Juli July 2017 2017 Businessmagazine Business magazine voor forICT-professionals IT professionals ||onemagazine.be proximus.be/one
Vision “The ‘one size fits all’ age is over. Offering personalized content is the new standard.” Muriel De Lathouwer, ICT Woman of the Year 2017 and CEO at EVS Broadcast Equipment
Transform your business 10 years of One magazine!
Special: How movies can predict the future!
Dossier
Digital transformation In this digital economy the traditional relationships with your clients, co-workers and suppliers change completely. Companies who are attentive and come with new business models can enter new markets.
10 30 30 years
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The One team also transforms by time while thinking of tomorrow. Here you get a presentation of how the magazine evolved from edition 1 to edition 30. Would you love to appear in One? Contact your account manager or e-mail to one@proximus.com. You will find more customer testimonials on www.onemagazine.be.
Welcome
Ready for tomorrow Today we live in a world that relies largely on digital processes. Anyone who dismisses digitization and digital transformation as hype these days is way off the mark. What is more, companies that continue to delay will soon miss the digital boat for good. There is a certain urgency about digital transformation. It’s now or never. In practice, however, the issue is often far more concrete: How do you embark upon this digital transformation? Starters like Uber and Airbnb destabilized an entire industry in no time at all. Should you assume a similar scenario? Not necessarily. But it does show that, as an entrepreneur, you have to dare to experiment. Of course, you don’t do so just like that. Tangible added value is always the starting point: a real solution to a real problem, regardless of whether it is for your customers, your own staff or your business partners.
The field of digital transformation is clearly an environment where small projects follow one another in rapid succession. Things that catch on are taken further. Things that don’t work always provide experience for the learning process. The important thing is for the senior management of a company to fully support these experiments. It is virtually never easy – or impossible. You can read more about the opportunities that arise as a result in this magazine.
– Bart Van Den Meersche Chief Enterprise Market Officer Enterprise Business Unit, Proximus
Trends
Testing augmented reality business apps
Collaborative clouds will exceed 250 EB of data
10% will deploy smart clothing
By 2017 25% of IT organizations will be testing augmented reality business apps for use on smartphones. By utilizing augmented reality on mobile devices, companies can begin to explore the potential benefits the technology will bring. A key benefit of augmented reality on mobile devices will be the ability to merge the physical and digital worlds.
Collaborative clouds create broad industry value and represent over $500 million in revenue, and by the end of 2020, they are expected to generate revenue exceeding $20 billion. Clouds focused on information and data will triple from 50 in 2016 to more than 150 in 2018 and exceed 250 EB of information, which means 250,000,000,000 gigabytes!
IDC believes that by 2018 10% of enterprises, fueled by incentives from large insurers, will look to smart clothing to address health and safety concerns in workplaces and environments. As such, smart clothing will become a critical wearable device used in various public and private sectors to passively and continuously monitor workers.
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SPOTTED | The future of transport
Electric ying The Lilium Jet is the fi rst electric jet that can take off and land vertically. The jet can fly as fast as a Formula 1 car, reaching a speed of 300 km/h, and makes very little noise. This lightweight aircraft is powered by 36 electric engines connected to 12 movable wings. The Lilium Jet can carry fi ve people and cuts car journey times up to fi vefold. So you can fly from London to Paris in one hour. The fi rst manned Jet will take off in 2019 and from 2025 everyone will be able to order a Lilium Jet ride and on-demand air travel will become a reality.
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July 2017
In this issue VISION
TALKING HEADS
12 “I implemented a stricter, more analytical approach, with no taboos.” Muriel De Lathouwer, ICT Woman of the Year 2017 and CEO of EVS Broadcast Equipment
09
Q+A Daniel Sluysmans, IT Manager at Liège Airport
39
Q+A Valerie Taerwe, Young ICT Lady of the Year 2017, Senior Consultant at AE and Manager at c-Quilibrium
DOSSIER
21-28
SOLUTION 06
New Way of Working and the fight for the best staff
15
DRaaS
32
itsme® from Belgian Mobile ID
The power of virtualization simplifies online authentication IN PRACTICE 08
NEWTONE
34 Two masses attract each other, or to put it better: staff seek each other, out to work together on projects. As a company, how do you keep your staff keen and competitive?
Maison Amoroso Continuous customer service via Mobile Back-up
Digital transformation
16
Noludits explains how it helps companies with their digital transformation, five managers sit round the table and stress the importance of future-oriented thinking, and Katia Battheu and Bart Watteeuw reveal how Proximus does digital transformation.
30
Beobank An innovative office concept for professional customers City of Saint-Ghislain How short-stay parking is promoting the shopping district
36
Konvert Smart cooperation thanks to telephone centralization
SCOOP 20
Read for you Alec Ross predicts what companies will look like in the future
29
Devices in the spotlight Samsung Galaxy S8 and Huawei P10 Lite
A publication of Proximus public limited company of Belgian Public Law / Year 11 / Number 30 / Q3 2017 Publisher: Bart Van Den Meersche, Koning Albert II-laan 27, 1030 Brussels Coordination: Charline Briot, Erik Hendrix, Robbin Sacré and Jean-Marie Stas. Contributors: Andrew Beavis, Klaar De Groote, Michael Dehaspe, Jean-François Dinant, Robert Doran, Davy Goris, Isabelle Latour, Frederic Petitjean, Anneke Stoffels, Dries Van Damme, Frank Van den Branden, Filip Van Loock, Philip Verhaeghe and Thomas Jossa.
ALSO INTERESTING 10
For more information, contact: Robbin Sacré robbin.sacre@proximus.com Nederlandstalige versie: Mail naar robbin.sacre@proximus.com om een exemplaar van dit magazine in het Nederlands te ontvangen. Version français: mail à robbin.sacre@proximus.com afi n d’obtenir un exemplaire de ce magazine en français. The technical specifi cations are indicative only. Proximus reserves the right to make changes without prior notifi cation. Like to know who your Proximus account manager is? Surf to www.proximus.be/mycontacts
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Technology What should companies do
Concept and realization: Propaganda nv, Imperiastraat 16, 1930 Zaventem, www.propaganda.be
in crisis situations? 40
How does Proximus do that? Agile working
41
Trigger From private needs to business needs 5
SOLUTION | The New Way of Working is essential to attract new employees
How do you convince Generation Z of your qualities as an employer? Generation Z – those born in 1993 and after – is entering the labor market and its members have their own definite work preferences. These digital natives are well aware that, these days, every company is engaged in a fierce battle to retain the best staff. What weapons do you use in these times of wage restraint? And is your company ready to receive this new generation?
6
Incentives and expectations For these young people, digital goes without saying. They are in search of a smart office with a first-class technological infrastructure where permanent contact with the network is very important. Do you allow your staff the freedom this requires or are you still (un)intentionally hampering the process? The new Act of 3 March 2017 on workable and agile work certainly comes none too soon. After all, these young people want far more two-way flexibility. Do you already focus on the work-life balance with flexible working hours? Are good arrangements and procedures in place for working from home? Highly skilled young people are aware of their own capabilities. They know what further steps they want to take to develop their talents. But does the management in your company understand exactly what this Generation Z expects as regards training, flexibility and other working conditions? Young people dislike authoritarian, top-down communication. They want a pleasant workplace with an open corporate culture. They like innovative teamwork and creative change. Do you offer adequate tools for enjoyable brainstorming and virtual cooperation? And what about the work atmosphere and opportunities for relaxation?
