The evolution of digital: Top 5 predictions from PhotonWorld 2016

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Organizations across a wide range of industries are proactively accelerating their digital transformation and looking to drive growth with omnichannel customer experiences.

New digital technologies continue to emerge everyday, ushering in a post-digital climate that leaves CXOs with more questions: Can you survive with legacy systems, or is it time for an injection of digital principles? What is the right organizational mindset to support these digital efforts, and what’s all this noise about chatbots?

These are among the key questions that were discussed by senior executives in digital transformation space and IT leaders from Fortune 500 companies at PhotonWorld 2016. And here’s a list of Photon’s top 5 predictions offering you the guidance you need to survive the increased digital competition and ride the big digital tidal wave that we anticipate in the coming year.

Top 5 predictions in digital from PhotonWorld 2016

1. The digital enterprise

Digital speed is transforming traditional IT

The biggest shift we are seeing across the landscape of IT is the shift from thinking about digital as separate from traditional IT, then the move to digital becoming a larger and more significant part of the business to a point where digital is, in fact, transforming traditional IT. It is time to rethink the IT organization in a mobile and cloud-first model and leverage known successes, such as Agile methodologies, from the digital world.

 

2. Back end focus

Embrace big data platforms and microservices for digital supremacy

The last half a decade has been all about new front end experiences - mobile, adaptive responsive web, and social. But the key enabler to making these experiences work is truly a robust back-end. It is time to blow up the legacy systems that hold you back and rebuild for the future. Broadening your enterprise’s digital capability requires opening up of the legacy back end systems in a more meaningful manner. The two truly transformational technologies that are enabling the next generation of transformation are Big Data and Microservices

 

3. Outcome oriented digital transformation

Focus on analytics and outcomes for experiences

As much as these experiences have evolved, the focus on ROI has been based on a projection of cost savings and/or additional revenue, which is often not tracked with as much emphasis as it is when the funding request is made. The first aspect of getting to this target state is defining metrics in a manner that can be measured, tracked and quantified. This is a non-trivial task and should include aspects which are both cost saving and revenue driving. The second and more important aspect is to track these via a dashboard, making all stakeholders and vendor partners accountable. While meeting or exceeding objectives is one driver, it is also important to adapt and iterate to ensure you are able to change what is required in a rapid fashion, and in an automated, machine-learning fashion.

 

4. From project organization to a product organization

Rethink portfolio management

Traditional IT has been focused on a project-oriented approach to portfolio management. Projects have a lifecycle which start and end. They're designed to be that way. Digital products actually never end, and organizations building products never stop improving them. Embracing and creating market-beating products for your end consumers requires an organizational change. The mindset has to change from a portfolio of projects to what are living, breathing products that change and adapt to your end consumers needs. Therefore, the way in which budgets are managed should change to focus on true differentiation in the eyes of your consumer the perception of your industry and brand. 

 

5. Invisible conversational interfaces

The future of human-computer interaction

It’s time to rethink the future of human-computer interaction which is enabled by everything from intelligent assistants, conversational interfaces, smart devices, and even immersive virtual reality. Invisible, conversational, and voice-based interfaces like Siri, Google Now, Cortana, and Alexa are set to unleash conversational mobile moments, expanding the range of digital experiences beyond multi-touchpoint brand presences. They allow customers to interact with devices in a more intuitive way and bring new levels of ease and convenience through voice control. The brands that deliver thoughtfully crafted and well-executed strategy for the faceless interface will be the ones that win their customers’ love by providing immersive, interactive and personalized experiences in relevant micro moments.

 

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