Empowering Leadership
Edial
Leadershipismoreaboutinfluencingpeople.We,TheLeaders GlobeMediaMagazinefeaturingthetopteninfluentialleaders of2022wouldliketoapplaudtheseleadersfortheir commendableworkandeffortsputintoleadingtheirorganizationsand teams.Themassiveandminisculeeffortscontributedtowardsthe team'ssuccesshasleftbehindalegacy.Leadershipcomeswithalotof responsibilitiesthatneedconstantattentionandrelentlessselfownershipofone'sandtheteam'sactions.
Drivingbusinesswithcollaborativedialogue,moreprofoundlistening, andasharedpurposeofperformancehasledtheseleaderstooutsmart othercompanyownersasthecaptainofthecrew.Since,influencing othersliesontheprinciplesofpersuasion,theveryfirststepto persuade,istoleadfromthefront.Theseleaderswhohavebeen featuredinthismagazinearenon-debatablythefirstonestosetouton thetaskandgetthingsinalignment.Itisthispersistenceandhardworkthathasbroughtthemexponentialgrowthintheirsuccess metrics.
Inthehandsoftheseastuteleaderstherehasbeenvisiblytremendous growthoftheorganizationsthattheyhavebeenleadinginthepastfew years.Bringingtheirexpertiseanduniquewaysofdealingwithtrying situationstotheworkplace,theseleadershavestrategicallygrownby 100%intheirareas.Thistransitionhasbeenappreciatedbymanyona privateandpublicplatformincludingourmagazine.Goodleadership shinesnotonlywhenthingsaregoinggoodbutevenwhenthingsare inaroughorbadspot.
Leadershipisnotaboutworkingtowardsagoalsinglehandedly.Itis infactaboutmotivatingandinspiringpeople,yourteammates,to worktogethertoachievethatcommongoal.It'sbasicallyimpossible foracompanytocontinuetohavecontinuousgrowthandevolution withthetimesintheabsenceofeffectiveleadership.Thisisspecially trueinthecurrentsituationwheredigitaltechnologyischangingevery aspectofhowbusinessisbeingdoneandhowcustomersareengaging withbrands,abrandwithouteffectiveleaderswillbelikeaship sailingwithoutacaptaindirectingwhichwaytogo
MariaPERFECT COUPLE ISN’TAMYTH
Not when its your brand and our expertise
When we infuse our knowhow to your brand, it gains bulk to battle competition.Your brand has a ready market, we push to expand the boundaries. Your brand has the product, we extend the product line. Your brand has the operational framework, we add the technology engine to upgrade its efficiency
When your brand gets under our wings, we make sure it grows as we study it individually to chart out its path to maturation. Without compromising the current image, we work from facelift to on-time last mile delivery.
We have been doing this for more than a decade. Hence when your brand unions with us, you know there is only one outcome - success.
•
handwithcultureisthelanguage. Itisparamounttohavea thoroughunderstandingofthe locallanguage.Eventhough Englishisthepredominant languageoftheworld,locals wouldconsideryourbusiness foreignifyourefusetousetheir language.Theywouldhappily flocktotheiralreadyexisting, locallanguagespeaking businesses.Servingconsumers whoseprimarylanguageisnot Englishshouldbethefirstthing onyourdocket.
Onceyouhaveagoodgriponthe locallanguage,caremustbe takentounderstandthecultureof thatregion.Businesspromotion shouldbedonecarefullysoasnot tohurtsentimentsofthelocals.If anything,youshouldconformto theirculture,whichwouldmake yourbrandmoreendearing. Humansregardorganizationsthat understandtheirculturewith greatrespect.
EmployinglocalProfessionals
Wheneveryouareexpandingtoa newregion,italwayshelpsifyou hirethelocalprofessionalsrather thanbringingprofessionalsfrom yourowncountry Thefirst questionthatlocalsalwaysask whenevertheyseeanew businessopenupintheirregion is:
Ontopofthat,itwouldbemuch cheapertohirelocalsthan bringingprofessionalsfromyour homecountry.Thereisalotof redtapeandbureaucracythatcan lengthenestablishingyour workforceandmakeitheavyon yourpockets.Hiringlocalswould simplyeliminatethisproblem.
