Digital transformation is a priority for most companies. Whether they want to improve their customer experience, increase agility and innovation or reduce costs, digital transformation can help them get there. And while the Chief Information Officer (CIO) may not be in charge of all these initiatives, they are often the people responsible for ensuring that the digital transformation process happens effectively at the company.
KPMG CIO Survey 20201 reported that 47% of the 4200 participants responded that the pandemic accelerated the digital transformation process. As a result, the role of the CIO has become increasingly critical during this time of change and uncertainty. If you are a CIO looking for new opportunities after COVID-19, there are plenty.
Technology Is Now At The Heart Of Any Business
The role of technology has undergone a metamorphosis in the past decade. You will be surprised to know that technology is no longer a department within an organization but rather the center of opera tion of any business. Technology is no longer just an instrument to automate or improve processes but an essential driver for growth and differentiation in this highly competitive environment.
Higher Return on Investment (ROI)
With enterprises worldwide adopting digital transformation initiatives post-pandemic, CIOs are getting higher ROI on their investments. They are leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and Big Data Analytics. These technologies have helped them gain significant insights into consumer behavior, trigger automated actions based on these insights and increase revenue streams through improved customer experience delivery.
Organizations Now Need Tech-Savvy CIOs and CTOs That Will Help In The Digital Transformation Process
CTOs and CEOs with technical expertise are in high demand. IT teams now work on multiple projects simultaneously, keeping up with changing business needs while maintaining support for existing systems. This feature has created a new challenge for IT leaders: finding qualified candidates with the leadership skills necessary for the role and the technical experience needed to succeed in their new position.
Organizations Are Now Willing To Invest In Digital Transformation
With more organizations willing to invest in their digital transformation journey and endless talent looking out at new opportunities, it is a win-win situation for leaders with proven abilities to identify talent and leverage technology to achieve better customer experiences.
The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation for many companies because they need to improve their understanding of customers, particularly when it comes to loyalty. Leaders who can spot new technologies that will help them meet these challenges are highly sought after by companies that want to succeed in a post-pandemic world—and there are plenty of those types of jobs available right now.
Impact of COVID on Digital Adoption
As a COVID survivor, you may be wondering what the impact of COVID has been on digital transformation. The good news is that the pandemic is forcing digital transformation to happen much faster than it would have otherwise. In a survey by McKinsey Global2, 62% of the participants believe that the technological shifts that have taken place during the pandemic will stick even after the pandemic.
When an outbreak occurs, companies that have adopted technology are better at helping their customers. Therefore, more and more CIOs move into positions of power over their entire business.
For example, if a company gets hit with a disease outbreak or crisis like COVID, they need people who can adapt quickly and make decisions based on incomplete data. In this case, having someone at a senior level who understands technology can make the difference in how well your business survives these situations.
As the CIO of a start-up, you may be wondering if COVID-19 has had any impact on your digital transformation process. It is not just one of those things that come and goes, but it is an event that has led to a greater need for digital adoption. This is particularly true for fast-moving start-ups focused on creating solutions that are accessible through mobile devices.
One way to think about this is by considering how many people were already using smartphones before COVID. Also, consider how many more have since upgraded their devices to stay connected with family members and friends who have been affected by the virus.
There Is Clarity In Customer Concerns
Having real-time insights into customer data could help provide additional clarity and context when responding to customers’ concerns during this unprecedented time.
It is critical for CIOs from start-up companies to embrace the digital transformation process post-pandemic and leverage technologies such as data analytics (including AI) and real-time data to be more agile in response to the pandemic situation.
Organizations Are Embracing Remote Working
As we move from a state of lockdown to that of uncertainty, companies must focus on adopting technology to enable remote working and maintain their business continuity plan on the go without hampering their core operations.
The first change you can make is digitizing employee communication by deploying collaboration tools for virtual meetings. It would also help to look at cloud-based solutions for business continuity and virtual private network (VPN) access for remote workers. This will allow them to work remotely with ease and access important documents at any time with cybersecurity solutions in place.
Another move you could make is having a cloud-based helpdesk system so that your staff can easily interact with customer service representatives while they are offline. This way, you can ensure zero downtime even if your employees cannot come into the office due to any emergency such as a pandemic or cyber-attack.
Conclusion
Post pandemic businesses need to stay competitive and agile. Start-ups need to scale up. CIOs have the experience, vision, and know how to drive digital transformation. With appropriate support from their CIOs, start-ups can scale up and become global players by leveraging new technologies such as AI/ML or blockchain.
