December 6, 2024 • 25 mins
Ever wondered how artificial intelligence can transform your workplace and give you back precious time? Join us as we chat with Brad Woollett, CEO of Definiti, on Newcastle’s sunny Honeysuckle foreshore.
Brad reveals how Definiti is revolutionising work with automation, introducing digital co-workers like Vinnie—AI-powered helpers designed to boost business efficiency, especially during crunch times. Amid the hum of lawnmowers, blowers, whipper-snippers and the warmth of coastal breezes, we delve into AI’s incredible potential, from simplifying everyday tasks to driving groundbreaking innovations.
Brad’s passion for delivering value shines through, particularly in partnerships with large enterprises. He envisions a future where data becomes a powerful asset, and predictive maintenance is within reach for small businesses. His vision? A world where technology doesn’t replace us—it empowers us.
Stay curious and inspired as we explore how awareness and technology can transform challenges into opportunities and redefine how we work and live.
Thank you for listening!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Leon Goltsman (00:00):
Hello global listeners, whether you're
starting your day, winding downor somewhere in between, welcome
to another episode of EngagingConversations.
This is the podcast where weembrace the unexpected and turn
it into everything extraordinary.
I'm your host, Leon Goltsman,and, as always, this show is
proudly brought to you by LakeMac Business Focus, celebrating
(00:22):
the innovators, creators andchange makers who are shaping a
brighter future for all of us.
Now picture this it's astunning day on the foreshore of
Honeysuckle in Newcastle, acity that is rapidly
transforming into one ofAustralia's most recognised
innovation hubs.
The sun is shining, the breezeis gentle and it's the perfect
(00:43):
day to take our conversationoutdoors.
But, as life would have it,unpredictability decided to join
us in the form of two right-onlawnmowers, a whippersnapper and
a blower, all orchestratingtheir own symphony around us.
I missed the symphony ofunexpected interruptions.
(01:04):
I had the pleasure of sittingdown with Brad Woollett, the
Chief Executive Officer ofDefiniti, a company dedicated to
revolutionising the way we workby automating mundane tasks,
allowing people to focus on whattruly matters.
Brad lives and works by theCovey and Carnegie principles,
striving for win-win outcomes inall engagements.
(01:24):
His extensive managementexperience spans industries such
as mining, manufacturing,broadcasting and communications,
both in Australia and overseas.
Initially, we consideredpostponing the interview, but
then we thought why not embracethe chaos?
After all, isn't that whatinnovation is all about
Navigating the unexpected andturning challenges into
(01:47):
opportunities.
So we pressed on testing thelimits of our state-of-the-art
recording equipment and ourability to stay focused amidst
the commotion.
It turned out to be anincredibly enriching
conversation.
Brad shared insights into howDefiniti is leveraging
artificial intelligence and theprocess of automation to help
(02:07):
businesses reclaim their mostprestigious commodity time.
We also discussed Vinny, one oftheir digital co-workers, who
never gets distracted andconsistently delivers high
quality work work Beyond hisprofessional expertise, brad is
(02:28):
a connector and communitybuilder, deeply committed to
enhancing productivity andoverall collaboration.
So get ready to laugh, learnand perhaps find a bit of
inspiration in embracing life'sunpredictability.
Without further ado, let's diveinto this lively and
spontaneous conversation withBrad Woollett of Definiti.
Brad Woollett (02:46):
So my name is Brad Woollett, I'm the CEO of
Definiti, and Definiti is asoftware engineering company
that focuses on creating timefor our clients through
artificial intelligence andintelligent automation.
Leon Goltsman (03:00):
Tell me a little bit about artificial
intelligence.
What exactly is it Tell?
Brad Woollett (03:06):
me a little bit about artificial intelligence.
What exactly is it?
Artificial intelligence rangesfrom what we call everyday AI
all the way through togame-changing AI.
So it can be a little bitconfusing to clients when they
first hear about AI and all thehype that's out there.
(03:26):
But AI is anything where thereis a computer that actually
assists a human in doingsomething.
So AI was a term first coinedback in the 1950s when they
first created a computer model.
Leon Goltsman (03:41):
And Brad, you often say that at Definiti you
create time for clients throughAI and intelligent automation.
Can you share a recent examplewhere you saw this approach
transform a business or help itachieve exponential growth?
Brad Woollett (03:55):
Yeah, look, one of the most recent clients that
we've got is based right here inthe Hunter, not too far away
from where we're sitting, andthey're a residential building
restoration company.
So what happens?
They get a lot of work thatcomes through insurance
(04:15):
companies when there are weatherevents.
So this organisation does workup and down the eastern coast of
Australia.
So you can imagine right now,with all the storms that we've
been experiencing, they areabsolutely flat out dealing with
hailstones the size of tennisballs, creating all sorts of
(04:37):
chaos for homeowners.
So when they have these weatherevents, they get a surge in
their business and this is abubble that moves through their
business that can increase theactivity by 20 times.
So when this happens, theynormally they're in fur and
feathers and they've got to hiretemps to deal with the added
(05:00):
work, with the added work.
