Kevin Peesker is president of Dell Canada Inc.
The past couple of years have seen a growing emphasis on digital transformation. Everyone from CEOs to business analysts is trying to dissect the challenges and opportunities of digital technologies as we move to a sustainable knowledge economy.
Digital disruption affects not only strategic positioning but tasks, activities and processes at all levels of an organization, and even beyond to the extended supply chain. It enables and drives innovation across every sector of our economy.
Transformation of this magnitude is never easy, and early engagement in transformational planning is mission-critical. Leaders must constantly monitor and challenge their organizations to be more adaptable and adopt digitization practices in a timely manner so that they can keep up with this growing trend.
No one can afford to ignore new digital disruptors. Some will partner with the upstarts. Others will create similar services that are perhaps cheaper or better. And others will reinvent themselves with a different value proposition.
Critical to a digital economy is a technically savvy work force. Digital technology has become so pervasive that employees with the skills to take advantage of it will be needed well beyond information technology departments, across all industries. Recruiters will increasingly look to fill functions such as operations, marketing and customer service with people who not only know how to use a desktop computer for e-mail and document creation, but who are comfortable with using the mobile, social and analytical tools companies need for digital transformation. Coveted skills could include understanding what digital visualization means, coding, website design, social media savvy and the art of creating good infographics, videos and presentations.
Alarmingly, according to an estimate by management consultants Capgemini, just a third of the 4.4 million or more IT jobs created globally in 2015 around big data opportunities will be filled. The International Labour Organization also noted in its report Key Indicators Of The Labour Market (for 2015) that there is a mismatch between skilled people and the number of available jobs that match their competencies and expectations. IDC Canada found that there are 54,000 unfilled positions in Canada due to the skills gap, a gap that will grow by 15 per cent by the end of this year. Organizations will have to address the challenge by developing existing talent even as they move forward on digital projects.
The Internet of Things has generated excitement over the past few years, with governments, startups and established businesses placing bets on the industry's growth. Interoperability and hardware have progressed to the point where some of the earliest investments have begun to pay off, with smart thermostats, wearable fitness devices and other innovations developing comprehensive ecosystems and gaining significant market share.
Early movers to develop supporting software for the IoT could reap a significant competitive advantage. Software that analyzes the massive volumes of data from these devices, then accurately automates what is currently manual decision making, will soon come into the limelight. This is an opportunity for technology companies and others to research and develop edge analytics, streaming analytics, decision support and other automation software.
Organizations will have to be future-ready in order to thrive in a constantly evolving business landscape. They have to understand how the drivers, threats and opportunities in the new digital landscape will affect their businesses. Preparing the ground for success will be critical. Together, we can build a road map that is sustainable, achievable and, most importantly, measurable to drive innovation, competitiveness and growth for Canada.