# Slalom full clean-content bundle Locale: us/en Pages: 607 --- title: The Academy: Modernizing a media industry icon url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/academy-modernizing-media-industry-icon source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/academy-modernizing-media-industry-icon locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # The Academy: Modernizing a media industry icon - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/academy-modernizing-media-industry-icon - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/academy-modernizing-media-industry-icon - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary By replacing systems with single, integrated enterprise architecture, Slalom helped the Academy accelerate its ability to empower and advance the industry. ## Body The Academy: Modernizing a media industry icon Learn how we partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to modernize and streamline the organization’s processes, from award submissions to the red carpet. Membership administration and awards management | the Academy | Slalom By replacing systems with single, integrated enterprise architecture, Slalom helped the Academy accelerate its ability to empower and advance the industry. Modernizing a media industry icon Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences logo Share story At a glance For more than a decade, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Slalom have partnered to modernize and streamline the organization’s processes, from award submissions to the red carpet. Impact By replacing many systems with single, integrated enterprise architecture, Slalom helped the Academy accelerate its ability to empower and advance the media and entertainment industry. Key Services Industry Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Setting the stage The [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Today, the Academy is one of the most recognized names in the entertainment industry, comprising more than 10,000 motion picture professionals. In 2010, the Academy approached Slalom to modernize its processes for membership administration and awards management. As an organization that had been operating for nearly a century, the Academy sought to embark on a transformation. It required a deeply collaborative and comprehensive approach—something that could stand the test of time, much like the Academy itself. “We share a profound respect for the Academy and its impact on its members, the film industry, and audiences around the globe,” says Brad Jackson, CEO at Slalom. No matter how beneficial, changes to such an iconic organization require building and embedding a deep sense of trust. The mutual respect between Slalom and the Academy has been fundamental to the success of our partnership. Brad Jackson CEO, Slalom The digital transformation journey Slalom introduced a comprehensive solution to manage the membership and award process data. However, the technology itself would only go so far. The missing piece was visionary technology leader Beverley ”Bev” Kite. Hired in 2014, Kite is the Academy’s first chief technology officer (CTO) and the driving force behind the digital overhaul. “When I came in, the Academy had made some changes to become more digital, but there wasn’t a unified approach to technology or data,” says Kite. “What it needed was a real digital transformation.” Among Kite’s initial ideas were self-service solutions for managing award submissions and Academy member management. Powered by a centralized source of truth, this core initiative allowed the Academy to integrate its membership, awards submissions, and awards data and processes, eliminating loads of manual work. “Bringing everything together was a key piece in helping the organization innovate and expand,” says Slalom senior delivery principal Charina Palma. “A lot of processes are being streamlined because the data is now at the Academy’s fingertips.” This move would ultimately revolutionize the awards industry and lay down the foundation for a bigger vision that included automating the entire awards process. “Academy IT worked to automate nearly everything, from submissions to the red carpet,” says Igor Mandrosov, a senior principal at Slalom. “We are extremely proud that most of what everyone knows about the Academy processes has the Slalom footprint somewhere in it.” Bev Kite All these changes have internationalized the organization—connecting our members worldwide—and sped up and streamlined our processes. A history-making partnership After working through the initial hurdles and developing a mutual sense of trust, the partnership between the Academy and Slalom took off. Today, it remains one of Slalom’s most enduring and active client relationships. “These are not just projects. It is a partnership,” says Mandrosov. The work is not divided between Slalom and the Academy, he says. Instead, it’s the result of ongoing collaboration. This powerful sentiment is shared not only by Mandrosov but the group of Slalom consultants who have been working with the Academy for at least seven years each. When Slalom initially recommended a technological solution to manage the Academy’s membership, its senior director of applications development, Nick Amparano, was immediately put at ease by the team’s professionalism and expertise. “It’s very symbiotic,” says Slalom senior consultant Stacy Scherer. “We work seamlessly together.” For Les Jin, vice president of IT infrastructure at the Academy, “innovation” is the first word that comes to mind when reflecting on the partnership with Slalom. “It was the mutual investment in the organization’s long-term goals and desire to take risks that created such a profound level of trust,” Kite says. “It’s been an incredible journey. We’ve all worked together for nine or 10 years at this point, so there is a sense of trust. I have confidence that the Slalom team will always express their opinions and be a challenger.” A legacy organization with a global impact In 2017, the Academy launched a program called Academy GOLD—an industry talent development initiative focused on underrepresented communities. Slalom helped automate the process and shape the user experience, allowing the Academy to provide program participants with resources to better pursue careers in filmmaking. Another of Slalom and the Academy’s most impactful implementations is the RAISE platform, which rolled out in 2021 to facilitate the Academy’s Representation and Inclusion Standards for Best Picture consideration. While the primary use of the platform is to facilitate the Academy’s awards process, it also provides insight into current trends in the industry related to representation and inclusion that can help stimulate positive change in the industry. But like many organizational changes, the work doesn’t end at implementation—it requires an ongoing, collaborative process. By the 96th Academy Awards® in 2024, all films submitted for awards consideration must meet [inclusion standards](https://www.oscars.org/news/academy-establishes-representation-and-inclusion-standards-oscarsr-eligibility) to be eligible in the Best Picture category, and the RAISE platform will be essential in this review. “All these changes have internationalized the organization—connecting our members worldwide—and sped up and streamlined our processes,” Kite says. Now, the Academy’s IT department is a strong and future-forward team working on more than 50 projects yearly. The organization’s growth, scalability, and ease of use are top priorities. “We’ve made some impactful decisions in the past decade since working with Slalom,” says Amparano. “Now it’s time to shift to a self-service model and start giving ownership back to the business.” The Academy's IT department has its sights set on the future with a clear vision for improving and building on its successes, focusing primarily on audience strategy and digital media services. “It wasn’t an easy transformation, but we’re in a place now where it’s so natural,” Kite says. “Natural for our staff to use the technology, natural for our members to expect the technology, and natural for us to execute and show what can be done.” View of red carpet with photographers in the background --- title: AEG: Setting the stage for increased growth and scalability url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/aeg-increased-growth-and-scalability source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/aeg-increased-growth-and-scalability locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # AEG: Setting the stage for increased growth and scalability - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/aeg-increased-growth-and-scalability - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/aeg-increased-growth-and-scalability - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how we partnered with one of the world’s largest live music presenters to optimize its tour scheduling platform. ## Body AEG: Setting the stage for increased growth and scalability Setting the stage for increased growth and scalability Learn how we partnered with one of the world’s largest live music presenters to optimize its tour scheduling platform. Share story AEG Hero At a glance With over 100 venues and 25+ music festivals, AEG Presents is one of the world’s largest live music presenters. By partnering with Slalom, the company modernized its tour scheduling platform while simultaneously scaling its engineering team. Impact Our collaboration has helped AEG Presents learn how to successfully deliver digital products from conception through to deployment, positioning the company for continued growth. Key Services Cloud Industry Sports live entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Azure APIM - Azure Functions - Azure Cosmos DB - Azure Data Factory - Azure Synapse - Microsoft Entra ID - AuthZed - Typecript - React - Node.js The hottest ticket in town [AEG Presents](https://www.aegpresents.com/) is one of the world’s largest presenters of live music and entertainment events. With 100+ owned, operated, or affiliated venues and over 25 music festivals, the company keeps Swifties, Beliebers, and numerous other performers’ die-hard fans entranced. AEG Presents hosts massive events, including Coachella and Stagecoach. The company: - sells +50% of all tickets in the top 10 arenas worldwide - entertains +100 million fans/year - produces +22,000 shows/year - promotes +15,000 events/year AEG Flame Rocker Gif Giving the world a reason to cheer AEG Presents is in the business of creating unforgettable memories. Continually turning it up a notch producing and promoting global tours, concerts, festivals, residencies, and innovative experiences that keep fans coming back for more year after year is a massive undertaking. The live entertainment giant reached a pivotal point of growth with its needs surpassing what its existing processes and technology stack could provide. That’s when AEG Presents reached out to Slalom to explore how best to achieve its goals. The company sought our help to discover new ways to leverage technology to scale for future business needs. In addition, AEG Presents turned to Slalom for support with upskilling its technical staff and setting the company up to hire additional technologists for continued growth. AEG Modern Elvis Rebuilding “The King of Tour Management” Slalom began by analyzing the AEG Presents suite of enterprise software tools, learning its business, and securing alignment on which group of users and tools was most in need. Together with AEG Presents, we decided to focus our efforts on the Global Touring user group and the legacy platform they were using for tour and event scheduling, affectionately named Elvis. Why is Elvis considered “The King of Tour Management?” This software is responsible for one of the largest sources of revenue for AEG Presents and helps manage tours of its highest-profile clients, including Luke Combs, The Rolling Stones, and Sabrina Carpenter. Elvis optimizes operations for the live event business by enabling users to create, track, settle, and report on integrated financial and operational data of live events with accuracy and efficiency. Global touring has evolved into bigger, more complex tours, and time was taking its toll on the legacy platform. It was outdated, slow, and error-prone, and it didn’t allow for real-time, precise data analysis or transparency. Users were entering their data in multiple locations, losing time duplicating their work between Excel or SharePoint on their desktops and the company’s platform. Modernizing Elvis became necessary to streamline the company’s business and level up its operational efficiency. Erinne Mejia When it comes to running our business, Elvis is the lifeblood. It handles the beginning and end of events from a business perspective, and the technology we were running on before had run its course. AEG Keyboard One essential requirement we needed to respect was users’ wish to retain their Excel-based workflow. We found a creative workaround and used React to build an add-in: a web app within Excel that allows for real-time updates to exchange data between the app, Excel, and the company’s back end. We rebuilt the tour and event scheduling tool to be a modern and scalable platform that allows for future enhancement to meet other core business needs. The solution enables users to keep current core touring workflows in Excel, flowing information into the platform and providing executives with real-time information about every major phase of global touring. Elvis is now considered the industry gold standard for bookers, accountants, marketers, and ticketers to efficiently manage their tours across the globe. This modernized platform enables AEG Presents to effectively scale, significantly expanding the number of tours, shows, and events the company offers world-wide. Brooke Michael Kain A company like AEG doesn’t typically spend this kind of money in the technology sector. That’s not our core business. We have decided to do this work with Slalom because we believe that technology is going to empower our employees and help us drive our business forward. Upskilling and hiring for future growth Modernizing Elvis allowed AEG Presents and Slalom to work closely together, giving their team a taste of our unique culture and passion for co-creation. Throughout our collaboration, AEG Presents’ team learned best practices for research, product definition, and user testing. Our partnership helped the company learn our unique ways of working when developing, iterating, releasing, and testing software. With Slalom’s support, AEG Presents has established its in-house product engineering capability. The general sentiment across the team is that Slalom has helped everyone level up. This company is one of the best consulting firms that they’ve worked with in their careers. Slalom also helped AEG Presents hire high-quality technologists through our Recruiting as a Service (RaaS) offering, Slalom Flex. New employees work side-by-side with Slalom’s experts, learning our ways of working and methodologies, and then become members of AEG Presents’ technology team. Offloading recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding allows AEG Presents to focus on what it does best while its talent pipeline is filled, technology solutions are built, and the company’s tech team is enabled to run efficiently and independently. Slalom understood our business needs and culture well enough that they could recommend people from their networks. They understood what kind of spots we needed to fill as we were scaling up around them. The future looks brighter than stage lights The reinvented platform helps AEG Presents obtain real-time accurate data for ongoing tours and events. It better responds to user needs with a more streamlined experience that makes their lives easier. The company is fully empowered to achieve strategic, longer-term objectives and drive its business forward with a platform that scales with users’ ideas and current and future business needs. Key results include: AEG Tickets Gif Adoption of the new tool is strong. As of June 2024, four months after launch, AEG has: AEG Stats AEG Presents is committed to continuous innovation by investing in cutting-edge technologies to improve the lives of everybody across the company. Elvis is maintaining his reign at the top of the charts and rocking out with new features, integrations, and automations. We’re dedicated to helping AEG Presents support and evolve its modernized platform and hire the best technical talent to achieve outstanding and enduring results independently for years to come. Slalom has been and will continue to be our first call for almost every strategic tool or structural build as we move to use technology to drive our business forward. AEG Customer Story Rockstar --- title: Agero: Driving into the cloud future url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/agero-driving-cloud-future source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/agero-driving-cloud-future locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Agero: Driving into the cloud future - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/agero-driving-cloud-future - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/agero-driving-cloud-future - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped Agero move to the AWS Cloud to serve customers better than ever. ## Body Agero: Driving into the cloud future Agero | Slalom Slalom helped Agero move its applications and data from nearly 2,000 devices in two data centers to the AWS cloud. We helped Agero move to the AWS Cloud to serve customers better than ever. Driving into the cloud future Agero Share story At a glance Agero has led the roadside assistance market for 40 years. Now, with a major move to the AWS cloud, the company is serving customers better than ever—while innovating toward the future of connected, autonomous vehicles. Impact Slalom helped Agero move its applications and data from nearly 2,000 devices in two data centers to the AWS cloud. Now the company’s infrastructure scales automatically to meet any demand. Key Services Cloud Industry Consumer goods and services Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) dayswfya6t Always on call Have you ever called for help from the side of the road? Busted tire? Out of gas? Stuck in a snow drift? It was probably an [Agero](https://www.agero.com/) agent that answered your call. In partnership with most of the automobile manufacturers and insurance carriers in the U.S., Agero provides roadside assistance protection to over 80 million vehicle owners and responds to over 10 million requests for emergency assistance every year. Earlier this year, when the polar vortex caused record-breaking cold and storms across much of the country, Agero’s call centers experienced their highest call volume ever. In the past, the company’s IT team might have been scrambling to provision new resources, while call center agents struggled with slow performance of critical applications. Not so in the cloud. Slalom helped Agero move its applications and data from nearly 2,000 devices in two data centers to the [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) cloud. Now the company’s infrastructure scales automatically to meet any demand. Picking up speed “Every technology decision we make begins with empathy for our customers,” says Bernie Gracy, Agero’s chief digital officer. “The stressed-out drivers in need, the tow truck drivers who depend on us for their livelihoods, and our clients whose own industries are undergoing massive disruption. Agero moved to the cloud because that’s where we can help them most.” Since Agero migrated its core infrastructure to AWS, hold times in its call centers have gone down. The cloud enables 99.999% availability, full redundancy, and rapid scaling—while freeing Agero’s IT staff to focus on more valuable projects than server maintenance and updates. For example, the team has been able to get more proactive with logging and alerting. They’ve written code to search for errors in CloudWatch logs and automatically create on-call alerts, start incident chat groups, open tickets, and send management status updates. All of this helps limit the blast radius of potential failures, reducing mean time to repair. But the greatest value is how the cloud empowers Agero to innovate faster in response to the massive disruption its clients are facing—and stay ahead of competitors. “We’re re-architecting many of our applications with microservices and AWS Lambda” says Karen Hutchinson, Agero’s director of DevOps. “We’re implementing DevOps automation to deliver faster. The cloud gives us the latest and greatest operating environments.” While remaining strong as a service company, Agero is ahead of the pack as a technology company, with serverless applications powering the next-generation of driving intelligence, safety, and convenience. Karen Hutchinson In a year’s