I am no analyst (these days). Neither am I a consultant (most times). What I am is someone who listens and asks questions. Whether it is during a panel or roundtable discussion, or one of these more sombre fireside chats, these dialogues are, in my view, an opportunity to learn from those in the trenches on the real-world happenings.
Gleaming from the dialogues of 2020, what did I learn?
- Information technology (IT) is so endemic in the enterprise that little goes without technology’s influence.
- But IT alone does not determine success. Processes need to be modernised if the technology is to reach its potential benefit to the organisation.
- People present the greatest opportunity for organisations. But often it is the human element that gets set aside until it is time to adapt or risk losing out in the race to become relevant.
What can we look forward to in 2021?
- Greater use of technology – whether on-prem, in the cloud, or a combination of both
- Technologies that continue to be on the lips of leadership are artificial intelligence, automation, and overall, just becoming smarter at what we do
- Data privacy and data security are going to get harder in 2021
- Cloud, mobility, virtualization, platforms – these are all table stakes
What is clear in all these developments is that however difficult the challenges are ahead of us, we as a society will continue to march forward.
On behalf of CXOCIETY, I enjoin you to share with us your triumphs and tribulations as together we chart our future.
