Hi there,

On the eve of the first ever virtual New Zealand CIO Summit, a wake-up call has been sounded for CIOs enjoying newfound 'WFH' appreciation, with news that boards and chief executives are getting impatient to see true digital transformation. Gartner has found local business leaders are ready to oust the CIO and call in a chief digital officer if they are not delivering.

The driver, of course, is Covid-19. If leaders hadn’t already clicked to the power of digital, it’s certainly been driven home now, with non-digital companies among those struggling the most in the wake of lockdowns.

While that’s good news for those CIOs whose pleas for digital transformation have previously fallen on deaf ears, Gartner's Andy Rowsell-Jones is warning that the runway has shortened: Businesses want action now.

In other news:

B2B buyers underwhelmed with state of A/NZ e-commerce
NZ organisations collaborating on Industry 4.0
Working from anywhere drives new IT demands
Google rejects Hong Kong data requests

We also take a look at the role of automation in creating customer documentation – and how it can be used to delight the customer. It's typically the domain of insurers, but there's multiple applications across industries.

See you – virtually, of course – at next week’s CIO Summit, coming to you from the virtual CIO Stadium, 25-26 August.

Enjoy the read,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.co.nz

DIGITAL OFFICERS

Pressure goes on CIOs to accelerate digital – or move aside

Running out of patience, boards look to CDOs to force digital through…

Covid has driven digital understanding in the top ranks, but it’s also driving demand for faster action – and boards are running out of patience and gearing up to appoint chief digital officers if CIOs can’t deliver.

“If your board is typical of the boards we surveyed, they’re running out of patience.”

[Read more]

E-COMMERCE

Covid-19 exposes B2B e-commerce weakness

It’s time for B2B players in A/NZ to up their online game…

There are plenty of reasons to embrace digital e-commerce when you're a B2B operation, from the integration and deep analytics capabilities of modern platforms to customer self-service and 24/7 operation.

Are we still too reliant on the rep, the car and the catalogue? In a word, yes.

[Read more]

INDUSTRY 4.0

A/NZ gets serious about Industry 4.0

Industry mash-ups, new training…

A/NZ organisations are taking collaboration to heart when it comes to Industry 4.0, with a slew of new initiatives designed to drive manufacturing as a force for economic revival unveiled.

“If people can experience these new technologies in action first-hand, they can start to imagine what they could achieve in their own context.”

[Read more]

WORKING FROM HOME

Home workplace changes scope of office

Productivity benefits driving new look at what employees need…

Kurt Rodgers wants to see a language change. Chorus’ network strategist doesn’t like the term ‘work from home’. It is, he says, outdated and inaccurate.

“Covid-19 has really brought the future forward.”

[Read more]

DATA POLITICS

Google rejects data requests from HK law

Political battle emerges over govt requests for user data…

Google says it will stop directly responding to data requests from Hong Kong authorities following the enactment of sweeping new security laws in the former British colony.

Critics say Hong Kong’s new security laws threaten the freedoms of citizens, and are as sweeping as they are vague.

[Read more]

CLIENT INSIGHT

Insurtech: Improve the customer experience

Policy documentation is an opportunity to delight, or dishearten…

Today most insurers are struggling with why they should even think about investing in a new customer communications solution if they’re already getting policies and correspondence out the door.

“Rules-based logic identifies when text paragraphs or other regulated components must be inserted.”

[Read more]

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