Page 3 - EngineerIt July 2021

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

The changing face of

doing business

rian Burke, research vice president, told delegates available bandwidth, created new security platforms and
during the virtual Gartner IT Symposium 2020: secure cloud services.
B“The unprecedented socio-economic challenges of The management of many companies have realised
2020 demand the organisational plasticity to transform and that although the pandemic changed how many people
compose the future”. work and interact with organisations, people are still at
Organisational plasticity is a natural characteristic, the centre of all business and that they need digitalised
like neuroplasticity in human brains. This ability has been processes to function in today’s environment.
present in all companies since their organisational genesis. At the Gartner 2020 conference, Burke, amongst the ten
However, this ability may be locked due to the excess of issues he highlighted, also said that COVID-19 has shifted
processes, policies, rules and structures. where employees, customers, suppliers and organisational
Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or ecosystems physically exist. Location independence
brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the requires a technology shift to support this new version of
brain to change through growth and reorganisation. These business. Whether a pandemic or a recession, volatility
changes range from individual neuron pathways making exists in the world. Organisations that are prepared to pivot
new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical and adapt will weather all types of disruptions.
remapping. Examples of neuroplasticity include circuit and Under current conditions, physical exhibitions, shows
network changes that result from learning a new ability, and product launches are not available, however successful
environmental influences, practice and psychological stress. companies have turned to online activities, sharing their
In many ways the various stages of lockdown had a knowledge, marketing and sales initiatives on digital portals,
similar effect on businesses and people in South Africa, and e-books and online publications.
many of us had to acquire new abilities. Working from home I often wonder if all this will become our new normal,
was a new experience for many. It may sound easy but for the new way of doing business. As Burke said: “The
the thousands of newcomers to this way of working, it was a unprecedented socio-economic challenges of 2020 demand
totally new experience and a challenge, making space and the organisational plasticity to transform and compose the
setting up a new home office. Owners and managements future.” We need to ease up on our old processes, policies,
of many businesses, who before the outbreak of Covid-19 rules and structures and embrace the online world. New and
were so vehemently opposed to working from home, were additional channels will help us to succeed in maintaining,
forced to come to terms with this if they wanted to have a but more importantly, in growing our businesses and our
viable business after the pandemic. country’s economy.
While very few statistics are available, anecdotal
evidence suggests that those businesses who responded South Africans can do it!
fast and adjusted to the new environment weathered the
storm better. Over the past 18 months, we have published I value your thoughts and comments. Drop me a mail at
many accounts in EngineerIT, in our newsletters and online hansv@nowmedia.co.za
portal about companies that responded fast, adjusted their
products and service delivery, and were able to maintain Regards
their businesses. Some companies were able to employ
new and additional staff during the pandemic. One sector in Hans van de Groenendaal
South Africa’s economy that adapted quickly was the IT and Editor - EngineerIT
communications sector. They responded to the ”temporary” Email: hansv@nowmedia.co.za
additional spectrum released by ICASA and ramped up the 012 991 4662 / 082 781 4631

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