Digital strategy starts in the boardroom

Time for transformation

Rising commodity prices, inflation and an acute labour shortage are just some of the challenges businesses are currently facing. We are now experiencing a kind of perfect storm that forces everyone to deploy technology. And that storm basically started with the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, when everyone had to work from home, having your business in the cloud and not having to physically plug in at the office was a godsend.

From cloud to AI

But we hardly talk about the cloud any more. Most larger businesses now have this in place but the healthcare sector is still somewhat cautious about some aspects of digital transformation. After all, these are caregivers with a passion for people. Yet healthcare too can certainly benefit from artificial intelligence and digitalisation. You see that patients are very happy with a chat consultation, for example, just asking a question at a time that suits them.

Focus on AI

Anno 2023, the focus of businesses is shifting to generative AI. A technology that seems to be affecting everyone. For digital transformation, it means that decisions are shifting from chief information officers to chief executive officers. It really is a boardroom topic now. Digitalisation can be used to great effect to relieve your staff, for example, but how exactly do you do that? That is a huge driver.

At the same time, there are risks associated with integrating new technologies. Take sectors like banking and healthcare, where customer data is hugely sensitive and private. Consequently, we are reluctant to deploy new technologies if we are not 100 per cent sure it is safe. We see huge potential in ChatGPT, for example, and are already using it, but no client data goes into it yet.

Digitalisation: a means, but not an end

That companies cannot avoid a significant degree of digitalisation is a fact. Data-driven work, the energy transition, being compliant and attracting the right talent is simply not manageable if you do not deploy technology.

A digitalisation plan of large businesses is often part of a larger issue, for example: how can we deliver care in the coming years with the limited staff available? Digitalisation is then often a solution, but never an end in itself.