How flexible is your remuneration? For over 20 years now, the legal ‘wage standard’ has been encouraging wage moderation in companies. So HR guidelines have to look for alternative means of remuneration. Are you already responding to the growing interest in more individual and variable wage packages? Young people are certainly open to this and will feel more involved if they are able to have a say in the decision. A growing number of companies are therefore using cafeteria plans, as they are called, for variable benefits alongside the fixed wage. Staff appreciate this because they can choose every year from a mix of company cars or other mobility options, meal and gift vouchers, training budgets, health and other insurance, extra days of holiday, pension saving schemes, smartphones and/or tablets, etc. Think about it, ask for advice on the tax treatment and get to grips with the issue.
Are you prepared Contact your account manager, go to www.proximus.be/nwow or download the white paper on www.proximus.be/pfe
July 2017
50%
of digital natives in Europe choose better work-life integration instead of a job with more status.
How do you improve your ideal position as an employer? 1. Strive for maximum, two-way flexibility in terms of when and where people work 2. Narrow the technical gap between the work and home environment 3. Strive for an open, participatory leadership style 4. Put together a variable wage package 5. Take account of employees’ preferences and needs
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IN PRACTICE | Mobile Back-up guarantees business continuity at Maison Amoroso
“No margin of error for punctual deliveries” Geoffrey Dubuisson
Maison Amoroso delivers fresh fruit and vegetables to wholesalers and supermarkets. The company exchanges information in real time on, for example, the time of delivery. One hundred percent availability of the data connection is essential.
Maison Amoroso specializes in importing fresh vegetables and fruit from Italy, France and Spain. The company sells to wholesalers and supermarkets in the Benelux, France and Germany. The enterprise has 25 employees.
U
se of technology has been essential in our sector for a good 10 years,” says Geoffrey Dubuisson, who manages quality and commercial relationships at Maison Amoroso. “Communication with customers and suppliers takes place mostly via our portal and e-mail.” Maison Amoroso has developed its own portal and has three branches – in Brussels, Marcinelle and Péronnes-lez-Binche – that work on the system. “Constant availability of the applications is essential for our business; during the day we communicate with customers and business partners; at night we have to prepare the orders for the next day.” Via the portal, Maison Amoroso provides customers with status information on orders and deliveries in real time.
Redundant internet connection Customers expect their deliveries very punctually; reliability is essential. “If one of our trucks arrives at a retailer too late, 8
there’s a good chance they will no longer accept the delivery.” So there’s no room for error. Maison Amoroso has taken the necessary measures to guarantee the availability of the systems 24/7. With the new technology now installed, Internet connections are essentially redundant in all branches.
Mobile helpline With Mobile Back-up, Maison Amoroso has an extra helpline. If the existing data connection should fail, Mobile Back-up switches over to a mobile connection immediately. So applications and data always remain operational, without limitation on the mobile data volume used, until the fixed connection is repaired. “Mobile Back-up offers us one hundred percent peace of mind,” says Dubuisson. To date, Maison Amoroso has had to fall back on Mobile Back-up only once. “Thanks to the mobile connection all applications remained available. Our customers didn’t notice anything.”
Where you can rely on with Mobile Back-up • Guaranteed availability of data and applications • Uninterrupted service to customers • A single point of contact for all connectivity
Your story in One Would you like to appear in One? Contact your account manager or send an e-mail to one@proximus.com
July 2017
TALKING HEADS | 7 questions to Daniel Sluysmans, IT Manager at Liège Airport SA
“The CIO of the future will need to possess the qualities of a conductor.” Daniel Sluysmans IT Manager at Liège Airport SA What is the best moment of your working day? I have two favorite moments. On my way to work, when I go through everything that has to be done, and in the evening on my way home, knowing that most of the expectations have been met.
Whom would you most like to meet? Edmund Hillary, who climbed Mount Everest in 1953, or a modern explorer like Mike Horn. They consciously take huge risks to explore the unknown. I would like to know where these people get the energy to overcome so many physical and personal barriers.
How would you describe your method of working? I generally give my personnel a lot of freedom, though they probably don’t agree. If there’s an obstacle along the way, I intervene. At that point I probably come across as a manager with an authoritarian streak.
Personal Daniel Sluysmans is a passionate IT manager with extensive experience in people management. He loves organizing adventure trips and has immense admiration for modern explorers. Career Since March 2009 he has been IT Manager at Liège Airport. Prior to that, he was head of the IT department at Audi Brussels for eight years. From 1986 to 2000 he managed the IT of the new sheet metal project. After that, he managed the IT systems and networks at Volkswagen Brussels. Company Liège Airport SA has three shareholders, including the Sowaer (Société Wallonne des Aéroports). Liège Airport manages the infrastructure and employs more than 200 personnel, and annually transports approximately 660,000 tons of cargo. That makes ‘Liège-Bierset’ the biggest cargo airport in Belgium. The airport also handles more than 300,000 passengers every year. The five personnel in the IT department ensure that all data generated by visitors and personnel is centralized. www.onemagazine.be
Which piece of technology from a specific movie would you like to have? I think it would be incredibly practical to be able to be in two places at the same time. I believe we lose a lot of time by traveling. I’d be very happy with this Back to the Future technology.
What do you think is the most significant IT invention? The first computers from the forties and the PCs that ensured the democratization of IT thereafter. It’s great that nearly everyone has a PC at home. But so many people now think they’re IT experts. They aren’t and that also has a negative impact.
How do you see the role of CIO evolving over the next 20 years? Which leadership skills will be important for a CIO? The CIO of the future will need far less technical baggage. His primary skill will be to listen well and know which tools he needs for reaching predefined goals. So he’ll need the qualities of a conductor.
What would you still like to achieve in your career? I’d like us to have agile, flexible systems at Liège Airport, so that the personnel have all the requisite tools to work efficiently. At the moment we are also working very hard to give all our travelers and the client cargo a personalized service.
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TECHNOLOGY | How should businesses react in emergencies?
Unexpected,
A strike, a heavy storm, a fire, a problem with your IT infrastructure ... your company will occasionally be confronted with unforeseen circumstances. In the last edition of One magazine, we reported on what you – as an individual – can do with your smartphone in a crisis situation. Now, we take a look at the bigger picture for your business.
but always prepared
10
July 2017
Always be prepared Good preparation for emergency situations is essential for businesses. Which steps should you take ahead of time?
When the incident occurs
Analyze and inventorize your risks regularly
Analyze the incident
1 Make an annual risk assessment to find out what can
5 In the event of an incident, check the nature
go wrong for your business and what the possible consequences of incidents might be. Look at what you can do and who should be involved for every type of incident. Provide various levels of criticality for this purpose.
and impact of the situation as quickly as possible. How long does it take before your professional activities are restored? How many staff, customers, business partners and suppliers are affected by it? Then check what sort of impact it could have on the image of your business. Are you a listed company or an SME? Will the crisis be reported in the press or on social media?
Put together an emergency response team (ERT)
2 Make a list, and include the contact details, of internal
and external people who have to respond in the event of an emergency. Come to clear arrangements about the availability of the team, 24/7. Make sure the team members know how to communicate efficiently with one another, via which communication channels, and under which circumstances.
Start up the necessary work groups
6 Start a technical work group to work out how best to tackle the incident, who to assign to what task and how long it will last? Investigate the cause of the problem. Start a communication work group to send the right messages via the right channels to customers, staff, press, helpdesk, etc. Keep everyone informed about the state of play.
Draw up a business continuity plan
3 Your business needs to be able to continue running in any crisis situation. Ensure backups in infrastructure so that your activities don’t have to grind to a halt.
The after-service
7 Every emergency situation makes a business
Draw up a continuity plan for your 4 communication Provide backup connections, install your data in the cloud and make use of distributed platforms so that, in an emergency, staff and members of the ERT can also answer calls, consult data, etc., at home or on the road.
smarter and more efficient. So for every incident, evaluate whether the correct action was taken and what can be done better in the future. Keeping a logbook helps you acquire a better understanding of the correct follow-up.
