Tag: data management

In recent years many more organisations have embraced Software as a Service (SaaS), particularly Backup as a Service (BaaS) as more and more workloads have migrated into the cloud. In Africa, this migration to the cloud is being led by smaller enterprises without the legacy infrastructure and investment, whereas the larger businesses have shifted critical workloads in order to gain agility advantages.

The fact that ransomware and cyberattacks have become increasingly prevalent is common knowledge, and this has raised greater awareness of the need for effective data protection. However, ransomware and other data breaches are not the only concern for businesses. Protecting data is essential, but managing it is equally important.

During its formative years, blockchain technology became synonymous with the advent of cryptocurrency. Today, its use cases have transcended the world of finance, expanding into sectors such as retail. In Africa, its application in payment technology has demonstrated blockchain’s ability to revolutionise several touchpoints from supply chain to final sale.

Storing data in the cloud is generally smart, and many organisations are already doing so, often without realising it. Enormous amounts of information reside in cloud-powered services such as Office365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, OneDrive, Slack and so on. If a business uses some type of Software-as-a-Service product, some of its data is already in cloud storage.

Data is immensely valuable to all organisations, a significant resource for the digital economy and the ‘cornerstone of our EU industrial competitiveness,’ says the European Commission. But its value is determined by how it can be protected and used by those who own it.

We all have blind spots - in our personal lives, jobs, cars (though backup cameras help with that last one!). These blind spots impact how we see, navigate, and interact with the world. Often, we don’t even realise we have blind spots or what we’re missing until someone (or something) brings them to our attention.

Resilience is key to building a successful and sustainable organisation capable of withstanding internal and external shocks. Building resilience asks that the organisation bed down stable and agile financial foundations that are aligned with global and local governance, risk and compliance (GRC) mandates.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, the role of data to drive efficiencies and improve patient outcomes has become the core of our industry. To me, we aspire to be like the ridesharing app Uber, enabling access to the best doctors and treatments at the best prices, all while facilitating the optimal healthcare ‘route’ for our members based on their individual lives and economic circumstances.

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), driven by the rapid pace of disruptive innovation and exponential technological breakthroughs, has changed the way we live, work and interact with each other. It is characterised by unprecedented processing power, storage, access to knowledge and the blurring of lines between physical, digital, and biological space.

In this two-part series, I outline the skills that will be required by present-day HR Professionals – for now and into the future. Due to the increasing automated and digitised world in which HR professionals need to serve their stakeholders, as well as the added intricacy of a VUCA environment, all HR professionals will need to upskill and reskill themselves to meet the challenges of this Future World of Work.