ResearchOverseasMarket
• “Howmanyjobsaregoingtoget created?”Theyhopeandwishto work,andiftheylearnthatthe neworganizationthatisbeingset upisreadytoemploythelocals, itwouldmakeyourbrandappear morefriendly.Wordofmouthisa crucialfactor,andtheemployees workingtherewould automaticallyspreadtheword aboutyourbusiness,makingyour brandmoreknownregionwide.
Alwaysensurethatyouhave doneproperresearchaboutthe localcultureanduniquemarket conditionsoftheregionwhere youareexpandingyourbusiness.
Theresearchshouldinclude relevantregulations.Thebest waytodothisisbysendinga teamonthegroundtothevarious partsoftheregioninyour expansionplan.Besides dispatchingamarketobservation team,havesomeofyourbest mindsspendtimewiththelocals tobetterunderstandtheirculture anddevelopcontacts.
Overseasmarketscanhold significantgrowthpotentialforall typesofbusinesses.However,it takesapropertransitionstrategyto successfullyexpandfromalocaltoa globalreach.Severallargebrands haveestablishedanimpactful presenceabroad,andthesamecan happenwithyou.
Thedifferencebetweenthesuccess andfailureofyourproductdepends entirelyonthedifferencebetween goodandbadmarketresearch.This ringsevenmoretruewheninitiating aworkspaceinforeignmarkets.
Allthevariouschallengesand obstaclesofmarketentryare compoundedwhenyouentera marketwithdifferentcultures, customs,languages,laws,and infrastructuretowhatyou'reusedto dealingwithinyourhomemarket.If rigorousresearchisnotconducted beforehand,therisksignificantly grows,andyourbusinessmayhave ahardtimesurviving
Creation and Management
nfluentialleadershavetheability
Itoidentifylacunasinexisting structuresandstrategies.Theyare blessedwithforesightthathelpsthem seizeopportunitiesthatmaybe invisibletoothers.HeineKrog Iversen,theCEOofTimeXtenderis onesuchinfluentialleaderwho recognisedthepotentialofdata analyticssystemsintheworldof businessandhasnowcraftedan empirethatservessomeoftheworld's mostprominentclients,includingthe Fortune500companies.
Asweenterdeeperintoanerathat's definedandmouldedbyBigData,it isneedlesstosaythatgrowthor developmentwithoutadatastrategy isquiteimpossible.Thus,data analyticsbecomesthekey differentiatorbetweenfirmsinthe businessarenavyingforthetop position.Acknowledgingtheneedto createacost-effective,streamlined andefficientdatamanagement infrastructureforfirms,Heinedecided tolaythefoundationsofTimeXtender thatenablesfirmstobuildtheirdata estate10xfaster.
IdeatingChange
Asaleader,Heinehasalwaystriedto
infuseinnovationintoeachofhis undertakings.Whenitcameto TimeXtender,Heineleveragedover 20yearsofexperienceintheIT industrywithhispreviousexperience ofco-foundinganITconsultancy venturetocreateanenterprisethat wasdifferentfromtherest.Infact,the ideaforTimeXtendercametohis whilehewasspearheadingthe previousventure.Herealisedthat businesseswerebuildingtheirdata empiresusingmanualcoding,which wasbothcostlyandtime-consuming.
HeenvisionedTimeXtenderasa companythatwouldleverage automatedtoolstoprovidefirmswith moderndataestatesolutionsthatwere 10xfasterthantheexisting conventionalmodel.Heinecreated TimeXtenderin2006andsincethen theventurehasbeensoaringfrom TimeXtenderthatenablesfirmsto buildtheirdataestate10xfaster
IdeatingChange
Asaleader,Heinehasalwaystriedto infuseinnovationintoeachofhis undertakings.Whenitcameto TimeXtender,Heineleveragedover 20yearsofexperienceintheIT industrywithhispreviousexperience
ofco-foundinganITconsultancy venturetocreateanenterprisethat wasdifferentfromtherest.Infact,the ideaforTimeXtendercametohis whilehewasspearheadingthe previousventure.Herealisedthat businesseswerebuildingtheirdata empiresusingmanualcoding,which wasbothcostlyandtime-consuming.
