Airtel Nigeria CEO urges adoption of intelligent technology platforms to accelerate national growth - ITREALMS

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, has called on corporate executives and business leaders to accelerate the country's digital trajectory by aggressively embracing intelligent technology platforms designed to spearhead innovation, maximize productivity, and anchor sustainable economic growth, reports ITREALMS.

Balsingh made the call while addressing a gathering of industry captains at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Club, on the strategic theme, "From Telco to TechCo." The telecom boss asserted that the telecommunications industry is rapidly evolving beyond basic connectivity to serve as the foundational bedrock for enterprise transformation and the broader digital economy.

Igbalajobi: Intelligent, committed workforce key to overcoming corporate challenges – ITREALMS

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As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in transforming Human Resource Management (HRM) operations across the world, Africa’s human capital solutions giant, SystemSpecs Technology, a subsidiary of renowned tech giant, SystemSpecs, has underscored the importance of an intelligent and committed workforce for corporate organisations in overcoming challenges.

During a recent visit by students and staff from the Industrial Relations & HRM Unit of Covenant University to the SystemSpecs office in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Managing Director of SystemSpecs Technology, Demola Igbalajobi, said intelligent, committed employees of good character have played a huge role in helping the company overcome various challenges in its 30 years of existence.

Leadership, key to advancing technology, intelligent enterprise - Accenture

ITREALMS:

The latest Accenture Technology Vision 2018, report has identified leadership as a fundamental key to advancing technology so as to fuel intelligent enterprise, reports ITRealms.

The annual technology report from Accenture, ITRealms gathered predicted some key technology trends likely to disrupt business over the next three years, capitalizing on growth opportunities while also having a positive impact on society requires a new era of leadership that prioritizes trust and greater responsibility.

According to Accenture, adopting artificial intelligence for growth and positive social impact means forming new partnerships with customers and business partners.

Also, the report noted that rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are accelerating the creation of intelligent enterprises and enabling companies to integrate themselves into people’s lives.

This year’s report, “Intelligent Enterprise Unleashed: Redefine Your Company Based on the Company You Keep,” highlights how rapid advancements in technologies — including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and the cloud — are enabling companies to not just create innovative products and services, but change the way people work and live. This, in turn, is changing companies’ relationships with their customers, employees and business partners.

As part of the Technology Vision, Accenture surveyed more than 6,300 business and IT executives worldwide. More than four in five respondents (84 percent) agree that through technology, companies are weaving themselves seamlessly into the fabric of how people live today.

For example, Google through its many applications and analytics capabilities has integrated itself into people’s everyday lives thereby influencing their way of life.  Google maps are used for journey management, references and suggestions on places, products and services of interest and through this, Google can shape people’s consumption behaviours. Also, feedback from users can influence uptake of suggestions from Google by other people.

“Technology is now firmly embedded throughout our everyday lives and is reshaping large parts of society,” said Niyi Tayo, Accenture Nigeria’s Managing Director Technology during the presentation of the report to the media in Lagos. “Just as cities developed around ports and then railroads, or people rebuilt their lives around electricity, the world today is reimagining itself around digital innovation — and, by extension, the companies that provide those services. This requires a new type of relationship, built on trust and the sharing of large amounts of personal information in a secure manner.”

The report notes that this latest technological transformation is unique in that for the first time the change is a two-way street; people aren’t just using companies’ products and services, but feeding information and access back to them. This level of “integrated innovation” and degree of trust requires a deeper relationship — a true partnership based not only on a company’s products, but also its goals and values. And with this two-way partnership come new responsibilities — to consumers, business partners and society at large — requiring leadership and commitment from the top.

Savvy organizations understand that these new societal expectations can be transformed into an enterprise strength. They’re using their increased interactions to build partnerships with customers, employees, government and the public. And this extends beyond the consumer or retail arena.

Siemens, by offering its operating system for internet of things – MindSphere; that can be used for various types of assets such as manufacturing devices, oil and gas equipment and installations, is creating new partnerships and embedding itself into its business partners’ architectures.

According to Niyi Tayo, Nigerian banks and telecommunication companies are also taking the first steps towards AI to improve customer service by implementing chatbots. They are beginning to use advanced analytics to provide next best product offers to increase product uptake and fraud analytics to manage risks.  

Nonye Dom/GEE

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Accenture warns CEOs who neglect intelligent technologies

ITREALMS:

Leading global professional services company, Accenture, has warned Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who neglect to deploy intelligent technologies, saying they and their businesses risk missing major growth opportunities, reports ITRealms.

According to new research by Accenture released at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos made available to ITRealms, stressing there is stronger commitment that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could boost revenues by 38 per cent, and employment by 10 per cent by 2022.

The Accenture Strategy report, Reworking the Revolution: Are you ready to compete as intelligent technology meets human ingenuity to create the future workforce?, estimated that if businesses invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human-machine collaboration at the same rate as top performing companies, they could boost revenues by 38 percent by 2022 and raise employment levels by 10 percent.

ITRealms reports that collectively, this would lift profits by US$4.8 trillion globally over the same period, adding that for the average 'Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500 company), this equates to US$7.5 billion of revenues and a US$880 million lift to profitability. 

In addition, the Accenture Strategy report, revealed that both leaders and workers are optimistic about the potential of AI on business results and on work experiences, according to the study.

Equally, the report showed that 72 per cent of the 1,200 senior executives surveyed said that intelligent technology will be critical to their organization’s market differentiation and 61 per cent think the share of roles requiring collaboration with AI will rise in the next three years. 

While over two thirds, that is 69 per cent of the 14,000 workers surveyed said that it is important to develop skills to work with intelligent machines.

Accenture noted that yet a disconnect between workers’ embrace of AI and their employers’ efforts to prepare workers puts potential growth at risk. While a majority, that is 54 per cent of business leaders say that human-machine collaboration is important to their strategic priorities, only three per cent say their organization plans to significantly increase its investment in reskilling their workers in the next three years.

“To achieve higher rates of growth in the age of AI, companies need to invest more in equipping their people to work with machines in new ways,” said Mark Knickrehm, group chief executive, Accenture Strategy. “Increasingly, businesses will be judged on their commitment to what we call Applied Intelligence - the ability to rapidly implement intelligent technology and human ingenuity across all parts of their core business to secure this growth.”

The research, ITRealms reports, further suggests that there is a strong foundation on which to boost AI skills investment. Sixty-three percent of senior executives think that their company will create net job gains in the next three years through AI. Meanwhile, the majority of workers (62 percent) believe AI will have a positive impact on their work.

The report shows how pioneers are using human-machine collaboration not just to improve efficiencies, but to drive growth through new customer experiences. An online clothing retailer’s AI helps its stylists learn more about customers’ preferences so that they can offer a unique and highly personalized service. And a sports shoe brand set a new bar in customization and speed-to-market by aligning highly skilled tailors and process engineers with intelligent robots to design and manufacture in local markets.

“Business leaders must take immediate steps to pivot their workforce to enter an entirely new world where human ingenuity meets intelligent technology to unlock new forms of growth,” said Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer, Accenture. 

“Workers are impatient to collaborate with AI, giving leaders the opportunity to demonstrate true Applied Intelligence within their organization.”

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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