ABN AMRO and nCino partner to drive digital transformation

ABN AMRO and nCino partner to drive digital transformation

nCino has announced that ABN AMRO, one of the largest banks in the Netherlands, is live on nCino’s Cloud Banking Platform. ABN AMRO selected nCino as a key technology platform to strengthen the Bank’s ambitions to be a personal bank in the digital age by supporting continuous development. ABN AMRO is utilising nCino across its corporate lending operations, as well as for collateral management across all its lines of business. By implementing nCino, ABN AMRO is unlocking added business value through enhanced collateral management and consolidating multiple legacy systems into one platform, unifying its end-to-end lending process for both customers and employees. As a result of the successful project and go-live, nCino and ABN AMRO have extended their partnership Accenture helped to accelerate ABN AMRO’s digital transformation strategy by leveraging its global experience and regional expertise to support the rollout of the platform. Sumitra Moeller, Head of Financing Solutions at ABN AMRO, said: “We have selected nCino to take the bank forward in our strategy to provide clients with industry-leading lending products, to offer a digital experience, to strengthen the personal contact with our clients and to be compliant by design.” Mel Jacobs, Head of IT Corporate Banking & […]

What high-performance IT teams look like today — and how to build one

What high-performance IT teams look like today — and how to build one

As we enter the AI era, business priorities and the means and methods for achieving them are swifting changing. CIOs must adapt their strategies to develop teams capable of delivering business results. Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock Our mental models of what constitutes a high-performance team have evolved considerably over the past five years. Pre-pandemic, high-performance teams were co-located, multidisciplinary, self-organizing, agile, and data-driven. These teams focused on delivering reliable technology capabilities, improving end-user experiences, and establishing data and analytics capabilities. High performance back then generally focused on delivery — a contrast to previous generations of IT where business and IT alignment was an issue, and teams struggled to deliver with waterfall project management practices. Post-pandemic, high-performance teams excelled at remote and hybrid working models, were more empathetic to individual needs, and leveraged automation to reduce manual work. As many organizations were accelerating digital transformation initiatives, the higher-performing teams excelled at change management and agile planning practices. We’re now entering a new gen AI era, which is already impacting how we staff teams, their business objectives, and the tools they use to deliver innovations. CIOs have a new opportunity to communicate a gen AI vision for using copilots and […]

10 Digital Transformation Strategies for Businesses in 2024

10 Digital Transformation Strategies for Businesses in 2024

Digital transformation has become a crucial aspect of modern business success. As we move into 2024, companies must adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape to stay competitive and meet the changing demands of consumers. In this article, we’ll explore the top digital transformation strategies that businesses should consider implementing in 2024. 1. Embracing AI Technology AI has been a game-changer in the world of digital transformation, and its importance will only continue to grow in 2024. By incorporating AI into your business processes, you can automate tasks, improve efficiency, and make data-driven decisions. AI-powered chatbots, for example, can enhance customer service by providing instant responses and personalized recommendations. 2. Prioritizing Cybersecurity As businesses become more reliant on digital technologies, the risk of cyber threats increases. In 2024, it’s essential to have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place to protect your company’s sensitive data and maintain the trust of your customers. This may include implementing multi-factor authentication, regularly updating software, and providing employee training on cybersecurity best practices. 3. Personalizing Content Personalization has become a key factor in attracting and retaining customers. In 2024, businesses should focus on creating content that is tailored to the individual interests and preferences of […]

Digital transformation confusion risks paralysing SME manufacturers, says Made Smarter

Digital transformation confusion risks paralysing SME manufacturers, says Made Smarter

Donna Edwards, director of North West Adoption Programme, warns that tackling change in the wrong way risks wasted time and money Confusion around digital transformation is risking paralysis among SME manufacturers, says Made Smarter. Donna Edwards, director of the North West adoption programme, says businesses are hesitant to commit to change because they lack the confidence with technology and digital skills among leaders and employees. But, delaying digital transformation risks being left further behind, or wasting time, effort and money, Edwards cautioned. The stark warning features in the foreword of Made Smarter’s new white paper – Digital Transformation: A Made Smarter Roadmap for SME Manufacturers . The free-to-download guide aims to help makers looking for a place to start, explaining the concepts and steps to a successful digital transformation. Crucially, it explains the Made Smarter process, the services available, and showcases some of the hundreds of businesses who have benefited in the North West, the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, and the Midlands. The white paper also spotlights some of the partner organisations who are also working with Made Smarter to help manufacturers digitalise and decarbonise including Make UK, Innovate UK, the Centre for People-Led Digitalisation (PLD), InterAct and […]

The impact of 5G on digital transformation

The impact of 5G on digital transformation

Ajay Mathur By Ajay Mathur, Senior Vice President, Telecom, InfoVision The advent of 5G technology marks a remarkable milestone in the evolution of cellular networks. As the fifth generation of mobile technology, 5G follows a lineage that began with 1G in the 1980s. This latest iteration aims to connect devices, machines, and people through high-speed (data rates of up to 1Gbps shall be supported in some specific environments like indoor office spaces, while a minimum of 50Mbps shall be available everywhere) and low-latency data connections (10ms latency in general and 1ms for special cases). The potential of 5G technology lies in its capacity to revolutionise industries, enable innovative business models & services, and provide an unprecedented level of connectivity. In India, the availability of 5G saw substantial improvement in 2023, rising from 28.1% in Q1 to 52.0% in Q4 This highlights the rapid adoption of 5G, driven by the government’s emphasis on digitalisation and the expanding reach of broadband services. Enabling smart factories One of the most profound impacts of 5G is observed in the manufacturing sector, particularly in the transformation towards smart factories. Current factory operations rely heavily on Wi-Fi networks, which, despite being cost-effective, suffer from interference […]