HeenvisionedTimeXtenderasa companythatwouldleverage automatedtoolstoprovidefirmswith moderndataestatesolutionsthatwere 10xfasterthantheexisting conventionalmodel.Heinecreated TimeXtenderin2006andsincethen theventurehasbeensoaringfromone heightofsuccesstothenext.Today, thefirmservesarosterofover3,300 globalcustomersinover95countries andpartnerswithmorethan200 companiesincludingindustry stalwartslikeDeloitte,Microsoft,and others.
EmbodyingaVisionaryOutlook
TimeXtenderwascraftedasastateof-the-art,automateddata managementplatformthatimplements andoperatesdatawarehouseswithout codes.Thishelpsbuildamoderndata estateforbusinessventuresthatcuts downontheunnecessarydrainof timeandresources.
-HeineKrogIversenAsaleaderpioneeringchange,Heine wantstomakedataaccessibletoall. Accordingtohim,asignificant proportionofdatapotentialsremain unharnessed.Moreover,improperor delayedaccesstodataalsoleadsto misguidedbusinessdecisions.With TimeXtender,hehopedtoeliminate thisfromthebusinessprocess.Since TimeXtenderallowsdatatobe centralised,stored,andgoverned,it
alsoensuresrapidaccesstotheright datasetsasandwhenneeded.This reducesthemarginforerrorsinthe decision-makingprocessthat'slargely data-driven.
OvercomingRoadblocks
WhenHeinestartedtheventure,he wassureoffacingsomeroadblocks alongtheway.Sincepeopleare alwayssetinthefamiliarwaysof doingthings,Heinerealisedthat gettingcompaniestoacknowledgethe benefitofamodernandautomated datamanagementsystemwouldbethe majorroadblockhewouldhaveto dismantle.
Sincetraditionallycompaniesrelied ontheexpertiseoflargeconsultancy teamstocreatedatamanagement systems,breakingawayfromthis mouldwasboundtobedifficult. However,Heinewasconvincedthat TimeXtender'singeniousnocode/low code,automateddataestatesystem wouldfinallyoutshinethisdated
model.Hiszealandperseverance helpedbringthisdreamtofruitionas theventurecametobeoneofthe largestdataestatecompaniesinthe market.
InspiringOthers
ServingastheCEOoftheventure, Heinetheorganisation'sgrowth strategy,strategicplanning,global outreach,andoverallmarketstanding. Asaleader,hebelievesin streamliningeveryaspectofthe organisation.Tothisend, TimeXtenderfeaturesaunique workspace,onethat'scharacterisedby whatitcalls'PurposeCircles'.These mostlyself-managedOPCshelp employeesharnesstheirinnovative sidesbetteranddevelopleadership skills.Heineinsistsonsuchamodel workspacebecauseithelpsbuild cross-organisationaltrustand flexibility
FutureRoadmap
WhileHeineagreesthatthe
competitionwithinthefieldofdata analyticsandmanagementsystems hasbeengrowingovertherecent years,heisalsocertainoftheedge TimeXtenderhasoverthebuddingor alreadyestablishedcompetitorsinthe market.Thecomprehensivebasketof dataestatebuildingandmanagement toolsthatthefirmprovidesiswhat givesitauniquemarketpositioning.
However,forHeine,thesky'sthelimit whenitcomestoachievinggrowth andsuccess.Sinceheenvisionsa worldwhereeveryfirmisawareof theimportanceofautomateddata managementsystems,heiscurrently engagedintheprocessofexpanding theinternationalpresenceof TimeXtender.Atthesametime,Heine continuesonhisjourneyofbusiness ownersabouttheneedfordata-driven platforms
” -KarlWiddowsonHelpingclientsrealisethe potentialofnext-gendata estateshasbeenaprivilege forTimeXtender
Thereisnoclarityonwhich paththeworldwilltakein thenext40years.Butone thingthatexpertsandnormal citizensallagreeonistheneedto maketheworldmoresustainable. Thishasbecome,infact,anexciting challengeforeveryoneonplanet earth.TheUnitedNations(UN),and byextensiontheentirepopulationof theplanetfacethisonesingular mission:thesustainable development.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The Future ofthe World
Butwhatissustainable development?Brundtland'sreport simplydefinesitas"Tomeetthe needsofpresentwithout compromisingtheabilityoffuture generationstomeettheirown needs."Itisanorganizingprinciple formeetinghumandevelopment goalswhilealsosustainingthe abilityofnaturalsystemstoprovide thenaturalresourcesandecosystem servicesonwhichtheeconomyand societydepend.
