‘Go- digital’ is the new magic mantra in today’s time of the ‘new normal’. The new normal induced by the pandemic compels us to work differently as we successfully wade thru the un-lockdown phase …

Clear and inspiring communication is central to making returning to work a success. In addition to moving decisively on strategic changes, leaders need to help unnerved workforce believe in the future.

Traditional ways of working are ebbing fast. Most companies have installed sophisticated IT infrastructure such as ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems, payroll programs etc. More companies are moving towards automation and digitization. Industry 4.0 involves automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, IoT (internet—of-things), cloud-based working, big data etc. Needless to say, this involves big money.

A well -defined post-pandemic IT strategy should guide cuts and investments. Consider following three points while building your tech modernization strategy-
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1. Define the target product portfolio based on current and new business with strongest prospects and most feasible funding models.
2. Invest efficiently and stick to the plan, operational and commercial excellence will deliver the strategy is full potential.
3. Create clear structure and processes for executing the new strategy across the organization.

Companies will also need to greatly improve their IT productivity to lower their cost base and fund rapid, flexible digital solution development.

Firstly, this requires quickly reducing IT costs and making them variable whenever possible to match demand. This means figuring out what costs are flexible in the near-to-medium terms. For example- by evaluating nonessential costs related to projects or maintenance and reallocating resources. Using process design methodologies such as CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) can give first-class improvement in IT productivity while lowering costs to minimal.

Secondly, this involves defining a future IT product platform, establishing the skills and roles needed to sustain it, mapping these skills onto the new organization model and developing leaders who can train people to fill the new or adopted roles. Using process improvement methodologies such as- Design Thinking, TRIZ or Hoshin during new product platform development ensures a customer-centric product.

Thirdly, the adoption of cloud and automation technologies will need to be speeded-up, including bringing cloud operations on the premise and decommissioning legacy infrastructure.

Increasing the speed and productivity of digital solutions is key. To deal with the crisis and its aftermath, companies not only need to develop digital solutions quickly, but also to adapt their organizations to new operating models and deliver these solutions to customers and employees at scale.

Solving this challenge requires integrating business processes, incorporating data-driven decision-making and implementing proven change management models to manage the change. There are different ways to do this …

#ContinuosImprovement  #NewNormal  #ITStrategy  #DigitalSolutions

Covid- 19 is powering a shift to remote working, heightening cyber security concerns for many organizations and fueling growth for investors in the space.

​These are three under-invested areas in IT resources today that are critical and must be first addressed for a secure remote working; namely:

1. Identity and access management.
2. Endpoint protection.
3. Application (or App) security.

Cyber security has always been on top of minds for organizations, many of which have had to deal with data breaches, ransom attacks, phishing scams and other forms of intrusions. The pandemic has brought that concern into even greater focus.

So far network boundaries of access were relied upon for threat security. The rise in remote workforce and the proliferation of access points means that organizations will need to extend their cyber security priorities beyond protecting their networks.

So far, IAM (Identity Access Management) has been considered as add-on to cyber apps, but not anymore, as a greater number of people opt for work from home or remote locations.

The most important feature of a good IAM solution is usability and consistency. If employees become frustrated because of a cumbersome log-in process or multiple levels of verifications; they will seek workabouts and undermine the very security.

As more devices get into the company’s network, this prolific user endpoints also need data protection and security.

Endpoint protection solutions serve the simple purpose of enabling access while blocking malware. They assist with data encryption and data transfer between many endpoints from a centrally managed system. Also, user-owned devices that are not controlled by the company must have up-to-date operating systems, applications, and web browsers, for reducing the risk of vulnerabilities.

For all Apps, security features must be built-into at the time of app development, while minimizing friction in workflows.

One change at a time thru Kaizen technique is all that it takes to enhance your IT system’s performance and productivity, and simultaneously bring-in exponential returns.

Would you like to know more on how Kaizen can help your organization’s IT process improvement?

#Digitalization #ITProcessImprovement  #CyberSecurity  #RemoteWorking  #KaizenForIT #ContinuousImprovement #Covid19 #WorkFromHome #AppSecurity

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way customers buy- be it buying channel, format or quantities for that matter.

Early on during the pandemic, we witnessed panic buying by shoppers. Everything from toilet papers to grains was stock-out. Both online and brick-n-mortar store shelves were seen left barren; something unheard-off in the North American continent. While physical distancing norms pushed buyers to shop more online rather than visit malls.

A paradigm shift to online way of getting items means companies and their outlets must go digital in a big way. This indicates that the customer is changing, customer’s needs and demands are evolving. Overall, customer persona is changing and also the customer-touch points.

Thus a structured and strategic refocus of digital efforts that reflect changing customer expectations is a must. 

To adapt, companies need to quickly rethink customer journeys and accelerate the development of digital solutions; though the emphasis will be different for each industry sector.

For many retailers, this includes creating a seamless e-commerce experience, enabling customers to complete everything they need to do online, from initial research and purchase to service and returns.

For auto companies, this could mean establishing new digital distribution models to handle trade-ins, financing, servicing and home delivery of cars.

For airline and other transportation industries, it may mean ensuring health and safety. For example- by reinventing the passenger experience with contact-less check-in, boarding and in-flight experience.

For pharmaceutical sector, one of the many areas of going digital means expanding reach of medicinal products via online pharmacies. Drug companies must develop online platforms that facilitate selling of prescription products to patients. This necessitates deep development of platform software to ensure accuracy of dispensing. For example- how to ensure ingenuity of prescription, how to consider health insurance benefits while dispensing medicines for a hospitalized patient etc.

Another arena of digitization in pharmaceutical sphere is detailing to doctors. In a recent survey it was found that 75% of doctors prefer e-detailing as against face-to-face meetup with a sales rep. The e-detailing platform must hence not only be secure but also versatile- meaning all pharmaceutical companies must preferably use the same platform for e-detailing.

Besides digital marketing and e-detailing, drug companies also must consider changes in the healthcare sector, as any change in healthcare process directly impacts drug product sales.

For example, the ongoing pandemic has resulted in minimizing patient visits to clinics. Instead telemedicine is booming where physician consultation happens via videoconferencing or over the phone. The software and/or hardware used for telemedicine purpose must also be compatible with the one used for e-detailing and online pharmacies; only then prescriptions can be tracked.

Drug companies, healthcare professionals and IT developers must collaborate to set up a robust digital platform. If done strategically, this can also be a huge opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to save on recurring overheads in a big way.

Did you know that practicing Kaizen for 15 to 20 minutes daily, is the shortcut to business process improvement including digitization and digitalization processes? You may checkout more on how Kaizen helps pharmaceutical companies here.

Have you initiated steps to improve digitization and digitalization processes in your organization?