Cassio Dreyfuss, Vice President of Research
During the Symposium/ITxpo 2016, which took place between October 24th and 27th, in São Paulo, Gartner, the world leader in research and impartial technology advice, emphasizes that every company needs to develop a digital platform.
Coordinating these processes will require modern and bold leadership skills on the part of CIOs (Chief Information Officers) to develop this new platform, which will allow their companies to participate in business ecosystems. Government agencies, if they want to take advantage of the new digital environment to improve services for citizens, must also embark on this journey.
“Leadership must be centered on people, who need to be heard. The leader must, from these conversations, define the vision and direction for the journey of digital transformation. It is essential to develop collaboration and trust between leaders and collaborators”, pondered Cassio Dreyfuss, Vice President of Research at Gartner for Brazil.
Dreyfuss said that CIOs should strive to develop their own digital business platforms by adopting “beginner thinking” that allows them to approach new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), with a fresh look and free creativity – and apply them with your “experienced hands”, leveraging your knowledge and maturity.
“Despite the current economic and political challenges we face in Brazil, Brazilian CIOs must be part of this journey into the future. Along with a robust cost optimization program, national companies must not delay their shift towards digital business platforms”, analyzes Cassio Dreyfuss, Gartner's Regional Research Leader for Brazil.
What are digital platforms
João Tapadinhas, Research Director
Gartner analysts have defined digital platforms as business-oriented frameworks that allow community members (partners, suppliers and customers) to share and improve digital processes and capabilities, and extend them for mutual benefit. The framework enables different combinations of business models, talent, resources and IT infrastructure that build platform domains and sustain digital business ecosystems.
However, they claim that decades of old organizational arrangements (not just in IT) will inhibit digital transformation. The future organizational structure is multifunctional and bimodal (practice of managing two distinct styles), but coherent with work: one focused on predictability and development and the other on uncertainty and exploration.
“These ecosystems will allow organizations to solve some of the biggest challenges in our world and this goes far beyond business, including all aspects of human life, such as the cities we live in, the health services we need, the education we seek and security that each of us wants", explains John Tapadinhas, Research Director at Gartner.
analytical empowerment
Companies are digitizing everything they use, such as appliances, cars, hospitals, wearables and payments, meaning the equipment is smarter. “Digital giants like Apple, Google and Amazon will take the ecosystem business models they've developed in areas like e-commerce, music Apps and search into the connected world we've collectively created. They plan to make the physical world an extension of the digital, which is what they control,” says Tapadinhas.
The executive also commented that most companies have not yet advanced beyond business intelligence processes. “It is necessary to advance to other levels using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. Within the organizations themselves, it is necessary to multiply the number of people with analytical skills, that is, to promote the analytical empowerment of the team in different sectors. At the same time, companies that are more structured in the analysis and use of data can “create conditions to bring data analytics to business partners so that they also improve their performance”, pointed out Tapadinhas.
However, the journey of digital transformation is just beginning and there are no winners yet. Digital platforms must provide companies with an agile and flexible foundation to fully explore new business possibilities. “The challenge is limited only to creativity and the ability to align and organize resources. This is all possible, but it must be done now”, concludes Dreyfuss.
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