The2030agendaforSustainable Developmenthasbeenadoptedby allUnitedNationsMemberStatesin 2015.Itprovidesasharedroadmap forpeaceandprosperityforpeople andtheplanet,nowandintothe future.Itscoreisthe17Sustainable DevelopmentGoals(SDGs),which areanurgentcallforactionbyall countries-bothdevelopedand developing-inapartnershipatthe globalscale.Theyrecognizethat endingpovertyandotherissuesmust
gohand-in-handalongwithstrategies thatimprovehealthandeducation, reduceinequality,andaccelerate economicgrowth–simultaneously tacklingclimatechangeandworking topreserveouroceansandforests.
Aquickoverviewofthesegoalsis:
· Endingpovertyinallforms,and atalltheplaces.
· Gettingridofhunger,and achievingfoodsecurity.This alsoinvolvesimproving nutritionandadopting sustainableprinciplesof farming.
· Promotingwellbeingand ensuringhealthyliving conditions.
· Ensuringqualityeducation,and makingiteasilyaccessibleto peopleofallages.Also, promotionoflearning opportunitiesavailablelifelong.
· Achievinggenderequality,and empoweringwomenandgirls.
· Ensuringeasyaccessofwater alongwithitssustainable management,andeven sanitation.
· Ensuringthateveryonehas accesstoclean,affordablead reliableenergy.
· Ensuringeveryonehasan opportunitytogetproductive employmentanddecentwork, thatwillpromotetheirown economicgrowthandmake themvaluablemembersofthe society.
· Developingresilient infrastructure,inclusiveand sustainableindustrialization withmajorfocusoninnovation.
· Reducinginequalitywithinand amongcountries.
· Makingcitiesandhuman settlementsmoreresilient,8 sustainable,safeandinclusive.
· Ensuringpatternsofproduction andconsumptionare sustainable.
· Implementingurgentactionsto takecontrolofclimatechange problems.
· Conservingandsustainably usingtheoceans,seasand marineresourcesfor sustainabledevelopment.
· Promotingpeacefuland inclusivesocietiesfor sustainabledevelopment, provideaccesstojusticeforall andbuildeffective, accountableandinclusive institutionsatalllevels.
· Protecting,restoringand promotingsustainableuseof terrestrialecosystems, sustainablymanageforests, combatdesertification,and haltandreverseland degradationandhalt biodiversityloss.
· Strengtheningthemeansof implementationandrevitalize theGlobalPartnershipfor SustainableDevelopment.
Theconceptofsustainable development,despiteitsurgentneed, hasbeen,andstillis,subjectto criticism,includingthequestionof whatistobesustainedinsustainable development.Manyarguethatthere isnosuchthingasasustainableuse ofanon-renewableresource.The mainreasoningbehindthisisthat anypositiverateofexploitationwill
eventuallyleadtotheexhaustionof earth'sfinitestock.Thiswouldrender theIndustrialRevolution,inits entirety,unsustainable.
Theconceptofsustainable developmenthasbeencriticizedfrom variousperspectives.Whilesomesee itasanoxymoron,oreven paradoxical;theyregarddevelopment implicitlyasunsustainable.
Meanwhileothersaredisappointed withhowlittleprogresshasbeen achievedthusfar
TheRioProtocolwasabigleap forward:Theworld,forthefirsttime inhistory,cametoaconsensusona sustainabilityagenda.Infact,aglobal agreementwasfacilitatedby neglectingconcretegoalsand operationaldetails.TheSustainable DevelopmentGoals(SDGs)now haveconcretetargetsorgoalsas describedabove,whichwasnotthe caseintheresultsfromtheRio Process,butnomethodsforcorrect orpropersanctions.
