Beyond the purely linguistic trend of recent years, resilience, particularly in the corporate world, is an increasingly topical issue, especially in light of the decreasing stability in international markets, even in traditionally more stable supply chains.

Building a resilient enterprise today can actually make a difference to business certainty in future years.

Indeed, as we have learned, in recent years many of the certainties that marked the previous 30 years are no more.

Enterprise digitization is an excellent support for business resilience, mainly because of its inherent ability to accelerate and extend computing, processing and analysis.

Building a resilient enterprise: a developing priority

Starting your business with a digital resilience-oriented approach is undoubtedly a good place to start. However, it is important to clarify that here we do not intend to discuss how to make the IT aspects of the business more robust and reliable, but rather how digital tools can support other aspects of the business in achieving greater resilience.

Lack of corporate resilience, in fact, is still a significant problem today. As Forbes¹ points out, for example, many business leaders complain of this lack within their organizations. The same article points out that the issue is mainly related to proper planning and design, aspects that, especially in the world of contemporary business management, are closely linked to corporate digitization. Here are some thoughts.

Five tips for using digital to build a resilient enterprise

The themes around resilience are, in fact, related to two main strands: the ability to anticipate sudden changes and the ability to adapt to inevitable ones. In light of this, let’s look at how digital can support businesses.

Relying on data for predictive models and simulations

Companies today generate and capture amounts of data that until recently were unimaginable. However, the potential of this data often remains largely untapped or limited to advanced reporting functions. The company’s historical data, however, can be used to build increasingly sophisticated models that can be used for simulations and subsequent planning of mitigation strategies. How long does it take to change the supply chain? Does the company have sufficient inventory to deal with such a situation? How much time is needed to redirect production from plant A to plants B and C? What will be the impacts of logistics costs? These are all questions that a data-driven approach can provide answers to.

Timely sharing of information

In critical situations, a vital element for a company is the ability to communicate effectively and in a timely manner, especially with regard to knowledge sharing. Ensuring that a new process is immediately accessible to all departments involved is critical, particularly when operations also need to follow emergency logic. Wide availability of information and rapid dissemination are two key prerogatives of digital, which can help increase business resilience.

Supply chain digitization: a necessary step

Of the various contributions that digital can make in building a resilient enterprise, this is certainly the most direct. From increased visibility into processes and production advances, to the use of automation to increase operational efficiency, for example, digitized supply chains also benefit from increased scalability, thanks in part to the computing capabilities available through the cloud. By reducing operational costs and optimizing the management of cost items such as compliance, this allows companies to reserve more financial resources to cope with possible sudden changes in scenario.

Training and specialization

Another area in which it is essential to invest to achieve greater business resilience is certainly that related to staff training and qualification, both in terms of acquiring new skills and managing change. When people are better prepared, they are also more motivated, which makes it easier to adapt to sudden or unexpected changes in an easier and less impactful way.

Additive Manufacturing

This last suggestion, although mainly related to the manufacturing sector, can also be applied, in different ways, in other contexts. In fact, additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce parts or semi-finished products in-house with a much more flexible production process than traditional supply chains. This means recovering a certain level of autonomy, without the need for overly specific machinery to meet needs that arise rarely and only in special circumstances.

Technology in the service of resilience

As we have seen, it is clear that business resilience today is a need closely linked to past and future changes in the markets to which it belongs, an inescapable necessity in the age of digitization. Technology, with its vast arsenal of tools and solutions, is a key ally in this process. From predictive analytics to supply chain digitization, every aspect of technology helps lay the foundation for a stronger, more agile enterprise ready to meet the challenges of the modern marketplace.

Note ¹: Forbes Article – Majority Of Execs Report Lack Of Business Resilience: 5 Ways To Build It

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