TRENDING
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
through outsourcing and partnering, while
a study by the Technology Industry Services
Association reveals that technology-
managed services are growing at 40%.
Scott Gibson, Group
Executive of Digital
Business Solutions at
Dimension Data
Barloworld Equipment and Handling decided
to move their sales management capabilities
from a standalone solution implemented 12
years previously to a cloud-based extension
of its enterprise SAP platform. This not only
increased the company’s ability to provide
time to value for its customers, it was also a
beneficiary of time to value itself.
Digital leaders are looking at data
through a new lens
Old ways of looking at data aren’t cutting
it. More of our Digital Transformation
engagements with clients are starting with
major data engineering exercises.
Consequently, successful transformers
will focus on what their customers want;
using data to understand them, innovating
relevant offerings, redesign business
processes, restructure the organisation
around them, and – only then – implement
enabling technologies.
IoT is starting to deliver ROI
After much hype and buzz, companies are
finally starting to enjoy a positive impact on
corporate profitability from their Internet
of Things (IoT) implementations and this
upward curve will accelerate into 2019.
The kind of projects that produce a concrete
financial improvement tend to be those that
look at data through a new lens and apply
IoT at multiple points in the value chain. The
best business outcomes are obtained when
you use IoT to monitor an entire business
process and blend your own data with third-
party sources.
The Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation, for
example, is using IoT throughout the process
of growing, transporting and processing sugar
cane. This is increasing their efficiency at every
point and improving corporate profitability.
18
INTELLIGENTCIO
They use it to monitor the water levels in fields,
rivers and reservoirs – then combine this with
remotely gathered data on crop growth and
health. Weather forecast data is then used to
consider the cost of the electricity required to
pump water for irrigation.
Ready-made platforms are
accelerating Digital Transformation
Accelerated digitalisation is achieved by those
who don’t try to build everything bespoke, but
rather exploit ready-made platforms that get
them to their goals a lot faster.
Platform adoption is getting more popular
in the infrastructure space, due to the
unpredictability of the digital world. Buying
into a pre-built platform that can adapt
quickly is increasingly preferred to building
and owning your own.
Consuming information technology as a
managed service not only increases agility
and speed of execution, it reduces compliance
and security risks. This allows organisations to
pay for services as they use them.
Research found that 60% of organisations
are engaging in Digital Transformation
A lot of data in organisations isn’t structured
appropriately for analysis. They have data
they don’t need and need data they don’t
have. They need to add new kinds of data
from external sources to shed new light on
their businesses, and they need to focus on
different metrics.
B2B digital trading platforms
are coming
One of the biggest growth areas in 2019
will be B2B digital trading platforms. Bill
McDermott, CEO of SAP, predicts a world
where customers connect directly into your
supply chain and it’s hard not to agree
with him. The advantages, both in terms
of customer experience and operational
efficiency, are too exciting to ignore.
If you can show business clients not just
current stock levels but the expected date
of replenishment, they’ll be more confident
about ordering from you. If they can give
you better data on their future demand,
you can optimise your inventory and
production accordingly.
And future integration will go even further.
Beyond today’s supply chain collaboration
linked to ERP, we’ll see integration with CRM
systems featuring Artificial Intelligence and
Robotic Process Automation. These will
allow consumers to reach right back to your
supplier’s inventory through their mobile
apps. That’s true digital business. n
www.intelligentcio.com