'The digital transformation is about the combination of technology, process, and people'

When it comes to digitisation, a lot of businesses often have questions about how, what, and with whom. “That’s logical,” says Hans Bos, Microsoft’s national technology officer for the Netherlands. “Because even though the digital transformation may have profound implications for a business, it’s often not the core of what it deals with.”

Suppose a bank or insurance company sees the benefits of working in the cloud and is considering transferring customer data to Microsoft data centres. Then come the questions. Will the regulator permit it? Will the customer data be secure, and what about privacy? And what does the law say?

“It’s my job to think about those kinds of issues,” says Hans Bos, “to talk to the regulator and to explain what safeguards and controls our online services involve. The aim is for the customer and the regulator to see that there is in fact scope for using cloud services.”

The digital transformation has major implications for virtually every sector. Do they realise it?

“There is indeed a sense of urgency. I hardly ever need to explain any more what digital means, or that you need to get going with it. The question isn’t usually why, but rather how, what, and with whom. That organisations need help in making the switch is logical. Because even though the digital transformation may have profound implications for a business, it’s often not the core of what it deals with.” 

How does that work in actual practice?

“Let’s take the example of a financial institution that wants to transfer its data to the cloud. We make sure that our cloud services meet all the technical requirements. But it’s also a question of how you actually use that technology. There are plenty of examples of data leaks where there’s no problem with the technical infrastructure but something still goes wrong due to human action or design flaws in the process. That’s where PwC comes in, for example to help ensure information security at an appropriate level – culture, structure, processes, people, and systems.

What is the future of the digital transformation?

“The digital transformation is always about the combination of technology, process, and people. All three need to be right. That’s why Microsoft and PwC are working hard together to enable organisations to experience changes in actual practice.

In the years ahead, we foresee the digital transformation taking place along four main lines: in addition to the digital optimisation of processes and the development of digital products, those lines are ‘empowering employees’ – new ways for employees to share information, make decisions, and participate in processes – and ‘connecting your clients’, i.e. developing mutually valuable propositions together with the customer.”

Partners in digital transition

The collaboration between Microsoft and PwC creates a bridge between the strategic challenges facing the customer and the technological solutions available to help it to confront them. In the Netherlands, but also worldwide, Microsoft and PwC have been working together for a considerable time within a partnership focused on business transformation.

The digital revolution is disrupting industrial sectors, organisations, products, and services. PwC advises and assists organisations within these transformation processes. Key focuses are the digital workplace, cybersecurity, and data analysis. These link up closely with the relevant Microsoft products.

Conversely, Microsoft solutions can be deployed to benefit from strategic digitisation opportunities that PwC consultants identify for their clients.