Dr. Lwanga Martin Mwanje
When he attended his first Board meeting Mukalazi was surprised to find only a laptop placed before him. In one other Board where he sat he always had a huge file with a stack of heavy papers to go through. In this case after sending to him the papers on mail he was told not to come with anything. He found all the paper work laid out in soft copy folders. After the opening prayer he tapped on the screen and followed the discussion on the laptop computer before him.
“Is this what they call the Digital organization?” Mukalazi asked the Board chair at the end of the meeting, a term he was coming across occasionally.
“Yes, welcome to the Digital organization.”
The Digital organization is the new reality. Essentially, this is an organization that has embraced the use of technology in all its operations. Almost every least aspect of the organization is attuned to technology. But even more, also delivering products in digital form, as and whenever.
Early this year the billionaire newspaper tycoon Rupert Murdoch who runs over 100 local and regional newspapers in Australia announced they will all move on line or shut down completely. In Uganda New Vision Group has just announced her daily paper will start selling on line, part of a move to take most of her products into the digital space.
Partly as a result of cost cutting measures many organizations have taken advantage of technology to run their operations digitally. Meetings are being run on Zoom or Go Meeting. Paper is hardly used except as an exception.
There are two major drivers behind this digital drive. First, while initially the investment costs may be high, overall such technologies can reduce costs. By cutting out paper work for meetings, for instance, there is definitely costs saving.
Then there is also the changing demographics and how to reach particularly the below 25 age group. This age group which is in the majority has proved voracious at consuming digital products. While a much older group segment may find them a drag, the rising youth take digital products as the norm.
A bank today that does not have a digital platform would certainly have her days numbered. It is very clear not only from customer subscriptions but also revenue generation. Through avenues like on line banking much activity is being experienced enabling financial institutions operate even under pandemic travel restrictions.
The digital organization is certainly the way to go. It has come to stay. It requires every organization revisiting its strategy to see how it has embraced the digital landscape.
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