So we've actually implemented adigital co-worker, who they've
affectionately called Vinnie,that can fire up when they have
these weather events to handleall these activities, all this
increase in activity that'sgoing on.
So Vinnie is probably one oftheir most valuable employees
(05:21):
that they've got on the books.
Leon Goltsman (05:24):
So can I ask you, Brad, with all the noises going
on behind us, I know somepeople might get distracted how
might Vinnie handle somethinglike that?
Brad Woollett (05:33):
Oh, Vinnie doesn't get distracted.
Yeah, Vinnie knows his job,executes on his job and
eliminates human error.
So, just by virtue of Vinnybeing a digital co-worker, there
is no human error or humandistraction involved with what
Vinny does.
Leon Goltsman (05:54):
Well, I've got to say I'm actually watching one
of the guys mowing the lawn herein Newcastle and the funny
thing is I'm trying not to laugh, but we are having a
conversation.
He's already mowed the lawnthree times and he's just going
around in circles the same spot.
Brad Woollett (06:11):
Oh, definitely, look, we probably built a robot
for that, but what a fantasticjob to be out here in the
sunshine mowing the lawns alongthe waterfront Awesome job.
Leon Goltsman (06:22):
Well, I know and that's the perks of what we do
we get a chance to do this also.
Brad, you mentioned your corevalues at definity include
bringing value and obsess forsuccess.
How do these values influencethe way you approach client
relationships, especially withlarger enterprises?
Brad Woollett (06:39):
well, bringing uh , bringing value and obsessing
for success is not just aboutresponding to a request or a
challenge that a client bringsto us, but it's.
It's looking further afield,it's putting yourself in their
shoes, looking out through theirlens and seeing what other
(07:02):
value we can create for them.
Yeah, it's not a response.
It's a lot more than that.
Leon Goltsman (07:09):
But one of the things that we've had some great
conversations about mixing timeand not squandering a moment.
I mean we always try and makethe most of every opportunity
that we have.
How has this mindset influencedyour leadership style and your
work with Definiti?
Brad Woollett (07:24):
Yeah, very good question, Leon.
So our leadership style is thatthere's four of us in the
leadership team and we all drinkour own champagne.
So that's a very French way ofsaying we eat our own dog food.
But we do have a Frenchman onour SLT and he loves saying that
(07:45):
we drink our own champagne.
So whatever we do in thebusiness, it's looking at how we
can streamline our operationsand automate our processes so we
can be the most efficient thatwe can be.
We also know that time is ourmost precious resource.
We also know that time is ourmost precious resource.
(08:06):
So we communicate often, wecommunicate with purpose and we
communicate efficiently.
It's all about articulating theaim or the outcome first that
you'd like to achieve whenyou're having those
conversations, and we work onthe principle of there being no
surprises and playing the balland not the player.
Leon Goltsman (08:29):
Thank you, brad, and intelligent automation is a
hot topic.
For those who might beunfamiliar, what do you see as
the top benefits of AI andintelligent automation for
companies today?
Brad Woollett (08:42):
Well, Leon, as you've said, AI has definitely
captured the hearts and minds ofthe business community out
there.
There's a lot of interest inthe market, but there's also a
lot of confusion.
So to help navigate thatconfusion, we use Gartner's
approach, where we break AI downinto areas, two areas such as
(09:06):
everyday AI and game-changing AI.
Now, everyday AI has beenaround for many years.
It is proven, it is low riskand it comes with good returns.
An example of everyday AI isintelligent automation using
tools like robotic processautomation.
(09:27):
Game-changing AI is new.
It's high cost, it's high risk,but there's also the potential
for significant returns.
An example of game-changing AIwould be the large language
models that big enterprises arebuilding.
They're investing hundreds ofthousands, if not millions, of
(09:47):
dollars into these largelanguage models.
Leon Goltsman (09:51):
And I also know a lot of people are investing
hundreds and thousands ofmillions of dollars not
personally, their companies andyet sometimes the return on
investment isn't there.
Is there a way of measuringgood return on their investment
with AI?
Brad Woollett (10:08):
Yeah.
So what we've seen works withour clients and we've been
playing in this field for wellover 30 years, delivering
solutions in information systemswith our customers and the
biggest challenge is theresistance to change.
So change management plays amassive role in delivering a
(10:35):
successful solution.
So you need to follow theprinciples of the methodologies
that are out there for changemanagement, such as Cotter's
Eight Steps for Change eightsteps for change and that's
(10:56):
where you create a sense ofurgency, you establish a guiding
coalition, you get a quick winon the board very quickly and
then you continue to measurevalue.
So measure the cost of aprocess as it is and measure the
cost of a process once it'sbeen transformed, and these
figures will promote ongoingchange in the business.
Leon Goltsman (11:19):
So Brad Definiti tagline emphasises becoming the
solution.
How does your team tacklecomplex problems, and is there a
particular project where thisvalue is shown through?
Brad Woollett (11:30):
Yes, being the solution.
