Realdolmen's transformation process is driven by fast-changing technology and the impact it has on our world. Technology is a tool, but at the end of the day, it is all about people. Forrester Research found that companies that understand this and focus all their attention on their customers outperform the S&P 500 Stock Index by an average of 43%. That is why we believe organizations should focus on people again, rather than on products or technology. And that is the most important message for our own modernized organization, both internally and externally.
Keynote speech by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
Deputy Prime Minister and guest of honor Alexander De Croo encourages companies to focus on people. His keynote speech expressed his appreciation for the cooperation between Realdolmen and Close The Gap, which is a very tangible example of the human face of IT. Our new understanding of the relationship between people and technology is all part of the fourth industrial revolution we are experiencing right now. De Croo's speech also recognized the role of Belgian companies in bringing technology and people together. "In the past, most technological revolutions in Europe took place in our country. The steam train, the Solvay conferences and the Atomium are just a few examples."
The digital transformation presents many challenges to people, companies, countries and Europe, but above all, it also brings many positive developments we must not lose sight of, such as better jobs and more jobs in new sectors.
According to Alexander De Croo, the biggest challenge of the fourth industrial revolution is the interplay and interaction between all those new technologies and trends: mobile technology, big data, IoT, self-driving cars, 3D printing and more. De Croo believes that there are great opportunities for Belgian companies here: "Implementing digitization at typical small and medium-sized companies in Belgium offers far more growth potential than in other countries."
De Croo also gave a few examples of what the government is doing to encourage digitization. The Tax Shelter encourages investment in young startups, while the Digital Act ensures all digital documents have the same value as paper documents. "Belgium is the first country in Europe to transpose this European directive into law. That is important, because it means that the industry we are now creating in our country will excel at digitizing archives, which will in turn create export opportunities in the future."
De Croo was also of the opinion that the government should change its approach in order to stimulate the digital economy. There is no such thing as future-proof legislation, while the government must also learn how to work as a startup, take risks, set up test cases and adapt where necessary, as well as interfere less and give companies more freedom to experiment.
How can technology help us to focus on people?
Event participants had ample opportunity to get to know the latest technologies as tools to focus on people. One of these promising technologies are beacons, devices that emit a Bluetooth low energy signal that can be captured by a smartphone. They can therefore be used as indoor GPS devices. We used beacon technology to build an event smartphone app for participants with real-time information on seating arrangements, table companions and the venue's various information stands and experience areas. A Pokémon GO for corporate events, if you like.
Watch the reportage we made of the evening