The pace of technological change challenges leaders to identify how to use it to drive the most value.Supplied
With technology evolving daily, leaders can find it daunting to ensure their businesses are future ready. The right guidance can help them focus on what brings the most value and sustainability to the organization.
“Today, organizations need to be more agile and transform faster to be successful,” says Joelien Jose, executive vice-president, Global Life Sciences and Health and Canada delivery head (Digital Foundation Services) for HCLTech.
He cites four solutions that business leaders must get right: create a robust artificial intelligence (AI) solution; boost cybersecurity; diversify cloud solutions; and scale with speed.
These are priorities for HCLTech, a global technology company that employs more than 221,000 people across 60 countries. The company delivers industry-leading capabilities around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. In the year ending in September 2023, HCLTech had consolidated revenues of US$12.9-billion.
The tech company has had a presence in Canada since 2009, with 2,600 employees and clients across all major verticals: manufacturing, retail, telecom, transportation, energy, the public sector and financial services. It has global delivery centres (GDCs) in Ontario, B.C., Alberta and New Brunswick, and innovation labs in Vancouver and Edmonton.
1. Create a robust AI solution
HCLTech is helping its clients to accelerate their digital transformation journeys, with next-generation solutions including GenAI and smart automation. AI is disrupting the way we interact with the world, and its footprint is expanding rapidly, Mr. Jose says. By this decade’s end, the global AI market size is expected to balloon to US$1.394-trillion, according to HCLTech’s most recent Tech Trends report. The amalgamation of powerful new classes of AI is leading to its democratization, with the technology expanding use beyond data scientists and AI software engineers.
“GenAI, in particular, will create endless possibilities for businesses to innovate across industries,” says Mr. Jose.
He points to significant opportunities for enhancing customer experience, improving processes to detect and prevent cyberattacks, creating low-code/no-code platforms and supporting sustainability goals.
For organizations trying to navigate this unfamiliar territory, HCLTech provides clarity. Part of incorporating AI or any technology is knowing how, when and where to best use it, says Mr. Jose.
“An effective AI approach should align AI and GenAI solutions with business objectives and include a robust roadmap for implementing these solutions. This includes ensuring you have the right talent and skill set to support and scale.”
2. Boost cybersecurity
Similarly, businesses must onboard cybersecurity technology correctly to protect themselves against bad actors, something that has become increasingly challenging.
HCLTech has been involved in cyber protection for more than two decades. The company has 6,500 cyber security professionals globally, alongside six cyber security fusion centres that monitor and respond to threats using the latest intelligence.
The HCLTech Dynamic Cybersecurity framework continuously evolves to drastically reduce a user’s vulnerabilities. “The focus is on four key pillars – people, process, technology and culture. That allows us to stay on top of changing cyber threats,” says Mr. Jose. “This provides our customers with a better chance to be proactively prepared, and to detect, identify and minimize losses in case of a potential cyberattack.”
3. Diversify cloud solutions
While organizations work to safeguard their information, they have also put much of it on the cloud. With the increasing range of public and private cloud solutions, and new entrants, this raises the question of how businesses can determine what’s most effective, flexible and secure.
“Each organization’s cloud needs are as unique as they are,” Mr. Jose says. “By understanding the specific business outcomes and benefits that the organization hopes to achieve through cloud adoption, IT leaders can make informed decisions.”
This includes choices about cloud services, platforms, deployment models and migration strategies. Deciding where and how data should be stored is a critical step, as some regulations require organizations to keep sensitive information on the premises. There are hybrid options that allow some information to be stored on premises and in the cloud.
With 40,000 cloud specialists and 12,000 cloud assets, HCLTech and its CloudSMART strategy can help organizations decide when, where and how to use this platform. “Organizations shouldn’t put work on the cloud just for the sake of it,” says Mr. Jose.
4. Scale with speed
The effective deployment of any technology depends on a proper assessment of an organization’s business objectives. He adds that no one wants to invest in digital transformation only to find out they can’t expand when the business grows.
One obstacle to integrating technologies well, he states, is having overly compartmentalized functions like finance, IT and operations. Bringing them together to focus on the ultimate customers and goals is foundational to achieving significant organizational shifts.
“This kind of rethinking requires breaking down existing silos and reimagining the organization,” Mr. Jose says. “Only then can you create cost-effective solutions that can ramp up at the speed and sustain the scale that you need.”
As organizations consider where to begin, or how to evolve their technology, Mr. Jose says it’s important to work with the right industry partner. Organizations like HCLTech can advise on available options and how they can best be implemented. That will help to ensure cost savings, efficiency and – most important – business results, he adds.
Interested in learning more about how business leaders could help advance sustainable development goals? Please check a webcast hosted by The Globe and Mail on November 28, with sponsor support from HCLTech.
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with HCLTech. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
link