आईसीटी समाचार
Hong-Eng heads the Industry Experts Office of the Global Government Business Unit in Huawei. As a former Singapore Government official who subsequently led the implementation of the first generation of Singapore's nationwide mega e-government project, Hong-Eng has 30+ years of knowledge and experience in public sector operations and ICT applications. Before joining Huawei in 2016, he spent 16 years in Oracle (including the acquired Sun) in various regional and global leadership roles in the government, education, and healthcare segments. Throughout his career, Hong-Eng has been involved in the transformation of public sector agencies in 70+ countries. He also authored over the years various papers on the digital transformation of the public sector, even resulting in the development of corresponding solutions.
Hong-Eng is widely recognized internationally and has even received various awards. He is a well sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator.
ICTSamachar sat down with Hong-Eng to discuss why digitalization is so critical for the world to thrive in the decades ahead and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on Digital Transformation.
1. As an expert, what does digital transformation mean to you? And you know there’s so much out there already is as far as content about digital transformation and how to apply it to your business, but let’s start at the top. What does digital transformation really imply to you?
→ That’s a great question. Thinking about it, digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all aspects of an organization, significantly altering how it operates and provides value to consumers. It's also a culture shift that necessitates firms to challenge the existing quo, experiment, and learn to accept failure. From tiny enterprises to large corporations, digital transformation is a must. That message comes through loud and clear in almost every lecture, panel discussion, article, or study about how firms may stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital world.
2. What does a digital transformation framework look like?
→ Although digital transformation may vary greatly depending on the problems and expectations faced by each organization, there are a few constants and common themes that all business and technology executives should examine as they begin digital transformation. Customer experience, operational agility, culture and leadership, workforce empowerment, and digital technology integration are all examples of digital transformation factors.
3. What drives digital transformation?
→ Technology is, of course, a key component of digital transformation. However, discarding outmoded procedures and legacy technology is frequently more important than embracing new technology. It's also about making innovation possible. More government organizations, for example, are on the edge of realizing the cloud model's full potential, which includes going beyond cost-cutting to employing cloud for strategic advantage. Legacy technology in company IT continues to obstruct the implementation of a digital transformation plan. In addition, old technology can be an expensive roadblock to transition. If you're spending 70 to 80 percent of your IT budget on legacy systems, you won't have much leftover to pursue new possibilities and propel the company ahead. And as technology advances and becomes more vulnerable, this cost will rise.
While each guide has its own set of advice and processes or concerns, Huawei should keep an eye out for those crucial common aspects while establishing its own digital transformation plan.
4. How can we get started on digital transformation?
→ If all of this makes you feel behind, don't worry. One of the most common misunderstandings regarding digital transformation is that all of their rivals are far further ahead of them. This is because "there is a lot of respect for (and popular publicity surrounding) the quickest transformers, but a little critique of how difficult transformation is or how long it can take for a normal Global organization." There is a lot to learn from Huawei and IT executives who have already started their digital transformation journeys as organizations construct their own digital transformation strategies.
5. How do you know whether the digital transformation is working in any of the organizations?
→ You may achieve early successes and generate momentum by focusing on your digital transformation strategy. Opportunities might be big or tiny but looking for them boosts your impact as a change agent. At the end of the day, digital transformation is about persuading your staff to learn and accept new technology. You'll need metrics to measure your employees' success both during and after the change. Before making any changes, determine the average time it takes to conclude a contract with a client and the number of projects completed. Repeat the computation after the transformation.
Your personnel was able to be more efficient when working on projects if the results were better. If they took longer, the instrument that was used was ineffective.
6. Which digital technologies should you invest in?
→ While digital transformation is a crucial aspect of corporate development, this does not mean that you should jump on every new bandwagon that appears. After all, each company is unique, with its own set of requirements and goals for future expansion. You must only invest in technology that will develop with your company and are adaptable and scalable enough to be employed in the future. Choose technology that will help you achieve your digital transformation goals. Organizations must understand where they are going and what requirements may emerge in the future in order to invest in tools and technology that can adapt to the roadmap. Digital adoption sprints are used to develop a structure that allows for diverse technology options to be accommodated for future transformation initiatives.
7. What is Digital Adoption? How does a DAP impact digital transformation?
→ When asked this question, the majority of corporate executives either have no idea what a DIgital Adoption Platform (DAP) is or have misread it completely. The goal of digital adoption is to get to a point where every person in your company can use software, applications, or tools to their maximum ability to carry out a range of digital tasks. Simply said, digital adoption is the key to successful digital transformation. Companies must embrace new software quickly and master current software as soon as feasible.
Digital Adoption Platforms help firms along this path by making sophisticated corporate software easier to use for workers. Any technology may be quickly and easily adapted with the help of a DAP like Apty.
8. Are we confusing digitization with digital transformation?
→ The term "digital transformation" is often misunderstood. Just like new ideas. The phrases digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation are sometimes used interchangeably. Moving a paper-based procedure to an online process or automation, as well as the way we've rebuilt our social lives around media and digital communication, are all separate terms. Individual or isolated projects can be done for digitization, automation, and digitalization. Digital transformation, on the other hand, necessitates dealing with change throughout the whole organization as it becomes customer-driven from beginning to finish. It's not about the technology in digital transformation.
9. How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed digital transformation?
→ The COVID-19 issue has accelerated global digital transformation trends, as indicated by greater digital technology use in industry, as well as the creation and growth of digital infrastructure. Although the pandemic has had a severe impact on many enterprises, it has also opened up new business prospects. Technology has become an increasingly significant aspect of the workforce even before the pandemic. Businesses saw technology as a useful tool for communicating with customers, allowing for some workplace flexibility, and automating and speeding up procedures. However, the introduction of the coronavirus and the elimination of non-essential business meetings have hastened these adoptions dramatically. It forced businesses to explore innovative digital solutions so that they could continue to operate remotely and service their customers.
