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Do we (truly) need to hire a Chief GenAI Officer (M/F)?
Do we (truly) need to hire a Chief GenAI Officer (M/F)? Generative AI became a common term and has been steadily growing, reshaping how…
Often enough, low-code is thought of as a kind of “low-cost” software code. And yet, it is a software development approach that requires little to no coding that makes programming accessible to the masses.
This is what democratization of technology means. With digital technology-ready tools pervading our lives and the emergence of this new digital culture, having a solution that empowers everyone to take part in this digitalization spree comes as no surprise. Low-code makes that happen.
Low-code: boost to independence
Low-code is a software development technique designed to simplify software programming using existing technological components or building blocks. With User Experience (UX) and user-friendly graphical interfaces being at the heart of the low-code experience, there is no need to have extensive programming expertise. However, to know which building blocks to use, it is imperative to learn how to combine these blocks.
This does not mean that we are done with programming altogether, but it is about rethinking a concept that makes programming intuitive and accessible to a much wider audience. And so, people considered to be non-technical, like sales representatives for instance could dive in and configure or program their own applications to design tools that cater specifically to their business.
The emergence of low-code has brought on a model where each individual user can actually work on a technical project on their own. In that sense, we have shifted the boundaries of feasibility, where such advancements were only possible within an organization.
Thus, low-code is an independence booster but does not replace programming in any way. Low-code in itself is a gamechanger in that it has completely reshuffled the cards of project governance and web development. As such, it has proven to be an authentic innovation vehicle in the way organizations operate.
Low-code, a game-changing advantage for businesses
If low-code represents above all a great boon for individual users, it is also an incredible business agility maker.
According to a survey of 200 companies, the appeal of low-code was primarily driven by improving productivity, but also by time-to-market, creating enterprise apps and improving UX.
Having been in use for several years now, we now have enough hindsight with these low-code platforms to appreciate the different types of applications they are used for. What we know for sure is that the buy-in phase is clearly underway. Low-code can be compared to what the Cloud strategy was 10 to 15 years ago. In fact, some believe that this is the next logical step to Cloud as most of the low-code platforms operate in “as a Service” mode, bringing together the best in what the Cloud and self-learning have to offer.
Another significant advantage is that low-code brings much more flexibility and broadens the scope of possibilities of IT projects in an industry severely hit by labor shortage. Experience has shown that with only a couple of months of training, people in fields such as Finance, Marketing and so on can start developing, granted small applications, but real applications, nonetheless. Here again, this marks an important turning point in the way IT and technological projects are addressed while alleviating the hiring challenges.
Deploying low-code
How do you achieve low-code success in an organization? It all depends on the organization’s digital maturity.
The overall goal of having low-code is to empower and train non-technical staff so that they become familiar with the platform and get used to the logic and methodology behind it.
It is also important that customers of the platform understand the new dynamic and perspective low-code has to offer. The actual hardware and tools will tend to become less and less relevant in the future with a much stronger focus on the creation of commercial and customer value rather than the actual solution or way that value is delivered.
Another proven best practice when deploying low-code is creating excellence centers tasked with overseeing the Development and Maintenance activities making for a risk-free environment when employees start testing and using the platform. These centers would provide a sandbox version of the platform, ideal to help employees practice and get used to the platform. Fairly simple, these best practices could lead to developing schemes to process incoming emails, transferring emails, or to automate tasks right from the body of the email. This is an incredible playground, that moreover, poses no risk at all to an organization.
Low-code, a metaphor for innovation
Innovation is both a “top-down” and “bottom-up” dynamic. The “top-down” kind of innovation is that incredible game-changing innovation that disrupts a given industry with a new technology or offering. It does not happen that often, and this is precisely why it is so unique and priceless. But innovation also works the other way around i.e. “bottom-up.” Low-code is such an example. By opening up a capability-ready platform to the masses, it is in fact literally creating an ecosystem dedicated to innovation. Indeed, low-code allows users with no or little technical background or expertise to develop local applications quickly and easily or to develop an application or process using only configuration tools. So low-code is an incredible breeding ground for what is better known as micro innovations. With the massive number of micro innovations developed, there could be a systemic impact on innovation simply by the fact that so many people can now have access to innovation. This democratization makes everything possible. All pretentiousness aside, it brings innovation to a whole new level.
The emergence of a new generation of data management and analytics tools enables organizations to uncover, predict, and measure the impact of whatever comes in greater detail. However, these tools and methodologies are not leveraged to their fullest capacity usually because of poor governance, underutilization of data, and an inadequate data culture.
This is compounded by the fact that most organizations compartmentalize their data and run isolated data processes led by teams not really used to or intent on sharing data and who do not necessarily garner unanimous internal support. And even worse, that data is often split up in different files and rarely gets updated.
Data or the beautiful data slumber
There are two instances when data is poorly leveraged. The first is when it comes to decision-making. Most decisions are made based on one’s extensive experience or educated hunch, even though that experience or hunch may prove irrelevant. The second instance is when teams all agree and decide on something and then look up information and data to substantiate that decision which does not really lead to fully leveraging the value of that data. Both of these situations lead to a significant competitive disadvantage compared to those organizations that get their data to talk about.
As a general rule, data, today’s new black gold, keeps piling up in data bases, but organizations fail to really process that data to its fullest, making only very superficial use of that data with Power BI-type tools. A change in mindset is definitely called for in order to push beyond our conventional limits. These tools should still be used however but should be considered as a component of a much broader data value chain1 and not like a building block of a comprehensive data strategy.
Let’s look at a company that conducts its revenue analysis, breaking down the figures by sales per customer, geographic area, and period using a reporting template. This approach, although relevant, does not allow for a deeper look and appreciation of the data. A company cannot measure for instance, the impact of other types of data sets on sales, such as the cost of raw materials, feedback from customers on new products culled from social media posts, how much the competition sells its products, website traffic, business news and so on…
The Netflix example: as good as it gets
That need to always establish causal relationships or determine a trend between data sets is very specific to companies known as “predator” type organizations. This is the case for Netflix that gathers and analyzes raw sets of data based on user preferences: their previous searches, their habits, choices, ratings, viewing time, and so on. Data collected this way contributes therefore to creating a virtuous circle (“Data network effects”).
What that means is that the more Netflix collects and cross-references data on its customers, the better it can fine-tune its offering and better serve customer demand with all that available data. Moreover, processing all these data sets allows for the development of new products (deep-dive segmentation), predictive maintenance schemes, or new business models (from selling products to selling product-based services), and so on.
Data, the mother of all virtues
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, is a quote from Peter Drucker that implies that if people do not take part in the data strategy, then that strategy is doomed. In actual fact, wanting to cross reference different data sets can cause a disequilibrium between management’s vision on data and the reality of what goes on in the field.
That said there is no miracle solution to speak of as each organization is unique, but there are several ways data can be handled better. Generally, a virtuous data processing model requires that everyone speak the same language to start off with and that there is a clear explanation on where the data comes from and how it is going to be used within the organization. Also, different steps need to be taken to ensure data availability and accessibility (data democratization), traceability, and quality of the data. Finally, everyone has to understand that we need to unravel the hidden potential of business data and appreciate how sharing data is an absolute game changer.
