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Innovate faster with cloud technology, a data strategy and digital capabilities

Those who want to innovate faster in today’s dynamic and rapidly evolving market have to keep learning and changing in line with customer experience, process and technology trends. These changes are necessary to find new ways to add value for customers, increase sales and optimize processes. For us, these changes involve balancing the use of cloud technology with a data strategy and digital capabilities. Together, these three things enable the process of digital transformation.  

 

Accelerate innovation with the cloud 

 

Most small and medium-sized businesses spend around 80 to 90% of their IT budget on keeping existing systems operational. This leaves little to invest in innovation. Innovation involves experimenting and ineffective experiments can be very expensive. With cloud technology it is possible to carry out experiments at low cost and pull the plug on experiments that fail to deliver. Cloud technology is indispensable for companies that want to grow. It is also a critical component of digital transformation.   

 

The cloud as accelerator at Dat.mobility 

 

Our customer Dat.mobility has discovered the potential of the cloud as an innovation accelerator. With AWS cloud technology the company can meet the needs of the market faster and with greater agility. Peter Kant, innovator, strategist and product owner at Dat.mobility:    

“Luminis helped us develop a digital transformation strategy that included transitioning to the AWS cloud. They guided us through everything involved, from securing internal and external stakeholder interests to identifying possible transition paths, designing conceptual (cloud) architectures, right-sizing and developing business cases. This enabled us to make the right decisions to better meet the needs of our customers.”   

 

The importance of a good data strategy   

 

In addition to transitioning to the cloud, for most businesses a good data strategy is essential to develop innovations. Smarter use of data is the key to success both now and in the future. So rather than looking at the applications used, we focus on the available data, because that’s where the real value is. Our modular data strategy ensures controlled data mobility so our customers can access the right data faster.   

 

From data to engagement with the energy transition at Omons   

 

Our customer Omons, an initiative to support citizen engagement with the energy transition, is a good example of how this can work. In each municipality, there are different priorities, rules and conditions. These include things such as tax rates and per-kWh price. Omons had to find a way to make a huge amount of data and complex calculations manageable for citizens and asked Luminis to help. There needed to be one platform that could be used by people in different municipalities, while also allowing for differences in legislation and regulations. Based on feedback from workshops, we developed a cloud-based solution that helps increase citizen engagement while identifying and communicating potential cost savings.    

 

AI translates science into reality at Whispp   

 

Whispp is a cloud-based speech-enhancement solution that enables people who stutter and those with a voice disorder to have a relaxed and (almost) fluent conversation.  Audio technology created with artificial intelligence digitally adjusts the sound of the speaker’s voice on a smartphone or laptop. Whispp can be used for live conversations as well as phone and video calls. Together with patient associations, medical specialists and universities, Luminis was involved in the creation of the product from the first study onwards. The process involved converting ideas and theories into a valuable speech-enhancement solution – one that is scalable.  

 

Digital capabilities – the missing link  

 

Digital transformation involves both technological and organizational change. In addition to implementing the necessary technology, in-house knowledge and expertise are also needed to keep innovating in the future. Addressing security, improving accessibility of data and implementing an Agile way of working to achieve value creation faster and more effectively are all key in this respect.    

To keep innovating at product level and provide customers with what they need, it’s important to keep growing your in-house knowledge and expertise. To help with this, we employ gamification of knowledge with Cloud: The Game and the Cloud Proficiency App and our Accelerate process, in which together with our partners we train the tech leaders of tomorrow.   

 

Growth opportunities for every organization 

 

Identifying, exploiting and maximizing growth opportunities is our area of expertise. We are known for our creativity, our vision when it comes to the cloud and data, and our expertise in implementing digital transformation processes. We help organizations increase their capacity to think strategically and execute accordingly while continuing to develop their knowledge.  This is how we accelerate innovation and growth for companies that want to be ready for the future.  

 

About Luminis   

 

Luminis has been generating creative ideas, innovating and doing things differently for 20 years. This makes us the perfect innovation partner for companies that want to innovate. We are a team of inquisitive minds and diverse personalities, proud to help our customers get smarter about data and harness the full potential of the cloud. We will be happy to help you discover and maximize your potential.    
  

