From Looking Digital to Being Digital: The Impact of Technology on the Future of Work Being Digital: Foreword Companies are finding it challenging to capture the full value of revolutionary breakthroughs in digital technology. Many have used digital technology to drive down costs and get more efficient, which is akin to “looking digital,” an important but surface-level change. Some, however, are taking things further and transforming data into new revenue and new sources of value. This more pervasive change is what we mean by “being digital.” To move from looking digital to being digital, companies must engage in a deep shift in the way they do business. For business leaders, that shift requires as much attention to culture and organization as it does to the technology itself. Companies that want to lead in the digital era—no matter what their industry or their location—must rethink the way they get work done. Just as buying a rowing machine won’t make you fit, simply installing digital technology will not change the way your company works. For senior executives, this presents several critical challenges. Data will have to be available to many more people, not only within the organization but also with ecosystem partners. In seeking out talent, leaders will need to focus on four areas that don’t often show up in resumes or performance evaluations: the ability to experiment, to learn, to exercise judgment, and to collaborate. Perhaps most importantly, they will have to place even more trust in first- and second-level management. This report, the result of a significant collaborative effort between Accenture’s Institute for High Performance and Technology Labs, will help executives understand the key issues and get started on the deep shift of digital transformation. Shawn Collinson Chief Strategy Officer 5 | Accenture | Copyright 2014 Accenture. All rights reserved. ©