Not only must management acquire the technical resources to cross-reference data, it must also adopt a holistic approach, support different initiatives even if they fail at first, and make sure that there is real buy-in of this new data culture across all departments. Meanwhile, the idea of data proprietorship by a specific group of users or entity has to now to be considered a model of the past.
Cross-referencing data is an undeniable accelerator that adds value not only to organizations but to society as a whole. It comes as no surprise that the most advanced economies such as the United States have already embarked on a multi-annual action plan promoting data sharing architectures and governance mechanisms. The EU has come up with a similar action plan called the Data Act. The new rules will make more data available for reuse and are expected to create €270 billions of additional GDP by 2028. The Data Act addresses the legal, economic, and technical issues that lead to data being underused.
The whole point of cross-referencing data to unleash its value makes even more sense if you come to realize that the data itself is like a hub where culture and economy come together. As such, a completely new version of what data has to offer is at hand to rethink the world around us and appreciate what it has to offer. And, incidentally, data can become a lever (or tool) of a governing power in place. As always, when it comes to power, it can be put to good use or used the wrong way. It all depends on who is at the top.
Article published in French news site Latribune.fr by Alain Conrard, Prodware Group CEO.
At first glance, you’d think that Innovation and Ecology are worlds apart: one is an industry while the other relates to nature. However, pitting them against each other makes little sense because they mutually support each other. It is high time we embrace a much broader vision of innovation. An appreciation of innovation that encompasses the Human and the Living alongside Technology. An ecological concept of innovation.
“The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones,” said Keynes. We should all bear this sentence in mind in order to understand that our tendency to stick with the status quo, whatever the nature, is in fact the biggest barrier to innovation. It is easier to come up with new ideas than to let go of old ones and to be more specific: it is easier to find new ideas when you manage to let go of the old ones.
If we have to get rid of our old ideas, it is because they have a way of locking us into a way of seeing things that leaves no room for change. Old ideas have a way of representing a solid and consistent whole that is resistant to change. What Keynes refers to as « old ideas » are those ideas « that have spread into every corner of people’s minds, with most of these people having had or experienced the same education and training as most of us.”
The expression “old ideas” alludes to what most people agree on: in other words a true consensus specific to a given period in history. Old ideas therefore are those ideas that have become mainstream and accepted by all in today’s era. To that point then – the old is still the present – inevitably doomed to lag behind any form of evolution whether it is progress or regression. For a long time, the belief that the Earth was at the centre of the universe fit the mainstream narrative and was part of the principles and teachings of an era. Those who called into question those set of cultural beliefs (Copernic, Bruno, Kepler or Galileo) in order to introduce the cosmological model known as Heliocentrism, did it at risk of being banned, censored, and sometimes even of being sentenced to death.
Innovation upsets ideas, schools of thought or a conception of the world that we have a hard time imagining living without. This is why it is often counterintuitive.
We can witness that kind of resistance when trying to bring together “ecology” and “innovation” where very deep-rooted beliefs that form a “thought consensus” – or opinions devoid of any kind of scientific basis – could stifle the development of new ideas, in other words change. These two terms seem to be, more or less, compatible in context. Indeed, ecology refers to a natural order where an ecosystem materializes with living things relating and interacting with each other and with their habitat. The notion of innovation is obviously more Science and Techno Science related, reflecting the technological aspect of progress. Whether on the subject of ecology or technology, a change of perspective could be met with strong resistance, just like in any other domain, especially when there is a firm belief that one is right or possesses the truth.
However, the current environmental crisis connected with global warming/climate change calls for a drastic change. An overall change, a change of mindset, a change of methodology, a change in the nature of inter-species interactions, a change in the way we relate to ecosystems, and so on. And change means coming up with new ideas and therefore letting go of the old ones. This is when we can ask ourselves how innovation relates to the balance of nature and how innovation can maybe save the environment…
Two dead ends: rolling back or “kicking the can down the road”
What automatically springs to mind when the words “ecology” and “innovation” appear side by side is environmental crisis, global warming, and the consequences of human behavior on the planetary balances. Innovation and the industries it has spawned, wave after wave, would partly be the cause of these imbalances.
And, in such a situation, a situation that is hard to ignore, there appears to be only two ways to address it: rolling back to the past or “kicking the can down the road” as the saying goes. For those who are looking to the past, rolling back and giving up our modern lifestyle is the only way to stave off a possible environmental disaster and the many climate related catastrophes. Like adopting some form of “disinnovation” process. The “kicking the can down the road” advocates, the firm believers in full-fledged technology to solve the environmental crisis, support the idea that whatever caused the damage could be reversed to be leveraged as part of the solution and avert any dire consequences. Geoengineering, the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change, seems to be the way to go. It could help address, with the development of wide scale technologies, all the problems related to global warming and climate change. Geoengineering has many promising projects in stock and is supported by laboratories, companies or even billionaires. Such projects are: chemical shields (particles of sulfur) that are vaporized into the atmosphere to protect against sunrays; ocean farming to produce seaweed that can absorb CO2; sending off gigantic sun screens into space; painting all urban surfaces white to increase the “albedo” effect; maybe even altering the axis of the Earth. Nobody, including the proponents of these global-scale projects engineered to affect the core of the Earth’s fundamental structure, is capable of really measuring the ecological impact of these solutions. So, this begs the following question: “what if the cure turns out to be worse than the disease?”
These radically opposed positions actually share the same challenge, that of trying to address the whole slew of problems. Indeed, their partial approach fails to measure and appreciate what is at stake here, even if they are to be commended for coming up with solutions, because there is definitely an urgent need to do something. We cannot afford to sit around and do nothing and leave the situation as is. Moreover, getting these two schools of thought to talk to each other seems next to impossible, given their conflicting standpoints. For the first group, nature should not be tampered with at all, (therefore considering any kind of technology-based solution is out of the question), and for the second group, it’s the exact opposite – because these incredibly innovative technologies can do wonders, they should therefore be leveraged to address the problems they may even have caused in the first place.
Mother nature, the greatest innovator of all
However, pitting ecology against innovation does not make much sense. In fact, ecology is actually the absolute innovation model. Mother Nature is the Mother of all innovations. Of course, Mother Nature does not create startups but it is on an uninterruptible innovation spree. It keeps on creating many kinds of innovations nonstop: creating new species; having species adapt to change in order to survive; generating new mutations…life. For example, trees that grow back with fire-resistant bark after a forest fire to protect against intense heat, as if they had learnt from that previous experience and innovated to fight off a new threat. But because these are natural occurrences, they seem to us to be perfectly “natural”: nobody is awestruck by these trees and the complex nature of this phenomenon. Yet, is it “less innovative” to create billions of cells everyday than to come up with an innovation that turns a business into a unicorn company? And, even what we call an « innovation » is somehow related to nature’s ability to innovate. This in turn has given Homo Sapiens this unique quality of being able to invent and create more and more sophisticated tools – leading human beings to consider themselves as the “masters and owners of Mother Nature” just like Descartes had predicted back in the 17th century.
