Over the past decade, the world has experienced remarkable changes and unprecedented challenges. Every year sees a sharp increase in natural disasters driven by a global rise in carbon emissions, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Mass protests have underscored the need for a more inclusive society and workplace. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of business continuity. As global citizens, we have the responsibility to leave the world better than we found it.

Government agencies had to adapt to a rapid increase in demand for services in 2020. They also had to adjust to a remote workforce. Many found themselves picking up the pace of their digital transformations and trying to modernize during a global health crisis. Perhaps above all else, many learned the importance of using the right digital tools, platforms, and services. They still have a long way to go.

Business disruption can happen any time, especially when you least expect it. That’s why it’s critical to have a business resilience plan in place. “We define organizational resilience as the ability to maintain performance in the face of environmental, political, social, cyber, and other disruptions,” explains ServiceNow Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono in the Workflow Quarterly Fall 2021 issue.

The longer the pandemic stretches on, the more convinced I become that innovation is the key to recovery. And I’m not alone. McKinsey research found more than 90% of executives “expect the fallout from COVID-19 to fundamentally change the way they do business over the next five years.” Yet, many organizations are focusing less on innovation in an effort to minimize risk, save money, pursue safe opportunities, and bolster their core business, McKinsey reports.

The biggest business story of last year was how suddenly and completely the COVID-19 pandemic changed the ways we work and live. Organizations had to look at how they operate, adjust to a hybrid workforce, and further embrace digital transformation. ServiceNow has been at the forefront of the employee experience awakening. As new challenges emerge, our platform is perfectly suited to respond quickly to market-shifting events so that your workforce can stay productive.

When I started as a data engineer almost 20 years ago, I designed, developed, and implemented a worldwide sales reporting system for my employer using an enterprise data warehouse. Using analytical packages, my team drove quantifiable sales by transforming the way our company leveraged data. Even at the start of the millennium, it seemed obvious that studying analytics was a game-changer.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought connectivity to the forefront, as companies quickly shifted to remote working. As the new world of hybrid work emerges, connectivity continues to be at the center of conversations, putting pressure on telecommunications companies to deliver. At the same time, customers are demanding a better user experience with more consistent, high-quality service, shorter wait times, and personalized interactions.

The digital economy is placing new demands on businesses of all sizes for smarter services and the capability to work from anywhere. When we at Sify Technologies in India see a challenge like this, we say, “Bring it on,” and this is how we break down the barriers to innovation. Sify is India’s most comprehensive information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services provider.

We all want fast access to the information we need, when we need it. With a few simple clicks, we expect our questions to be answered and our problems to be solved. We want to be empowered to solve problems on our own, intuitively, and without friction. We expect seamless, quick, and easy self-service. According to a Gartner® report, 85% of customer service interactions will start with self-service by 2022, up from 48% in 2019.1.

Now is truly the digital age. In a world where operations are increasingly powered by code, there’s enormous potential for changing the way people work. But you need to know how to code to create this change…right? Wrong. Using ServiceNow App Engine Studio, ServiceNow’s citizen developer program empowers anyone with little to no coding experience to innovate and create the apps they need, when they need them.