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Sneller innoveren: de rol van cloud, een datastrategie en digital capabilities

Wie sneller wil innoveren in deze dynamische, evoluerende markt wordt gevraagd continu te leren en veranderen op het gebied van klantervaring, processen en technologie. Veranderen, om in staat te zijn op nieuwe manieren waarde toe te voegen voor klanten, omzet te verhogen en processen te optimaliseren. Voor ons vindt die verandering plaats in het vinden van de balans tussen gebruik van de mogelijkheden van de cloud, een datastrategie en digital capabilities. De combinatie van deze drie zaken maakt het mogelijk een digitale transformatie te realiseren.  

 

Sneller innoveren dankzij de cloud   

 

De gemiddelde IT-manager van een MKB+ organisatie geeft vaak zo’n 80-90% van zijn IT-budget uit aan het operationeel houden van datgene dat er al is. Daardoor blijft er maar beperkt ruimte over om te investeren in innovatie. Innoveren is experimenteren en ineffectief experimenteren kost vaak veel geld. Met cloudtechnologie krijg je de mogelijkheid om experimenten uit te voeren tegen lage kosten en om de stekker uit een experiment te trekken wanneer het niet brengt wat je ervan had verwacht. De cloud is onmisbaar voor wie wil groeien en onomstotelijk onderdeel van digitale transformaties.   

 

De cloud als accelerator bij Dat. Mobility   

 

De mogelijkheden van de cloud als innovatieversneller zijn bijvoorbeeld duidelijk zichtbaar bij onze klant Dat.mobility. Deze organisatie heeft haar snelheid en wendbaarheid vergroot en is dankzij AWS cloudtechnologie in staat sneller te reageren op behoeften uit de markt. Peter Kant, innovator, strateeg en product owner bij Dat.mobility:    

“Luminis heeft ons ondersteund bij het verkennen van een transformatiestrategie richting de AWS-cloud en alles wat daarbij komt kijken: het borgen van de belangen van interne en externe stakeholders, het uitwerken van mogelijke transitiepaden, het opstellen van conceptuele (cloud)architecturen, het uitvoeren van sizing en het opstellen van business cases. Alles bij elkaar stelde dit ons in staat de juiste knopen door te hakken om beter te kunnen voorzien in de behoeften van onze klanten.”   

 

De impact van een goede datastrategie   

 

Ter aanvulling op een transitie naar de cloud is voor de meeste organisaties ook een goede datastrategie essentieel om innovaties te realiseren. Succesvol zijn nu en in de toekomst begint bij het slimmer inrichten van data. Daarom kijken wij niet naar de applicaties die worden gebruikt, maar naar de beschikbare data, want daarin zit de echte waarde. Met onze modulaire datastrategie zorgen we voor gecontroleerde beweeglijkheid, wat onze klanten in staat stelt sneller te beschikken over de juiste data.   

 

Van data tot consequentie van de Energietransitie bij Omons   

 

Een goed voorbeeld hiervan is onze klant Omons, een initiatief om de betrokkenheid van burgers bij de energietransitie te ondersteunen. In iedere gemeente gelden andere regelgeving, doelstellingen en voorwaarden, denk bijvoorbeeld aan belastingtarieven of kostprijs per kWh. Omons vroeg Luminis te helpen met het vinden van een manier om een grote hoeveelheid data, gecombineerd met complexe berekeningen, behapbaar te maken voor burgers. Het platform moest bruikbaar zijn voor mensen uit verschillende gemeentes, maar wel aanpasbaar aan de verschillen op gebied van wet- en regelgeving. Aan de hand van workshops ontwikkelden wij een cloudgebaseerde oplossing, die bijdraagt aan het verhogen van de betrokkenheid van de burgers, mogelijke kostenbesparingen identificeert en communiceert. 

 

AI maakt wetenschap realiteit bij Whispp   

 

Whispp is een cloudgebaseerde spraakoplossing gerealiseerd met kunstmatige intelligentie, die het voor stotteraars of mensen met een stemaandoening mogelijk maakt een ontspannen en (bijna) vloeiend gesprek te voeren.  De audiotechnologie past het geluid van jouw spraak op de smartphone of laptop digitaal aan. Denk aan live gesprekken, telefoneren of videobellen. Luminis is vanaf het eerste onderzoek, samen met patiëntenverenigingen, medisch specialisten en universiteiten, bij de creatie van het product betrokken geweest: van het omzetten van ideeën en hypotheses naar een waardevol spraakoplossing die nota bene schaalbaar is.  

