Rafi Majeed is one of the many high-caliber IT Executives who will be facilitating group discussions at NCS Madison’s Virtual CIO & CISO Strategy Meeting on July 14, 2020, for executives in Toronto, ON and its surrounding areas.
Rafi, the Chief Digital Officer at BDO Canada, will be leading a thought-provoking group discussion on Developing an IT Innovation Culture Aligned with the Business Culture. Here is a preview of what will be discussed on July 14, 2020.
“It is imperative to drive innovation through a business lens by embedding innovation culture into the organization’s operations. It cannot be a success if it remains just one group’s responsibility. “
When should an organization invest in an innovative program?
The time is now for investing in and setting up an innovation program. It is no longer something that is nice to have. COVID-19 has made digital transformation and innovation a top priority for every organization.
How can IT Executives successfully drive innovation throughout their organization? Can you share an example from your experience in driving innovation at your organization?
Highlight the urgency for innovation, and show the downside if we don’t do this (e.g. getting disrupted. It’s necessary for staying relevant and future proof.
Example: We established an Innovation Office established based on the recognition that we need to change and do something different not only to get ahead but to stay ahead. We also launched automation and AI-based projects to abandon legacy ways of doing things and step into efficiency-based delivery and operations.
What advice would you give to a CIO that was weighing the worth of an innovative program?
You don’t have to start big. You can kick off your innovation program with small investments based on experimentation, then scale based on the results and support gained from the organization.
How do you measure your ROI for your new investment?
If it is automation, then track the hours saved. If it is a digital product or service, then track revenue generated through that product line.
What impact has the sudden switch to a remote workforce had on innovation programs? How have you ensured the continuity of your innovation programs?
Remote working has not impacted innovation programs. Technology-based teams are very comfortable in virtual collaboration. In some areas, COVID-19 has propelled digital transformation e.g. quick adoption of collaboration platforms like MSFT Teams, etc.
What is one thing you would like the attendees of your discussion group to leave knowing?
It is imperative to drive innovation through a business lens by embedding innovation culture into the organization’s operations. It cannot be a success if it remains just one group’s responsibility.
Why have you decided to join us at the 2020 Virtual Toronto CIO and CISO Strategy Meeting?
It is a great venue to learn from others and share our own experiences. It can also be a good forum to validate what we are doing right and what can be done differently.
We have limited spots available for this Virtual CIO and CISO Strategy Meeting for IT Executives in and around Toronto, ON. If you are interested in joining the conversation on Developing an IT Innovation Culture Aligned with the Business Culture or any of the other great discussion groups available register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/4808295 or contact Samantha Hornbarger at shornbarger@ncsmadison.com for more information.