Oracle: Getting innovation right in South Africa

Getting innovation right in South Africa with Oracle

Local organisations see digital transformation as a key enabler of innovation, but to realise the real benefits they must consider their approach carefully, argues Lahini Sivaganeshan, Agile Solutions Consultant at Oracle.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION (DX) and innovation are often treated as separate initiatives whereas, in reality, they are inextricably intertwined. The subtle dynamics need to be understood, especially now as organisations are putting their DX programmes into fast forward in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the massive changes it has initiated, Sivaganeshan says.

“The more digitalised companies were, the better able they were to adjust to this new world. But CIOs have also realised that DX has to be seen as part of an innovation journey that will enable organisational agility—the all-important ability to read market changes and adapt to them at speed,” she says.

Central to any discussion about DX and innovation is the question of data. Data has emerged as the crown jewels of the corporate treasury, the raw material for the insights that underpin innovation.

Research by World Worx in partnership with Cisco shows that large enterprises in South Africa generally see DX as a key strategy in dealing with Covid-19 and the associated crisis. Yet, says the report, only a third had fully digitalised before the pandemic hit. Another study of Sub-Saharan Africa by the International Data Corporation showed that 57% of organisations are putting their DX programmes on the fast track.

This sense of urgency contains a danger: organisations must not cut corners when it comes to how DX and innovation generally are structured.

“Organisations must never lose sight of the basic fact that DX and innovation are not ends in themselves: they are enablers of business strategy. The starting point should be the business problem, how urgent it is and how impactful it will be,” says Sivaganeshan. “Then one must interrogate the current business model and consider how it needs to be changed as part of the DX/ innovation process. The technology solution must be guided by this work.”

Aligning business and IT

Another important precondition for success is collaboration between IT and the business. For years, the CIO has been the go-to person for innovation and DX, but closer integration between the lines of business and IT is vital. Finance, HR, sales and marketing must become more involved. At present, says the IDC, only 12% of respondents can say that IT and other business lines collaborate closely to develop the DX and innovation road map together.

“When DX is aligned with the business and what it needs to do, one starts to see really exciting innovations that use advanced data analytics to take the business to a new level,” Sivaganeshan says.

For example, Oracle is working closely with the World Bee Project using artificial intelligence to analyse data from sensors and other sources to enable apiarists to make informed decisions quickly, and help make hives healthier and more productive. “In this way, Oracle is helping address the challenge of food security and protecting farmers’ livelihoods,” notes Sivaganeshan.

Another example is the collaboration between Oracle and Sail GP, an international sailing competition. Each boat is equipped with up to 1 200 sensors, with the data being fed back into Oracle’s Autonomous Data Warehouse, where it is rigorously analysed. Crews use the data-based insights to complement their own expertise to make decisions quickly during the race.

“This is what modern business is increasingly going to be like: harnessing technology and data to enable rapid, fact-based decision-making on the fly,” Sivaganeshan comments. “It’s about DX leading to innovation that gives real competitive edge.”

How to innovate successfully

So how to innovate successfully? Craig Nel, Oracle MEA Cloud Platform Leader, Mobility, confirms that any innovation journey must begin with a problem or a goal. He argues that the foundation for successful innovation is the triangle of people, processes and projects. “A good structure and processes are needed, as well as the right people with the right mind set and attitude. The people need to be trained and the best way to do that is to learn by doing,” he says. “One must move beyond talking by mobilising small groups to try out some innovation initiatives—and give these teams time to learn.”

Other key success factors include measuring the innovation project to determine its impact and build credibility within the organisation, and finding the right partnerships.

“You simply can’t do it alone: companies need to find diverse partners to make progress,” he says. “By finding the right partners, you can accelerate the transformation process to become more competitive by serving customers better.”

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