NEW FUTURE BUILDING A - Astea
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
JOIN T
Visit www.architectureandgovernance.com COMMUNHE
IT Y
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2 magazine
BUILDING A
NEW FUTURE
The End of the ERP?
The Parallels Between
Architecture and
the Building Industry
Intelligent Operations,
Real-Time Decision Making
and the Business
of the Future
FROM THE EDITOR
PUBLISHER
Building a New Future
Nikki Glaser in the World of EA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
George S. Paras BY GEORGE S. PARAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Holt Hackney
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I n this issue, we take a snapshot of the future in tech-
nology, through the lens of enterprise architecture.
In the first article, author David F. Giannetto writes
Monte Rummer
about “The End of the ERP,” focusing on “how technol-
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
ogy change is redefining the role of ERP applications.”
The Roberts Group
Inevitably, the decision will come down to a stra-
Architecture & Governance tegic choice. Those companies that chose a more pro-
12301 Research Blvd. gressive, customer-oriented strategy will be forced to
Building V, Suite 101
adopt a best-of- breed approach. Those companies that
seek to lead in highly competitive markets will also lean in the same di-
Austin TX 78759
rection. This will give them the best chance of moving beyond traditional
512-536-6270 business models, staying ahead of the competition and differentiating their
www.ArchitectureandGovernance.com
products and services. But many companies and industries still rely primarily
upon price, or upon the pure strength of their products, to compete. These
Architecture & Governance
Magazine is a publication of will be able to remain more wedded to traditional ERP applications, at least
Planview. Entire contents © 2018 until someone in their industry turns the table on them. A&G
Planview. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of this publication GEORGE S. PARAS is editor-in-chief of A&G and an EA mentor at EAdirections. Read
in any form without prior written his blog at eadirections.com.
permission is forbidden. The
information contained herein has
been obtained from sources believed
to be reliable. Planview disclaims
all warranties as to the accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy of such
information. The opinions expressed
herein are those of the authors, and
are subject to change without notice.
SIGN UP TODAY!
THIS ISSUE 2 From the Editor 3 The End of the ERP? 7 The Parallels Between Architecture and the
Building Industry 10 Intelligent Operations, Real-Time Decision Making and the Business of the
Future 12 A&G Calendar
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 2
The End of the ERP?
How technology it is the very nature of the ERPs themselves. Perhaps
the logical design at the heart of ERPs simply isn’t well
change is redefining suited to meet the rapidly changing demands of what
businesses now require in their rapidly changing mar-
the role of ERP kets—and try as they might, organizations cannot force
them to.
applications In many organizations, enterprise-level application
selection is still highly influenced by IT. For IT leaders
mega-vendors such as SAP and Oracle are the logical
By David F. Giannetto
choice. If nothing else, they are the safe choice—few
CIOs and CTOs get fired for designing their enterprise
C omputer Weekly states that most SAP projects have
a 50 percent chance of failure. Resulting IT, an
SAP advisory service, surveyed 105 SAP project owners
architecture around a market leader. But business lead-
ers who fail to meet revenue and profitability goals of-
ten do get fired, and pointing at multiyear ERP projects
to find that 52 percent were over budget. Few people
as the problem will rarely save them. The choice then
who’ve worked on ERP implementations would be sur-
becomes a question of who should be selecting the en-
prised by these statistics. Why is it then that one of the
terprise technology most responsible for driving orga-
world’s most popular enterprise resource planning appli-
nizational performance—IT or the business? It is the
cations so frequently fails to meet the needs of today’s
classic “stack-shop” versus best-of-breed battle taking
leading organizations?
place on the rapidly changing landscape businesses are
It can’t be maturity. SAP ERP is based upon 1992
now forced to compete upon.
R/3 technology, and Oracle’s ERP, EBS, was first released
in 2001. It can’t be lack of expertise. ERP developers MORE ON PAGE 4
can be found in every corner of the globe. Perhaps then,
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 3
THE END OF THE ERP?
