The Innovation Ultimatum

7Align Your Automation Strategy with Your Corporate Purpose

The digital revolution has transformed every industrial sector. Over the last 40 years, businesses deployed computers to improve productivity, boost operational efficiency, reduce cost, and connect with customers in new ways. To remain competitive, businesses embraced wave after wave of computing innovation: mainframes, minicomputers, PCs, multimedia PCs, the internet, mobile devices, and cloud computing. Offices deployed spreadsheets, word processing, email, CRMs, ERP, and all manner of enterprise software. Manufacturers installed computer-controlled equipment, computer-aided design, and robotics. Adoption was more limited in other sectors—farming, retail, hospitality, construction, and to some extent healthcare—where much of the work remained physical in nature.

In the 2020s, every business in every industry will have to embrace new technology to stay ahead of the game. No exceptions, including former slow adopters. Every industry will reimagine how they operate, how they serve customers, and how they create value. Every business, including yours, will need to build new strategies that trample the old playbook and challenge long-held maxims.

Automation Is Inevitable: Make Sure You Get It Right

AI and advanced robotics will automate more physical work and some knowledge work, too. To remain competitive, every organization will automate or semi-automate every business process. Technology will augment and extend ...