Beyond Delivery

What does it take to introduce AI into a system handling some of society’s most sensitive data? 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Magnus Skebäck, CEO of Pulsen Omsorg AB, about the company’s journey from a legacy monolith to microservices and, more recently, towards AI-native products in Swedish social welfare. 

Magnus shares why the earlier architectural transformation became an unexpected foundation for AI, and why adopting AI in a highly regulated environment turned out to be far more than a technology project. Legal requirements, privacy, security, documentation and customer trust shaped everything from the choice of infrastructure to the way data could be processed and stored. 

The conversation also looks at how Pulsen Omsorg chose real operational problems instead of experimental AI pilots. One early use case focused on reducing thousands of hours spent documenting meetings and care activities, with success measured through time saved and improved quality. Magnus also explains why AI is changing the role of developers, why some of his team deliberately work without AI from time to time, and why moving too quickly can damage trust in ways that are difficult to reverse. 

Key topics: 

• Why modern architecture became a foundation for AI adoption 
• How to identify AI use cases based on real customer problems 
• Why compliance and privacy shaped the technology itself 
• How AI is changing the skills developers need 
• Why trust and gradual adoption matter in sensitive environments 

⏱ Timestamps:   

00:00 – Introduction 

06:15 – From monolith to microservices and preparing for AI 

18:54 – Measuring real value from AI adoption 

27:35 – Why 70% of the challenge was legal 

38:27 – Trust, responsible adoption and what comes next 

🎙 Guest: 

Magnus Skebäck, CEO of Pulsen Omsorg AB

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnusskeback/ 

🎙Host: 

Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

Adopting AI in software development can make teams faster. But adding AI tools to existing delivery processes does not automatically make software development more efficient, predictable or secure. 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Sebastian Andruszczak, co-creator of the AI-First Teams framework, about what needs to change when organisations move from traditional software delivery towards an AI-driven development lifecycle. 

They discuss why AI adoption often goes wrong when companies start with tools instead of processes, how unclear accountability and unmanaged risk can undermine the benefits of AI, and why producing more code faster can simply move the bottleneck into review, testing and validation. 

The conversation also explores how developers’ roles change when AI becomes an active part of delivery, why feedback loops can improve quality and consistency over time, and how well-designed governance can actually enable speed rather than slow teams down. Sebastian also explains why organisations need clear goals and meaningful metrics if they want to understand whether AI is creating real business value. 

Key topics: 

• Why AI adoption should start with processes, not tools 
• How the shift from SDLC to AI-DLC changes software delivery 
• Why faster code generation can create new review and testing bottlenecks 
• How governance, accountability and feedback loops support safer AI adoption 
• What organisations should measure to understand whether AI is creating real value  

⏱ Timestamps:  

00:00 – Introduction 
02:08 – Why AI adoption goes wrong: decisions, risk and delivery 
14:13 – What changes when teams move from SDLC to AI-DLC 
23:54 – Why governance can actually make AI delivery faster 
33:24 – How to measure the impact of AI in software development 
40:19 – Structure, documentation and data: the key takeaways 

🎙 Guest: 

Sebastian Andruszczak 
Co-creator of the AI-First Teams framework 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianandruszczak/  

🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

Ready to see how prepared your software delivery model is for AI? 

Book an AI-DLC Readiness Assessment with Holisticon Connect to identify gaps in your processes, governance and delivery model, and understand what needs to change before scaling AI adoption. 

Healthcare innovation often fails not because the technology is weak, but because the product does not fit the system around it. 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Estefanía ‘Nia’ Escobar-Kölle, who works at the intersection of market access, healthcare systems and international scaling, about why so many promising digital health and AI solutions struggle to move beyond pilots. 

Drawing on experience across Germany, France, the UK, the US and Asian markets, Nia explains why healthcare cannot be approached like a conventional software market. A technically strong product can still fail if it creates additional work for clinical teams, does not integrate with existing infrastructure, lacks a clear reimbursement route or leaves ownership unclear after the pilot ends. 

The discussion covers what separates a pilot that leads to adoption from one that gets quietly shelved, why founders need to think about procurement, reimbursement and operational ownership from the start, and how hospitals and pharmaceutical companies assess innovation differently. Nia also explains why Europe is not a single healthcare market, why international expansion requires adaptation rather than replication, and how data creates an important connection between hospitals, clinical research and pharma. 

See these challenges in practice in our case study on transforming digital care across the Nordic welfare system, where we helped modernise a complex care platform, integrate interconnected applications and introduce AI-supported workflows for care professionals. 

