Only a few years ago, many organizations regarded digital transformation (DX) as an interesting idea that would soon pass from favour. In today’s digital landscape of smartphones, sensors, tablets, wearables and connected appliances, it’s the driving idea for any organization that wants to remain relevant.
According to the 2018 CanadianCIO Census, DX is poised to revolutionize business in the next five years as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) converge to disrupt traditional organizational structures. With Gartner Research predicting approx. 20 billion interconnected devices by 2020, businesses will rely on CIOs to meet the demands of a hypermobile, hyperflexible workforce.
The Deloitte white paper, The Changing Role of People Management in the Digital Era, maintains that fundamental changes in leadership and talent attributes are far more critical to DX than the adoption of technology, urging leaders to value their employees and help them develop the skills required to do their jobs.
While there’s nothing new about the notion that businesses should train their employees and treat them well, there is new research showing a positive correlation between employee happiness, customer satisfaction, and productivity.
As technology continues to advance, increased computing power and artificial intelligence bring businesses new opportunities, but they also bring new and evolving threats to data security and data privacy. To put this in perspective, in a recent IDG poll of 240 IT heads, the threat of security breaches emerged as the trend expected to have the greatest impact on IT investment plans.
The challenge for business leaders will be to create an environment that gives employees the flexibility and mobility to innovate while maintaining the highest possible security protocols. Embracing disruptive new technologies and making the most of mobility can’t come at the expense of digital security.
How best to negotiate a path defined by the dual need for flexibility and control? Join ITWC CIO Jim Love and Paul Edwards, Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Mobility with Samsung Electronics Canada on October 31, 2018 for Enhanced productivity and security in the Next Mobile Economy.
In this session, Love and Paul will cover such topics as the emergence of the Millennial mindset when it comes to the workplace, bridging the tech gap between the C-suite and the workforce, and giving employees the freedom to innovate while maintaining security.