So we need to get our inspiration from Mother Nature herself and her holistic interaction-based qualities to begin moving forward on this question. A holistic appreciation that does not stop at our usual and conventional frontiers but that stretches way beyond to think in terms of interactions and interrelations.
Biomimetics for instance is an alternative that fits right into that idea, whereby emulating the models, systems and elements of nature allows for the industrial manufacturing of artefacts bearing very specific characteristics that cater to a specific need. This approach considers nature and evolution as a very efficient R&D service that guarantees, through quality material or perfect functionality of a given shape, the efficiency of a tested and improved “product” that could last for thousands of years. This approach also makes it possible to imagine having human production workforces fully in tune with the elements that regulate the equilibrium of the biosphere. The result could solve one of the main conundrums of the modern era: making industrial innovation and environmental protection a compatible combination. Hence, a symbiosis between nature and industry would give a positive and new dynamic to progress.
Ecological innovation
It is therefore high time we rethink innovation not only as a technological feat, although technology is definitely a requisite but there is still more. We need innovation that brings in the human or living aspect alongside technology i.e. an ecological conception of innovation so to speak. This is consistent with the idea that innovation has to factor in progress that focuses on the greater good of all. And this last bit does not have to do only with the human species but has to include ecosystems and the other species: no greater good of all to speak of without the notion of one world common to all where all forms of the living live together. And understanding that for ecology means going beyond biotops. The meaning of ecology has to be broadened to include Human Ecology and/or Ecology of Work for example.
So now, more than ever, we need to start developing a humanistic approach to innovation: before diving into any kind of technological innovation, we need to think and behave very innovatively. Innovation means adopting a very different mindset that will open up our minds and willingness to change the way we consume for instance. Innovation and ecology is above all about innovating “in our minds.” It is about willing to accept new rules of the game where utopia can actually start converging towards some form of reality that is more necessary than ever. In fact, thinking outside the box i.e. innovating our thought process, all dogmatism set aside, is the only way to innovate: technological innovation or innovation as such are, at the end of the day, what materializes following an innovation of the mind. Once that innovation mindset sets in with a completely new mental framework, then we can start working on the technological aspect of the innovation, the actual tool, providing full capability in initiating the transformation dynamic. And this is where the proponents of an all-technological approach can step in. With technology comes quick and efficient action in order to meet the goals that everyone agrees on within that new mental framework.
Everyone of course wants to have a healthier planet Earth. But who actually does what it takes to do something about it? What is at stake here is raising awareness on climate change and the need for urgent action. But what can we do at our level and that could get everybody on board? What compact are we willing to sign so that the rights of Mother Nature are restored?
Choices (always tricky) have to be made in how we are going to tackle these issues knowing that they cannot all be tackled at once. Let’s try and come up with a new way of bringing the notions of “concept” and “action” to work together: instead of testing solutions left and right with no real impact, why not decide on two or three major issues to tackle. Then we would bring in technologies from different countries and industry players to cooperate in a joint effort to conduct various projects. Then convince and engage a whole city, region, country or even a continent. This approach that consists in choosing high priority issues to focus on could lead to use the Conference of the Parties conventions to set up massive programs for example. This combined effort, requiring massive wherewithal both for research and implementation, would therefore be mutualized and would contribute in creating international industrial entities, new economic alliances for a new value creation economy while fighting climate change. Technology in this instance is definitely a powerful accelerator in solving these issues. The financial aspect though is at the heart of the equation because without money nothing gets done even if you’ve got the best technologies.
Addressing issues and solving them is not any one group’s privilege. Neither Luddites nor technophiles can claim any kind of monopoly on finding the solutions to fighting climate change and generating a growth model that is consistent with planetary boundaries. And government and politics are far from being the only ones capable of finding ways to solve the problem. Whatever our political persuasion we should all be concerned about what needs to be done, as individuals and as a society, to responsibly embrace the many challenges posed by climate change. What are we willing to do and endure to save our planet? Climate change forces us (or will force us), one way or another, to rethink our economic growth and consumption models.
In any case, we have no choice but to innovate, and to finish off this article as we started it, let’s quote Keynes, “the inevitable generally does not happen, because the unpredictable prevails instead.”
Article published in French news site Itsocial.fr by Marc Lestienne, Deputy Chief Information Officer at Prodware
Anything of value always attracts criminals. The fact that criminals are attracted to certain businesses shows that that business activity is highly sought after. For criminals always try to get their hands on something of value that they have contributed nothing to by breaking in and intercepting a sometimes very complex economic process flow. This is why they try to get as close as possible to the source of that sought-after value in a determined attempt to engage and profit from such illicit activities.
And, if ever it were still necessary to underscore the sought-after value of data and what it represents, resulting from the digitalization of the economy, then I guess the soaring crime rate in Cyberspace says it all. Cybersecurity therefore is pivotal and mandatory in securing a business activity. Just like a shepherd looking to protect his herd of cattle from predators, we need to protect our data, our networks and communication channels from cyber criminals.
You need a global, proactive and preventive approach when addressing cyber risk management. That means engaging all the employees and the ecosystem of partners of a company in the fight against cyber security attacks. That is how you keep your business safe on a day-to-day basis but also how you secure the future of your business. Because the damages caused by cyber crime are considerable. And when you come to think that a cyber attack occurs every 11 seconds worldwide, the pressure is on. The impact of cyber crime on business can be detrimental and even cause a business to lose its customers. In fact, data breaches can erode customer trust: how can you trust somebody who can’t protect themselves?
Gendarmes and Thieves
Hackers and defenders go at it, face-to-face, in the never-ending dual between gendarmes and thieves, between good and evil. The relentless dynamic of who is chasing after whom gets played out in cyberspace too. Because both use the exact same weapons: lines of code, applications and network protocols but they also resort to internet psychology, hitting on the weaknesses of users so that they fall prey to the different social engineering techniques. In this continuing arms race, thieves have no qualms in leveraging innovation to reach their goals. Recently for instance, a banker was tricked into believing he was talking to one of his customers when hackers used AI-enhanced technology to imitate the voice of that customer instead of deepfake technology which is more time-consuming and requires more resource. The banker was not talking to a business executive whom he thought he recognized but to a machine. By breaking down the barriers to innovation, by putting it to the wrong use instead of for the common good, cyber criminals are dragging cyber defenders onto a whole new playing field for which the boundaries are still unknown. Weaponizing AI for phishing campaigns or for automated vulnerability scanning and so on, takes them way beyond deepfake technology.
Leaving the Door Open or Closed?
When one is considering cybersecurity or is tasked with addressing that concern, you have to bear in mind that 85% of data breaches are due to poor cyber hygiene. Most cyber incidents are caused by employees browsing websites that are not secure or by employees using their work computers for personal purposes. Hackers usually target employees while in the workplace because that is when and where vulnerability is at its peak and when they can break into a system very easily. But hackers do not go only after employees of a company, they also target part-time staff, sub-contractors, and partners. So security breaches are due to weaknesses in technology and psychology. There would be no cybersecurity to speak of if you don’t have the best cybersecurity tools to fend off cyber attacks. But there also wouldn’t be any cybersecurity to speak of without engaging in a vast cybersecurity awareness campaign to raise awareness and educate users on cyber hygiene and best practices. Cybersecurity is a practice that stands on its own two feet: Technology and the Human Factor. So it’s time we learn the safety walk!
