Thread by @Quirk_Solutions

Charles' aim is to move IT from just a support function to a driver of change.

Chris: Thinking holistically, it would be an opportune time to reflect on how companies can build #digitisation into a business-wide context, rather than just in the IT department.

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Charles: You can see the companies who have struggled and those who have been relatively ok. The ones who have invested in #digitisation have fared well. Many boards had talked about it but rarely do it. Many sites are overwhelmed as they can't cope with the volume. #QuirkWebinar

In terms of customer experience, it's not been good enough for many organisations. Quick access to information, automation, recognising who you are instantly are paramount. Customers expect more. Data security and handling payments are issues to look at too.

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Distribution centres are struggling to cope. Do they have enough manpower to fulfil these orders?

HMRC is a great example of how it can be done well. The government had been investing in digitisation for the last few yrs. GPs and video consultation. The tech exists #QuirkWebinar

Letting go of preconceived ideas of how it's been done before.

Waitrose invested time and money in their e-commerce capability. They've seen a 50% increase in online orders. 40% of total is serving vulnerable customers. Cash payments have reduced from 40 to 7% #QuirkWebinar

Companies rarely get involved in change unless there's a driving need to do so. This crisis is shifting us into a different way of operating.

Chris: Is cloud technology still vulnerable?

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No. It is very secure. The US military is comfortable using cloud technology. The capabilities are there. People do have reservations. Some of it comes from the IT community. Sometimes it takes stepping out of your comfort zone.
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What constrained Waitrose is not the tech and its ability to handle it. They simply don't have enough people to handle the volume. Health and hygiene has to be considered now too.

Sales are overselling. You need to think about the support functions elsewhere. #QuirkWebinar

Here is the McKinsey article that Chris mentioned:

mckinsey.com/business-funct…

What should companies do to enable this newly imagined future? #QuirkWebinar

Investing during the last recession enabled a lot of companies to survive and thrive. Digitisation is beyond the point where it is inevitable. Customers expect it. We all shop online. It's now normal, easy and expected. This applies to b2b relationships.

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The economic impact will take a long time to work through. Businesses need to prepare for a long period of change. It will be unpredictable. There is no playbook. Ask: how you can make your business agile, enable it to react quickly? Make small, constant changes.
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Your aspiration should be that you can respond in real-time.

Question: The C-suite needs to be more digital. To what extent is digital progress being held back by boards, who don't understand the technology? #QuirkWebinar

C-suite needs to be more technology literate. It can't just be outsourced. It needs to be integrated.

"Experts create bystanders." People switch off and so don't develop their tech knowledge. #QuirkWebinar

The planning process should be collaborative, not descriptive. All departments have to be involved. Planning has to be integrative.

Digitisation: what you should avoid doing is introducing a 'shinier' version of what you've always done before.

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Take a step back and think about your propositions.

Your product is great but how do you want to sell it? The way in which you engage with your customers will change.

Rethinking your whole organisation in the future. How you can restructure and enable shifts? #QuirkWebinar

Q: Other examples of companies that have developed and reacted well.

Capita has a huge push to automate. A company with a new prescreening process for recruitment. They found 3 opportunities:
- setting up a client
- drag on their business chasing candidates
- the operation

You go from 3 months setup time to a few minutes with just a click of a button.

Automating processes as much as possible.

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Chris' book recommendation: "Team of Teams" by Stanley McCrystal

The benefits of using systems that work better together.

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How do you transition from the old ways of operating to a new world?
Working collaboratively and with multi-disciplinary teams who will be impacted by the change. Thinking about agile businesses: they work together every day in the same office space on same problems #QuirkWebinar

'The Agile Manifesto'

Taking small steps, flushing out the problems quickly with an eye on capability.

Akin to Integrated Project Teams from the military.

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It's about that collaborative work. It's not giving a problem to the IT department and asking them to fix it. There isn't an IT solution to the immediate problem, rather it's the IT department that could offer back advice on how the organisation could operate #QuirkWebinar

Tech companies who are successful are obsessed with their customer.

They respond to what their customers are saying.

What is the data telling you?
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Develop proof points.

Getting out and test it with customers is crucial for any business.

Are the effects you want actually being achieved?

Collect those data points.

Rinse, Repeat. BE AMBITIOUS.
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Sense check as you go along. These teams often run on a 2-week cycle. It's about small, confident steps.

No plan survives contact with reality.

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