# Going Beyond the Buzz in 2019—Understanding ‘Digital’ Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2019-02-19 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Embracing Digital: The Key to Future Success Meta Description: Explore the necessity of understanding digital as a discipline to drive business success by embracing new technologies and evolving digital work methods. URL: https://financedigest.com/going-beyond-buzz-2019-understanding-digitalhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/810-6702-267-1736839153584-compressed.jpg) _**Chris Pope**, Global VP of Innovation, ServiceNow_ There are college degrees in computer science and software engineering that feature various different programming languages and methodologies. Looking further, there are technical architecture courses and many extended forms of tuition designed to school us in every aspect of technology you can think of. Yet, despite all these channels of teaching and the many books that have been written to explore our world of technology, we appear to largely fail when it [comes to formalising a wider approach to simply ‘teaching digital’](https://www.financedigest.com/constructive-digitization-to-let-the-tissue-diagnostic-market-come-of-age.html "Constructive digitization to let the Tissue Diagnostic Market come of age"). Understanding digital, the subject, the discipline itself, is a prerequisite if firms are going to actually appreciate where new and emerging [technology will have an impact](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-technology-impact-public-health.html "How can Technology Impact Public Health") on an organisation. **A responsibility to** [embrace digital](https://www.financedigest.com/why-the-time-is-right-for-finance-to-embrace-digital-change.html "Why the time is right for finance to embrace digital change") ![Chris Pope, VP Innovation, ServiceNow](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/chris-pope-vp-innovation-servicenow-1736839154194-compressed.png) Chris Pope, VP Innovation, ServiceNow The consequences of not embracing digital and the [process of moving](https://www.financedigest.com/the-implantable-biomaterials-market-to-move-ahead-on-rpa-robotic-process-automation.html "The Implantable Biomaterials Market to move ahead on RPA (Robotic Process Automation)") fundamental work operations to new cloud-based, services-driven platforms leads to something of a vicious circle. Firms start to haemorrhage employees who look to move into roles where they will be more productive. And as a consequence, the [company is left with a digital](https://www.financedigest.com/the-digital-ir-revolution-how-new-technology-is-bringing-companies-and-shareholders-closer-together.html "The digital IR revolution: how new technology is bringing companies and shareholders closer together") skills shortage. Firms that do embrace digital platforms effectively will, in contrast, start to [develop tighter integration and collaboration across initiatives that are being played out across the business](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-appoints-a-raft-of-new-business-development-representatives-as-the-technology-companys-client-roster-grows-by-more-than-50.html "impact.com appoints a raft of new Business Development Representatives as the technology company’s client roster grows by more than 50%"). [Digital teams](https://www.financedigest.com/the-digital-voice-adtech-pr-agency-grows-team-by-eight.html "The Digital Voice Adtech PR Agency Grows Team By Eight") start to realise that the fundamental skills, approaches and execution methods they need to learn are the same across different company departments for different use cases. The harder part of [learning digital](https://www.financedigest.com/critical-learnings-in-digital-transformation.html "Critical learnings in digital transformation ") is understanding how it will change the business in the short, medium and long-term. Firms will need to do that in order to be able to scale new digital work methods organisation-wide. **User eXperience (UX) strategies** The proliferation of [digital platform technologies throughout the operational DNA of contemporary organisations has meant that it has become a key](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-digital-key-market-unit-sales-to-witness-significant-growth-in-the-near-future.html "Automotive Digital Key Market Unit Sales to Witness Significant Growth in the Near Future") element in how User eXperience (UX) strategies are formed. Forward thinking CxOs now [regard digital as a key front-line operational](https://www.financedigest.com/holcim-supports-resolution-with-u-s-regarding-legacy-operations-in-syria.html "Holcim supports resolution with U.S. regarding legacy operations in Syria") topic, much like they have regarded issues such as cybersecurity since the turn of this decade. The creation of [smart spaces and digital workspaces has become more mainstream as a method used to improve employee and customer experience―and will feature prominently in the next evolution of smart cities](https://www.financedigest.com/smart-city-kiosk-market-to-reap-excessive-revenues-by-2028-trends-and-forecast-by-fact-mr-investigated-in-the-latest-research.html "Smart City Kiosk Market To Reap Excessive Revenues By 2028 | Trends And Forecast By Fact.MR investigated in the latest research"). But [digital as a discipline comes](https://www.financedigest.com/constructive-digitization-to-let-the-remote-patient-monitoring-services-market-come-of-age.html "Constructive digitization to let the Remote Patient Monitoring Services Market come of age") with some responsibilities. As we now focus on the resurgence of the importance of enterprise data and its quality and quantity, we must also work hard to ensure we reduce technical debt and the presence of legacy [platforms that are unfit for current and future](https://www.financedigest.com/cloud-communication-platform-market-2022-scope-of-current-and-future-industry-2030.html "Cloud Communication Platform Market 2022 | Scope of Current and Future Industry 2030") purpose. We must also now engineer our business models to enable continued adoption of commoditised [cloud services](https://www.financedigest.com/tech-amigos-provides-unrivalled-aws-cloud-service-support-for-autorama-groups-leading-brand-vanarama.html "Tech Amigos provides unrivalled AWS cloud service support for Autorama Group’s leading brand, Vanarama"). Within this area, we need to engineer for digital with enough precision to enable the use of microservices that will deliver discrete chunks of [application logic for faster and more intelligent