“Digital Transformation” is one of the biggest buzzwords of our time.
That’s because it’s a vitally important undertaking due to the value it can potentially unlock for individuals, organisations, governments, and economies.
For South Africa in particular, digital transformation is the key to unlocking as much as five trillion rand.
Accenture Says So
This is the core message of a recent Accenture research report. It’s driven by the World Economic Forum’s Digital Transformation Initiative, and based on “…a pioneering value-at-stake framework” developed by the two organisations.
The research conducted strongly suggests that digital transformation initiatives applied to industry and society (primarily government) could unlock value amounting to R2 trillion and R3.6 trillion, respectively.
While not explicitly stated, this unlocked value is a much-needed shot in the arm that could potentially propel the country out of the economic doldrums it currently finds itself in.
Meaningful Outcomes
“The research highlights major areas in which South Africa can unlock value – both financially and in terms of creating meaningful outcomes for citizens in their daily lives. A specific set of digital tools underlies that value creation,” said Vukani Mngxati, Chief Executive Officer for Accenture Africa.
The Tech
Accenture/the WEF’s value-at-stake framework, along with expert interviews, statistics analysis, and industry reports were used to reach the conclusions in the report.
Hot-topic technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) were all looked at closely to determine how they could positively impact on South Africa.
Sectors That Could Benefit
Agriculture, manufacturing, and finance were the three sectors identified that could benefit the most from the use of solutions based on these incredible technologies.
For example, autonomous vehicles, drones and high-tech sensors could help farmers increase crop yields through what the report called “precision agriculture”, driven by new ways of collecting and using farming data intelligently.
Likewise, the Internet of Things, advanced analytics, and the increased use of sensors and the data they generate could greatly benefit manufacturing initiatives by introducing efficiencies and awareness that enables faster responses to shifting market conditions.
Finance, the industry most closely connected with business, can use these technologies and the platforms they create to cultivate closer relationships with customers, partners, and suppliers, while also eliminating bloated legacy systems entirely.
Where TTG Fits In
“As an experienced provider of cutting-edge digital solutions, we are well-positioned to enable interested organisations to achieve their digital transformation goals,” says Tarsus Technology Group CEO, Miles Crisp.
“We’re also deeply committed to our own digital transformation using all of the tools at our disposal, and we’ve seen its positive impact first-hand. Our most recent success is the introduction of automation technologies into Tarsus Distribution’s warehouse system, enabling us to process more packages in a day than ever before,” he adds.
“I strongly believe that the more organisations implement digital transformation solutions, the faster we can collectively unlock the value that will drive the country forward in the best way possible. This research certainly backs that up,” Crisp concludes.
Useful, but not new
These ideas are not new (the tech press has been banging on about them for literally years now), but Accenture/The WEF’s analysis as to the very specific ways they can drive the country forward are very useful for any forward-looking organisation seeking inspiration.
The report is thus well worth a read. Click here to download and read it.
