In this episode of the Enterprise Automation Excellence podcast, Dan Twing and Tom O’Rourke dive into the 2025 EMA Radar for Workload Automation and Orchestration—the most significant overhaul in the Radar’s 16-year history.

They explore how three foundational technology shifts—orchestration, observability, and AI/agentic capabilities—are reshaping the automation landscape. Vendors are advancing unevenly across these areas, creating a patchwork of strengths that reflect both customer priorities and technical readiness. From data pipelines and container orchestration to AI-driven workflows and the evolving role of legacy capabilities, this conversation maps where the market is going—and what leaders should be watching.

Key Topics:

• Why orchestration, observability, and AI now define best-in-class WLA

• What’s changed in the 2025 Radar measurement criteria—and why it matters

• Challenges in adopting multiple complex technologies simultaneously

• How cloud platforms are changing automation architecture priorities

• The market’s journey from fragmented experimentation to standardization

Takeaways for Automation Leaders:

• Integration of the "automation triad" is a competitive advantage—but also a challenge

• Customer-vendor collaboration is key to success in emerging capability areas

• Legacy functionality still matters: don’t lose focus on what’s already working

• Product roadmaps are increasingly shaped by Radar cycles and timing pressures

Listen now to understand where enterprise automation is heading—and how to get ahead of the curve.

EAE Podcast Home: EM360Tech – EAE Series
Feedback & Questions: eaepodcast@emausa.com

In the second half of their focus on product thinking hosts Dan Twing and Tom O'Rourke discuss how automation teams can apply product thinking principles to shift from operating reactively as service providers into a strategic-minded,customer value-focused organization.

Key themes include managing automation asa product portfolio, developing strategic roadmaps, implementing iterative planning processes, and building compelling business cases for automation investments. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs through frameworks like "Jobs to Be Done" and Value Proposition Canvas, while providing practical guidance on piloting product thinking initiatives and securing funding for automation improvements.

Learnings

• Portfolio Management Approach - Automation teams should manage their offerings as a curated portfolio of products and services, including automation software, integrations, APIs, operations, and support services.
• Curation is Critical - Teams must deliberately choose which automation capabilities to offer and which to exclude, avoiding the trap of exposing all available product features to users.
• Communication Drives Adoption - Success requires building capabilities to communicate offerings, share success stories, and provide clear pathways for users to request help.
• Strategy as Planning Tool - Effective automation strategy involves understanding what needs to change (why), defining target state (what), and outlining execution approach (how) through roadmaps and resource plans.
• Iterative Planning Process - Product thinking encourages quarterly strategy updates and monthly adjustments rather than annual planning cycles, enabling faster response to changing business needs.
• Pilot-Based Implementation - Organizations should start with small, low-risk pilots like providing dashboard access to business users or establishingdeveloper office hours.
• Investment Framework - Automation funding requests are evaluated using defend/extend/upend categories, with "extend" and "upend" projects having better approval chances than basic operational improvements.
• Proactive vs. Reactive Positioning - By anticipating needs and providing standardized solutions (like data pipeline tools), teams can reduce ad-hoc requests and gain strategic control.

Action Items for Piloting Product Thinking

1. Identify and Define Your First Customer Segment
2. Design and Launch a Low-Risk Pilot Service
3. Create Your First Product-Style Communication

Key Success Factor: Start small and focus on learning rather than perfection. The goal is to test whether product thinking approaches resonate in your organization and build momentum for broader adoption.

Questions & Comments

EAE Podcast Home: https://em360tech.com/podcast-series/enterprise-automation-excellence

Feedback & Questions: mailto: eaepodcast@emausa.com

In this Enterprise Automation Excellence episode, hosts Dan Twing and Tom O'Rourke explore how automation teams can adopt "product thinking" to better serve business needs and stakeholders. Rather than focusing solely on technology delivery, product thinking shifts the emphasis to understanding customer problems and working backward to solutions. This approach helps automation leaders move from reactive, ad-hoc service delivery to strategic, value-driven automation portfolios that align with business outcomes and demonstrate the importance of automation to business activities.

Key Takeaways

• Start with the job to be done, not the requested tool or technology.

• A request for "Airflow" might really mean "avoid failed reports on Monday morning."

• Use the Value Proposition Canvas to align automation services to real customer pains and gains.

• Different internal customers (such as HR, ERP, and DevOps teams) need tailored automation approaches.

• Mapping your automation portfolio to customer needs exposes both gaps and unused offerings.

Recommendations for IT Leaders

• Start with the real problem—don’t just deliver what was requested.

• Ask “What are you hiring this automation to do?” before committing resources.

• Map automation offerings to each customer segment you serve.

• Balance demand with budget and staffing realities.

• Justify automation investments by showing business impact—not technical features.

EAE Podcast Home: ⁠https://em360tech.com/podcast-series/enterprise-automation-excellence⁠Feedback & Questions: mailto:⁠eaepodcast@emausa.com