What I see today is a compelling need to simplify everything business and tech¹. This is Fierce Reduction. So why? Answer: because information technology has become too complex.

Although, today, we have a commentariat obsessed with all things AI, using tech to improve everyday customer experiences and reduce the cost to serve is often better accomplished by applying mundane technology improvements. Before you apply AI, simplify.

Many of my success stories with Salesforce and other Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technologies come from digitising clunky, paper-based processes and 'spreadsheet hell'. The UK NHS is great success story for me, introducing Salesforce CRM, but integrating email, electronic health record and patient booking systems into a seamless customer experience, at scale.

The following three sections of this Journal post sets out my thinking on how to simplify everyday business processes and practices with Digital Innovation:

• Introducing Fierce Reduction: less is more - the right state of mind to simplify everything.
• Laws of Simplicity: applying timeless laws created by John Maeda⁹ two decades ago.
• Deep Work: remove distractions and focus on your key tasks - subtract before add.
  

Introducing Fierce Reduction.

Fierce Reduction is the practice of aggressively simplifying all business processes, tasks and information systems by removing redundant or non-essential elements before considering additions. In the context of AI-powered digital transformation the key elements are:

• Eliminate Redundancy: Strip away processes or features that do not add value.
• Prioritise User Needs: Focus on what users truly require, avoid technical bloat.
• Apply No-Code First: AI-powered app innovation introduced - by the hour.
• Adopt AI: Focus on increasing (not replacing) human productivity everywhere.

So, Fierce Reduction is, first and foremost, an attitude of mind. From the outset, you should pause and take a critical look at everything related to everyday business processes and tasks to see what you can eliminate, before you contemplate introducing AI to powered digital innovation.

Complexity drains resources. Studies indicate that overly intricate processes and information technology systems can slash productivity by up to 40% (McKinsey & Company, 2020)¹. In sales, convoluted pipelines delay deals and bloated CRM dashboards obscure critical insights. Fierce Reduction addresses these pain points, freeing teams to focus on high-value tasks.

Pablo Picasso’s The Bull is a series of eleven lithographs created in 1945². It depicts the bull at various stages of abstraction, starting with a realistic depiction and ending with nothing but a few lines. This review demonstrates art as seeing basic patterns amongst the 'noise'; seeing basic forms amongst the complex. In business,

Fierce Reduction means the same: seeing basic, simpler forms among the complex.

Unlike minimalism, which reduces to a bare aesthetic, or Lean, which iterates toward efficiency, Fierce Reduction takes a bold first step: subtract aggressively. This proactive stance ensures that complexity is tackled upfront, making it ideal for fast-moving, knowledge-rich settings.

In 2021, American scientist Leidy Klotz wrote a book called Subtract³. He called this topic 'The Untapped Science of Less'. In this work, the author has made an extensive study of using less to change the system: scaling subtraction. This applies to digital data models.

Furthermore, Klotz goes on to talk about working memory: the cognitive system that temporarily holds the information we have available for processing - the trade off between the level of detail required to complete a task and our ability to avoid what others may call 'cognitive overload'.

If we look at the state of software today, we see tech leaders, such as Salesforce, delivering a continuous stream of more features. This is to maximise commitment to high user adoption and renewals of annual subscriptions. What follows is bloat. It's time to subtract, not add.

We also have an information technology industry that, twenty years ago, made the shift to cloud computing and pay-as-you-go Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). This was countering the complexity and cost of the-then client/server on-premise hardware and clunky perpetual software licences.

Where are we now, twenty years later with SaaS? The answer is deep in a quagmire of complex systems. This is where the quest to add features many times each year by the SaaS publishers is driven in the mistaken belief that this is the best way to ensure year-on-year customer retention.

Adding an AI layer on top of a bloated SaaS architecture makes things worse. It's best to go with this rule: before you apply AI, simplify.

As with Picasso's eleven stages of abstraction, it was the thinking observed by Ken Segall⁴ of another genius - Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple that resonates here. This is the pursuit of simplifying every idea, every innovation down to its essence. To quote from Segall's first book:

"In all cases, it's a reminder of what sets Apple apart from other technology companies and what makes Apple stand out in a complicated world: a deep, almost religious belief in the power of simplicity."

