The influence of digital technology has profoundly changed almost every aspect of modern life.
Whether it's the way we work, seek entertainment or communicate, various domains have undergone transformative changes.
The Digital Technology Leaders Awards, a prestigious event recognising outstanding achievements in the digital technology realm, proudly unveiled this year's winners at a glittering awards ceremony on 6th July in Central London.
CBRE was one of the finalists, in the running for the Digital Transformation of the Year.
Before the awards, we caught up with Sandeep, Digital Transformation Director at CBRE, to find out how their organisation has used digital technology for success.
Sandeep is a senior IT director with over 20+ years' experience spanning strategy and transformation. He is currently a digital transformation director at CBRE, where he is focused on championing technology innovation and insights, driving better client experiences and increasing business effectiveness through automation and digitisation.
Computing: Please provide some background on your company for our readers. What makes you different from other companies?
Sandeep: CBRE Group, Inc., a Fortune 400 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. The company has approximately 115,000 employees serving clients in more than 100 countries. We provide services for real estate owners, occupiers and investors across the complete real estate lifecycle and assist them in the development, buying, selling, financing, leasing, valuing and management of their assets.
CBRE recognises the ever-increasing role technology and data will play in our clients' future. Technology and data are integrated throughout our services, differentiate us and elevate our capability. This uniquely positions us to help our clients achieve even more - accelerated growth, greater operational efficiency, accelerated progress towards sustainability and modern employee experiences.
We believe the way we do business is as important as what we do. Our Employee Advantage strategy has been developed to reinforce the high standards we set for ourselves as we continue our journey to becoming a world class business. Our RISE values support the global principle that everyone is empowered and expected to be better, every day - delivering tangible advantage in everything that we do.
What one company achievement in the last 12 months are you most proud of?
The company achievement I am most proud of is delivering digital transformation of the portfolio and lease management service for HSBC (our project entry for Digital Transformation of the Year!).
We partnered with HSBC to deliver a complete transformation, not just of the technology but also the underlying processes and accessibility of data. The solution included modernised technology platforms, multiple data feeds, streamlined and more automated processes, enhanced reporting and a brand-new rent payment and accounting capability. A key element of the project was a complex data mapping exercise across 1,000+ data points for 20,000 lease interests.
The project team, comprising business, technology, service and data SMEs, successfully delivered this complex and high impact transformation project against an aggressive 12-month timescale.
The transformation has delivered significant cost savings and efficiencies, for both CBRE and HSBC. The solution also provides easier access to critical portfolio information, enabling improved decision making. A further benefit is increased user adoption of the platforms, enabled through an improved user experience and 'bringing people on the journey' to ensure successful adoption.
The transformation has been pivotal in supporting HSBC's strategic objectives and is paving the way for future improvements.
What are you working on this year?
We are working on a number of areas, as we seek to unlock greater value for our clients enabled through digital and data. Our priorities include:
- Implement enterprise grade platforms. Our clients need enterprise grade platforms that can handle their growing data volumes and processing requirements. We are working with our clients to select and implement the right platforms for their needs. The aim is to simplify, streamline and automate to deliver better workflows, improved outcomes, and cost savings.
- Unify and harmonise data from disparate sources. Many of our clients have data scattered across multiple systems and sources. This can make it difficult to get a complete picture of their business and to make informed decisions. We are working with our clients to develop data driven strategies, and bring the data together into a single, unified platform. This will enable our clients to easily get the insights they need to make better decisions.
- Focus on change management. Digital transformation is not just about technology. It's also about changing the way people work, think, and interact with each other. We are engaging and empowering teams, within CBRE and our clients, to create a culture that is supportive of change.
Why are events like the Digital Technology Leaders Awards important to the IT industry?
Events like the Digital Technology Leaders Awards are a critical part of the IT industry ecosystem. They are the perfect way to recognise, and celebrate the success, hard work and achievements of the people and companies who are at the forefront of technology. This helps raise the profile of IT professionals and their work and can inspire others.
They also promote the importance of IT to the wider business community. This helps highlight the value of technology in driving transformative business outcomes and can help secure investment in new projects.
A further benefit is that these events highlight the latest trends and developments in the industry. This helps IT professionals stay up to date on the latest technologies and best practice.