passing, the team went from an ordinary IT datacenter mindset to a cutting-edge cloud technology group bursting with ideas to grow the business. Pop the champagne On the night of the migration to AWS—the culmination of nearly a year’s work—more than 60 people gathered in Agero’s headquarters and call centers across the nation to walk through the final transition. “It was a great experience,” says Hutchinson. “We had confidence that it would work.” “The whole team celebrated with a toast at 5:00 a.m. after we went live,” recalls Matthew Pothier, a Slalom delivery effectiveness consultant. “Throughout the night, Billy McDonald, Agero’s cloud team manager, served as quarterback. It was a real victory moment to sit back and see the results of all our work together.” Passenger in black car with head looking out the open window --- title: Alaska Airlines: Delivering the "gold standard" of airline mergers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/alaska-airlines source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/alaska-airlines locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Alaska Airlines: Delivering the "gold standard" of airline mergers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/alaska-airlines - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/alaska-airlines - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Can a merger be fun? Learn how Alaska Airlines partnered with Slalom consultants to drive the seamless integration of Alaska and Virgin America in record time—and genuinely enjoyed it. ## Body Alaska Airlines: Delivering the "gold standard" of airline mergers Alaska Airlines | Slalom Can a merger be fun? Learn how Alaska Airlines partnered with Slalom consultants to drive the seamless integration of Alaska and Virgin America in record time—and genuinely enjoyed it. Delivering the "gold standard" of airline mergers Delivering the “gold standard” of airline mergers Share story At a glance Can a merger be fun? Sandy Stelling of Alaska Airlines wouldn’t have it any other way. Learn how her team, including two Slalom consultants, drove the seamless integration of Alaska and Virgin America in record time—and genuinely enjoyed it. Impact With greater scale, more visibility in the marketplace, and improved flexibility to optimize and align systems, the new Alaska Airlines is poised for growth. Key Services Industry Travel hospitality When two become one After acquiring Virgin America in 2016, [Alaska Airlines](https://www.alaskaair.com/) became the fifth-largest airline in the U.S. with 33 million passengers a year and 22,000 employees. The merger solidified Alaska’s status as the west coast’s premier airline. But airline integrations are notoriously complicated and risky. First, the two airlines had to secure a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate to operate as a single carrier. That was a complex undertaking that took most of 2017, but it was dwarfed by the work of becoming one airline from a customer perspective by integrating the passenger service system (PSS), including all scheduling, booking, airport check-in, customer support, and digital experiences. Sandy Stelling, an airline industry veteran, was selected to lead that integration. As a mechanical engineer straight out of college, Stelling was part of the team that designed the Boeing 777. She’s been with Alaska for nearly 20 years, but she can easily say that this was her most ambitious task as a leader. Sandy Stelling Our job was to get all the people, plans, and technology in place to—on a single day—begin offering one schedule, one airport experience, one call center experience, and one digital experience for web, mobile, and kiosk in a way that was flawless for our guests. A team like no other As Stelling gathered the most qualified individuals to fill specific roles on the project leadership team, something unexpected emerged. The group was more than 80 percent women. “It was unique for all of us,” Stelling recalls. “The first time we sat down together, we all looked around like, ‘this is interesting.’” Noting many past experiences of being the only woman in a room, Stelling says she’s still unpacking how the gender make-up of the team influenced the work. “It definitely impacted the way we problem-solved—how we would tackle issues and come together. There was more genuine caring, a level of teamwork and cohesiveness that we all recognized was unusual.” Stelling invited Slalom consultant Lisa Dowling to join the team after noting the discipline with which she did her work on a previous project for Alaska’s ecommerce division. Dowling provided a critical connection to the ecommerce team and later became “master” of the enormously complex cutover checklist. Taylor Schaude, another Slalom consultant, was brought in to provide a bridge to Virgin America’s control center, where he’d been helping manage customer experience during the transition. He had considerable experience with mergers and integrations, but no airline industry experience. His frequent questions became a running joke on the team. “Any time someone would ask, ‘does anybody have a question?’ we’d all look over to Taylor,” says Stelling. “His critical thinking skills were on fire. He was really good at helping us think through business continuity and all the what-if scenarios.” Lisa, Taylor, and the other consultants helped us overcome some of the group-think that exists in any tight culture. Their different perspectives gave us courage to try new things. Sandy Stelling Managing director, process engineering Alaska Airlines Doing things differently Standard practice for an acquired airline is to keep selling its own tickets until 90 days before cutover to an integrated system. While this approach minimizes revenue risk, it creates a data migration nightmare that dramatically increases the likelihood of customer frustration. “If I know anything in this industry,” says Stelling, “it’s that all those tickets are different. It’s a huge investment to try to pick them up, swizzle them around, and land them elegantly in the surviving system. You’re not going to get it all right.” So, Alaska made the commitment not to migrate reservations. Instead, they stopped selling Virgin America tickets for post-cutover dates nearly a year in advance, so there would be nothing to migrate. “We built organizational alignment to take that risk and manage that risk because it was the best possible approach for our guests,” says Stelling. About six months before the cutover date, the schedule for acquired Virgin America planes was published under the Alaska brand. Within a few months, all revenue risk had been recovered. The company saved at least $13 million by avoiding a data migration. Raising the stakes Stelling’s team originally targeted September 2018 for the cutover to one airline, but in May 2017, CEO Brad Tilden piled on the pressure. Concerned that merger fatigue was beginning to affect company culture, he asked, “How fast can you go?” After some analysis, Stelling came back with a new date: April 25, 2018. To achieve this, she asked for and received a green light to set aside traditional roles and become “boundary-less.” Culture first Everyone on the team recognized the size and risk of what they were taking on. “It’s the thing everybody watches. It’s the thing that gets you in the news,” says Stelling. They began by setting clear intentions for their culture and how they would work together. These intentions ranged from “sense of urgency” to “sense of humor.” They agreed to share leadership and accountability. Aligned on outcomes, they would each act with autonomy. They also committed to continuous learning, mutual trust, and valuing diversity and inclusion. Stelling made one more promise, to lead “the funnest team ever.” As the work piled up and the cutover date came closer, the willingness to step back, grab some pizza, or play with the silly toys that piled up around the workspace became an essential safety valve for stress. “We allowed ourselves space to still be human,” says Stelling. Go or “go yuck” Over 16 months, the team plowed through an enormous body of work. They completed over 10,565 hours of testing, three mock flights, and 16 practice drills. More than 2,300 employees engaged in over 100,000 hours of training. Throughout the planning and preparation for cutover, many difficult decisions had to be made. The goal was always to eliminate the risk of impact on guests, but the team adopted “Go yuck” as a catch phrase for accepting unavoidable risk. It was a way of acknowledging that they would have to work very hard to mitigate the risk and that negative consequences might still be possible. When handling the “yuck” got them down, the commitment to culture kept them going. “We didn’t get hung up on, ‘Is that your job or my job?’ Who cares. We’ve got it,” says Stelling. Schaude describes his experience. “Because I had the PSS name behind me, individuals jumped forward. We were empowered to break down silos, make decisions, and go all in. It was more than just a project. People felt a new sense of excitement. Even today, it’s affecting how individuals at Alaska operate and the way they tackle meetings.” The final push On April 18, 2018, the team settled into a command center and began to initiate the final series of critical events leading up to the April 25 cutover date. They worked around the clock and made many of the riskiest moves late at night. True to their “funnest team ever” credo, the team scheduled “spirit week” during the cutover. Wearing Hawaiian shirts, pajamas, or superhero costumes eased stress and contributed to the overall mood. “People were excited to wake up at four in the morning and work their 12-hour shifts,” recalls Schaude. Alaska’s senior executives visited during designated hours. Stelling later heard that they were inspired by the level of excitement from employees and the organic sense of ownership. “Everyone was so thoroughly engaged. I think the executives were a little bit speechless that all of this happened without them having to touch it.” On the big day, after advance media communications, the team achieved its goal of no negative press. There were no severe incidents related to the integration, and minor issues were quickly identified and resolved. Guest feedback was neutral to positive, and employees expressed gratitude for a seamless cutover. As one employee put it, “this will be remembered as a fantastic day for our airline and a gold standard for how to merge two airlines.” Only a few tasks remain, such as rebranding all the Virgin America aircraft, which will continue through 2019. The successful PSS integration “gave the airline back” from a commercial standpoint. With greater scale, more visibility in the marketplace, and improved flexibility to optimize and align systems, the new Alaska Airlines is poised for growth. Carry it forward In June 2018, Stelling admitted that she and others from the team were experiencing a bit of let-down. “We’re coming down off of a high.” I’m not sure how long that level of intensity could have been sustained, but it was so powerful and inspiring and rewarding. You don’t really want the thrill of it to go away, and that’s what we’re trying to keep alive for Alaska. At last report, Stelling was “freelancing” within Alaska, supporting a variety of programs while working with senior executives to identify her next role. “President Minicucci was very blunt. He said, ‘You have to work on the highest impact things. That’s what you do. That’s where we need you.’” Woman smiling sitting at person next to her --- title: AllianceRx Walgreens Prime: Bringing a new brand to life url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/alliancerx-walgreens-prime-brand-launch source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/alliancerx-walgreens-prime-brand-launch locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # AllianceRx Walgreens Prime: Bringing a new brand to life - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/alliancerx-walgreens-prime-brand-launch - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/alliancerx-walgreens-prime-brand-launch - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped launch AllianceRx Walgreens Prime to deliver convenient and patient-centered care to their customers. ## Body AllianceRx Walgreens Prime: Bringing a new brand to life AllianceRx Walgreens | Slalom We helped Walgreens and Prime Therapeutics launch a multibillion-dollar joint venture to deliver convenient and patient-centered care to their customers. We helped launch AllianceRx Walgreens Prime to deliver convenient and patient-centered care to their customers. Bringing a new brand to life AllianceRx logo Share story At a glance Walgreens and Prime Therapeutics launched their multibillion-dollar joint venture, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, to deliver convenient and patient-centered care to their customers. Impact Slalom helped AllianceRx Walgreens Prime prepare for the brand launch and built a strong creative partnership along the way. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider A new industry model Retail pharmacy giant Walgreens and pharmacy benefits manager Prime Therapeutics disrupted the healthcare ecosystem with their joint venture, [AllianceRx Walgreens Prime](https://www.alliancerxwp.com/). A specialty and home delivery pharmacy, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime closes the gaps between pharmacies, pharmacy benefits managers, and health plans. To support the joint-venture integration, Slalom worked side by side with the parent companies to stand up, govern, and coordinate the many moving parts—partnering on over twenty work streams, from finance to change management. Melissa Pitsoulakis Slalom was so responsive that oftentimes they knew what we needed before we did. They were always a couple of steps ahead and made sure we didn't lose sight of where we needed to be. A creative turn As the company launch neared, the partnership took a creative turn. AllianceRx Walgreens Prime began exploring how patients, payers, and providers would experience the new brand. Slalom saw an opportunity to collaborate further, this time creatively. “When brand discussions started taking place, we were confident we could help,” says Andrea Hack, a lead for Slalom’s experience design practice. “Because Slalom had been working so closely with the business, we were able to make brand recommendations that were in line with business decisions, instead of in a vacuum.” While developing the brand guidelines, Slalom leaned into the heritage and values of the parent brands. “It was important that the brand feel recognizable,” says Karen MacKay, a Slalom experience design lead. “When a patient or provider first encounters the new brand, it should feel familiar and like the trusted partner they’ve always known. That first moment can have a lasting impact.” A variety of company literature on a table. Agile paves the way The countdown to launch was on. Now, it was time to take the brand guidelines and start applying them to everything from patient welcome booklets to trade show booths. Slalom recommended an agile methodology from the start. “Delivering over 225 pieces of collateral in the final week would have been a recipe for disaster. Thinking through the sequence of business decisions, QA needs, and printing needs—we knew we couldn’t leave that all until the end,” says Hack. Two-week agile sprints provided stability and continuous progress in a complex, time-crunched environment. “Every two weeks new collateral was completed and ready for delivery.” Collaborating at regular milestones helped the AllianceRx Walgreens Prime and Slalom creative teams build trust and reliability. The Slalom team “clearly explained the logic behind any change in the creative and were so responsive when we asked for changes,” says Melissa Pitsoulakis, Director of Brand and Patient Experience at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. “It really helped keep the momentum going so we could hit our deadlines.” Slalom’s ability to deliver strong creative in conjunction with a deep understanding of the business had tangible impacts for the new brand. “Our role as the creative team wasn’t limited to design,” says MacKay. “Even small copy changes can impact a patient’s experience, so we worked with our Slalom peers to ask the tough questions that needed to be answered before the company launched.” A growing partnership The partnership grew again when Slalom was invited to become the lead creative agency for AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. “We have never experienced anything like their commitment and understanding of what we needed,” says Pitsoulakis. “I have extensive experience working with agencies and project managers, and Slalom set a new bar that I’m not sure anyone can ever come close to reaching.” Acting as lead creative agency for AllianceRx Walgreens Prime is a new experience for Slalom, too. “We love the mission behind this new brand,” says MacKay. “We’re excited to continue partnering with them in new and exciting ways.” --- title: American Cancer Society url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/american-cancer-society source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/american-cancer-society locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # American Cancer Society - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/american-cancer-society - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/american-cancer-society - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with the American Cancer Society and Google to use machine learning to discover patterns in breast cancer tissues. ## Body American Cancer Society American Cancer Society | Slalom We partnered with the American Cancer Society and Google to use machine learning to discover patterns in breast cancer tissues. Finding cancer patterns with machine learning Finding breast cancer patterns with machine learning Share story At a glance Impact Now, the American Cancer Society is set up to discover insights that could help prevent and treat breast cancer. The organization is also equipped to use machine learning to analyze other types of cancers in the future. Key Services Cloud Industry Healthcare Association Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud k1spvbhmbc Remembering a friend and teammate In 2021, one of Slalom’s consultants—someone who was passionate about technology and helping others—passed away from cancer. To honor him, Slalom reached out to the [American Cancer Society](https://www.cancer.org/) (ACS) to see if, and how, a team of Slalom consultants could help further ACS’s mission of freeing the world from cancer. Dr. Mia Gaudet, Scientific Director of Epidemiology Research, leads the breast cancer research group at ACS. When she heard that Slalom was offering to help, and that we’d suggested introducing ACS to machine learning, she had a project in mind. Searching for clues In 1992, ACS began a breast cancer cohort study of 184,000 women and men across the US as part of its [Cancer Prevention Study II](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-conduct-cancer-research/epidemiology/cancer-prevention-study-2.html) (CPS-II)—one of the largest cancer studies of all time. When ACS recruited the participants, they gave a baseline questionnaire that covered topics like personal and family health history, use of medications and vitamins, reproductive history, occupational exposures, diet, and exercise habits. Every two years, ACS sent participants a follow-up questionnaire, and if someone reported that they had breast cancer, their hospital would send tumor samples to ACS. The samples were made by soaking the removed tumor in a solution that stops cellular activity, putting it in a block of wax, taking a very thin slice out of the block, staining the slice to show the different parts of the cells, and then putting the slice in a glass slide. Since the study began, ACS has collected over 1,700 slides from women diagnosed with breast cancer. These slides can provide critical clues to help prevent and treat breast cancer—but identifying those clues was a challenge. It could have taken a pathologist three years to do what Slalom helped us do in three months. Dr. Mia Gaudet Scientific Director of Epidemiology Research, American Cancer Society What can a machine see that a person can’t? Most pathologists—doctors who specialize in identifying abnormalities in tissues—work in clinical care, so they’re in high demand in the research world. At ACS, there’s only one pathologist on the breast cancer research team, part-time. He spends the rest of his time with other duties at ACS. “Imagine how long it takes someone to look at those 1,700 images one by one,” says Michelle Yi, Slalom solution principal. “We wanted to be able to scale that work with machine learning.” There are also certain patterns in the tissue that the human eye can’t see, even under a microscope. And “pathology, in many ways, is an art,” says Gaudet. “Certainly, pathologists are able to tell the difference between cancer and not cancer, but there’s a lot of variability in how they evaluate some of the nuances of cancer.” Machine learning can minimize any variability in analysis. We knew we wanted to create a reusable, scalable [machine learning model](https://cloud.google.com/customers/american-cancer-society/) on the cloud. So we reached out to our Google partners to see if they’d be interested in working with us. They agreed enthusiastically, and helped fund the project. Michelle Yi Imagine how long it would take someone to look at these 1,700 images one by one. We wanted to be able to scale that work with machine learning. First, we converted all the tissue images from their proprietary format into a standard TIFF format and saved them on Google Cloud. Now, the images can be analyzed by a machine, and if anything ever happens to the physical slides, the data won’t be lost. The next step was to scrub the tissue slides of any inconsistencies that could skew the analysis. A lot has changed since 1992 in terms of how pathologists treat the slides. In the 90s, pathologists mixed the tissue dye by hand, which means there’s been a lot of color variations in the slides over the years. “We had some slides that were a light pink and some that were a dark purple,” says Gaudet. Also, some pathologists would write directly on the slides with Sharpies, circling a tumor or making notes. Showing us what we don’t know Once we flagged and filtered out any irrelevant markings or coloring, we were able to set up unsupervised machine learning. We told the machine to identify patterns in the tiles and create 10 clusters. Clustering is when the machine groups similar patterns, like your phone automatically searching through your photos and creating a photo album of your daughter. “We fed the computer no information about what it was going to find,” says Gaudet. “We wanted to let it tell us where to go.” The machine created some clusters that the team understood, like identifying the grade of cancer, which validated that the machines were on track. “But there are also new patterns that we’re not yet unable to understand why they were clustered, which was the goal,” says Gaudet. “For example, clusters two and three—well, to my eye they look exactly the same but that’s the whole premise of the project, for the machine to identify differences that the human eye can’t.” And the time saved is invaluable. “It could have taken a pathologist three years to do what Slalom helped us do in three months,” says Gaudet. ACS is now analyzing these clusters to discover what the patterns are. Why did the machine group these together? What do they have in common? Are there lifestyle, diet, reproductive factors that are connected to that pattern? “We’re looking at the clusters that the Slalom team provided us and relating them back to breast cancer survival,” says Gaudet. The future of cancer research The Slalom team partnered closely with ACS every step of the way to transfer our machine learning knowledge and train Gaudet’s team. “I had no training in machine learning,” she says. “And I would say I am not the best with technology overall. But the Slalom team has been awesome about training us and getting us up to speed.” ACS now has powerful machine learning tools that it can reuse on similar projects. In fact, it plans to use machine learning to analyze other types of cancers. “This is an extremely hot area in cancer research right now,” says Gaudet. “And Slalom drove us to be able to play in this space where we previously were not. Since we’ve started this collaboration with Slalom, we’ve built other collaborations with academic partners, all due to Slalom getting us on the right track.” We hope that these machine learning tools will help ACS make a dent in cancer, a disease that took a Slalom colleague and friend—and so many family members and friends—much too soon. “My mother and grandmother both passed away from breast cancer,” says Yi. “Being able to pitch in even a little bit means a lot to me.” Michelle Yi is no longer with Slalom. Image of patient cards --- title: Amica: Enhancing enduring customer relationships url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/amica-enhancing-customer-relationships source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/amica-enhancing-customer-relationships locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Amica: Enhancing enduring customer relationships - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/amica-enhancing-customer-relationships - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/amica-enhancing-customer-relationships - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Amica wanted to modernize its CRM and provide reps with a 360-degree view of policyholders. We co-created a pioneering solution that combines Salesforce Financial Services Cloud with Guidewire software. ## Body Amica: Enhancing enduring customer relationships Amica | Slalom Amica wanted to modernize its CRM and provide reps with a 360-degree view of policyholders. We co-created a pioneering solution that combines Salesforce Financial Services Cloud with Guidewire software. Enhancing enduring customer relationships Share story At a glance Amica wanted to modernize its CRM and provide reps with a 360-degree view of policyholders. Impact We co-created a pioneering solution that combines Salesforce Financial Services Cloud with Guidewire software. Industry Insurance Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce A century of customer focus Long before customer-centric was a buzzword, [Amica Mutual Insurance Company](https://www.amica.com/en.html) was showing the world what it meant. Since 1907, Amica has held true to one mission: to create peace of mind and build enduring relationships. With over 1.7 million policies in force, the company is consistently ranked #1 for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power. “We put the customer at the center of whatever we do, whether we’re making long-term strategic decisions or short-term practical decisions,” says William Fitzgerald, Amica’s vice president of sales and client services. “We’re always looking at everything through the lens of ‘how is this going to benefit our customers and allow us to ultimately execute on our mission?’” Several years ago, Amica recognized the need to meet rising customer expectations by replacing its customer management solution with a superior tool. The company wanted to give sales and service representatives a full view of the customer in one system, help them prioritize activity to best meet customer needs, increase sales, and reduce overall IT costs. Above all, Amica wanted to personalize and enhance the customer experience. Sue Haney Our retention rates are very, very high. Customers stay with us for a long time. Because of that, they expect us to know them. First a partner, then a pivot After making the decision to purchase [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), Amica began searching for an implementation partner. Fitzgerald explains that Salesforce expertise and cultural fit were equally important in the decision. Amica needed a partner that it could trust for the long-term. Amica engaged Slalom to help deliver a complete view of customers to frontline sales, service, and marketing personnel through a phased implementation of Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. Meanwhile, [Guidewire Software](https://www.guidewire.com/) and Salesforce were in conversations to develop an insurance-specific object model to connect their offerings. Guidewire provides the industry platform that Property and Casualty (P C) insurers rely upon, and Amica was one of Guidewire’s first customers more than a decade ago. Salesforce and Guidewire approached Amica with an invitation to be the anchor customer for their new joint venture. “That was intriguing to us,” says Fitzgerald. “We would have input on design, on business flows, on the various nuts and bolts of the object model. It would position us for the future.” The only downside was that the new object model was being built exclusively for the Salesforce Financial Services Cloud. “The Slalom team helped us work through the decision,” Fitzgerald recalls. “They helped us assess what it was going to mean from a timeline perspective, the rework we would have to do, and the overall business impact. It was a significant decision, but looking back on it year over year, it was the right one.” We’re doing things here, at Amica and Slalom, that aren’t being done in any other organization. We’re on the cutting edge when it comes to building out the alignment between the policyholder in Guidewire and Salesforce. William Fitzgerald Vice President of sales and client services, Amica Mutual Insurance Company Measuring a better experience Amica’s new system is called CARE, which stands for customer acquisition, retention, and engagement. It allows the company to access and use pertinent information that is stored not only in Amica’s policy center system, but also in Guidewire’s claim system and Amica’s Guidewire billing system as well. “We’ll be able to take action on that data to improve first call resolution and customer satisfaction,” says Haney. In addition to a 360-view of customers, the system provides actionable insights sales and service representatives. “Providing information on next best action or best leads to follow up on will contribute to increased revenue growth and improvements in internal efficiencies.” In addition, by using what Guidewire is providing and not having to apply its own resources to writing integrations, Amica expects to be able to reduce the size of its support team and reduce IT costs. The first release of CARE in June 2018 was just the beginning. Future rollouts are scheduled into 2019, and Amica will continue partnering with Salesforce and Guidewire to understand and influence their roadmaps going forward. Amica Customer Story | Slalom --- title: Angel City Football Club: Moving beyond brand awareness to fan engagement url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/angel-city-football-club-fan-engagement source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/angel-city-football-club-fan-engagement locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Angel City Football Club: Moving beyond brand awareness to fan engagement - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/angel-city-football-club-fan-engagement - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/angel-city-football-club-fan-engagement - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Sports fan research is transforming engagement. See how a women’s soccer club grows fan connections and boosts ticket sales through actionable insights. ## Body Angel City Football Club: Moving beyond brand awareness to fan engagement We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Angel City Football Club | Fan Engagement | Slalom Understanding how and why fans engage helped Angel City Football Club create standout game-day experiences, attract new fans, and get primed to sell more tickets. Sports fan research is transforming engagement. See how a women’s soccer club grows fan connections and boosts ticket sales through actionable insights. Angel City Football Club Fan Engagement | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Moving beyond brand awareness to fan engagement At a glance VISION Slalom partnered with the leading women’s sports team to grow its fan base and ticket sales. Through primary fan research accelerated by custom GPT analysis, we revealed new strategies for standing out in a crowded market. Impact Through end-to-end research design, we uncovered the missing link between brand awareness and fan engagement, fueling community impact and projected growth in ticket sales. Key Services Industry Sports live entertainment Ready to build stronger fan loyalty? Let’s go Finding new fans Los Angeles sports fans have endless choices, from the Dodgers, Rams, and Lakers to [Angel City Football Club](https://angelcity.com/) (Angel City FC)—a women’s professional soccer team with a celebrity-backed, female-led ownership group. While Angel City FC achieved rapid early success, a new challenge emerged: how to get more fans into the seats. Since its inception, Angel City FC has scaled faster than almost any women’s sports organization. In just a few years, the club became the highest-revenue and highest-valued women’s professional team in the world. “Angel City FC really redefined the game in women’s sports,” says Carmen Bona, president, business operations at Angel City FC. “For the first time, you had a club that put women’s sports in the most premium tier.” The club also puts a high value on its commitment to inclusivity and equity in sports. “Angel City was built with a mission to use sports and entertainment to drive equity,” says Julie Uhrman, co-founder of Angel City FC. By its fifth season, however, the club knew it needed [sharper insight](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing) into who its current fans were, who it wasn’t reaching, and how different audiences choose where to spend their time and money. Because Angel City FC and Slalom had already formed a multiyear partnership—with Slalom serving as the club’s [official business transformation partner](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/angel-city-football-club-welcomes-slalom-partner)—the next step was natural: conduct deep research and identify engagement drivers to inform how the club would grow its fan base and drive sustainable ticket growth in one of the most competitive sports markets in the world. Angel City FC turned to Slalom for an assist. “Our aspiration is to introduce the love for soccer and our club to millions of people—not just day-one fans—and this work helped us build on that foundation.” Carmen Bona President, Business Operations, Angel City Football Club Creating an insights-driven playbook Together, we set out to understand how and why LA sports fans engage—with an end goal of increasing ticket sales for Angel City FC. The project began with a workshop to identify business goals and key questions, then moved quickly to the design and deployment of a large-scale survey of approximately 3,000 Los Angeles County residents. The survey was designed to measure levels of engagement in the LA market fanbase—not just for Angel City FC but compared to other LA-based teams (and non-sporting activities)—and to identify drivers of loyalty and engagement by fan segment. The research centered on behaviors, motivations, and spending choices, including how fans weigh live sports against concerts, dining, and other entertainment options. “We appreciated that Angel City FC was focused on understanding fans’ real motivations and behaviors—not just surface-level attributes—and was committed to including the fan perspective at every step,” says Amy Klein Da Costa, a Slalom lead researcher on the project. “That depth of understanding is crucial not only for building community, but also for [identifying opportunities](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine) to increase revenue and strengthen the club’s future.” The survey quickly revealed how the brand was perceived, where pricing expectations landed, and what emotional drivers pushed fans from interest to action. Slalom then segmented respondents into clear psychographic personas. Focus drives results Rather than marketing every game to everyone, Angel City FC made a deliberate shift. Together, we identified three priority audiences: parents and families, emerging Gen Z fans, and LA crossover superfans. That clarity changed everything. - Family-focused games emphasized giveaways and kid-friendly activities. - Gen Z nights brought DJs, influencers, and social-first experiences. - Crossover games leaned into LA culture and premium entertainment. To accelerate insight and pressure-test strategies, Slalom deployed custom AI agents that analyzed survey data, refined personas, and simulated how different audiences might respond to new marketing approaches. Once validated, AI helped surface patterns that would have taken months to uncover manually. The team also mapped Angel City FC’s engagement funnel against other major LA teams. The data made priorities unmistakable: which audiences to acquire, which to retain, and where growth potential was highest. GAME-CHANGING INSIGHTS Survey insights from 3,046 Los Angeles residents revealed a gap in engagement—not awareness. Let’s talk insights Moving toward the goal With fresh research and a better understanding of its audience, Angel City FC now has a practical roadmap for growth. The club is prioritizing outreach by persona, designing experiences fans want to repeat, removing barriers to attendance, and refining strategies as needed. “This work is extremely valuable,” says Bona. “It’s really helped us redefine our whole brand and marketing plan for this season and the next few years.” In fact, the impact is already shaping business decisions. Angel City FC has nearly doubled its marketing investment and expects lifts in both ticket sales and net promoter scores (NPS). “We expect a very significant uplift in our NPS for our game-day experiences; every game is tailored to the fan, and every fan feels the team is playing for them.” Carmen Bona President, Business Operations, Angel City Football Club As for the partnership, Bona and Uhrman agree that working with Slalom has been a true collaboration. “Slalom has been an incredible partner—detailed, knowledgeable, and true brand fans,” says Uhrman. “Slalom provides a level of strategic strength we don’t have internally.” For Angel City FC fans, the shift shows up on game day—events that feel relevant, accessible, and worth coming back for. But this insights-driven approach does more than fill seats with supporters. It builds loyalty, strengthens community connection, and creates lasting value—on and off the pitch. Share the story --- title: Are Media: Pioneering ESG Leadership url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/are-media-esg source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/are-media-esg locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Are Media: Pioneering ESG Leadership - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/are-media-esg - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/are-media-esg - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Discover how Are Media, in collaboration with Slalom, transformed its ESG strategy into a cohesive, actionable plan driving sustainable growth and positive social impact. ## Body Are Media: Pioneering ESG Leadership Pioneering ESG leadership See how Are Media and Slalom pioneered an ESG strategy, driving sustainable growth and positive social change across Australia and New Zealand. Discover how Are Media, in collaboration with Slalom, transformed its ESG strategy into a cohesive, actionable plan driving sustainable growth and positive social impact. Empowering ESG leadership Share story woman reading a magazine and sipping a drink At a glance Are Media and Slalom partnered to create a set of immediately actionable plans to begin formalising Are Media’s ESG strategy to deliver sustainable growth and further positive social impact. Impact With a clear set of actionable initiatives, Are Media can confidently begin its journey towards long-term positive impact and regulatory compliance. Industry Media entertainment Key Services Driving positive change through a powerful platform Reaching 6 in 10 Australians every month—that’s 7.6 million people—[Are Media](https://www.aremedia.com.au/) has established itself as Australia’s leading omni-channel content company. The company sets the standard for impactful content and authentic storytelling. By staying future-focused and continuously pushing boundaries, Are Media continues to leverage its powerful platform to drive positive social change. Are Media’s leadership recognised the need for a structured and strategic approach to the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) journey. “ESG has been on the mind of CEOs at an operational level for some time now, resulting in some good initiatives that are directionally right but lack an overarching strategy,” says Jane Huxley, CEO of Are Media. With several environmental initiatives already underway, the company sought to elevate its ESG strategy to effectively inform and engage stakeholders, meet pending disclosure requirements, and guide future investments for sustainable impact. The goal was clear: to frame existing efforts and future needs through a more strategic lens, ensuring initiatives would yield the best results in the short and medium term. Stepping through the process and frameworks as an executive team allowed us to have an aligned and balanced view of our priorities and assign a time frame that is realistic for our business. Jane Huxley CEO of Are Media