Provide the right communication tools
Your share price falls 15%!
A study by Rory Knight and Deborah Pretty has shown that businesses that react badly to incidents are still listed 15% lower one year later. In contrast, businesses that react well to an incident end up 5% higher than before the incident. What makes the difference? Open and proactive, rather than ambiguous and delayed communication, combined with a correct and prepared response to the incident.
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Messenger
SMS
Politie
Offi ce 365
Intranet
sms e-mail intranet portal social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook digital signage external website own app for in-app messaging PABX switchboard answer machine
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VISION | Muriel De Lathouwer, ICT Woman of the Year 2017 and CEO of EVS Broadcast Equipment
One of the areas affected by the digital transformation which is impossible to ignore is the television industry. Research, development and innovation are the driving forces behind a sort of technological marathon where the finishing line is never in sight. At EVS, the ‘athletes’ excel day after day, keeping pace with CEO Muriel De Lathouwer.
“ The ‘one size fi ts all’ age is over. Off ering personalized content is the new standard.”
New players prompt EVS to reinvent itself
T
he emergence of IP in telecoms is well remembered. It opened up oceans of opportunities for this sector. “Our industry is surfing exactly the same wave today. For me, there was nothing more logical than to apply my telecoms experience in the fast-changing landscape of broadcasting,” Muriel De Lathouwer says. “Our products are sophisticated, but they have to be easy for operators to use given the responsiveness required by live broadcasting,” De Lathouwer explains. One thing is clear, EVS aims to facilitate the digital transformation that’s currently in progress in its industry and its ecosystem.
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EVS Broadcast Equipment holds a market share of no less than 94% in OB units at the global level. Although the technological development and hardware assembly take place in Liège, EVS is also present in major cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and North America.
July 2017
Having studied engineering and nuclear physics and then obtaining an MBA from Insead,
Muriel De Lathouwer
began her professional life as an IT consultant at Accenture before going on to join McKinsey as a partner. She also held the position of CMO at Base. A member of the EVS Board of Directors since 2013, De Lathouwer has been the company’s CEO and led its workforce of 500 since the end of 2014.
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VISION | Muriel De Lathouwer, ICT Woman of the Year 2017 and CEO of EVS Broadcast Equipment
“In my view, every occasion is a pretext to arouse my intellectual curiosity and identify ways of learning lessons to apply to our activity.”
One size doesn’t fit all New technologies mean new skills but, above all, new business models. We no longer think in terms of point-to-point connections, but rather the cloud and virtualization. IP is bringing with it unprecedented operating methods and new players. “The provision of video content on various platforms such as mobiles or tablets to complement television offers an opportunity to supply personalized content. The ‘one size fits all’ age is over.” Disruptive revolution As market leader, EVS is well placed. De Lathouwer points out that now is the time to stay alert. The arrival of new players prompts the company to constantly reinvent itself. “Things may be very different tomorrow; you have to be able to anticipate in order to create new opportunities.” According to De Lathouwer, EVS’s partners and clients are facing the same challenges. You have to be ever more efficient, more responsive, more productive, more innovative. So the products are partly the reflection of the clients, but also a proactive 14
2 tips for the CIO
1
Analyze market players
“Stay alert to the competitors of tomorrow. Never be content simply to analyze your traditional competitors, but detect the disruptive players on your market.”
2
Think tomorrow
response to every challenge. “We have a reputation as pragmatic innovators and we know that our clients have to achieve more and more with less and less. This is the challenge behind our approach day in, day out,” De Lathouwer reveals.
Collaborative management In terms of HR, the challenges should not be underestimated. In a sphere of influence which has led her to focus more on hardware, EVS is now adopting a software approach, with an agile methodology and process adjustments. This is the reality of the 500 staff members De Lathouwer leads on a daily basis: “I firmly believe in teamwork. Nothing can replace the wealth of ideas, the variety of cultures and backgrounds among staff. This enables us to face challenges with confidence and align decisions collectively.” As for the management committee, De Lathouwer grants it a major role. Decisions are taken based on facts and relevant performance indicators. “I don’t take reporting lightly. I’ve introduced rigor and a more analytical approach, free of taboos.” A meaningful award De Lathouwer was named ICT Woman of the Year 2017 for having succeeded in guiding EVS to become an organization oriented more towards software and business. She is, of course, honored and pleasantly surprised by this recognition but, to her mind, the award mainly bears something that is dear to her heart: women, technology and leadership. “From my point of view, there are still too few women in the IT sector. And even fewer with their sights set on a leadership role. And yet I don’t see any rational reason for this, and it is high time we shattered the stereotypes and changed attitudes.”
“ Being a leading company means remaining humble, listening to clients and earning the right to retain this position. Reinvent yourself every day because nothing can ever be taken for granted.”
July 2017
SOLUTION | The cloud carries on thanks to Disaster Recovery as a Service
Don’t lose critical data 540 CIOs, IT Managers ... in four countries were questioned
40 % 4
of companies had to deal with ransomware last year
30 %
of companies lost income
20%
of companies affected had to stop their activities immediately
Source: Report ‘2016 State of Ransomware’
source : Malwarebytes 2016shown The past few months have
that ransomware has reached a new level of maturity. Paying a ransom is no guarantee that encrypted files will be released. A backup of your data is essential. Companies are using more and more digital systems. Staff and devices, applications and processes are all connected. So the cause of data loss is shifting more from hardware problems and human error to cybercrime and the digital world. The more companies rely on digital systems, the greater the impact of an attack, both financial and legal, in terms of productivity, corporate image, customer loyalty, etc.
www.onemagazine.be
Analysts estimate that between 2016 and 2020, the use of DRaaS to cope with the failure of production applications will increase by over 200%.
Virtualization shortens recovery time Backups need to be made on alternative systems in separate physical locations. Traditional disaster recovery systems are being replaced by as-a-service models. With DraaS, your data are replicated on virtual servers in your partner’s datacenter. This partner also takes care of the hardware, maintenance, follow-up and system security. If something unexpectedly goes wrong with your own systems, you can continue to work via the cloud.
RPO and RTO remain limited Thanks to the power of virtualization, your recovery point objective (which indicates how much data has been lost since the last recovery) and your Recovery Time Objective (the period of time before the outage is remedied) can be limited. Who wouldn’t prefer this to take minutes and seconds rather than hours?
Is your data safe Contact your account manager or watch the video on www.proximus.be/draas
15
IN PRACTICE | Beobank launches innovative office concept for customers
Agency of the future Beobank is the first bank in Belgium to open a onestop shop for professional customers who can work there themselves and welcome customers for meetings. Each Beobank PRO Center has powerful communication tools. Commercial Director Bob Vanmeerbeek takes us round.
16
A
fter our merger with BKCP Bank, we began a sking o urselves some key questions: what is our role as a banker? How can we offer our professional customers added value?” Bob Vanmeerbeek tells us, explaining the process that ultimately led to the new Beobank PRO Centers. “This process of self-reflection – and a market survey
conducted among 400 customers and prospects – revealed that our professional customers need a real financial partner, one who thinks proactively with them and offers them concrete solutions that go further than just advice.”
Coworking plus expert advice One of these concrete solutions became the Beobank PRO Center. Professional
July 2017
“ Our professional customers need a financial partner who offers them concrete solutions.” customers can make use of coworking spaces, meeting rooms, areas for events and a shared reception. And all this is completely free of charge, Vanmeerbeek stresses, “A Ghent entrepreneur who has to hold a meeting with a prospect in Antwerp tomorrow, but doesn’t have anywhere to do so and doesn’t want to use a public place such as a hotel lobby, simply has to open our app on
his smartphone and book one of our meeting rooms or a smaller capsule for as long as he thinks will be necessary, free of charge and without any obligation. Of course, during the meeting he can call on one of our experts on site should he need to do so. It’s a win-win situation.”