The large volumes of data that transit, mobility and the increasing number of digital devices we use or even cyber risks, all call for much greater agility within an organization. IT departments are first in line when it comes to addressing these challenges and their implications. However, some have cast doubt on whether they should actually play a role.
Why IT Departments are Important
OMG…you must be kidding!! Indeed some articles in the press have suggested that IT departments aren’t needed in an organization anymore and that they will eventually die out. With a growing digital-nomad workforce and employees that are much more digital-savvy, one could argue that these two trends are enough to justify that IT departments may be becoming old school and not really in-tune with the needs of modern-day users.
Digital natives, as per their name, are a generation born and brought up during the age of digital technology, and are so tech-savvy that they could handle whatever technical issues they come across on their own. Those who support and suggest such a surprising assumption do not realize the extent and scope of what an IT department covers within an organization.
An IT department reaches across the whole organization and supports all business aspects: it is in charge of managing, running and securing the entire IT hardware infrastructure. We live in a world where internet users are used to having everything delivered, ready and operational from A to Z. This easy-to-have and easy-access to all this technology skews our judgement leading us to believe that we are digital independent. Big mistake.
The smallest SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, as simple as it may be to subscribe to, is nothing more than an empty shell: solutions of this nature require support from IT, if only to ensure compliance issues, security or “simply” to migrate data. With that you need to factor in Cyber Risk management and you clearly understand why believing that we can afford not to have an IT department anymore is completely ludicrous and even very dangerous.
Raising Awareness of Employees
WANNACRY. This simple word freaked out so many companies across the globe.
It was back in 2017, this new-generation malware spread panic across corporate networks as it quickly infected more than 200 000 computers crippling a significant part of the economy in 150 countries spreading through computers seamlessly without needing any human intervention. There is no down time for hackers: they operate at night, during holidays, on weekends, whenever…cybercrime has become a very lucrative business.
In this hyper connected world where data is the new Holy Grail, organizations need to shape up and reinforce their defenses. Now, more than ever, they will need to rely on an IT department that is efficient and cyber-ready to detect, protect against and address their network vulnerabilities.
But looking strictly at the IT side of things isn’t enough. Remote work, having become the norm during the pandemic, has demonstrated that the information, files and documents shared via networks greatly heightened cyber risks with more opportunities for hackers to strike. Those who have been victims of cybercrime know this: having a VPN for protection isn’t enough. You need to raise awareness among employees on the do’s and don’ts or best practices when users are online (refraining from clicking on a suspicious link, looking out for content and/or emails sent by unknown senders…).
According to a report on Cybersecurity issued by IBM, 95% of all security breaches are due to human error caused mainly by easy-to-guess passwords. And who could have guessed that most cyber threats actually originate from USB keys, devices we use everyday? 40% of USB keys contain at least one risky file.
In fact more and more IT departments have actually started running fake cyber attacks to test users and raise their awareness on cyber hygiene which is a good thing. We all contribute to securing and keeping our organization safe.
The Importance of Collaborating
So how do we all “reconnect?” How did we end up believing that IT departments serve no purpose within companies? Maybe it’s because some of them give off the impression that they keep to themselves and are cut off from the rest of us. But that would be a big mistake: contributors that belong to the same ecosystem feed off each other. In this specific case relating to cybersecurity, one contributor can flag an attack while another can intervene to protect against it. This is why it is important to raise awareness, share information and keep everyone informed at all times.
It’s all about breaking down silos and exploring new frontiers when it comes to fending off new cyber risks together. And this is where Project Leads come in – they can actually play a major role. They can help by being the go-between between the business side and the IT department qualifying, gathering and addressing all the users’ needs in the best possible way.
The IT department, when acknowledged as the official “go-to” people within a company or organization, remains, at the end of the day, the first point of entry open to employees for any IT incident they may encounter at work.
Every IT department should be “Employee Centric” minded: a strategy that puts the employee first whether the employee is on site or working remotely. Moreover, companies need to provide around the clock IT services with SOCs (Security Operation Centers) in order to monitor, prevent, detect, investigate and respond to cyber threats 24/7.
And of course let’s not forget SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) to prequalify threat severity levels and allowing for human intervention. Only an IT department possesses that expertise.
The role of an IT department is therefore considerable in an organization. It can automate processes, work towards making interactions much more smoother, so that all the company stakeholders can work together more efficiently and effectively very rapidly. The IT department is unique in that it can leverage AI-embedded technologies and Machine Learning, for instance, to protect the ecosystem against cyber threats.
We are definitely referring to an ecosystem because the IT department needs to be at the heart of the system that “feeds it” and that it supports. It is a matter of digital hygiene. Getting rid of it would be a big mistake.
We don’t solve a problem by pretending there is no problem. Remember what Donald Trump suggested during the pandemic? “If we stop testing, we’d have fewer cases.” Absurd. But I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Article published in French news site La Tribune by Alain Conrard, Prodware CEO
OPINION. Anticipating, predicting, figuring out what the future has in store…, predictive analytics has always fascinated us human beings. By Alain Conrard, CEO of the Prodware Group
“To govern is to anticipate,” as the saying goes. The etymology of “govern” derived from the Greek kybernan (to steer a ship) and from the Latin gubernare (rudder of a ship) refers to that of a rudder. The terms “govern », « rudder », « government » or « governor » all stem from the instrument used to steer a ship. The term used metaphorically describes the running of a state or the “governance » of a corporation.
Another word derived directly from kubernêtikê is cybernetics, a theory elaborated by Norbert Wiener in the United States in the late 40s. He laid the theoretical foundations for the multidisciplinary field of cybernetics, the study of controlling the flow of information in systems with feedback loops, be they biological, political, cognitive, social and so on. The theory is credited as being the first of many direct developments to come, that for a large part, have structured our collective imaginary and the technical-scientific reality of our contemporary world. There is no cognitive science, neurobiology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, internet, IoT, IT, communication to speak of, no automation or robotics without the conceptual approach of this “comprehensive theory of control and communication as it relates to living things and machines.” Cybernetics has even contributed to the philosophy of ecology. In fact, the widespread use of the “cyber” prefix in modern-day language is a testament to the defining role of Cybernetics.
To govern therefore means steering the rudder in order to control, communicate and drive. In other words anticipating the potential turbulences to secure a safe passage, so as not to be caught off guard when the storm hits. Every business leader has got to get his “sea legs” in a way because the market today, just like the high seas, has become so volatile and rough. It is probably no coincidence that we say “captains of industry.”
The power of anticipation
Anticipating, predicting, trying to figure out what the future holds…, predictive analytics has always fascinated mankind. From Pythia to fortune tellers right through to shamans, astrologists, psychics, tarot or palm readers, we have always wanted to know what tomorrow is made of. Science fiction has largely drawn upon this phenomenon that spurs the imagination: The Minority Report, a movie imagined by Philip K. Dick, where a specialized police department called “Precrime” apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Predictive algorithms are getting us very close to making this ancient dream come true.
