One year ago, “digital
transformation” got the sudden, massive jolt that it was waiting for to become
a widespread reality!
We can all agree that
the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated tech-driven transformation among even
the most reluctant of governments, companies, and individuals. We’re working
from home, students are learning online, bills are being electronically paid,
restaurants have closed their doors and are focused on delivery, we’re
attending “virtual conferences” and other lifestyle changes which have resulted
in much more daily screen time.
اضافة اعلان
When the pandemic hit
Jordan in March 2020, the Jordanian government quickly realized the limitations
of only depending on its own staff and resources. This sparked what will
probably be considered the biggest private-public technology partnership
operation in our country’s history.
The young
professionals of tech companies like Mawdoo3, Abwaab, ArabiaWeather, Optimiza,
and several others were thrust into national-level responsibilities driven by
duty and urgent need! These companies were not paid to do these services, and
sacrificed their revenue-generating activities and valuable staff time to carry
out their patriotic duties. They created online service platforms for everything!
Education, culture, services, travel, and more. Jordanians even started
creating jokes and memes that any new problem can be solved by creating a
“menasa” (platform in Arabic).
Some sectors in Jordan
were ready for this, especially the banking and financial technology (fintech)
sector which shifted more operations online and had to manage a massive growth
in demand. They coped well.
Amidst all of this
social and economic mayhem, a whole new set of consumption habits and
expectations of service levels has emerged which have made it vital for
companies to change the direction of their business strategies and even shift
to other product and service offerings. This is known as “pivoting”.
While consultants and
conference speakers frequently mention this term, there isn’t a lot of
conversation about the costs and pains of pivoting, but companies across the
world have now experienced it. There’s a lot of “unlearning” of old ways and
training on new skills going on, which is another pain for which there is
resistance that not many are talking about.
Private schools in
Jordan have had to invest money and time in creating the software and hardware
infrastructure needed by teachers and students to continue the educational
process and thereby allow the schools to continue operating as businesses that
can collect tuitions and pay salaries.
Thousands of
restaurants and cafes faced the reality of no customers coming to their
premises. They have joined online ordering platforms, giving up to 30 percent
of their revenue to these platforms, which hurts their business model.
Accordingly, they have started to build their own websites and mobile apps with
the associated costs of those activities. It’s a case of “evolve or go
extinct”.
Companies in certain
sectors were already teetering on the edge before the pandemic because of the
dual pressures of gradual digital transformation and economic slowdown,
including the travel and media industries in Jordan. For such companies, the
pandemic was the big earthquake that threatened to swallow their businesses if
they didn’t urgently pivot. Many of them succeeded, and some of them
disappeared.
Companies that have
survived the pandemic have demonstrated the resilience that shows their
suitability for the new economy of the 21st world we live in. They should be
prepared for more shocks in the future and must depend on a similar
adaptability and flexibility which served them well in this upheaval.
It is interesting to
listen to local sessions on Clubhouse — another pandemic-driven app craze —
about how Jordanian businesses have struggled and worked to adapt; and
witnessing their stories which are comparable to what’s happening in more
developed economies.
Successful examples in
Jordan’s various economic sectors deserve a deeper look at their stories of
forced digital transformation and the results so far.
I have been writing
about technology since the 90s, and what we are seeing now in Jordan is a
culmination of the many steps taken over the decades to invest in proper
telecommunications infrastructure and to focus on information technology
education and entrepreneurship. Real efforts do not go to waste, and we can be
pleased with what we’ve achieved despite our limited resources, while also
addressing the gaps to keep moving forward. I am pleased to take you with me on
a journey, through this column in Jordan News, to shed light on and explore the
achievements and lessons learned.
Let us all together
salute the Jordanian private and public sector organizations which are
grappling with this digital transformation, and let us accept the mistakes and
not-so-perfect services that are part of evolving and living in these
interesting times of “the great shift”.
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