Fujitsu

Every leader has a unique approach to problem-solving. For Prashant Gautam, Head of Service Now Delivery Automation and Standardisation at GBA, Fujitsu, his stern belief that every project is a canvas waiting to be painted with innovative solutions is what helps him embrace the challenge of learning and adapting to each new endeavour. With over 15 years of experience under his belt, he is a seasoned professional in client engagement, requirements analysis & designing, and delivery execution. His expertise lies in managing and nurturing cloud-based technology, specifically ServiceNow, and its application in IT Service Management across diverse industries, including banking & financial services, healthcare, telecom, insurance, and retail & hospitality.
A strategic visionary with strong analytical skills, Prashant bridges conceptual visions to tangible outcomes, leading multi-disciplinary teams to exceptional results. His passion for solution design aligns with his true calling in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Outside of work, he enjoys diverse creative hobbies like painting, drawing, and crafting, finding balance through mindfulness activities.
In an exclusive TradeFlock interview, Prashant shares insights, strengths, and valuable advice for aspiring leaders.

Explain how you blend science and art to navigate complexities and create innovative solutions for various projects in your Solution Design approach.

In my Solution Design approach, I seamlessly blend the scientific with the artistic, allowing me to tackle the complexities of crafting innovative solutions for diverse projects. I embrace the challenge of understanding each customer’s unique perceptions and requirements using a flexible and interdisciplinary methodology. Through extensive research, ideation, and collaboration, I prioritise and prototype ideas and continuously iterate on them to refine solutions. Putting end-users at the nucleus of everything I do, I ensure ethical considerations and celebrate successful outcomes while valuing failure as a learning experience. My commitment to continuous learning drives me to stay updated with the latest developments, fostering a culture of innovation within the organisation. Throughout the process, I involve experts from diverse domains to gain valuable insights and perspectives. My agile problem-solving approach enables me to embrace continuous feedback loops that help steadily improve the solutions. By blending scientific and artistic ways of thinking, I always navigate the complexities of creating innovative solutions that are not only technically sound but also creatively inspiring and emotionally resonant.

With over 15 years of experience in finance and automation, what advice do you have for organisations planning to start their automation journey?

Clearly define your objectives and outline the goals you aim to achieve through automation, such as improving efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing accuracy, or freeing up resources for strategic tasks. Begin with a small-scale pilot to test the automation solution, identify challenges, and build confidence before scaling up. Assess the potential RoI for each automation initiative and prioritise projects with substantial cost savings, increased productivity, reduced errors, or an improved customer experience. However, it is essential to engage key stakeholders, including finance and IT teams, early in the journey for successful implementation and adoption. Identify and prioritise processes. Start by automating repetitive, rule-based, and time-consuming tasks prone to errors, and prioritising processes with high ROI or significant impact. Evaluate automation tools based on scalability, ease of integration, security, and vendor reputation, aligning them with your organisation’s needs and capabilities. But at the same time, it is essential to invest in employee training. Offer upskilling or reskilling programmes to ensure employees are comfortable using new automation tools effectively. Implement a robust change management strategy to address resistance and ensure a smooth transition during automation. Pay careful attention to data security and privacy by implementing robust access controls and encryption protocols. It is equally important to monitor and measure performance. Continuously track the performance of automated processes and gather data for data-driven decisions and strategy refinements. Encourage openness to automation by recognising and celebrating successful automation initiatives to inspire further innovation. But the key is staying informed about the latest trends and advancements in finance and IT automation. Consider partnering with automation consultants or experts for guidance and support throughout the automation journey. Remember, automation is an ongoing journey; regularly assess and refine your strategy to adapt to changing needs and advancements. With the right approach, commitment, and effort, automation can greatly enhance your organisation’s efficiency, agility, and competitiveness.

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders looking to make their mark in the IT Service Management space?

Master principles and best practises, like ITIL, to make informed decisions and earn respect. Earn relevant certifications like ITIL Foundation or ITIL Managing Professional to validate expertise and professional growth. Align IT services with business needs, communicating value and efficiency to stakeholders. Embrace emerging technologies and innovations to enhance ITSM capabilities and measure and improve service performance while prioritising customer satisfaction. Encourage innovation within ITSM processes for enhanced efficiency. But the key to everything is strong communication skills. Articulate technical concepts clearly and encourage open dialogue within the team. Lead with empathy, integrity, and adaptability, and inspire the team by example, while fostering teamwork and collaboration between IT and other business units. Invest in the professional growth of team members to build a skilled team. As a leader, it is important to handle challenges gracefully. Be resilient, learn from setbacks, use them as growth opportunities, and most importantly, connect with experienced professionals for valuable insights. Be adaptable and resilient and have the ability to navigate change and uncertainty with adaptability and resilience. Leadership in ITSM demands technical prowess, interpersonal skills, and a customercentric approach. Commit to continuous improvement to make a significant impact and achieve success.