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Why successful digital transformation puts people first

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2 months ago

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When we think of digital transformation, technologies like AI or IoT immediately come to mind.

In practice, however, as organizations continue to realize that digital transformation is necessary — and that it isn’t too late to start — it’s people that need to be at the center of the journey. 

For DevOps.com, Margaret Dawson detailed six human factors that, when addressed during the process, work to the benefit of digital transformation (DX):

1) Shifting the organizational culture: For DX to work, organizations need complete buy-in from everyone involved. The result is an empowered workforce across the organization, all contributing to decision-making.

“People need to connect to the change and feel they can have an impact,” explains Dawson.

2) Understanding the destination: Once buy-in takes places, an understanding of (and agreement with) the digital transformation vision is needed across the board. 

Simply put, when you start, make sure the end is in mind. 

Dawson cites research from Gartner showing that 50 percent of organizations “have no digital transformation metric or way to measure progress for digital transformation.” Clear metrics of success make the DX journey measurable. 

3) De-silo your teams: Collaboration and digital transformation go hand in hand. When teams remain within their silos, the necessary data, analytics, and processes can’t seamlessly flow.

Laddering back up to the previous two points, “without a culture of trust and a shared agreement on the end goal from across the organization, you won’t be able to break down these silos,” Dawson explains. 

4) Investing in reskilling: You have the buy-in. You have the trust and collaborative environment. But what about the technology that keeps changing and advancing?

Skill gaps are a challenge throughout the business and IT worlds, but what if instead of replacing the loyal talent who fit into — and believe in — the culture and vision that has been created, you invest in reskilling?  

5) Giving UX design a front seat: When User Experience (UX) design goes bad, costs can soar, as The UX School found out. 

“By starting with the user,” writes Dawson, “projects are more likely to give users the feeling they are interfacing with a human being rather than a digital thing—and ultimately, will succeed because of it.” 

Case in point: Ikea’s augmented reality app lets you see your home with a new couch or dresser…but doesn’t not link you to an e-commerce option.

6) Don’t rely on digital-only connections: When was the last time you had a face-to-face meeting instead of a phone or Skype or some variety of digital communication? 

When a major project such as digital transformation is underway, trust in leadership is incredibly important. Face-time — talking to, and shaking the hands of, employees, partners, customers, and users — builds this trust. 

When it comes to digital transformation, despite plenty of swings, many efforts end up missing the mark. It’s up to organizational leadership to empower and enable their employees, giving them the tools and environment they need to see DX to success.

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Talent

Calgary’s STEM foundation crucial to driving Alberta’s economy forward

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November 25, 2019

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Alberta companies are expected to spend as much as $18.4 billion on digital transformation by 2022 across all sectors, and talent is the most sought after component of Calgary’s economic strategy.

Despite challenges in Alberta’s energy sector, its foundation of technical expertise and workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) will be an asset.

“I’m confident in saying that we have one of the strongest STEM-technical workforces in North America,” says Jeanette Sutherland, director of EDGE UP/ Workforce & Productivity at Calgary Economic Development. “Many of the in-demand skills shifted to more of a demand for digital competencies to adapt to the needs of the new economy,” she explains.

According to CED, high-tech employment grew by 60 percent in Calgary between 2012 and 2017, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. The greatest opportunity for job growth is in roles supporting digital transformation in a variety of sectors — including energy, says Sutherland.

Over the past four years, the city has seen a development of “emerging clusters” from blockchain, fintech, agritech, automation, autonomous systems, AR/VR, digital media and animation, clean technologies, biotech, advanced manufacturing and robotics, AI and machine learning, life sciences, and health technologies.

This growth has led to a demand in roles ranging from software developers and data analysts, to IT project managers, cyber security professionals and UI/UX designers. 

“It appears that industry is relying on more skilled data analysts and data scientists to support a data-driven economy,” says Sutherland. “Big-data jobs are found across all sectors, from health care to finance, to trade, AI and machine learning.”

A strong, STEM-skilled workforce means that for in-demand positions, minimal reskilling is needed — think short training programs — to transition to open opportunities. 

Bonus? According to Sutherland, the amount of high-tech training completions in Calgary has grown by almost 300 percent in the past two years. Various local training programs can help individuals reskill for these new in-demand digital positions.

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AI will fuel the next wave of digital transformation in Asia

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3 months ago

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September 25, 2019

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From the recently-wrapped Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore, president of Asia and corporate vice president at Microsoft, Ralph Haupter, spoke to Bloomberg Markets: Asia on how Artificial Intelligence will continue to disrupt the technology space and drive growth on the continent.

As it stands, an increasing number of reports are showing the importance of AI on growth on a global scale:

  • AI could contribute an additional $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030 (PwC)
  • The technology represents a potential impact on GDP of 26.1 percent in China (PwC)
  • 28 percent of businesses are already realizing tangible returns on their AI implementation (AI Business)

“We need to understand that AI is the next accelerator for digital transformational companies,” explained Haupter. “We did a study here in Asia and it turns out that companies really think AI will drive double on innovation and double on productivity. That’s pretty impactful.”

The study referenced by Haupter was released earlier this year, showing that AI will accelerate the rate of innovation and employee productivity improvements to nearly double in Asia Pacific by 2021. Furthermore, only 41 percent of organizations in the region have embarked on the AI journey.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Haupter cited one success story: Narayana Health in India, which uses AI visual recognition with its X-Rays. “The quality is better, the cost is down, scale is higher — that’s what technology is about. It makes me excited.”

[Learn more about Narayana’s digital transformation]

The urgency of re-skilling

Of course, a significant touchpoint when discussing the important and rise of AI on growth, is the prioritization of reskilling workers.

A recent IBM Institute for Business Value study found that “as many as 120 million workers in the world’s 12 largest economies may need to be retrained or reskilled over the next three years as a result of the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.”

In his interview, Haupter is quick to point out that AI “is something that is augmenting us as human beings, and not replacing us,” emphasizing that reskilling is a clear goal on the agenda.

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Why it’s not too late for your digital transformation journey

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3 months ago

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September 21, 2019

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The conversation surrounding digital transformation has shifted well beyond questions of “should we,” to the affirmative “when we.” 

Basically, the “why” has become “when.”

But a new study from Wipro Digital — a follow-up to the company’s 2017 survey about leadership within digital transformation — ultimately shows that it isn’t too late for companies that are only just beginning the journey to catch up.

Additionally, where the 2017 survey found that one in three enterprise CEOs felt digital transformation efforts were a waste of time, the updated report shows that number is now essentially at 0%. 

While 87 percent of the 1,400 global enterprise C-suite leaders polled believe that companies who have started later than others still have a chance to climb to the level of their competitors, the biggest barriers identified are not the technology, but people-related issues.

Getting leadership on board

Taking a closer look, the biggest challenge comes down to sponsorship and business alignment, further emphasizing the importance of internal buy-in as a crucial first step to digital transformation:

  • 54 percent cited inconsistent sponsorship from senior leadership
  • 56 percent selected not being able to train their existing teams to change or use new technology, methods or processes
  • 55 percent indicated needing better alignment with business stakeholders.

Ultimately, once these personnel issues are addressed, the technology becomes the greater barrier — specifically, its adaptation and subsequent training of the Lines of Business.

“These results show that in the past two years, enterprise leaders have ensured that their organizations are capable of delivering ROI on their digital transformation efforts,” explains Rajan Kohli, president of Wipro Digital. “Leaders must align stakeholders and help their business units adapt to and leverage new technology, methods or processes.”

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