IBM June 2020

IBM

DIGITAL REPORT 2020

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE

02

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE

w w w.i b m . com

03

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

Inderpal Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer, discusses data and cognitive transformation strategies and the role of the Chief Data Officer

“ T

o be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft; when I walk into an organisation I immerse myself in the business strategy

and the detailed end-to-end business processes to know exactly what I’m going to implement, the strategy behind it, measure how well it’s going to unfold and the milestones to be hit,” says Inderpal 04

Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer. With more than 20 years of experience transforming industry-leading organisations, Bhandari has defined the scope, expectations, and deliverables of the modern Chief Data Officer role. Indeed, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest he is the Chief Data Officer.

Bhandari is a recognised expert in transforming data into business value. He improves customer experiences by delivering strategic and innovative capabilities that use data-driven insights to enable growth and streamline productivity. Most recently, he has been doing so at IBM. Bhandari joined the global tech leader in December 2015 to lead IBM’s data strategy and to drive its internal data and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. This work,

05

w w w.i b m . com

Subscribe to the Business Chief Podcast

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

“ Our aim was to transform IBM into a data and AI enterprise”

08

His experience and an intimate knowledge of what an effective Chief Data Officer can deliver took shape in the trenches of corporate America where data was becoming the new natural resource. “I became the very

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

first CDO in the healthcare industry in

which Bhandari joined us to discuss

on in the profession – at that point

in more detail, has culminated in the

there were four of us globally. Today

company’s Data and AI Enterprise

the role has expanded massively with

Blueprint – a roadmap for IBM clients

thousands of CDOs, Chief Analytics

to use when embarking on their own

Officers and Chief Digital Officers,

data and AI journeys.

and I’ve been fortunate to have been

2006, and was an entrepreneur in data products before that. It was very early

at the forefront from the very beginning, learning, and understanding the profession.

“Data is a hugely valuable asset and so the importance of the role has transformed within enterprises,” he continues. “My experiences enabled me to contribute to multiple

IBM - DATA STRATEGY CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:18

09 organisations while honing the craft

to the cloud – cloud computing has

of using data and technology to fuel

been a major game changer at the

the powerful and complex transforma-

industry level,” he states, expanding

tions that enterprises are undergoing.”

on the technology evolution that has shaped today’s landscape. “And with

TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSFORMATION: DRIVING CHANGE

that came a heightened focus on

Understandably, during his career

which remain core areas for any CDO.

Bhandari has been at the forefront

Once the resources become available

of technological innovation. He has

through cloud or, more recently, hybrid

also seen data evolve to become a

cloud, AI and many of the devices

crucial success factor for the mod-

at the ‘edge’ can and will come into

ern enterprise.

play, such as robotic technology, the

“The rapid change we’re seeing today really started with the journey

cybersecurity, data privacy and ethics,

Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles.” w w w.i b m . com

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

10

The ability to keep ‘building’ on

terms of transforming their businesses.

the hybrid cloud, says Bhandari, will

Leaders and organisations all over the

accelerate the adoption of AI as part

world have come to realise that it’s not

of enterprise transformation. Other

a question of ‘should we do it’, but a

important technologies that will be

question of ‘when do we do it’. If you

adopted include 5G and blockchain,

don’t, you’ll very quickly be irrelevant.”

which he says has the potential to “It’s a rapidly changing industry. But

IBM: THE CDO’S BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE

with that, comes an acute awareness

When Bhandari joined IBM five years

and willingness on the part of the

ago, his role was specifically created

c-suite and enterprises to gain a much

to facilitate the mission of transform-

greater understanding of what these

ing IBM into a Data and AI enterprise.

trends and technologies can do in

He built a transformation strategy

transform data and data ownership.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Inderpal Bhandari Title: Global Chief Data Officer Company: IBM Corporation Industry: Information Technology & Services

Location: New York

Inderpal Bhandari rejoined IBM as Global Chief Data Officer in December 2015.

In this newly created role, he has leveraged his extensive experience to lead the development of IBM’s data strategy and drive IBM’s internal data and AI enterprise transformation. The work has culminated in the Data and AI Enterprise Blueprint; a roadmap for IBM’s clients on their own transformation journeys.

Inderpal brings to IBM more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at such leading companies as Cambia Health Solutions and Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions. Prior to joining IBM, Inderpal served as Senior Vice President and Chief Data Officer of Cambia Health Solutions where he led the development of Cambia’s data strategy and drove the transformation of the company’s consumer experience strategies. Prior to that, Inderpal served as Vice President

of knowledge solutions and Chief Data Officer at Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions, where he was responsible for maximizing the utility of the company’s data and its readiness to respond to emerging market trends. Before that, he founded Virtual Gold, growing the company into an international market leader for analytics in call centers and professional sports. Inderpal is an expert in transforming data into business value and improved customer experiences by delivering strategic, innovative capabilities that use analytic insights to enable growth and productivity. In 2017, he was named U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year by the CDO Club, and has been featured as an industry expert by Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News & World Report, CNN and FOX. Inderpal earned his Master of Science Degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and holds a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. w w w.i b m . com

11

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

IBM - ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:43

12

roadmap based on three steps:

the company is going to make money,

develop a clear data strategy; execute

maximise business impact, and delight

enterprise-wide data governance and

customers,” he explains. “In IBM’s case

management systems; and become the

it was clear that we were going to make

central data and AI framework for the

money primarily from best-in-class AI

IBM enterprise.

and hybrid multi-cloud offerings. But

The first is crucial for any enterprise

it wasn’t clear what AI meant for an

embarking on such a journey and starts

enterprise or how to go about it. Thus

with one straightforward question:

we thought why not make IBM itself into

what is your company’s monetisation

an AI enterprise and use it as a show-

strategy? This is, says Bhandari, key to

case for our clients.” Bhandari created

a successful data strategy. “Any data

a dedicated team that consists of

strategy has to be tied to the business

world-class data and AI specialists who

strategy, and that revolves around how

collaborate across the entire business.

