In partnership with Microsoft, Harvard Business Review Analytic Services recently released new research around the digital economy. The study concludes the digital transformation is pervasive. “Companies that form their strategies now, shift resources to new digital initiatives, and redesign their organization and culture will have a distinct advantage,” the report states.
This change is being led in many organizations by a new type of information technology professional. 360 spoke with Rimes Mortimer, general manager of applied innovation at Microsoft, to get his perspective on this shift to new types of work and new ways of working within IT.
360: We see how big data is becoming woven throughout our lives. Have you seen an acceleration in companies who are not traditional technology companies embracing data as a means to growth?
Rimes: In today’s world, every company – regardless of industry – is on a journey to become a digital company. One of the key aspects of this digital journey is have access to more data than ever before. The most successful companies will not only have access to data – market, customer, operational – but they’ll derive unique, actionable insights from that data that helps them better serve customers, improve business operations and transcend current business models. This is a trend we’re seeing in both digital native companies and traditional businesses across industries like financial services, manufacturing, healthcare and government.
Decades ago, an innovative shoe design, a beautiful device or smartly designed software could lead a company to achieve market dominance for a long time. Now, we’re seeing micro revolutions every 12-18 months. As companies become digital, technology becomes central to everything they do. This is a major change where before technology was just a part of operations or infrastructure.