Assessing ESG maturity and prioritising actions The challenge for Are Media was multifaceted. It needed to assess the current state of its ESG maturity, identify key areas for improvement, and prioritise actions that would drive meaningful impact. This required a comprehensive evaluation of its existing initiatives and a clear understanding of the steps needed to advance its ESG journey. “Working with Slalom allowed us to view ESG through a more strategic lens and focus on the initiatives which will yield the best results for us in the short and medium term,” says Huxley. Guided by Slalom’s ESG Maturity Framework, the collaboration began with comprehensive stakeholder interviews and surveys to establish a baseline maturity assessment. This foundational step was crucial in understanding where Are Media currently stood in its ESG journey and what was required to move forward effectively. Jane Huxley Working with Slalom allowed us to view ESG through a more strategic lens and focus on the initiatives which will yield the best results for us in the short and medium term. An actionable plan for strategic outcomes Slalom identified and prioritised the essential ESG capabilities needed to fast-track Are Media’s sustainability journey into three immediate focus initiatives. The executive team was guided through the necessary activities and actions to kick-start and sustain each initiative, providing Are Media’s leadership with clear, actionable starting points. “Stepping through the process and frameworks as an executive team allowed us to have an aligned and balanced view of our priorities and assign a time frame that is realistic for our business,” Huxley explains. With this set of actionable initiatives, Are Media has a clearly defined starting point to deepen its ESG engagement, better inform stakeholders, and effectively meet its sustainability goals and regulatory requirements. With its ESG approach now strategically aligned to business objectives, Are Media can confidently focus on long-term sustainability and positive impact. A blueprint for ESG strategic partnerships This partnership exemplifies the power of strategic collaboration in driving sustainable growth and positive social change. Are Media’s journey with Slalom serves as a model for other companies aiming to drive positive social and environmental impact. By adopting a structured and strategic approach, businesses can not only meet regulatory requirements but also contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future. Slalom is proud to support Are Media in its mission to drive positive change and set the standard for impactful content and authentic storytelling. Together, we are shaping a future where business success and social responsibility go hand in hand. “The Slalom ESG team were a pleasure to work with,” says Veronique Maury, general counsel at Are Media. “Their passion and expertise have left us well prepared to advance our ESG engagement in 2024 and beyond.” woman sitting on the couch and reading a magazine --- title: Ascension: Empowering patients with personalized outreach url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ascension-empowering-patients-personalized-outreach source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ascension-empowering-patients-personalized-outreach locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ascension: Empowering patients with personalized outreach - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ascension-empowering-patients-personalized-outreach - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ascension-empowering-patients-personalized-outreach - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. ## Body Ascension: Empowering patients with personalized outreach We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Empowering patients with personalization ascension Empowering patients with personalized outreach Share story At a glance Impact Ascension has increased closure of key care gaps and improved scheduling rates—both of which lead to deeper, more personalized patient care experiences and better outcomes. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Assessing patient behavior Medical care can often feel disconnected, and gaps in patient care only compound the issue. For many patients, these gaps in scheduling routine exams can even affect their health. [Ascension](https://healthcare.ascension.org/) understands that patients are searching for empathetic, connected healthcare. The company also knows individuals could better manage conditions or catch them early. ”Patients are expecting their healthcare providers to know their information so that they can navigate their health in an authentic, personalized way,” says Tara Raeber, MBA, vice president of marketing and engagement at Ascension. “And we can proactively help connect to the care that’s right for them at the right time.” Led by Dr. Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, and chief clinical transformation officer at Ascension, the company wanted to utilize behavioral insights to drive better decision-making and automated technology to facilitate personalized experiences. The traditional outreach methods and manual processes Ascension was using were not able to provide the same impact without using high levels of resources. The company wanted to address care gaps like interventions such as cancer screenings that patients should complete regularly. Tara Raeber We’re helping to change lives. For those we serve in our communities who may find it difficult to schedule or navigate care, we’re helping them maintain their health and get back to the life that they love. test Icon Tackling cross-cloud, clinical engagement with technology Ascension reached out to Slalom to empower its teams to utilize [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Leveraging Data Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Health Cloud, Slalom created a program that aligned with Ascension’s initiatives. Slalom quickly demonstrated Salesforce’s capability to ingest substantial amounts of data and create sophisticated logic. The team then created a pilot to prove out the technical capabilities to do evergreen email sequences, which are triggered by a user’s actions, as well as the sophisticated logic for health-based criteria. Based on that immediate success, Slalom assembled a team of developers focused on quickly responding to Ascension’s healthcare and market-specific needs. Nudging fosters better outcomes “This work has scaled across the organization in a short period of time and has had measurable impact on key performance indicators,” says Dr. Patel. Pilot campaigns in three selected markets had phenomenal results, seeing a 26.2% average annual wellness visit scheduling rate, up from 5.1% through traditional phone outreach. This success led to expansion to all markets, with SMS and email outreach to over 42,000 patients resulting in more than 11,200 new appointments. As for closure of key gaps, Ascension has realized a significant improvement. Nudge campaigns are a true differentiator for Ascension. “We’re evaluating whether this concept of the personalized nudge will help individuals choose us because we can offer personalized care,” says Raeber. “Preliminarily, it’s true.” Nudges via text message prior to scheduled primary care visits have led to increases in care gap closure by 20% for vaccination, cancer screening, and diabetes management. Pioneering the future of patient care—together Slalom and Ascension continue to address clinical patient experiences and automate processes to minimize internal spending while maximizing customer impact. Together, we are helping to improve patient outcomes through compassionate, personalized engagement that aligns with Ascension’s mission to care for all. In fact, the team is currently working on a sophisticated medication adherence campaign, and Ascension plans to expand the use of nudge campaigns to other visit types, markets, and hospitals in the future. Woman medical professional walking with tablet to review personalized patient data --- title: Ashley Stewart: A new, inclusive digital space for shoppers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ashley-stewart source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ashley-stewart locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ashley Stewart: A new, inclusive digital space for shoppers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ashley-stewart - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ashley-stewart - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped Ashley Stewart refresh its ecommerce and mobile customer experience by upgrading its Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management platforms. ## Body Ashley Stewart: A new, inclusive digital space for shoppers Ashley Stewart | Slalom Slalom helped Ashley Stewart refresh its ecommerce and mobile customer experience by upgrading its Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management platforms. A new, inclusive digital space for shoppers Share story At a glance Impact The new website offers Ashley Stewart significant back-end upgrades while giving customers a fresh and convenient experience. Key Services Cloud Industry Retail consumer goods Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce A digital storefront to complement a new company brand [Ashley Stewart](https://www.ashleystewart.com/) is a retail clothing brand dedicated to empowering plus-size women to feel strong, beautiful, and ready to take on the world. It offers bold and unapologetic styles in more than 80 stores across 22 states, an ecommerce platform, and a dynamic social media presence. The company began to plan for a digital transformation to make the online shopping experience easier and more enjoyable for its customers. This would require upgrading its aging infrastructure, so the brand hired Slalom to help it migrate onto the latest versions of [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management. The go-live date was timed with a company-wide rebranding initiative. Identifying customer interaction pain points In an increasingly digital shopping industry, a convenient and consistent customer experience is table stakes. Slalom conducted website performance testing and an assessment of Ashley Stewart’s legacy systems to help the company identify customer touchpoints that were clunky and inefficient. “We knew our digital storefront was not keeping pace with consumer expectations,” says Liz White, chief customer officer at Ashley Stewart, Inc. “We needed to make changes that were significant on the back end, yet would appear subtle to the everyday shopper, yielding greater performance overall.” For example, the website was not optimized for some of the most popular purchase methods—mobile and buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS). The website also offered limited functionality due to a cumbersome merchandise database. The filter feature was weak, making it difficult for shoppers to sort products by categories like size, color, and season. The database also made it challenging for the Ashley Stewart team to implement sales and promotions, and third-party integrations did not function efficiently. “All the upgrades we made were through a lens of the customer experience,” says Shivani Majewski, senior director, Slalom. “Our goal was to help Ashley Stewart make significant back-end performance gains while presenting its customers with a fresh and convenient experience that would lead to more conversions.” Creating an inspiring experience The new website launched and is running faster and more smoothly than the previous version, even during high-traffic times. Slalom leveraged native features and functionality of the upgraded Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management platforms to deliver best-practice customer interactions. Improvements to the customer experience include: - A platform that automatically optimizes the website interface for users navigating the site on mobile devices - A BOPIS journey that creates a simple order and pickup process - More intuitive product searching and filter functionality - A number of seamless third-party integrations for order tracking, customer service, promotions, and security - A rating and review system to give customers an easy feedback channel and create insights for management to optimize quality The Slalom team also implemented technical back-end improvements that make Ashley Stewart’s website more streamlined and agile. A formal and standardized site monitoring system means that employees don’t have to manually check site performance each hour during peak traffic times. And with Salesforce Page Designer, the web team can quickly and easily make small, tactical changes and optimizations that promote brand consistency, a smooth UX, and page load times. “We had a smooth transition and go-live,” says Majewski. “The Ashley Stewart team has expanded its skill set across the functionality within Salesforce Commerce Cloud so it can nimbly scale, incorporate brand-level changes, and introduce new customer-facing features moving forward.” Modernizing the brand Ashley Stewart continues to update the website photography and overall feel of the brand. “The website beautifully reflects our new brand and gives us a framework to house our new customer experience,” says White. “We’re confident we have the functionality and skill to seamlessly weave in updates.” Woman smiling while drinking her coffee --- title: Atlanta Public Schools: Using data to help students succeed url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/atlanta-public-schools source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/atlanta-public-schools locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Atlanta Public Schools: Using data to help students succeed - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/atlanta-public-schools - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/atlanta-public-schools - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped Atlanta Public Schools build tools to lead the nation in transforming data into clear insights that empower educators, parents, and students. ## Body Atlanta Public Schools: Using data to help students succeed Atlanta Public Schools | Slalom We helped Atlanta Public Schools build tools to lead the nation in transforming data into clear insights that empower educators, parents, and students. Using data to help students succeed Share story At a glance Atlanta Public Schools set out to lead the nation in transforming data into clear insights that empower educators, parents, and students. Impact We helped APS make this goal a reality with Tableau data visualization tools and an AWS cloud data platform that meets stringent ISO compliance standards. Key Services Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Tableau - AWS Testing a fresh approach [Atlanta Public Schools](https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/) (APS) is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving over 50,000 students across 87 schools. The district’s mission is direct and determined: “With a caring culture of trust and collaboration, every student will be ready for college and career. But how do educators know if students are ready? Fears of “teaching to the test” have left many teachers and parents wary of relying on test results and other metrics. How does data translate into the practicalities of helping children learn? What if individual students get lost in the numbers? Several years ago, the [APS Data Information Group](https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/dig) set out to make data in education approachable and truly helpful. With funds from a grant focused on turning under-performing schools around, Executive Director Michael LaMont partnered with Slalom to get the program going. Visualizing dropout risk, performance, and more “It all started when we set up the team’s first [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau) Server,” recalls Ryan Crosby, a Slalom data and analytics consultant. “They were using an old SQL server that nobody loved, and they were writing all the Tableau workbooks against copies of the production database. I spent about five months bringing the team up to speed on data warehousing, and we created a lot of good dashboards.” The dashboards were unlike anything the district had produced before. Through Tableau data visualizations, data can be seen, explored, and understood in new ways. LaMont, who Crosby describes as “something of a data visionary,” led the charge to make information clear and useful to educators with no analytics training. Michael LaMont We defined ‘helpful’ as the core of our approach. It means we break down data. We spell it out. We teach it and explain it. We make it visual, and we make it easy. Some of the initial dashboards presented relatively simple information, such as attendance rates and “take rates” of important tests. Others were more complex, like an early warning dashboard that predicts dropout rates for incoming freshmen in high-school by applying data models to their performance in key subjects, attendance, behavior, and other metrics. In the first year, the team delivered dashboards to senior district leaders featuring high-level, high-priority data. Next, they zeroed in on school performance, creating deeper interactive dashboards for principals and instructional leaders. In year three, they provided the district’s 3,000 teachers with classroom-level data that quickly began to influence teaching plans and conversations about student needs. They also created a ground-breaking public website, [apsinsights.org](https://apsinsights.org/), that allows anyone to explore APS down to the school level. Balancing velocity and security As the program grew, inadequate infrastructure and automation became a significant challenge. The team repeatedly ran out of storage space or had trouble getting access to data sources in a timely fashion. “They started looking at the cloud,” says Crosby. “They wanted flexibility on how they could scale, and they had a goal of pushing data out to parents and students, which would require integrating Tableau with the district’s confidential student information system.” Slalom helped the team evaluate cloud options and select [Amazon Web Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) (AWS). We then worked together to architect and build an end-to-end data platform in AWS using Amazon Redshift and Matillion, a third-party tool that automates ETL (extract, transfer, load) jobs to connect data sources. Security was and is a top priority, especially after a ransomware attack crippled the city of Atlanta. With granular controls in the AWS cloud, Slalom was able to help the team achieve compliance with a rigorous security management standard, ISO/IEC 27001, as well as the Center for Internet Security AWS Foundation Benchmark. “They’re actually more secure than they were in the on-premise environment,” says Crosby. Confidential data is more secure and data sources are fully automated, so we can focus our time on making data useful. Most exciting, we’ll soon be able to securely deliver student-level dashboards to both parents and the students themselves. Making an impact “We can see from the backend that people are exploring and using these dashboards all across the school system and district,” says LaMont. “Teachers tell us the dashboards allow them to quickly gain a deeper understanding of their students. Previously they would have to piece together information across multiple disparate systems by themselves. Now all that information is at their fingertips in real time.” One of the most popular dashboards was inspired by feedback from schools and partners. The Goal Setting Dashboard allows teachers, counselors, and students to review past performance together and collaboratively set both life goals and more immediate academic goals for the student. By bringing data from across the district into one place, stakeholders can come together to support students in an unprecedented way. The team looks forward to delivering dashboards to parents in the upcoming school year. “It’s all pretty leading edge,” says Crosby. “There’s nothing else like it in Georgia. It’s raising the bar across the nation.” Children in classroom listening to teacher present --- title: Australia Post: A roadmap for strategy, Salesforce, and growth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/australia-post--a-roadmap-for-strategy--salesforce--and-growth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/australia-post--a-roadmap-for-strategy--salesforce--and-growth locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Australia Post: A roadmap for strategy, Salesforce, and growth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/australia-post--a-roadmap-for-strategy--salesforce--and-growth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/australia-post--a-roadmap-for-strategy--salesforce--and-growth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary