* By Otto Pohlmann
Yes, it is a bit of an exaggeration to want to imply that the covid-19 pandemic has started a new phase in the global calendar. However, it cannot be ignored that the changes resulting from the new coronavirus have impacted the entire world significantly in the last 12 months. The pandemic's one-year mark represents the ideal time to identify the changes suffered during this period and, especially for companies, what will be the role to be played by IT solutions going forward. After all, regardless of size and industry, technology should no longer be seen as a support in everyday life. On the contrary, it is the main element in any corporate strategy.
Just look at the example of Brazilian industries. Those that had already invested in cutting-edge technological solutions were able to quickly overcome the adversities of the new coronavirus and reverted to profitability. A survey by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), commissioned from the FSB Research Institute, shows that 54% of corporations with up to three technologies integrated into their processes already have similar profits to the pre-pandemic period. The number drops to 47% among those who have not invested adequately in this new reality.
Thus, if (still) it is an exaggeration to think of a new phase in global history, the fact is that we live in a new phase in the process of technological evolution. The importance of IT solutions has never been discussed more than in the past three decades. Just compare the trends of 1990 with those of 2020 to see all the developments we witnessed. If 30 years ago mobile telephony was still a challenge and the internet, something limited to the academic and security universe, today the limits of machine learning and artificial intelligence. The point is that, until the beginning of the pandemic, all these resources were seen as secondary within a company's organizational strategy. This does not mean that they were not important; only that they were treated as support for decision making.
A digital sales channel, for example, complemented the traditional model. Digital process management tools, in turn, also depended on how managers and professionals used them. In short: there was no clear policy for valuing digital solutions - until March 2020. Suddenly, the corporate structure had to migrate to the digital environment through different software and systems. With the restrictions imposed by the social distance measures, there was no store to sell, only e-commerce. The face-to-face service had to give way to WhatsApp. Even the work was digitalized, and the home office became a reality in Brazil.
This change was only possible with the inclusion of technology in the central planning of companies - no wonder, those that were more mature were the ones that achieved the best results in these 12 months of pandemic in the country. It is a path of no return. It is clear that face-to-face relationships will be valued at first, but it is difficult to imagine that issues such as remote work, process automation and digitalization of sales remain in the background in view of all the benefits they provided to companies and consumers in that period. Successful corporations will be those that will consider technology as an intrinsic part of the business, no longer as something separate from the strategy of action.
Therefore, investment in IT has ceased to be superficial and has become a priority for any Brazilian company. At the beginning of the pandemic, we could even talk about adaptations to the “new normal”. However, we have already been through a year of pandemic and there are no signs that the disease is under control, especially in Brazil. The changes that needed to be made have already happened. There is no more room for testing when it comes to technology. The time has come for organizations to look for alternatives to resume growth, with or without coronavirus - and this path goes through the increasingly strong role of technological solutions that bring efficiency and profitability.
* Otto Pohlmann is CEO of Centric
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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