Powerful communication tools “We have equipped all our PRO Centers with powerful communication tools such as videoconferencing and streaming, so that our customers simply have to type in a URL to meet with a financial expert at head office or with the rest of the world from here.” Digital information screens are also provided in the waiting room, for instance, to be able to share
Beobank is the Belgian subsidiary of the Group Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe. Beobank has 230 points of sale, 610,000 customers and a workforce of around 1,500. At this point there are seven Beobank PRO Centers: Bruges, Kortrijk, Ghent, Kontich, Brussels North, Brussels South and Liège.
www.onemagazine.be
17
IN PRACTICE | Beobank launches innovative office concept for customers
As Commercial Director, Professional Customers, Bob Vanmeerbeek is responsible for developing the professional arm of Beobank. He gained a master’s degree in business economics and has 22 years’ experience in the banking sector.
real-time business messages or other information with visitors. Thanks to fiber-optic connections, the PRO Centers are equipped with a robust network that enables all these communication facilities.
Unanimously positive According to Vanmeerbeek, the Beobank PRO Centers are really catching on. “At first, our customers are surprised by this new service. But the fact that we offer it free of charge and it is easy to use, convinces them. At the moment we are still in the rollout phase of our Beobank PRO concept: we have already opened four PRO Centers and another three are in the pipeline for the coming months. So, first of all, we want to introduce our current customers to the PRO Center in their region, before spreading the word more widely. In the space of just a few months, around 10% of our existing customers in Ghent, Kortrijk and Kontich
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have already made use of it. The reactions are always unanimously positive, a good sign for the future.”
Action plan for the installation of communication tools 1. Determine which personnel need which communication tools and where – at the office, in the meeting room, at home, on the road, etc. 2. Check which areas you would also like to make available to your clients – which communication tools do they need? 3. Find out which connectivity is needed to support these communication tools – for instance, Wi-Fi, fiber optics, etc. 4. Tell your clients and personnel about the new possibilities and stimulate user adoption via workshops.
“Our Beobank PRO Centers off er an ideal, win-win situation.”
Co-working for your clients If you’d love to know more about these PRO Centers, watch the video on www.proximus.be/futureoftelephony Do you need the right tools for your co-working space? Go to www.proximus.be
July 2017
The communication tools in a Beobank PRO Center Any Beobank PRO client can meet an experienced advisor in the center and benefit from customized advice. For their part, professional clients can make free use of the private and co-working areas to meet their customers or business partners. There they can use a huge range of communication tools supported by secure Wi-Fi and fiber optics.
MEETING ROOM
Possibility to hold workshops or follow courses via videoconferencing
BACK OFFICE OPEN-CLOSED DISCUSSION ROOM
Workplace for Beobank advisors with all the requisite network connections for making appointments, file management, etc.
Discussion room for private meetings
WAITING AND RELAXATION AREA Digital information screens with real-time messages
COMMUNAL WORK TABLE
A co-working space for clients and/or personnel, with Wi-Fi connection
FORUM
Multipurpose area for informal meetings, conferences, presentations, etc. via videoconferencing and live streaming www.onemagazine.be
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SCOOP | Read for you
Why should you read it? What will companies look like in the future? How will they work? Who will they hire? What impact will IT security and privacy have, for instance? Alec Ross sees patterns in the chaos that surrounds us, something that every entrepreneur can use to his or her advantage.
What’s it about? The past 20 years have seen the rise of the Internet and smartphones. These are the two driving forces that have totally changed our lives, given rise to new industries and created incredible value. What next? This is the central question that Alec Ross tries to answer in his book.
The Industries of the Future Where the world is headed in the coming decade
20
About the author
About the book
Alec Ross began his career as a high school teacher in Baltimore but soon found his way to Washington, D.C. He was an advisor during the election campaign of Barack Obama and worked for Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state. Ross is also a guest professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. He recently launched a campaign to become the governor of Maryland.
How did the Internet turn entire industries upside down? “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” says Ross. In “Industries of the Future” he describes how new developments in cryptocurrency, big data, genetics and cyber security will affect our lives in the coming decades. ‘ The Industries of the Future’ is not an over-simplified feel-good story. Ross has an eye for the social changes that new technological developments will bring and warns against possible negative consequences such as massive unemployment among unskilled workers. oss underpins his vision with in-depth research and R supporting facts, but writes in plain English so his message can reach a wide audience.
July 2017
Dossier
Digital transformation Over to the experts
Eric Lecoutre, Hans Verstraeten and Filip Geuens, from advice company Noludits: “A mediocre golfer who buys a set of expensive golf clubs does not suddenly change into an excellent golfer.”
22 Without an insight into the specific digital maturity of a company, it is impossible to draw up a coherent policy ... 90 minutes
about the challenges of digital transformation at Belfius, VRT, Mediabrands, Vanbreda Risk & Benefits and Proximus.
24 ... it is important for companies to understand that this is not a one-off exercise. Interview
Katia Battheu and Bart Watteeuw of Proximus: “It’s about digitization the right processes. What do you do digitally and where do you keep the human factor?”
28 www.onemagazine.be
21
OVER TO THE EXPERTS | Noludits assists customers with their digital transformation
Digital maturity does not increase without being measured
Digital technology influences almost everything around us. In business, there is one iron law: those who use the right technology – what must I do? – in the right way – how must I do it? – are the ones who come out on top. That is really what is at stake with digital transformation. But where do you start?
F
or a successful digital transformation, you have to address both dimensions: both the digital aspect and transformation. If you focus on just one of the two, it doesn’t work. If you don’t do either, your company will soon lose its place in the market. The difficulty is that digital technology is evolving far more quickly than the pace at which companies can reinvent themselves. The resultant tension is the major challenge of digital transformation. Why can’t companies just ignore it? Well, because there is no other option. After all, the ROI of digital transformation is survival! That is the true aim of digital transformation: to survive, remain competitive and be successful in the digital economy. To achieve this, companies have to strive to attain the right digital maturity for their specific activities. And no, it really is not enough just to install a piece of technology. A mediocre golfer who buys a set of expensive golf clubs does not suddenly change into an excellent golfer as a result.
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July 2017
Eric Lecoutre, Hans Verstraeten and Filip Geuens are partners at Noludits. The company assists customers with their digital transformation and helps them increase their digital maturity.
That only comes after the necessary analyses, lessons, training and practice. It’s exactly the same for companies. You have to have the right technology. But using this technology properly and reinventing your company to become competitive in a digital economy also calls for analysis, making plans to improve and implementing those plans.
which the Management and staff are ready for the digital world and open to change, the way the company reaches customers with digital marketing and adopts a customer-oriented approach, the availability of digital technology, the maturity of the data strategy, the strength of the back office and the company’s competitive position in the market.
To measure is to know, and that applies to digital transformation too. A company’s digital maturity measures how competitive the company is in a digital economy. Only if you know how digitally mature your company is, can you determine where you want to go and draw up a step-by-step plan to increase this maturity. To measure the digital maturity of a company, we use the assessment model of the American specialists at Future Point Of View. This gives companies a score in nine dimensions. Among other things, we measure the extent to
The results of the analysis are the starting-point for recommendations and practical actions; without an insight into the specific digital maturity of a company, it is impossible to draw up a sensible and coherent policy with the right priorities. It is important for companies to understand that this is not a one-off exercise. Digital transformation is an ongoing process of reinventing yourself. Basically it is a total business transformation driven by digital technologies. And here companies will have to strike the right balance between deploying staff and using technology.
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90 MINUTES | Five managers round the table discussing digital transformation
A question of offering added value Success in the digital world is not simply a matter of technology. The human component – in the form of expert advice – and proximity are also important. Above all, the digital process stands or falls on its initiative and daring, based on a vision in line with the value you want to create for the customer. And then you have to carry on finetuning with this customer until you have a top-class product.
