Lately organizations have been struggling to make sense of too much information, too many digital tools and deeply entrenched ways of doing business that were developed decades ago. It seemed almost impossible to make the commitment to plan for and invest in the digital future. And then came the pandemic. Suddenly, it’s absolutely necessary that organizations fully embrace the digital future because… it’s here.

The last few weeks have sharply illuminated the need for digital enablement for all business regardless of the industry. Digital enablement is about looking at current ways of doing business and putting into place more effective ways to prepare for the future, using the most relevant technology available. Especially in these challenging and rapidly changing times, organizations are focused on reducing risk, increasing revenue, and reducing costs, all the while improving customer experience. This is a very tall order and requires strategic focus on key organizational goals and objectives. We need to think about why are in business today and work to make sure we will be in business tomorrow.

These days all organizations need to collect, store, manage and use data. The biggest challenge facing many organizations is understanding the cost associated with these data related activities. We don’t hesitate to invest in collecting, storing and using data and as a result we have more data and more applications than ever before. But what is the return on our investments in data? What business goals are we trying to achieve and where do we really need to focus? How much would we save if we stopped some activities that don’t help us meet our goals? As many of us are trying to keep our communities, loved ones and ourselves safe and healthy by staying home, perhaps we have some time to think about these important questions. 

Ready or not, the digital future is here... today. For those of us who have been part of virtual teams for years or even decades, mandated or self-imposed work from home policies may not be as challenging as for those who are used to defined work environments. There are many tools available to support you and your teams to rise to the challenge. Here are some tools that you may find useful… it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Resources/tools to support working remotely:

• Connecting with others: Zoom Google Hangouts WhatsApp Skype
• Collaborating in teams: Microsoft Teams Slack Confluence Trello Strategyzer

Finding the path towards digital enablement means being curious about and exploring insights from everyday challenges. In the last week alone I’ve initiated, been asked to take part in and learned about several new digital ventures to support remote engagement among teams, decision makers and families. I can’t wait to see all the amazing digital solutions we come up with to address today’s pandemic related challenges. These solutions will help shape the future for our health systems, communities, economies and relationships. Let’s work together to bring the digital future more clearly into focus… today. 

#DigitalTransition #DigitalEnablement #DigitalFuture #Remotework

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