Among the new breakthroughs in innovation are the numerous anticipation-ready capabilities (and therefore of the modelling of the complex evolution process in time) which are undoubtedly the most fascinating.
In the business world, intuition has always been a trusted and natural instinct relied on as a decision-making tool, especially for business leaders who know their respective market inside out. However, when considering the recent advances and performance levels of predictive solutions, relying on instinct is more or less akin to steering and driving one’s business in heavy fog, or making important financial projections for the company based on the only hope that the outcome turns out as expected and keeping one’s fingers crossed to avert bad luck.
The history of information used to make informed decisions and projections has been linear for a very long time despite whatever crises. And this linear pattern of information allowed for an appreciation of the future based on statistical variations rather easy to anticipate. This type of historical data just does not cut it anymore. We cannot afford to only rely on the past (and on certain hand-me down practices) to figure out what to do in the future. There is an urgent need to take into account the range of complexities of the different contexts.
Moreover, today’s market shifts and disruptions are so unheard of that experience alone, once something we could count on, is now drowned by instability gone fully systemic, and is, at the end of the day, on its way to becoming useless. In other words, in order to be able to predict, you need to factor in a much more significant array of parameters than « before » – the « before » designating a very recent period. It is also important to process these parameters with greater insight in order to highlight the different existing correlations, often difficult to perceive, without resorting to the new business-decision making tools and solutions available today (Business Intelligence).
It is about both appreciating more clearly and more vastly, and seeing farther beyond and far more accurately. In short, it is about leveraging new technologies to determine what goals can reasonably be set and what means are needed to achieve these goals.
Quelling uncertainty
Predictive analytics is one way to cope with uncertainty, which reigns supreme, in a time where nothing is sure and especially where nothing is stable anymore. Trying to anticipate is even made more challenging because of the numerous and growing interactions between the many different economic players within a globalized market (suppliers, raw materials, sub-contractors, supply chain, distributors, logistics, politics, and so on…). Hence, any management decision today, has to factor in a level of complexity never encountered before.
Today, more than ever, one of the major challenges a company has to face is to figure out, as precisely as possible, what the expectations of its potential target market are (both in the B-to-C and B-to-B segments) with regard to the products it currently manufactures or will be manufacturing in the future or those products it intends to upgrade. Anticipating this way will help in planning and adjusting the production rates accordingly, and furthermore these decisions will have an important impact on logistics and the distribution process. In fact, being able to predict customer demand will map out the entire economic cycle of the business and in the end, the profit margin. Today, anticipating customer demand ranks, in large part, as the top business driver or even what enables a business to stay in the game.
Deciding when decision-making is next to impossible
The global pandemic has unleashed an economic tornado like never before. The Covid-19 crisis has brought such consequential parameters to the surface that they could seriously call into question most of our proven analytical methodologies. The intensity, breadth and brutality of the crisis has brought into view unknowns with multiple variables that demand we appreciate data sets in many different ways in light of the new complex and random evolutionary models. This crisis does not only do away with the regular behaviour patterns usually used for predictive modeling of future trends but underscores the many vulnerable areas of the global economic system. The situation we are going through is a textbook case of the value and pertinence of economic and social predictive algorithms.
With the insecurity fueled by the pandemic all over the world, business moving forward is far from being a walk in the park. This very troubled period is marked by an extremely volatile economy. Predicting customer demand has therefore become a necessity while also being harder than ever to do. Although predicting demand is not something new per se, it has reached unprecedented performance levels with the advent of new technologies (essentially Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data, the Internet of Things) and the growing computational power of computers. Predictive algorithms help stay the course amid an ever-fluctuating bubble where there are no patterns to speak of, where the tracking history can no longer be used as a reliable source to draw up statistics. They help make near-foolproof predictions of future potential scenarios with a newly acquired and developing power of clairvoyance feeding into the decision-making process without which efficient and informed decisions could be made.
Reducing complexity by resorting to complexity
These new tools using multi-sector metrics based on artificial intelligence and deep modelling approaches provide multiple future scenarios and alternatives. Then, after comparing the different scenarios we can map out the different B, C, D etc. action plans. Thus, the updating of these alternative future scenarios greatly secures investments by planning supply, production rates and logistics in line with the actual and factual situational factors.
By making sure the future is not just a mere linear continuation of the present and by elaborating complex scenarios that may appear to be counter intuitive at times but are much more sensible, these Business Intelligence-ready predictive algorithms help make truly informed decisions. Moreover, you can generate weekly or monthly predictive analytics dashboards for more visibility on the future, leaving little room for uncertainty. The technological complexity of these tools brilliantly addresses the psychological and analytical complexity of decision-making.
Predictive decision-making algorithms are new ways of embracing and rethinking the future, setting the stage for what to do in the present. Because these algorithms can potentially unearth new profitable growth opportunities, they are working their way to becoming authentic business co-pilots for any business today willing to secure and ensure its growth strategy and future.
In some way, they are both a compass and a rudder that help safely navigate the rough seas, flagging and anticipating the turbulent weather ahead. With what innovation brings thanks to predictive algorithms, we can now say, “that to anticipate is to succeed.”
(*) By Alain Conrard, author of, “Taking the Plunge! A Different Take on Innovation » published by Cent Mille Milliards, in September 2020, and CEO of the Prodware Group and President of the Commission on Digital Strategies of the METI, a professional guild of French mid-market companies.
While the digital transformation of companies, accelerated by the pandemic, continues to grow at a rapid pace, and with the ubiquitousness of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain or the Internet of Things, we are breaking down the barriers of IT systems.
With a much fiercer competitive landscape, companies now need to find ways to address a two-pronged problem: How do you align your IT transformation with your transformation strategy? All the stakeholders of the IT department must therefore be ready to dive into these uncharted territories to better appreciate and understand the ins and outs of the new breadth of this territory in order to provide the leadership of the company with all the support needed through their digital transformation journey.
From ERP to fine-tuned strategy: approving transformation plans before launching the ground work
Architectures based on a fully integrated ERP system have been the most popular moving forward for many years. They often simplify access to powerful tools, although they tend to cover general processes as opposed to specialized domains. A reliable and quick turn-to solution that is however limited in scope and application layers when it comes to addressing business pains. Does that mean you need to go for a “best of breed” approach with highly specialized business applications?
Architectures based on a fully integrated ERP system have been the most popular moving forward for many years. They often simplify access to powerful tools, although they tend to cover general processes as opposed to specialized domains. A reliable and quick turn-to solution that is however limited in scope and application layers when it comes to addressing business pains. Does that mean you need to go for a “best of breed” approach with highly specialized business applications?
Let’ face it. ERP solutions are here to stay. However, what we’re seeing emerge more and more is a hybrid approach. By bringing together cloud-based and on-premise solutions, ERP and industry-specific solutions, CIOs can garner full-scope capability in building an architecture that can support the digital transformation of businesses.
In today’s digital transformation context, a high-performance information system cannot solely rely on an ERP solution, no matter how robust it is. This is something we encounter with our customers everyday. The real challenge lies in identifying the very specific needs of a customer and embracing the new technological alternatives in order to properly scope and assess the new system to be designed. It is all about deploying an ERP-centric strategy that seamlessly integrates innovative and state-of-the-art industry-specific solutions.