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D
igital transformation is about the application of digital technologies in virtually every aspect of society. The term refers both to the digitization of existing processes and the advent of new, disruptive models. It’s about applications for digital communication and media consumption, but also innovative solutions that can turn entire sectors upside down, such as Uber and Airbnb. “I don’t like the term,” says Stijn Lehaen, manager of the VRT Digital Production Center. “It’s not purely digital, because we don’t focus on technology. And it’s not a transformation, because it’s
not a process with an end point. What you do need is a maneuverable organization that constantly adapts.”
Not at the same speed everywhere Above all, companies should allocate a mandate and a budget to their digital project. That is what happened when Belfius was first set up. “We started from scratch, with a new brand and a new form of customer interaction,” says Geert Van Mol, Chief Digital Officer at Belfius. “We saw the rise of the smartphone and focused fully on mobile first.” The fact that Belfius appointed a CDO for July 2017
Participants
One Magazine invited five managers from the Belgian business and public sector to discuss digital transformation.
Stijn Lehaen
Manager of the VRT Digital Production Center “A small step in the digital process can mean a lot for consumers.”
Geert Van Mol
Chief Digital Offi cer at Belfi us “A digital application is successful when it offers a concrete solution to a concrete problem.”
Sven Bally
Consultant at Mediabrands “ Digital transformation is, fi rst and foremost, a matter of people management, because it’s about change.”
Pedro Matthynssens Managing Director at Vanbreda Risk & Benefits “ You have to do small things, which really start from a business case.”
Geert Kelchtermans
Director E-Transformation at Proximus “ The disruption is occurring on several fronts. It’s about both technology and business models.”
this, with a mandate and resources, confirms that the bank was serious. “It shows that digital transformation is not the right description,” Sven Bally agrees. As a consultant with Mediabrands, he also works in the fields of customer experience and transformation in the retail sector. “First and foremost, it’s about people management. Consumers and the sector are both changing. Retail firms often have difficulty finding the right answer.” Change is also a major challenge in the insurance sector. The digital distribution of insurance policies is www.onemagazine.be
“What you need is a maneuverable organization that constantly adapts.” – Stijn Lehaen, Manager of the VRT Digital Production Center
increasing rapidly, particularly with commodity products such as car and travel insurance. New models are disrupting the traditional market, among other things by selling very short-term insurance policies digitally. “At the same time, the range of very complex, professional insurance products is changing,” says Pedro Matthynssens, Managing Director of Vanbreda Risk & Benefits. “Here we are moving towards an advice-giving business, where we analyze risks on a customized basis and work out a suitable solution.” But digitization is not happening at 25
90 MINUTES | Five managers round the table discussing digital transformation
the same speed all over the world. Companies can learn a lot from m arkets that are way ahead of their own. Silicon Valley still provides inspiration, it appears, but these days the truly impressive things are happening in China.
Where do you start? “You have to dare to make choices,” Lehaen says. “And yes, it’s possible you will make mistakes along the way, but then you have to make sure you can adjust. You do that by starting small, with processes that have a significant impact and create great involvement.” It’s often not as easy as that. The CEO has to defend the plans to the s hareholders. Change often meets with resistance. “With us the disruption comes at two levels,” says Geert Kelchtermans, director of E-Transformation at Proximus. “It involves the technologies and the business models. We opt for an agile
Your opinion matters! Would you like to respond to this round-table discussion? Go to www.onemagazine.be or tweet @ProximusEnt
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working method, with short development cycles. It allows us to speed up at the right moments or take our foot off the pedal a little where necessary.” “There has indeed been no big bang,” Matthynssens agrees. “You have to do small things – but things that come from a business case. You can also be sure that many of these little projects will fail.” But waiting until you can come out with a complete narrative only causes needless delay. “A small step along the digital path can mean a lot for the consumer,” says Lehaen. “With vrt.nu we offer barely a quarter of what is on the program. But the response is very positive and that creates a positive climate for what else is coming, among consumers and internally, too.”
Customer experience is the starting-point A partial approach like this works, as long as the information provided is accurate. “That applies more than ever in retail,” says Bally. “There everything revolves around the customer experience. Customers expect to be able to obtain information, such as the current status of an order. The challenge lies in additional service. Customers who order 10 items, for instance, to try them on and then
return nine. Customers who want extra advice via a digital channel, that’s the difficulty.” The answer lies not so much in the technology, but in the structure around it. “I’m thinking of the human aspect,” says Van Mol. “The advice given must be helpful. And we shouldn’t forget the local component. If an order service guarantees that it will deliver within 10 minutes, this can’t be done without local support. And if someone wants to phone from a digital channel, then you have to take that call in the language of the customer straight away.” According to Matthynssens, at the same time we should not underestimate the role of technology. “In the digital world, everything is software. Does that mean software is becoming our core business? That makes the choice of a particular technology extremely important. As a company, you want to have the right expertise in house to deal with this.” Above all, however, a cultural change is necessary. Companies need to review everything. Basically, they need to put themselves in the position of a startup. “You can definitely shock a little,” Bally believes. “You can do that by recruiting people from other industries, albeit only temporarily. The travel sector, for instance, is ten years ahead in digital July 2017
terms. Someone from this sector can bring in a whole new perspective.” In general, it’s still a battle to attract the right talent. “That’s why these days, first and foremost, we hire people with the right spirit,” says Kelchtermans, “Even though sometimes they don’t yet have all the technical background we need.”
Look for the right solution The core of the digital story is that companies have to learn to think on the basis of the added value that they want to offer their customers. “A digital application is successful when it offers a concrete solution to a concrete problem,” according to Van Mol. The big challenge lies in the search for that one, right solution. “You succeed best here by trying and testing,” says Kelchtermans, “by making sketches and talking to customers. It’s an iterative process whereby you constantly perfect the solution on the basis of continuous feedback.” The customers’ response is vital here. “Our customers indicated that they did not like sending in letters relating to insurance claims,” says Matthynssens. “Now we are developing an app for that. So it appears yet again that insurance consists first and foremost of experience products: as a consumer, you know what the service is worth when you really need it.” As well as feedback from customers, a strong local presence is also an asset. “If we combine digital with human and local, we don’t need to be afraid of the startups or other disruptive forces,” concludes Van Mol, “as long as we succeed in offering what the customer wants.”
Who in your company sets out the digital strategy and vision or who should do this? Sets out the digital strategy
Should ideally set out the digital strategy
38%
33%
10%
8%
3%
27%
30%
17%
8%
9%
Chief Executive
Chief Information Offi cer
Chief Digital Offi cer or Head of E-commerce
Chief Marketing Offi cer
Chief Strategy Offi cer
source: Forrester/Accenture 2015
Top 10 skills for digital transformation within an organization 01 Digital security 02
86%
Business change management
84%
03 Business networks
79%
04 Big data analytics
73%
05 Internet of Things 06
Product service offerings
07
Mobile technologies
08 In-memory databases 09 Cloud computing 10 Social media
67% 65% 63% 62% 61% 61%
source: IDT/SAP 2015
Conclusion Digital is here to stay. Companies that dismiss the digital story as hype are minimizing their own chances of survival and are taking a big risk. But without a smart approach, soon it won’t work, either. So, as you do it, try fast and fail cheap is the motto: experiment quickly and cheaply with processes that provide concrete added value, with an eye on the human and local aspect.
