22036 - SCTE Broadband Dec2023 COMPLETE v1

34 Vol. 45 No. 4 - December 2023 Issue We talk a lot about connectivity in the telecoms industry, but how often do we consider how connected our organisations are, internally and within our wider eco-systems. What even is a connected organisation? This is a subject I focus a lot on with my clients within the telecoms industry. For me, a connected organisation is one where people, process, data and technology all work together to create organisational flow. Organisational flow is where work flows through the organisation in as frictionless a way as possible, creating opportunities for growth and improvement along the way and providing benefits at a business and individual level. So often we see silos in organisations with departments operating independently and technology being viewed as a separate entity to people. I’ve been in the IT sector within the telecoms industry for over 30 years and technology was often seen as a barrier, a frustration to work with, not providing the capabilities required for organisations to work effectively. Technology has evolved and is still evolving at such a pace, but successful use of technology can only be achieved if it is understood within the wider context of people, process and data. Let’s take each of these elements in turn but consider how there is opportunity to ensure they all work in harmony. People make it happen There are people much better qualified than I to talk about culture, D&I, performance and reward. What I look at within an organisation is how well considered the structure is. What capabilities are required to operate the organisation effectively? Are the responsibilities for those capabilities well defined and understood? What is the experience like for the people performing those capabilities? Often there is a gap in this area with individual departments responsible for defining their own structures with no overall view of whether there are any capability gaps across roles. If roles are defined effectively, Connected By Lindsay Rodgers, Company Director, Mint Digital Consultancy Organisations from the industry Lindsay Rodgers, Company Director, Mint Digital Consultancy