That is one of our corecompetencies and that actually
came from a manager of mine 30years ago.
He would always say to us hewould say there are two sides to
an equation there's the side ofthe problem and there's the
(11:51):
side of the solution.
So if you're not part of thesolution, then you're a part of
the problem.
And that stuck, that stuck withme.
So, um, now an example of uh,of how we become the solution by
putting silencers on brushcutters, which might solve our
(12:14):
problem here.
Leon, we had a not-for-profitorganisation large national
not-for-profit organisation,funded largely by donations and
they had over 300,000 PDFdocuments that may or may not
have contained credit cardinformation from people making
(12:36):
donations.
So they came to us and said look, the Privacy Act means that we
need to make sure that thatinformation doesn't get out.
We need all that informationredacted and we've priced that
up where it might be.
It'll cost.
If we were to put people onthis.
It's going to take a teamalmost 12 months and it'll cost
(12:59):
close to a million bucks forthem to do this Find the credit
card information and redact itout of these 300,000 documents,
thousand documents.
So we threw the challenge atour team and very quickly they
(13:19):
were able to prove that we couldidentify or build a software
robot that could identify creditcard information not only in
the text of the PDF, but if itwas a credit card image embedded
in the document, it wouldidentify that and it would
redact it.
So we turned a million dollarproject into one that took three
(13:40):
or four weeks once we built thesoftware robot and cost them
tens of thousands of dollars asopposed to that million dollar
price tag.
Leon Goltsman (13:49):
It's fair to say that's like having a license to
print money.
Brad Woollett (13:53):
Oh, absolutely it is.
It is.
Yeah, it's very exciting whatthe value that this technology
can bring to organizations.
Leon Goltsman (14:03):
Well, I can see why so many people are coming
your way.
Yeah, we've been very busy,very busy Since we met.
We've expanded our networkacross cities and connected with
so many incredible people.
What role do you thinknetworking and face-to-face
interactions play in today'sdigital world?
Brad Woollett (14:22):
Leon, the face-to-face interaction is more
important than ever.
So I'm a big fan of StephenCovey.
He wrote many business andmanagement books, including ones
like the Seven Habits of HighlyEffective People and First
Things First.
His son, stephen Covey Jr,actually wrote a bestselling
book called the Speed of Trust,and the whole principle of that
(14:46):
is that when trust goes up,speed goes up and costs come
down.
Hence trust has a bottom lineimpact on results.
Stephen Covey Jr talks to anexample that he uses where
Warren Buffett.
He's in the Guinness Book ofRecords, I believe, for the
(15:08):
fastest billion dollar deal inthe history, and it took him
four weeks to get thisbillion-dollar deal signed off.
And the way that he did it isthat when he met his opponent in
this deal, he grabbed him bythe hand, he looked him in the
eye and he said can I trust you?
(15:29):
And that just set the tone forthe deal.
It got them sitting over thesame side of the desk, allowed
them to move forward and theyweren't fighting over small
terms and conditions in thecontract.
So you can't grab someone'shand and look them in the eye
(15:52):
over a video conference.
So trust is what we need morethan ever these days.
Leon Goltsman (16:01):
So Brad, for large corporates looking to stay
ahead of the curve, what wouldyou say are the top factors they
should consider whenimplementing AI and intelligent
automation?
Brad Woollett (16:11):
factors they should consider when
implementing AI and intelligentautomation.
Yeah, large corporations, Leon.
This advice applies to allorganisations that are looking
to implement AI, and it is aboutmeasuring.
You've got to educate andmeasure.
So to educate and measure.
(16:36):
So, first of all, educate allyour team about what AI can do
for the business.
And, just like thatorganisation that is the
restoration company, they'vecalled their digital co-worker
Vinnie.
They've now got guys out in thefield thinking about what else
they can give to Vinnie.
So the innovation is justcoming back in droves, a lot
(16:57):
more than what the managers orthe leaders of the organisation
could have worked out.
They've got people at thecoalface that is bringing
innovative ideas back into theirorganisation, and that's
happening because they humanisedVinnie.
Vinnie's treated like anapprentice and they're thinking
(17:19):
what other really terrible jobsthat I don't like doing can I
give to Vinnie, so that'sprovided them with a pipeline of
efficiency gains for theirbusiness.
The other important thing ismeasuring Vinny's performance.
So Vinny's just like anemployee he needs to be
onboarded, he needs to betrained and he needs to be
(17:41):
performance managed.
So, having dashboards aroundVinny's performance, you can see
real time how much money Vinnieis saving the organisation, and
that's a key measure and a keymetric for business owners to
see so that they fund theongoing program of works.
Leon Goltsman (18:05):
And I take it, vinnie doesn't sleep, at least
not on the job.
Brad Woollett (18:11):
Oh no, vinnie is, uh, he is a freak.
So, um, you know, vinnie canhandle.
You know, we reckon Vinnie canhandle around 60 percent of the
administrative tasks that, uh,the people are doing.
And this, this frees employeesup to focus on higher value,
more stimulating work.
