EDITOR’S QUESTION
GREGOIRE DE CLERCQ, EMEA
MARKETING DIRECTOR,
KODAK ALARIS INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
D
igital transformation begins
with information capture. In
a 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
offer compelling benefits to
organisations, including, on average, a
35% reduction in costs, 42% reduction
in paper documents, and a 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.
There are five common challenges I’ve
seen when organisations in Middle East
adopt new technologies as part of their
Digital Transformation roadmap.
1. Selecting the right technology
Don’t just buy it because it’s new or to
imitate others. Too many investments
in 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.
2. Integrating the technology
New technology must be integrated
into current business processes 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 the
new tech has to offer.
www.intelligentcio.com
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 from
familiar systems and processes. For new
technology to be successful, it’s critical
to win over the staff that need to use
it. Ideally, you can help them see the
benefits 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
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