| |DECEMBER 202319CIOReviewTeresa Fernandes is the Digital Transformation Director at Mars Wrigley, US. Her program management skills, team leadership and collaborative spirit have made her an adept leader in the retail industry. In her tenure at Mars, she has piloted countless complex business transformation projects on a large scale to success. Upholding a positive, optimum work culture within the team, Fernandes intends to bring maximum productivity from every employee.Could you shed some light on the challenging projects you have come across?Technological innovations have always been my area of expertise. However, deploying a new technology, also changes the operational process and the organization's point of view. Adding to this are -- pace and level -- two inherent factors that trigger progress. The `pace' refers to external elements like deploying a new process, while the `level' is associated with the human factor involved. A healthy coexistence of both is required for the smooth running of corporation/CPGs to achieve the maximum result. So, the challenges that we face are related to multiple changes that are happening parallel in an organization, that is, bringing people together while promoting other transformational projects.How working together as a team helps in digital transformation projects?People are the ones who define the future of digital transformation. Every member of a team is an agent of change. While working as a team, there is a collective need to understand the responsibility to maintain the status quo. Every person in the group needs to be collaborative; helping each other will yield great results.When we function as a group, gradual tensions might arise. But, leveling them with strong leadership and clear vision will help execute the project in a better way. Moreover, leadership is the critical factor that drives a project to success. A true leader is a person who binds and bonds the whole group. Would you explain how has your project management skills helped to handle complex projects at Mars?To implement a transformation, one has to have an essential project management skill set. A well-disciplined project manager who follows definite methodologies will always be an asset to the firm. An organization is like an ocean, and it will have turbulent times. The more you pile, the less shaky will it be. A skilled project manager can help an organization tide through its tumultuous period.What will be your advice to the readers?To necessitate transformation, hiring the best resource plays a great deal. The leader and team members should be flexible to adapt to changes in methodologies at any point while working on a particular project. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) transformation programs are the most challenging. It incorporates agile hybrid techniques to increase companywide disruption and a quantum leap in improvement that can increase efficiency and profitability. So, identifying the right candidate who understands the modern bounds will benefit the organization. It is always better to work on projects that matter the most to your company than to go after the golden buzzwords circulating in the market. Instead, we should have a motto and a long-term goal about things we need to achieve. Then, mindful to work at our own pace; the success will be all yours. By Teresa Fernandes, Digital Transformation Senior Director,MarsAN AGILE SOLUTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONCXO INSIGHTSThe evolving digital technology and the subsequent change in market dynamics have necessitated the implementation of new management initiatives to support and embed contemporary modes of working in an organization. Without proper procedural execution, it will not yield the desired return on investment (ROI)Teresa Fernandes
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