We are all aware that 2020 was the year
In 2020, the crisis has become a global catalyst for digital innovation. In 2021, we are now wondering what is the next step in digital and how to keep the same pace and level of quality in Romania. Amrop, one of the global and local leaders in executive search & leadership advisory, interviewed 3 Digital Directors from technology companies, from different industries: financial services, telecommunications and IT services about their 2021 digitization plans.
Alexandru Andone, Delivery Director Infra Nearshoring shared his perspectives on this topic. You can find below his insights and the full article on Business Review.
“A digital leader must motivate, inspire and sell the idea of digitization. Digitization involves change and speed. The challenge is not to leave the tea
m members behind in the rush to keep up with the quick market changes. We need to find a way for everyone to contribute having always the focus as the ultimate goal. If you have an agile structure, which you constantly adapt and not get lost in details, you will develop your resilience. The way Cegeka Romania works is based on the idea of resilience”
Do we develop the team’s skills internally or do we import them?
“I would rather innovate based on our strengths and import those niche, specialized skills when needed, than developing them from scratch. The challenge is that everything changes very quickly and by the time you manage to grow that product, the market and the reality are already completely different. Therefore, if constantly adapting, the work’s result will be at the same high market level”
How does the digitization team manage the relationship with the rest of the departments in the organization?
“It is important to have a partnership between us and our clients to whom we offer consulting. They can focus on their business and leave technology to us. We take part in their story, in which they decide where to turn their business. In essence, all companies will become technology companies”
How can we setup an innovation framework for organizational benefits?
“Innovation starts with the consumer’s needs. There are innovative digital companies that bring value by being visionary, but there are also companies that are much slower and will adopt the innovations made by others. We must be pragmatic, realistic and adapted to the world we live in. Because there are also innovative companies that launched solutions for the future, way ahead of their time, but failed because consumers were not prepared for those products”.
What lessons have we learned from 2020?
“Companies that were open to digitalization and innovation flourished and those who suffered were the ones that were actually related to locations and physical presence, which couldn’t be digitized yet, such as those from the tourism field” .
What challenges does the year 2021 bring?“Resisting the temptation to go back to the old way of working. It was a game where everyone knew the rules and won by the best player. Now the game has changed completely and the challenge is to figure out what are the new ways to succeed. Another challenge is to look for what is new, innovation and opportunity in this change, developing a new culture in the direction of digitalization and technology of this future 2.0.”