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PUBLISHED 28 September 2023

Bringing people on the journey

Today, in Power to be Digital Ready, the fourth webinar of the Power Hour Skills Series, we were delighted to be joined by Garvan Callan, an expert in digital strategy and transformation, and a member of the Irish Times Training Academic Advisory Group.

In today's webinar Garvan shared his thoughts on the pace of technological developments and some of the risks and opportunities it holds for businesses. These developments have led us to rely even more on analytics, cloud technology, a small group of highly powerful platforms and interaction with mobile technology, but there's more to digital transformation than technology.

The role that Artificial Intelligence can play in business are the subjects of a great deal of conversation these days. The boom in online shopping, self-service retail and the acknowledgement that customers will return to organisations and businesses that make their lives easier with simple processes have changed how we view interactions that used to take place face-to-face. 

It has sometimes appeared that the technology is pushing business, rather than the other way around. While this can be overwhelming, there are some key things to remember, as Garvan illustrated.

Is Digital Transformation just about tech?

No; it's all about people. Human capital and potential are powerful tools in any organisation, and they can be honed - through creating a solid strategy and providing opportunities for upskilling and reskilling - to be solid business assets.

Brands that harness technology to break into new markets and win new audiences will undoubtedly lead the field - but it's their people who make it happen. Giving teams the freedom to test and learn as they adopt new technologies and develop more streamlined processes allows businesses to rise head and shoulders above their competitors - think about how Disney, AirBnB, Audi and Starbucks have leveraged technology to simplify the customer experience. Whether you're a fan of the brand or not, you know that their strategy and tech has been laser-focussed on recruiting you as a customer.

Virtualising services is gaining ground on in-person interactions - but the level of customer service and satisfaction must be maintained or elevated if possible. Getting the basics of strategy right will help businesses to put their strongest strategy into play, whether they're operating in the retail, entertainment or healthcare sector.

Did someone say Stradaptability?

The intersection of Strategy, Capability, Culture and Execution is where you'll find 'Stradaptability'. Only 10% of an organisation's culture is visible; the values, attitudes and beliefs that are unseen create the majority of the culture, and these support the digital strategy and growth. Growing capability through fostering a culture of innovation and building skills across the organisation, and executing the strategy with a clear outcome in mind all work towards the ultimate goal of business growth.

Five key take-aways from today's webinar...

1: Digital transformation is not about technology - it's about your people.

2: Create a culture of creativity & innovation to bring your people on the organisation's digital development journey.

3: Develop skills across the organisation to enable agility and creativity.

4: Remove complexity for both customers and internal processes.

5: Green tech is the future of tech.

Catching up on today's webinar

If you couldn't join us for this webinar you can catch up on the session here.

Next in the Power Hour Skills Series - Power to be Resilient

The next webinar in the Power Hour Skills Series is Power to Be Resilient, on November 16th. You can register here to attend the next session.

We look forward to connecting with you soon.