Key topics: 

• Why healthcare innovation often fails during implementation 

• What separates a scalable pilot from a temporary experiment 

• Why operational ownership should be defined before the pilot starts 

• How procurement, reimbursement and regulation affect adoption 

• Why interoperability is a strategic and operational issue, not only a technical one 

• How the needs of hospitals and pharmaceutical companies differ 

• Why Europe cannot be treated as one healthcare market 

• How data connects hospitals, clinical trials and pharmaceutical research 

• Why successful products reduce friction and fit naturally into existing workflows 

⏱ Timestamps:  

00:00 – Introduction 

01:58 – Why strong healthcare products still fail 

08:22 – From pilot to long-term adoption 

15:31 – Reimbursement, regulation and international expansion 

21:18 – Hospitals, pharma and interoperability 

29:35 – Data, European markets and key takeaways 

🎙 Guest: 

 Estefanía ‘Nia’ Escobar-Kölle, Innovation Manager at Future4Care

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estefaniaescobar/ 

🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

Digital health is growing fast – but who gets left behind when services are designed without accessibility in mind? 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Hilary Stephenson, Managing Director at Nexer Digital, about what it really takes to build health and life sciences technologies that work for everyone. 

Drawing on years of experience across the public sector, healthcare and digital services, Hilary explains why accessibility is not just a compliance requirement or a technical checklist. It is a clinical safety issue, a trust issue and, ultimately, a health equality issue. 

The discussion covers the post-pandemic acceleration of digital health, the risks of designing for the “average” user, and why disabled, neurodivergent and digitally excluded people need to be involved much earlier in the design process. Hilary also shares why automated testing is not enough, why accessibility overlays often fail, and how biased or incomplete patient data can affect the future of AI in healthcare and life sciences. 

Key topics: 

• How the digital health landscape has changed since the pandemic 

• Why accessibility is more than a compliance requirement 

• How inaccessible services can deepen health inequalities 

• Why usability should be treated as a clinical safety issue 

• Why disabled and neurodivergent users should be involved from the start 

• What automated testing can and cannot reveal about accessibility 

• How exclusion from digital services can lead to biased patient data 

• What AI and LLMs mean for the future of inclusion in healthcare and life sciences

⏱ Timestamps:  

00:00 – Introduction 

01:41 – Is pharma truly ready for AI? 

04:28 – Key challenges: data, regulation and complexity 

10:40 – Why mindset and skills are the biggest barrier 

12:07 – How AI could cut clinical trial timelines by up to 50% 

15:53 – Can AI become the breakthrough for pharma? 

20:35 – Key benefits and challenges of AI in clinical trials 

🎙 Guest: 

 Hilary Stephenson, Managing Director at Nexer Digital 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarystephenson/  

🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

 Digital health is growing fast – but who gets left behind when services are designed without accessibility in mind? 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Hilary Stevenson,  Managing Director at Nexer Digital , about what it really takes to build health and life sciences technologies that work for everyone. 

Drawing on years of experience across the public sector, healthcare and digital services, Hilary explains why accessibility is not just a compliance requirement or a technical checklist. It is a clinical safety issue, a trust issue and, ultimately, a health equality issue. 

The discussion covers the post-pandemic acceleration of digital health, the risks of designing for the “average” user, and why disabled, neurodivergent and digitally excluded people need to be involved much earlier in the design process. Hilary also shares why automated testing is not enough, why accessibility overlays often fail, and how biased or incomplete patient data can affect the future of AI in healthcare and life sciences. 

 Key topics: 

• How the digital health landscape has changed since the pandemic 

• Why accessibility is more than a compliance requirement 

• How inaccessible services can deepen health inequalities 

• Why usability should be treated as a clinical safety issue 

• Why disabled and neurodivergent users should be involved from the start 

• What automated testing can and cannot reveal about accessibility 

• How exclusion from digital services can lead to biased patient data 

• What AI and LLMs mean for the future of inclusion in healthcare and life sciences 

⏱ Timestamps: 

 00:00 – Introduction 

01:30 – How digital inclusion in healthcare has changed

03:59 – Accessibility standards, NHS requirements and vendor challenges 

07:36 – Why workarounds are not enough 

09:50 – The risks of excluding users from digital health services  

13:34– Why accessibility should be built in from the start 

19:27 – Patient data, AI and the future of inclusion in life sciences 

🎙 Guest: 

Hilary Stevenson, Digital Inclusion and Accessibility Leader at Nexer Digital

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarystephenson/ 

🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

AI could cut clinical trial timelines by up to 50% – so why isn’t pharma moving faster? 

In this episode Sebastian speaks with Annette Østergaard, a recognised leader in the pharmaceutical industry, specialising in clinical development and digital innovation. Drawing from years of hands-on work in global clinical trials, Annette shares a grounded perspective on where AI can bring real value – and where the industry still faces significant barriers. 

The discussion covers the complexity of clinical trial processes, the critical role of data quality and availability, and why regulatory, ethical and organisational challenges cannot be overlooked. Annette also explains why the real transformation is not only about technology, but about people, mindset and the ability to rethink how clinical operations are designed end-to-end. 

Key topics: 

• Why AI has the potential to significantly accelerate clinical trials 
• What stands in the way of effective AI implementation in pharma 
• Why data quality, structure and accessibility are critical foundations 
• How regulations, privacy and ethics shape AI adoption in life sciences 
• Why an end-to-end approach is necessary instead of isolated solutions 
• How AI can improve predictability, reduce costs and increase success rates 
• Why people, skills and organisational mindset are the biggest challenges 
• How pharma companies need to rethink collaboration and operating models 

⏱ Timestamps: 

 00:00 – Introduction 

01:41 – Is pharma truly ready for AI? 

