Journey to accelerate digital in age of customer

UPDATED 11/9/18

Everyone is talking about accelerating digital business. Whichever way you turn, there’s no escaping the impact that digital technologies have on companies. Cloud computing, mobile, social and the Internet of Things are having an impact on organizations across every industry.

If we step back, the changes have been startling. Half of Fortune 500 companies have disappeared since 2000. As Nigel Fenwick explained in his presentation at Axway Connections North America, it is now a case of digital predator or prey.

Accelerating digital business

What’s fascinating about all the changes is the blurred line between the physical and digital worlds that organizations operate in. That blurred line is the result of the economic and technological forces that are driving the digital economy. It also forces us to rethink how we are accelerating digital business, which is exactly what digital business is all about, in order to increase agility, innovation and customer responsiveness.

This “rethink” is essential as it’s the only way we can meet rising customer expectations. Simply put, technology has tipped the balance in favor of the customer. They can buy anything, from anyone, instantly and have it delivered anywhere. They also have more information at their fingertips about our organizations. It may have been predicted before, but the age of the customer has truly arrived.

To be successful

To be successful in this new world order and enable a new way of doing business, organizations need to connect intelligent things, people and businesses. This is often a complex process which requires organizations to make the shift from digital connectivity to digital services and, ultimately, to digital experiences.

This journey to digital is at the heart of everything we are focusing on at Axway Connections North America. And it’s also central to many of the conversations I have had with business and IT leaders.

For those of you who attended the event back in 2015, you will have heard me talk about the journey to digital and I have already been very encouraged by the feedback. I know it might seem daunting to know where to begin, but that’s exactly what my team is here to help with, and the time to act is now.