Excerpts from the interaction with Rajiv Arora, CIO, Siemens (India)

Transforming an organization to address the demands and requirements of a fast-evolving digitized market is no less than challenge. In order for an organization to embrace a successful digital transformation, a forward-thinking leader should open to innovations at every level. To gain an in-depth understanding of how to lead in the era of digital transformation, we spoke with Mr. Rajiv Arora, Group Head of Information Technology & CIO, Siemens (India). Here's an excerpt: 

Anchor: You have worked on both sides of the table: CIO roles in end-user organizations as well as senior roles for IT vendor companies. How have both the experiences helped you evolve as a business technology leader? 

Rajiv Arora: My experience of working in a leadership role with an IT-Services company and then, my current responsibilities at Siemens have taught me that we operate in a VUCA world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Since I have worked on both sides of the table, my business technology leadership skills have evolved significantly.. My professional life has helped me realize that VUCA can also be viewed as: 

● A vision to see past the chaos of our volatile and ever-changing world. As a business leader, it gives me the creative clarity to define the true ‘North Star’ for my team and organization of course, and establish our mission and vision. 

● An understanding of the organization’s capabilities and corporate strategies to take advantage of rapidly changing circumstances. It is also essential that as a business leader, you must listen to your customers, your technology providers, external research insights, and of course, your employees. 

● Courage to embrace challenges and make audacious decisions. As a business leader, you can’t avoid taking risks in your day-to-day operations. And all the aforesaid qualities will help you be bold and decisive in your decisions. 

● Adaptability to change. Since 2008, the tech world has been getting faster and faster. In fact, product research that used to take 9 months less than a decade ago now takes only 45-50 days! CIOs need to be prepared and flexible for these rapid transformations.

Anchor: How can CIOs build an effective roadmap for Digital Transformation? What new nuances come into the play as you mature in your transformational journey. Please share thoughts from your rich experience. 

Rajiv Arora: ‘Digital Transformation’ is not only limited to change in technology but also a change in the human mindset. And based on my experience, technology acts as an enabler of this transformation. As technology disrupts the ways companies interact with customers, it is imperative for companies to be digital innovators who can better engage with their customers. 

Throughout the Digital Transformation process, CIOs need to be in a state of continuous learning. Firstly, they need to understand the company’s culture, which includes everything right from the average age group of all its employees to how the company adopts technology and uses it. Also, they need to know how they can empower everyone to understand the digital roadmap — from blue-collar workers to the management team. And to make this easier, CIOs need to be aware of the company’s customer-decision roadmap and the business strategy as well. 

Since companies work with external partners, CIOs can quicken the Digital Transformation process by making a connective system that addresses their partners’requirements as well. And it is best if these solutions are comprehensive. 

Over my past 30 years of professional experience, I have come to recognize 4Es that act as the foundations for any successful Digital Transformation: 

● Engagement: Only through regular engagements with internal and external customers, a CIO can understand the functions and expectations of all stakeholders. Doing so also helps CIOs get a clear understanding of the ecosystem and the factors that affect it. 

● Empowerment: Only by empowering entities, such as the technology department and Center of Excellence, a CIO can lead a successful engagement with the customers for Digital Transformation. When these functions are provided with the freedom and flexibility to implement their individual ideas in an agile way, the team can better connect with customers and become an integral part of the corporate structure. 

● Efficiency: It is essential for a CIO to focus on creating an efficient partner ecosystem both at the local and global levels — one that provides services on Capex and Opex models, depending on the needs of the Digital Transformation. 

● Effectiveness: CIOs need to clearly define their IT North Star in order to work towards it and build platforms, solutions, and products that can guarantee business growth. 

Anchor:Which new technologies, do you think, will gain prominence in 2019? Rajiv Arora: 2019 could be the year of: 

● Blockchain 

● Data Analytics with AI will be inevitable for business transformation to drive scale and growth, understand customers, and redefine the marketplace 

● Augmented/Virtual Reality, which has been around for a while now, will see its usage spread to sectors such as Manufacturing, Healthcare, Retail, etc. 

Anchor: You helped your daughter and her peers run an NGO in Delhi a few years back. How was the entire experience? 
Rajiv Arora: Core human values hold utmost importance in my heart. It was my endeavor to impart these values to my children and teach them about giving back to society, thereby making a difference in every sphere of their lives. Therefore, I encouraged my 21-year-old daughter to start a local chapter of ‘Enactus’, a non-profit community venture, which helps empower underprivileged women through various initiatives. These efforts are focused on improving their health and hygiene by setting up businesses in slums. While my daughter and her 13 friends initially experienced many failures, I made it a point to remind them to learn something new from every negative experience. This drove them to find new opportunities and make a positive impact on society as a whole. 

Thanks to their efforts, their Enactus soon got a funding of $110,000, which went towards setting up a sanitary napkin facility, operated by women from underserved sections of society in Defence Colony. Today, this facility is a source of livelihood for several women from the area and has touched nearby communities, too. They also make jute bags and pouches for women, which are sold at Delhi Haat and many emporiums around Delhi. I’m proud to say that my daughter still lives by the values she learned through this endeavor, which she uses for a similar project in her company in Bangalore. 

Anchor: How has been your experience with Dell EMC? 
Rajiv Arora: We have been using Dell servers and storage facilities for quite some time, and I have always felt that the brand is very innovative in everything it does. The products made and services offered are made for the benefits of both costs and customers. Thanks to its very strong brand value, Dell EMC stands apart from other competitors.