If we think about less is more in the context of digital success with your apps, then we can take inspiration from Slow Productivity¹¹ written by Cal Newport:

"Principle #1. Do Fewer Things. Strive to reduce your obligations to the point where you can easily imagine accomplishing them with time to spare. Leverage this reduced load to more fully embrace and advanced the projects that matter most."

As Newport goes on to say, in your everyday working life, busyness seems unavoidable: clients demand attention, managers drown you in requests. What matters here is how applying creativity work can still be organised better. Maybe that includes having shorter, better organised meetings.

This leads us to thinking about how to bring structure to the creative process and generate best practices and a Digital Innovation that follows what can be called 'the Laws of Simplicity'.

Laws of Simplicity.

In writing the Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda⁹ created a timeless work, nearly twenty years ago, on how to simplify everything business, life and tech:

01. Reduce. The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. This law emphasises the importance of removing unnecessary elements and complexities to focus on what truly matters. In the context of Fierce Reduction, this means eliminating excess features in products or services, thereby enhancing the user experience and effectiveness.

02. Organise. Organisation of complexity is crucial in maintaining simplicity. By categorising and structuring information or processes, streamlining communication and operations. Organising information helps in a Fierce Reduction strategy, making it easier for your users to navigate and understand a digital environment.

03. Time. Savings in time can constitute simplicity. People are often overwhelmed by choices and information. Thus, reducing the time spent navigating complex experiences embodies Fierce Reduction. Simplicity applied to processes and tasks within digital innovation leads to significant time savings for both business and consumer interactions.

04. Learn. Simplicity can facilitate better learning and understanding. This means stripping away complexity, so that individuals can focus on grasping essential concepts more effectively as features within digital platforms. It is Fierce Reduction. By first removing distractions, the core message or function becomes clearer and easier to absorb.

05. Differentiate. Simplicity does not always mean the same. Recognising differences can lead to innovative solutions. Fierce Reduction means focusing on unique attributes that, in turn, can lead to differentiation in the marketplace. For example, tailoring sales methods and embracing an AI-powered digital innovation can express these differences.

06. Emote. Simplicity is more about the experience than the object. Emotions play a critical role in how individuals perceive simplicity. Reducing complexity not only leads to better functionality but also enhances emotional engagement with new, innovative products or services. It's a key element of building and reinforcing belief in brand.

07. Trust. Simplicity builds trust. When something is straightforward and easy to use, people are more likely to trust it. Fierce Reduction means streamlining processes can enhance customer trust in a brand or service. Remember to subtract before you add: it was the key to the simplicity of the Google search engine User Interface (UI).

In their book Simplify, Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood⁵ cite powerful examples of what they called 'simplifiers': entrepreneurs like Henry Ford, who embraced a number of key principles that apply equally in today's business world:

• Redesign from first principles.
• Reduce product/service line variety.
• Reduce the number of components.
• Eliminate frills.
• Automate tasks.

What these authors went on to talk about was the 'Complexity Trap': the tendency to think that adding new features to a product or service is the only way to retain customers. This is especially true for the information technology industry, where often, as noted earlier, the leading SaaS publishers will commit to several product feature upgrades every few months.

When we look at Salesforce, as a startup challenger in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems in 1999, it delivered on the power of simplicity versus established on-premise software publishers, Siebel, Inc. Over time, 'feature creep' has undermined this advantage.

So now it's time to look at transforming existing information technology and apply the Laws of Simplicity, to materially improve everyday processes and tasks. From a human perspective this means creating an environment where all of your stakeholders' are allowing Reflection and also where Experimentation is fully encouraged.

In moving from an overly-complex Current State information technology to create a meaningfully simpler Future State, there are a number of tehniques, methods and tools that can be brought together to simplify and improve everyday operations, by applying thoughtful Digital Innovation.

Deep Work.

