GIL Africa: How are companies using digital tech to gain the ultimate competitive edge?

A number of organisations are entering the race for “digital transformation”, striving to gain the ultimate competitive edge within their industry and against rivals. However, how many companies truly understand the fundamental importance of implementing these digital processes and applications into the business strategy correctly?

“Rooting your digital strategy in strong commercial fundamentals is a non-negotiable in our highly competitive, fast paced global environment. Given the pace of innovation, digital investments need to provide a strong ROI in the short term. Many of these investments will simply become out-dated in the mid-term,” says Hendrik Malan, Partner and Operations Director at Frost & Sullivan Africa.”

Frost & Sullivan will be hosting its seventh consecutive annual Growth Innovation Leadership (GIL) Africa summit at the Table Bay hotel, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, in Cape Town on 17 August 2017. Senior C-level executives and their management teams will gather to attend a day filled with interactive sessions and presentations by organisations that have successfully implemented digital as a part of their overall business strategy, giving them the ultimate competitive edge.

“While technology could revolutionise efficiency, businesses need to take into account the disruptive nature of local variables impacting the competitive strength of their business model,” notes Craig Parker, Head of the Automotive & Mobility practice at Frost & Sullivan Africa. “Factors such as legal, infrastructure, political and social implications will vary across regions. Real time adaptation to changing external variables is now possible with digital applications, and this will be the new driver to maintaining a competitive edge.”

The GIL Africa summit will see industry managers from Frost & Sullivan run 360 degree industry Think Tank workshops to demonstrate how digital is having an impact across all industry sectors; including the automotive industry, public sector, water and the environment, agriculture, and healthcare. The 360 degree industries Think Tanks, attended by leaders within their field, not only spark insightful discussions and ideas for each industry moving forward, but also provide future scenarios and potential outcomes for the industry sector through the correct implementation of digital technologies.

Key 360-Degree Industry Think Tank Take-aways:

• What does slow infrastructure development and rising congestion in urban areas mean for the automotive industry in Africa and how can digital technology contribute to resolving these issues?
• How can digital technologies be applied to help millions of subsistence farmers around Africa, and how can these initiatives be funded?
• When it comes to digital, how should societies balance the competing interests of farm owners, the food industry, urban consumers and rural farm workers?
• How will digital transformation change the way the Public Sector operates and delivers services?
• If smart meters are going to improve efficiency across the value chain, will everyone be that enthusiastic about driving change? Apart from more accurate readings, smart meters could potentially lead to other issues like job losses, increased utility bills, and very importantly data privacy issues.

For more information contact Samantha James, Corporate Communications Africa: Samantha.James@frost.com

Staff Writer