By Calvin Smith
The Transform Tour continued on Thursday, May 2nd where we held our second stop in Boston, MA at the Bostonian Hotel. The briefing featured two analyst presentations (VP of Research Betsy Burton & CEO Jim Lundy) and an esteemed Women in Tech panel featuring leaders from Fuze, PTC, and Genpact.
Read more to learn about the key takeaways from the Boston briefing.
Esteemed Women in Tech panel featuring leaders from Fuze, PTC and Genpact at the Transform Tour Boston
Paying It Forward: Women in Tech Panel
Although the panel discussion began with a focus on digital transformation in the enterprise, I want to bring light on the latter part of the discussion which focused on female representation and mentorship.
It is no secret that the tech industry is dominated by a male presence and that women are severely underrepresented in positions of leadership. According to a recent study by Statista, women make up between 27% and 47% of the workforce at eight major tech companies. The percentage of women who actually obtain leadership positions, even lower. While we have seen growth in recent years, those percentages are still far too low. So how do we continue to promote and establish a stronger female presence within the tech industry? Panelist Brinda Murty provided one contributing solution.
Murty discussed the idea of mentorship when she alluded to the notion of paying it forward. In this sense, paying it forward is about identifying people who have great potential and have not yet tapped into that potential. This is where mentorship plays a key role because it gives an individual a foundation for and guidance to become a leader. Murty recognized that she would not be in the position she is today had it not been for her mentor. Furthermore, Murty encourages leaders to seek out multiple individuals and begin the grooming process. This is especially important when it comes to women mentoring other women in the tech industry.
While female mentorship is without a doubt needed, the transformation will occur when there is a shift towards the acceptance and recognition of women in the tech workspace. One panelist discussed a time when she noticed a male executive only calling on men in work meetings. While it was unintentional, it was an accurate depiction of where the tech industry stands with regards towards the recognition of women. When we start to see acceptance and acknowledgment for women in the tech workspace, then and only then, will we start to see a shift towards women leadership.
Digital Business is a Business Model Shift
Analyst Betsy Burton continued with her highly regarded ‘Debunking Myths Versus Realities in Digital Business’. One of the biggest misconceptions we are witnessing when it comes to discourse centered around digital business is the belief that it is solely technologically driven. Burton contends that digital business is not just about incorporating technology into your business needs but that 70% of digital business is about the organizational support behind the business model. Moreover, digital business is about the model and strategy that is enabling your organization to proactively reach not only partners but customers.
Burton illustrated that digital business is a term that has been evolving for years. The term refers to a shift from the traditional business approach which was centered on customers and partners engaging with your business within your context, to an approach that is focused on your business engaging with partners and customers in their context.
A Shift Towards Mobility and AI
CEO Jim Lundy discussed the shifts we have experienced in the digital workplace due to artificial intelligence. Today, we are experiencing a transition where traditional mainstays such as email are being eclipsed by team collaboration, digital assistants, and the multi-cloud era.
The transitions we are seeing are all working towards building the “intelligent enterprise.” The intelligent enterprise is concentrated on allowing the mobile worker to become more mobile without losing the collaboration that existed in traditional workspaces. The intelligent enterprise is a byproduct of the incorporation of chatbots, digital assistants, and team collaboration applications working together to build the intelligent enterprise. The intelligent enterprise will continue to transform as cognitive applications, predictive applications, and other digital business platforms continue to evolve.
Future Transform Tour Events
The Transform Tour will continue in the Bay Area on Sept. 12th. Stay tuned for details on registration, opening soon! In the meantime, make sure to submit your nominations for Women in Tech and Innovation Awards. The recipients will be recognized at Aragon Transform on December 5th. Finally, we’d like to thank our Global Diamond Sponsor, Nintex for their continued support throughout the 2019 Transform Tour.