"In Latin America there is an excessive sense of tranquility in terms of digital disruption, particularly market owners or family businesses that have been successful for many years. We should be concerned," said the Technical Solutions Architect of Cisco Argentina, Pablo Marrone, during a conference held as part of the "i3 Program: +ideas +initiatives +innovation" of the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti).
What are the keys to making digital transformation a reality in Latin America and how companies in Uruguay and the region are doing in terms of technology and innovation were some of the topics discussed.
"I have two pieces of news: one good and one bad," Marrone said at the start of the event. "The good news is that never before have organizations been so extremely dependent on technology. The bad news is that never like today it has to be transparent and embedded in processes and experiences," he continued.
The expert said that it is an "exciting" era for everyone working in technology, but the main problem is that the vast majority tend to think that technology "is everything". "Yes, it is, but if you don't put it into the business, it's nothing.
Marrone explained that traditional production processes and methods, in all sectors, are undergoing or will undergo in the short term a "disruption of value chains", understood as "a rapid and violent phenomenon that completely reshapes the market" and companies have to be aware and anticipate the changes.
The professional proposed keys to "survive and not die trying". On the one hand, he spoke of "regenerating the creation of value" and if necessary the complete reinvention of the business, "although sometimes it is difficult to accept that what we are doing does not work anymore". There are three ways to provide value: lowering the cost, using a platform with a service that is useful or providing a personalized experience. The second key, according to Marrone, has to do with the role of managers in IT companies "that has changed completely" and that is where Cisco is putting the emphasis.
"Today's technology leaders in Latin America do not understand the business of the company. It is useless for me to bring the best tool if I don't know how to explain what it brings to your business. That's where we are making a huge transformation as a company, focusing on everything that adds value to the end customer. We are putting everything under one umbrella where any business person can understand why their business benefits if they install a certain type of technology," he said.
Collaboration and generation of differential customer experiences using the network as a platform, are the basis. Marrone also pointed out the importance of security as a fundamental element for innovation today, giving as an example the work done by Cisco.
"In the 21st century, it's the first thing you think about and the rest is done around you. We offer information security even in encrypted links, something innovative and extremely valuable for the business, because it allows to provide security, but at the same time maintain privacy".
Finally, he stressed the importance of these instances of exchange for the industry in general.
"There is a role of responsibility on our part, on the part of the providers, but also on the part of groups like Cuti that transmit culture, in helping to awaken. There is more technical capacity than intellectual conviction. The leadership still needs to be convinced of what needs to be done and that we need to act now," he concluded.
Cuti's i3: +ideas +initiatives +innovation Programme comprises a cycle of workshops aimed at strengthening innovation capabilities in ICT companies.
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