
The BetaKit Podcast Channel How OpenText went all-in on AI
Nov 29, 2025
Shannon Bell, the Executive Vice-President and Chief Digital Officer at OpenText, discusses her strategic approach to implementing AI in one of Canada's largest tech firms. She emphasizes the importance of starting small and focusing on meaningful outcomes rather than flashy technology. Shannon shares insights on managing operational complexity, achieving a $1 billion efficiency goal, and reshaping job roles to meet evolving needs. She highlights the potential of AI to enhance productivity in Canada and the vital role of change management in tech adoption.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
Clean Your House Before Scaling AI
- Clean up systems and data before you scale AI to avoid chaos and wasted effort.
- Tie AI workstreams to business outcomes and measure progress against clear targets.
Service Desk Cut 70% With Tooling Then AI
- Consolidating service management reduced L1 help desk by 30% with tooling alone and 70% after adding AI.
- New roles emerged to manage orchestration, offering retrain and reskill opportunities.
Thousands Of HR Tickets Were Manual
- OpenText processed 20,000 annual fitness reimbursement tickets manually for 22,000 employees before automating.
- Simple automations like password resets removed large volumes of repetitive work without AI.
