There are three words that the world defines as a corporate success story – technology, technology and technology. But, as Harvard Business Review points out, technology is only one part of the equation. People are the other half.
“Compelling customer understanding” means compelling digital experiences which means compelling corporate narratives that drive growth and customer service. It is also the people that sit behind the technology embedded within the company and who are key to ensuring it succeeds in its promised objectives.
It is time, says Mandla Mbonambi, CEO of Africonology, to put people at the centre of the technology equation to ensure that any investments into revitalising and revamping operations deliver true customer support while opening up new business experiences.
“There is no getting around the fact that transformation and digital are key to thriving in a highly competitive and disruptive global marketplace,” he says. “However, if you don’t invest in people that can cement digital transformation within the business, it will be little more than a line item on the budget sheet. Value will be poor, speed to efficiency will be minimal and customers won’t see the promised service.”
Gartner echoes this in its recent analysis of how companies can navigate the constant cycle of disruption, economic uncertainty and political vagaries. The survey found that 74% of employees were actively engaged in organisational change in 2016. That number dropped to 38% in 2022. People are burned out and fatigued, the aftermath of 2020 still tumbling over their desktops as they come to terms with the emotional and physical impact of a global pandemic.
“If ever employees have felt like ping pong balls, it’s today,” says Mbonambi. “And organisations are in the same space. Disruption has been a constant for years now and even the toughest companies are tired. However, they are also resilient and this is the key to thriving today. The key to taking the mantra of ‘technology, technology, technology’ and turning it inwards towards opportunity.”
McKinsey believes that it is agility, a solid company culture, flexible leadership and psychological security that add up to create a resilient company capable of withstanding the current climate. The firm found that companies with a vested interest in healthy behaviours and approaches were more likely to see a strong financial performance while those with unhealthy behaviours were more likely to go bankrupt within two years. If ever there was a testament to investing in people and structures that support people, this is it.
“Resilience is also the core of the DevOps mindset,” says Mbonambi. “It’s not an overnight process, it has the potential to comprehensively change the organisation, and it is about collaboration and shared capabilities. Translated into the overall business culture and approaches, a DevOps mindset would improve organisational visibility, the quality of services and productivity, the speed at which teams collaborate and subsequently their service delivery, and the company’s ability to bounce back from complexity. It is also DevOps that can support the business as it balances the need for digital and modernisation against the needs of its employees.”
Introducing a DevOps mindset isn’t complicated, but it is a steady and slow burn that will gradually seep into the very fabric of the company. It also aligns with what Gartner believes is critical to ensuring that there is greater employee and business engagement – an open-source approach to company decision-making and investment. This means moving away from the formal silos and top-down management approaches towards a shared vision that encourages employees to engage across every layer of the business.
“Embracing a DevOps mindset can help you speed up innovation, improve customer service, build richer internal engagements and create a space where the business is poised to take advantage of opportunities,” concludes Mbonambi.