EDITOR’S QUESTION
GREGOIRE DE CLERCQ,
EMEA MARKETING DIRECTOR,
KODAK ALARIS INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
D
igital transformation begins
with information capture.
In a recently published IDC
White Paper, sponsored by Kodak
Alaris Information Management,
Information Capture: Cornerstone of
Digital Transformation, IDC reports
that digitising, automating, and
optimising document workflows offers
compelling benefits to organisations.
These benefits include, on average,
a 35% reduction in costs, 42%
reduction in paper documents, and
52% reduction in errors. Manual
processes present an unnecessary
hurdle to creating transparency and
efficiency for organisations. Any paper-
based process such as a loan request
or driver’s license application must
be digitised to facilitate sharing and
reduce risk. Digital capture of paper
documents is an essential first step
toward achieving this.
Below are five common challenges that
I’ve seen when organisations in Africa
adopt new technologies as part of their
digital transformation roadmap and
how CIOs can overcome each challenge:
1. Selecting the right technology
Don’t just buy it because it’s new
or to imitate others. Too many
investments in new technology fail
because it is not the right solution or
the right fit to address the needs of
the business. Organisations should
research any new tech they are
considering thoroughly to ensure it’s
the right fit before buying it.
2. Integrating the technology
New technology must be integrated
into current business processes
www.intelligentcio.com
“Monitoring
data on a new
technology
investment is the
most efficient
way to measure
progress
toward goals.”
and workflows to drive the desired
benefit. Buying new technology
is not enough. After purchase,
existing systems and procedures
need to be adjusted to incorporate
the new technology in a way that
limits disruption and the need for
additional training, while still taking
advantage of all the capabilities that
the new tech has to offer.
3. Putting people at the centre
Getting buy-in from employees is
critical. Too often, new technology
is understood by IT or operations
only. Some employees love learning
how to use new technology. Others
resent moving away from tried and
true, familiar systems and processes.
For new technology to be successful,
its critical to win over the staff that
need to use it. Ideally, you can help
them see the benefits and get them
excited about it before it’s deployed.
4. Ongoing training and support
Because training is expensive,
some businesses get cold feet
when it comes to offering it
after spending so much on new
technology. But training is required
so employees can get the most
out of the new technology. In
most cases, this can’t be sorted
in one or two webinars or a few
presentations. Just because the
new tech is like something they
have used before, or claims to be
‘user-friendly’, it does not negate
the need for training.
5. Back-loop process
For many projects linked to new
technology, organisations forget
to review their business case, or
analyse the data the new systems
generate; therefore, they fail to
recognise actions that need to be
taken to keep the project on track.
Monitoring data and progress can
seem tiresome and unnecessary,
but monitoring data on a new
technology investment is the most
efficient way to measure progress
toward goals. n
“For new
technology to be
successful, its
critical to win over
the staff that need
to use it.”
INTELLIGENTCIO
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