As organizations accelerate toward hyperautomation, the fusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is redefining how enterprises operate. But the real breakthrough lies not in the tools themselves, but in how leaders approach collaboration, simulation, and governance across business and IT.
In a candid and insightful virtual roundtable, leaders from healthcare, investment, manufacturing, and technology shared their experiences and views on the evolving RPA and AI landscape. Their conversation offered a unique look into how simulations, process ownership, and data fabrics are driving successful digital transformation.
Simulation as a Strategic Differentiator
Jessica Constantinidis, Innovation Officer EMEA at ServiceNow, opened the discussion with a bold statement: “You can now simulate an RPA implementation with built-in AI, governance, and compliance overlays before it ever touches your production systems. That changes everything for risk management and accelerates success.”
“You can now simulate an RPA implementation with built-in AI, governance, and compliance overlays before it ever touches your production systems. That changes everything for risk management and accelerates success.”
— Jessica Constantinidis, Innovation Officer EMEA, ServiceNow
In her view, this simulation-first approach is a game-changer. ServiceNow has worked with the largest car manufacturers, global healthcare providers, and financial institutions, helping them shift from legacy thinking to intelligent automation. “We are no longer just automating; we are pre-validating,” Jessica said.
She explained how enterprises are increasingly implementing a “data fabric”—not to be confused with a data lake—that allows integration of various data sources with contextual governance. This enables companies to assign which data can be used for AI, what needs to remain internal, and what requires sovereign processing.
“A data fabric categorizes data not just for access, but for use-case alignment,” she noted. “You can connect your RPA, your AI, and even your IoT layer into this centralized governance model and simulate workflows before pushing them live.”
“Simulation reduces risk, saves costs, and accelerates deployment. But automation success depends on business ownership, not IT alone.”
— Dr. Mustafa Hasan Qurban, IT Consultant, King Fahad Military Medical Complex
Process Ownership Must Shift
While technology enables transformation, speakers stressed that responsibility for success doesn’t sit with IT alone.
Dr. Mustafa Hasan Qurban, IT Consultant at King Fahad Military Medical Complex, emphasized: “Simulation reduces risk, saves costs, and accelerates deployment. But automation success depends on business ownership, not IT alone.”
He pointed out that healthcare, in particular, is filled with interwoven and highly sensitive processes. “We’re talking about 100+ specialties in a single hospital. Processes cut across multiple departments, and you’re dealing with life-impacting data.”
Yet despite this complexity, Dr. Mustafa cautioned against overburdening IT with responsibilities that rightly belong to the business. “Too often, IT is asked to identify processes, define pain points, and implement solutions,” he said. “That dilutes IT’s focus. Process owners must lead.”
This was a sentiment echoed by Jessica. “80% of the time, IT initiates these discussions. But they only know what they know,” she said. “They might assume a legacy platform is critical, when in fact the business has already moved on.”
“We’re just cleaning the mirror. IT can show what’s happening, but it’s the business that must decide what needs to change.”
— Gigi Mathew, Group Director, IT & Digital Transformation, Ittihad International Investment LLC
She shared an example from a French insurance provider. “IT thought they needed RPA for the mainframe and Lotus Notes. But when we sat with the claims processors, we realized the actual process was completely different. The tech wasn’t even required.”
Jessica emphasized the need for “IT translators”—people who understand both the business process and the technical stack, enabling seamless communication. “It’s about sitting next to the person doing the work and learning from them,” she said. “That’s how you discover what truly needs to be automated.”
From Documentation to Discovery: The Role of Business Cataloging
Gigi Mathew, Group Director of IT & Digital Transformation at Ittihad International Investment LLC, brought in a practical perspective based on field execution.
“You need a business process catalog—a complete playbook that lists every process, how often it’s done, by whom, and for what impact,” he explained.
Gigi’s team maintains a ‘master process list’ across all 40 entities within Ittihad. “It’s the foundation for identifying automation opportunities,” he said. “We use analytics to measure transaction frequency, average duration, and exception rates. That helps us qualify processes for automation.”
“Automation is no longer just a technical decision. It’s a strategic one—and it must come from the top.”
— Jessica Constantinidis, Innovation Officer EMEA, ServiceNow
He shared an example from a pharmaceutical company under their umbrella. “They were processing invoices with over a thousand line items. It took them three days. We automated the intake using OCR and RPA, and brought it down to under one day.”
Gigi noted that this freed up staff to focus on compliance and strategic procurement. “Automation is about redeploying human potential, not replacing it.”
The Rise of Integrated Governance
As automation matures, it’s increasingly bound to governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). “Security and compliance can’t be an afterthought,” said Dr. Mustafa. “You must ask: What data are we using? Who has access? What are the risks of compromise?”
Jessica reinforced this with how simulation environments work: “We can simulate the entire compliance framework. It’s not just technical testing—it’s risk modeling, data sovereignty, and predictive analytics all in one.”
Gigi brought up the crucial role of credential management. “Any RPA that mimics user behavior needs privileged access. That means PAM (Privileged Access Management) and GRC frameworks must be embedded.”
He added that metrics matter. “Every automation initiative must be tied to a business outcome—cost savings, error reduction, cycle time improvements, or risk minimization. Otherwise, it’s just automation for the sake of automation.”
Real-World Use Cases: From Drones to Document Processing
Gigi described innovative use cases from their factories in the UAE. “We’ve deployed cameras that ensure vehicles are parked in reverse for safety. We’ve used drones and AI for inventory and asset tracking.”
But the real breakthrough, he admitted, is yet to come. “I hadn’t thought deeply about simulation. But this idea—that we can test AI outcomes and RPA flows before rolling them out—opens new possibilities. It’s definitely something I’ll explore.”
Jessica responded: “That’s the reaction we often get. Most customers don’t even know this exists. But once they try it, it becomes core to how they scale.”
She mentioned partnerships with Siemens Healthineers and Alcatel. “These aren’t IT projects—they’re operational. MRI machines, IoT sensors, compliance controls—it’s all simulated before implementation.”
Who Leads Transformation?
Dr. Mustafa raised a crucial question: “Who should lead automation efforts?”
“The business,” Jessica answered immediately. “If it’s a payment process, the head of payments should own it.”
She said organizations are evolving. “In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, we’re seeing CEOs with tech backgrounds appointing Chief AI Officers. It’s becoming a board-level mandate.”
Dr. Mustafa agreed: “Organizations led by former CIOs or tech-savvy CEOs are succeeding faster. They understand how to align strategy with execution.”
Jessica emphasized the importance of enablement: “It’s not about dumping a tool on the business. We must train them, empower them, and co-create the solution. The goal is long-term autonomy.”
Future…
As the panel concluded, a strong message emerged: automation is no longer a function. It’s a capability—and one that must be shared.
“We’re just cleaning the mirror,” said Gigi. “Giving businesses clearer visibility so they can act faster and smarter.”
Jessica summed it up best: “It’s not IT’s job alone anymore. It’s a shared responsibility—and a shared opportunity to lead transformation from the top.”
