Flexibility and innovation
When business growth goes hand-in-hand with digitisation
Long gone are the days when an IT department was merely entrusted with selecting the hardware to be used, installing software updates or troubleshooting individual devices. Although these activities fall within the remit of technology professionals, today such departments are being asked to plan digital architectures that are increasingly integrated into the corporate services. It is for instance becoming vital to be able to automate daily routine tasks so as to increase the company’s overall efficiency. But how is such an organisation structured? We talk about this with Fabrizio Tellan, CIO (Chief Information Officer) of NaturalLook.
How is it possible to keep up with new technologies in order to manage such a complex structure?
“The IT department is today an active part of a new way of doing business that is aimed at an innovative economic model. It is a concept that requires a change in our strategic approach, shaping a new vision and at the same time adapting the available tools. Digital transformation is a process that introduces technological and management innovations, but also social, cultural and – above all – work organisation innovations. Our department must have a flawless understanding of the company’s objectives and the context in which it operates: in this way we can provide appropriate support by introducing new elements from the digital market. On the one hand, we work with precision – following defined budgets, objectives and timeframes – while, on the other, we have to be able to move very quickly.
By their very nature, business processes adapt more slowly to change: the best strategies are therefore based upon little successes: clear goals, functional implementations, or practical initiatives that will show tangible results a few months after their introduction.”
Which tools have revolutionised NaturalLook’s IT system – and, as a consequence, its corporate strategy – in recent years?
“For years our creed has been to virtualise. In recent years we have begun a process of converting physical resources: servers, storage and desktops have now become abstract data, available in digital format. We have streamlined processes to turn NaturalLook into an efficient, flexible entity. This transition started some time ago and has since allowed us to promptly handle unforeseen situations, such as the need to adapt systems for remote working.”
A completely autonomous department that nevertheless has to continually liaise with the various internal divisions to provide support so as to identify the needs of the teams or to share certain implementations. The biggest daily challenge is to be able to offer solutions that possess reactivity.
New technologies and revamped processes therefore enable NaturalLook’s departments to offer high-quality performance.
Outsourcing or in-house: which solution offers greater efficiency?
“Choosing a reliable technology partner is the most difficult aspect when it comes to outsourcing. At NaturalLook we favour a mixed solution: for some tasks we rely on third-party professionals, but the management and coordination of projects are handled in-house.”
How does NaturalLook address the sensitive topic of data protection?
“Information security applies to a variety of contexts, not just technology. We raise awareness among employees so that computer security is seen not just as a set of techniques that the company implements to protect us, but above all as social knowledge: a conscious attitude to managing our own information and our everyday tools.”
Information technology has a key role in company growth – and is a faithful reflection of the increasing centrality of technology in bringing innovation, efficiency and optimisation into our daily work.
