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Big data offers a new world of opportunities to businesses of all sizes. However, all that information is of little use to anyone if they can’t understand it and apply to change and improve their operation.
That’s why digital transformation is one of the most important outcomes of data science.
Here are several examples of companies that have worked with solution providers in the data science industry to digitally transform and deliver new offerings for customers:
Telecommunications: Vodafone
In a world in which digital disruption is accelerating, telecommunication companies have to be at the forefront of innovation to deliver the next-generation solutions their customers expect.
One of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, Vodafone, turned to SAP to help it with its digital transformation. They turned to SAP S/4 Hana to help its transition into a digital-first solution and integrate automation into its day-to-day business operations.
Their current systems were holding them back. Because of Vodafone’s global footprint, they suffered from fragmented systems in different parts of the organization, making it impossible to get a single view of operations. They also felt that suboptimal systems were impacting employee experience and leading to a lower net promoter score.
They laid the foundations of their transition to a digitally driven business by working with Accenture and SAP MaxAttention to standardize its businesses on SAP’s suite of applications, including:
- SAP Ariba to streamline procurement
- SAP Concur solutions to manage travel and expenses
- SAP Success Factors for talent management
- SAP S/4 HANA to manage core financials and supply chain management
The successful transition has helped it become a next-generation enterprise supporting more than 350,000 customers and 100,000 employees. They have eliminated 26% of locations simplifying their processes and improving the access to key data.
They have become more agile, capable of adjusting their approaches to suit different situations. For example, they have been able to adjust their approach to offer smaller businesses a 15-day payment settlement option to improve their cash flow.
They continue to work with SAP and Accenture to embed digital processes in every part of their operations and become a digitally driven business.
Entertainment: Netflix
Netflix is one of the pioneers in digital transformation. Technology helped transform it from a struggling video rental service to one of the biggest names in entertainment.
It has used Amazon Web Services (AWS) for a host of projects, enabling it to harness the latest digital technologies.
It expanded into content production in 2012 and is now one of the biggest production houses in the world. Typically, it has approached content production with as much innovation as it has everything else and developed ways to collaborate with the best talent around the world.
One of these is a VFX studio in the cloud powered by NICE DCV. This high-performance remote display protocol is developed by AWS and provides customers with a secure way to deliver remote desktops and application streaming from any cloud or data center to any device, over varying network conditions.
It provides their network of artists and creative talent around the world with a high performance and extremely cost-effective virtual workstation on AWS, which gives them complete freedom to work across Netflix’s animation content.
This is a major step forward in the creative industry and benefits both talent and production companies. Historically, all the equipment for this would have been located in a physical studio.
Beauty: Ulta
If you’re buying makeup, you naturally want to try it on in store. However, with the rise of e-commerce and omnichannel marketing, that’s becoming something of a challenge. More people want to choose from multiple ways to buy, and they want the same customer experience on each channel.
Ulta Beauty has embraced technology to give customers the chance to experience that level of a custom user experience online. Digital innovation teams bridge the physical and digital world. It led to the glam lab, which allows guests to try on makeup virtually on their phone.
Google Cloud gives them access to that data to support their digital transformation. Previously, this data was locked away in different repositories, making it difficult to access and use in real-time. With Google Cloud, they took that raw data and transformed it into a format that can help customers make personalized makeup choices online.
Banking: Siam Commercial Bank
With a history stretching back more than a century, Siam Commercial Bank is one of the most established financial institutions in Thailand. With the rest of the financial sector embracing digital technology, Siam’s legacy systems were slow, fragmented, and out of date.
It turned to Oracle to help it undergo a rapid digital transformation to keep it competitive in the digital age. The bank turned to Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP and Oracle Cloud EPM to rebuild its platforms as a consolidated system in the cloud. This provided a single version of the truth, giving it the opportunity to manage every aspect of operations.
With these systems in place, Siam Commercial Bank saw significant gains in its account payables, better governance and control, as well as a reduction in the number of days payable left outstanding. It has enabled it to take raw data and use it to power a host of personalized services for its clients.
Aviation: Choice Airlines
When Choice Airlines took over a warehousing operation, they inherited an outdated logistics system together with a tight time frame to put things right. They turned to Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate to streamline operations and create one of the most powerful logistics operations in the world.
It began with the check-in process, where they replaced outdated paper-based processes with a fully digital solution, including self-service check-in and mobile apps for the warehouse. Drivers could check-in and receive digital notifications about when their cargo would be ready. The system also provided estimated waiting times.
This was expanded into the eco operational system that places multiple customer and operational data at the fingertips of employees. It provides a digital system that underpins the company’s entire operations.
