Credit: DXC Technology
DXC Technology is combining the capabilities of technology and business to reshape how enterprise customers approach workforce productivity in 2020.
The global system integrator (GSI) unveiled plans to capitalise on the “rapid adoption” of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data, counterbalanced with increased focus on “interconnected teams and tech-evangelist leaders”.
Delivered through professional services, the aim is to help the workforce enhance “efficiency, productivity and growth” within the enterprise.
“The notion of accelerated productivity will force enterprises to rethink their technology decisions and investments across the enterprise technology stack,” said Dan Hushon, senior vice president and CTO, DXC. “This in turn will drive a sea change in how enterprises are led and structured, make informed decisions and engage employees and customers.
“Tech-evangelist leaders will define new interactions between AI and people to create high-performing teams and shape digital strategies that unlock an organisation’s full potential - securely and confidently modernising applications, optimising data architectures and moving workloads to the cloud to produce new and better business outcomes.”
According to Hushon, the “pervasive use” of AI and machine learning in business is “revolutionising” professions such as legal, accounting, healthcare and education by “democratising access to data and expert services”.
Specifically, the use of AI is extending “customisation and personalised” services to a broad base of customers through low-cost intelligent agents.
Hushon noted that while AI and machine learning are combining to “democratise professional services”, customers should “stay vigilant” to guard against the potential loss of critical skills while using increasingly sophisticated support systems.
“As these decision-support systems become more sophisticated, businesses need to continue to build critical skills in organisations,” Hushon observed. “Additionally, enterprises should protect against unintended consequences by training people to quickly detect and correct improper bias or unsafe behaviour from AI.
"Overall, AI will illuminate intelligence hidden in systems, empower consumers and complement professional expertise."
Design thinking
In assessing changing market dynamics, Hushon said design thinking is shifting from IT services for people to IT services for machines.
“The thinking behind systems design is shifting as IT services are increasingly being built for machine-to-machine interaction, and as processing moves closer to where data resides,” he said. “This will further expand ‘The Matrix’ - the pervasive, intelligent IT infrastructure beyond the cloud that includes edge computing, Internet of Things [IoT] platforms, machine intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality and more.”
The knock-on effect, according to Hushon, is the introduction of “new design choices and transformational architectures”, designed to push companies to more aggressively pursue IT modernisation.
“Microprocessors capable of decisions in nanoseconds, stream and batch processing architectures and analytics moving to the network edge (where the data is) - all of this will enable enterprises to make better, faster, data-driven decisions more cost-effectively,” Hushon added.
Today, Hushon said large-scale customers are “pooling data” in ecosystems to achieve outcomes that benefit both the individual and enterprise.
“Data ecosystems will flourish as they adopt trust mechanisms that validate an individual’s right-to-share and an enterprise’s right-to-consume data,” he added. “Self-sovereign identity standards and blockchain-based consent with trading partners, for example, are helping to facilitate responsible data sharing and drive the rapid growth of data exchanges.”
As such capabilities become more pervasive, Hushon said manufacturers, service providers and consumers will be more willing to share data in exchanges and ecosystems.
“In turn, CEOs will seek to identify and pursue ecosystem-centric business models and trading partners that deploy trusted and compliant data-sharing practices,” he outlined.
Teams, not superstars
In 2020, Hushon said companies will recognise that achieving full potential means "developing and nurturing" a network of high-performing, interconnected teams consisting of "multidimensional individuals", rather than siloed groups of single superstars.
“Enterprises will restructure to expand team linkages across the organisation,” he said. “The shift from superstar individuals to high-performing teams will require new strategies for talent acquisition and development.
“Enterprises will put greater emphasis on communication, adaptability and decision-making empowerment; double-deep expertise in business and technology; and collaboration tools that promote productivity and learning.”
Delving deeper, Hushon said a “shift in business leadership” will gain also momentum in 2020 as technology-driven markets expand and new leaders advocate for technologies that can improve enterprise "speed, agility, productivity and innovation advantage".
“Emerging technology evangelists will work at the CXO level to shape digital strategy,” he concluded. “At the same time, they will spearhead major initiatives with smart products, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property development and learning initiatives for accelerated business transformations, value and outcomes.”
