*by Tony Martins
data of world Bank indicate that the road to post-COVID economic recovery in Latin America is still long. It requires the stabilization of several factors for the region's overall growth to return to the pre-pandemic level. In the midst of this, digital transformation remains a strategic imperative for organizations and goes hand in hand with developing talent and strengthening relationships of trust. Together, these elements impact our daily lives as people and professionals and are key to building a promising future.
Although the scenario does not seem the most favorable and far from ideal, crises bring opportunities and business leaders are rethinking how to operate along the entire value chain. They are looking for ways to improve their infrastructure and have more flexibility, strengthen cybersecurity and reduce environmental impact every step of the way. At the same time, they are also redefining how humans and technology work together and reinforcing organizational cultures that put people first. In fact, according to a survey carried out by the IBM Institute for Business Value, open innovation, ecosystem partnerships and integrated customer experiences become increasingly important to business leaders.
The choices and investments that are being made today will largely define the possibilities that will be open to us. Today we can already count on data-based knowledge that helps in this process, so that each decision-making is easier, complete and safer. Then, How can we take advantage of all this to wisely direct ourselves into the future?
- focus on purpose
The values that are established by the companies are the foundation that allows to generate trust and transparency to maintain strong relationships with employees, customers, partners and the entire ecosystem. They are key to providing business transparency and strengthening brands, as well as indicating a clear direction. Values need to be supported by specific objectives around environmental sustainability and social responsibility, allowing progress to be measured regularly.
None of this is possible without people being at the center – this creates the connection with purpose, which makes it possible to effectively reflect in actions. Leaders and employees must establish exchanges that make them feel supported and can work authentically, which contributes in the short and long term to the well-being of professionals, companies and those who are served by them.
- Invest to differentiate yourself
Adopting new technologies goes beyond implementing the best approaches, services and solutions to operate. It is necessary to invest in improving the skills that will be needed to deal with these technologies. This helps strengthen collaboration between humans and technology, which is critical to making the most of digital transformation, as well as being a way to minimize integration gaps.
It is necessary to have a look at areas that are already more mature in this process and others that can benefit from artificial intelligence and the hybrid cloud so as not to be left behind. At the same time, security is another issue to be highlighted. Adopting a zero-trust approach can strengthen partnerships across ecosystems and drive innovation, thinking about protection around every stakeholder, every device and every connection. Well-implemented, technologies can help generate insights and promote innovation — having people, their expertise and the talent they apply to activities as the catalyst for this movement.
- Make room for continuous learning
Transformation is an ongoing process. Companies must learn to deal with risks and mistakes to find the combination of technologies that takes them to the next level. And that next step could be disruption. Developing agility and seeking continuous learning today is the step that helps companies prepare to face the great challenges they will face in the future.
That's why innovation has to be treated as a team sport, practiced between internal and external members of the organization. Collaboration must permeate relationships with partners and the ecosystem broadly, often including competition, and will be increasingly necessary as industries continue their digital transformation process.
To move forward into 2022 and see progress into the future, we need a close look at the people and relationships we forge — and how technology is critical to meeting the challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead.
* Tonny Martins, President and Technology Leader IBM Latin America
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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