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INTERVIEW | Katia Battheu and Bart Watteeuw on the Proximus digital transformation project
Your own experience is a valuable source of advice Digital transformation is not merely an idea with no obligations. It’s a far-reaching, strategic exercise that determines the future of a company. Proximus uses the experience gained from its own digital transformation process to advise customers.
are under way to increase the effectiveness of customer support and improve cooperation among colleagues – all backed up by the necessary digital tools. “The unique thing about our digital transformation is that it results in cross-fertilization. In the first place, we improve our customer services. At the same time, our experience of the subject means that we can also give these customers targeted advice when they start their own digital transformation process,” Watteeuw explains.
Real change “Our customers will find it far easier to place an order using a digital application,” says Katia Battheu, Director Enterprise Operations at Proximus. “They can add or change products and services and track their orders. Reporting and following up incidents and interventions will also be possible digitally using a mobile app. Invoicing is easier too and we offer powerful tools to monitor invoices better digitally.”
“ Digital transformation is not confi ned to off ering a few digital applications.” – Katia Battheu, Director Enterprise Operations at Proximus
B
roadly speaking, our transformation covers three main issues,” says Bart Watteeuw, Director Enterprise IT Solutions at Proximus. “These are the digitization of interaction with the customer, the digitization of cooperation among company staff and the digitization of our own business model.” Various programs
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However, digital transformation is not confined to offering a few digital applications. “Change is the real key to success,” Battheu goes on. “Digital transformation basically involves change management. It is a new way of working, for both the customer and our Proximus staff. Things are usually a lot more efficient for our customers if they are done digitally, but to achieve this efficiency you have to support the change properly.”
The right choice The strategic choices that a company makes are the basis of its continued success. “It’s about digitizing the right processes,” Watteeuw maintains. “What do you do digitally and where do you keep the human factor?” It is essential to consider this and then adopt the solutions on offer. “Because once again, it’s about change. If customers or staff don’t
“What do you do digitally and where do you keep the human factor?” – Bart Watteeuw, Director Enterprise IT Solutions at Proximus
come on board, then there can be no transformation. And you waste time so your competitors may get ahead. If you want to ensure that your company ultimately remains relevant, you have to tackle the digital transformation quickly and properly.”
Proximus’ transformation Digitization of: 1. interaction with the customer 2. cooperation between company staff 3. the company’s own business model Needs consideration: what is done digitally vs where is the human touch required? Essential: to bring customers and staff on board
July 2017
SCOOP | Devices in the spotlight Samsung Galaxy S8
Breaking away from the classic smartphone screen Anyone looking for a new smartphone can’t ignore Samsung’s new fl agship model. At the recommended price, the Korean manufacturer’s Galaxy S8 is a little cheaper than the top Apple models, but it holds its own in terms of specs. It starts with a fast processor, more than enough memory and a battery that lasts up to two days per charge. The 5.8” screen has a special 18.5:9 screen ratio, so the phone is longer and sits well in the hand. The thin, curved edge offers suffi cient grip and, at the same time, creates an elegant look. The S8 is brimming with the latest features. It comes with a fi ngerprint scanner, face recognition and even an iris scanner to unlock the phone automatically. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 is included, too. Samsung has done away with the usual home button and instead uses a touch-sensitive virtual button with haptic feedback. Processor: 8-core Exynos 8895 Operating system: Android 7.0 Memory: 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, micro-SD up to 256 GB Screen type: Super AMOLED Screen resolution: 2960 x 1440 Dimensions: 149 x 68 x 8 mm
Weight: 155 g Connection: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, USB-C Bluetooth: 5.0 Camera: 12 MB with autofocus and LED fl ash, 8 MP front, 4K video recording Extra: Fingerprint sensor, iris scanner, curved screen edge, IP68 dust- and waterproof
The new Samsung fl agship is a top-of-the-range device with a striking new look and a whole host of new features inside. Huawei P10 Lite
The modern smartphone without a physical home button The new Huawei P10 Lite is a great choice for those who want a modern smartphone with Android 7 without having to pay an arm and a leg for it. The Chinese manufacturer is known for delivering high performance at a low price and this device is no exception. The outside of the P10 Lite consists of a combination of glass and metal, resulting in a sturdy phone. The 5.2 inch IPS screen supports Full HD and is easy to read even in direct sunlight. The physical home button is missing here too; this seems to have become a new trend. The battery capacity is good at 3,000 mAh, but charging is relatively slow. This device has a fi ngerprint sensor on the back as well as a step counter and a compass.
Processor: Octa-core Cortex-A53 Operating system: Android 7.0 Memory: 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, micro-SD up to 256 GB Screen type: 5.2” IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen Screen resolution: 1080 x 1920 Key dimensions: 147 x 72 x 7 mm
Weight: 146 g Connection: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, micro USB 2.0 Bluetooth: 4.1 Camera: 12 MB with autofocus and LED fl ash, 8 MP front Extra: Fingerprint sensor, Dual SIM
A great budget device with lots of modern features inside.
Visit www.proximus.be/devices or go along to a Proximus Center to choose your new mobile device. www.onemagazine.be
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IN PRACTICE | Smart parking boosts the Saint-Ghislain commercial district
Daniel Olivier
• Mayor of the City of Saint-Ghislain since 2006 • Graduate of economic sciences, U-Mons • Preferred areas: social initiatives and fi nance
Sensors stimulate urban parking 30
In Saint-Ghislain, parking is free and part of a well-regulated parking policy whose advantages are confirmed by Mayor Daniel Olivier. Here’s a focus article on the conclusive test phase of a smart solution for a city on the move.
July 2017
First Walloon city In Saint-Ghislain, parking is free but is organized in three types: long-stay (unlimited), medium-stay (two hours) and short-stay (30 minutes). The free 30-minute stays are possible thanks to the new smart parking system. “This third alternative is a response to what are known as ‘voitures ventouses,’ cars that outstay the period permitted in restricted parking areas,” the mayor tells us. This principle means, among other
5
active smart parking spaces
13
planned smart spaces
things, that people can shop quickly and efficiently without having to worry about the cost of parking. Saint-Ghislain is the first Walloon city to offer this solution. “Free parking is a permanent part of my basic principles and technology is helping us to meet this challenge more efficiently,” Daniel Olivier explains.
Method In an initial phase, the Shop&Go solution tested five parking spaces fitted with a sensor and an appropriate sign. This solution was placed on the market by Proximus subsidiary Be-Mobile. The parked vehicle must be moved within 30 minutes, otherwise a tax applies. “Our current statistics on parking overruns show an average of 14 minutes. A period www.onemagazine.be
that we think is reasonable,” the mayor says. In a second phase, the aim is to more or less triple the number of smart parking places. In Courtrai, where a similar system is in place, the impact for the public authorities and for users has also been confirmed. “The data gathered by the sensors can also help the city to establish the location of any overruns more precisely and analyze the causes,” explains Jean-Paul Vandewinckele of Parko, the city’s autonomous parking company.
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average number of changeovers/ spaces/days
4
“ Smart parking is one of the keys to a sustainable city center.” – Daniel Olivier, mayor Saint-Ghislain
average number of overruns/spaces/day
Towards a Smart City The city of Saint-Ghislain is now ready to move on to the next step, which involves expanding the system and connecting smart parking with drivers’ smartphones. This combination provides accurate information about the number of parking spaces available and the exact length of time that vehicles have been parked. But Olivier is not stopping there. His aim is to create a smart city. After smart parking, it will be time for smart electricity meters (in collaboration with ORES and U-Mons), LED technology for dynamic urban lighting and the provision of a Wi-Fi network in the city. The core values of Saint-Ghislain – user-friendliness and performance – are in good hands!