Once these technological alternatives properly mastered, the idea is to shift one’s focus on the potential growth paths they provide for the business, the profitability and the strategy to adopt moving forward.
Robust Infrastructure – Trusting your Solution Architect
As the boundaries of Information Systems keep expanding thanks to the onslaught of new technologies, innovations, applications and intelligent services, it seems that application architecture has now becomes the linchpin that holds everything together. The role of the architect is to clearly define the scope of the solutions by selecting the various components that are relevant for the transformation project.
The traditional way of managing an IT project is usually centered around defining an initial ERP deployment roadmap. However getting the right components, deciding on the best tools to use and making sure we are addressing whatever specific requirements calls for the guidance and best practices of a Solution Architect.
Now more than ever, with the advent of new AI-based technologies, data and the Cloud, software vendors such as Microsoft are able to offer a wide range of business-specific applications to support the implementation of solutions around a core ERP. This unique portfolio of intelligent business applications enables each company to optimize the performance of its IT system by ensuring operational excellence and creating real-time interactive customer experiences.
Overview of innovative modular solutions to integrate with an ERP solution to enhance user experience:
- Virtual reality solutions bringing work and data to life;
- AI solutions providing information and service for enhanced customer experiences and supporting users in their decision making;
- Low-code development platforms allowing users with no formal knowledge of coding or software to innovate using Microsoft’s « low-code » Power Platform for services used by more than 97% of the Fortune 500 companies;
- Business solutions: specialized software vendors and partners that provide specialized turnkey solutions supporting the different Microsoft solutions.
The 6 Keys to a Successful Digital Transformation
The growing capability of systems to interface and integrate with other applications from different tools or software vendors has also significantly contributed to the development of this ecosystem. Nevertheless, a common data stream needs to be the focal point of any system and Microsoft, with its suite of tools at all levels of the system, has clearly embraced this concept. If we were to itemize the key points leading to a successful digital transformation, then these would be the following:
- Choose a solution that is designed to support transformation
- Make sure it integrates with the technical ecosystem especially with the ERP
- Think interoperability for future integrations and further developments
- Work with the right partners and integrators
- Adopt a consistent data governance policy
- Make sure to also plan a Change Management strategy
Getting a Head Start
Beyond the big software vendors and business specialists, it is also important to go beyond the usual considerations and appreciate new aspects in the building of an ideal Information System supporting a transformation project.
Many startups are introducing new solutions, with different approaches and technologies, to help companies face the IT issues of today. Getting ahead of the curve, innovating and testing allows companies to go beyond the usual boundaries and expand the scope of their strategy!
Article published in French news site LaTribune.fr by Alain Conrard, Prodware CEO
OPINION. Digital Transformation affects all industries and with it the nature of criminal activity. By Alain Conrard, President of the Commission on Digital Strategies of the METI, a professional guild of mid-market companies (METI) (*)
With the enormous power and capability that digital technologies bring in all areas, innovation also enables groups of individuals, operating as startups in “agile” mode to conduct targeted attacks on vulnerable individuals and organizations. Whether they act alone or on behalf of large criminal organizations, they know no limits in their hacking crusade with the entire planet as their playground.
Ransomware attacks, which lock their victims’ data and demand a ransom, paralyzing the activity of a large number of hospitals in the middle of a pandemic, have shown just how far cybercriminals can go to cripple businesses without the slightest qualm. Cybercrime comes in different shapes and sizes ranging from small-scale credit card scams, i.e. phishing scams all the way to state-sponsored cyberattacks to block another country’s infrastructure or influence a presidential election. The break-ins are almost seamless and smooth: no violence to speak of, it is all done very cunningly by infiltrating systems using recognition systems, identifiers, passwords, with the stealth of a fully digitized Ninja. Everybody today (companies, individuals, industries, administrations, organizations, government institutions, universities, public authorities, services, technological devices, etc.) is a potential target for cyber criminals.
Cybercrime is the act of overpowering people by attacking what is crucial both in the private and in public spheres i.e. data. Even though the attacks consist in blocking a system and not actually stealing data, it is a matter of preventing access to data, which is one of the major and most serious types of attacks faced by businesses: having no access to their data they simply cannot operate. Thus, cybercrime clearly underscores how valuable and pivotal data is, it is today’s new “black gold.” If data had no value, there would be no cybercriminals. Data has become a major economic phenomenon. It is therefore today one of the most important commodities. It is where an ever increasing proportion of crime is concentrated, in multiple forms.
In recent years, the problem has grown considerably. Cybercrime has been classified by the French government as one of the five major risks today along with the threat of terrorism, pandemics, technological and natural disasters. According to Guillaume Poupard, Director General of the French National Agency for Information Systems Security (Anssi), “tomorrow’s conflicts are going to be digital, and all the major states are preparing for it.
The Digital Jungle
New digital technologies have made for a much more global, open and transparent world where access to information is, in theory, much easier to come by. It is precisely this “openness” that has caused this new form of crime with access to networks and “free for all data” making cyber crime rank high up there.
This open society has a serious problem: it is open. How then should it deal with its borders without giving up on that openness, that specific quality that makes it so unique? This pivotal concern, that of sovereignty, has been brought to the forefront by the openness and transparency that is characteristic of the digitalization of the world. How can we defend a territory when it is under attack, and all the more so, when it is open, with borders that are hard to determine and sometimes even unknown? Cyber crime takes this problem to a whole new level where so much more is at stake in the rapport between innovation and going beyond the traditional frontiers.
Cybercrime is typically a new “Wild West,” a term that designated the unstable area resulting from territory expansion during those years of conquest of the American West. Beyond the frontier, we are no longer in a designated area established and ruled by law – we are in an area where everything has to be invented. This Far West 4.0 is a grey area where everything goes: you can decide to do business and make money, decide to hack, terrorize, steal and indulge in any other activity. Desperados and outlaws from all over the world see it as an Eldorado where they can easily prosper. And this is because regulators are lagging behind and struggling to grasp how to legislate on these still untapped territories. Although everyone uses weapons that does not mean they are all experts in weapon handling. These times where border crossing has become common practice, the question of sovereignty is still an issue that needs to be addressed. While innovation opens up new spaces and pushes beyond the barriers, it also, at the same time, allows for space appropriation including by those with criminal intent – and does so by using the same digital tools brought about by innovation.
Innovation brings with it a lot of uncertainty and risk. Progress is a concept that is not a one-way route, it can go both ways pushing forward and sometimes rolling back be it in very different proportions. Any kind of progress comes with a certain degree of regression as if any form of advancement has to come with a price.
Hence, cyber criminals are the flip side of digital technology. They are the ultimate in digital perversion leveraging technology for malicious and criminal purposes. Cyber crime is innovation related for sure and relates more specifically to new technologies. What is striking though is that this wrongdoing emanates from the technology itself. Tools that enable progress are the same that lead to regression.