(18:32):
Vinny, he operates 24-7, sohe's like a 7-Eleven.
He's every day of the year.
He completes tasks 10 timesfaster.
He eliminates human error,which is a factor responsible
for up to 95% of thecybersecurity breaches.
(18:52):
So Vinnie will win the highestvaluable employee several months
in a row.
So, yeah, vinnie's pretty good.
And there's your competitiveedge, exactly right.
Leon Goltsman (19:10):
What's one piece of advice you would give to
business owners looking to adoptintelligent automation but are
just unsure where to start?
Brad Woollett (19:19):
It's all about educating yourself.
So make sure you are aware ofwhat AI is all about and
intelligent automation and whatintelligent automation can do
for your business.
So educate yourself, educateyour leaders.
And then the second piece ofadvice is measure.
(19:39):
Look, if you can't measure it,you can't manage it, and you've
got to apply those principles toyour digital co-workers.
Leon Goltsman (19:47):
And Brad, if people wanted to get in touch
with you or get more information.
What's the best way for peopleto reach you?
Brad Woollett (19:53):
Very simple.
Jump onto our websitedefinitiau D-E-F-I-N-I-T-I dot
A-U.
There's a form on there, acontact us form that you can
fill out, or you can drop me aline or give me a phone call,
brad Woollett at definiticomaumobile number 0408 687 662.
Leon Goltsman (20:19):
So, brad, looking ahead, what are some trends in
AI and intelligent automationthat excite you most, and how do
you see Definiti playing a rolein these advancements?
Brad Woollett (20:31):
Well, we have lots of fun at Definiti, so
we're playing on the leadingedge, not so much on the
bleeding edge, of technology.
So at heart, we are a bunch oftechnologists that just love
this stuff.
We eat and breathe it.
What we're seeing and theinnovation is coming from our
(20:55):
clients and coming from ourclients' challenges.
So a more recent one is amanufacturing company that has a
lab in their organisation andthese chemists that are working
in the lab have got handwrittenlab notes and this is data.
(21:15):
It's unstructured data thatcan't be used by anyone.
So we're looking to turn thatunstructured data into a
reusable asset for thatorganisation.
So we're going to ingest thesehandwritten notes books and
change it into structured datathat can be interrogated, change
it into structured data thatcan be interrogated, used and
(21:39):
reported on.
So that's one area knowledgemanagement.
It's going to be massive.
The other piece, or the otherside that we're seeing, is
predictive and preventativemaintenance for the masses.
Currently, the large data lakesare the realm of very large
(22:01):
enterprises with very deeppockets.
Where we're seeing technologyand AI going is that it will
allow those savings and thatinsight and that predictability
which leads on to preventativeareas.
It'll be enabled for the masses, so that's a very exciting area
(22:22):
that we're stepping into.
Leon Goltsman (22:26):
And Brad, just in a couple of years that I've met
you, you and your organisationhave come a long way, and every
time I sit down with you,whether it's in a university, at
a breakfast meeting orconducting a conversation, with
lots of people cycling past,which is a great thing, and I
suppose the fact that grass isgrowing and it's being mowed I
(22:48):
bet you it's going to stop assoon as we finish.
That's probably a good thing aswell.
Thank you very much, brad, forall your help, all your support,
and for meeting with me todayand having a chat.
Brad Woollett (23:03):
Mate, it's been a pleasure.
Thanks, Leon.
Leon Goltsman (23:06):
Well, that's a wrap on today's conversation
with Brad Woollett from Definiti.
What an absolute pleasure itwas to sit down with someone so
authentic, knowledgeable andgenuinely passionate about using
AI to create meaningful changein people's lives.
Brad isn't just about drivinginnovation.
He's about ensuring thattechnology serves humanity,
(23:26):
helping people reclaim theirtime and focus on what truly
matters.
In an industry often viewed astechnical and impersonal, brad
brings heart and humanity to theforefront.
From streamlining operationsand cutting costs for businesses
to empowering employees toengage in more fulfilling work,
Definiti proves that innovationand compassion can indeed go
(23:50):
hand in hand.
Now here's the funny twist toleave you with Right after we
wrapped up the recording.
Twist to leave you with Rightafter we wrapped up the
recording.
Wouldn't you know it?
The mowers, the blowers and allthe noise finally stopped.
Brad and I couldn't help butlaugh at the timing.
We decided to embrace themoment, walked over to the
(24:12):
workers, shared a laugh and evensnapped up a photo with the guy
responsible for the blower'sguest appearance.
I'll include those images inthe show notes.
They're a fun reminder thatlife doesn't always go to plan,
but a flexible mindset canindeed turn disruptions into
moments of connection and joy.
Now shifting gears.
Next week's episode takes on amore serious note.
I'll be speaking with ClaudiaTolhurst, executive Officer at
(24:36):
the Hunter Melanoma Foundation.
Claudia and her team are on amission to raise awareness about
melanoma, a silent threat thatdoesn't always get the attention
it deserves until it's too late.
We'll explore the incrediblework her organisation is doing
to educate, prevent and supportthose affected by the disease.