14
minutes average length of overrun
More about smartparking To watch the video, go to the Proximus YouTube channel. Would you like to appear in One? Contact your account manager or send an e-mail to one@proximus.com
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SOLUTION | itsmeÂŽ launches mobile identity app
No more long lists of passwords and collections of card readers and tokens. itsmeÂŽ provides conclusive authentication: a digital identity that takes users online securely.
eID + SIM card = mobile authentication 32
July 2017
itsme® is a product of Belgian Mobile ID, a partnership between four big banks and the three Belgian mobile telephone operators. “Society is mobile and digital,” says Kris De Ryck, CEO at Belgian Mobile ID. “But authentication was still a whole lot of fuss and bother, with all sorts of user names and passwords, card readers and tokens.” itsme® takes away the hassle by combining two elements. On the one hand, the bank has the verified and validated identity of the user. On the other hand, the mobile phone operator recognizes the user’s device via the SIM card. At Proximus, for instance, the administration tool Doccle will be accessed via itsme®. “This involves confidential HR documents belonging to members of staff,” says Syrah Mohaideen, Business Development Manager EBU at Proximus. “Passwords and user names are no longer needed. You can log in securely and simply via your mobile phone.” Initially, the app is designed to make Internet banking, online shopping and all sorts of administration simpler. Eventually, it will also be possible to use itsme® for certified, electronic signatures on documents, which will simplify a whole range of administrative processes. Proximus EnCo acts as a market for digital products and a development environment for Proximus. “On enco.io, developers can gain direct access to the IoT, the cloud, big data and Telco APIs to integrate them into their own digital solution. Proximus EnCo incorporates the itsme® notification and a link to the existing itsme® accounts environment to offer fast, secure and easy access to assets with the simplicity of a single PIN code,” says Robert Heyvaert, Strategy Manager EBU at Proximus.
“itsme® replaces the endless stream of user names, passwords, card readers and tokens.” – Kris De Ryck, CEO at Belgian Mobile ID
What is itsme®? • Digital identity, based on verified identity and SIM card • Correct identification data • Guaranteed privacy • Available for iOS and Android • Initiative of BNP Paribas Fortis (including Fintro and Hello Bank), KBC, ING and Belfius, together with Proximus, Telenet and Orange
How does itsme® work? • Online authentication via the app and a unique five-figure itsme® code or your fingerprint • Works on both mobile phones and smartphones • Seamless rollout, no new SIM card necessary • Six partners already use it: Randstad, Bolero, Rombit, Doccle, Proximus EnCo, ClearMedia
More about itsme® Contact your account manager or go to www.itsme.be
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HOW DOES PROXIMUS DO THAT? | N ewTone stimulates project-based work to strengthen competencies of employees
According to Newton’s law of gravity, two masses attract each other. The NewTone project does essentially the same thing within Proximus; employees seek and find each other via an online platform to work together on short-term projects.
Employees weigh in “Today every Proximus employee works in a very traditional structure. Everyone does what his job description requires, but employees have so many more competencies,” says Vincent Dock from the Enterprise Business Unit (EBU) Strategy. “Furthermore we often have to go in search of new profiles. Instead of doing that externally, we want to offer our own employees an extra challenge.”
“Via the NewTone platform employees can try out new projects without completely transferring to a new position right away,” says Dorian Kronenwerth, who helped develop the project. “It’s a good way to encourage personal development of employees. They can step out of their comfort zone and demonstrate their commitment and competencies.”
Bart Van Den Meersche Chief Enterprise Market Officer “In five years there will be jobs and positions that we are unaware of now. Needs change and Proximus must be able to respond to this. Our most important challenge for the coming years is optimal use of the skills of our employees. The NewTone project is a win-win-win for this:
1. W in for individuals Employees can develop and manage their skills themselves. 2. Win for Proximus With flexible and competent employees we can choose the right profile for every project, which provides us with a competitive advantage. 3. W in for the customer With better and more diverse competencies, customers can benefit from better service. 34
Nicolas Rollier – Strategy Manager EBU “I think it’s good that you are fully a part of another team for a limited time; the walls between departments are torn down. You also share much more knowledge that way.” July 2017
NewTone = announcement with
750 apples
32
projects posted
9
projects launched
60% reach
90%
matching managers
Via NewTone, Proximus wants to 1. prepare to adapt the traditional business structure to the changing market 2. make optimal use of skills of in-house employees to remain competitive 3. p ut an end to working in silos and share more knowledge across departments 4. g ive extra motivation to employees and offer opportunities for continuing development
Employees
Setup of the project: 7 November 2016
Short-term projects
www.onemagazine.be
150
followers on Instagram
Quick start
can ‘apply’ to work on projects outside their normal job description.
“I strongly believe in the platform because people enjoy collaborating on a project as a volunteer. NewTone lowers the threshold for new collaborations. For example, I was looking for a supervisor for a selfsteering team and found two right away!”
satisfaction
Managers
post online ‘ job advertisements’ to find people for short-term projects.
Kristien De Clercq Operations Manager EBU
90%
are voluntary; employees make arrangements over a cup of coffee.
Launch: 7 March 2017 The project went live within four months.
“ We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” Isaac Newton
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IN PRACTICE | Konvert centralizes its telephony and goes for smart collaboration
Koen Vanneste is an industrial electronics
engineer and has worked for Konvert since 1998. Prior to that he worked as Sales Support Engineer at Barco. He set up the Konvert IT department and heads up all the IT projects.
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July 2017
Do call us
24/7 Reachability is crucial for every employment agency. Koen Vanneste, CIO and CTO of Konvert, looks back at the centralization of their telephone system. “That investment led to smart collaboration!”
S
ince 2000 we have been working with a secure Explore data communication network. But until 2015 conversations between our PABX switchboards were still routed via an external number,” says Koen Vanneste. “Of course, we’d known for a while that we had to make some investments. But for an IT decision-maker it’s no easy matter to figure out all the pros and cons while, at the same time, ensuring consistent integration.”
The family group Konvert, with subsidiaries Interim, Office, Construct, Food and Logistics, employs more than 380 personnel across 85 branches. Konvert is one of the top 10 Belgian employment agencies.
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Switch Vanneste wants to weigh up the various options for every IT investment. He looks for user-friendliness and compatibility with the existing infrastructure. “Both the quality of the phone conversation and the ease of use of the total solution are very important in our business and, of course, Konvert also wanted to move to voice over IP.” At the end of 2014 several trial installations were tested, and various options were compared with one another. “When these tests revealed a number of shortcomings, we eventually opted for a total solution from Cisco and began installation and configuration of the Cisco UC platform at head office. In the meantime, the Proximus training center organized a course on the technical details for all our system administrators.”
Smart collaboration Smart collaboration and maximum availability are entrenched in four drivers:
1. Business efficiency Personnel in service companies spend, on average, half of their time responding to messages and processing information. New technology has to focus on accessibility and other ways of collaboration. 2. Employee mobility More than six out of 10 employees would like to be able to work from home. They have to be able to access their files 24/7. Thanks to cloud applications, this is now a real option. 3. Customer experience Two-thirds of clients hang up if they aren’t put through to someone quickly enough. A well-thought-out service plan is therefore required as well as a technical infrastructure that connects the client to the right person. 4. Business continuity Don’t miss out on opportunities because of a technical fault. Your infrastructure is becoming increasingly complex. So you have to provide e mergency procedures and backups as standard.
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IN PRACTICE | Konvert centralizes its telephony and goes for smart collaboration
The future In 2018 Konvert is moving to a new head office. “The new building will be equipped with all the modern communication media. We are currently looking at all the various options concerning videoconferencing and smartboards for our different meeting rooms. These technologies are constantly evolving and the possibilities when it comes to such devices and
solutions are moving so fast that all kinds of collaboration that you wouldn’t have thought technically feasible are now becoming a reality.”
