Bridging the Digital Divide: The Role of AI-Powered, Platform-Centric Strategies in Crafting Future-Ready Enterprises

As the shift towards a blend of traditional and remote work models becomes more pronounced, and consumer expectations exceed the capacities of legacy systems, executives are in pursuit of adaptable digital infrastructures capable of immediate reaction. However, this quest for digital progression uncovers a significant rift: while IT departments concentrate on creating resilient infrastructures, business units are more concerned with enhancing the digital interface for consumers. Merging these two priorities—achieving a unified link between technological foundations and customer engagement—is now critical for future success.

Organizations at the forefront of the digital curve are distinguished by their holistic, customer-oriented processes, elevated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and streamlined collaboration with partners. These entities are turning to resilient digital platforms to bolster internal and external connections. These organizations are achieving a comprehensive integration by intentionally weaving together customer, employee, partner, and community experiences with foundational technology and procedures.

Critical Components of a Digital Strategy Centered on Platforms

Platforms play a pivotal role in confronting the challenges of modernization and operational efficiency. The current shift from the traditional “build or buy” dilemma towards a model that values customization and integration allows businesses to reduce legacy burdens by replacing or upgrading modular elements as needed.

Findings from a study conducted by Forrester, commissioned by EdgeVerve, indicate that most decision-makers in large organizations perceive a platform-centric strategy as a crucial accelerator of digital transformation. Specifically, 70% agree that utilizing platforms to bridge the gap between business and technology initiatives results in more effective digital undertakings. Additionally, 66% foresee an uplift in customer satisfaction through such strategies, underscoring their potential to amplify organizational competencies and generate positive client experiences.

Strategies Centered on Platforms for Comprehensive Transformation

A digital strategy emphasizing platforms as central to fostering connections and visibility across the corporate and IT landscapes holds great promise for enhancing human capabilities and driving essential efficiencies within organizations. Exploring key elements reveals:

1. Enhanced Connectivity: Organizations with advanced connectivity practices are 1.7 times more likely to witness significant value from their digital transformation efforts. Leaders in these organizations understand the importance of improving connections across the ecosystem of partners, blending human and AI intelligence, and integrating data and networks for successful digital transformation.
2. Focus on Human Potential: The prioritization of automation and an AI-first approach signifies a long-term investment in human capability. Businesses deeply engaged in digital transformation are more inclined to augment human efforts, with 72% viewing the integration of human and AI talents as a fundamental requirement of their digital strategy. Furthermore, 71% are focused on automating customer interactions to enhance customer and employee engagement.
3. Cloud and Platform Adoption: Organizations with a mature digital perspective and a commitment to connectivity slightly lead in adopting cloud and platform solutions. According to the Forrester – EdgeVerve Survey, about 60% of respondents already employ platform-based methods for technological integration, with those further along in their digital journey emphasizing expanding platform functionalities, notably through a platform-as-a-service model.
4. Effective Partner Ecosystems: For leading organizations, cultivating impactful and interconnected partner ecosystems represents a transformative step. Achieving synergy between IT and business units, alongside partners, data, and networks, is a top priority for 78% of digital leaders, highlighting its importance in establishing successful digital entities.
5. Utilization of Emerging Technologies: Industry leaders increasingly leverage generative AI to enhance services, experiences, and productivity, aiming to achieve remarkable growth and outperform competitors. These leaders are more committed to investing in generative AI, with their executives more willing to incorporate trust as a fundamental aspect of its adoption, focusing on practical and quantifiable applications. Investments are notably directed towards natural language processing, autonomous workplace assistants, and transparent AI to boost integration, automation, and intelligence, relying on proprietary business data to develop generative AI models and applications.

Strategies for Developing a Platform-Centric Digital Strategy for Optimal Impact

In an era increasingly influenced by generative AI, platform-centricity isn’t merely a competitive edge but a blueprint for survival. By orchestrating ecosystems of talent and technology, platforms will serve as incubators for innovation, fostering collaboration between humans and AI without displacing human roles. Instead, this synergy will transform the workforce, introducing new roles that demand skills in communication, critical thinking, and ethical considerations in an AI-driven world.

Recommendations

• Align business objectives and IT resources with tools, systems, and metrics focused on customer-centric technology. Start with transformation goals in the early phases, ensuring alignment towards a cohesive enterprise.
• Prioritize AI and automation to introduce more self-service options, enhancing human capabilities, boosting employee productivity, and improving customer experiences.
• Adopt emerging technologies, including generative AI, with clear use cases aimed at driving business outcomes.
• Enhance partner ecosystems through a platform-centric digital strategy, promoting transparency and accountability and enabling creative differentiation to stimulate growth. Utilize platform strategies to address digital transformation inefficiencies and capitalize on generative AI for automation and productivity enhancements, adopting a strategic and distinctive approach.

The challenges and inefficiencies in digital transformation underscore the importance of aligning priorities across the business, IT, and partner ecosystems while fostering technical connectivity through systems, data flows, and operational processes to facilitate change.

In summary, adopting a platform-centric strategy focuses on developing and expanding a platform as the main engine for value creation and impact. This approach goes beyond merely constructing a platform; it involves nurturing a dynamic ecosystem around it that attracts users, developers, and partners, thereby generating network effects and exponential growth. Encouraging an open and adaptable architecture that supports API development and third-party integration fosters customization and enhances integration with existing workflows.