During our school life, we have heard the term metamorphosis often. It is usually used to describe the rather dramatic change of form of simple animals after their embryonic stage. Caterpillars undergo metamorphosis and transform into butterflies as do tadpoles into frogs. In nature, metamorphosis seems to be a part of the growing up process of a few species. However within those species, the growing up process is not a simple, gradual change in shape as is the more common state. For these special, privileged species, growing up is accompanied with a dramatic transformation in their form, state, nature and behaviour.
Growing up is inevitable and irreversible. It is a one-way street and happens as a natural order of things. There is no way that the process of metamorphosis can be delayed, stopped or reversed – even if the organism may ever want to.
Increasingly even within the economic world, there seems to be a similar thought amongst the forerunners. With the world becoming increasingly VUCA and customers demanding more and different experiences, creating an environment of change is essential. Hence the need to morph – or better still – to undergo an economic and digital metamorphosis. As the name suggests, this has to necessarily be absolute, with a dramatic change in form, state, nature and behaviour.
The saving grace is that this change, though dramatic, need not be overnight. A continuous series of transformational changes can result in a very controlled metamorphosis. With the operative word being ‘controlled’, leaders of progressive enterprises have the daunting task of creating the right environment and inculcating the mind-set. Globally there are several examples of metamorphosis in progressive economies. In recent times China has been able to transform itself into an entity far removed from the controlled and secretive days of J K Galbraith’s China Passage, or maybe South Africa after the apartheid regime.
Within commercial organisations of the world it is probably now time to embrace this flavour of change. Economic metamorphosis has to be accompanied with a digital one. The question now is not so much as to ‘why’ anymore, but more of ‘how’. Whatever frameworks are used to point out the correct pathways towards digital metamorphosis, at this moment, they would all be evolving – since the whole world is grappling with the effort to keep up with the turbulence. The 5Rs presented in the lead feature of this publication is an attempt to create one such framework. Each of the ‘R’s is essentially an element to rethink from ground zero. While each of them are individual dimensions, the program has to be seen as a whole, which is our attempt at this stage.
Changes are happening all around us in the world of Business Processes. Organisations, including several in India are coming up to age towards professionalism in services. Discipline in business services has also made huge social impact. It is imperative amongst each one of us a true nationalist as well as a global human to use our knowledge and understanding for common good. SSF is now well on its way of becoming an influencer in the services industry and we look at our partners, readers and contributors to parley with us in this endeavour including making significant changes in the quality of public life.
Table of Contents
COVER STORY
The Digital Metamorphosis – Transitioning Successfully
Designing Processes to Gift a Life
THE HUMAN FACE OF BPM INDUSTRY
Rebooting Business Process Strategy to Outcompete!
A REPORT ON 6th ANNUAL BPM & SHARED SERVICES CONCLAVE
A Transformational Journey
FROM SHARED SERVICES TO BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Empowering Business
OPTIMIZING THROUGH NEXTGEN AUTOMATION