To optimize its Salesforce-enabled capabilities, we created a strategic roadmap for Australia Post's dynamic future. ## Body Australia Post: A roadmap for strategy, Salesforce, and growth Australia Post | Slalom To optimize its Salesforce-enabled capabilities, we created a strategic roadmap for Australia Post's dynamic future. A roadmap for strategy and growth A roadmap for strategy, Salesforce, and growth Share story At a glance A trusted global postal service with a 200-year history, Australia Post continues to enrich customer experience with expanded offerings. Since 2011, Salesforce has helped support that expansion. Impact To optimize those capabilities, we created a strategic roadmap for Australia Post's dynamic future. Key Services Industry Federail national government Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Delivering parcels that connect people Nearly 28% of Australians – that’s 7 million people – live in rural and remote areas of the country. The service that connects those communities with the rest of the world is [Australia Post](https://auspost.com.au/). Trusted, reliable and affordable, the company operates more than 4,300 postal outlets, covers 10,000,000 addresses and serves more than 1,000,000 customers every business day. Over the years, Australia Post has evolved from a letter and parcel delivery service to a fully diversified government enterprise that includes postal, retail, financial and travel services. And since 2011, [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) has supported many of those complex operations. As business needs matured and the pace of change increased, Australia Post needed to ensure that its technology could keep up. “As an early adopter of Salesforce, Australia Post had significantly customized its implementation. But as the platform matured and the architecture changed, Australia Post wanted to continue to get the most value out of the product,” says Peter Vakkas, managing director at Slalom Melbourne. And the level of customization was no longer sustainable. To maintain its high standards for customer experience and ambitious goals for growth, Australia Post needed a strategic roadmap to optimize its capabilities. Slalom was proud to be chosen as a partner. Paving the road through partnership Leaders at Australia Post knew exactly where they wanted to go – but had many ideas about how to get there. What the company needed was a roadmap to align its business vision with technology. “Our relationship with Salesforce has been really strong. We wanted to partner with Slalom to provide an independent view and help shape our strategy in this complex environment,” says the Australia Post team. We began work in 2021 with a discovery process focusing on two major areas: sales and customer service. Through a series of workshops, our consultants spoke with team members across the company to learn about their challenges and business needs, particularly within the context of an increasingly competitive landscape. We needed to know how Australia Post was utilizing its existing tool set, how to connect the right features to the right use cases and which products could work harder for the business. Leaders knew that heavy customization of the platform was hampering their ability to leverage new products and provide the 360-degree customer perspective they value so highly. Standardizing and improving the systems had become difficult, which created inefficiencies and repetitive tasks for sales agents. The global pandemic, of course, threw these issues into sharper relief with urgent operational changes and demands. Rather than taking a hundred ideas and trying to make them all work, we needed a story to tell us where to go. Technology Manager Australia Post Defining the destination In speaking with 12 different stakeholder groups across executive leadership, operational leads, technology, sales and customer service, we were able to articulate the value of Salesforce and accompanying technologies — and help verify the direction of the company. “Slalom came in and the business units trusted them. This allowed them to be transparent and provide all the information that was needed,” says Australia Post. Rather than focusing on new Salesforce products, our consultants recommended ways to improve the existing toolset. To deliver greater value to the company and its customers, we demonstrated ways in which the company could streamline many aspects of the business, including platform governance, innovation and the operating model. Thanks to Australia Post’s culture of openness, the process was a true collaboration. “Bringing those conversations together was challenging, especially given the nature of ideation workshops and the fact that we had to conduct them virtually. But we didn’t let it halt our work. We really thought about the best ways to operate as a team,” says Hayley James, a principal at Slalom Sydney. A streamlined route to growth By combining deep experience in Salesforce, business advisory services and technology enablement, we delivered a three-year roadmap — including schedules, priorities and next steps — in just 10 weeks. “We aligned Australia Post’s capabilities and vision with Salesforce recommendations to create an actionable plan for the future,” says Christopher Nugent, a director at Slalom Melbourne. Our partnership continues as the company looks toward implementation. “The roadmap we were presented was not a point in time – it was developed in a way we can continuously improve upon,” says the Australia Post team. “Rather than taking a hundred ideas and trying to make them all work, we needed a story to tell us where to go.” With a greater understanding of its capabilities, Australia Post has a strong foundation to continue building customer trust through a more seamless experience, broadening services – and behind the scenes, a network of well-aligned stakeholders. Woman carrying packages and smiling --- title: Avetta: How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Avetta: How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Avetta enhanced its AI tools and improved internal processes by working with Slalom to implement Agentforce and Service Cloud Voice deployments. ## Body Avetta: How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations Avetta | Slalom See how we delivered Avetta’s first live Agentforce implementation, bringing chat and voice features to its extensive customer network. Avetta enhanced its AI tools and improved internal processes by working with Slalom to implement Agentforce and Service Cloud Voice deployments. How Agentforce streamlines customer experience ​How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations Share story At a glance ​​​​​Avetta wanted to scale its AI offerings to deliver even better ​​​​internal and external customer support experiences while boosting internal efficiency for its team’s live agents. Impact Continuing its long-standing collaborative partnership with Slalom, Avetta implemented two key technologies with its first live Agentforce deployment and Service Cloud Voice. Key Services Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Agentforce - Salesforce Service Cloud Voice ​​​​​​​[Avetta](https://www.avetta.com/) is a global leader in supply chain risk management. More than 130,000 businesses in over 120 countries use the company’s platform to build safe and sustainable relationships with contractors and suppliers. Avetta’s customers range from Fortune 500 giants to small, family-run operations. Avetta needs to serve them all equally, which requires a multifaceted approach. Avetta operates as a technology and software company offering value-added solutions, a business process outsourcing provider managing essential functions for enterprise customers, and a network-based company that powers a vast ecosystem connecting clients and suppliers around the world​​​​. As Avetta looked to scale, its team explored how to better incorporate AI into its various operations—and how [Slalom and Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) could help with that transformation. zexbw7bj26 Agentforce in action Hear Avetta, Salesforce, and Slalom leaders discuss how Agentforce enhanced customer experience, drove efficiency, and achieved global scale. Get the video Improving scalability and efficiency Initially, Avetta had explored​​​​​​ menu-based chatbots. These early bots were an innovative way to improve customer support. However, the bots produced some significant challenges, such as customers not always finding their answers on the menu or receiving links to resources that were several pages long and full of dense industry jargon. In both cases, users would still need to speak with a live agent. That resulted in less internal efficiency and a lower customer satisfaction score when engaging with the chatbot. Avetta’s team knew its strategy needed to change. “We would have continued with suboptimal customer experience and poor containment rate, which is just a bad overall outcome for our customers and for us internally,” says Richard Parke, senior vice president of Supplier Services at Avetta. One of Avetta’s objectives is to become as scalable as possible in providing resolutions to its customers quickly without having to rely on individuals. The company has partnered with Slalom since 2016 on several Salesforce implementations. Avetta’s team knew it could count on that collaboration once again, especially since they had an internal drive to build a stronger solution. “We had to make sure we had a robust enough knowledge base that a true generative AI (GenAI) agent would be able to understand the intent of the customer based on the cues and queries it’s putting into the chat,” Parke says. “Then, it could intelligently go out and find information from multiple knowledge articles and provide it back in a consumable way, in real human language.” Most of Avetta’s cases originate from inbound phone calls. The team also wanted to leverage ​​​​Service Cloud Voice alongside Agentforce so agents could assist customers more efficiently in real time. While the companies had an existing relationship, these solutions were the best and most effective options on the market for Avetta. Here’s how that two-pronged approach unfolded. We had to have the courage to forge our own path, and fortunately we had a great partner to forge it with. Richard Parke Senior Vice President, Supplier Services, Avetta Exploring new GenAI paths with Agentforce To enhance supplier support, Avetta partnered with Slalom to implement Agentforce as a next-generation chat deflection tool. The implementation was initially delivered as a proof of concept with Salesforce licensing AI Agent and Agent Assist before evolving into Avetta’s first live Agentforce deployment. “The implementation of the Agentforce service agent not only helps customers, the suppliers, but it also really helps the admins,” says ​​​​​​Gada Lam, a senior delivery principal at Slalom. “In a traditional bot, you go in and build out very specific dialogue paths for all your scenarios. A lot of that is abstracted away with the use of GenAI, so it alleviates some of that maintenance for admins.” The shift to Agentforce allows Avetta to improve GenAI capabilities through feedback loops. Avetta’s team can note where an AI agent may have given an answer that wasn’t the best possible response and share it with Slalom. Then, the Salesforce team can look at knowledge articles, instructions the agent has, and prompt templates to pull data and make adjustments. It’s a different—and more efficient—experience than going through permutations and computations of key-value pairs for a standard bot. This added efficiency led to a 25% decrease in service rep handle time.​​​​​​ “It’s easy to step back and say, ‘Let’s let somebody else go out and work the kinks out of this,’ and discover all the potholes. Then we can go, and it will be smooth sailing,” Parke says. “The reality is it won’t because there’s not going to be any AI deployment that is going to look the same elsewhere. We had to have the courage to forge our own path, and fortunately we had a great partner to forge it with.” Slalom’s team also improved service rep efficiency through Einstein Service features such as automated replies, conversation catch-up, and case wrap-up. Marcus Bruninghaus From the very beginning, we were focused on reducing call handle time and increasing chat containment, transferring fewer chats to a live human agent. We’ve accomplished both of those. Enabling enhancements through Service Cloud Voice To complement Agentforce and further boost productivity among service reps, Slalom also implemented Service Cloud Voice with Avetta’s existing Talkdesk telephony system. Avetta’s support team can now utilize multi-contact phone matching, automatic case creation, call recording, and multilingual call transcription. Additionally, Slalom’s team used an intuitive screen flow to resolve an ongoing issue with duplicate contacts. And Avetta’s technology team is well positioned for future enhancements, such as Einstein Conversation Insights and voice-triggered actions. “It really is the whole package,” says Marcus Bruninghaus, a director at Slalom. “It’s the Agent Assist features providing the options for a live service agent to respond. Service Cloud Voice captures the transcript, and the conversational agent interacts with the suppliers. It wasn’t just a new product; it was also a new way of working.” The concurrent workstreams spanned 13 weeks and fulfilled over 60 requirements to reach a minimum viable product. Building on its team’s strong, open-minded approach to technology and the ease of integration with existing systems, Parke and Avetta have worked with Slalom to achieve its vision of operational excellence and innovation. ​​​​ “I want to add how cutting-edge this project was. We were learning on the fly and working with Salesforce to navigate around solutions or come up with work-arounds,” Lam says. “We’re all very proud that we could deliver something that is so new, and Avetta is one of the first customers that went live with this solution.” A fruitful 10-year (and counting) partnership “From the very beginning, we were focused on reducing call handle time and increasing chat containment, transferring fewer chats to a live human agent,” says Bruninghaus. “We’ve accomplished both of those.” The pilot group alone saw a 38% increase in call deflection, while the containment rate more than doubled from 20% to 49%. Avetta now plans to extend Agentforce and Service Cloud Voice to additional English-speaking suppliers before moving into multi-language capabilities. The company will also expand into new channels, such as email, where AI agents can help. “We were never afraid to bring a problem to the table and have a conversation about it,” Bruninghaus says, crediting the trust and spirited attitude of Avetta’s team. “We were working as a team to solve the problem. Everyone was showing up to work hard and get it done.” With a decade of partnership, collaboration, and willingness to push and innovate in new areas, Avetta and Slalom feel confident about accomplishing even more together. “Our systems have to reflect an understanding of who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish for all of our customer constituencies,” Parke says. “Slalom gets it. They understand who we are and what we’re trying to do. That’s very valuable to us.” How can AI improve your organization? Slalom has extensive knowledge and experience in implementing AI solutions, like Agentforce, that keep your customers happy and your internal team humming. Learn more --- title: Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood: Becoming a digital-first nonprofit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/boys-and-girls-club-hollywood source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/boys-and-girls-club-hollywood locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood: Becoming a digital-first nonprofit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/boys-and-girls-club-hollywood - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/boys-and-girls-club-hollywood - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood implement a new CRM, delivered training and support on reporting and analytics, provided a roadmap for marketing and fundraising campaigns, and assisted with donor management. ## Body Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood: Becoming a digital-first nonprofit Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood | Slalom We delivered training and support on reporting and analytics, provided a roadmap for marketing and fundraising campaigns, and assisted with donor management. We helped the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood implement a new CRM, delivered training and support on reporting and analytics, provided a roadmap for marketing and fundraising campaigns, and assisted with donor management. Becoming a digital-first nonprofit Share story At a glance We helped the Boys Girls Club of Hollywood implement a new CRM, delivered training and support on reporting and analytics, provided a roadmap for marketing and fundraising campaigns, and assisted with donor management. Impact Now the organization’s CEO can make thoughtful, data-driven decisions about the best way to cultivate valuable donor relationships. Key Services Cloud Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Nonprofit success pack Leveling up a fundraising game Every year about 1,200 kids walk through the doors of the [Boys Girls Club of Hollywood](https://www.bgchollywood.com/) (BGCH) to participate in programs that involve everything from robotics and coding to filmmaking, tutoring, and basketball. But with COVID-19, all these activities stopped. For the first time in BGCH history, it had to severely restrict its operations. “We had to become really creative about how to serve our kids,” says Mel Culpepper, BGCH CEO. The organization switched to providing more holistic family services and was able to serve about 300 kids—virtually and through food drives. The pandemic also stymied BGCH’s annual in-person fundraising events. “Everybody went into a panic around how we were going to fundraise,” says Culpepper. Slalom had already started working with BGCH and, with our assistance, the organization turned to digital fundraising. The first online campaign, the Corona Care Fund, raised $170,000. That money allowed BGCH to write checks directly to families in the community—many of whom weren’t eligible for the first round of stimulus money. “The reality is that families did not have enough money to buy groceries—that’s why we rallied and created this fund. This was a completely different way of serving than we had in the past,” says Culpepper. Slalom steps in with pro bono support Just prior to BGCH launching the Corona Care Fund, Chris Reyes, a senior director at Slalom Los Angeles, joined the BGCH board of directors. Chris and other board members started asking questions about fundraising: How many donors does the organization have? How often do they donate? Which programs are they donating to? The organization wasn’t able to provide the answers. The CEO and her staff were stuck with a CRM that wasn’t serving their needs. They didn’t have the training to use the features the solution did have—and the one staff person who was proficient had just left. Everyone felt frustrated. Reyes and Justin Marconi, a Slalom customer engagement principal, demoed the [Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack](https://www.salesforce.org/nonprofit/nonprofit-success-pack/) for Culpepper and the board. Soon after, BGCH became Slalom LA’s first official pro bono client. I wish for all my nonprofit colleagues to have this experience. This is what success should feel like. Mel Culpepper Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, CEO Initially, Culpepper felt a little leery. “In my work, I’ve been on a lot of consultant projects. They sort of talk at you and then end up dumping more work on you,” she says. And the last thing her team needed was more work—especially during the pandemic. But her fears were short-lived. “I wish for all my nonprofit colleagues to have this experience. This is what success should feel like. Slalom is exceptional. They treat you, the nonprofit, as a true client,” she says. “This experience has been completely different.” A whole new world After Slalom set to work at BGCH, “life changed completely,” says Culpepper. First, our consultants shifted the organization from its existing CRM to Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and completed an analysis of more than 6,000 donor records. Then we cleaned the data and loaded it into the new CRM. Marconi, who also led the project, says, “Getting all the data imported correctly is always a huge moment for me. Another win was giving Mel the keys to log in for the first time and showing her around. Learning the basics and getting into the actual data are huge steps for someone who is not a technologist.” More donor insights = more dollars “Metrics, data, and analytics are new words for us here,” says Culpepper. “Justin reminds me of the importance of looking at my data and understanding what is behind it. You can do the same thing over and over, but not make any progress because you’re not looking at the impact of your work.” Previously, the organization’s data was siloed in five separate places. Now it’s neatly stored in one robust tool. “Knowledge is power. The more you know about your donors, the more you know how your messages are resonating with them,” says Culpepper. Slalom also connected Salesforce to the back end of the BGCH website, so that Culpepper can see exactly which programs donors view and donate to. Now she sends campaign emails that target specific donor interests. After a contribution, she writes a customized thank-you to express appreciation and to extend the connection. An off-the-shelf digital transformation With the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack, plus Slalom’s expertise, training, and communications support, BGCH moved its fundraising efforts into the 21st century. Instead of costly in-person fundraising events such as galas, the organization has a strategy and a roadmap for creating successful digital campaigns—plus the tools to do it and the insights to nurture more valuable donor relationships. A nonprofit, empowered In addition to helping BGCH launch two more seasonal campaigns in 2020, Slalom provided a comprehensive fundraising and advancement strategy, plus communications support around emails, the newsletter, and its presence on social media. “BGCH is now spending a lot of time on messaging, knowing that we have the tools to communicate effectively,” says Reyes, speaking from his viewpoint as a BGCH board member. “Before, we weren’t highlighting all the great things that the club was doing and creating awareness within the community. Now we’re able to leverage these tools and share the stories.” And donors feel confident that they’ve made a good investment because they see their dollars making a difference. “I’m looking forward to continuing this work,” says Culpepper. “Good things will happen because we have the systems in place—and the expertise—to make sure the implementation is seamless and smart moving forward. It’s been a wonderful engagement, and I feel fortunate to have been in a partnership with Slalom. