Hands-On to Hands-Free: Empowering Operations Teams through AI and Automation

Microsoft Innovation Podcast

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/665
Stevie Sims shares his journey from chemical plant operator to lead Power Platform developer at Shell, demonstrating how business expertise combined with low-code tools can transform organizations.
TAKEAWAYS
• Started career in operations, climbing towers and turning valves before discovering Excel
• Hurricane Ida became a pivotal moment when he built a Power BI dashboard to manage recovery
• Transitioned from citizen developer to fusion team member building complex apps and automations
• Believes companies should encourage operational experts to upskill with technical tools
• Emphasizes the importance of business knowledge when developing technical solutions
• Advocates for "ring-fencing" talented citizen developers for focused development periods
• Prevents duplicate development efforts through idea triage and solution sharing
• Featured in new book "All Hands on Tech: AI-Powered Citizen Developer Revolution"
Check out "All Hands on Tech" by Ian Barkin and Tom Davenport, featuring Steve's story and other inspiring examples from the low-code no-code space.

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Bab

1. Hands-On to Hands-Free: Empowering Operations Teams through AI and Automation (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Steve Murphy (00:00:27)

3. New Orleans Food and Family Life (00:01:48)

4. From Field Operations to Tech Career (00:03:58)

5. The Hurricane Ida Turning Point (00:09:11)

6. Building Apps for Business Problems (00:14:52)

7. Citizen Development and Team Structure (00:17:42)

8. Balancing Business Knowledge with Tech Skills (00:21:46)

9. Preventing Duplicate Development Efforts (00:27:14)

10. Managing Data Access and Sources (00:31:57)