If one word has stood out for businesses since COVID-19 struck, it must surely be ‘pivot’. An organisation’s ability to pivot effectively – or change to meet the challenges of a world emerging from lockdown – will determine future successes.
What is clear is that the business world was not prepared for the current crisis. It demands an agility that most organisations are struggling to deliver. And the need to harness the power to pivot has only just begun. With the recovery comes a global recession along with the possibility of future virus spikes and the uncertainty this will bring. To survive and flourish, new levels of efficiency and flexibility are required that only digital transformation outcomes can drive.
Harnessing the power of software as a service and the latest data analytics will enable companies to respond quickly to changing market conditions and maximise the potential of an increasingly mobile workforce. Yet gaining access to the right technology and talent to deliver this can be bewilderingly complex, time-consuming and expensive. Plus it’s exacerbated by the growing digital skills gap.
However, help has come along at just the right time in the form of a new breed of professional services platforms – virtual global marketplaces where digital technology services and talent can be accessed, acquired and deployed quickly and effectively.
Organisations register online and are able to search instantly for individual technology professionals and service providers that match their specific needs. The best platforms have an accreditation or vetting system in place to ensure the quality of services and talent on offer are of a high standard. This is vital to enable companies to search in confidence for critical resources that will transform the way they operate.
The platformisation of technology and data services, plus the necessary supporting talent, deconstructs the time, cost, quality – or iron – triangle that applies to traditional resourcing, where each element is interdependent. Reducing cost and time to find what you’re looking for, for example, will traditionally cut quality. Meanwhile, those with bigger budgets and more time are generally able to access the cream of the crop and the Rolls Royce of service providers. However, fast access to a global resource pool negates the time element, vetting ensures quality, while significantly lower overhead costs create a more commercially appealing framework. With speed optimised, costs slashed, and quality assured, time and budget can be focused squarely on the resource required, maximising value and accelerating results.
Management consultants Accenture predict that within a decade we will see a new type of company with no employees outside of the C-suite. The pandemic has shown organisations that running remote teams can work, while also opening the window to a better work-life balance for employees. Customers, meanwhile, have experienced a new level of online, virtual service which they will now come to expect.
Delivering on these demands requires accessing the best in digital technology and talent – and fast. The corporate world can no longer afford to be chasing tomorrow’s resource with yesterday’s tools and yesterday’s people. The platformisation of professional services is here and will accelerate digital transformation and help realise the future of work. More importantly, it will also provide the Power to Pivot both now and going forward, enabling businesses to make the most of future challenges with confidence.