Themissionisnotaneasyone.Itisa roadfullofdifficultiesand challenges.Butonceachieved,itwill ensureaworthyexistenceforallthe inhabitantsoftheworld,andonethat willalsoguaranteeawell-defined coexistencewithotherlivingbeings andnaturalresources.
Itisnowuptoallofustowork togethertocreateabetterfuture.
Editor'sPickKarlWiddowson:
The Leader Disrupting the UI/UX Market with a Novel Creative Vision
nfluentialleadershavethe
Icourageandfar-sighted perspectiveofseizingbudding opportunitiesindomainsthatare stillintheirembryonicstagesof growth.Backin2012,whenthefield ofcustomwebdesigningwasstillin itsinitialstagesofgrowth,onegreat leaderhadthevisiontostart harnessingthepotentialofthefield andallthatithastooffer.Likeall influentialleaders,KarlWiddowson hadtheforesighttocreateanallencompassingventurethatcangive clientsalltheassistancetheyneedto customisetheirwebpagesand rebrandtheircompanies.
MeetingtheInfluentialLeader
TheCreativeMomentumwas createdbyKarlWiddowsonwiththe purposeofprovidingclientswitha comprehensivedigitalmarketing platformthatcoverseveryaspectof theprocesswithequalproficiency. Hestartedthefirmnotjustasa regularcreativeagency,butone whereingeniousthinkingmeets dedicatedhardworkandpassion. ApartfromaDegreeinArts, Multimedia,andWebDesignfrom
theArtInstituteofAtlanta, Widdowsonhasanextensivedossier ofexperienceinthefieldofcustom webdesigning,includinghaving workedwithFortune100 companies.
AstheCo-FoundedandCEOofthe firm,Karlchannelshisimpeccable creativethoughtprocesstoguide strategybuildingandtheoverall artisticvisionoftheventure.
Leadingthecompanyfromthe forefront,Karlensuresthattheteam atthecompanyremainsequally committedandenthusiasticabout providingthebestUI/UXsolutions totheuserthatcaneffectively translateintotangibleconversionsto generatehigherrevenues.
FromHumbleBeginningsto theMarketApex
TheCreativeMomentumwas createdin2012whencustomweb designinganddevelopmentwasstill initsnascentstageofdevelopment. Whileinitially,thefirmstartedwith alimitedlistofclients,itsroster soonexpandedtoincludeseveral formidablenames,includingsome ofthemostrenownedFortune100
companies.Today,adecadelater, TheCreativeMomentumserves bothnationalandinternational clientsandhasalsoexpandedits sphereofinfluencetocoverB2B, B2C,consulting,healthcare,and securitydomains.
Widdowsonbelievesinpartnering withclientstorevolutionisethe domainofUI/UXdesigning. Keepingtruetothisvision,he createdthecompanywiththe avowedpurposeofmakingthe boonsofUI/UXdesigning accessibletoall.Withitsinnovative serviceportfolioandout-of-the-box thinking,thefirmhasensuredthatits clientsgettonotjustrebrandtheir marketidentities,butalsogetto enjoytangibleresultsfromthesame. Today,thecompanyoffersan extensiverangeofservices,right frombranding,SEO,PPC,Inbound Marketing,mobileappdevelopment softwaredevelopment,andothers.
DistinctionsEarned
UnderWiddowson'sastutecreative guidance,theCreativeMomentum's innovativethinkingandoutstanding performanceacrossindustrialsectors haveearneditseveralaccolades. Apartfrombeingnamedbythe AtlantaBusinessChronicleasthe fastest-growingprivatelyheld ventureinAtlantafor3consecutive years,TheCreativeMomentumhas alsosecuredaspotontheInc.5000 listofcompanies.Theseindustrial accolades,plusthenever-ending appreciationfromclientsandthe
Forme,thinkingoutsidetheboxisnot justimportant,butrathertheUSPfor TheCreativeMomentum
-KarlWiddowson
commendablegrowthinrevenue havepropelledthefirmtotheapex ofthecustomwebdesigningsector. Widdowson'sleadershiphasalso helpedtheCreativeMomentumuse webdesigningcreativelytopartner withclientsfromthehealthcareand aviationsectors.
