10 Invaluable Lessons on Digital Transformation in 2019
By: Charu Misra
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Analytics, Digital Transformation, Digital Marketing

Real talk: every company is currently tackling digital transformation in their own way. Love it or hate it, it’s happening. In fact, chances are that the company you work for, or want to work for, has plans for it. This is an exciting time to see these technologies play out, and last month, I got to see it first-hand at PLDT’s Philippine Digital Convention 2019.

The energy at the event was infectious and I found myself marveling at the pioneering digital solutions and innovative business concepts shared by industry leaders and digital experts. Envisioned with the theme “Come to the Edge”, the convention was all about the impact of technology on businesses, the state of communication, and ideas that unlock the doors to a successful digital transformation.

I personally found the idea to be very thought-proving, so I asked myself, “What does it mean to come to the edge?”. Based on the speakers and delegate-discussions, this is what I gleaned:

Tech has accelerated the pace of change and brought us to the edge. What does this entail? High performance, low latency, edging out competitors, bolder decisions, focusing on proximity, pushing the limits, living on the edge.

Now, coming down to the meat and potatoes of it all — here are the 10 invaluable lessons I picked up at #PHDigicon2019:

“We don’t have a choice on whether we digitally transform; the choice is how well we do it.” — Erik Qualman, Motivational Keynote Speaker and #1 Bestselling Author

Picture taken by Charu Misra of Erik Qualman at #PHDigicon2019

2. “With 2019 forecasted to see huge milestones in the tech and business landscapes, many analysts predict that this year will be the beginning of the 4th Industrial Revolution.” (due to advancements in AI, IoT, machine learning etc.) — Jovy Hernandez, SVP & Head, PLDT & Smart Enterprise Business Groups

3. Tech is not designed to replace face-to-face interaction. It’s to help when time and distance are an issue.

4. Job Displacement: Cisco conducted a study based on 275 million full-time equivalent workers employed in the six largest ASEAN economies and found that 28 million of those workers are going to be displaced. Innovations in digital technology will move workers from what they are currently doing to what is required in the future.

Picture taken by Charu Misra of Naveen Menon at #PHDigicon2019

5. Word of Mouth is now World of Mouth. The businesses of yesterday had to rely on customers spreading their message via verbal waterfall. Increased communication and the internet have allowed that process to occur on a global scale, at lighting speed. What was once word of mouth, is now world of mouth. We actually have that speed!

6. Gone are the days of photo copies and binders stuffed in chunky drawers and cabinets. Currently, we’re in a situation where we’re seeing everything move to the cloud. In order for enterprises to keep up, you absolutely need software-defined WAN (SD-WAN).

7. Did you know that it would take Niagara Falls 210,000 years to use up one quintillion gallons of water? If that surprises you, get this: there are 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being generated every single day(!!) So what we need is an edge in analytics to compete and succeed in the digital age.

8. Trans-humanism: the possibility of fundamentally improving the human condition beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.