systems](https://www.financedigest.com/intelligent-transport-systems-its-market-2021-by-global-key-players-types-applications-countries-industry-size-and-forecast-to-2027.html "Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Market 2021 by Global Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Industry Size and Forecast to 2027"). [Positive results come from thinking](https://www.financedigest.com/go-for-it-think-positive-believe-in-yourself-and-do-what-you-love-says-dawn-elliott-of-sew-confident-chorley.html "“Go for it, think positive, believe in yourself and do what you love” says Dawn Elliott of Sew Confident Chorley"), doing and working digital. Within a defined timeframe we get to a point where we can deliver on [customer and employee experiences](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-services-is-upping-its-customer-experience-game.html "Financial services is upping its customer experience game"), quicker and better—and organisations on this digital journey start to shift from project delivery to product delivery. **No more knee-jerk reactions** The presence of the internet of things (IoT), edge computing layer and all the smart ‘things’ inside any given organisation’s own digital universe starts to coalesce inside a new [data analytics](https://www.financedigest.com/top-5-data-analytics-trends-for-2023.html "Top 5 Data Analytics Trends for 2023") fabric. That fabric [allows us to be intelligently predictive across](https://www.financedigest.com/total-allowable-catches-tac-and-fishing-quotas-across-the-world-turning-favourable-for-the-global-mackerel-market-sales.html "Total Allowable Catches (TAC) And Fishing Quotas Across The World Turning Favourable For The Global Mackerel Market Sales") all departments, rather than work with the knee-jerk reactive standards of the past. Digital business allows us to start a new process of reengineering. We start to see a foundational transformation of traditional IT departments that used to be driven by top-down organisational change. Instead, there is a new bottom-up architecture and infrastructure evolution with a focus on pace, agility and people. Digital business also allows us to welcome the ‘no-collar’ workforce. The rise of [smart machines](https://www.financedigest.com/walk-in-coolers-and-freezers-market-preference-for-customized-and-smart-machines-growing.html "Walk-in Coolers and Freezers Market: Preference for Customized and Smart Machines Growing") means that many traditional roles can be automated. This means that the organisation of the future may need to rewire talent [management for the new workforce](https://www.financedigest.com/workforce-management-the-next-cloud-resource-for-businesses.html "Workforce management; the next cloud resource for businesses?") and build a culture for increasingly unbounded and virtual teams. On the [road to digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/is-the-road-to-data-transformation-slowing-digital-transformation.html "Is the road to data transformation slowing digital transformation?"), a new foundation starts to develop around which the business carries out its core functions. Specifically, we’re talking about [supply chain](https://www.financedigest.com/eliminating-payment-barriers-the-future-of-supply-chain-payments-is-digitization.html "Eliminating Payment Barriers: The Future of Supply Chain Payments is Digitization") and finance―these functions are fundamentally being transformed by the convergence of various technologies. In this regard, a cross-functional approach to transformation can drive the most ambitious results. The next part of the road ahead will feature increasing amounts of [augmented reality](https://www.financedigest.com/augmented-reality-ar-virtual-reality-vr-to-dictate-the-growth-of-temporal-implants-market.html "Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) to dictate the growth of Temporal Implants Market") (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Blockchain will proliferate and organisations will start to use exponential technologies such as [artificial general intelligence](https://www.financedigest.com/artificial-intelligence-in-banking-robo-advisors-and-beyond.html "Artificial Intelligence in Banking – Robo Advisors and beyond") and quantum encryption to create even newer commercial systems, many of which will champion connectivity via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Going [digital and bringing the new world](https://www.financedigest.com/six-reasons-why-digital-world-classtm-finance-organizations-outperform-peers.html "Six Reasons Why Digital World ClassTM Finance Organizations Outperform Peers") of work online is a challenge worth embracing. To be sure, navigating the forces of [digital disruption](https://www.financedigest.com/the-road-to-digital-disruption-in-motor-insurance.html "The road to digital disruption in Motor Insurance") positively is not always straightforward. Ultimately though, graduating with a qualification from the school of digital is always worthwhile, so make that your new years’ resolution and start your homework today! **About the author:** _As ServiceNow’s global VP of Innovation, Chris brings more than 15 years of C-level executive experience with leading technology solutions and platforms across [Product Management](https://www.financedigest.com/geometric-progression-based-on-digitization-to-be-witnessed-by-reproductive-management-products-market.html "Geometric Progression based on Digitization to be witnessed by Reproductive Management Products Market") and Strategy. Chris also has the rare, added-value, experience of having been a ServiceNow customer multiple times so he understands the client and the vendor perspectives on [business transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/the-modern-cfo-at-the-forefront-of-business-transformation.html "The Modern CFO: At the forefront of business transformation"). Chris’ proven [track record](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-on-track-for-record-black-friday-sales.html "Britain on track for record Black Friday sales") working at and with the largest organisations globally, has seen him recognised as a thought leader in process and methodology. He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Electronic Engineering from De Montfort University in the UK, and is a well-published author and contributor to many [leading digital](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-pcr-market-2021-global-leading-companies-analysis-revenue-trends-and-forecasts-2027.html "Digital PCR Market 2021 Global Leading Companies Analysis, Revenue, Trends and Forecasts 2027") publications and blogs._ --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---