127. From AI Hype to Human-Centred IT: Jaro Tomik from CDW
CDW chief technologist Jaro Tomik joins host Sakari Kyrö to unpack two seismic shifts rocking enterprise IT: the rise of AI-washing and the pivot to experience-led service management. Hear how Jaro’s “escape-room for IT” workshops flip roles, surface hidden bottlenecks and turn data visibility into a zero-ticket, proactive support vision—all while keeping people and productivity front-and-centre. Key Take-aways 1. Beware AI-washing. Almost every vendor now claims “AI,” so leaders must cut through marketing noise to find real value. 2. Employee experience is the new compass. Human-centred design and continuous experience data now guide project prioritisation. 3. Scenario workshops build cross-functional empathy. Role-swapping lets teams feel each other’s pain, revealing blind spots safely. 4. Service-desk reality is tough. Experiencing the frontline first-hand fosters respect and partnership between business and IT. 5. Visibility requires three data lenses—technology, operational, experience. Only by merging all three can CIOs see true bottlenecks. 6. A living roadmap tames VUCA change. A clear three-year vision anchors busy teams and retains talent. 7. Automation + AI enable proactive, “zero-ticket” support. When IT knows device health and feelings up-front, users stay productive. 8. External facilitation accelerates buy-in. An outside voice often unlocks trust and momentum that internal teams struggle to spark. Resources & Links mentioned Jaro Tomik on LinkedIn – connect for daily enterprise-service-management insights / jarotomik CDW Enterprise Service Management – learn how CDW guides large enterprises through experience-led transformation https://www.cdw.com/ Scenario-Based IT Workshops (Sunburst Simulations) – explore the escape-room-style workshop framework Jaro runs https://sunburst-simulations.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: / Email: https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights Chapters 0:00 Welcome and episode overview 0:36 Jaro’s role scouting IT markets 1:53 Two biggest shifts: AI and experience 2:45 AI-washing confuses enterprise buyers 4:05 Human-centred design enters every conversation 5:35 Cutting vendor BS to gain trust 7:00 VUCA reality demands clear roadmaps 8:58 Scenario workshops explained and benefits 10:50 Role-swapping sparks cross-team empathy 12:30 Service-desk stress seen first-hand 14:40 Visibility hinges on unified data 16:05 Roadmap anchors teams amid change 18:15 Automation lowers manual processing burden 19:50 Zero-ticket vision: proactive support 22:30 External facilitators boost organisational buy-in 24:10 Final advice: people first, productivity next 25:05 Closing thanks and stay-happy sign-off