JUNE 2020

“ To be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

IBM’s Data and AI Blueprint encompasses technology, organisational considerations, data, and business process transformation. For example, cognitive services give the ability to see and contextualise across all data as well as infuse insights into the work-

Next, the focus rested on consolidat-

flow of business processes. Hybrid

ing critical enterprise data and making

cloud solutions encompassing public

it available as a service. Rapid inte-

cloud, private cloud and on-premise

gration of critical data into a single,

environments, provide enterprise cloud

consolidated data platform can bring

container support while implementing

unprecedented connection and is

and enforcing security standards

the moment, Bhandari says, where a

and privacy policies. Further, the

data strategy ‘really comes alive.’ He

convergence and curation of data that

adds that a unified data platform is the

would have previously been siloed and

fundamental enabler of advanced AI

fragmented across an organisation,

solutions in an organisation, and brings

to create a reliable and trusted source

new business capabilities, drives effi-

that AI systems can build upon.

ciency and top-line improvement.

“Our aim was to transform IBM into a Data and AI enterprise,” he notes.

According to Bhandari, AI systems – all of which are underpinned by data – have four main attributes: they learn from data, they support forms of expression more natural for human interaction, their primary value is their expertise, and their learning evolves continuously as they encounter new information or scenarios. w w w.c o mpa nywwe w w.i bsite. b m . com

13

IBM

“ Cloud computing has been a major game changer at industry level” 14

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

Cognition also brings distinct advantages to points of business that require significant human judgement. In Bhandari’s Global Chief Data Office, for example, several projects utilise IBM’s Data and AI Platform.

“As an example,” he adds, “take a role within our business, which essentially revolves around an employee having to classify whether a client that we’re working with is a government-owned entity. We hold ourselves to very high standards, and so that kind of classification and judgement is crucial.

We have to get it right. Previously, that classification would have involved research, communication with other parties and eventually arriving at the classification. This is a perfect example of where AI comes into its own.

Using our IBM Watson capabilities, we can now access historical data as to how we have previously labelled companies, and we can sift and monitor real-time information about those same businesses.

“That capability makes the decision more quickly, accurately and improves efficiency of the work,” he continues.

“As an example, it may be at a lower w w w.i b m . com

15

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

How the IBM Integrated Analytics System Helps You Do Data Science Faster CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:51

16

“ We have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant advantage to” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

level in terms of the vast amounts of activity we undertake at IBM, but you multiply it one million-fold across every significant business decision that we make, and you have an insight into the potential of AI. That’s what I envisioned when I began this journey – we have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant value to.”

The challenge, says Bhandari, is for enterprises to undertake that scaling of data and AI solutions. Core to that,

he says, is a strong central function

quickly ramp up their AI solutions and

which is the role that he and his imme-

processes and drive business value

diate team provide. However, he also

covering areas including data strategy

adds that in his experience, many

and architecture, automating business

organisations are still in the early

metadata, data privacy and trust, and

stages of their AI adoption journey.

AI applications.

IBM’s learnings from its data and AI

“When I started the Global Chief Data

transformation form the basis of how

Office at IBM, we were effectively at

IBM interacts with clients.

‘ground zero’ in terms of this,” Bhandari

Take the company’s AI Enterprise

notes. “But our success allows us to

Accelerator as an example. This col-

share and take it to a completely new

laborative cross-enterprise initiative

level for both internal transformation

builds on IBM’s AI transformation

and with our clients. Our Enterprise

and is designed to help leaders

Data and AI platform was established

w w w.i b m . com

17

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

1911

Year founded

$79.59bn+ Revenue in US dollars

350,000 18

Number of employees

at the end of 2017 and by year end

freely admits to adopting a ‘fail fast’

2019 we had over 100,000 active

approach to his role and mission at

users on it internally, who were infus-

IBM and is not afraid to admit – even

ing AI into their business processes,

with his experience – that he and his

and several clients replicating these

team are always learning. “If you are

use cases externally. That’s a really

the CDO then you must be aware it’s

high rate of adoption for both internal

a transformation role and you are

use and by our customers.”

primarily a change agent,” he explains.

“You have to change the enterprise to

A BLUEPRINT FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

transform it, so the data and AI blue-

Any transformation journey is an

print that we developed has all of the

ongoing process, even with a CDO as

aspects that any change agent should

capable as Bhandari at the helm. He

focus on.

19

“You use the data and the technol-

data comes from millions of devices

ogy to affect the change, of course, but

at the edge. That and technologies

there’s also the people and culture fac-

such as quantum computing have the

tor that is equally important. You can’t

potential to revolutionise everything

neglect any aspect of that blueprint if

we do. It’s an exciting prospect and a

you want to succeed. Technology will

very exciting time for Chief Data and

continue to evolve, and so we must

Technology Officers at the forefront

evolve too. The move to the hybrid

of these transformations.”

cloud is only accelerating, for example, and things like cybersecurity, privacy and data ownership will become more and more relevant. Similarly, edge computing will be a critical driver as w w w.i b m . com

1 ORCHARD RD ARMONK NEW YORK 10504 USA

P0WERED BY

T 914 499 1900

www.ibm.com