The ACE School was set up by III to assist with the digital transformation of the industry. Starting the service from consulting and talent development, III worked with industry and trade associations to provide the skills and training courses needed by different industries and businesses of various sizes for their digital transformation process. Planning is now under way at III to develop a roadmap for the talents regarding their skills needed for digital transformation. III is now conducting trials to validate ACE School’s approach to talent development. In addition to assessing the competency of employees, each department also nominated outstanding trainees to undergo training as ACE (Architect, Consultant, Evangelist) consultants for supporting digital transformation in the industry.
Most engineers came from a technological R&D background so their ability and experience as ACE consultants are in need for reinforcement. A comprehensive analysis of training III personnel as ACE consultants found that breakthroughs were needed in three key areas. First, most III staffs come from technological R&D background. To be an effective consultant and suggest feasible recommendations, they must put themselves in the customer’s shoes and then try to understand the problems encountered by users. Furthermore, figuring out the internal business processes of a company and having clear understanding of the external market challenges are also the basic requirements. In addition, each industry’s domain know-how is also quite different. It is impossible for technology consultants to know everything so they need the assistance from their clients. An external eco-system may even be needed to help develop solutions. Finally, the business transformation methodologies and tools offered by each institute at III also varied. Therefore, a standard for toolkits or guides must be developed so that systematic services could be provided.
At the same time, three types of processes are used by ACE School to assist with the business digital transformation process. Firstly, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with inadequate digitization penetration and capabilities, the initial stage of digitization could be easily achieved with a relatively small investment. Just work with a software information service provider and acquire easy-to-use digital services such as ERP, CRM and other similar management systems. Secondly, for businesses that already have digital information systems, the crucial step is to conduct digital optimization. For example, they may need to analyze the data collected from automated processes to find solutions to quality defects or unreliable delivery times. III is better equipped to assist in this area and a significant amount of experience and results have been accumulated so far.
Finally, for those desiring to generate a whole new business model or change their service models, business growth opportunities and profit could be created by digital transformation and technology introduction. Generally speaking, III ACE School mainly provides services for SMEs since large businesses can usually find their own solutions; nonetheless, no matter what the type is, the acceptance and backing of the management, the support of the business unit, as well as the integration of OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology) are all crucial to the success or failure of the digital transformation process.
The next step for ACE School is the launching of systematic tools. Questionnaire surveys will be used to find out and make records of businesses’ digital transformation gaps. By the co-creation process collecting and deducting the final solution, a strategic blue print was mapped out and a concrete and practical digital transformation methodology or toolkit was created.
III hopes to build a digital transformation co-creation and collaboration platform that brings together the domain know-how of each industry to provide an important reference for successors. Last but not the least, how digital transformation can be marketed and promoted through the emerging social network media will be another important direction in the future.
Caption: The picture showed a group photo taken together on III’s 40th anniversary celebration event. From the left: III Executive Vice President Ren-Dar Yang, III President CH Cho, III Chairman Chih-Kung Lee, and III Executive Vice President Po Jen ,Hsiao. III strives to play its role as a Digital Transformation Enabler, continues to facilitate the progress of the government and industry by high-quality digital transformation solutions, and spreads the seeds of technological care and public welfare to all corners.
Caption: III held its 40th anniversary celebration event on July 24th, 2019. The picture showed III Chairman Chih-Kung Lee (Right) and III President CH Cho (Left) took a photo together. For the next forty years, III Chairman Chih-Kung Lee even expects that III takes the lead in working with more partners in the fields of industry, university, and academia for the cultivation of more talents and the demonstration of various work types. This is also the task that a "digital transformational enabler" must always keep in mind and actively find ways out for various domestic industries.