Skillnet Ireland works to digitise Irish businesses in response to Covid-19

Skillnet Ireland is working with companies across the State on digitisation of their businesses as the respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It may sound like a cliché, but we really are living through an age of unparalleled disruption and accelerated digitalisation, transformation and change," says Skillnet Ireland chief technologist Mark Jordan.

“We are seeing businesses transforming workplaces and fundamentally changing how and where people work,” he continues. “They are focusing on innovation, transformation and many of them are redefining their identities.”

The transformation is manifesting itself in a number of ways including the go to market approach taken by companies.

“They are changing channels and moving to an omnichannel approach of engagement with customers. It’s a question of finding the right approach to support their growth and competitiveness.

Companies that are not technologically mature can move along the journey by participating in Skillnet Ireland talent development programmes

“We are encouraging employers to understand what they do and why they are doing it and to assess where they are on their digitisation journey. They need to put that into their DNA and hard wire it into culture and strategy.”

According to Jordan, there are five key steps for companies to become technology-enabled and more effective at bringing innovation to bear on their businesses, customers and stakeholders.

The first is to determine the company’s objectives and strategic approach to innovation. “Is it adoption of a new business model or the continuous improvement of existing products and services? They need to think about whether it is transformation or incremental change.”

The next is to look at the marketplace and the customers and competitors who are participating in it.

“Businesses need to understand their customers’ needs. That means listening closely and making appropriate changes. A simple example would be a bricks and mortar-focused business having customers saying they want online access.”

The third step is to develop a clear value proposition. “They have to define what will deliver value and competitive advantage. Do they want to be in the red ocean where there are lots of actors and competitors engaged in a race to the bottom? Or do they want to be in the blue ocean which is better defined and more strategically structured with less duplications?”

Next is the assessment and development of core capabilities. “Companies should have real focus on their culture, values, behaviour, knowledge and skills and ensure that each of those five areas is supported.”

The final step relates to technology. “What systems and processes and technological improvements can be brought in to help shape innovation and transformation? This includes things like working practices and so on,” says Jordan.

“These five key steps will help companies develop their digital and innovation strategies and help them grow and succeed in the digital age.”

Part of the Skillnet response to the challenges faced by companies and employees in the new environment is the Future in Tech programme.

“We had seen the growth in the technology sector over the past 18 months and this was accelerated by Covid,” Jordan points out. “A number of sectors have shrunk. We developed the Future in Tech programme which covers cybersecurity, the cloud, digital marketing, software development and so on.

“Someone who had been working in the retail or hospitality sectors could take part in the programme and gain skills and certifications in areas which will help them move into the technology sector or other companies which are digitising.”

Skillnet Ireland also works with businesses to assist them on their digitisation journey. “We assess where they are in terms of their digital maturity,” says Jordan. “Are they at the beginning, middle or end? We help them understand the skills they have in the organisation and to create a strategy to address any gaps.

“We also help them to be successful in their digital transformation. We look at what they are trying to achieve, what the blockers to that are, and help build a framework to overcome them.”

Companies that are not technologically mature can move along the journey by participating in Skillnet Ireland talent development programmes, he adds.

The approach taken is very much company and sector specific. “A financial services company would have a very different set of talent needs to one in the medtech sector,” Jordan notes.

This could ultimately lead to the development of bespoke programmes for individual companies to assist them with their digital transformation programmes. “We are already working with companies to assess their digital maturity and talent needs and that could lead to the development of tailored programmes in the future.”