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The Secret to Success in a Digital World

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Henry Ford once said, ‘before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.’  Most, if not all business leaders will agree that getting ready; having a plan; being on offense vs. defense; all these things will help your business survive and thrive in today’s digital world.

Dell Technologies’ recent Digital Transformation Index Study shows that businesses around the globe are thinking about digital transformation, and they’re getting ready to seize the opportunities their data holds.  Leveraging the insights from this study, my last blog, Hindsight to Insight: Why Digital Transformation is Not an Option, discussed the barriers most companies are facing when it comes to digitally transforming their business. Security and data concerns ranked as the top barrier to transform; the very reason businesses should transform, is the number one reason why they are struggling to do so.

To compound this, data is growing at unprecedented rates.  5G technology is being rolled out to mobile devices this year.  This technology is set to completely disrupt the market, paving the way for emerging technologies such as AI and ML.  5G is a complete infrastructure change and will realize the convergence of computing, cloud and IoT.  Think of it as the era of hyper connectivity.  The implications are huge.

Following the Digital Transformation Index study, Dell Technologies published the Global Data Protection Index Study.  From this study we learned that on average businesses managed 9.70PB of data in 2018, compared to the 1.45PB managed in 2016.  This represents an explosive growth of 569% in just two years!  With this enormous growth in data, what will you do to prepare for continued advancements in disruptive technology and the data it creates?

If you plan to attend Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas this month, I encourage you to attend the general sessions as they are insightful, thought leadership discussions around current industry trends.  If your schedule is tight I recommend you focus on the IT Technology Track.  Below is a list of break-out session recommendations for you to prioritize.  These sessions will help you gain a better understanding of why you should digitally transform your business, what steps you need to take to make that happen, and you’ll hear from customers who will share their own digital transformation experiences.

While Henry Ford is not here today to see our world of big data and human-machine partnerships, his legacy endures because he knew that being ready and getting ahead of industry trends was the best way to position his company for success.  Regardless of where your digital transformation journey will take you, the secret to success in a digital world is to be ready, data is coming!

Monday, April 29th:

Tuesday, April 30th:

  • 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Customer Case Study: How Aon Corporation Saved $25m A Year Through Application Transformation – Nothing is better than hearing from industry leaders who have embarked on a transformation journey and are now reaping the rewards.  In this session, Aon Corporation will share their own story of Application transformation including their approach, pitfalls and lessons they learned along the way.
  • 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Get Your Strategy & Transformation Programs On Track – In 2018 lack of senior support and sponsorship still ranked as one of the top ten barriers to Digital Transformation.  In this session you’ll learn how to create a visionary strategy to help gain the support you need to move your transformation forward.

Wednesday, May 1st:

About the Author: Amanda Hodges

Amanda Hodges is Senior Vice President of North America Marketing for Dell Technologies. With 2018 combined revenues of $ 78.7 billion and more than 145,000 employees, Dell Technologies is a global leader in IT Infrastructure developed to drive human progress and help businesses succeed in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing environment. Dell Technologies provides the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their information. With more than 20 years industry experience, Ms. Hodges is responsible for the strategy, go-to-market, and execution of marketing to support NA Commercial, Enterprise, Global Accounts, Verticals and Channel Sales. Prior to this role, Ms. Hodges led OEM and Internet of Things marketing, responsible for marketing strategy and execution. Previously she served as Chief of Staff for Dell's Chief Marketing Officer and was responsible for enabling the CMO office to achieve business performance, brand, marketing transformation and people goals. Ms. Hodges has held several strategy and analytics roles across Dell, including international assignments. Ms. Hodges joined Dell in 2005 from McKinsey, where she served Healthcare and Technology businesses. She also spent five years at GE Plastics, where she served in multiple roles in Operations and Technical Sales. Ms. Hodges holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech. She serves on the board of SAFE, a non-profit supporting Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace. She resides in Austin, Texas, where she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.