Enterprise Innovation, Singapore: Global Managing Director of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work Says Code Halos are About Connections Enhanced With Technology

“Competition between companies in the future will be based on how well they manage and create value based on the information that surrounds people, organizations, processes, products and devices—what we call Code Halos. Code Halos exist for many of us today in our personal lives, and also surround companies and many of the products, services and devices that we use,” says Paul Roehrig. “These fields of information create new virtual identities of us as individuals, and now this model is playing out in the enterprise as companies begin to compete based on information and data surrounding customers, devices, organizations, employees, and partners. Code Halos contain the fuel organizations can analyze and act on in order to generate digital business opportunities.” Excerpts:

“Many, perhaps most, big companies are not lacking in data. In fact, for many it can feel like they are drowning in it. One question is, as you rightly point: “How do we get value from what we already have?” Perhaps the more pressing question is: “What should we know about a specific process or experience that would materially improve the outcome?”

This is a bit of a mind shift, but rather than look at the mountain of data you have and ask, “What’s in here?” it may be a more fruitful exercise to ask: “What would you like to know about your mortgage process, wealth management experience, point of sale experience, or medical management interaction?” Once you’ve asked this first critical question, then you can explore the business impact.

What would you do with that information about a person, device, or organization? This forces decision-makers to really test the value of finding that signal from the potential noise. Once you have that, you have asked a good question, and you have some assumptions about what the value of knowing would be, then you can see if you might already have the answer in your existing data set. If you don’t have an answer, you can explore ways to get that information for real business benefit.

There are some steps companies can take to unlock Code Halo value. Recognize the value of signal. Prioritize design. Compete on trust. Make IT your Halo heroes.

The value of data and information is already starting to change how commerce is conducted. It’s growing rapidly, and will continue to do so, but it would not be possible without the fabric of technology and the code we share to create new business models.

Code Halo is certainly becoming more valuable, and the machines that create, manage, and analyze data are becoming more powerful, but humans are by no means out of the picture. In fact, the human elements of separating valuable business signal from Big Data noise is likely to become the key skill for personal and organizational success over the coming years.

Code Halos are not just about being tracked. They are about connections enhanced with technology. How we engage with companies, create value in our careers, and connect with each other has already changed, and it will continue to evolve in our Code Halo world.”

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