2017 Top 10 Popular Articles
“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” – Brian Herbert. The year’s most popular articles from Buhlebenkosi Consulting. Our blog in 2017 focused mostly on Strategy, Leadership and Digital Transformation.
1. Strategize in the cloud
Cloud strategy begins by identifying business requirements, drivers or goals and mapping potential benefits of the cloud (IaaS, PaaS & SaaS) to them, while mitigating the potential drawbacks. A key advantage of a cloud-based infrastructure is how quickly you can respond to changes in resource needs (business demand and supply). Read More
2. Strategy or Plan?
Strategy is a plan of action to achieve a long-term goal or desired end result for your business. It is mostly about winning and differentiating your business from competitors. It ensures the long-term viability of your business through sustainable competitive advantage. To sum up, strategy is about finding your 'competitive advantage' and then using it to 'win'. Strategy is concerned with the future direction of the business. The plan is essential to enable the business to achieve its future goals. Read More
3. Ignite your business idea
The value of entrepreneurship is crucial for the country's economic development and in turn it's gross domestic product (GDP) growth. This is true both in developed and emerging economies. In America, small businesses are often called the backbone of the economy. Entrepreneurs are optimistic, innovative, passionate, courageous and take risks. Read More
4. Seeing through digital lens
The digital era requires board members to better represent and understand the company's digital vision and strategy. Digital technology knowledge and experience at the board table is a must. The new digital director role can bridge the strategic digital gap (traditional vs. digital) and blend the two cultures, in the process improve customer experience and shareholder expectations. Read More
5. 10 ways to navigate digital economy
Digital economy is an economy that is underpinned or based on digital computing technologies (Cloud, Mobile, Social Media, Big data and analytics, AI, IoT). It is ubiquitous, distributed, bespoke, convenient and connected. It is often referred to as the creative destruction that is happening globally as most industries and governments embark on the digital transformation journey. Read More
6. Is decentralization the future?
A decentralized market enables sellers and buyers to connect directly to each other using online platform, like Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a secure digital currency that uses blockchain technology to send and receive bitcoins (money) directly from person to person over the internet, quicker and at low fees. Blockchain is an open source distributed database or ledger technology that underlies crypto currencies like Bitcoin and provides a way to record and transfer data that is transparent, safe, auditable and resistant to outages. Read More
7. Leverage digital technology
Digital technology is transforming business operations, industries, markets, economies, customer and social experiences. Given the rapid pace of technology advancement and innovation, disruption is inevitable. The strategic context (organization internal and external environment) is unique for most organizations. It is best to view technology as an enabler to deliver your business goals. Read More
8. Leading in the era of Disruption
Leadership inspire and motivate people towards a shared purpose or vision. It requires a deeper understanding of culture and strategic context. The biggest challenge is leading through times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity where change is constant. Digital technology connects innovative ideas and people. This requires leaders to communicate a common goal (vision), a clear and coherent business strategy. Digital leadership is the strategic use of organizations digital assets and resource capabilities to achieve a desired business goals or outcomes. Read More
9. Digital lifestyle research
The purpose of the research is to understand digital lifestyles and the impact digital technologies (mobile, social media and cloud) have on people at home and in the workplace. The primary data was developed using quantitative research methodology in a form of a survey questionnaire. The research sample was relatively small in size, comprises of majority people in Johannesburg (65%), Pretoria (12%), Cape Town (12%) and Durban (4%). Living a digital lifestyle makes it easier for people to connect around the world using internet and digital technologies, enable people to work anywhere and creates smart home experiences. Read More
10. A new kind of customer
Customer expectations are being reshaped by innovation and digital technologies (mobile devices, big data, analytics and social media platforms). Digital technologies for example are boosting consumer power, allowing consumers to be mobile and to freely express their views about products and services on social media. The Millennials or Generation Y and Generation Z or Boomlets are the new customers. This generation of customers are born into a world of Digital and Technology. They interact with the world in a completely different way to their parents or grandparents. They are the ‘digital first’ generation and have grown up with computers, email, mobile phones, the Internet and social media, as an integral and accepted part of their everyday life. Read More