 

The missing link: Digital capabilities  

 

Een digitale transformatie is naast een technologische ook een organisatorische verandering. In aanvulling op het implementeren van de benodigde technologie is ook in-house kennis en expertise nodig om in de toekomst te blijven innoveren. Denk hierbij aan vraagstukken op gebied van security, het beter toegankelijk maken van data en het implementeren van een Agile manier van werken zodat waarde-creatie effectiever en sneller gerealiseerd kan worden.    

Om te blijven innoveren op productniveau en klanten te voorzien in wat ze nodig hebben is het belangrijk te blijven werken aan de kennis en expertise van eigen mensen. Dit doen wij bijvoorbeeld door middel van gamification van kennis met Cloud: the Game en de Cloud Proficiency App, maar bijvoorbeeld ook met ons Accelerate traject, waarin we samen met verschillende partners de techleiders van de toekomst opleiden.   

 

Groeimogelijkheden voor iedere organisatie 

 

Groeimogelijkheden ontdekken, benutten en helpen realiseren. Dat is ons speelveld. We blinken uit in creativiteit, visie op gebied van cloud en data en de uitvoering van digital transformation trajecten. We voegen strategisch denk- en uitvoeringsvermogen toe aan organisaties en helpen tegelijkertijd in kennisontwikkeling.  Zo realiseren we versnelling van innovatie en groei voor organisaties die klaar willen zijn voor de toekomst.  

 

Over Luminis   

 

Al 20 jaar staat Luminis voor innovatie, creatieve ideeën en dingen net even anders doen. Dat maakt ons de innovatiepartner voor bedrijven die willen innoveren. Wij zijn een team nieuwsgierige geesten en diverse persoonlijkheden, trots om onze klanten van dienst te zijn in het slimmer inrichten van data en gebruikmaken van alle mogelijkheden die de Cloud biedt. We helpen graag met het ontdekken en realiseren van jullie potentieel.    
  

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Alin Kalam: Nurturing Growth and Innovation Through Data, AI, and Sustainability

The IT industry continues to grow and shift rapidly due to the pandemic and CIOs are constantly on the lookout for ways to foster and adopt new technologies into their organization. Whether it is sustainable transformations or implementing AI, change is necessary.

As the Head of International Market Intelligence & Data Strategy for UNIQA international, Alin Kalam shares with us his insights on the need for agility through AI, achieving business competence, and nurturing innovation.

 
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Finding Agility in Artificial Intelligence and Overcoming Disruptions

Businesses and IT leaders today need to be quicker to respond to the ever-changing landscape of their industry and overcome disruptions. Whether it’s to implement hybrid workplace models or to incorporate new technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, there is a definite need for CIOs to strategize.

Kalam shares his insights on the key challenges that CIOs need to be aware of when incorporating new technology and how to effectively transition towards data-driven business models.

 

What are the key challenges for CIOs who are trying to adopt new technologies especially in the AI field?

 

Surely one of the major challenges of establishing AI technologies in companies is lack of trust and also limited knowledge existing. On the technical side, I see the IT productionizing & operational issues arising since 2019. 

Often it is not the number of best practices, that lack but the ability to align market circumstances with existing technologies with own true business needs. Therefore, I see the cultivation of AI-driven innovation much more as a strategic challenge nowadays than only a technological one.

 

What should CIOs be aware of in the transition towards data-driven business models that serve dehumanization of critical business fields?

 

On the one hand, dehumanization must be done quickly to address short-term issues e.g. through the implementation of RPA or AI products to combat challenges caused by Covid, and on the other hand, CIOs must balance strategically what and where they are automatizing/dehumanizing. I already have seen examples of cost reduction projects through dehumanization that are creating huge strategic risks for companies in the long run. 

For sure there will be someday an “after Covid” and using the current crisis as scapegoat for cost-cutting only without putting the focus on the product portfolio, customer needs, and above all operational risks of IT systems, can become a huge source of risk. 

Here I rather appeal to strategic long-term aspects than short-termed gains only and to address this concern CIOs must become business-driven more than ever!

 

The Need For Sustainability and Competent Business Intelligence

Companies were forced to change their policies, behaviors, and business strategy due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. The recent COP26 climate conference showed that companies are committed to making sustainable-focused organizational changes.

For Kalam, the need for sustainability in IT is clear highlights the challenges that many are still facing, in addition to incorporating competent business intelligence to ensure sustainable growth. 

 

Sustainable transformation in the IT & innovation field has become a key topic for upcoming years. What are the specific areas of action for CIOs in this field?

