It is now widely acknowledged that technology initiatives & innovations are disrupting not only internal and external processes at global companies, but also entire industries. It is therefore important that organizations have a fluid yet well-defined strategy when it comes to being open and receptive to technology driven disruption.
Depending on the company, this may or may not involve a radical culture change or shift in mindset. Digitally native organizations who have a digital first approach to their business models are much less likely to struggle with this level of change and disruption-instead they expect and actively embrace it. More traditional organizations, who have yet to undergo any kind of significant digital transformation will be naturally more hesitant and less culturally attuned to disruptive technologies.
In this article, we will look at some of the reasons why a chief information officer will be looking to implement a culture across the organization as a whole, that is receptive to technology driven disruption.
Relevant and competitive
Remaining relevant and competitive in a rapidly changing business landscape is one of the key reasons to be receptive to technology driven disruption. This level of disruption can take an organization in a different direction, one that results in mass market appeal or a new level of relevance, plus engagement with a potentially new audience.
It is important, depending on what market you are targeting, to be seen as an innovative organization that keeps pace with market demands and expectations. It is difficult to do this without introducing new technologies- a lack of new technologies can bring an unwanted level of attention onto your business model.
The CIO will often be keen to introduce disruptive technologies that can enhance a product or services offering in a way that demonstrates proactive innovation in line with what is happening in the market. Global consumers are notoriously fickle and tend to swap allegiances very quickly. They demand that organizations display innovation and offer them something different than the competition. It is inevitable that these consumers will compare market offerings and the online world is now filled with opinion forums and product comparison websites. Innovation and new technology will be high on the agenda for any consumer, so it is in the interests of technology leaders to prioritize a technology stack that can meet customer experience expectations.
Transformation over improvement
Another reason for a chief information officer to be keenly interested in technology driven disruption lies in the ability of digital technology to go far beyond basic improvements and the optimization of existing software or platforms. This is really about transformation, a radically different approach that leverages best in class technology to digitally transform an existing product or service in a way that it represents something very different to what existed before. This can lead to a mix of business value, competitive advantage, profitability and market share.
An example of this could be the level of speed and efficiency that technological advancements can bring to internal processes that were previously slow and cumbersome to deliver. Hyper automation technology is a good example-this is a level of next generation robotic process automation that could be applied to any internal process at an organization that heavily relies on manual data entry.
The global payroll department or human resources department could benefit from hyper automation in a way that truly transforms how they deliver some mission critical operational services. This would be transformation in action-think of the global payroll data flows--hyper automation could enable bulk file uploads containing thousands of rows of payroll data to be uploaded, checked and validated in seconds. Instead of having to manually check thousands of rows of excel data, a global payroll professional would then only have to study an exception or anomaly report-the hyper automation would do the heavy lifting of checking and validating. Hours and days could be saved-this is technology innovation going way beyond process optimization or improvement, this is the transformational power of technology.
Disruptive thinking
For a CIO to continuously introduce technology driven disruption, this person must also work on the culture and mindset within the organization. To invest and embrace disruptive technology, a certain level of disruptive thinking needs to be at the forefront of the mindset.
A CIO needs to spearhead the messaging campaign and be an advocate for the disruptive power of technology to both digitally transform and organization’s operational capabilities as well as alter how they are perceived publicly in the market when it comes to innovation and digital business.
The challenge is to make this level of disruptive thinking a core part of everyday processes-this is mindset and culture, not a project. Disruptive thinking needs to go so deep as to form part of the company's DNA. This is a significant challenge, especially at traditional organizations who are used to pursuing a specific business model and doing things a certain way. This means change, and all change, even if for the good of the company, will encounter a certain level of resistance-this is just the way things are at almost every organization.
One area for a CIO to look at is to check if existing organisational and structural protocols are in a position to foster and facilitate the kind of disruptive thinking that leads to digital change. It could very well be the case, that a high number of talented young members of the workforce are not given the opportunity to express themselves and deliver innovative and disruptive ideas due to somewhat rigid organizational and structural processes that may have been in place for years or even decades. The CIO may require assistance from the executive leadership team as well as senior HR managers to shape a message that brings about significant and lasting change.
The goal will be to ensure that the younger generation inside the company have a platform to offer ideas and then get the support and freedom they need to implement these ideas. Strong ideas aligned with disruptive technology can lead to game changing market results and business value- but the mindset first needs to be in place for any of this to happen.
Technology driven disruption at global organizations needs people to drive the disruption and keep the momentum going. Companies require a culture that embraces digital transformation and ongoing change in response to market forces or consumer demands. It's a fluid strategy, subject to a swift pivot or change in direction, but always about forward momentum.
The CIO will need to leverage all of their experience and skill set to help shift the organization towards continually embracing technology driven disruption. It is not feasible to simply abandon all existing internal processes and protocols, so it is more about steady and consistent proactive steps with an emphasis on open mindedness and flexibility. A recognition that the only constant is change and taking risks is part of the process.
CIOs who successfully gain the attention of the executive leadership team as well as the buy-in of key stakeholders across the organization have a chance to implement something different and groundbreaking that can produce the kind of positive results that every organization is looking for.
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