Digital Operating Model

Build your company’s next-generation growth strategy by using emerging technologies to disrupt your field and energize your business

In Digital Operating Model: The Future of Business, digital strategist and execution expert Rajesh Sinha delivers a robust and practical operating blueprint for digital transformation. Applicable to any industry, any size company, this playbook helps executives, professionals, managers, founders, owners, and other business leaders understand the importance and realize the benefits of a digital future for their companies—all without having to spend massive amounts of money in the process.

The author explores effective methods to create multiple digital accelerators, develop cultural alignment that fosters innovation and delivers rapid solutions, and shares insights into the new mantras of our goods-and-services on-demand economy. Readers will also find:

• Step-by-step guidance to implementing a digital platform strategy that leads to exponential business growth
• Methods for designing and applying new businesses processes that create better experiences internally for your teams and externally for your customers and customers’ customers, which also leads to exponential business growth
• Real-life examples and case studies of businesses that have achieved successful digital acceleration and grown dramatically in the process

Digital Operating Model shows readers how to meet their professional objectives while realizing profound transformation that offers innovative and durable differentiation both in terms of purpose and profits.

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Part I The Impossible Is Possible 1

Chapter 1 Your Mantra for Success 3

Chapter 2 DOM in Motion 17

Chapter 3 The New Normal 33

Chapter 4 DOM in Motion/Small-to-Midsize Company Food Service Management: Whitsons Culinary Group61

Part II Become the Disruptor 73

Chapter 5 Building Your Digital Road Map 75

Chapter 6 Unleashing the Power of Your Business Platform 95

Chapter 7 DOM in Motion/Mid- to Large-Size Company Insurance: Crum & Forster 115

Part III Don’t Get Disrupted 121

Chapter 8 Crisis Creates Opportunity 123

Chapter 9 Outsmarting the Competition 139

Chapter 10 DOM in Motion: Business Platform Success 151

Part IV The Future Is Here 161

Chapter 11 Maintain Your Forward Momentum 163

Chapter 12 The Decades Ahead 181

Epilogue 195

Endnotes 199

Appendix/ Rajesh Sinha: A Digital Entrepreneur’s Journey 205

About the Website 211

Index 213

RAJESH SINHA is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and chairman of Fulcrum Group, a leading business platform and digital engineering services company that offers technology consulting to companies globally. Under Sinha’s guidance, the company has transformed 100 million lives with the power of digital platforms and engineering. A recognized authority on digital transformation, he is a recipient of the Great Indian Entrepreneur Award, CEO Tech United Award, and has been a finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Everyone deserves digital tech to better their lives. All proceeds from this book will be donated to the Fulcrum Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “no one should be left behind on this planet.”

For more on the author, visit RajeshSinha.com

In Digital Operating Model: The Future of Business, thought leader Rajesh Sinha delivers a new and experiential operating blueprint for digital transformation that’s relevant to companies of all sizes and across any industry. This hands-on playbook empowers professionals, executives, and other business leaders to unlock the potential of digital technologies, even with limited investments and reduced cost of ownership.

In these pages you’ll discover effective ways to design and implement multiple digital accelerators, to develop an innovation-and-solutions mindset culture, and gain deep insights into the new requirements of today’s on-demand economy. You’ll also learn to create a robust digital platform strategy for exponential business growth and techniques for modern business processes for both internal and external stakeholders. Finally, you’ll read real-world examples and learnings from business leaders who have successfully implemented digital acceleration and, as a result, witnessed dramatic business growth.

Digital Operating Model is an eye-opening resource for any professional tasked with bringing their organization into the current decade and beyond. It will help you navigate your company’s digital future and ensure that you have the right people and technology at the core. Digital Operating Model: The Future of Business will earn a place in the libraries of technical and non-technical leaders seeking durable competitive advantage through digital transformation.

PRAISE FOR DIGITAL OPERATING MODEL

“Disrupt or be disrupted is the common theme in Sinha’s book and truly underscores how imperative it is to implement digital transformation in your business model.”

—PAUL STODDART, President, New Payment Platforms, Mastercard

“The Digital Operating Model comes at an important time, and provides a playbook to help companies unlock digital culture, platforms, and innovation. Rajesh’s extensive experience and clear thinking on this complex topic will help leaders differentiate, disrupt, and succeed on their journey.”

—PAUL DAUGHERTY, Group Chief Executive and CTO, Accenture

“Digital Operating Model: The Future of Business takes the complex topic of technology and innovation and makes it simple. It uses the lived experience of real leaders whose companies and organisations have achieved digital maturity. It also gives readers a clear understanding of how to determine where their companies are on their digital journey, what’s coming tomorrow, and how to be ready for it—step by step. It is an excellent addition to what is an increasingly important area of thought and practice.”

—PETER JOHN, CBE, ice Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of West London, UK

“Reading this book is like having a conversation over dinner with Rajesh — the great ideas just keep flowing!”

—MARC ADEE, CEO, Crum & Forster

“As companies increasingly adopt digital-first business strategies, Digital Operating Model becomes a must read for business leaders who want to harness the power to disrupt their markets and avoid being disrupted. An insightful, practical guide to achieving digital maturity and reaping the promise of competitive advantage and exponential growth.”

—IAN WORDEN, MBA, MHI, Chief Product Officer, Sandata

"Not only does Rajesh Sinha provide expert advice, but he also provides firsthand accounts where these mantras are already generating exponential growth for modern businesses. The lessons learned transcend industry and are valuable to any entrepreneur."

—AARON PRICE, CEO, TechUnited: NJ; Founder, Propelify

“The Digital Operating Model offers an excellent in-depth account of how some of today's industry leaders are harnessing the power of digital to accelerate business growth. Having worked with countless clients worldwide, Rajesh Sinha shares invaluable lessons he's learned along with his knowledge and experience in a way that makes transformation plausible, possible, and successful no matter the company or industry.”

—YURI AGUIAR, author of Digital (R)evolution: Strategies to Accelerate Business Transformation, and Chief Enterprise Data Officer, WPP