Geoff Clarke, COO, IPG Mediabrands Australia
Operations is no longer just about executing tasks. As Technology Convergence¹ increases its influence over the business community, remit and skills set requirements are evolving from strategic implementor to strategic influencer. Designing and implementing technology-based solutions to fuel improved business growth, structural and process efficiencies, and output quality improvements that directly influence client and or customer satisfaction.
From Backstage to Center Stage
For decades Operations has been an unsung hero of the business world. Often considered a backroom function, shrouded in mystery, and due to its remit varying dramatically across sectors, essential, Operations has always been difficult to explain. No one can provide a precise valuation on its services, yet when it falters, organisations stumble.
More recently, Operations - broader business community - has been engulfed by many unforeseen challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruption, an uncertain labour force, cyber security threats and nascent technologies.
But as we move towards a future defined by Technology Convergence¹, Operations is stepping into the spotlight. No longer content with simply keeping the lights on, it's now a vital strategic partner, charting the course towards rapidly changing new world of business.
"The pace of change is accelerating. The future is coming at us faster than ever before."
Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft
Bill Gates' quote reminds us that the pace of change is accelerating and to succeed Operations needs to embrace adaptability, agility, and be willing to learn and evolve. While Operations is paid for via a company’s overhead, businesses need to re-evaluate the intrinsic value of Operations, prioritising and resourcing accordingly.
Specialisation for Success
A quantum shift from an implementor to a driver role requires a structural change. Operations need to rapidly shift from a group of individuals who are experts of nothing, generalist of everything to highly specialised craft experts specialising in many areas. The list of specialties is almost endless and largely dictated by each individual business sector, but consider growth engineering, operational planning, third party system control management, corporate ways of working, product design, implementation and maintenance, output quality control, supply chain management, data interpretation and so on.
What is clear, Operations are no longer just executing tasks based on a set of provided instructions. Increasingly they will need to use data to identify trends, analyse performance, and uncover insights that inform strategic decisions well ahead of time. This will allow companies to change direction faster to either maintain competitive advantages or obtain them.
Operations will increasingly be asked to improve cost optimisation strategies, identifying areas for efficiency improvements, process R.A.S.C.I maps² and improved project management software solutions to reduce waste and improve output.
A New Era: Agile, Data-Driven, and Digital:
Collaboration has always been at the centre of Operations excellence; however Technology Convergence¹ will increasingly dictate this largely manual, time-consuming exercise be facilitated through digitised project management software solutions. Company operation processes, ways of working and client interactions need to be renovated and housed within curated digitised environments. This will in itself drive the need for new skills, especially project management and software specialisation.
New age ‘technology reliance’ will see Operations required to facilitate rapid prototyping and experimentation, allowing businesses to test, adapt and implement new digitised solutions quickly in response to both changes to their business environment and client demand. This technology reliance will see an on-going need to include a team of highly specialised people whose role will be to monitor and adapt AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) code changes to improve BOT | Human interactions, through to customised data solutions linked to dashboard development, to track digitised work-flow management improvements.
Businesses will need to increasingly adopt and or improve their ‘Agile Workflow³’ models to improve workflow management across multi- skilled, department structured businesses so that both in- and cross market projects can be managed more effectively. In turn this will mean management can respond to internal priorities, and client teams can deliver solutions to their clients faster, with improved accuracy. Additionally, Operations teams are increasingly using technology to gather real-time feedback from departments so future process improvements can be made, ideally ahead of need.
So that businesses can reduce high frequency, low value manual work, Operations is already engaging automation specialists to transform analogue work structures and processes via ‘As Is’ versus ‘To Be’ technology road maps. However, for global networks that strive for network standardisation. It is becoming increasingly more cost effective to have these specialised craft skills centralised internally. This way valuable R&D IP can be protected and on-going run and support more effectively maintained.
Unlocking Personalised Experiences
It is a misconception that to produce a bespoke outcome, you need a custom-built, end-to-end process. All this does, especially for larger enterprises, is elongate and fragment ways of working leading to siloed more expensive work practices. Standardising your end-to-end process, with a well-defined R.A.S.C.I map at each step, across all markets, allows the business the luxury of designing and implementing centralised technology solutions at scale.
This technology application in turn allows for a custom-built front of house solution without the analogue drag. Operations teams are at the forefront of spearheading the improvement in workflow journey maps, making it easier for specialist craft skills to interact leading to improved front of house experiences for the client.
The Future of Operations is Agile, Specialised, and Technology-Driven
The traditional view of Operations as a backroom function executing tasks is rapidly becoming obsolete. As Technology Convergence¹ accelerates, Operations is evolving into a strategic influencer, driving business growth, efficiency, and client | customer satisfaction.
To navigate this dynamic landscape, Operations must transform into a specialised discipline, embracing agility, data-driven insights, and digital solutions.
- Specialisation: Moving away from generalists, Operations teams need to develop expertise in areas like data analysis, cost optimisation, agile workflows, and technology integration.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilising data to identify trends, analyse performance, and inform strategic decisions will be crucial for staying ahead of the curve.
- Digital Transformation: Embracing digitisation across processes, structures, and client interactions is essential for streamlining workflows and improving efficiency.
- Agile Workflows: Adopting and refining agile methodologies will enable faster response times, improved project management, and better collaboration across departments.
- Technology Integration: Leveraging technology to automate tasks, optimise processes, and unlock personalised experiences will be paramount for achieving operational excellence.
By embracing these changes, Operations will move from the backstage to center stage, becoming a vital strategic partner in driving the future of businesses. This shift enhances operational efficiency and will also unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction in the technology-driven economies of tomorrow.
Notes:
¹Reference to Technology Convergence in this article is referring to the combination of but not limited to Generative and Specialised AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Robotic Process Automation) and digitised project management workflow software solutions.
² R.A.S.C.I maps: Responsibility assignment matrix, defines and clarifies roles and responsibilities within a project team. It helps establish clear communication, improve decision-making, and ensure accountability for tasks or deliverables.
³ Agile Workflow describes a set of iterative phases in application development where projects are divided into short, individual cycles called sprints. Establishing that process as a workflow makes it structured, repeatable, and scalable. When combined with a well-defined project scope, workflows help improve project planning and other project management phases.