 

For sure sustainability as a topic is here to stay! Not only do we have the macro aspects of it addressing the major concerns of our time, but it has become also a business driver in so many sectors. 

With my initiated project Sustainista I, therefore, have tried to interconnect companies with the scientific community ensuring exchanging of data, know-how, best practices, and transparency. The biggest challenge in this field is the lack of market and scientific standards at the same time. ESGs might be known to many of us but breaking down its info business actions according to standard approaches/processes is the biggest challenge!

In an ideal world, CIOs and related roles are taking ownership of this topic and driving it to doable tasks, otherwise, I am afraid to see sustainability just as a cosmetic and marketing label without a true impact on business and how we do things.

A particular starting point is to understand macro goals as an organization and break them down to a very data level in organizations delivering measures and related actions with the help of existing data. Many companies I know from various sectors have started with external data sets 1st to deliver quick success that can feed this long-term topic.

 

How would you advise companies who are still struggling to incorporate Business Intelligence?

 

Here I clearly follow the storyline of failing fast succeed sooner. Instead of propagating a piece of technology IT must build a bridge with business and deliver quick wins. Even now I am often devastated whenever I see only PDFs and Excel Sheets with numbers/KPIs that do not reflect the fast reality of our businesses and data-driven decision-making across borders! 

Major issues companies face are data quality, integrity, and security issues. CIOs are hereby in the role of process enablers. Instead of being only technology-driven often the implementation of BI must be done in a joint-venture manner.

 

Ensuring Growth Through Data and Overcoming Legacy Challenges

One of the biggest hurdles for digital transformation efforts still stems from legacy systems that are often outdated and not integrated with modern solutions for business uses. Despite the fact that modernizing legacy IT systems is required for businesses to ensure growth, IT leaders are still faced with roadblocks and challenges.

For Kalam, however, legacy systems are not necessarily the main roadblock as it once was. Instead, the focus now for CIOs should be to apply best practices during data-driven business transformation and simplify their approach to nurturing experimentation.

 

With regards to data-driven business models, what are the best practices that CIOs and IT leaders need to keep in mind? 

 

In a matter of fact, the approach of data-driven business transformation is everything but only data-centric! It covers the end-to-end processes of entire product lines and the strategic setup of a company. After many years of data harmonization/migration projects, companies often find out their undone homework regarding “creating true business values to the company itself and its customers”. 

I myself often propagate the term “no business value without data, no data without a business case”. Between this symbiotic relationship lies the true success of transformation efforts. 

Aside from this core topic I often miss the foresight of wisdom! It means seeing the potential of data not only in core businesses but its extensions and added capacities. In my objective point of view, this foresight of wisdom and true added potential is often the key success factor to many.

 

One of the main challenges for organizations is to overcome legacy infrastructure. How can CIOs overcome the legacy obstacle? What are the skills and mindset needed to promote modernization for an organization?

 

To be honest I really do not see legacy infrastructure as the biggest road-blocker anymore. Especially throughout the last decade, there have been so many progressions in simplifications of legacy systems, that I have become more optimistic on that end out of my own experiences! 

I can´t remember when I have seen companies e.g. migrating legacy data systems into new all-in-one and all-ruling superior DWH, Data Lake, etc. Instead of searching for the holy grail, we have become more realistic about using data where they are at their best and being created. 

This Data Mesh approach has become a blueprint for software solutions as well just as agility was cultivated from the IT/Software world into day-to-day business & project management. But this process has just begun a couple of years ago, the community yet does not have a buzzword, but hey, never say never…!

 

Innovation and experimentation are at the heart of data-driven business models. How does one nurture an environment that promotes experimentation within their organization?

 

I rigorously follow the principle of K.I.S.S (Keep it simple, stupid) in the incubation phase of innovation projects. Instead of talking only and selling in this phase, organizations should apply these principles, aside from a minimum set-up of governance, risk mitigation process regarding GDPR, privacy, organizational risks, etc., and allow experimentation. 

Here the old wisdom of “too many rules & regulations kill true innovation & creativity” should be applied. 

If the internal challenges are too big, often I have guided companies and leading bodies into the world of entrepreneurship. 

The most successful CIOs & IT managers are those who run new innovation ideas or projects as a starting business operating from day 1. This can be a guarantee of nursing the true nature of innovation when nothing else is working.