A&G
Cloud has taken away the ●● Integration. Choosing best-of-breed applications
has always had one major drawback: integration. In
advantage mega-vendors once had, the past, IT could always rely upon the complexi-
ties, and cost, of integration to scare the business
leveling the playing field for many into agreement. But today people are used to seeing
their social profile, phone contacts, and personal
applications—if those applications data shared seamlessly across a wide variety of often
very different online applications (even if they
can all easily work together the would rather it wasn’t). They see the same flow of
data between business platforms, applications, and
same way broad ERPs do. websites. Integration has become a natural part of
life and a competitive necessity, and it too is also
piggybacking off of the move toward the cloud.
Microsoft Azure, Amazon, and even Google are
MAJOR TRENDS DRIVING A NEW THOUGHT
locked in an application arms race that makes more
PROCESS
standard connectors and cloud middleware available
Every new technology creates a leap forward in capabili- every month. Smart software vendors are taking
ties. But it also triggers more subtle shifts in attitudes on advantage of this, and with the integration concern
traditional topics. As what was once thought of as pro- mitigated, the conversation more squarely focuses
gressive becomes mainstream, it shifts the power away on what application will bring greater value.
from IT experts and often creates conflict between IT ●● A focus on value. Value was once an intangible
and the business, where senior leadership is often vying term, and perhaps for start-ups in emerging tech-
for political power. This is especially true right now on nology industries it still is, but for the majority of
the topic of who should lead technology changes that companies in mature industries, value now directly
directly drive business performance: equates to revenue. This is forcing companies
●● Cloudy with a chance of change. It is easy to focus to look at the ERP versus best-of-breed decision
on the obvious benefits of the cloud: high availabil- MORE ON PAGE 5
ity and scalability, built in back-up and redundancy,
and the simplification of internal architecture. But
the hidden benefit of putting enterprise applica- The more forward thinking the
tions in the cloud is the simplification of IT staff-
ing. In-house IT experts who understand how each business leadership, the more likely
application uses infrastructure are no longer needed.
While this is beneficial to the overall organization, they are to lean toward applications
it leaves IT with an unclear role. IT experts now
add more value as advisors, allowing the business designed by best-of-breed
to make application choices based upon functional
needs. Business leaders have been happy to take vendors who have the expertise to
this responsibility on, since it has such a significant
impact upon their success. This has opened the door understand the nuances of their
to an in-depth analysis of how each application
meets the organization’s current and future needs. industry—not a strength of ERP
Cloud has taken away the advantage mega-vendors
once had, leveling the playing field for many ap- applications that seek to appeal to
plications—if those applications can all easily work
together the same way broad ERPs do. the masses across all industries.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 4
THE END OF THE ERP?
A&G
through a new lens where IT is a cost center whose Inevitably, the decision will come down to a strategic
primary responsibility is to help the business chart choice. Those companies that chose a more progressive,
a road map toward ever-increasingly greater profit- customer-oriented strategy will be forced to adopt a best-
ability and differentiation. For the business, it is a of-breed approach. Those companies that seek to lead
matter of giving its personnel the tools that will al- in highly competitive markets will also lean in the same
low them to most effectively drive revenue, reduce direction. This will give them the best chance of mov-
expense, and improve the customer experience.
ing beyond traditional business models, staying ahead of
This was the original intent of ERPs: planning to
the competition and differentiating their products and
use the enterprise resources in the most effective
way possible. But the very nature of best-of-breed services. But many companies and industries still rely
technology makes it more effective at doing this primarily upon price, or upon the pure strength of their
than broad ERPs, and as a result, the business is products, to compete. These will be able to remain more
naturally drawn toward this technology. To those on wedded to traditional ERP applications, at least until
the frontline trying to differentiate themselves day someone in their industry turns the table on them.