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and this is the best consulting project I’ve ever worked on.” School photo of a young girl in a tie-dye shirt --- title: Breakthru Beverage Group: Driving growth with data-driven insights url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/breakthru-beverage-group source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/breakthru-beverage-group locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Breakthru Beverage Group: Driving growth with data-driven insights - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/breakthru-beverage-group - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/breakthru-beverage-group - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Driving growth with data-driven insights Driving growth with data-driven insights ## Body Breakthru Beverage Group: Driving growth with data-driven insights Breakthru Beverage Group | Slalom Learn how a leading North American beverage distributor used data and insights to recover from supply chain disruptions and future-proof its business. Driving growth with data-driven insights Driving growth with data-driven insights Driving growth with data-driven insights Breakthru Beverage Group Share story At a glance Breakthru Beverage Group, a leading North American beverage distributor, needed to use data and insights to recover from supply-chain disruptions and future-proof its business. Impact Breakthru Beverage Group partnered with Snowflake, dbt, and Slalom to transform its disparate data silos into a streamlined, central data analytics capability optimized for fostering collaboration and delivering valuable insights. Key Services Industry Retail Key Technologies / Platforms - Snowflake Data Cloud - dbt Labs Data Pipeline - Microsoft Azure Breaking through siloes to drive growth As the food and beverage industry continues to recover from pandemic-era disruptions in consumer behavior and global supply chains, there’s a renewed emphasis on enterprise data transformation. Leading organizations are innovating with data initiatives so they can surface and share information more quickly, setting the stage for a more resilient, collaborative, connected, and customer-centric future. One such organization is Breakthru Beverage Group, a $8 billion North American beverage distributor that offers restaurant and retail customers a portfolio of more than 6,000 wine, spirit, and beer brands. Operating across Canada and 16 States, Breakthru has prioritized data-driven decision-making and collaboration across its complex, diverse geographic footprint. “At Breakthru, we know that data is power—and that our ability to glean insights from a broad array of data from multiple sources is paramount to our competitive future,” says Joseph Bruhin, Chief Information Officer at Breakthru. “As our industry continues to evolve and digitize, it is imperative that we can communicate and collaborate with our suppliers and our customer partners based on data and insights. This is one way that we continue to establish ourselves as a leading distributor partner in North America.” At Breakthru, we know that data is power—and that our ability to glean insights from a broad array of data from multiple sources is paramount to our competitive future. Joseph Bruhin Chief Information Officer, Breakthru Getting to this point has been a massive undertaking. Formed in 2016 by the merger of established industry giants Charmer Sunbelt and Wirtz Beverage, Breakthru had a complicated data ecosystem, the result of decades of acquisitions and generations of ERP systems, legacy data applications, and critical third-party industry data sources to drive its business strategy and execution. The fragmented and siloed system made collaboration challenging, reporting time-consuming, and diminished trust in data insights. To revamp their data assets and lay a robust foundation for future growth, Breakthru embarked on a multi-year data transformation initiative. This initiative aimed to consolidate ERP systems onto SAP, gain deeper customer insights, and set the stage for national expansion. Slalom's role in Project Harmony was pivotal as they developed a centralized data service to convert Breakthru's sprawling data estate into meaningful insights for suppliers, customers, and employees. “We delivered a platform, but more importantly, we helped them stand up a capability,” says Amanda Lintelman, Slalom data and analytics practice lead in the Washington, D.C. Creating a centralized data platform Breakthru had partnered with Snowflake on an ad hoc basis before the project and found it to be flexible and easy to use, making it a logical choice for the new centralized data platform. Slalom designed the platform as a data lakehouse solution with three tiers: One for ingesting data; a middle tier for processing and cleaning it; and a third for business-ready, curated data sets. Because Breakthru had a vast amount of disparate data to migrate, the team used a combination of the Azure Data Factory and dbt to efficiently extract, load, and transform (ELT) the data into Snowflake. Together, Snowflake, Microsoft Azure, and dbt provide Breakthru with a robust cloud analytics foundation that can ingest data from diverse sources, process it efficiently, make it available securely across the organization, and transform it reliably for business insights. It provides a trusted, single source of truth for data analysis that can scale as Breakthru grows. Empowering in-house talent Breakthru and its predecessors have always had multiple data teams because of the decentralized nature of the business. IT needed a dedicated team to focus on consolidating its data assets to create new business value through a centralized service. At the corporate level, master data management, business intelligence, and analytics teams focus on above-market strategy and stakeholder communities like national accounts, suppliers, and supply chain partners. These teams drive special projects, and corporate initiatives, to ensure the local markets have the data, tools, and services to operate effectively. At the local level, each market has its own analyst team, serving their stakeholders with reporting and insights. As Breakthru continues to evolve its legacy processes into an enterprise data strategy it needed to ingest and process external information in a way that enabled analytics in and above market in a consistent way. As part of the mandate to empower in-house talent, Slalom collaborated with Breakthru on talent acquisition, providing input used to create job requisitions and training six people through a five-month apprenticeship program. This data operations leadership and execution support was key to building a self-sustaining capability that will continue to add value in the future. Slalom trained the new team to use agile SCRUM methodology, a lightweight project management framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining software and data products using iterative, incremental practices. Agile has prescriptive roles and responsibilities that allow teams to self-organize and respond quickly to change—another key requirement for Breakthru. Moreover, Slalom worked in tandem with data engineers and data visualization specialists from Breakthru as one team through platform implementation and delivery. This approach allowed Slalom to upskill the team members and do the knowledge transfer on the go, while ensuring continuous learning and development; this approach also allowed a smooth transition at the end of the project. As the new capability evolves and the team expands its catalog of data products in the future, Breakthru expects to stand up a formal governance committee to ensure continued alignment with enterprise business priorities. Driving business value with "Lost Sales" dashboard Beyond the foundational work, Breakthru selected six high-value data analysis use cases for exploration. Supply chain analytics topped the list. It was the perfect focus area for Breakthru and the right moment to drive home the collective value of data transformation and sharing data-driven insights. COVID-19 profoundly upended the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) supply chain, and customers from restaurants to grocery stores were often helpless to plan against it. “They were challenged to manage the ebbs and flows of the supply chain based on how COVID-19 was impacting it,” recalls Steve Dowling, a solution architect for dbt. “The whole industry was in flux. For 20 years, you could order Patron in the same manner, say, every two weeks. COVID made it sometimes 20 weeks, sometimes three weeks. It took what was once a constant and turned it into a variable.” Slalom integrated transactional data from SAP HANA Sidecar and forecast data from Blue Ridge to create a daily “Lost Sales” dashboard in Microsoft Power BI. The report quantifies potential revenue lost because products were out of stock and helps suppliers with product availability planning. Slalom demonstrated the dashboard to a packed audience of 80 excited stakeholders, and not long after, the results and feedback rolled in. People started using it immediately—some as many as two or three times a day—to drive meaningful conversations around quantifying lost sales and inventory and allocation issues. These are precisely the kind of collaborative, problem-solving conversations Breakthru’s executives want to see. By working with suppliers to share information about delays and production cycles, they are giving their customers tools for better demand planning and ultimately, fewer sales lost to low inventory. They are also early indicators that Breakthru’s stakeholders are embracing the new source of information—a key indicator that the new team is generating business value with the data products it creates. Breakthru says it measures business value “through the adoption of, and engagement with the dashboards we are producing—as well as through the business impact and results of that data in stakeholders’ hands. This is a long-term view of success, which will continue as we mature the capability.” man and woman reading tablet in room of boxes --- title: Cadent: Ensuring the safety of millions of UK homes and businesses url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cadent-ensuring-safety source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cadent-ensuring-safety locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Cadent: Ensuring the safety of millions of UK homes and businesses - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cadent-ensuring-safety - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cadent-ensuring-safety - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how a cutting-edge geolocation app enables faster response when gas leaks are reported to the UK’s National Gas Emergency Hotline. ## Body Cadent: Ensuring the safety of millions of UK homes and businesses Cadent | Slalom Learn how a cutting-edge geolocation app enables faster response when gas leaks are reported to the UK’s National Gas Emergency Hotline. Ensuring the safety of millions of UK homes and businesses Share story At a glance As the operator of the UK’s National Gas Emergency Helpline, Cadent plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of millions of homes and businesses across the country. However, when faced with reports of gas leaks from nonstandard locations, the system was not quick enough in identifying an exact location, adding potential delays to a gas escape response. Cadent turned to Slalom for a lightning-speed solution. Impact With Slalom’s help, Cadent built a cutting-edge geolocation app tailored to its specialised requirements which allowed the team to reduce response times, arriving at the exact location, and resulting in faster resolution throughout the UK. Key Services Industry Energy Utilities Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services - Amazon Location Service - API Gateway - AWS Lambda - SNS - SQS hcjp1psbxc A catalyst for change Picture this: a passer-by attempts to report a gas leak. Despite their best efforts, the emergency response team is directed to the wrong location, a mere 300 metres away from the actual site. While injuries are rare and most gas leaks are repaired immediately once identified, this was the challenge [Cadent](https://cadentgas.com/) faced with its geolocation system. There was a clear risk and danger that the next time could prove life-threatening for people and property. Dan Edwards, head of customer service operations at Cadent, knew he could improve the service and made it his personal mission to find a solution: Dan Edwards As head of customer service operations, my biggest concern is the safety of everyone in the UK when it comes to our gas systems. Our focus is not only to operate the existing infrastructure and systems but also to look at where we can further improve risk mitigation. Technology advances through AWS and its Location Service solution quickly answered that need. From design to deployment in just four weeks Our partners at AWS were initially contacted about the requirements. Due to our track record of fast and reliable delivery, AWS asked Slalom to help. Recognising the gravity and importance of the work, our Slalom team sprang into action. The app we developed allows customer service representatives to help locate people who are reporting a gas leak or fault at a location that doesn’t have an address. Key developments included creating dedicated testing environments, allowing for smooth integration and functionality, as well as using continuous integration and continuous delivery principles to make deployment easier. The Slalom team leveraged the power of AWS, architecting a core platform that served as the backbone of the geolocation solution. Stand-alone user applications were also designed to be accessible via web browsers, ensuring compatibility with older handsets. Most crucial to the success of the work was seamless integration with the existing contact centre infrastructure, showing the delivery of a cohesive user experience. The Slalom, AWS, and Cadent teams worked exceptionally well together to ensure easy adoption. --- title: Cal Water: Customer journeys that encourage understanding and participation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cal-water-customer-engagement source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cal-water-customer-engagement locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Cal Water: Customer journeys that encourage understanding and participation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cal-water-customer-engagement - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cal-water-customer-engagement - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary How Cal Water used Salesforce and Slalom to build more engaging emails and a conservation portal that increases program participation. ## Body Cal Water: Customer journeys that encourage understanding and participation California Water Service customer engagement | Slalom See how Cal Water revamped its customer communications and rebuilt its conservation portal with Salesforce and Slalom. How Cal Water used Salesforce and Slalom to build more engaging emails and a conservation portal that increases program participation. Customer journeys that encourage participation Customer journeys that encourage understanding and participation Share story At a glance We partnered with one of the largest water utilities in the United States to create more engaging, customized journeys that inform customers and drive them to action. Impact The volume of emails from Cal Water has increased, but time spent crafting them has dropped significantly—30%, by one estimate, while data entry has decreased by 95%. Key Services Industry Energy utilities Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Salesforce customer portal The power of sharing the why Engaging with customers is essential for [California Water Service](https://www.calwatergroup.com/), the largest regulated utility west of the Mississippi River. Cal Water, as it’s known, provides a reliable supply of safe, clean water and wastewater service to more than two million people. For Cal Water, connecting with customers on a personal level is especially important in two key areas: when communicating important and relevant information and when encouraging participation in programs, such as conservation rebates. The utility communicates with customers about rate adjustments, water quality, violations of water rules, or infrastructure improvements that may impact them. “We want to be communicative because being proactive usually leads to better results than following up on misinformation or remaining silent,” says Yvonne Kingman, Cal Water’s director of corporate communications. Beyond just need-to-know information, the communications team strives to provide relevant context to customers. For example, when people need to know about a rate increase, there’s power in sharing why the rate has gone up. “Even if it’s not the information they want, people respond better to knowing the truth and the reasons behind actions,” Kingman adds. We believe the more our customers know, the more they can trust their water and their water provider. Yvonne Kingman, Director of Corporate Communications California Water Service A vision for customer engagement One of the primary ways Cal Water has traditionally connected with customers was through “flat” mass emails that provided only general information. The messages, while timely and relevant, weren’t personalized to individual customers, so they often didn’t inspire action. The conservation department also relies on engagement to drive participation in water-conservation efforts. The utility offers several water-conservation rebate programs; however, when customers visited the conservation portal for information, they often found the application process confusing and difficult to navigate. If customers had a question, they could email the conservation team, but they’d have to wait for someone on the team to manually send a reply. “The public-facing portal was a bit confusing, and there wasn’t a lot of detailed information,” says Anthony Meyer, conservation coordinator in the conservation department. “There weren’t journeys to guide them through the process. The demographic that isn’t so computer savvy, like elderly people, struggled trying to navigate our programs, and people would drop off