Work Simplification

Timothy Chester

I built my early career on work simplification, process optimization, and Internet-enabled automation. From ePayments for tuition and fees to web-based course registration, my team led these efforts for many years at Texas A and M University, eliminating inefficiencies and enabling self-service processes. When the mobile revolution hit, I had moved onto CIO leadership, focused on ERP implementations and transforming IT into a trusted business partner. Mobile technology improved access, but unlike the Internet, it didn’t challenge the way work was done—adopters simply layered it onto existing processes without rethinking them. Now, with Generative AI, I’m focused on developing the next generation of IT leaders—leaders who can harness AI to drive the productivity growth that can reshape higher education. AI has extraordinary potential, but if we automate business processes instead of simplifying them, we’ll miss the real economic transformation. In this Dispatch, we explore the true lessons of the 1993, 2007, and 2022 technological revolutions—and what needs to happen for GenAI to deliver real productivity gains.