Solving business problems through technology
02
The existential business of digital transformation
03
w w w.p wc. com
PWC
PwC’s Sub Mahapatra guides us through the existential nature of digital transformation, offering his advisory expertise on matters of cloud computing and cybersecurity
04
C
ompanies who fail to digitize are quickly left behind, but it is not always clear how a digital transformation is best achieved.
Enter professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who are seeing an increasing demand for its expertise in areas such as cybersecurity and cloud computing. Management Consultant Sub Mahapatra has been with PwC’s New York network for more than six years. A director at the company, he specializes in digital, cloud and cybersecurity transformations for the global consultancy’s clients. “I started my career as a software developer,” says Mahapatra. “I’m still a coder by heart; I love building things. And that’s basically what we do – internally as well as externally. We help resolve complex issues and identify opportunities across various industries. In this day and age, we are solving our clients’ business problems with technology.”
$41.3.bn+ Approximate revenue
1998
Year founded
250,000+ Approximate number of employees
w w w.p wc. com
05
PWC
ADVISING No two of PwC’s client engagements
“ Data is everything these days” — Sub Mahapatra, Director, PWC
are the same. In cases where the company has a pre-existing relationship with the client it can begin with a simple conversation. “If we have an existing relationship in place, then we’re way ahead in the curve,” says Mahapatra. “They pull us in to talk about what problems they are facing, and how we can help them. If you don’t have that relationship in place, we have various ways to approach. For example, our BXT – business, experience and
06
technology – sessions for discovering
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘PWC GLOBAL EXPERIENCE CENTERS’ 07 and exploring the right solutions for
forms, with engagements varying in
their complex problems. We work with
size based upon exactly what PwC has
our clients to clearly understand the
been brought in to achieve across the
problem we are trying to solve. Do they
spectrum of cloud, AI, data analytics
just want to get into the digital world,
and cybersecurity. The constant is
or do they want to solve a business
PwC’s commitment to continued
problem – increase their revenue, or
support. “We have a very broad
expand their customer base? We work
offering from an advisory perspective,
with them to understand exactly what
but we don’t just strategize and then
problems we are trying to solve by
go away. We are there to help the client
brainstorming with the right stakeholders
realize the value we are trying to
in the room. Then, we lay out a plan for
envision for them.” Mahapatra provides
them: this is what we think you need to
a case study referencing a recent
do, and this is where we can help.”
engagement with a large telecom
This help can take many different
company, which is rolling out 5G. w w w.p wc. com
PWC
08
Aside from the technical and logistical
secure the network, they want to use
aspects of achieving the rollout as
cryptography and blockchain. Addi-
quickly as possible, Mahapatra and his
tionally, they want to provide smart city
team are also ensuring the introduction
solutions as a part of their 5G offering.
of all the associated technology suites
Going forward there is the opportunity
contained within a modern product
to bring a whole suite of products for
launch. “Similar to various industry
all the different areas.” It is PwC’s role,
players, most of the telecom compa-
therefore, to help clients build efficient,
nies are now changing their business
interconnected solutions that enable
models to be technology companies,”
them to take their offering as a whole
says Mahapatra. “Whatever data they
to the market, as well as adhering to
gather via 5G, they want to leverage to
data privacy regulations and protecting
do more – and because they want to
an individual’s personal data.
DATA AND THE CLOUD Mahapatra details the holistic outlook companies now require in the area of cloud solutions, where previously they may have focused on a single platform. Only by having access to services across the spectrum can the strengths of each be harnessed. “We have various different public cloud vendor partners, primarily AWS, Azure and GCP, which is now Anthos. Initially, we trained our people for a specific platform. However, these days clients are looking for multi-cloud solutions, or a hybrid solution architecture. A lot of our Fortune 100 clients are saying, ‘can you provide us a perspective to aid us E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Sub Mahapatra Sub is a Senior Manager in PwC’s advisory unit where he focuses primarily on the technology, infocommunications, entertainment, media and communications sectors. His focus areas include IT process reengineering, finance transformation, product development, program portfolio management, project management, change management, mobile services and process reengineering.
