When we think of cutting-edge tech and digital transformation (DX), we first think of newer, cutting-edge companies — software makers, app houses, startups and the like. Most don’t link “cutting-edge” to industrial organizations, but rather think of windowless plants and rolling assembly lines and heavy machinery.
Much has changed, however, in the years since the 2008-09 world economic recession. Even industrial companies — those heavy, noisy, grimy, pick-and-shovel entities of old — have come to realize that, in order to meet rapidly rising customer expectations and respond to competitive threats, they must fling themselves headlong into digital; there is, quite literally, no other path forward.
This is not to say industrials discover their digital side naturally and without some pushing and prodding. Look at Yamana Gold, for example: when Joe AbiDaoud took over in early 2017 as VP of IT at this Canadian-based gold producer, the organization’s innovative spirit was lacking, and it was spending heavily on infrastructure. The IT department was basically functioning as a service provider.
Today, Yamana Gold can quickly and cost-effectively scale to respond to market conditions; is an early adopter of blockchain technology to track the responsible gold supply chain from mine to vault; has started taking advantage of new cloud-based technologies; and its IT department sits at the executive table as a key player.
How did such dramatic changes happen so quickly?
On Wednesday, September 26th, join ITWC CIO Jim Love, Joe AbiDaoud from Yamana Gold, and Thomas Henson of Dell EMC for the webinar discussion DX Worth its Weight in Gold — a deep exploration of the innovation path Yamana took to strike digital-era gold.
The session will also involve discussions around:
- Transitioning IT from service provider to innovator and key strategist
- Mining the IoT, including practical tips on technology adoption
- Communicating innovation to C-level, and making innovation a day-to-day focus
- Managing the shift from passive to active innovation
- Establishing guidelines around considering and pursuing — or not pursuing — innovation opportunities