Interviews via video chat “Sooner or later we will be conducting interviews via video chat integrated into our website. The first step – a complete overhaul of our website – has already
been taken. We are building a myKonvert application for our clients, so they can go online and follow the entire recruitment process, look at statistics and reports and enter data. Recently our on-site infrastructure was completely updated and a number of applications were migrated to the cloud. The migration to Office 365 is now in full swing. Digital transformation is a continuous process; it never stops!”
How does Konvert work via UC? • The unique UC solution offers one centrally managed platform at head office that quickly and efficiently connects all sites to each other via Explore. • The maintenance and addition of new offices is very straightforward. • Employees are no longer bound to one particular office. Their own user profile is available anywhere, anytime. Useful for those who are responsible for 24/7 permanence. • Konvert consultants have a desk phone and a soft phone via their computer, complete with ergonomic headsets. • The presence function lets you see whether Konvert personnel or their colleagues are present or available. • Personnel opt for the instant messaging chat function over e-mail for quick messages. • The 1 on 1 video function and the protected areas are useful. • Automatic pick-up of incoming calls. The caller is automatically put on hold and the call flow then links him to the first free phone. • The ‘click to dial’ feature is popular with all the recruitment consultants. • Internal course participants can phone in directly to a course via video chat.
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More info Go to www.proximus.be/futureoftelephony, watch the video or download the white paper at www.proximus.be
July 2017
TALKING HEADS | 7 questions for Valerie Taerwe, Young ICT Lady of the Year 2017
Valerie Taerwe,
“ I’ve learned to embrace change. I no longer have to know exactly what is going to happen to have confidence that it will all turn out well.”
Young ICT Lady of the Year 2017
What is the best moment of your working day? Every day is different and I’m often on the road. So I really enjoy it when I can take part in conference calls quietly from home. How would you describe your way of working? Co-creative. By cooperating transparently with colleagues and customers, you achieve better results. But, at the end of the day, you have to make progress. I admit that I dare to ‘push things along.’ What challenge or difficult choice sticks in your memory? It was a big step for me to apply for a job at AE. I was determined to make the right choice and I was looking for a company whose DNA suited me. Now I have discovered that you can embrace change, too. I no longer have to know exactly what is going to happen to have confidence that it will all turn out well.
Personal Valerie Taerwe is an empathic manager who firmly believes in cooperation with the customer. To relax she swims at least once a week so that she can explore deep seas in far-off countries when she’s on holiday. Career Valerie Taerwe studied computer science engineering and software engineering at university and then set up G-flux with a couple of fellow students. The startup is, to this day, still developing mobile applications for smartphones, tablets and wearables. She joined AE in 2012 and has also been associated with c-Quilibrium part-time since April 2014. In March 2017 she was named Young ICT Lady of the Year by Data News. Companies AE - Architects for Business & ICT specializes in d igital transformation. This firm of c onsultants helps customers to devise and develop new business m odels, services and products. The staff of over 200 do so thanks to thorough market knowledge, technological expertise and innovative techniques. C-Quilibrium has 20 employees. The team is the European market leader in cash s upply chain optimization solutions for the financial sector (Belfius, Hypovereinsbank, LCL and others) and wholesalers. Because far less cash is transported now and fewer storage facilities are required, customers save up to 25% in costs.
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What would you be doing if you didn’t do this job? Then I’d like to be a psychologist. I’m interested in interactions between people. I think empathy is very important and, as a psychologist, you can clearly mean something to others. Who would you like to get stuck in a lift with? I like good quality contacts that you get a lot out of personally. So I’d choose Wouter Torfs. He obviously pays a lot of attention to an efficient organization and sound corporate dynamics. At AE, we think that is important, too. What do you think will be the next trend in the world of technology and IT? There is still a lot of room to grow in the sharing economy. I’m thinking, for instance, of sharing bicycles and gardening equipment. But there are many other possibilities. Who knows, perhaps in the future I’ll set up another startup that is involved in the sharing economy. How do you see the role of the CIO evolving over the next 20 years? What leadership skills do you think will be important for a CIO? We are evolving towards a network organization. Big organizations that want to control everything are no longer tenable. We have to give more power to the ‘coalface’ teams in any case, so that they can decide quickly and autonomously.
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HOW DOES PROXIMUS DO THAT? | Why businesses better introduce agile working
CHANGING MARKET flexible company
Specifications fixed from day one? One or two years development time without market tests? Projects passed on from team to team, in turn? In 2017, it doesn’t work like that anymore. Companies will need to be smarter and more flexible. Welcome to the world of agile working.
Geert Goethals
Chief Information Officer at Proximus
T
he requirements of our market are changing at unprecedented speed and the needs – in terms of quality, flexibility and rapidity – are growing steadily. To cope adequately with this, we have to adopt a different approach to the development of services and solutions. An agile working method brings pliancy, placing the customer center stage and including multiple tests based on interim solutions before achieving a final product. This way of working takes account of the fact that things may change during the process and priorities may need to be adjusted. Although agile techniques have been common in IT development teams for several years now, an effective agile approach requires the thorough involvement of all players across all business areas.
Cross-functional teams A number of pilot projects have already been started as part of our efforts to continue rolling out this new way of cooperating. Self-organizing cross-functional teams have been set up, comprising product experts, marketing specialists, UX (User eXperience) designers, analysts, IT engineers, architects and testers, all with the same goal in mind and a common definition of success. Agile coaches were brought on board to support these teams and spread the agile culture more widely through Proximus. Among other things, they organized ‘agile games’, which were enthusiastically received at all levels. 40
Stimulating interaction By adapting our technical environments and reforming the release process, we aim to be in a position to launch new possibilities very frequently with no risk. The project methodology is also being reviewed and, where feasible, we try to use cloud solutions to develop new possibilities for our customers quickly. In addition, we are rethinking the working environment to further stimulate cooperation and interaction between people. We are working hard to establish the agile approach more firmly within Proximus, so that this becomes a standard way of working. Although it involves a significant transformation, we believe in a step-by-step process, albeit at a brisk pace. The continuity of our service provision and its development are crucial and we also want to give our people the time and space to evolve in this necessary transition.
The added value of agile working • More innovative products that respond better to market requirements • More satisfied customers • More involvement and better cooperation between multiple teams
July 2017
TRIGGER | From private needs to business needs
The wooden spoon
“By the way, we ordered you a knife and fork.”
D
uring the holidays, the crèche closes for a whole month. That posed a bit of a puzzle when it came to looking after our grandchild for four weeks. Her parents were going on an adventure holiday for a fortnight and didn’t want to take their daughter because she was too young. So the puzzle became a real Gordian knot. But not to worry, there is a solution: that’s what grandparents, brothers and sisters are for, isn’t it? We recently celebrated my granddaughter’s first birthday. As a grandfather and a boffin, I was eagerly looking forward to buying a fun, modern toy. But what do you get for a one-year-old? Her hands are too small to hold a tablet. She can’t use a smartphone yet, although she already loves to grab hold of one. She is clearly still too young for drones and hoverboards. Perhaps a book that reads itself aloud? Or a subscription to Netflix or Spotify? It’s too soon for all that.
the time, was being a bit troublesome and didn’t want to play with her favorite toy. The grandmother said, “The best toy is still a wooden spoon,” and promptly produced one. We heard nothing more from our daughter for an hour, although we heard plenty from the spoon. Conclusion: our needs haven’t changed for five generations. And then it came to me. Give others something that will make them happy. It doesn’t have to be cool, expensive or exclusive. Give it gladly, with a broad smile, so that they know they are welcome to it. That they can really have it. And that it’s good. In fact this ‘method’ works in business too: give people what they need and do so gladly. This is the secret to successful service provision: supplying customers with what they need, when they need it. As promised and agreed. Something that meets a basic requirement easily and effectively.
And then I remembered something. I once took my own daughter to see my wife’s grandmother – our grandchild’s great-great-grandmother. Our daughter, who was one at www.onemagazine.be
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