(24:57):
This episode isn't just abouthealth.
It's about empowering peoplewith the knowledge and resources
to take action and potentiallysave lives.
It's an episode you won't wantto miss and, as always, if you
have any questions for Brad orwant to learn more about
Definiti, check out the shownotes for ways to connect.
(25:17):
I'm Leon Goltsman and I lookforward to having you join me
again next week.
Until then, stay curious,embrace the unexpected and let's
keep making a differencetogether.
Hello global listeners, whether you're
starting your day, winding downor somewhere in between, welcome
to another episode of EngagingConversations.
This is the podcast where weembrace the unexpected and turn
it into everything extraordinary.
I'm your host, Leon Goltsman,and, as always, this show is
proudly brought to you by LakeMac Business Focus, celebrating
(00:22):
the innovators, creators andchange makers who are shaping a
brighter future for all of us.
Now picture this it's astunning day on the foreshore of
Honeysuckle in Newcastle, acity that is rapidly
transforming into one ofAustralia's most recognised
innovation hubs.
The sun is shining, the breezeis gentle and it's the perfect
(00:43):
day to take our conversationoutdoors.
But, as life would have it,unpredictability decided to join
us in the form of two right-onlawnmowers, a whippersnapper and
a blower, all orchestratingtheir own symphony around us.
I missed the symphony ofunexpected interruptions.
(01:04):
I had the pleasure of sittingdown with Brad Woollett, the
Chief Executive Officer ofDefiniti, a company dedicated to
revolutionising the way we workby automating mundane tasks,
allowing people to focus on whattruly matters.
Brad lives and works by theCovey and Carnegie principles,
striving for win-win outcomes inall engagements.
(01:24):
His extensive managementexperience spans industries such
as mining, manufacturing,broadcasting and communications,
both in Australia and overseas.
Initially, we consideredpostponing the interview, but
then we thought why not embracethe chaos?
After all, isn't that whatinnovation is all about
Navigating the unexpected andturning challenges into
(01:47):
opportunities.
So we pressed on testing thelimits of our state-of-the-art
recording equipment and ourability to stay focused amidst
the commotion.
It turned out to be anincredibly enriching
conversation.
Brad shared insights into howDefiniti is leveraging
artificial intelligence and theprocess of automation to help
(02:07):
businesses reclaim their mostprestigious commodity time.
We also discussed Vinny, one oftheir digital co-workers, who
never gets distracted andconsistently delivers high
quality work work Beyond hisprofessional expertise, brad is
(02:28):
a connector and communitybuilder, deeply committed to
enhancing productivity andoverall collaboration.
So get ready to laugh, learnand perhaps find a bit of
inspiration in embracing life'sunpredictability.
Without further ado, let's diveinto this lively and
spontaneous conversation withBrad Woollett of Definiti.
Brad Woollett (02:46):
So my name is Brad Woollett, I'm the CEO of
Definiti, and Definiti is asoftware engineering company
that focuses on creating timefor our clients through
artificial intelligence andintelligent automation.
Leon Goltsman (03:00):
Tell me a little bit about artificial
intelligence.
What exactly is it Tell?
Brad Woollett (03:06):
me a little bit about artificial intelligence.
What exactly is it?
Artificial intelligence rangesfrom what we call everyday AI
all the way through togame-changing AI.
So it can be a little bitconfusing to clients when they
first hear about AI and all thehype that's out there.
(03:26):
But AI is anything where thereis a computer that actually
assists a human in doingsomething.
So AI was a term first coinedback in the 1950s when they
first created a computer model.
Leon Goltsman (03:41):
And Brad, you often say that at Definiti you
create time for clients throughAI and intelligent automation.
Can you share a recent examplewhere you saw this approach
transform a business or help itachieve exponential growth?
Brad Woollett (03:55):
Yeah, look, one of the most recent clients that
we've got is based right here inthe Hunter, not too far away
from where we're sitting, andthey're a residential building
restoration company.
So what happens?
They get a lot of work thatcomes through insurance
(04:15):
companies when there are weatherevents.
So this organisation does workup and down the eastern coast of
Australia.
So you can imagine right now,with all the storms that we've
been experiencing, they areabsolutely flat out dealing with
hailstones the size of tennisballs, creating all sorts of
(04:37):
chaos for homeowners.
So when they have these weatherevents, they get a surge in
their business and this is abubble that moves through their
business that can increase theactivity by 20 times.
So when this happens, theynormally they're in fur and
feathers and they've got to hiretemps to deal with the added
(05:00):
work, with the added work.
So we've actually implemented adigital co-worker, who they've
affectionately called Vinnie,that can fire up when they have
these weather events to handleall these activities, all this
increase in activity that'sgoing on.
So Vinnie is probably one oftheir most valuable employees
(05:21):
that they've got on the books.
Leon Goltsman (05:24):
So can I ask you, Brad, with all the noises going
on behind us, I know somepeople might get distracted how
might Vinnie handle somethinglike that?
