3 main takeaways from covering the digital revolution in 2019 - Business Insider

The pivot to digital was a major topic for the C-suite in 2019, and that shows no signs of changing in 2020. Over the past several months, I've interviewed numerous tech chiefs, analysts, professors, vendors, consultants, and other experts on the biggest challenges facing organizations in the shift. Among my key takeaways was the importance of culture in achieving success in digital initiatives — so much so that some tech chiefs even refer to themselves as a “change agent in chief.” Click here for more BI Prime stories.The digital revolution is rippling through corporate America — and it shows no signs of stopping.But the change is not coming without problems. Organizations are realizing the difficulty in everything from modernizing IT systems to adopting advanced technology like artificial intelligence. At the same time, those leading the initiatives are getting unparalleled access to the CEO and the board of directors, creating new pathways to success for tech chiefs. And I'm lucky enough to have a front-row seat to witness the shift. Since joining Business Insider in August, I've interviewed chief data, technology, and information officers, analysts, professors, vendors, and consultants on the issues facing organizations in the pivot to digital.The views on important topics — like the impact AI will have on the workforce — are sharply divided, but there are several critical aspects of the digital revolution that many experts agree on that stood out to me as the most significant issues in 2019 — and will continue to be significant in 2020.Internal culture is importantAmong them is the importance of culture to achieving success in AI-based initiatives.While companies touting their values is not new, culture is getting a renewed focus as corporations seek to create a more entrepreneurial spirit within their ranks and encourage closer collaboration between teams.As Shamim Mohammad, CarMax's chief information and technology officer, explained it to me earlier this year, the same tech is available to everyone. The difference, he argued, is “the ability to use those emerging technologies and new capabilities, and applying it to deliver a great experience for our customers.”The customer is equally as importantThat touches on a second important theme: the customer or client experience is more important than ever.It's no longer a differentiation, for example, for a retailer to have an online website or well-curated stores. Now, all aspects of the delivery channel must be connected to create a seamless experience for the consumer.Walmart is a shining example of how to achieve this synergy. The world's largest retailer has roughly 1,500 data scientists on staff and is hiring more. Those employees help support the thousands of machine learning or AI-based projects it is testing. Walmart's tech investments ultimately help connect customers to one of the physical superstores that is likely within miles of their home.Don't wait. Get started now.Most companies are unlikely to be able to achieve Walmart's scale — the retailer's e-commerce division alone is expected to lose a reported $1 billion this year. But as most experts advise, the important part is to start small and begin testing AI and other tech on low-risk bets that can serve as a proof of concept for larger projects.What all of these challenges have in common is the need for a strong leader who has solid backing from the board of directors and the rest of the C-suite.Without a comprehensive strategy in place that spans the enterprise, the likelihood that the effort will fail only increases. Among other important benefits, common guidelines help embody business unit leaders to champion the projects within their own departments.As IBM Watson head Rob Thomas told me, organizations need somebody who has a seat at the table at the top that's saying it's important to the company. Companies also “need somebody in those business units that owns this day to day, but is accountable back to the company strategy.” These are just three of the litany of issues facing tech leaders in organizations. There are many more problems to address as corporations take the arduous task of pivoting to the digital age. We have many exciting initiatives underway for 2020 that will help us maximize covering this shift, so stay tuned!