Digital World-Class IT – “Reaching New Heights in Peak Performance”

Host Chris Key talks with The Hackett Group Principal Mike Fuller and Senior Director Jay Ruffin about key findings from our new digital world-class IT research, and how advanced technology is enabling new levels of insight and business value across various business services functions. Topics covered include the increasing role of data and analytics in decision making, the move towards the cloud, the need for new skills and talent in IT, and the role that organizational culture plans in IT transformation.

Show Notes

Culture and organizational change management are crucial and must be addressed head-on. Join the Hackett Group as they trace the journey to world class performance on their Business Excelleration Podcast. In this episode, Chris Key welcomes on guests Mike Fuller and Jay Ruffin from the Hackett Group. They discuss technology innovation and digital transformation as it has accelerated, and the result in hastening the shift towards a digital operating model. As companies have begun to make this transition, the performance bar has gone up, and a new top performance potential has been created. You won’t want to miss this conversation!

Chris jumps right in by introducing the six identified areas in which digital world class organizations excel most—technology enablement, data and analytics, Cloud based modern architectures, operating level evolutions, overall innovation, and areas in talent and skills. First, Jay dives into technology enablement as he has seen it through their clients. With automating functions, API, and the drive to make business processes better, this digital realm has blown up. Digital world class companies have automated so much that they have a digital foundation built upon a data architecture that they can leverage—this ultimately has led to a democratization of data. Jay talks about some of the things they have done at the Hackett Group to help bridge the gap between fantasy and reality. Learn about their own framework creation for smart automation.

They take a moment to address the pandemic. During COVID, Jay shares about how automation has come into play so that companies are actually adding value, rather than only engaging in mundane activities. It is a race to win the battle of customer experience and add value to employees, building upon a foundation of data and analytics. Learn about Amazon’s digital transformation and the option they chose to upscale and train thousands of employees. Did the pandemic accelerate technology enablement initiatives that people had already started? Capitalizing on the momentum that gained during COVID, companies have proven that digital is the new normal, and online is the priority.

Next, hear from Mike on data and analytics, as he shares stories of organizations excelling in these areas. Companies are desiring predictive information to add great value. While this has been a key issue for many years, these areas have accelerated and improved dramatically in recent years. Sophisticated technology teams and talent in teams of data scientists are top priority. Learn more about data, how we are able to use it, and the underlying architecture that helps us get there. Mike discusses the Cloud and Cloud architecture. Digital adoption’s impact on value delivery and cost reduction has proven to be enabling. Listen to the finance and procurement correlation of impact with the increase of Cloud adoption. Efficiency and business value are the primary focuses today; the impact of investments in technology help to push for greater efficiency. What’s the next big thing? They talk about the future of being server-less.

As the episode draws to a close, they share about what the Hackett Group is working on and where they see clients sharing a vision for the future. As companies are changing operating models, and aligning towards product and platform centric models, hear about the work Hackett is doing in this space. What benefits accompany such a shift? Learn about the goal for more hybrid models. Culture and organizational change management dominate the conversation for older companies—of you can solve the culture challenge, you’ve solved the translation issue. How are their clients tackling the challenge of innovation and cultivating a culture for growth? Share a vision and establish value through leveraging innovation that disrupts the industry. See how the airline industry shifted during COVID to make customers happy, while also still staying in business. Finally, they remind the listeners not to overlook the importance of finding innovative thinkers with soft skills and talent. These professionals leave you with what are they seeing in terms of the areas in need, what trends are growing, and the demands surrounding architecture and data. Thanks for listening!

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Timestamps:

• 1:38 – Chris Key welcomes on guests Mike Fuller and Jay
• 1:52 – Six areas digital world-class organizations excel
• 2:13 – Jay dives into technology enablement
• 7:10 – The pandemic and technology
• 9:03 – Data and analytics
• 14:45 – How we are able to use data, and the underlying architecture
• 20:07 – What the Hackett Group is doing in this space
• 26:51 – How clients are tackling the challenges of innovation and cultivating culture
• 31:13 – Finding innovative thinkers
• 34:44 – Thank you