Digital transformation priorities

Digital Transformation is a hot and rapidly evolving topic. CxOs now realise that DT is inevitable and mandatory, but unclear on the specific actions they must take and/or the specific risks they face. Our top three take-aways for IT Leaders are:

Organisations can’t transform to digital unless people do. Digitisation and automation can outpace an IT organisation’s skill level and the workforce’s ability to become proficient with the new technologies. To ensure this trend doesn’t disrupt an organisation’s health, IT leaders are introducing digital literacy strategies and increasing employee engagement in new technology rollouts. Forward-thinking leaders are also looking for IT professionals who can collaborate effectively across technology and business to explain how new digital strategies meet the needs of both employees and the company.

Leaders embrace digital-first and "secure by design" to fast track transformation. Forward-thinking CIOs are transforming IT from within by making targeted investments. Their focus is on talent (retooled workforce, hire for new skills in data, biz/tech), process (DevOps, rapid process digitalisation, “secure by design”) and technology (cloud, SaaS, automation, big data, integration). The goal is to reengineer the business of IT, enabling delivery at the speed the business requires.

Harness information for breakthrough customer engagement and new business models. Artificial intelligence can help organisations manage the explosion in data coming from smart machines, sensors, devices and other sources. Leading organisations will directly or indirectly monetise their information assets and look for new business opportunities. To achieve this, businesses will have to invest in both data-analytics talent and in big data IT capabilities.

- By Eve M Enslow, Enterprise Strategist, Microsoft on April 4, 2016

Sponsored Post Disclaimer: This article is a part of the Forbes India LeaderSpeak Digital Transformation series, in association with Microsoft