UnderstandingClient Requirements
Thesecrettothebrand'sunmatched successishiddenintherelentless dedicationofitsteamtoprovide onlythebestforitsclients.
Personallyconsultingclients, discussingproducts,andthen craftinganaptstrategyhasalways beenthewaythecompany functions.AccordingtoWiddowson, atnopointdidthefirmsettlefora 'one-fitforall'approach.Rather, mirroringhisbeliefintailored solutions,thefirmfollowsa transparentandpersonalisedprocess ofdevisingsolutionsforitsclients
thatbestmeettheirrequirements. Theylearnwhattheclient'suser needstodesignUI/UXsolutionsthat cansufficientlyfulfiltheseneeds.
CreatingaCongenial Workplace
WhileWiddowsonbelievesin ensuringthecompletesatisfactionof theclient,heisalsoawareofthe needtocreateahappyworkplace.
Asaninfluentialleader,hestrivesto ensurethathisemployeesare contentwiththeworkenvironment andhaveampleopportunitiesto exploreandbuildtheirtalents.
AccordingtoWiddowson,thework cultureofafirmdecidesonthe productivityandoutputlevelsofthe organisation.Thus,investingin harvestingahealthyworkcultureis beyondimperative.Widdowson's successfuleffortsofcraftinga formidableworkculturehaveshown fruitfulresultswiththefirm
progressingfromonefeatofsuccess tothenext.
ConqueringNewHeights
Widdowsonbelievesthesky'sthe limitwhenitcomestoinnovations. WhileTheCreativeMomentumhas conqueredseveralfeatsofsuccess, Widdowson,alongwiththe ingeniousteamofthefirm,works relentlesslytobroadenitsservice rosterandhelpgiveclientsamore nuancedandoptimisedweb designingexperience.
Ibelievethattheon-going UI/UXrevolutioncanhelp transformcustomerexperiences andboostrevenuestreams-KarlWiddowson
How AI & ML Help
Businesses Navigate the A
Digital Landscape?
rtificialIntelligenceandMachineLearninghave completelytransformedhumanlives.Frommusicand movierecommendationstoloansandcreditcards,AI andMLsolutionshaverevolutionisedhumanity Thereisno doubtthatAIandMLarepenetratingallaspectsofdaytoday lives.
EachandeveryenterprisewishestoaddAIandMLtotheir technologymix.InoneAccenturesurvey,84%ofexecutivessaid thatitwouldbenexttoimpossibletoachievetheirgrowth objectiveswithoutscalingAI.AIandMLaregaininghigh tractionasenterprisescangainacompetitiveedgeandaccelerate theirbusinessgrowthusingsolutionspoweredbythese technologies.
AIandML-basedsolutionsenhancehumaneffortinwaysthat helpenterprisesoptimisetheircosts,increaseoperational efficiency,anddelivercustomer-centricservices.InaMcKinsey survey,mostsurveyrespondentssaidtheirorganisationshad adoptedAIcapabilities,asAI'simpactonboththebottomline andcostsavingsisgrowing.
AstheimpactofAIandMLbecomemanifold,let'stakealookat theadvantagesorganisationscangetbyimplementingthese technologies.
PersonalisedCustomer Engagement
Organisationsarealwayslooking fornewavenuestoimprove customerengagementtoenhance acquisitionandretention.AIand MLhelpwiththisbyempowering companiestonderstandtheir customersatadeeper,personal levelbygeneratinginsightsbased oncustomerbehaviourandtheir transactionhistory Theseinsights helporganisationstoenabletheir personalisedcustomerengagement anddelivercustom,tailor-made offerings.Companiesalsohavethe optiontoexplorecross-sellingand up-sellingopportunitiesbyknowing customers'needsinadvance.For example,bankscanprovidetailor madeloanrecommendationsand financialofferingsbasedon customers'credithistoryandrisk behaviour.
