Friday, 17th September, 2021

DAILY ANALYST
Friday, 17th September, 2021 Page 5
Optimising digital services
By Ebo Richardson
Digital – along with
its many variants
and associations
– has become a
pervasive buzzword
of our times. More than
just some contemporary hype,
it is fast becoming the de-facto
medium for both social
interactions and commercial
endeavour.
Indeed, many organisations
cite digital as the mainstay of
their strategic ambitions, and
the facilitator of the value-creating
assets that will sustain
their businesses well into the
future.
And why not? The opportunities
and benefits that digital
technologies promise to bring
are set to dwarf and wildly disrupt
traditional offerings. But
how do we get the most from
our digital setups?
Variations of Digital
Though most organisations
have resolved to ply the digital
path, for obvious reasons, the
nature and extent to which
they have invested in and
committed to this journey
varies significantly. While
some are merely digitising and
others are digitalizing, a bold
few are executing all-encompassing
digital transformations.
It is worth noting that
these descriptions are not just
different words to describe the
same practice, but actually
represent different faces and
varying degrees of the “digital
movement”.
The first – that is digitisation
– is the creation of
technology-based versions or
replicas of existing processes
and artifacts. It is thus another
word for basic automation.
The second – digitalization
– involves a more substantial
(re)construction of key assets
using digital technologies
such as analytics and artificial
intelligence. Digital transformation,
on the other hand, is a
more extensive strategic activity
that seeks to challenge and
reimagine an organization’s
value co-creation and capture
capabilities, to the extent that
it may materially alter the
entire business model (or large
aspects of it).
The Make-up of Digital
Digital is not equal to technology.
It is far more involving
than that. It is the facilitation
of human activities and experiences
– from socialisation
to commerce – using new age
technologies and devices. Simply
put, it is the use of modern
technologies to enable things
to be done simpler, faster, more
conveniently, and in a more
customised way. In that sense,
digital is more than the sum of
its component parts.
Building digital assets to
solution needs or drive service
delivery requires bringing
together a number of important
elements. These make
up the various components,
which fit and work together to
enable interfacing, processing,
and servicing. They include
core services and platforms,
channels or user interfaces,
analytics and AI, and digital
marketing, all of which are
enabled by technology and
encapsulated in a conducive
culture. Additionally, as our reliance
on technology increases
and its associated threats
become a menace, the need for
robust controls is also brought
to the fore.
Optimising Digital Components
Regardless of whether an
organisation is merely digitising
or wholly transforming,
both the digital capabilities
used by its personnel and
those used to service customers
must perform optimally if
goals are to be achieved. Optimal
performance essentially
means the organization must
undertake some concerted
work to fine-tune all components
across the spectrum.
Since the digital construct is
made up of distinct components,
each must be improved
in a manner that is commensurate
with the nature and
size of the organisation and
its customer base. The objective
is to make each as good as
possible.
So, how should this optimisation
manifest? Those
responsible for the separate
components should ensure
best-in-class configuration and
execution, as per the typical
standards described below:
- A robust, resilient, and
scalable technology infrastructure,
to provide the necessary
processing power, storage and
network connectivity. This
will ensure that platforms and
applications have the needed
resources (dynamically allocated)
and function in a highly
available environment.
- An effective data
management approach that
ensures appropriate access to,
use of, and protection for customer
and transactional data.
This will be the “fuel” for all
services. Solid analytics would
also birth optimized product
development, tailored experiences,
and targeted sales and
marketing.
- Effective operational
and security controls that safeguard
assets and processes, as
well as assure efficient day-today
operations. The objective
here would be to achieve >70%
controls automation.
- A set of well-architected
and highly available core
platforms and services. This is
where the servicing or solutioning
of customer needs or
requests happens. For a Bank
this will most likely be the
Core Banking, while a Telecoms
Operator may point to
the IN (Intelligent Network).
- Friendly, intuitive, and
consistent channels that make
it easy for customers to engage
and transact. This will be a
primary touchpoint and will
therefore be perceived as the
key value delivery hub. Obviously,
top-notch design considerations
must be applied
here, including user interface
(i.e. look and feel), fulfilment
processes, and usability.
- A strategically aligned
digital marketing machinery
that churns out well-crafted,
targeted, and well-timed messages
(and stories) using all
available media.
A culture that is agile and
future-oriented will be the
glue that makes these components
work well together. It
will also create Ambassadors
who will evangelize the offering
to colleagues and customers
alike. The eventual result
will be a digital machine that
is not only well-oiled and optimised,
but also greater than
the sum of its parts in terms of
impact and outcome.
Management buy-in is key
The requirements of a digital
setup that is both fit-for-
purpose and fit-for-use tend
to be extensive. Building such
an asset requires substantial
investment and sustained
support. Consequently, buy-in
from top management is a
critical success factor. They
must see a clear line-of-sight
between the substantial
investment needed and the
benefits expected to accrue.
To create sustainable value,
management must then strategize
to achieve a good balance
between what their organisation
is good at today and what
it must be good at tomorrow.
With such commitment, the
chances of success will outstrip
the likelihood of failure.
As the digital race heats
up, those organisations that
manage to find the pulse of
their customers and leverage it
to optimise their digital offerings
will undoubtedly deliver
superior experience that will
set them apart from their competition.
It will also engender
levels of loyalty that may well
stave-off likely digital disruptions.
The race is make-or-break
and very much on!
Cont’d from Page 4
triggered reactions that have
questioned some of the tenets
of the RTI law and called for a
look at some grey areas within
the law. For instance, in 2020, the
MFWA requested information
from the National Communications
Authority which demanded
an exorbitant amount of
Ghc2,000 to enable it “research”
the information. In a related
development, the Minerals
Commission of Ghana asked The
Fourth Estate, a public interest
and accountability investigative
journalism project of the MFWA,
to pay approximately US$1,000
for information that ordinarily
should be public information.
So far, demands for fees and
charges before the release of
information to an applicant have
been a major problem that calls
for policy directions on the issue.
Deepening access to information for
accountable governance in Ghana
To ensure a holistic implementation
of the Right to Information
law, the MFWA has held engagements
with the RTI Commission
on the best ways to address some
of these issues.
Challenges and some lessons
learnt
The MFWA is also picking up
lessons along the line as it continues
to implement interventions
on access to information in
the country.
a. Limited knowledge of the
RTI law among public officials:
There is very limited knowledge
on the RTI law among officials
of public institutions which is
affecting their responsiveness to
RTI requests. Majority of them
including some of the officials
designated or appointed as RTI
officers are not abreast of their
obligations or responsibilities
under the RTI law and request
processes.
b. Poor record keeping /information
management culture:
The way information is managed
within some public institutions
are also affecting how requests
are treated or responded to. In
many institutions, past records
or data are not accessible. This is
because the record was not kept
well or the manner in which it
was kept makes it ineligible.
c. Poor human resource
management and bureaucracy:
Typically, letters and correspondence
that go to some public
institutions are often recorded at
the registry for onward submission
to the appropriate offices
later. Under the new regime of
RTI where an application must
be addressed to the designated
information officer, the challenge
has been in two folds: firstly, if
a letter takes longer time at the
registry before submission, it
takes out from the initial 14-day
period within which the institution
has to make a determination
on the application. The other
challenge observed is that, in
some other instances, officials in
some public institutions are hesitant
in receiving RTI requests
in the absence of the designated
officials who may either be indisposed
or on leave.
d. Undue delay in the release
of the information requested: Because
the law does not state explicitly
how long an institution
must take to give the requested
information, some public institutions
turn to abuse the time and,
in the process, unduly delay the
release of the information being
requested.