Brad Woollett (05:33):
Oh, Vinnie doesn't get distracted.
Yeah, Vinnie knows his job,executes on his job and
eliminates human error.
So, just by virtue of Vinnybeing a digital co-worker, there
is no human error or humandistraction involved with what
Vinny does.
Leon Goltsman (05:54):
Well, I've got to say I'm actually watching one
of the guys mowing the lawn herein Newcastle and the funny
thing is I'm trying not to laugh, but we are having a
conversation.
He's already mowed the lawnthree times and he's just going
around in circles the same spot.
Brad Woollett (06:11):
Oh, definitely, look, we probably built a robot
for that, but what a fantasticjob to be out here in the
sunshine mowing the lawns alongthe waterfront Awesome job.
Leon Goltsman (06:22):
Well, I know and that's the perks of what we do
we get a chance to do this also.
Brad, you mentioned your corevalues at definity include
bringing value and obsess forsuccess.
How do these values influencethe way you approach client
relationships, especially withlarger enterprises?
Brad Woollett (06:39):
well, bringing uh , bringing value and obsessing
for success is not just aboutresponding to a request or a
challenge that a client bringsto us, but it's.
It's looking further afield,it's putting yourself in their
shoes, looking out through theirlens and seeing what other
(07:02):
value we can create for them.
Yeah, it's not a response.
It's a lot more than that.
Leon Goltsman (07:09):
But one of the things that we've had some great
conversations about mixing timeand not squandering a moment.
I mean we always try and makethe most of every opportunity
that we have.
How has this mindset influencedyour leadership style and your
work with Definiti?
Brad Woollett (07:24):
Yeah, very good question, Leon.
So our leadership style is thatthere's four of us in the
leadership team and we all drinkour own champagne.
So that's a very French way ofsaying we eat our own dog food.
But we do have a Frenchman onour SLT and he loves saying that
(07:45):
we drink our own champagne.
So whatever we do in thebusiness, it's looking at how we
can streamline our operationsand automate our processes so we
can be the most efficient thatwe can be.
We also know that time is ourmost precious resource.
We also know that time is ourmost precious resource.
(08:06):
So we communicate often, wecommunicate with purpose and we
communicate efficiently.
It's all about articulating theaim or the outcome first that
you'd like to achieve whenyou're having those
conversations, and we work onthe principle of there being no
surprises and playing the balland not the player.
Leon Goltsman (08:29):
Thank you, brad, and intelligent automation is a
hot topic.
For those who might beunfamiliar, what do you see as
the top benefits of AI andintelligent automation for
companies today?
Brad Woollett (08:42):
Well, Leon, as you've said, AI has definitely
captured the hearts and minds ofthe business community out
there.
There's a lot of interest inthe market, but there's also a
lot of confusion.
So to help navigate thatconfusion, we use Gartner's
approach, where we break AI downinto areas, two areas such as
(09:06):
everyday AI and game-changing AI.
Now, everyday AI has beenaround for many years.
It is proven, it is low riskand it comes with good returns.
An example of everyday AI isintelligent automation using
tools like robotic processautomation.
(09:27):
Game-changing AI is new.
It's high cost, it's high risk,but there's also the potential
for significant returns.
An example of game-changing AIwould be the large language
models that big enterprises arebuilding.
They're investing hundreds ofthousands, if not millions, of
(09:47):
dollars into these largelanguage models.
Leon Goltsman (09:51):
And I also know a lot of people are investing
hundreds and thousands ofmillions of dollars not
personally, their companies andyet sometimes the return on
investment isn't there.
Is there a way of measuringgood return on their investment
with AI?
Brad Woollett (10:08):
Yeah.
So what we've seen works withour clients and we've been
playing in this field for wellover 30 years, delivering
solutions in information systemswith our customers and the
biggest challenge is theresistance to change.
So change management plays amassive role in delivering a
(10:35):
successful solution.
So you need to follow theprinciples of the methodologies
that are out there for changemanagement, such as Cotter's
Eight Steps for Change eightsteps for change and that's
(10:56):
where you create a sense ofurgency, you establish a guiding
coalition, you get a quick winon the board very quickly and
then you continue to measurevalue.
So measure the cost of aprocess as it is and measure the
cost of a process once it'sbeen transformed, and these
figures will promote ongoingchange in the business.
Leon Goltsman (11:19):
So Brad Definiti tagline emphasises becoming the
solution.
How does your team tacklecomplex problems, and is there a
particular project where thisvalue is shown through?
Brad Woollett (11:30):
Yes, being the solution.
That is one of our corecompetencies and that actually
came from a manager of mine 30years ago.
He would always say to us hewould say there are two sides to
an equation there's the side ofthe problem and there's the
(11:51):
side of the solution.
So if you're not part of thesolution, then you're a part of
the problem.
And that stuck, that stuck withme.
So, um, now an example of uh,of how we become the solution by
putting silencers on brushcutters, which might solve our
(12:14):
problem here.
