We are experiencing a profound paradigm shift in management models, both in the private and public sectors. The urgent need to digitize all areas of the economy demands IT professionals with extensive knowledge and executive capabilities. Javier Alvarado He is a clear example of this. With over 30 years of experience implementing and developing projects internationally, he understands the demanding world of Interim Management and has executed projects through this service model, achieving excellent results, both individually and through his leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
Madrid, March 21, 2023
He recently carried out an IT project management service for an international company, through EPUNTO Interim Management How has the experience of being an interim manager been?
The first thing that comes to mind is that it's been a very rewarding experience, working with top-level professionals and enjoying being able to contribute alongside them. We've spent many years transforming companies from analog to digital. Large companies are global, with specialists in different cities across various time zones, and they need to find the best solution to a company-wide problem. Therefore, the services provided by an Interim Management firm, with experts in specific professional fields—the interim managers—offer solutions and consistency to resolve any situation, no matter how complex. We Interim Managers have worked on many projects and know how difficult it is to technologically transform processes. Companies need professionals with knowledge and experience, and these professionals must be aligned with the company culture. If one of these elements isn't functioning correctly, the transition will face numerous problems.
What is your impression of this model of management services in transition?
I believe that Interim Management is an extremely useful executive services model for resolving specific, complex situations without overburdening the company's structure. The agility and flexibility this approach provides offers a rapid and highly effective response for the execution of strategic projects.
What is your perspective on how Spanish businesses are coping with this accelerated digitalization process? Are they managing to overcome this unique challenge? test stress?
A: Spanish companies are progressing at different speeds. On the one hand, there are the large multinationals that have been implementing digitalization processes for many years and have a high level of maturity, but technology is constantly changing and improving, and we have to keep up. This drives us to constantly strive for excellence. Then there are the medium-sized companies that find change very difficult because technology is expensive and their development is only at an intermediate stage; they operate between analog and digital, and this must be done in accordance with the balance of their market. Finally, there are the small businesses that basically use a website, some have an online store, and few manage to offer adequate customer service, let alone integration with their suppliers.
As for Funds Next Generation EU Are they being channeled appropriately to the IT sector, are they reaching businesses? Are they driving the “recovery and resilience” efforts, which is what they were created for in July 2020 by the European Council in response to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic?
It's a shame, but I believe these funds aren't reaching the IT sector adequately, for several reasons. One is that the government lacks the proper channels to allow companies to manage these funds quickly and efficiently. As a result, intermediary services and specialized companies have been created between applicants and public administrations, solely to process the grants, which slows down and increases the cost of the aid reaching businesses. The effectiveness of this aid is also affected by the fact that digital transformation requires experienced professionals, and there aren't many of them. Experience is gained through years of work, and this clashes with two current trends in companies: ageism and low salaries. Furthermore, experienced professionals can work remotely for any country and choose the projects that best suit them. In short, there's a shortage of professionals to meet the demand for digitization services. Finally, in most companies, which are small and medium-sized, digital transformation isn't just about having a website and an online store; it's much more than that. This means striving to automate all their processes and create integration between their suppliers, the company, and their customers; however, they lack the qualified professionals to develop these projects.
What is your opinion, as an expert, on AI and other digital technology enablers? Are society, businesses, and institutions prepared to adapt to them and harness their full potential?
For me, AI is a very powerful tool that can help us achieve goals in much shorter timeframes, and I'll give you some examples to illustrate this. A long time ago, accountants added up columns of numbers by hand, but the calculator appeared and transformed that way of working. Later, university students and researchers had to go to libraries to find information; with the internet, you have everything at your fingertips. clickNow, with AI, the knowledge of many people is available; this can be shared and used to find new solutions.
I believe society is not yet ready to harness the full potential of AI. This process needs time to mature and become more ingrained; in fact, there are still people who don't use the internet, although fortunately, the more time passes, the fewer and fewer of them there are.
There's another aspect of AI I'd like to highlight: some jobs will disappear because they'll no longer be useful or add value. But there's no need to be afraid; it's a fact of life in the professional and business world, it's always been this way. When cars appeared, horse-drawn carriages disappeared; online information is displacing physical books, newspapers, and even television. In compensation, new, necessary professions are emerging, such as specialists in obtaining relevant information, specialists in processing unstructured data, and so on. And even new professions will arise—professions we don't yet know what they are—as a result of these new technologies.