People Still People | A Conversation with Serge Blockmans
Tech Talk AfricaPlay episode
Show notes
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Guest: Serge Blockmans - Independent Advisor | Change Management
Go live is a moment. Transformation is a behavior change that survives the moment.
I sit down with Serge Blockmans, who helped bring SAP and ERP into the East African market, to revisit what digital transformation looked like in Kenya before the term became fashionable. Back then, organizations wanted controls, governance, and trustworthy data, not buzzwords. That foundation still shapes today’s ERP implementation decisions across finance, procurement, logistics, HR, and payroll.
From there, we get honest about why so many programs stall after the system launches. Serge makes the case that “best practice” can become a convenient excuse to skip business analysis, process design, and real ownership. We delve into why a PMO is still often treated as optional, why change management is sometimes confused with project management, and how resistance to change can manifest in various settings, from boardrooms to procurement committees to frontline super users.
Then we step into AI transformation. Embedded AI in SAP and ERP often resembles an advanced form of robotic process automation: faster tasks, fewer clicks, quicker analytics. However, if your processes and data are disorganized, AI can exacerbate the mess even faster. We also explore agentic AI, native AI apps, and the uncomfortable truth that your organization remains legally accountable even when an “autonomous” workflow makes the call.
If you lead technology, transformation, or operations, you’ll leave with clearer definitions of success, sharper questions to ask before buying tools, and a strong reminder to protect the change management budget.
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Credits
Host:
Stella GichuhiProducer:
James NjorogeExecutive Producers:
Harry HareAgutu Dan
