Digital transformation – The latest trends from the IBM Think Summit Paris 2019

IBM Think Summit events are the largest IBM global conferences in cities across the world focusing on the innovative technologies at the service of enterprises.

I had an opportunity to attend this annual event in Paris on the 8th of October and learn about the success stories of major companies such as BNP Paribas, L’Oréal, EDF, Vinci Group, Boursorama, PSA, Thales and others who are on a challenging journey of digital transformation. Reinventing customer experience is at the core of multiple innovative solutions that are being implemented by enterprises today. Customers are expecting not only to have more personalised experiences, but also a more human-centric approach. For 77% of managers, improving customer satisfaction is crucial; this the main reason why they want to invest in AI (Artificial Intelligence). Over the next three years, there will be 7.5 billion* digital assistants in charge of direct interaction with customers. And there has already been a massive rise in AI implementation via mobile services and apps in industries such as insurance, banking and retailing, as well as in the hospitality business and e-concierge sector.

  What is the secret behind successful digital transformation? It’s all about reinventing enterprises from the inside; by using design thinking, switching to agile methods and implementing new ways of working. Business case examples given during the IBM Think Summit by speakers from L’Oréal, BNP Paribas, EDF and Vinci Group confirm the strategies that researchers have been talking about for the past couple of years. McKinsey recently published a market trends survey that confirmed that the following factors can have a significant contribution to the success of digital transformation : “Having the right, digital-savvy leaders in place, building capabilities for the workforce of the future, empowering people to work in new ways, giving day-to-day tools a digital upgrade, communicating frequently via traditional and digital methods.”

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/five-moves-to-make-during-a-digital-transformation

The insights I gained from the IBM Think Summit Paris 2019 really confirmed the rising demand in consulting, assistance and support for large, medium-sized and small enterprises that are in the process of transforming into lean and agile organisations.

*L’entreprise aprenante. Bâtir un monde augmenté. Référentiel de la maturité digitale 2019-2020. Copyright © 2019 EBG-Elenbi – IBM.