Accenture: Digital Economy Success Starts with People

It's one of those ideas that's almost too simple to take seriously; Accenture recently released their Technology Vision 2016 report, which noted that the winners in a digital economy will be those firms that put people first. Though it sounds too simple to be believed, it's really a summary of a much bigger idea.

The Accenture study identified five key areas that make up the notion of “people first.” The first is intelligent automation; as people have seen with years of automation, sometimes it's not even particularly bright, let alone intelligent. The intelligent use of automation, including machine learning and embedded artificial intelligence, is fundamental to growth, and 70 percent of survey respondents are making increasing investment on this front.

A “liquid workforce” was next on the menu, not only a workforce that could work from anywhere, but also on anything. The idea of “deep expertise for the specialized task at hand” rated lower in importance than “the ability to quickly learn” or “the ability to shift gears.” A move to platform-based business models also came in, as 81 percent of respondents expected platform-based modeling to be a central part of operations within three years.

All this rapid movement ensures disruption, and getting some predictability will therefore become important as the lines between markets become blurred and companies that were formerly specialists in one market become practitioners of several at once. Finally, the notion of “digital trust” would be paramount, and require not only bolstered security, but also a clear visible practice of digital ethics.

The course of the digital economy is constantly changing, and only the most up-to-date information will help navigate it. Get that information at ITEXPO, which is currently running through January 28 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. Running on Wednesday, January 27 at 3:30 pm is a presentation called “Connect, Engage, Collaborate: Building and Sustaining an Audience in a Social World” that will offer further insight on how to draw together that potential market.

Naturally, all of these will be part of a digital economy winner, and throwing in a few others like having the best customer experience and delivering a quality product customers want will also be part of the equation, regardless of what the product actually is. From goods to services, people need things, and getting access to these things online is the biggest part of a digital economy. The winners here are those who best pull in the users, and get the most out of same, and that takes a clear ability to keep a lot of plates spinning all at once.

Winners in a digital economy are likely not to be winners for long, thanks to a rapidly changing landscape. A few basic principles, though, can help keep even former winners in the place and show lists, and these days, even a partial victory might be victory enough to keep ahead of competitors.