in and day out, ERPs have become back office auto- Regardless of the path down which an organization
mation. And an efficient back office might reduce travels, IT will always play an important role in the se-
expense, but it rarely adds value in the eyes of ever lection of enterprise architecture. Only they can vet ap-
more demanding customers. plication design and architecture, and assess the stability
●● Differentiation. Functionally oriented enterprise- and scalability of on-premises or cloud infrastructures.
level best-of-breed solutions will always offer deeper The business does trust that IT will help it effectively
and more robust operational functionality. That is manage risk, even if it may find its IT leadership a bit
the value proposition they are based upon. But busi- too conservative to help it achieve revenue goals that
ness leaders also have limited resources and have are rarely conservative. IT leaders might feel slighted,
been conditioned to know that each new applica- or prone to let the business go it on its own if it really
tion—on-premises or in the cloud—adds expense. wants to make IT decisions, but this too is changing in
The mega-vendor reputation for failure and project the world’s best companies. They understand that to
overruns has eroded the perceived advantage of sim-
succeed in an era where technology is advancing faster
plification that they have traditionally had, but it is
than any other area of business, IT leaders who under-
still a question of what is necessary for an operation
to effectively compete, not what they would ideally stand their business and can give good advice and guid-
want. This means that the more forward thinking ance might just decide not only who succeeds, but who
the business leadership, the more likely they are to survives. A&G
lean toward applications designed by best-of-breed
vendors who have the expertise to understand the
DAVID F. GIANNETTO is
nuances of their industry—not a strength of ERP the author of two books
applications that seek to appeal to the masses across on how enterprise-level
all industries. technology drives business
performance, including his
A QUESTION OF STRATEGY latest Big Social Mobile
(Palgrave Macmillan).
Given a choice, every business would pick a combina- He is the COO of Astea
tion of best-of-breed applications to run their business— International and has been
and perhaps that is what the enterprise architecture of named a business thought-
leader by the American
the future will look like. But for now, most IT organiza- Management Association,
tions will fight this inevitability with all of their political Business Finance Magazine,
muscles. and Consumer Goods Technology Magazine.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 5
Enterprise Architecture graduate
programs—online
Degrees shaped by EA industry leaders and offered 100%
online for professionals:
• Master of Professional Studies in
Enterprise Architecture
• Graduate Certificate in Enterprise
Architecture
• Graduate Certificate in Enterprise
Information and Security
Technology Architecture
Take the next step:
worldcampus.psu.edu/ea
U.Ed. OUT 18-WC-0588/sms/smb
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 6
The Parallels Between
ARCHITECTURE AND THE
BUILDING INDUSTRY
By Neil Rerup
T here’s a shift going on in architecture today, and it’s rooted in the base
function of IT. The function of IT is, at its core, to build and then main-
tain solutions to problems. Ignore the technologies for a second and focus
on that core functionality—“build and maintain.” When you wonder where
that shift is going to take you, start by looking at other industries that parallel
the “build and maintain” core functionality.
The IT industry, as it’s structured today, has been around since the mid-
1980s. Sure, there were mainframes before that but, with the development
of the personal computer, IT became
something much more adaptable and
modular. Honestly, it’s a really young
industry. The advent of networking
begin in the early 1990s, and then
the Internet came of age in the late
1990s. So, really, IT is only around 30
years old.
Now what industry parallels the
core functionality of “build and main-
tain” that is much older? The building
industry does. The parallels between
the building industry and the IT in-
dustry are extremely close. Both in-
dustries have their architects, though
they focus on different technologies.
Both have a core group of “property
developers,” but in IT’s case, we are
talking about the CIO and IT man-
agement. The general contractor in IT is the project manager. The trades-
people in the building industry parallel the administrators and the coders in
IT. And, once a solution has been built, there is a need to maintain the end
result, which is typically done by outsourcers.