Just as in the Wild West, where the sheriff and the outlaw with a price on his head both carry the same Colt revolver, today’s cybercrime shows that the means to commit wrongdoings and crime are the same. Whereas we use different means than the crimes themselves to fight “traditional” criminality (prostitution or racketeering are not used in the fight against prostitution or racketeering…), cybercrime and cybersecurity use the same means, the same technologies. A bit like if drugs were used to fight drugs. The identical means on both sides have created an unprecedented symmetry between criminals and defenders of the law. It all boils down to mastering digital technologies. In fact, it is because of this surprising symmetry that hackers, who are cybercriminals, are often hired by cybersecurity companies or by law enforcement. Despite this symmetry, criminals usually have the upper hand when it comes to weaponizing digital technology whereas their victims unsuspectingly use digital technology, oblivious to the potential flaws and weaknesses of the systems they use.
A ransomware attack on a hospital means infiltrating interconnected systems, machines, scanners (all this is innovation), an entire digital infrastructure grinding to a halt using a computer code i.e. another digital system: no difference in nature between the blocking mechanism and the system blocked. It is the intention that differs.
Viruses supporting viruses
The pandemic has spawned a massive wave of cyber attacks that can also be considered as a pandemic. SARS-CoV 2 is not the only dangerous virus out there. There are other viral systems also known as “malware”, “ransomware”, “spyware”, “trojan”, “worms”, “rootkit”, “backdoor”, and so on. These viral systems are proliferating and the pandemic may be a big part of the reason for the spike in malicious activity (do viruses actually help each other?), especially with remote work becoming the norm.
This makes systems more vulnerable to cybercrime, making employees who have had to adopt this remote work mode one of the weakest links in cybersecurity. Remote working expands the threat surface and increases the number of loopholes that cybercriminals can take advantage of to “reach” a company (“reach” of course has a double meaning suggesting “to access” and “to harm”). Indeed, each home office employee is a potential unprotected entry point to a network providing a major avenue for cybercriminals to commit cybercrimes. Resorting to social engineering (targeting employees, especially through social networks) is much easier than trying to exploit a network’s technical vulnerabilities. Trying to safeguard the online experience and journey of employees poses a serious challenge for CIOs. Also, “do’s and don’ts” and caution must be the new norm on networks as it is in real life especially when employees working remotely are becoming seasoned Internet users surfing more and more websites that may not necessarily be secure.
The remote work model definitely increases cybersecurity risks. Companies with strong CSR policies are the most likely targets for cybercrime. Indeed, company managers that resort to remote work expose themselves because the initiatives they engage in make it easy for cyber criminals to exploit the vulnerabilities that come with these initiatives. Be it because they want to transition towards an eco-friendly development strategy (employees not having to use transportation modes reducing the carbon footprint); or want to provide a better work environment (flexible work mode with some work from home and some in-person office presence); or looking to increase productivity without putting more strain on employees.
All-out War
Anyone can now be a target. The economic war is now heightened by another kind of war that can hit any company – ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks are definitely on the rise. The average ransom demand, in exchange for a decryption key, has practically tripled in 2020. Businesses have to clearly understand and factor in that a war is being waged and that the fight is on. They will have to make sure they constantly adapt their defense mechanisms to the changing nature of attacks. This must now be an integral part of the business strategy set out every year because failing to do so can have very damaging consequences in terms of business, operations and the competition. (Cf. Chantelle which filed for bankruptcy after a cyber attack).
Cybersecurity has become key. Because of its undeniable impact, it is now making its way on the list of priorities of corporate boards and executive committees, just like digital transformation did.
However, protecting against cyber crime is a costly investment plan with no real hope of generating any financial gain per se. Unlike an insurance policy, that protects against potential liabilities and damages based on an agreement, cybersecurity is based on technology. And the acquisition of this technology, which can hardly be amortized in the long term, as it rapidly becomes obsolete with cybercriminals always one step ahead, makes it a particularly significant investment for a company.
This is the dark side of the all-digital world. Every innovation comes with a downside i.e. what it eliminates or destroys in order to replace it. But each innovation brings with it a new opportunity: the web for instance while decreasing in-store traffic also generates more business with the click & collect model and so on…Innovation in cybersecurity though is all one-way- there is no profit generating opportunity that comes out of it. Despite this exclusively non-business profit aspect, it needs to be addressed as a high-priority.
Now a mandatory item on the balance sheet of companies, it is a net expense with no positive counterpart except for security. While the technologies involved in digital transformation present an interest in that they bring progress, cybersecurity, which utilizes almost all of them, only brings a kind of awkward gain: a negative profit, a “better be safe than sorry” type of gain. It is a “just in case” investment.
There is a way to put a positive spin on this security narrative by considering it as an opportunity to run a massive and permanent testing scheme on a company’s defence systems. It helps bring the company’s weaknesses to the surface so that they can be addressed.
(*) By Alain Conrard, author of, “Taking the Plunge! A Different Take on Innovation” book published by Cent Mille Milliards, in September 2020 ; CEO of the Prodware Group and President of the de la Commission on Digital Strategies of the METI.
Article published in French news site Silicon by José María Sánchez, member of the Executive Committee at Prodware Group and Corporate Vice-President of Prodware Spain
For over a year now, organizations have been facing challenging and complex times in a world full of uncertainties. More than ever before, managers have had to deal with their daily responsibilities of having to make the right decisions quickly, in a very unusual context, while trying nevertheless to make sure these decisions align with the “world after the virus” strategy moving forward.
These extraordinary circumstances and the lack of experience in coping with such situations, plus the fear of not having enough cash flow, have triggered creative and intuitive business survival responses.
This shock has compelled decision makers to take a new and decisive look into investing in new technologies in order to remain competitive and stay in the game…this need to appreciate things differently came at the worst possible time and happened in the worst conditions. Indeed, while this kind of major overhaul is usually well thought through, it had to happen in emergency mode while keeping level-headed judgement. Moving forward in emergency mode without panicking while making the right decisions…like walking a tightrope!
The Great Acceleration Dynamic
This situation has put managers under pressure while also acting as a catalyst for change in business and working models. If innovation today means breaking down traditional barriers, the exceptional circumstances brought on by the pandemic have greatly accelerated this phenomenon.
In this radically different environment, every organization, business and manager has had to rethink the notion of competitiveness. Companies in certain industries were extremely concerned but it must be noted that across all industries the majority of businesses reacted by going digital. These exceptional circumstances have generated an intensive wave of transformation with an incredible turbo-boost effect in terms of speed of implementation and adoption. A game-changing difference though is that some digital channels have soared. The digital revamping of operational processes with partners, suppliers and customers has reinforced the need for transformation for all stakeholders across all industries.
This has led to journeying towards new frontiers of innovation where data has become the bedrock and new black gold of the whole transformation dynamic.
A Data Driven World
The power of digitalization in a data-driven world holds great promise but no one is really sure though what the potential consequences of this world of tomorrow could be.
We live in a world inundated with data, very large volumes of data coming from many different sources. For organizations, converting all this data into valuable insights is the cornerstone of a successful digital transformation. Data analytics provides incredible knowledge of the market making it possible for companies to embrace a new realm in business intelligence and automation.
Converting all that data into insights requires a structured process and data model – data coming from multiple sources needs to be captured and organized efficiently before being analyzed, interpreted and turned into decision-making material. Integrating the latest disruptive technologies with all software systems convert those systems into intelligent systems with great modelization capability for decision-making tools that can unleash powerful business forecasts.