If we want to subtract from everyday business processes and tasks, we also need to deal with what has been described as Deep Work⁶ by Cal Newport in his book of the same title. The author here defines Deep Work as:

"Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate."

Similarly, and inspired by an earlier work by thought leader Nicholas G. Carr⁷, Newport, goes on to define the opposite of Deep Work as Shallow Work:

"Non-cognitively-demanding, logistical style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate."

Of course, these books referenced above were mostly written before AI tech emerged. Today, AI has mostly an Augmentation role, as AI Assistants in the pursuit of Deep Work. Over time, AI will evolve into more of an Automation role, as Coworker to replace human labour for Shallow Work.

This also relates to Flow State. I am not talking about the Salesforce Flow technology here, but a serious work from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi⁸ which talks about a 'Flow State' that means productive, satisfying Deep Work.

In summary, a Flow State generates Deep Work. This relates to designing an AI-powered app as an Augmentation of human work, where Flow can be achieved if:

• It enables timely task completion.
• It maintains the user's attention.
• It provides continuous feedback.

From a User Experience (UX) Design perspective, Flow State can be thought of as a need to create a 'Meaningful Journey' as an intuitive path through a process. This is where Design Thinking and experimentation is key to understanding:

• What is intuitive without AI Augmentation?
• What is intuitive only when supported by AI Augmentation?
• What is so intuitive that AI Automation can completely replace human effort?

This also means ensuring Progressive Disclosure, where desktop, tablet and smartphone user interface layouts avoid cognitive overload by keeping actions to the simplest design per screen.

Summary.

The time has come to subtract, not add to current state business processes and corresponding information technology systems. Keep it simple. Less is more. Before embracing AI in your Future State organisation, it is time to apply Fierce Reduction to your Current State environment.

Start with the broadest set of stakeholders and engage in Design Thinking¹². As this begins to reveal areas for simplifying business processes and tasks, This explores Current State services and systems as Future State areas for removing technical debt and improving user experience.

I combine Design Thinking with Value Engineering¹³, creating compelling ROI Models for setting out the priorities related to moving from Current State to Future State, in Digital Innovation.

Complexity is a challenge, but it’s one that knowledge-intensive organisations can and must conquer. Fierce Reduction provides a clear path to simplifying digital innovation and creating the foundation for effective Digital Innovation.

References

1. McKinsey & Company. (2020). Simplifying Complexity: A Strategic Imperative. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/simplifying-complexity-a-strategic-imperative
2. Scott, D. (2019). The Bull by Pablo Picasso – A Lesson in Abstraction. Draw Paint Academy. https://drawpaintacademy.com/the-bull/
3. Klotz, L. (2021). Subtract. The untapped Science of Less. Flatiron Books. https://leidyklotz.com/media/
4. Segall, K. (2010). Insanely Simple. The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success. Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
   https://kensegall.com/books/
5. Koch, R. and Lockwood, G. Simplify. (2016). Piatkus.
   https://richardkoch.net/books/29-simplify
6. Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work. Grand Central Publishing.
   https://calnewport.com/deep-work-rules-for-focused-success-in-a-distracted-world/
7. Carr, N.G.(2010). The Shallows. Atlantic Books.
   https://www.nicholascarr.com
8. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience. HarperCollins. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224927532
9. Maeda, J. (2006). The Laws of Simplicity. Design, Technology, Business, Life. Cambridge, Great Britain: MIT Press.
   https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262539470/the-laws-of-simplicity/
10. Liedtka, J., Chen, E., Foley, N., & Kester, D. (2021). The Experimentation Field Book: A Step-by-Step Project Guide. Columbia Business School Publishing.
    https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-experimentation-field-book/9780231214179/
11. Newport, C. (2024). Slow Productivity. Penguin Random House.
    https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/454746/slow-productivity-by-newport-cal/9780241652916
12. The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. (2004) Stanford d.school. https://dschool.stanford.edu/about
13. Miles, L.D. (1947). The Lawrence D. Miles Value Engineering Reference Center Collection.
    https://minds.wiscon.edu/handle/1793/301