Thomas Dewar serves as the CIO at Acupath Laboratories. With a background in psychology and self-taught programming skills, Thomas brings a unique perspective to IT leadership. His career spans various industries, including child protective services, healthcare, and software development. Thomas’s approach emphasizes understanding business needs, user experience, and continuous improvement in IT operations.
How can IT leaders create more reliable systems and align technology with business needs? In this episode, Thomas Dewar, CIO at Acupath Laboratories, shares insights on applying the concept of poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) to IT, understanding business processes, and creating user-friendly solutions. Thomas discusses his journey from psychology major to IT leader and offers practical advice for improving IT operations and communication with business stakeholders.
Focus on simplicity, remote management, and proactivity, mistake-proof environments.
01:39 – Introduction to poka-yoke and its application in IT
08:12 – Tom’s key principles for IT management
13:06 – Tom’s background in psychology and early IT experiences
22:45 – Advice for understanding business needs and user perspectives
27:38 – Example of designing user-friendly case management system
32:40 – Discussion of LanSweeper for IT asset management
35:43 – IT leadership challenges and the importance of staying vigilant
