"IT’S REALLY INSPIRING FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS TO GET AN INSIGHT INTO HOW PEOPLE IN SIMILAR POSITIONS ARE WORKING TO MEET CHALLENGES IN OTHER SECTORS."
- In the research we see not just constructive behaviors, but also strategic ignorance of ‘difficult’ things that sometimes come with digital innovation,” says Anna Essén, who is head of the Accelerating Digital Innovation program.
Many companies today work with ‘digitalization’ and talk about the ‘digital transformation’ that is changing the conditions for competing in the market. But what does that really mean? And what should companies do to increase the pace of innovation in their organization? If artificial intelligence, automation and robotization are to be more than just terms people throw around, we need to understand what they mean and how they are interrelated.
- The program gives participants a chance to go beyond these buzzwords and really think through what is actually distinctive about digital technology, what opportunities it creates for new internal processes and client offerings,” says Essén, “but also what they can do concretely to start changing things in their organizations or in their role.
Good mix of participants
In short, the program takes the participants from “why” to “how” digital innovation makes it possible to build up new business models that can future-proof their organizations. The program is geared primarily to managers who are responsible for financial performance and budgets or who work in marketing and sales in more traditional companies. But it also suits those who have a specialized role with responsibilities in business development or digitalization and innovation, or who are entrepreneurs.
- It’s a good mix of participants that benefit greatly from one another’s experiences,” says Essén. “Some come from companies that have begun placing sensors in their products and are wondering how they can use the data their products generate. Others come from larger organizations and want to learn to work ‘more data driven.’ What many of the managers and leaders I meet in ADI have in common is that they want to use digital channels to gather more innovative ideas from customers and users or from employees.
A structured learning journey
Anna describes the program as “a structured learning journey” seen through the lens of digitalization that is divided into five modules in which independent studies are combined with live, in-person interaction. The participants begin by asking themselves the following question: Why digital innovation? After that they are given a heavy load of relevant knowledge that generates new ideas they can apply in their own work.
- Concrete examples are extremely important, and in each module the participants get to practice on several different cases,” says Essén. “We work with case studies from various sectors through videos that the participants watch before they meet and discuss with one another in small groups based on different perspectives. It could be anything from a threat from a competitor to how to recruit IT specialists or develop digital roles internally. Then the participants get to apply their new insights to a specific challenge of their own.
Sharing experiences with one another
As a researcher in digital innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, including in the healthcare sector and “smart transportation,” Anna is well aware of the challenges many companies are facing.
- In the research we see not just constructive behaviors, but also strategic ignorance of ‘difficult’ things that sometimes come with digital innovation, she says. It might be new areas of responsibility, for example, or the need to continuously follow what’s happening in digital innovation once you’ve started using it – often in an unexpected way, which is super exciting to be part of.
Essén says that when participants from different industries come together, you get a lot of exciting discussions.
- There’s a very warm, open, and friendly atmosphere in the program. It’s really inspiring for our participants to get an insight into how people in similar positions are working to meet challenges in other sectors, and many of them stay in touch after the end of the program.
What do the participants take away from the program?
- Most of them say they have gained more self-confidence for taking on challenges related to the opportunities that come with digital innovation. A lot of it is about training with different tools for working more effectively with digitalization in their organization, with their team, and with outside partners. These tools can be applied directly in their daily work, and many see the effects quickly. On the whole we have a lot of satisfied participants in the program!
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Accelerating Digital Innovation is an online program for executives and business developers who want to gain a broader and deeper knowledge of business development, innovation and digital transformation.
The purpose is to provide participants with insights, tools, and ideas that they can use to take on digital challenges and create value for their organization, customers and other stakeholders. The program takes place entirely online and examples of content are short video lectures, articles, reflection assignments, case discussions and webinars.
Do you want to know more?
For more information, contact Daniel Engblom, +46 707 54 21 65 daniel.engblom@exedsse.se or download information about the education via the form.
