Both the way we do business and customer expectations have changed rapidly over the past years. The need for agile delivery and development is propelling the so-called ‘digital transformation’, with the ambition to cut lead times.
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Barco’s Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO) Marc Spenlé shares his vision on the digital transformation and what it means for Barco.
For many people, digital transformation means shifting the work that used to be done by humans towards computers and machines. Is it that simple?
No, not at all. In fact, digital transformation is primarily a transition in the way people think. It doesn’t make much sense to digitize the traditional processes. People need to look at the job to be done and imagine how a computer would do it most efficiently, rather than think how a person would do it and then digitize that way of working. It’s a complete shift in mindset.
The objective of the digital transformation is to better reflect the customer expectations when doing business. Agility is the keyword here, as customers want the same experience in a B-to-B context as they know from their B-to-C interactions. If customers are used to ordering things and receiving them at home the next day, they will never accept to wait a full week to get a quote.
So the operational efficiency is driven by customer expectations?
I’m a dedicated evangelist of the ‘servant leadership’ principle, in which leaders put the needs of the employees first and help them to perform.
Actually, everything is driven by customer expectations. The ‘I know what my customer needs’ approach that is embedded in so many business leaders, no longer applies. If a customer doesn’t need something, he will not buy it. Plus, it needs to be available at the moment the customer wants it. In other words, manufacturers are no longer in a position to scan the market, make a business case, develop a product for more than a year, and then bring it to the market and expect to wow the world. People will have moved on by then. So as a company you need to be constantly innovating, developing while the market evolves, and have the solution ready when people need it. A cloud strategy is therefore very important, as it allows very quick deployment.
What is needed to turn a company around?
You need an organization that fosters increased focus. Smaller teams help to increase efficiency and make responsibilities clearer. Working with one large team on a new development, for a long period of time, is proven to be less efficient, because the increased complexity disallows agility. Small teams, working together following the sprint-methodology with a delivery every 2 weeks, are very agile and productive. There is an increased team spirit and feeling of responsibility, which helps to propel the development forward. And this feeling of progress is what motivates people, making them proud of their efforts. I’m a dedicated evangelist of the ‘servant leadership’ principle, in which leaders put the needs of the employees first and help them to perform. This differs from traditional leadership, in which the staff serves the leader. Scrum and Agile management methods are examples of servant leadership.
I feel that at Barco we are taking great steps in the right direction. We have great people, and the introduction of sprint processes in several teams has given very good results. Of course, there is still a road ahead of us … I’m dedicated to helping this company take the next important steps.
You need an organization that fosters increased focus. Smaller teams help to increase efficiency and make responsibilities clearer. Working with one large team on a new development, for a long period of time, is proven to be less efficient, because the increased complexity disallows agility. Small teams, working together following the sprint-methodology with a delivery every 2 weeks, are very agile and productive. There is an increased team spirit and feeling of responsibility, which helps to propel the development forward. And this feeling of progress is what motivates people, making them proud of their efforts. I’m a dedicated evangelist of the ‘servant leadership’ principle, in which leaders put the needs of the employees first and help them to perform. This differs from traditional leadership, in which the staff serves the leader. Scrum and Agile management methods are examples of servant leadership.
I feel that at Barco we are taking great steps in the right direction. We have great people, and the introduction of sprint processes in several teams has given very good results. Of course, there is still a road ahead of us … I’m dedicated to helping this company take the next important steps.
What is needed to turn a company around?
I’m a dedicated evangelist of the ‘servant leadership’ principle, in which leaders put the needs of the employees first and help them to perform.
Actually, everything is driven by customer expectations. The ‘I know what my customer needs’ approach that is embedded in so many business leaders, no longer applies. If a customer doesn’t need something, he will not buy it. Plus, it needs to be available at the moment the customer wants it. In other words, manufacturers are no longer in a position to scan the market, make a business case, develop a product for more than a year, and then bring it to the market and expect to wow the world. People will have moved on by then. So as a company you need to be constantly innovating, developing while the market evolves, and have the solution ready when people need it. A cloud strategy is therefore very important, as it allows very quick deployment.
So the operational efficiency is driven by customer expectations?
No, not at all. In fact, digital transformation is primarily a transition in the way people think. It doesn’t make much sense to digitize the traditional processes. People need to look at the job to be done and imagine how a computer would do it most efficiently, rather than think how a person would do it and then digitize that way of working. It’s a complete shift in mindset.
The objective of the digital transformation is to better reflect the customer expectations when doing business. Agility is the keyword here, as customers want the same experience in a B-to-B context as they know from their B-to-C interactions. If customers are used to ordering things and receiving them at home the next day, they will never accept to wait a full week to get a quote.
For many people, digital transformation means shifting the work that used to be done by humans towards computers and machines. Is it that simple?
Barco’s Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO) Marc Spenlé shares his vision on the digital transformation and what it means for Barco.
Both the way we do business and customer expectations have changed rapidly over the past years. The need for agile delivery and development is propelling the so-called ‘digital transformation’, with the ambition to cut lead times.