No, if we want to know where this shift is taking us, don’t look at the
technologies. Technologies will change continuously over time. Rather, look
at how solutions are put into place and then compare the building and the
IT industries. The building industry follows a business model where the prop-
erty developers, who have property they want to develop, will hire a building
MORE ON PAGE 8
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 7
THE PARALLELS BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILDING INDUSTRY
A&G
architect to create a design, and then the building archi- So where does that leave the architect? Let’s look at
tect will provide oversight over the general contractor the building industry again. In the building industry, the
to ensure the design is implemented properly. developer will hire an architect who will put together
In IT, we currently see architects being hired on a the designs for the end product. In IT, I believe the shift
“time and materials” basis for various projects. If an or- will be to a similar model. Enterprises (or the outsourc-
ganization has enough projects, the IT architect will be ers) will end up hiring the architect to create the design
a function brought in-house as an employee. But, pre- and then provide oversight with the outsourcer to make
dominantly, architects are a function used on a contrac- sure the solution is implemented appropriately.
tual basis specifically on projects. And, again, paid on The architects may or may not focus on specific
a “time and materials” basis. That, my friends, is where product suites, and there are pros and cons to either ap-
the shift is coming from. proach. If you focus on a specific company’s products, you
Outsourcing has been going on for quite a while be- can get really good at delivering those products. But not
cause enterprises have realized that their core function- all companies will want those products and, let’s face it,
ality isn’t IT, it’s whatever their market niche is. The IT there are few “one size fits all” technology products. The
function is something that is better done by someone other approach is that you focus on the requirements of
outside the organization. But outsourcing is associated the customer and then find the best fit. It may take a lit-
with the “manage” aspect of IT. It parallels the building tle longer to implement, but there’s a higher alignment
maintenance organizations that you find in the build- of the end solution with the customer’s requirements.
ing industry, and it charges a “fixed fee” for specific ac- So, if this is an accurate view on what the business
tivities. Want a new server instance created? Here’s the model will end up being, what will happen next for IT
charge. Want a firewall managed? Here’s your monthly architects?
cost. Well, building architects bill based on projects rather
The “build’’ is typically done by a solution provider than time and materials. It’s a “fixed fee” charge model.
that focuses on delivering projects. But the solution pro- You already see this type of fee structure in larger proj-
vider ends up having to work with the outsourcer to get ects that solution providers deliver. Why wouldn’t ar-
technologies implemented. As a result, you get the solu- chitects be charging in the same manner? I can hear the
tion provider and the outsourcer fighting because they arguments already. “Architects do all sorts of different
both have a stake in the game and they are both typi- activities” and “No project is the same as the next proj-
cally rather inflexible. It’s also the reason why many out- ect,” and so on.
sourcers are using the “management of boxes” as a way of
getting the much more profitable projects. They’ll know MORE ON PAGE 9
about the need for a project long before a solution pro-
vider does.
Now, if you have standardized processes and templates,
and you combine that with architects being a function
that is brought on by “developers” on a project by project
basis, isn’t that a foundation for an architecture firm?
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 8
THE PARALLELS BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILDING INDUSTRY
A&G
But is that true? Yes and no. Yes, projects are differ- ments are done. Again, these are things that have
ent each time. But the WAY you deliver projects will been done by contractors. You can’t tell me that you
be consistent. It’s the reason why we have architecture haven’t seen one of the Big 4 consulting companies
frameworks like TOGAF and Zachman. So if the way come in to create strategies for your organization.
you deliver is the same, doesn’t that mean you should Isn’t that, at its heart, what enterprise architecture
be able to standardize processes and templates and have is, regardless of the domain?
rough estimates of how long it will take to deliver cer- ●● The Project Delivery layer is what the solution archi-
tain artifacts? tect would do. If you look at the standard waterfall
And before you argue with that, I will point out that methodology, you’d have things like requirements
most enterprises that have architecture practices inter- gathering, vendor selection (though this could be
nally do exactly that—they make use of standardized done at the Strategy Layer if you are following a
templates and processes in order to have some consis- best-suite approach for your organization), solu-
tency of deliverables. tion architectures, test plans, and build documents
(amongst others).
