June 20188 IN MY V EWWhen I meet with customers, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. There seems to be a certain level of anxiety creeping into the C-Suite when it comes to technology. A recent CEO survey report by PwC has shown that while company heads are optimistic about economic prospects and market dynamics, technology-related disruptions such as artificial intelligence (AI) are causing angst. It has even been predicted that AI will contribute over US $15 trillion to global GDP by 2030 but will come at great cost to those who cannot rise to its challenges in due course. For me though, digital disruption is not merely about introducing new technology or investing in the latest equipment; it's about using digital ecosystems to change relationships, improve performance, and challenge the status quo in terms of the way things are done. The examples are many--rich use of analytics is changing how people serve customers, cloud-based technologies are driving the freelance economy, and enterprise grade tools like video collaboration are within reach of organisations of all sizes.These disruptions are all coming together to build smarter workplaces, helping people connect and collaborate to drive positive business outcomes and build relationships. It's inevitable then that human interactions are impacted, when technology pervades every corner of our lives. Machine Learning versus Human-to-Human Collaboration that Drives IdeasGlobal CEOs have stated profoundly that digital transformation is a must-have to remain competitive, but the proverbial elephant in many boardrooms is how does a business keep ahead of technology trends while also maintaining all-important human to human contact and collaboration? Let's look at the financial sector as a case in point; over 70 percent of APAC banks are turning to AI as a way to improve collections and recovery, with over two-thirds employing automated collections to contact customers for faster bill payments. But what does this spell for the future and can AI and robots ever replace actual human interaction and aptitude?As workplaces and businesses evolve, so should the people who make up an organization, to keep-up with a digitally-savvy marketplace. There's no doubt that technology and AI have a deep impact on how people work today, driving productivity and outcomes and being able to achieve so much more with less. For example, a third of marketers in Asia Pacific are turning to AI for creative and content work and three-quarters of HR professionals use data to source higher-quality candidates. So while some processes such as intelligence gathering and data processing have been taken over by automation, AI should be considered a `value adder', rather than a threat. Leading in the age of disruptionThe most important assets in an organization are its people--"human capital"--an intangible resource which has critical impact on economy. Whether it's achieving customer success, research and development, or profitability, success for an organization has always been in its investment in people. Fostering creative thinking at any workplace is vital to a company's success; in my own workplace, we freely have open dialogue and discussions, with a real sense of being "one team" DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN THE C-SUITE: IS IT A CASE OF `KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON'?BY TONY SIMONSEN, VICE PRESIDENT ­ AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, JAPAN AND KOREA, POLYCOMTony Simonsen
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