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  • Announcement

    Comments and feedback

    Hi all,

    I’ve received some feedback from subscribers requesting a way to comment and give feedback on issues. I mentioned a few weeks back that I was testing a dedication Slack to the newsletter. That testing is complete and I am happy to announce that it is open to everyone.

    If you wish to join the conversation, simply click the link below to gain access : Join thefutureisdigital Slack

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    → 23 April 2019, 09:00
  • Issue 11 : Part 2 - Practical steps towards your Digital Transformation journey

    Continuing the analysis

    Good day.

    I’ll get straight in to this week’s topic, with the idea being that it is a continuation of what I started last week. This is the second instalment of a series designed to directly and practically help you with your own Digital Transformation. On to this issue.

    To get the best out of this Issue, I recommend reading Part 1 first.


    Last week we looked at a simple but effective framework tool, the PESTEL, that is designed to give you a broader look at the market around you and the issues that may or may not affect your business. This issue takes brief look at Michael Porter’s Value Chain model. I’ve talked about the value chain previously, and how it needs to be taken in to account when designing products and services, so I thought I’d develop exactly what it is here. Whole books have been written about the subject, but as the tool is fairly simple to use at its most basic level, it’s worth learning and using regularly.

    Read more...

    → 19 April 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 10 : Part 1 - Practical steps towards your Digital Transformation

    Let’s start with the basics

    Good Morning everyone.

    A big welcome to all the new subscribers, it’s a privilege to have you here. Please share with as much of your entourage as you can. Thank you.

    As promised, this is the start of a series dedicated to helping you in a practical manner, start and develop your Digital Transformation.

    On to this issue.


    In order to start your Digital Transformation journey, an initial diagnostic is necessary to understand the digital penetration in your business operations. Most of us have email, file servers and dedicated financial software (billing, accounts etc.). But I have found that these are mostly self-contained applications silos that don’t offer any value outside their basic usage. Digital Transformation helps to resolve this situation, enabling benefit from potential synergies. Simply put — Synergy is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. Classical strategy analysis is sufficient to start the process, with more digital specific strategies developed as you progress.

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    → 12 April 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 9 : A quick update

    And a request for feedback

    Good morning. This will be a short issue as I am currently on convalescence after a major RTA due to no fault of my own. We’re fine, so let’s not dwell on that too long!

    I usually pre-write a number of articles but this time I didn’t have the time to finish anything that I would be proud to publish. In that respect I thought I’d take a quick retrospective look at the past issues and show you what I’m currently working on as drafts and ideas. I’d love your feedback (hit reply to this email) about these in-progress topics and if you think I should cover anything else. I know many of you are French native speakers, don’t be shy, write to me in French ;) Oh, I’ve also added a nice little header graphic to each email.

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    → 5 April 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 8 : A look at digital in the Caribbean

    Stats and stats (... at least I'm honest)

    Good morning and welcome to another issue of the newsletter. As I write this, it’s been announced that the EU has approved by the new Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, the FT has a summary here. To be honest, by linking that article in my newsletter, I’m unclear if I would be breaking the law once it becomes legislation in my territory. I guess we’ll find out in a couple of years or so.

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    → 29 March 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 7 : The Innovator’s Dilemma 

    Why it’s so fundamental to Digital Transformation

    Good morning, from the eastern Caribbean, its sunny, warm and very dry here currently. We’ve had a couple of local brush fires with one getting perilously close to housing. Well, it’s Issue 7 already, and others are in the works, thank you for being loyal readers.

    This week’s issue dabbles in a little theory — bear with me — it’s not as heavy as previous issues, I hope the illustrations will help you relate. Enjoy and let me have your feedback, it really helps.

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    → 22 March 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 6 : Digital Transformation and reducing paper

    A lesson in explaining why you have to consider the whole chain and not just the part you control

    Good morning. I hope you’re enjoying my newsletter, I would love to get your feedback as I think it would be great to continue the conversation on some points and additionally help me better align content to your desires. I’m planning to open a Slack channel in the near future — acting as a discussion forum. It will be invite-only for the moment, but if you’d like to be on this list drop me an email at thefutureisdigital@substack.com and I’ll get back to you.

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    → 15 March 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 5 : Why Digital Transformation is different from standard IT

    It’s a journey, not a project

    I hope you all had a good Carnival in your region. I know that here in Martinique it’s a pretty big affair with 5 days of festivities. On to this issue that gets to the heart of Digital Transformation. But before that I wanted to explain another component that is central in this subject.

    Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.


    Follow up: “Someone is wrong on the Internet”

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    → 8 March 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 4 : The Digital Transformation model in detail

    Understanding its components

    Good morning, I hope you had an excellent week.

    I was listening to a podcast and heard something that immediately made me think of this xkcd cartoon :

    duty_calls.png

    Source : https://www.xkcd.com/386/

    I’ll be writing about that soon, it is all about web apps, but today’s issue is a follow up to Issue 3. If you haven’t read it yet go ahead and have a look, as this issue heavily leans on the information in that issue.

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    → 1 March 2019, 10:00
  • Issue 3 : The Digitalisation of Business

    How digital technologies found their place in the enterprise

    Good Morning to all and a particular welcome to all my new subscribers. Thank you!

    Something for the weekend sir? Hopefully this, rather dense, article will give you something to chew on over the weekend. As promised, it is heavily research-based and is a follow on from Issue 2 — go read it if you haven’t already.

    Have a great weekend. On to this issue…

    Read more...

    → 22 February 2019, 10:00
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