w w w.p wc. com
09
“ A ll the telecom companies are now changing their business models to be technology companies” — Sub Mahapatra, Director, PWC
analytics is an essential competency. We have our own homegrown tools for data analysis with AI models on top of that. Based on the client situation, we use our internal data analytics tool to make sense of data through AI and machine learning.” One of the main benefits of PwC’s cloud offerings is the associated reduction in cost. By moving away from hardware, expenditure moves from a capital to an operating cost – but Mahapatra points out that it is worth planning for an orderly transition, for a number of reasons. “A lot of clients are taking small steps, and going from hybrid cloud to multi-cloud, or maybe a specific cloud vendor. Mostly, however, they are more efficiently deciding what exactly they want to migrate, and what
in cherry picking services from all of
kind of things they want to keep in the
these different vendors?’, as they all
cloud versus what they want to keep
have pros and cons.”
on their own premises. We are helping
Ease of data processing comes
our clients not only migrate to the
hand in hand with cloud computing,
cloud in a phased manner but also to
integrating disparate data sources in
choose the right cloud native function-
a central location. These sources can
alities in the areas of AI, ML, IoT, etc.
include proprietary PwC software as
so that they can reap the benefits of
well as focus groups, interviews and
the cloud without putting their data at
surveys. “Data is everything these
risk. That’s where our expertise comes
days,” says Mahapatra. “On top of that,
into the picture.” w w w.p wc. com
11
PWC
CYBERSECURITY The presence of data in cloud storage makes PwC’s cybersecurity offerings even more crucial. “These days, no one is safe even after having a proper cybersecurity governance and risk management solution in place. There could be hackers in your enterprise systems, and you don’t know.” Mahapatra points to a number of solutions, starting with the cybersecurity and privacy specifications built into the cloud vendors utilized by PwC, which PwC integrates into its clients’ existing 12
cybersecurity environment. PwC is also always on the lookout for the next generation of cybersecurity technologies. Currently, the company is looking into employing Exabeam’s security information and event management software. “We have seen their demos, and we may want to explore leveraging them for our User Behavior Analytics initiative. They have a great UI and analytics platform, and we would like to explore it further to see if they’re open to developing their tools in different areas, as well as having some kind of structure in place that would allow PwC and Exabeam go to market together.”
Beyond that, Mahapatra details PwC’s concept of ‘Crown Jewels’. “We find what kind of data our clients want to keep to themselves, and the extra security they want to have. We work with them to find out where that data is residing, if that data is at risk, or if it is in transit, and we create a whole data protection layer alongside it.” Such prized data requires the most robust solutions, such as encryption, but Mahapatra warns that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. “Encryption always creates several business problems. The most important are impacts to performance. In cases of large data volumes we usually talk about pseudonymization instead. That is where we put security at a field or column level; a more dynamic, data-centric approach. Obviously, we also find out if there is any PII data to ensure we recommend the right data governance framework to our clients.” This is one of many areas where PwC’s specialization comes into play, ensuring that data is matched with the correct cybersecurity techniques. This in turn contributes to PwC’s growing business in the sector. “Our cybersecurity practice is growing by w w w.p wc. com
13
PWC
20% at least, year over year,” says Mahapatra. “Clients look for our help because they want to understand what kind of benchmark data we have; where the market is going and what necessary steps they need to take to avoid disruption and obtain a competitive advantage. They also want to validate the particular strategy which they have in mind, and we can advise them if it is the right area to invest in, as we have been providing end-to-end solutions for a lot of different customers in this area.” 14
No matter the technical prowess, technological solutions cannot be instituted and maintained without internal support, and Mahapatra
“ It’s not about shiny objects. Tinkering is insufficient” — Sub Mahapatra, Director, PWC
emphasizes the need for dialogue within all levels of an organization. “Ten years ago, it was just the CIO who was discussing digital transformation. Today, we engage with the CEO and sometimes the board as well. The first thing you need to get is senior executive buy-in, then put the strategy in place, and finally have a plan to execute that strategy.” Such is the demand for, and necessity of, designing and developing digital transformation
15
solutions that one of Mahapatra’s
them understand that it’s increasingly
biggest challenges is in hiring and
clear that we are entering into a highly
retaining the highly specialized talent
disruptive extinction event. Enterprises
required to drive digital transformations.
that don’t transform themselves will
Ultimately, for Mahapatra and PwC,
disappear completely.”
digital transformation is not about small efficiency optimizations. It is about survival. “It’s not about shiny objects,” says Mahapatra. “Tinkering is insufficient. CIOs should be talking about it all the time with their boards and C-suite, mobilizing the entire company, because tech is existential. I’m trying to help w w w.p wc. com
LOGO HERE
300 Madison Ave, NY, NY T +1 646 471 3000 www.pwc.com