04:28 – Key challenges: data, regulation and complexity 

10:40 – Why mindset and skills are the biggest barrier 

12:07 – How AI could cut clinical trial timelines by up to 50% 

15:53 – Can AI become the breakthrough for pharma? 

20:35 – Key benefits and challenges of AI in clinical trials 

🎙 Guest: 

Annette Østergaard, Pharmaceutical Industry Leader (Clinical Development & Digital Innovation)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anetteoestergaard/ 

🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

How do Scandinavian companies actually evaluate nearshore partners today – and what is changing in their expectations? In this episode Sebastian speaks with Erik Wärn, Business Area Manager at Nexer, working closely with international entities and clients across the Nordics. 

They discuss trust, transparency and long-term collaboration, as well as the shift from traditional time-and-material resourcing towards outcome-based partnerships. Erik also explains why domain knowledge, industry expertise and genuine business understanding are now becoming decisive factors for Scandinavian clients choosing vendors in Central Europe. 

This episode covers: 

• What non-negotiables Scandinavian clients expect from partners 
• Why transparency, flat hierarchy and cultural fit matter so much 
• How nearshore delivery matured from coding capacity to advisory roles 
• Why Central Europe is viewed as high-quality rather than low-cost 
• How outcome-based and value-driven models are changing cooperation 
• Why domain expertise and specialisation are now strategic differentiators 
• Where misconceptions about “cheap delivery” still remain – and how to counter them 

 ⏱ Timestamps: 

00:00 – Introduction 

01:43 – Transparency and stability as non-negotiables for Scandinavian clients  

05:43 – The market trend of moving away from time-based materials toward outcome-based models  

07:29 – Building engagement by removing communication filters between teams and clients  

08:58 – Why domain knowledge and understanding the business are more important than the tech stack  

17:39 – The "cheap service" trap and why focusing only on lower rates can be expensive 

 🎙 Guest: 

Erik Wärn Business Area Manager at Nexer Group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-w%C3%A4rn-2011747/ 

 🎙Host: 

 Sebastian Dzieniak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

What do Swedish companies really expect from nearshore partners in Central Europe? Is cost still the priority, or is something else driving cooperation today? In this episode Sebastian speaks with Staffan Strand, President at Nexer Group, responsible for international markets including the Nordics. 

They discuss Scandinavian business culture, transparency, and the shift from traditional outsourcing to expert-driven delivery. Staffan also explains why Central Europe – and Poland in particular – has become such a strategic region for digital talent, AI, cybersecurity, and high-competence engineering. 

 This episode covers:

• How the Scandinavian consulting market is changing after difficult years 
• Why cost efficiency matters – but never at the expense of quality 
• What Swedish customers value most: honesty, craftsmanship, domain expertise 
• How Central Europe evolved from cheap labour to strategic delivery hubs 
• What risks companies face in nearshoring and how to mitigate them 
• Why culture, trust, and face-to-face contact still matter in remote delivery 
• Why “daring to specialise” is the only long-term competitive strategy 

⏱ Timestamps: 

 00:00 – Introduction
 01:00 – The Scandinavian perspective on nearshoring
 03:10 – Cost efficiency versus quality and transparency
 09:46 – Central Europe’s shift from low cost delivery to full service ownership
 19:55 – Why specialisation matters more than competing on price 

🎙 Guest: 

Staffan Strand President at Nexer Group 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffanstrand/ 

🎙Host:
Sebastian Dzieniak, Client Relationship Manager
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/ 

Outsourcing is no longer only about cost savings. As companies face pressure to scale faster and adopt new technologies, outsourcing models are evolving beyond traditional time-and-material contracts. In this episode, Sebastian Dzieniak speaks with Maciej Reutt, Managing Director of Holisticon Connect, about how outsourcing is changing, why it continues to grow instead of fading away, and what this shift means for business leaders navigating delivery, risk, and AI adoption.

Key topics include: 

• Why is outsourcing growing towards 600 billion dollars by 2030 instead of fading away 
• How companies are moving beyond time-and-material contracts toward more outcome- and value-oriented delivery models
• What benefits businesses gain from outsourcing, including faster scaling, reduced overhead, shared risk, and higher efficiency
• What are the main challenges leaders face when starting an outsourcing journey and how to avoid common pitfalls
• How AI-first approaches are changing delivery models and why smaller organisations often struggle to adopt them
• What differentiates Holisticon Connect by combining an entrepreneurial culture with the scale of the Nexer Group

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:40 – The idea behind the podcast
08:50 – From effort to value in software services
18:10 – AI challenges for non tech companies
24:00 – How Holisticon Connect supports clients
30:45 – What to consider before outsourcing 

🎙 Guest:
Maciej Reutt, CEO at Holisticon Connect and Vicepresident at Nexer Group
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mreutt/

🎙Host:
Sebastian Dzieniak, Client Relationship Manager
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/