The Autonomous Digital Enterprise – let’s make it practical

To be successful in today’s world, companies must harvest and exploit valuable data with automation and intelligence to optimise business operations, create new routes to revenue, and clear a pathway to innovation.  This requires a clear strategy and investment in Digital Transformation.

The Autonomous Digital Enterprise is the framework for the successful future enterprise.  It’s a digital-first business with distinct technology tenets and operating model characteristics that support transformation through actionable insights, business agility, and customer centricity.

There are 5 key areas that will assist an ADE to create value to its shareholders and customers.

In Part 1 we explore the Operating Model ADE businesses need to adopt.

• Innovation in the Eco System
• Digital Business Domains
• Best Practices in Environmental, social and governance
• Workplace Transformation
• IT Centers of Excellence

Let’s have a look at how Innovation in the Eco System and Digital Business domains in the Retail industry created value to customers and future-proofed business success.

Traditionally we as consumers needed to go to a retail store to procure goods.  This process was time consuming and mostly a grouch exercise.

To be more customer centric, retail industries realised that transformation is required and a new Digital Business domain within the current business is required.  – The beginning of on-line shopping.

The on-line shopping function can now be run as an autonomous business within the business. – An integrated technology and operations business within the business.

This on-line shopping experience spans across customer interaction, store and warehouse stock management, digital payment platforms, store systems, staff, delivery, and logistics. 

An example of Innovation and a successful Digital Business Domain within an existing business is what a large retailer in South Africa achieved.  This retailer guarantees delivery of your purchases within 60 minutes with an easy-to-use interactive online application.  The innovation demonstrated by this retailer allowed them to capture 75% market share of the online-retail business.

Some benefits realised:

• Majority market share
• Increased revenue
• Customer satisfaction
• Brand ambassadors – everybody talks about the sixty minutes
• Consumer buying Data (buying patterns, spend, brand preferences etc.)
• Stock insights – what stock, where and when
• Better Supply Chain Logistics planning

This Digital Business domain within the existing business transformed the retailer as well as consumers.  The way we interact with retail has changed.  Our run of the mill purchases will mostly be done on the online platform and we might just visit the retail store for something specific or on ad-hoc occasions.

Innovation in the eco-system allowed this retailer to capture the 3 trades of success for an ADE – Agility, Customer Centricity, Actionable Insights.

Agility  – allowed them to do more business during the pandemic than any other retailer.

Customer Centricity – Easy access via a customer centric online application.  Not only is the application intuitive, but consumers can interact with the retailer during and after placing the order – swapping goods if required. The Customer is continuously informed of the status of the order, including notifications on when to expect the delivery.

Actionable Insights – the retailer has access to a wealth of information.  Buying patterns, stock requirements and logistic requirements.  This data can now be used to better the buying experience for the consumer as well as better planning and management of stock levels and supply chain logistics.

Innovation requires technology and technology drives innovation.

In the rest of the series – “Let’s make ADE practical” we will explore the technology tenets required to enable organisations to mature to an Autonomous Digital Enterprise.

Contact Marten van Heerden at New Island Technologies for more information around Autonomous Digital Enterprises and how BMC support this transformation.