STORIES & SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN BUSINESS USER

Ready or not - the digital age has arrived. Businesses across all industries are humming with the possibilities of transformations that allow improved speed and the ability to do more with less. But sadly, these efforts can seem abrupt, arbitrary, and without clear leadership driving the change. Digital transformation requires leaders to rethink not only how work is organized and managed, but also how to transform in a way that is smooth, intentional, and supported by leadership.

Last month, UCSF researchers reported on a study wherein investigators modified the default dispense number for various ambulatory prescription opioids. The goal was to determine if researchers could adjust the prescribing habits of physicians via minimal changes in the electronic health record (EHR). And the results were . . . they could indeed modify physician prescribing trends!

In today’s business technology landscape, organizations across all industries are growing increasingly dependent on digital innovation initiatives to achieve internal and external goals. At the top of the list, 52 percent of IT decision-makers report the primary objectives for digital innovation within their organizations are improving operations and business procedures.

Workday product releases take place twice a year, in March and September, and product updates continue to be delivered to customer tenants weekly. From reviewing information on Workday Community, to timeline considerations and putting it all together, there is a lot to know before the next Workday release.

Large organizational changes, like an ERP implementation or upgrade, affect many people and processes. When not handled correctly, these changes can lower productivity and morale. The Avaap Organizational Change Management (OCM) team offers some words of wisdom on how to avoid project heartbreak when initiating organizational change in this special Valentine’s Day treat.

Last week, I did something crazy: I called my cable company. Now, now, people, calm down. I predict that everyone who just read what I wrote will agree with me that my action was unhinged. If you’re my age, you think it’s insane to call the cable company because they have a reputation for hating their customers and one would only call them if one is filled with self-loathing. If you’re a youngster, you think it’s insane to call the cable company because you don’t know what that means (“Call? Like talk on the phone to another human?” “What is this thing, this ‘cable company’ to which you refer?”) Anyway, I threw caution to the wind and called them.

Innovation! Creativity! Collaboration! Who doesn’t want to spend their day focused on fun and interesting work?

An ERP implementation is unlike any other project. The stress is enormous, the process is unfamiliar, and once you start, there is no going back. It should not come as a surprise, then, that existing human resource policies rarely are prepared for many of the ERP team issues that arise, and often, HR questions are left for the project manager to sort through. What follows is not a guidebook on how to handle these issues; just a few examples of things you will run into, and why they get complex quickly.

My high-school-aged son is taking a personal finance class, and he recently asked some good questions about my retirement plans and investments. Since I’m a super-smart adult and knowledgeable about all things, I confidently answered his initial questions. Then he started asking more involved questions, and I was forced to fall back on my go-to answer: “I don’t know, actually, but I’ve got a guy for that.” (Since my retirement advisor is male, I’m ok with the guy terminology, but from now on, I’m sticking with person.)

This article was originally published in Training Industry Magazine.