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Petra Ålund: What the Next-Generation IT Organization Looks Like    

As we enter the new world of work, all eyes are on CIOs and their teams to drive digitalization initiatives and successfully integrate them into existing systems. IT is breaking out of their silos and now has a much-deserved seat at the C-level table. No business decision can be made without the input of the IT division as we move into more technologically advanced ways of working.  

We tap into the expertise of  Petra Ålund, Head of Technology at SEB, on effective IT technologies and data strategies, IT talent shortage solutions and the characteristics of tomorrow’s IT organization.      

 

What IT technologies have made the biggest impact on SEB’s business processes?  

Intelligence has come a long way in the last five years. With increasing volumes of transactions and trades, manual work is not enough to maintain optimal pace and quality.  AI and ML are vital in several aspects of our business operations. This includes securing the best uptime for our data centers and keeping a high-security level to data-driven advice internally as well as for our customers.  Here are two important examples:  

  • AIOPs:  AI operations use predictive infrastructure anomaly detection to detect deviations early, preventing downtime and service outage. 
  • Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crime Prevention:  AI is applied to large sets of data. Its smartness can detect anomalies which allows us to report them earlier. This will help us prevent, examine and report anomalies and suspicious activities more efficiently.   

We are only starting to reap the benefits of smart technologies and we can already see positive impacts. The cloud journey is very prominent and a top priority in most industries. Cloud is the way forward to be scalable, flexible and locationally independent. We have partnered with Google Cloud to collaborate on innovative products and services to provide our customers with a better user experience.  

As a third example,  integration of Application Programming Interface (API) into systems, services, customers, other companies, and data sources will have a big impact on business processes. Leveraging both internal and open APIs on the market will allow the highest availability of components to easily build new solutions for customers.  

 

What is your idea of an effective data strategy for optimal data utilization and protection?

Being data-driven is more than having a data warehouse and producing reports and dashboards. Data transformation is about having your data in order, but more importantly, it is about people upskilling and implementing whole new ways of working in all parts of the bank. It is a big cultural change, and it should not be underestimated.  

 

What are your solutions to solve the IT talent shortage? 

Attract new talent  

Since the competition for talent is fierce, especially for talent with more scarce competencies, talent management is an area SEB is really investing in. Our global talent acquisition team is using cutting-edge tools to be able to work in more data-driven ways to find the right candidates faster and to enhance their end-to-end experience.   

Branding is super important to attract talent. At SEB we are fortunate to be one of the top-ranked Nordic financial employers among finance and IT students. We have close collaborations with universities and regularly participate in events, job fairs, career days, workshops and research fields both directly and through our owners.  

Train and retain our talent  

We work with experts, international universities, and schools to offer learning in all fields to inspire, develop and support our employees’ ambitions. Our initiatives include internal events, hackathons and fully digital business universities. In addition, we offer mentor programs, volunteer programs, job-shadowing and internal gigs where employees can work in different parts of the bank for short periods of time.   

 

What does the next-generation IT organization look like?

Business is IT and IT is business. We will see a continuation of this trend as there is still high demand for digitalization and new technologies. IT is the foundation and delivery mechanism of most financial and banking products and services. Technologies are part of all external and internal deliveries in back-office, operations and customer-facing  functions.   

IT departments are growing in the presence of new marketplaces and ecosystems. They are the infrastructure that enables the digitalization of processes and services for both employees and customers.   

At SEB we have a virtual agile organization with 16 domains consisting of 65 tribes and 285 teams. These are cross-functional execution vehicles that  increase adaptability to change as an organization. This structure allows us to learn, pivot and deliver at high speed, and to thrive in a competitive market.  

I believe that DevSecOps (Dev: IT development, Sec: Security, Ops: IT operations) and IT automation will continue to accelerate in 2022. DevSecOps combine people, processes and automation to unite culture, work methods and tools to create the best prerequisites for fast and stable delivery.   

 

How has the CIO role evolved in the last 18 months?  

CIOs are becoming visionaries of the future as they provide insights into the changing business landscape and how to adapt to new technologies. This has been the set-up at SEB for quite a while where the CIOs are in the front seat of driving strategy. 

This is in line with organizational development and learning as well as increased digital pressure from competitors, customers, and employees. All parts of the bank, with their different skill sets, are collaborating and are equally important in our agile set-up, where we drive both transformation and innovation of new products for our customers. 

 

*The answers have been edited for length and clarity.