Leon, we had a not-for-profitorganisation large national
not-for-profit organisation,funded largely by donations and
they had over 300,000 PDFdocuments that may or may not
have contained credit cardinformation from people making
(12:36):
donations.
So they came to us and said look, the Privacy Act means that we
need to make sure that thatinformation doesn't get out.
We need all that informationredacted and we've priced that
up where it might be.
It'll cost.
If we were to put people onthis.
It's going to take a teamalmost 12 months and it'll cost
(12:59):
close to a million bucks forthem to do this Find the credit
card information and redact itout of these 300,000 documents,
thousand documents.
So we threw the challenge atour team and very quickly they
(13:19):
were able to prove that we couldidentify or build a software
robot that could identify creditcard information not only in
the text of the PDF, but if itwas a credit card image embedded
in the document, it wouldidentify that and it would
redact it.
So we turned a million dollarproject into one that took three
(13:40):
or four weeks once we built thesoftware robot and cost them
tens of thousands of dollars asopposed to that million dollar
price tag.
Leon Goltsman (13:49):
It's fair to say that's like having a license to
print money.
Brad Woollett (13:53):
Oh, absolutely it is.
It is.
Yeah, it's very exciting whatthe value that this technology
can bring to organizations.
Leon Goltsman (14:03):
Well, I can see why so many people are coming
your way.
Yeah, we've been very busy,very busy Since we met.
We've expanded our networkacross cities and connected with
so many incredible people.
What role do you thinknetworking and face-to-face
interactions play in today'sdigital world?
Brad Woollett (14:22):
Leon, the face-to-face interaction is more
important than ever.
So I'm a big fan of StephenCovey.
He wrote many business andmanagement books, including ones
like the Seven Habits of HighlyEffective People and First
Things First.
His son, stephen Covey Jr,actually wrote a bestselling
book called the Speed of Trust,and the whole principle of that
(14:46):
is that when trust goes up,speed goes up and costs come
down.
Hence trust has a bottom lineimpact on results.
Stephen Covey Jr talks to anexample that he uses where
Warren Buffett.
He's in the Guinness Book ofRecords, I believe, for the
(15:08):
fastest billion dollar deal inthe history, and it took him
four weeks to get thisbillion-dollar deal signed off.
And the way that he did it isthat when he met his opponent in
this deal, he grabbed him bythe hand, he looked him in the
eye and he said can I trust you?
(15:29):
And that just set the tone forthe deal.
It got them sitting over thesame side of the desk, allowed
them to move forward and theyweren't fighting over small
terms and conditions in thecontract.
So you can't grab someone'shand and look them in the eye
(15:52):
over a video conference.
So trust is what we need morethan ever these days.
Leon Goltsman (16:01):
So Brad, for large corporates looking to stay
ahead of the curve, what wouldyou say are the top factors they
should consider whenimplementing AI and intelligent
automation?
Brad Woollett (16:11):
factors they should consider when
implementing AI and intelligentautomation.
Yeah, large corporations, Leon.
This advice applies to allorganisations that are looking
to implement AI, and it is aboutmeasuring.
You've got to educate andmeasure.
So to educate and measure.
(16:36):
So, first of all, educate allyour team about what AI can do
for the business.
And, just like thatorganisation that is the
restoration company, they'vecalled their digital co-worker
Vinnie.
They've now got guys out in thefield thinking about what else
they can give to Vinnie.
So the innovation is justcoming back in droves, a lot
(16:57):
more than what the managers orthe leaders of the organisation
could have worked out.
They've got people at thecoalface that is bringing
innovative ideas back into theirorganisation, and that's
happening because they humanisedVinnie.
Vinnie's treated like anapprentice and they're thinking
(17:19):
what other really terrible jobsthat I don't like doing can I
give to Vinnie, so that'sprovided them with a pipeline of
efficiency gains for theirbusiness.
The other important thing ismeasuring Vinny's performance.
So Vinny's just like anemployee he needs to be
onboarded, he needs to betrained and he needs to be
(17:41):
performance managed.
So, having dashboards aroundVinny's performance, you can see
real time how much money Vinnieis saving the organisation, and
that's a key measure and a keymetric for business owners to
see so that they fund theongoing program of works.
Leon Goltsman (18:05):
And I take it, vinnie doesn't sleep, at least
not on the job.
Brad Woollett (18:11):
Oh no, vinnie is, uh, he is a freak.
So, um, you know, vinnie canhandle.
You know, we reckon Vinnie canhandle around 60 percent of the
administrative tasks that, uh,the people are doing.
And this, this frees employeesup to focus on higher value,
more stimulating work.
(18:32):
Vinny, he operates 24-7, sohe's like a 7-Eleven.
He's every day of the year.
He completes tasks 10 timesfaster.
He eliminates human error,which is a factor responsible
for up to 95% of thecybersecurity breaches.
(18:52):
So Vinnie will win the highestvaluable employee several months
in a row.
So, yeah, vinnie's pretty good.
And there's your competitiveedge, exactly right.
Leon Goltsman (19:10):
What's one piece of advice you would give to
business owners looking to adoptintelligent automation but are
just unsure where to start?
