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Canadian Innovation
BEYOND THE BUZZWORDS:
Canada’s Cultural Problem Around Digital Transformation Underinvestment in technology, slow adoption, and minimal spending on marketing is a precarious trio. The good news: we can fix this. We have all the tools in the toolbox. It’s about time to use them more boldly and with a greater sense of urgency.
Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia Senior Director of Digital Economy, Technology, & Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I
n an interview with Ulrike BahrGedalia, Senior Director of Digital Economy, Technology, and Innovation at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Alex Webb, CEO at F12.net, discusses how Canada’s fear of failure and risk averseness are becoming one of its biggest risks and how a more proactive and bolder approach to digital transformation will benefit Canadian businesses and the economy in the long run.
Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia: Let’s start with the basics. What’s the difference between digitalization and digital transformation? Alex Webb: It’s easy to confuse them because they’re related. Yet, digitizing everything in a business doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ve transformed it. Instead, we must take the core customer experience and utilize technology to realize a competitive advantage. It means your business is materially altered and not merely accelerated.
Bahr-Gedalia: How would you describe the current state of Canada’s leadership around digital adoption?
Webb: I strongly feel that we’re way behind
Bahr-Gedalia: What do you see holding
the mark. By and large, I’ve seen Canadian firms underinvest in marketing and technology — for instance, our neighbours to the south have doubled their investments in technology and marketing.1
Canadian businesses back from adopting digital innovation? Webb: There's strong adversity against taking risks. The competitive nature of the U.S. is such that they must gamble a little bit. Our friends in many other countries are afraid of not making a competitive investment, whereas in Canada, we’re afraid to make a mistake. That’s costing us.
Be bold. When you see a change you should make, commit and implement it. Once that’s done, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier. It’s a doable cultural shift. The amount of digital transformation that happened because of COVID-19 shows that we’re capable of it. I’d love to see us be more proactive in adopting digital transformation.
Alex Webb CEO, F12.net
Bahr-Gedalia: How can Canadian leaders get started on greater digital adoption or accelerate and expand their current efforts? Webb: We don’t have to be pioneers. But we must look, observe, and learn. My best ideas come from phoning competitors thousands of miles away. They’re more than happy to share their experiences. So, reach out and make those connections. Be bold. When you see a change you should make, commit and implement it. Once that’s done, you'll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier. It’s a doable cultural shift. 1
Business Development Bank of Canada – Productivity Matters: Benchmarking Your Company to Up Your Game
Visit chamber.ca to learn more about the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s approach to the digital economy.
Senior Project Manager: Greg Blackmore Director of Business Development: Julia Colavecchia Senior Strategic Account Manager: Anna Sibiga Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Content & Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
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