Digital transformation?

Dhe digital transformation is visibly reaching the Swiss economy: "A new generation of digital consumers is changing corporate models"; "Increased corporate investment in the areas of customer experience and process digitization is planned"; or "Intelligent information management is the new asset" were some of the invitation lines to this year's Information Management Forum (IM Forum) in Oerlikon. The forum, which has been providing well-founded answers to business challenges for years, focused last April on information management as the "new asset of the present" as well as disruptive upheavals, technological adjustments and maturing processes that companies must undergo in an increasingly dynamic environment.

"The next level of successful companies"
A forecast of how businesses might evolve was provided by leading futurologist and founder of future matters AG Lars Thomsen at the IM Forum "Executive Breakfast" on "Strategy Briefing Silicon Valley: The next level of successful companies."

The quintessence of his table speech: "We are facing upheavals, if not an epochal 'tipping point'. Who thought that artificial intelligence would spread so quickly? Computer programs that learn and think for themselves are making more and more routine tasks obsolete. Example: In Silicon Valley, you can already see cars without humans behind the wheel."

"Digitality," says Lars Thomsen, "brings out a whole new entrepreneurial autonomy and agility," such as those already being pushed by the end-to-end solutions of Ueber or Apple Pay. However, Swiss companies could also demonstrate innovation if they were to use know-how (courage, imagination, creativity, knowledge) as openly as possible. Lars Thomsen: "On the Google Campus, you don't close yourself off."

Digital processes are also on the minds of the 150 or so decision-makers at the Forum proper at the Swissôtel Zurich. Martin C. Wyss, Group Vice President (Process Automation Division IS Manager) ABB, for example, reported on how the digital transformation - including Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things - is affecting ABB. Umberto Sanchi, Global Head of Insurance Solutions, GFT, then presented intelligent enterprise information management for banks and fintech companies.

information governance
Panels with energy, insurance and banking executives discussed the extent to which new business models optimise customer demands. "Those who do not take into account the wishes of their customers are threatened with customer churn," announced a business member of GFT Switzerland. The afternoon focused on individual sectors and the question, "How agile is my company?" Independent of any business sector, Violeta Vogel, Head of Data Science, PostFinance AG, or Ivo Lehnherr, Owner/CEO, fsp Fugazza Steinmann Partner, expressed their views on developments: The intelligent analysis and processing of customer data creates new values, but requires the omnipresent inclusion of all users. Ivo Lehnherr: "Every company has to consider the value chain of products, devices or spare parts." Energy, insurance and business experts at the IM Forum agreed on one development: the requirements for information governance will increase.

2020 perspective
"Ultimately, it is about understanding increasingly complex systems, but also dealing with upheavals in the right way. We will have to redefine routine and work, whereby artificial intelligence should be used to the advantage, not the disadvantage, of those doing the work," Lars Thomsen concluded with his "Perspective 2020" in front of personalities from Swiss science and business.