Brad Woollett (19:19):
It's all about educating yourself.
So make sure you are aware ofwhat AI is all about and
intelligent automation and whatintelligent automation can do
for your business.
So educate yourself, educateyour leaders.
And then the second piece ofadvice is measure.
(19:39):
Look, if you can't measure it,you can't manage it, and you've
got to apply those principles toyour digital co-workers.
Leon Goltsman (19:47):
And Brad, if people wanted to get in touch
with you or get more information.
What's the best way for peopleto reach you?
Brad Woollett (19:53):
Very simple.
Jump onto our websitedefinitiau D-E-F-I-N-I-T-I dot
A-U.
There's a form on there, acontact us form that you can
fill out, or you can drop me aline or give me a phone call,
brad Woollett at definiticomaumobile number 0408 687 662.
Leon Goltsman (20:19):
So, brad, looking ahead, what are some trends in
AI and intelligent automationthat excite you most, and how do
you see Definiti playing a rolein these advancements?
Brad Woollett (20:31):
Well, we have lots of fun at Definiti, so
we're playing on the leadingedge, not so much on the
bleeding edge, of technology.
So at heart, we are a bunch oftechnologists that just love
this stuff.
We eat and breathe it.
What we're seeing and theinnovation is coming from our
(20:55):
clients and coming from ourclients' challenges.
So a more recent one is amanufacturing company that has a
lab in their organisation andthese chemists that are working
in the lab have got handwrittenlab notes and this is data.
(21:15):
It's unstructured data thatcan't be used by anyone.
So we're looking to turn thatunstructured data into a
reusable asset for thatorganisation.
So we're going to ingest thesehandwritten notes books and
change it into structured datathat can be interrogated, change
it into structured data thatcan be interrogated, used and
(21:39):
reported on.
So that's one area knowledgemanagement.
It's going to be massive.
The other piece, or the otherside that we're seeing, is
predictive and preventativemaintenance for the masses.
Currently, the large data lakesare the realm of very large
(22:01):
enterprises with very deeppockets.
Where we're seeing technologyand AI going is that it will
allow those savings and thatinsight and that predictability
which leads on to preventativeareas.
It'll be enabled for the masses, so that's a very exciting area
(22:22):
that we're stepping into.
Leon Goltsman (22:26):
And Brad, just in a couple of years that I've met
you, you and your organisationhave come a long way, and every
time I sit down with you,whether it's in a university, at
a breakfast meeting orconducting a conversation, with
lots of people cycling past,which is a great thing, and I
suppose the fact that grass isgrowing and it's being mowed I
(22:48):
bet you it's going to stop assoon as we finish.
That's probably a good thing aswell.
Thank you very much, brad, forall your help, all your support,
and for meeting with me todayand having a chat.
Brad Woollett (23:03):
Mate, it's been a pleasure.
Thanks, Leon.
Leon Goltsman (23:06):
Well, that's a wrap on today's conversation
with Brad Woollett from Definiti.
What an absolute pleasure itwas to sit down with someone so
authentic, knowledgeable andgenuinely passionate about using
AI to create meaningful changein people's lives.
Brad isn't just about drivinginnovation.
He's about ensuring thattechnology serves humanity,
(23:26):
helping people reclaim theirtime and focus on what truly
matters.
In an industry often viewed astechnical and impersonal, brad
brings heart and humanity to theforefront.
From streamlining operationsand cutting costs for businesses
to empowering employees toengage in more fulfilling work,
Definiti proves that innovationand compassion can indeed go
(23:50):
hand in hand.
Now here's the funny twist toleave you with Right after we
wrapped up the recording.
Twist to leave you with Rightafter we wrapped up the
recording.
Wouldn't you know it?
The mowers, the blowers and allthe noise finally stopped.
Brad and I couldn't help butlaugh at the timing.
We decided to embrace themoment, walked over to the
(24:12):
workers, shared a laugh and evensnapped up a photo with the guy
responsible for the blower'sguest appearance.
I'll include those images inthe show notes.
They're a fun reminder thatlife doesn't always go to plan,
but a flexible mindset canindeed turn disruptions into
moments of connection and joy.
Now shifting gears.
Next week's episode takes on amore serious note.
I'll be speaking with ClaudiaTolhurst, executive Officer at
(24:36):
the Hunter Melanoma Foundation.
Claudia and her team are on amission to raise awareness about
melanoma, a silent threat thatdoesn't always get the attention
it deserves until it's too late.
We'll explore the incrediblework her organisation is doing
to educate, prevent and supportthose affected by the disease.
(24:57):
This episode isn't just abouthealth.
It's about empowering peoplewith the knowledge and resources
to take action and potentiallysave lives.
It's an episode you won't wantto miss and, as always, if you
have any questions for Brad orwant to learn more about
Definiti, check out the shownotes for ways to connect.
(25:17):
I'm Leon Goltsman and I lookforward to having you join me
again next week.
Until then, stay curious,embrace the unexpected and let's
keep making a differencetogether.
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