Now, if you have standardized processes and tem-
plates, and you combine that with architects being a Every activity that I’ve identified is something that
function that is brought on by “developers” on a project typically can have a standardized template and that you
by project basis, isn’t that a foundation for an architec- do the same way each time. If you do it the same way
ture firm? They have that in the building industry; de- each time, then you have a standardized process and can
velopers go to architecture firms for their designs, and give a rough estimate on the effort for each activity. And
the architecture firms charge fixed fees for end solutions. THAT is the basis for providing “architecture as a ser-
So why not in the IT industry? The only reason that vice” for a fixed fee.
it hasn’t caught on yet is because of how young the IT So, architecture is shifting, and it’s shifting away
industry is. from the enterprise to a business model where IT man-
Now that we’ve agreed that architecture will end up agement will hire architecture firms to deliver architec-
as something that the enterprise’s IT management will ture artifacts and provide oversight while their designs
bring in, let’s talk about some of the artifacts that the IT are implemented by the outsourcers. The only ques-
architect delivers. The logical grouping of those artifacts tion now is who will be the Arthur Erickson of the IT
may determine if you are talking about an enterprise ar- industry? A&G
chitect or a solution architect. The domain architect
will do the same things, regardless of whether they are
NEIL RERUP is a leading cybersecurity expert and
an application architect or a security architect or an in- strategic IT security advisor to many of North America’s
frastructure architect. Those activities end up being the most important companies, utilities, and other entities
services that you deliver. requiring cutting-edge systems
and processes to protect their
There are three logical layers of activities.
intellectual property, business
●● The Governance Layer is typically owned by the information, and customer
chief architect or the enterprise’s IT management. data. An enterprise security
architect and cybersecurity
That’s where you talk about architecture policies entrepreneur, Rerup is the
and standards, architecture guidance documents, founder/CEO of Vancouver-
and architecture principles. This layer provides the based Enterprise CyberSecurity
oversight over lower levels like architecture strategy Architects (ECSA), where he
activities or project architecture activities. And leads a strategy team that
designs and implements IT
please don’t tell me you haven’t seen those func-
security defenses, provides IT
tions being filled by contractors. security architectural services,
●● The Program and Strategy layer is where things like and otherwise supports the cybersecurity defense
efforts of enterprise clients. He is also the author of
key decision documents, architecture strategies and Hands-On Cybersecurity for Architects, scheduled for
road maps, white papers, and current state assess- August 2018 release (Packt).
INTELLIGENT
OPERATIONS,
REAL-TIME DECISION
MAKING AND
THE
BUSINESS
OF THE
FUTURE
By Debbie Polishook concerned with disruption and competitive threats, es-
pecially from new digitally savvy market entrants.
B usinesses should embrace real-time, insight-led de-
cision making and what Accenture is calling “Intel-
ligent Operations” if they are to be fit for the future. This
Data holds the key to addressing these threats. When
collected and analyzed in the right way, data can yield
new insights for unlocking efficiency and innovation.
was the conclusion of a new research study that Accen- However, the report reveals that most organizations are
ture undertook with services research specialist HfS1. currently unable to make data-driven decisions due to a
The reason is that the pace and scale of change have paucity of skills and the lack of technology to properly
accelerated to such an extent that businesses that fail to manage the vast amounts of diverse data they encoun-
transform their operations and processes will struggle to ter. For nearly 80 percent of organizations in the survey,
keep up. Today, business agility is a key driver of success 50 to 90 percent of data is reported as unstructured and
and one that no business can afford to ignore. largely inaccessible.