Are we entering into a business model where business decisions will be made based only on the logic of data and modelization or will human intuition still have a say? In our opinion, they will be complementary – a combination of both intelligent and intuitive human experience with well-documented information. Bring all of this to a manager who will then be even better prepared to make a decisive strategic decision.
So how do we get a company to take advantage and leverage the world of data insights? The answer is to get the company to become a Data Driven Organization in an Innovation Environment.
As a first step into becoming that data driven organization we first need to determine and equate the type of data and data analytics with the key business priorities supporting the company’s strategy.
Then we move on to the mapping of those data sources and defining the right data integration model to merge all those data sets. And this that can sometimes be quite challenging. Indeed, after working with several companies on their data strategy we realized that data is actually like a living thing that changes and evolves in time. Sources vary, users’ needs change, life goes on…Therefore a secure governance strategy together with an agile implementation approach with ongoing performance and goal reviews is definitely the way forward rather than sticking with static and rigid objectives.
More than ever, relying on fate and luck is not an option. Innovation and disruption journeys need assets, resources and talent allocation. Human and financial resources are required to enter into this uncharted territory.
Changing Points of View
It all starts with an initial seamless process, changing the mindset of people, empowering them with when making new strategic decisions. These parameters will contribute to bringing those organizational changes that will foster a culture shift and data-insight approach moving away from less factual opinion-based decision making. But, breaking down the barriers of conventional business KPIs is not that easy, but as Aaron Levie (successful entrepreneur) says, “Start with the assumption that the best way to do something is not the way it is being done now.” Business evolutions are based on assumptions that eventually come into being. This is actually an opportunity and is part of the innovation/startup dynamic. Change management in the way we appreciate data and approach decision-making will be a definite eureka moment!
Another important factor that comes into play in our search for intelligence is Speed. A big part of gaining that competitive edge is about velocity and driving as many iterations as possible in short periods of time, to unleash that operational intelligence.
Converting data into actionable insights sometimes reveals trends and/or information that would probably continue to go unnoticed. These new insights bring together and underscore patterns that initially were not that obvious to decipher. But what is more interesting is that data can also provide insights into other characteristics such as soft skills, behaviors, potential fraud, brand awareness…
But one of the most valuable characteristics of intelligence in systems is the interpretation of the data i.e. the relevance of the information and the personalization that comes with it – indeed these insights bring personalization to a whole new level making it possible to address all stakeholders (customers, managers, suppliers, partners…) with very targeted messages.
And, last but not least, the notions of security and privacy have become pivotal in this transformation process, both being regarded as fundamental as ever. An updated and maintained Data Privacy Compliance program is required to support this data driven innovation leap into new uncharted territory.
Look to the future, explore the power of insights, make your system intelligent-ready and take the plunge! Break down the barriers to innovation.
Article published in French news site Silicon by Marc Lestienne, Deputy Chief Information Officer at Prodware
The rollout of an internal cyber security program is both a political and human project especially since 2021 saw a real surge in cyber attacks that still continue to soar.
Believing that a cyber security program is strictly an IT initiative and touches on the technical and technology aspects only is a major misconception. It is like thinking that the Coronavirus is a concern only for doctors and healthcare professionals.
In actual fact, beating the Covid-19 takes a collective effort: first the front-line health workers, then the politicians conducting operations and society as a whole embracing the momentum. Same thing for cyber crime. It is a threat that can only be thwarted collectively.
The rollout of an internal cyber security program is both a political and human project especially since 2021 saw a real surge in cyber attacks that still continue to soar.
Are CIOs and Epidemiologists fighting the same battle?
Very few users know this but remote working leaves businesses increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. What is worse is that even fewer users know how to protect against these attacks.
In the face of this growing threat, running a cybersecurity awareness campaign is essential. It helps explain the risks and dangers of this pandemic to all employees and make sure they understand what to do and not do to stay safe. An awareness campaign may be conducted in several ways: using videos, email blasts, game apps, quizzes…
Nevertheless, in order to reach out to as many employees as possible and get the most user buy-in, the campaign needs to be both instructive and fun but especially understood by all. Moreover, for it to be efficient and a real game-changer in people’s habits and usages it has to be planned as a long-term initiative.
Raising awareness, testing, addressing…does it ring a bell? I can even picture the CIOs in scrubs.
No Miracle Cure to Speak of but 3 Important Do’s
Political mobilization…
The most important challenge in a cybersecurity campaign is getting the message across to all the employees on how hacking works. We are not dealing with a strictly IT project per se. It is an all-inclusive group initiative that requires support and leadership on behalf of the HR and Communication departments right from the start in order to get everybody’s buy-in.
The key to building buy-in is all about people-readiness: from top management to all the rank-and- file employees with local management teams relaying and reinforcing the campaign. Without a clear call to action and deep understanding of what is at stake, an awareness campaign will do very little to change our habits and will surely not contribute to getting rid of the pandemic.
… raising awareness…
Relying on technical solutions and tools is not enough. To fight cyber crime you have to have all the employees understand the dangers and what is at stake. Building immunity to cyber attacks can only be achieved through awareness.
The awareness campaign is an efficient tool that works like a vaccine. It is instilled in people’s minds and triggers an immune response almost instantly with users knowing exactly what to do. To foster buy-in and efficiency an awareness campaign has to cater to your target population.
Hence, the first and certainly the most crucial step of such a program, consists in assessing one’s knowledge on information security. A questionnaire is usually used for this step.
The campaign can then be launched using several formats. Workshops could be set up for specific groups focusing on the specific threats they may encounter. Videos or a series of short video episodes for all employees can be used to explain the different risks and dangers (WAP, phishing, DDoS, cookies, etc.). Using videos is a very efficient, entertaining and intuitive way of illustrating and explaining the different risk factors that are usually intangible for us as users behind our computers.
And finally, this kind of campaign can be used to set up a competition between the countries of an international organization with game apps, as a way to generate more interest and engagement. Organizing such challenges or competitions is also a good way to measure the buy-in of employees and check if the awareness campaign and related programs are taken seriously.
… and setting up a long-term action plan
For a cybersecurity campaign to be efficient, it has to be thought through to last. The program has to be updated regularly, has to factor in the different training availabilities of employees and remain abreast of the various technological advances. Goals have been set in order to evaluate achievement. The coordinators of this program can therefore continue to support and promote training content to employees accordingly. Setting achievement goals year after year helps create a positive dynamic and a virtuous circle that in time will keep the pandemic at bay for good.
Working Toward Herd Immunity…
The goal therefore of a cybersecurity awareness campaign is twofold: trying to bring together all the employees in the long run and getting as much buy-in as possible. It is nothing more than conducting Change Management for all the employees of an organization bringing in all the stakeholders to take part in order to reach the Holy Grail of Cyber Safety: Herd Immunity.
Just like the Coronavirus, there may very well be the emergence of new strains. When it comes to hackers, it is impossible to uncover all the different tricks and ruses they can come up with because they are usually one step ahead of everyone.
The only way to keep safe in this technological wild west is to embrace the situation as an additional opportunity to break down the barriers of innovation.