Accenture_Technology_Vision_2014

TREND 1: DIGITAL–PHYSICAL BLURwith the destination hospital while a patient is in transit.In the past, if this research happened at all, it wouldhappen when the paramedics arrived at the hospital orreturned to their depots. Now, the research can happenin near real-time and have meaningful impact on thecourse of treatment. 24 The paramedics are newly enabledby information that provides critical insights within anarrow window of opportunity; those insights can spur adecision “on the edge” that can possibly save a life.In similar ways, developments with wearable technology,such as Google Glass, may provide field-serviceprofessionals in the oil and gas industry with access toreal-time information and deep expertise—improvingtheir effectiveness at fixing remote pipelines andmaintaining highly sensitive infrastructure.As front-line workers have their capabilities augmentedby digital technologies, they are emboldened to makemore informed, real-time decisions and encouraged tobecome more engaged with the organization. This drivesoperating efficiency and revenue growth. Studies haveshown that companies with high employee engagementfrequently demonstrate higher levels of operating incomeand growth in earnings per share than those found tohave low levels of employee engagement.The implications of digital workforce transformations gobeyond updating bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.Realizing the efficiencies from digitally augmentedworkforces will require business leaders to fundamentallyrethink how employees do their jobs and reassess theback-end systems that support them. Leaders will alsoneed to be comfortable with decentralized decisionmakingas business decisions get pushed closer to theedges of their business. Chief information officers(CIOs) will need to be more cognizant of potential risksassociated with data privacy and security. Real-timeinformation systems will become a higher priority.Getting information to workers as they need it willallow businesses to uncover a workforce that is moreproductive, eager for new challenges, and more effectiveand efficient at making and sharing decisions bycollaborating with others. The benefits can rise abovequantity and quality of work output by contributing tothe flattening of organizations—meaning that a smallernumber of supervisors and middle managers can managelarger and more dispersed teams.ACCENTURE TECHNOLOGY VISION 201427