EfficientCustomerSupport
Intoday'scompetitiveworld,every customerexpectsround-the-clock assistancewhileusingserviceson theirpreferredchannels.To improvecustomersupportservices andcommunications,organisations candeployanAI-enabledvirtual assistantorchatbotsystem.These havethecapabilitiestohelp customersfindsolutionstotheir queriesondemand.Agoodexample isinsurancecompanies.Theycan quicklycatertocustomerqueriesby deployingself-serviceportals. Customersupportteamscanalso takehelpoftheseinsightsthatare generatedbytheimplementedAI systemstoobtaincontextintothe customerjourneyandprovidebetter helpandguidance.
AccurateDecision-Making Businessprocesses,especially complexones,canusuallygain tremendousaccuracywhen companiesinvestinAIandML. Sincethesetechnologiesareusually equippedwithself-learning capabilities,theyhavetheabilityto becomemoreintelligent.This abilityscalesdirectlyasmoredata isfedtothem.Organisationscan leveragethesesystems'dynamic, trainablecapabilitiestoenable accuratecontentextraction, automaticdocumentclassification, andefficientsentimentanalysis. Thisalsohelpsensureeffective contentgovernanceandstreamlined content-centricprocesses.Taking theexampleofbanksonceagain, theycanacceleratecustomer onboardingprocesseswiththehelp ofdocumentverificationand variousidentityverificationtools poweredbyAIandML.
FuturereadywithPredictive Analytics
Asdatavolumesandcompetition aregrowinghandinhand,itisa mustforcompaniestostayaheadof thecurveandmakethemselves futureproof.Predictiveanalyticsisa tool,enabledthroughAIandML, thatcanhelporganisations minimisetheirrisks,ensure intelligentdecisionmaking,and enhancetheoveralloutcomesof theirbusiness.Oneparticular institutionthatcanmajorlybenefit fromthisarebanks.Bankscanuse thispredictiveanalyticstoolfor assessingloanapplicationsbasedon customers'previoustransaction history.Anotherareinsurance companies.Theycanleverage
analyticsforriskpreventionand frauddetection.Retailersare anotherentitythatcanensure intelligentdecision-makingthrough AI-enabledpredictiveanalyticsto preventinstancesofunderstocking andoverstocking.
AIandMLcantremendously contributetoanorganisation'sgrowth irrespectiveofitssizeorsector
However,businessleadersmust refrainfromoutrightlyimplementing thesetechnologieswithouttheright context.TosuccessfullyleverageAI andML,leadersmustidentifythe areaswherethesetechnologiescan addvalueandimplementthembased ontheirsuitability.
Asmoreandmoredataisintroduced toglobalservers,scalingAIandML technologieswillbecriticalfor enterprisestotransformtheirdatainto datawealthinthetruesense.
Fromcustomerserviceandsalesto productdesignandsupplychains,AI istransformingthebusinesslandscape fromtheinsideout.Whetherit's Spotify'salgorithmdecidingwhat musicyou'llenjoythemostorAlexa orderingyourgroceries,AIisdriving manyoftheworld'sleading companies.
Whenitcomestothefull implementationofAItechnologies, mostcompaniesstillhavealongway togo.Butnowisthetimetomake yourcompanyreadytokeepupwith theemergingchanges.It'stimeto figureoutwhatAImeanstoyour businessbecauseyoucanrestassured thatitisheretostay
Environmental Dynamism & Firm Performance
Environmentaldynamismis therateatwhichthe consumers'preferences andorganizationalproducts changeovertime,devoidof patternsaswellasregularities thatisunpredictably.Itcanalso bedefinedasthecharacteristicof theentrepreneurbywhichhe mustreflecttheevolutionon consumers´preferencesand organizationalproductsovertime.
Keepingthecontextofdynamic changesintheenvironmentin mind,thetrendsincetheFourth IndustrialRevolutionhasbeen thatfirmsarekeenandshowgreat interestininnovationasameans ofrespondingtoenvironmental changeseffectivelyfortheir sustainablecompetitive advantage.Organizationsare naturally,ifnotmandatorily, requiredtocreateandadoptsome
newideaorenhanceanexisting ideatosustaintheirdevelopment orgrowthunderthedynamic businessenvironment.Keeping thisinmind,severalbusiness scholarshavebeenactively conductingresearchontheimpact ofenvironmentaldynamismon firms'innovationorinnovation performance.