The report goes on to suggest that these inefficien-
WHAT’S DRIVING CHANGE? cies are exacerbated by poor integration between the
The numbers from the research are stark and serve to back, middle, and front offices within many enterprises.
highlight just how important operational changes are for In fact, half of the organizations we spoke to reported
businesses across all industries of all sizes. In fact, the re- that their back office is not keeping pace with front of-
search suggests that the move to Intelligent Operations fice requirements to support digital capabilities and meet
is fast becoming a make-or-break proposition for organi- evolving customer expectations.
zations, with 80 percent of respondents saying they are In some respects, these challenges are all just different
1. See More. Do More. Be More. The Future Belongs to Intelligent Opera-
tions, Accenture/HfS, 2018 MORE ON PAGE 11
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 10INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS, REAL-TIME DECISION MAKING AND THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE
A&G
facets of the same problem: how organizations can seamlessly source, on-
board, integrate, and use high volumes of structured and unstructured
data across their organization. Businesses that solve this challenge will
be best placed to create compelling customer experiences, effortlessly
adjust to change, and operate efficiently.
The Future Belongs to Intelligent Operations
FIVE STEPS TO INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO
This is where Intelligent Operations come into play. Intelligent Opera- INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS LINK
tions combine new advances in technology with process innovation and Those organizations that harness diverse data driven by
applied intelligence and human ingenuity to empower
insight-led decision making, superior customer
a solid focus on talent. Businesses that embed Intelligent Operations will experiences and breakthrough business outcomes.
become agile by design with the ability to draw on real-time processes,
human ingenuity, and data to realize exceptional customer experiences WHY NOW?
In today’s increasingly disruptive and complex world, change comes quickly,
and business outcomes. They will be able to pivot on a dime and make turning current operational best practices into tomorrow’s liabilities.
the very best decision each time to drive efficiency, innovation, and, 80% 80% 50%
ultimately, growth. Nearly 80% are concerned
with disruption and
Almost 80% estimate that
50%-90% of their data
50% say their back
office is not keeping
We have built a list of five initial steps for getting to Intelligent competitive threats. is unstructured and
largely inaccessible.
pace with requirements.
Operations:
THE FIVE ESSENTIALS OF
1 Transform your talent strategy: Soon, businesses will need access to INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS
a new mix of talent including designers, digital technicians, busi-
#1
ness process experts, and industry specialists. Organizations should INNOVATIVE
TALENT
50% 1/2
review their talent strategies in the light of this need. A good place Organizations need creative and
entrepreneurial talent who understand
digital technologies, industry and
Top workforce
requirements today:
50% creativity,
But nearly half believe
HR talent acquisition is
not keeping up with the
to start is by running trials of more agile talent sourcing models
functional priorities. entrepreneurial spirit. needs of the business.
Do you have the right talent to navigate the future?
that draw on the growing pool of freelance and contract labor.
#2
These models allow enterprises to flex their workforce in-line with DATA-DRIVEN 92% 80%
BACKBONE
market demand and provide access to scarce but essential skills. Structured and unstructured data
across internal and external
For 92% predictive
decisions based
But almost 80%
estimate that 50% to
ecosystems is the backbone
Businesses should also review their internal training strategies to
on real-time data 90% of their data is
for breakthrough insights. are a key driver unstructured and
impacting business. largely inaccessible.
Can you get to the right data to drive real transformation?
ensure that workers are being given new skills aligned with business
requirements. #3
APPLIED
LINK
90% 50%
INTELLIGENCE
2 Invest in a data-driven backbone: Capturing the “exhaust” data Integrated Automation,
Smart Analytics, and
Artificial Intelligence can
Nearly 90% believe
automation and AI will
help them achieve their
Over 50% stated it
takes months or years
for business functions
from business processes to inform current performance and improve
help transform operations. business goals. to change in response
to business needs.
Are you deploying applied intelligence to innovate faster?
future operations is essential. Enterprises need to collect, store,
#4
process, deploy, and monetize diverse data sets. Our research found LEVERAGING THE 90% 49%
POWER OF THE CLOUD
that over 85 percent of enterprises are developing a strategy around Cloud ties together all the ingredients
of Intelligent Operations integrating Over 90% expect
cloud-enabled
But 49% still have
legacy technology
diverse data, across platforms in
data aggregation, data lakes, or data curation as well as mechanisms
capabilities. across half their
a secure environment. enterprise functions.
