FUTURE
implementation and transformation
to properly execute the plan.”
Head of Digital for Europe, Anshuman
point at a time when technology is
leading FMGC (Fast Moving Consumer
a backdrop of a skills gap that must
services from ideation to execution. Its Singh, works with some of the world’s
Goods) companies, many of which are Fortune 500 organisations, and has a wealth of experience in delivering
That knowhow is proving a sticking
evolving at breakneck speed, against surely rank as one of business’ greatest challenges.
“The pace of change that technology
digital transformation initiatives across
has driven in the last four, five years
of customer experience, and data and
we’ve seen before, even compared
consulting, design and development analytics.
In short, he is uniquely placed to
discuss the roadblocks to successfully implementing digital strategy.
“Technology is seen as a cost centre
activity, something that you have to do to stay in the business, or that can be
leveraged to transform your business.
For many companies, money is an issue because their margins fluctuate, very
is dramatically different to anything with the late 90s and early 00s. If you
look at most of the senior management in any company, chances are that
the appreciation they have built for
technology was based on a version that existed many moons ago. If you don’t
understand what is possible to build with technology, chances are that you’re not able to harness it well,” says Singh.
Business has to also fundamentally
few are an Amazon that can continue to
rethink why it is implanting digital
Singh tells Digital Bulletin.
he believes many companies are
funnel funds into constantly innovating,” “Once the issue of money is resolved the
question then becomes how technology can truly transform the work you do
as a business? And that also requires a complete rethink of your business
model, as opposed to just running an
e-commerce exercise, or a cloud initiator in isolation. A company has to truly think
how technology can distort the industry
strategies, according to Singh, as
unwittingly positioning themselves
in a race to the bottom. He gives the
examples of hotel bookings, taxis and
travel agents as industry sectors that are “pulling the value out of their business
models”, with consumers laughing all the way to the bank. A huge recalibration is apparently in order.
“In order to counter this, you need to
they work in.
completely rethink how you will compete
shift in terms of how you implement and
about what is your digital business
“So, you need capital and an attitude
use the technology at your disposal, and then you need the smarts and knowhow
52 DIGITAL BULLETIN
in the digital area, really think through model, not necessarily the business
model itself. That is going to require a
completely different set of skills, because