Fix the Process Before the AI: Prakash Kota of UKG

AI layered onto a broken process doesn’t fix the process; it just runs it faster. Prakash Kota spent his first 18 months at UKG consolidating two legacy companies into unified CRM, ERP, and data systems before any AI conversation began. Now, as Chief Transformation Officer, he is shifting the question from “what tools can we deploy?” to “what outcome are we trying to reach?” That discipline extends to the customer funnel, where AI-assembled signals travel with a prospect through every handoff, and to sales reps, where an autonomous assistant pushes pre-meeting briefs before a rep has to ask, reclaiming the 40–50% of call-prep time currently spent on research.

Key Highlights:

• Why redesigning the process must come before choosing the technology
• How UKG unified two legacy companies’ systems as the foundation for AI-era work
• The shift from AI as a tool you pull from to an autonomous teammate that pushes the right information to you
• How AI-enriched signals travel with a prospect through every funnel handoff, making customers feel individually known
• Why UKG’s CEO holds a weekly cockpit review of the top 10 transformation programs, measured at the business-outcome level

This episode is sponsored by Tines. This episode is presented by Tines: Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io