Is your infrastructure agile and flexible to anticipate
for turning data into insights and then actions—these organizations customer requirements?
will forge ahead of the competition. #5
SMART PARTNERSHIP 90% 46%
ECOSYSTEM
3 Invest in automation, analytics, and AI: Applied Intelligence is the The ecosystem brings complementary
skill sets and new technologies to Over 90% said working 46% said new ways
intersection of automation, analytics, and AI. These emerging
with partners will help of partnering across the
drive innovation. them meet their ecosystem is a top-three
business objectives. talent need.
technologies are the future, and soon no business will be able to Are you establishing smart partnerships and
leveraging their innovation potential?
succeed without them. In our research, nearly 90 percent of the
businesses we spoke to believe that Applied Intelligence will be ADAPT, TRANSFORM
fundamentally important for transforming their operations. Enter- OR BE LEFT BEHIND
www.accenture.com/IntelligentOperations
Source: The Future Belongs to Intelligent Operations, 460 enterprise respondents survey, 2017, HfS Research and Accenture.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
MORE ON PAGE 12
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 11INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS, REAL-TIME DECISION MAKING AND THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE
A&G
prises must put data at the core of what they do and at their existing ecosystem and consider whether
leverage the full spectrum of Applied Intelligence to any of these relationships can deliver more value
unlock unique insights and operational efficiencies. through closer collaboration. Businesses should
This human-machine capability is required to drive also identify gaps in their capabilities and then
innovation. The sooner businesses start experiment- weigh whether these can be best solved through in-
ing with their data, the sooner they will be able to house development or by collaborating with a new
realize significant value from these technologies. partner.
4 Embrace the cloud: With market uncertainty If an organization has not made progress on one or all
stronger than ever, operational agility gives busi- of these steps, the time to act is now. The cost of doing
nesses the ability to respond rapidly and get ahead nothing is extreme: businesses that fail to adopt Intel-
of competitors. Today, a robust ecosystem of cloud ligent Operations will struggle to enhance the customer
solutions provides businesses with the highest levels experience, drive a competitive edge, and increase pro-
of agility at the lowest cost points. Through the ductivity. On the other hand, businesses that immedi-
cloud, businesses can accelerate innovation, lower ately invest in a more strategic, data-driven approach to
IT costs, and enable the agility and scalability their operations and processes stand to win it all.
needed to react to change, dialling resources up and Click here to download Accenture and HfS Re-
down to match market requirements. search’s Intelligent Operations report. A&G
5 Establish smart partnerships: An increasingly
important way for businesses to increase innovation DEBBIE POLISHOOK is group
is through connected ecosystems of partners that chief executive of Accenture
Operations. In this role,
co-create, collaborate, and share. In these ecosys-
she oversees Accenture’s
tems, partners can pull from a wide set of capabili- comprehensive portfolio of
ties and resources to support near-term innovation business process services
objectives. This broad ecosystem is made possible as well as infrastructure and
cloud services, including the
through shared platforms with tech providers, start- Accenture Cloud Platform.
ups, universities, suppliers, distributors, and product
companies. As a first step, organizations should look
A&G CALENDAR
Forrester Digital Transformation 2018 Forrester Digital Transformation Europe 2018
May 8–9, 2018 June 14–15, 2018
Chicago London
https://go.forrester.com/events/forums/digital/ https://go.forrester.com/events/forums/digital/
Gartner Enterprise Architecture & Technology Planview Horizons—The Planview Customer Conference
Innovation Summit October 10–12, 2018
June 11–12, 2018 Austin
National Harbor, MD http://horizons.planview.com/global/
http://www.gartner.com/events/na/enterprise-
architecture Submit your Calendar Events to
editor@ArchitectureandGovernance.com
JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Visit the A&G website at www.architectureandgovernance.com 12You can also read