Security and IoT help fuel e& enterprise growth

Security and IoT help fuel e& enterprise growth

Salvador Anglada Security and IoT help fuel e& enterprise growth As part of its ambition to be a global technology group, in 2022 e& established e& enterprise. Unburdened by connectivity sales, legacy or otherwise, e& enterprise focuses on end-to-end digital transformation across the public and private sectors. As it expands its footprint across regional and international markets, Salvador Anglada, CEO of e& enterprise, explains its strategy in an interview with Inform. Salvador Anglada The digital transformation arm of e& group, e& enterprise occupies a similar niche in the IT services ecosystem as companies such as Accenture, EPAM and Wipro. The company uses cloud, IoT, AI and cybersecurity to deliver business outcomes and digital transformation to government and semi-public organizations, large companies headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the regional subsidiaries of multinational companies. Its business model took shape over several years. “We incubated [e& enterprise] in UAE eight years ago,” says Anglada, reflecting the UAE government’s investment in technology as a source of new economic growth. “Inside UAE, we started providing services on top of connectivity, cloud, cyber security, IoT, and when it was mature, we carved out e& enterprise as a separate business vertical,” he explains, […]

Home affairs minister says urgent digital transformation needed for the sake of national security

Home affairs minister says urgent digital transformation needed for the sake of national security

Schreiber opened his address by acknowledging the media’s enquiries over the past few weeks regarding ongoing issues within the department. Deaan Vivier NEWS Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has issued a stark warning about the state of the department, highlighting significant security vulnerabilities that threaten the country’s national security. Addressing Parliament’s portfolio committee on home affairs, on Tuesday, Schreiber emphasised the need for a comprehensive and sustained digital transformation to address the systemic crisis within the department. A threat to national security Schreiber opened his address by acknowledging the media’s enquiries over the past few weeks regarding ongoing issues within the department. READ: Diplomatic nightmare as SA doesn’t know what to do with freed Libyan soldiers He reiterated his commitment to transparency, stating that Parliament, as the representative of the South African people, is the appropriate forum to address these concerns. Schreiber expressed his gratitude to the chairperson, Mosa Chabane, and the committee for "providing the opportunity to disclose the gravity of the situation". Schreiber said: The reality of what we will present today should shock all of us. He warned that the issues at hand are not isolated incidents, but are indicative of a systemic crisis that threatens […]

Malawi’s digital transformation drive faces risks without data protection legislation

Malawi’s digital transformation drive faces risks without data protection legislation

Malawi is in full pursuit of its digital transformation drive which includes the construction of a National Data Center with the collaboration of Chinese firm Huawei, the implementation of a biometric national ID scheme and a biometric SIM card identification exercise. As such, it is prudent for the country’s government to put in place mechanisms that provide sufficient and comprehensive data protection guarantees. This is the caution from the Association for Progressive Communications (APCA) in a report which is part of a series of recently updated articles on digital rights in Southern Africa. The APC is a network of dozens of civil society organizations from at least 70 countries advocating the responsible use of the internet and digital technologies. The report mentions that while these digital transformation programs unfold in Malawi, no intentional measures are seen to have been taken to put in place a comprehensive data protection legislation aimed at building citizens’ trust in digital projects that require the collection of huge amounts of personal data such as the country’s biometric national identity scheme which it implemented with stunning speed and a mandatory biometric SIM card registration exercise which has been on since 2018. The APC asserts that […]

Change fatigue in enterprise IT: Let innovation come to you

Change fatigue in enterprise IT: Let innovation come to you

Innovation does not need to be inherently disruptive. By enabling innovation to integrate seamlessly into existing systems, enterprises can achieve continuous improvement and maintain operational stability. Credit: iStock For enterprise IT teams, navigating today’s relentless pace of change is akin to anchoring a boat in a raging rush of rapids. From evolving deployment models and societal shifts to generational turns in the workforce, the demand for continuous innovation often leaves CIOs and their teams feeling overwhelmed – to the point that 70% admit their transformation has stalled . This state of exhaustion, known as change fatigue , has become so pervasive that it now warrants dedicated strategies to mitigate its impact. The most logical strategy is one that smoothly integrates innovation with existing systems, helping established enterprises foster a culture of continuous learning and transformation while staying securely afloat. A history of change fatigue and its impact How did we get to this point of exhaustion? The drive to keep up with accelerating change can often result in disruptive innovation, where IT leaders feel compelled to replace their core systems to adopt the latest cloud-based technologies. Suddenly, it makes sense why so many reach a digital dead end. They’re […]

SAP Market in East Africa Powers Technological Transformation

SAP Market in East Africa Powers Technological Transformation

The SAP market in East Africa is witnessing a significant transformation as business leaders, technology partners, and SAP experts come together to explore the potential of innovation to drive economic growth in the region. The East African SAP market is emerging as a critical player in the broader African economic landscape. The region, home to some of the fastest-growing economies on the continent, is increasingly leveraging technology to enhance business efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness. This growth is supported by a robust ecosystem of partners and a commitment to digital transformation, with particular emphasis on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions. At the recent SAP Innovation Day in Kenya , discussions centered on the role of technology-led innovation in shaping the future of East Africa’s economy. The event is part of a global series aimed at promoting the latest technological advancements across key markets. It also follows similar successful events held in South Africa and Nigeria, emphasizing the growing importance of the SAP market in Africa. Furthermore, the focus on East Africa is not incidental. The region’s economies are at a pivotal stage, where the integration of advanced technologies can drive substantial gains […]