Innovationcanbedefinedasan interactiveprocessofgeneratingnew products,knowledge,and technologiesbyreusingcapabilities andknowledgewithinandwithouta firm.Thiskindofinnovationhasthe potentialtoplayasignificantrolein helpingfirmstoachievesustainable growthinresponsetotheirever changingenvironment.Ontopof that,innovationperformancerefers totheendresultofinnovation,andit mayappearintheformofthe developmentofnewproducts, gettingnewmarketopportunities, andabsorbingcompetitiveadvantage throughinnovationactivities.In simplerterms,innovation performancetypicallyincludes patents,productdevelopmentand launches,andastellarriseinsales, profits,ormarketsharesduetosaid productlaunches.
Itisobservedthatfirmsusuallyare facedwiththefollowingthree decision-makingissueswithregards tocopingwiththeirexternal environment:
1) Anentrepreneurial issue—decisionsonspecific productandmarketrelated scope.
2) Anengineering issue—decisionsona technologyormethodfor producinganddistributing products.
3) Anadministrative issue—decisionson approachestocoordinate andimplementstrategies.
Firmscanemploydifferentstrategies basedonhowsensitivelyandon prioritytheywishtorespondtotheir
externalenvironmentwithrespectto theabovedecision-makingissues.
Onesuchwaytodealwiththisisthe conceptofstrategicprospecting. Thisreferstothefirms'strategic orientationtowardssensitively exploringandrespondingtothe preliminarysignalsofenvironmental changesbyseekingnewproducts, markets,andtechnologiesinrelation tothedecision-makingissues mentionedabove.Thismeansthat firmsthathaveahigherlevelof strategicprospectingwillbemore willingtoproactivelyexploreand respondtotheinitialsignalsof marketneedsandopportunitiesand expandaggressivelyintonew productsandmarkets.Theindustrial organizationtheoryinstrategic managementargues,basedonthe traditional structure–conduct–performance paradigm,thattheindustrystructure orenvironmentaffectsfirms' strategicbehavior,whichinturn influencestheireconomic performance.Thetheoryproposes thatfirmsdevelopandexecutea strategyinlinewiththeirindustrial environment,andthestrategyhasan influenceontheireconomic performance.Assuch,theindustrial organizationtheorysuggeststrategy asamechanismitself(intheorder environment>strategy> performance)thatconnectsthe externalenvironmentto performance.Fromthisviewpoint,it isbelievedthatstrategicprospecting canserveasacatalystoramediator (environmentaldynamism> strategicprospecting>innovation performance)oftherelationship betweenenvironmentaldynamism andinnovationperformance.
Withregardstothis,strategic prospectingishopedtohavea positiveandgoodeffectonfirms' innovationperformance.Asfirms pursueahigherlevelofstrategic prospecting,itisimportantto becomemoreresponsiveto environmentalchangesbyoffering newproducts,markets,and technologiesmoreproactively.Thus, firmsthathaveahigherlevelof strategicprospectinghavetofocus moreontheinnovationprocessof developingnewproducts,markets, andtechnologies,whichtheycanuse asamediumtoeventuallyachieve enhancedinnovationperformance. TakingtheexampleofApple'shigh levelofstrategicprospecting,they aggressivelypursueinnovation. Theydoitbymakinghuge investments,whichresultsin achievingahigherlevelof innovationperformance.Inthesame vein,previousstudieshaveshown thatfirmsthatadopttheprospector strategytendtoproduceimproved innovationandinnovation performance.Insummary,undera dynamicenvironment,firmsare likelytopursuehigherlevelsof strategicprospectingasameansof respondingtoenvironmental changeseffectively,throughwhich theyarelikelytoeventuallya generateahigherlevelofinnovation performancebyenhancingthe innovationprocessofdeveloping newproducts,markets,and technologies.