BBC 2017 Speaker Series – Consultants:  Michael Rosen, Research VP at IDC

In anticipation of his presentations at Building Business Capability in Orlando, Nov. 6-10, 2017, we asked Michael Rosen, Research VP at IDC, a few questions about transforming the business. Check out this interview in relation to his BBC presentations entitled, Digital Transformation: New Realities Require New Architecture, and BA’s Guide to Architecture — How to use Business Architecture for Digital Transformation.

Q: In what ways do you help your client organizations handle business transformation?

 A: IDC provides research and advice to client organizations on trends, strategies and best practices for business transformation. My team specifically focuses on leadership advice to CxOs and their direct reports on transforming their organizations to become a force for digital transformation in their enterprise.

Q: Can you describe the challenges you face or have already overcome in establishing more robust business transformation capabilities for your clients?

 A: The challenges are many. Any kind of transformation is difficult as culture is slow to change to the new demands of the fast-moving digital economy. But, in a rush to move quickly, many organizations are repeating the mistakes of the past, not thinking strategically, creating redundancies, and taking on technical debt which will catch up with them sooner than they think and cause innovation and flexibility to stall.

Q: What are your top suggestions for companies looking to become more agile?

A: Architecture, when done right, is a key enabler to agility and digital and business transformation.

Q: What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned in the past year?

A: Everything is moving so much faster than anyone imagined. Get in the game now or it might be too late.

Q: What do you see as the most important goal or trend for business analysts and other professionals to keep in mind?  

A: The new paradigm for the digital economy is “Sense, Compute, Act.” If what you’re doing isn’t implementing some or all of that equation, then you’re missing the boat.

Q: What’s the latest method/process/tool you’ve implemented to help your client’s business’s operate more effectively? Have you seen any results yet?

A: While both are important, I’m focused on transforming and competing more effectively, rather than operating more efficiently. For transformation, we’re finding the use of a business capability framework provides clarity and transparency to facilitate strategy, prioritization, and initiative planning.

Q: If you could go back 5 years in time and give some professional insight or advice to yourself, what would it be?

A: I’d really have to go back 25 years, but my advice to early and mid-career professionals is to understand what tasks and activities they do and don’t like to do, then focus on making their jobs be mostly what they do like, and a minimum of what they don’t. They’ll enjoy the job more, do better work, and advance much faster than following some prescribed career ladder that involves a job they don’t enjoy.

Q: Sneak preview: Please tell us a take-away that you will provide during your talk at the Building Business Capability (BBC) conference this year?

A: Good architecture enables agility, flexibility, and better decisions. Unfortunately, many architecture efforts have been misguided, creating overhead rather than value. We’ll explore a better way.

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Don’t miss Michael’s presentation, Digital Transformation: New Realities Require New Architecture, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm and BA’s Guide to Architecture — How to use Business Architecture for Digital Transformation, on Thursday, November 9, 2017 from 2:10 to 3:10 pm, at Building Business Capability. Click here to register for attendance.