Emilio del Prado is the Managing Partner of EPUNTO Interim Management and a specialist in digital transformation processes, an activity he carries out as CEO of LIQUID Smart Technologies. This dynamic and multifaceted entrepreneur, an engineer by profession with extensive experience in the ICT sector, answers questions in this interview about the key factors that connect management in transition with digitalization.
Madrid,25 of April of 2022
EPUNTO Interim Management boasts of being the company in the sector with the greatest capacity for executing projects related to digital transformation. What is the reason for this, and what advantages does transition management offer compared to conventional management for these types of projects?
In terms of priorities, the implementation of digital transformation strategies—if I may briefly refer to it as “digitalization”—is 10% technology, 40% data, and 50% philosophy and methodology. Therefore, digitalization currently faces a series of risks and obstacles proportional to the aforementioned priorities, which are primarily addressed through management activities. However, it has been demonstrated that conventional management is less effective than transitional management, designed to introduce new philosophies and working methods, something that digital disruption demands.
What is LIQUID Smart Technologies and what is its relationship with EPUNTO Interim Management?
LIQUID Smart Technologies is a technology consulting services company that emerged as a spin-off of EPUNTO Interim Management. Its objective is to address the digitalization needs of companies and public entities, complementing EPUNTO's transition management services. Furthermore, LIQUID offers talent management based on relationships with highly qualified independent professionals, thus resolving current industry challenges such as turnover, lack of engagement, and a shortage of skilled professionals.
In this way, we provide a more comprehensive and integrated solution. On the one hand, we manage digitization projects (EPUNTO) through transition management, and on the other, we carry out the associated technical activities (LIQUID). Furthermore, all of this is done through highly specialized professionals, assigned on a temporary and flexible basis to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
The Next Generation EU funds from the European Economic Recovery Fund, endowed with €140.000 billion, will allocate a significant portion to digital transformation. Are these funds reaching Spanish companies, and are they making the most of them?
It's still too early to draw conclusions, as the various funding lines for digitalization, sourced from Next Generation funds, are only now being launched. The Digital Kit program, for example, with over €3.000 billion in funding—the largest digitalization initiative for SMEs and the self-employed in Spanish history—was launched last March, and applications are pouring in: more than 50.000 in a single month, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Now, these SMEs simply need to hire accredited digitalization providers, such as LIQUID Smart Technologies, to use the funds to implement digitalization solutions.
Combining Interim Management with Agile Philosophy seems like a competitive formula for project management, beyond those linked to digital transformation. What does it consist of and how is it applied from the perspective of management in transition?
Undoubtedly, the combination is perfect. The Agile philosophy is essentially about flexibility in working methods, and Interim Management represents flexibility at the leadership level. Agile consists of combining work teams. scrum (the most widespread agile framework) with their management by means of interim managers, both in the functions of scrum master, as in product-related matters owner, completely freeing the client from the burden of carrying out the transformation and maintaining a position, in terms of strategic decision-making and monitoring of results.
What types of organizations are demanding Interim Management services to execute digital transformation projects and what are they encountering when they begin the intervention?
Transition management services applicable to digitization are used in medium and large projects, because the impact on results must offset the cost of the service itself, and the risk of failure must be minimized with effective project management.
The organizations that launch these projects are usually medium and large in size, but we can also find small businesses or startups recently established companies that tackle ambitious projects by using Interim Management to minimize the risks of impact on results.
Is the public sector part of EPUNTO Interim Management and LIQUID Smart Technologies' objectives in the field of digital transformation?
The public sector's hiring practices, which are inflexible and prioritize budget over results and specialization, make it very difficult for them to use our value proposition.
However, in projects that have been started with conventional methods and have had a negative evolution due to their complexity, there are few better solutions than the combined value proposition of EPUNTO Interim Management and LIQUID Smart Technologies; a true winning formula.
Finally, EPUNTO Interim Management is part of the international alliance GLOBALISE and serves clients on every continent. Are they developing digital transformation projects in other countries or only in Spain?
We are currently developing digitization projects for international clients in Europe and the Americas. The technology industry is global in nature, with supranational connections and teams distributed worldwide. For us, the location of our clients is irrelevant, as it does not affect our working methods, except for regulatory issues, which we resolve by utilizing technological infrastructure physically located within the European Union.