during the application process.” As Cal Water expanded its efforts to increase participation in conservation programs, it became clear that a more personalized and responsive approach was needed, one that would tell customers why they should participate, lead them interactively through the process, and ultimately increase application conversion and overall water conservation within Cal Water districts. More meaningful messages Two Cal Water leaders had previously worked with companies that used Salesforce, and they recommended that as the solution for both teams. Cal Water solicited proposals for assistance in deploying Salesforce, and Slalom emerged as the top choice due to the robustness of our offerings and our in-depth understanding of Cal Water’s business. The first step was deploying Marketing Cloud for the corporate communications team. A group of our experienced Salesforce consultants assisted Kingman and her team in creating and executing a roadmap to customize Marketing Cloud to meet their specific needs. This included creating personalized journeys for different customer segments. “Working with the Slalom team was great,” Kingman says. “They really understood what it is we were trying to do and kept us on task and on time.” The communications team completed the implementation within three months, an impressive accomplishment that likely wouldn’t have been possible without Slalom’s guidance and flexibility in adapting to evolving needs, Kingman says. The first automated email campaign encouraged users to sign up for paperless billing and guided them through the setup process. But we weren’t done when that first email went out; one consultant stayed on to help set up templates and mailing lists and to test campaigns. “Slalom has continued to be a huge help,” Kingman says. “Their representative has supported me on multiple campaigns—and helped with anything else I need.” A smoother path to rebates Next was helping Meyer’s conservation team revamp the Cal Water conservation portal with a Salesforce customer portal. For over seven months, more than a dozen of our consultants helped build a portal that presented more detailed information and a faster, easier process for applying for rebates online. This phase started with a makeover of the conservation section of the Cal Water website. When customers visit the new section, they see a high-level overview of every program and rebate the utility offers locally. When they click on a program, they get sent to the portal for details. The portal has the same look and feel as the main website, ensuring continuity so that customers know they’re still in the right place. Salesforce will capture their Cal Water account number, automatically validate each visitor, and then display conservation programs and rebates that are specific to their area. The system guides customers with customized application wizards, prompting them to upload the necessary receipts and attachments for Cal Water to process their rebate applications. If a customer has questions about the status of their rebate, they can access their application and view processing information in real time. “This makes it very simple,” Meyer says. Regardless of which rebate program the person is applying for, the information will arrive in the same format, greatly reducing the manual effort previously needed to combine multiple sources. Additionally, information will automatically filter to the appropriate conservation representative, reducing any delay in response to customer needs. More engagement, less effort The simplicity that Marketing Cloud creates for the corporate communications team enables them to engage with customers more frequently, head off objections, and address misinformation. Kingman is handling most of those emails herself, but the automation gives her more time to focus on strategy. For instance, Kingman recently sent a campaign with 22 different complex, district-specific emails. Marketing Cloud simplified the process of differentiating recipients and creating customized messages. “If we had to do it ourselves, it would have been much more tedious, and it definitely would have taken us time that we didn’t now have to spend,” Kingman says. On the conservation side, Meyer has been excited to see the pieces fall into place. “All that information is in one location with all those wonderful Salesforce resources,” he says. With Salesforce automation, Cal Water will dramatically reduce time required to nurture its conservation programs. “There’s so much engagement with our customers,” Meyer says. “This will help us with both the timeliness and the breadth of our communications. We have a small staff, so reducing the number of inquiries and phone calls is going to make a massive difference.” The conservation portal is now live, and Kingman will continue to expand how she uses Marketing Cloud for communications. Slalom will be there to support them. “I can’t even put into words how great it’s been working with Slalom,” Meyer says. “There were facets to this that were completely foreign, and they went out of their way to meet me at that spot and put everything into layman’s terms.” Anthony Meyer, Conservation Coordinator asdf You never know when you throw 15 people into a scenario to work all day for seven to nine months how the dynamic is going to work, but every single person Slalom has brought on has been completely over-the-top skilled and a pleasure to work with. Ready to transform your communications with technology? Let's talk --- title: Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/canada-dog-guides source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/canada-dog-guides locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/canada-dog-guides - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/canada-dog-guides - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides to replace outdated paper systems with modern Salesforce technology solution. ## Body Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides | Slalom We partnered with Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides to replace outdated paper systems with a modern Salesforce technology solution. We partnered with Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides to replace outdated paper systems with modern Salesforce technology solution. Unleashing potential Thanks to a new Salesforce CRM, it's easier than ever for Dog Guides to see all its data and manage the entire lifecycle of service dogs like adorable Flinn. The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides partnered with Slalom to replace paper files with modern technology that helps the organization serve more people, more efficiently. Impact Salesforce and custom apps provide a streamlined and digitized experience, giving the organization visibility into its entire client lifecycle. Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Services Data Organizational change & talent Systems implementation Key Technologies/Platforms - Salesforce The Vision The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides was ready to accelerate “paws-itive” change by becoming a digital-first nonprofit. The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (Dog Guides) aims to empower Canadians with disabilities by providing them with a dog guide at no cost, helping them navigate the world with a greater sense of confidence and independence. In addition to pairing dog guides with people, the organization also manages the dog’s entire lifecycle—from breeding through retirement—and provides ongoing support to all its clients. When COVID-19 hit, the organization was faced with a major dilemma: all the information on clients, dogs, and donors resided in physical files at the organization’s main office in Oakville, requiring team members to travel and retrieve the paperwork in person. Relying on paper files also made it impossible to see the connections between dogs and stakeholders. And having data in multiple places made it hard to get a clear picture on the overall operation. A person could be a client, volunteer, and donor but the organization wouldn’t know that because their information would be in three separate databases. It was time for a digital transformation. Three guide dogs laying in a row on the floor awaiting a command We needed to get into this century. There was a huge risk factor. If anything happened to that building or those files, all our client records and donor info would be gone. These are really critical pieces to the organization. Bev Crandell CEO, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides The Solution The Slalom team implemented a Salesforce solution with custom apps to deliver immediate and tangible impact for Dog Guides’ employees, clients, and volunteers. Couple sitting on a couch with a dog at their feet We worked together as one. Having previously worked in the tech industry, Gina Lijoi—the director of programs and client services at Dog Guides—knew it was important to find a partner that would take the time to understand the complexities of the organization. The Slalom team learned the ins and outs of the organization—such as the breeding and training program—while also gaining an understanding of the relationships between clients, foster families, donors, and other constituents. “Very early on, it started to feel like we were a single team. There was no division,” says Lijoi. “When the implementation team showed up, they knew who we were. They knew the titles of people on our staff. They knew what we did and understood our needs and our operation. We were astounded. So, to show up that ready, I feel like we hit the ground running.” Dog Guide's trainers with dogs We provided digital solutions that fit Dog Guides’ unique challenges. - Among the immediate priorities were implementing Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and a full website and data migration. - We then worked with Dog Guides to customize an app that captured vital points and allowed the organization to track the end-to-end lifecycle for dogs and clients in one place. - One of the most intricate aspects of the organization is the breeding program. As part of this process, breeders use a “coefficient of inbreeding”—a complex formula that helps them measure the inbreeding levels and determine the ideal matches. Slalom embraced the challenge to break down the formula, verify it with the geneticist, and work with the developer to build it with Lightning Web Components. Now a chart in Salesforce dictates all the numbers in a clear, digestible way. - An investment in change management and ongoing training also played a major role in the overall excitement and adoption of the new CRM. Almost 100% of users signed in on day one of go-live. Dog Guide trainer listening to a dog We witnessed unexpected ripple effects. Now that they’re trained on a central, unified platform, employees and volunteers can spend less time on administration and more time supporting their dogs and clients. One example of this support happened shortly after a Slalom consultant led an #IamRemarkable workshop with a group of volunteers. A mother traveled to accept a dog for her child on the autism spectrum, but nearly left the facility after struggling with feelings of doubt and unworthiness. Fortunately, a staff member used what she’d learned in the workshop and coached the mother to reflect on three things that make her a remarkable person. The mom stayed and trained with the dog, and now her child will get the support they need. Slalom consultant posing with a dog It wasn’t just giving them a CRM—it was changing the way they approach how they support their community. Alysa McCarty Engagement Lead and Principal, Slalom Canada Customer Impact Dog Guides’ employees and volunteers are delighted by their ability to access information and document communication with clients. Share story Ainslie Hancock We showed up and really helped Dog Guides dream bigger and advance their cause. With the power of data, they can now more effectively serve the Canadian community. Alysa McCarty Anything I can do with a direct impact on the community, I want to get involved. This turned out to be even more high impact than I anticipated. Kaitlyn Zator Working with Dog Guides was one of my most rewarding project experiences at Slalom. We had the opportunity to see how impactful it was to create a robust CRM system for Dog Guides' clients. Simran Saini It was so clear that the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack solution was going to allow Dog Guides’ teams to train up even more dogs and bring them to the next level to serve their clients across Canada. Aparna Ananthakrishnan Slalom s partnership with Dog Guides effectively transformed the way their clients are taken care of everyday. It was inspiring to see the Salesforce solution elevate the experience for each one of their users. David Lozinski Coming together as a team we were able to harness Salesforce and empower dog guides to better unleash their dogs and clients’ full potential. vmt9qw5cta Woman walking her dog in the snow --- title: CARE: Using data to support women in crisis url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/care-support-women-crisis source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/care-support-women-crisis locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CARE: Using data to support women in crisis - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/care-support-women-crisis - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/care-support-women-crisis - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom and Microsoft partnered to develop a modern data solution that helps CARE provide humanitarian relief around the world. ## Body CARE: Using data to support women in crisis Care | Slalom Slalom and Microsoft partnered to develop a modern data solution that helps CARE provide humanitarian relief around the world. Using data to support women in crisis Care Share story At a glance When CARE created the Women Respond program to provide humanitarian relief around the world and needed modern data and analytics capabilities to provide global insights, it invited Slalom and Microsoft to join the effort. Impact Slalom and Microsoft partnered to develop a modern data solution that helps the organization deliver exactly what’s needed to those who need it most. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philantropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Power BI - Azure Data Warehouse - Azure Synapse Showing the world what happens when we lift up women and girls The scope of [CARE’s humanitarian work](https://www.care.org/) is staggering: 100 countries, 1,300 programs, 90 million people. With a mission to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice, the organization provides women and girls with healthcare, advocacy, food, water, shelter, hygiene, and more. CARE’s work recognizes that these groups are differently and disproportionately impacted by any crisis—whether it’s a natural disaster or a military conflict. COVID-19 added yet another layer of complexity to women’s situations. Not only were they losing lives and livelihoods, they were losing rights and experiencing increased domestic violence. CARE created the Women Respond initiative to provide support and learn how women are leading through crisis—but in order to do it effectively, the organization needed data. With no modern precedent for the pandemic, there was nowhere to turn for information. CARE conducted surveys on the ground, interviewing people in displacement camps, dense urban areas, and rural villages. Outreach took place via automated phone system, texts, tablets, and paper notebooks. Each member country tailored its questions to specific communities, and responses came back in so many languages and formats they were impossible to compare or aggregate. “The world was responding with soap and face masks and social distancing, but the women we spoke to were telling us they couldn’t eat or feed their kids. They couldn’t possibly quarantine, so listening to these women was very different than listening to ourselves,” says Emily Janoch, director for knowledge management and learning at CARE. While the program had often provided aid at an individual or project level in the past, the widespread devastation of the pandemic meant that CARE had to respond on a massive scale—quickly. CARE needed modern data and analytics capabilities to provide global insights, so it invited Slalom and Microsoft to join the effort. Lauren Stark CARE can now respond faster with the humanitarian efforts that will have the most impact. A common goal for the common good Prior to COVID-19, CARE had explored creating a centralized data store that would alleviate the manual, time-intensive process of entering and reviewing data in spreadsheets. The pandemic lent a new urgency to the initiative, but financing was the first hurdle. As a charitable organization, CARE needed partnerships. [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) provided licenses through its Tech for Social Impact program. Next, CARE needed data and analytics engineers. “Slalom has always been a key partner of Microsoft, and because I’d worked with the team and seen that expertise in the past, I felt very comfortable with Slalom’s understanding of data design, architecture, user experience, and capability building,” says Michelle Routh, former chief information officer at CARE. Slalom assessed the requirements and use cases and established the foundational vision for a modern data architecture. We then presented the solution back to Microsoft, which, along with Slalom, made additional investments. “One of our Slalom core values is to build and shape a better future,” says Lauren Stark, a senior director at Slalom. “It’s been a fulfilling experience to partner with Microsoft in service of CARE to enable a better future for communities of women and children around the world.“ Slalom jump-started our effort, establishing the much-needed capabilities we needed going forward. Cherian Varghese Director of Data Science and Analytics at CARE A worldwide workshop During the three-week discovery process, a Slalom data and analytics lead conducted 14 interviews with 21 stakeholders in 13 countries across 11 time zones. Sessions were facilitated in French by a Slalom team member in Canada. Eight unique audiences were defined, from CARE’s central office to its field teams and the agencies that affect policy change. We asked users how, why, and what types of surveys were being conducted, what they were trying to achieve, and how best to present the data to facilitate their goals. Informed by those conversations, we designed a dashboard to layer in the data by actions, the business insights that enable those actions, and the data that drives the insights. As more surveys came in, the team saw that both the data and the method of entry varied tremendously. Flexibility became a top priority, and the solution required a complex business logic that could accommodate a high degree of customization. Our goal was to create and streamline survey templates that would automate the incoming data, allowing CARE to better understand which resources were needed and where. A build for a brighter future The team decided that the Microsoft Power Platform suite of tools would allow them not to only build very quickly, but develop a solution that could be easily managed by CARE’s relatively small team. “Slalom jump-started our effort, establishing the much-needed capabilities we needed going forward,” says Cherian Varghese, director of data science and analytics at CARE. Slalom specialists from all over the country developed the solution: a data engineer and a Power BI consultant from Atlanta, a Power Apps expert from Seattle, and an Azure expert from New York. We leveraged Power Apps to upload survey data and map responses to impacts, actions, and needs. The standardized data could then be aggregated, compared, and analyzed to discover the communities where help could make the most difference. We used Power Automate, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Synapse to load, process, and store the data, and then built an intuitive dashboard in Power BI to turn that data into actionable information. Because the logic needed to map both numerical and narrative survey answers, data modeling was a challenge. For example, different versions of the same questions and answers might look like this: - How have you been impacted by COVID-19? I had to start homeschooling my kids. - Are you homeschooling kids between ages A) 1-5, B) 6-9, or C) 10-15? B - Select 0 if you are homeschooling your kids. 0 Working closely and iteratively with CARE, we reviewed the data, ensured maps uploaded correctly, adjusted the business logic when numbers didn’t add up as expected, and accounted for different inputs. To ensure long-term success, Slalom advised CARE’s internal team on new hires and spent time on knowledge transfer to better enable them to support the system. “Slalom stands by our products. Even once we’ve handed over the solution, I’m still there to answer questions and continue to own this project for you. I’m not off the clock just because the build is complete,” says Adrian So, a data and analytics director at Slalom. Data comes full circle Habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus sit. Vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat. Ac odio tempor orci dapibus ultrices. Ipsum faucibus vitae aliquet nec ullamcorper sit. Varius quam quisque id diam vel quam. Gravida cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient. Praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla est ullamcorper. Quisque egestas diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Posuere urna nec tincidunt praesent semper feugiat nibh. Sed vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Nunc lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa. Dui id ornare arcu odio. Diam donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in fermentum. Quam adipiscing vitae proin sagittis nisl rhoncus. Feugiat in fermentum posuere urna. Senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac. Sem et tortor consequat id porta nibh venenatis cras. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed. Ut consequat semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet. Young girl walking in dress --- title: Carhartt: The human side of large-scale transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/carhartt-people-first-change-management source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/carhartt-people-first-change-management locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Carhartt: The human side of large-scale transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/carhartt-people-first-change-management - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/carhartt-people-first-change-management - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary An iconic clothing brand wanted a strategic approach and the right training tools to prepare for a large-scale transformation. ## Body Carhartt: The human side of large-scale transformation Carhartt | Slalom An iconic clothing brand wanted a strategic approach and the right training tools to prepare for a large-scale transformation. The human side of large-scale transformation Carhartt logo Share story At a glance Impact We worked with Carhartt’s teams and technology partner to co-create organizational effectiveness and change management solutions that will empower employees, drive user adoption, and ensure a great experience for customers. Key Services Industry Retail Outworking them all, from steam to digital [Carhartt](http://www.carhartt.com/) is the original workwear company. It’s justly famous for its purpose-built, authentic products, including the classic Brown Duck Chore Coat and popular A18 Watch Cap. For more than 132 years—all the way from the steam age to the digital era—the family-owned business has overcome challenges presented by technological revolutions, world wars, economic turmoil, and two pandemics. It’s a global brand for honest, hardworking, industrious people, built by honest, hardworking, industrious people. In 2019, facing both rapid growth and marketplace disruption, the company embarked on Project Catalyst, an ambitious multiyear initiative encompassing both technology and business transformation. Its scope includes migrating to SAP S/4 HANA, moving to the cloud, and reimagining business processes end-to-end. Led by a cross-functional team, the project will enable Carhartt to improve visibility across the organization, make big changes to how it manages inventory, keep on delighting its customers, and thrive well into the twenty-first century. Jenny Hall We’ve come back to Slalom for multiple different engagements because we’ve been really pleased with the caliber of resources and the fit with the project team. People first, always Like many transformations, and in line with Carhartt’s values, Project Catalyst is as much about people as it is about technology. The second phase of Project Catalyst is its most complex, directly affecting 350+ associates (employees) in the wholesale business and indirectly impacting the majority of Carhartt’s 5,000+ workforce. The Project Catalyst team had documented hundreds of pain points affecting Carhartt’s associates, customers, and consumers. Information that led executive Jenny Hall to identify an opportunity—and a challenge—to drive a more effective SAP implementation by enlisting associates as change agents. Hall says, “The sheer number of people that had to be trained and the matrix of a training plan that was going to have to be created was overwhelming. I thought, how do we even start?” That’s where Slalom Detroit came in. Two construction workers shown pulling on ropes Mapping processes, identifying barriers Slalom and Carhartt teams partnered to map processes and stakeholders across areas that included distribution, order management, manufacturing, finance, and others vital to the well-being of the business. Together, we identified, documented, and analyzed 250 changes across 60 processes arising from the SAP migration. We then worked with Carhartt’s business teams to review the impact of the changes, translate them into benefits and challenges, identify barriers and solutions, and share key learnings and updates with leaders. “We didn’t just create a laundry list,” says Jennifer Pierce, a Slalom consultant and the PM on Project Catalyst. “We came in and helped facilitate discussions with the business leads to say, ‘Okay, this is a business process change we’ve identified. Do you think we need to find a process owner for this area? Do we need to document a process flow for this change? Do we need a RACI? What’s our plan to socialize this once we have that documented, and what groups do we need talk to?’” Getting process flows organized is a meticulous undertaking. But an important one, says Slalom principal Saurabh Bhargava, because it enables leaders to “communicate with people clearly and say, ‘this is what’s changing in your area,’ or ‘this is how it is today and this is how it’s going to be tomorrow.’” We created a one-page overview that Hall and her team could use to align with other groups and present a clear overview to other executives. She says, “We were able to meet with the vice president and one of his team members who leads our internal manufacturing. We took them through ‘Here’s the change. Here’s who’s impacted,’ all the way across eight different categories.” Finally, our consultants wanted to make sure Carhartt was equipped to capture future changes itself. We showed its leaders how to develop their own process maps and RACIs, shared best practices for socializing those documents, and introduced them to new tools for brainstorming and virtual facilitation. A comprehensive training roadmap The teams then moved on to identifying training needs for end users and creating an 11-month roadmap. The roadmap outlined the training scope, the process flow and sequence, the channels for delivery, the training roles that needed to be filled, and whether HR needed to be engaged. It accounted for complex dependencies like different countries and languages, additional technologies in use, and team outcomes. We also set KPIs around training readiness, virtual learning completion, user feedback, and long-term metrics to help Carhartt track its progress. With the roadmap in place, we then delivered curricula outlines and risk analyses for 71 courses on topics ranging from sales order management to “Intro to Project Catalyst” and “SNP 101.” “Slalom helped us get started. I mean from the ground up,” says Hall. “We have a lot of variables here. There’s a magnitude to the amount of people and the locations and the languages. Slalom’s training expertise has hit every single one of those things.” Leading with empathy in uncertain times COVID lockdowns started mid-engagement, and our consultants needed to bring the best change management practices to their own work. Bhargava recalls that there was no break—we simply pivoted to virtual collaboration overnight. Out of that moment came the spark of an idea for something outside of the engagement scope. “Throughout the course of our engagement, we realized that Project Catalyst was already very intense for Carhartt,” he says. “And then COVID happened. The whole idea of doing Leading with Empathy training stemmed from that.” The workshop guided leaders through the theory around effective change in organizations, introduced empathy-focused exercises, and helped them identify opportunities for their own growth. It was so well-received that our consultants were asked to roll it out to the CIO and his entire department. “It was applicable to the empathy that we need to keep in mind as we are asking the organization to go through a lot of change,” says Hall. “It was relevant. It was digestible. It was actionable.” Danielle Soucie Carhartt is driving transformation in a way that is incredibly empathetic. When people need support, they feel they can raise their hands and that support is given. Ready for success Hall believes the Project Catalyst team is significantly ahead of where they need to be thanks to the OE work. They have a clear path forward that empowers them to anticipate and gauge the impact of future decisions around process changes and ownership. They have a wealth of tracking tools, change plans, checklists, training plans, and stakeholder maps; in short, everything they need to bring their people along. And for Carhartt’s hardworking customers, Project Catalyst’s success ultimately means a smoother experience and getting more of those much-loved products to the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantities. Hall doesn’t hesitate to offer words of wisdom to other companies undertaking transformation initiatives. “Bring in an expert to help you understand how to do training right,” she says, “because it’s not easy and it’s going to be far more complex than you ever imagined.” --- title: CaringBridge: Building digital bridge to support and care url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/caringbridge-app-modernization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/caringbridge-app-modernization locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CaringBridge: Building digital bridge to support and care - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/caringbridge-app-modernization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/caringbridge-app-modernization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom and CaringBridge partnered on a modern mobile app to support family caregivers, increasing user engagement and improving data analytics ## Body CaringBridge: Building digital bridge to support and care See how a modernized mobile app helped CaringBridge enhance support for family caregivers while their loved one is going through a health journey. Slalom and CaringBridge partnered on a modern mobile app to support family caregivers, increasing user engagement and improving data analytics CaringBridge app modernization | Slalom Building a digital bridge to support and care Share story At a glance We partnered with CaringBridge to enhance support for family caregivers with a modernized mobile app. Impact The new app improves the user experience and adds functionality, encouraging increased engagement between authors, visitors, and caregivers—and more donations. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - iOS - SwiftUI - GitHub Actions - Apollo GraphQL - Figma Uniting communities. Facilitating health journeys. [CaringBridge](https://www.caringbridge.org/) is a health communication platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they care for a loved one going through a health journey. The organization offers tools to share and document a health journey, simplify care coordination, and connect caregivers with their chosen community. Developed nearly a decade before most social networking sites, CaringBridge is the first, most widely used platform for communicating during a health journey. The organization provides free, protected sites that allow patients and caregivers to keep their friends and family updated on their journeys. HealthTech magazine called CaringBridge “an indispensable tool for managing community care and support.” CaringBridge is a donor-supported nonprofit, with nearly 90% of its funds coming from those who have experienced the platform’s power firsthand. Navigating outdated tech The nonprofit developed a mobile app built on last-gen UI frameworks with a code base and tools that used older technologies. Over time, the app began to lag behind modern app UI patterns and user expectations. Additional concerns included: - The app wasn’t fully native, so many features linked users away from it. - Users had a disjointed, less-than-optimal experience that didn’t match the website experience, including frequently being logged out. - There was an underdeveloped web-to-app journey. - Users had limited visibility into how to easily donate to CaringBridge. - The in-app donation process needed to be streamlined. - Analytics tracking was limited, providing little to no data on app usage or user demographics. Modernizing the app would help to keep CaringBridge operational since the nonprofit relies solely on contributions. The CaringBridge mobile app also needed to be refreshed to coincide with its new visual identity as part of the organization’s upcoming brand relaunch. Like many nonprofits, the small CaringBridge team was unable to quickly and easily update, support, and grow the app. There was minimal automation available to assist its developers, and the team lacked sufficient resources to maintain the app. Slalom was more than happy to get involved and provide our support. We wanted to do more than just build CaringBridge an app. We wanted to make a difference. Derek Farder Principal, Customer Strategy, Slalom Upskilling and hiring for future growth Before we started building, we helped create a business strategy to secure donor funding for this modernization effort. Tom Booth, chief product officer at CaringBridge, says, “We have a number of ideas that are beyond the scale of what our team can do, but that our partnership with Slalom allows us to achieve. This partnership is so fantastic because it allows us to put a little work up front to build a package that helps us secure donor funds to continue to do our work.” We focused our modernization efforts on several key areas: - Redesigning the overall user experience and infusing the CaringBridge brand tone and personality into the app. - Bringing attention to donations by surfacing them in a way that ensures the experience is clear, with the right message provided in the right place, at the right time. - Making posting, an extremely popular feature, easier by building in several methods to drive engagement in posts. - Improving the mobile app’s analytics capabilities, helping CaringBridge gain much-needed insights. Empowering connections and expanding possibilities The reinvented CaringBridge app is built on a modern platform that ensures a solid architectural foundation to build on and quickly update. The organization is now equipped to take advantage of modern technology that enables its small development team to push updates live quickly. In addition to conforming to the redesigned CaringBridge brand, the improved best-in-class, native mobile app experience has parity with the core website. The nonprofit’s reinvented app also increases engagement between authors, visitors, and caregivers. asdf Tom Booth One of the things that we have seen really start to accelerate since we launched the new app is the number of authors using the mobile app. We’re now well over 50% of people using their mobile devices to post updates, which is fantastic. Slalom’s partnership helped CaringBridge shorten the time it would have taken to develop the app by several months. We shored up limited resources and missing expertise, upskilling and providing CaringBridge developers with the tools they needed to move faster with a small team. “We had some product management help from Slalom paired with a product manager on our side,” says Booth. “We had one of our engineers sitting side by side with an engineer from Slalom. We had a designer who was fluent in the new CaringBridge design and was able to work with Slalom to get both done at the same time. It was a really good mix of resources, all on one team, getting this done.” Booth also appreciates the consultative guidance the team has received from Slalom. “Whatever the subject, whatever the technology, I can pick up the phone, and Slalom will find someone we can talk to. Salesforce, AWS, SwiftUI. It doesn’t matter. There’s someone that I know I can trust to pick up the phone and have a conversation with. It’s just been such an amazing partnership.” And now CaringBridge can move forward independently based on documentation that details our approach to product development. We’re just at the beginning of the things we’ll be able to do. The opportunity to have a platform that we can innovate to make things even easier for our users is exciting. Tom Booth Chief Product Officer, CaringBridge Looking to the future Having access to enhanced analytics capabilities empowers CaringBridge to make informed strategic decisions based on user demographics and app usage. The organization can focus on building valuable features that support future product direction. CaringBridge has bolstered its revenue-generating potential with its modernized app. Its improved functionality makes it easier for users to donate funds to the nonprofit, which helps it to continue to support caregivers and patients. In addition, donor funders are seeing their investment in the CaringBridge technology platform pay off, leading to a greater likelihood of increased investment in future initiatives. The organization continues to explore new ways to use technology to build bridges of care through its no-cost, nonprofit health platform. CaringBridge remains committed to innovation and growth to improve the lives of caregivers, patients, and their communities. Ready to modernize your app or platform? Start here --- title: Carter’s: The power of connected planning url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/carters source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/carters locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Carter’s: The power of connected planning - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/carters - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/carters - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We rolled out new Anaplan use cases for Carter’s and updated older models of the business planning solution, eliminating data silos and dozens of spreadsheets. ## Body Carter’s: The power of connected planning Carter’s | Slalom We rolled out new Anaplan use cases for Carter’s and updated older models of the business planning solution, eliminating data silos and dozens of spreadsheets. The power of connected planning Share story At a glance Impact Now the organization is on its way to being connected in real time with data in one authoritative source—and more team members are empowered to make fast, data-driven decisions.m Key Services Industry Retai Key Technologies / Platforms - Anaplan - Tableau Trusted by generations There’s nothing like selecting a gift for a child. Whether you’re buying a T-shirt with a cute design or an adorable rattle in the shape of their favorite animal, and whether you’re doing it online or in-store, the feeling of choosing something beautifully made that you know will be loved and enjoyed is priceless. [Carter’s, Inc.](https://corporate.carters.com/) understands these moments better than most companies. It sells more than 10 products for every child born in the US. The company owns two of the most highly recognized and most trusted brand names in the children’s apparel industry, [Carter’s](https://www.carters.com/) and [OshKosh B’gosh](https://www.oshkosh.com/), and a leading baby and young child lifestyle brand, [Skip Hop](https://www.skiphop.com/). Carter’s multichannel, global business model includes more than 1,000 company-operated stores, thriving ecommerce sites, and a strong presence in other major retail outlets—including Amazon, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart—as well as international wholesale accounts and licensees that operate in over 90 countries. Its teams work hard on planning, forecasting, and supply chain management to get all those products to the right place at the right time, and safely into customers’ hands. Connecting people, plans, and data Carter’s was an early adopter of Anaplan. Its leaders recognized the potential of the dynamic cloud-based business planning and performance management software to help them drive merchandising, inventory, and assortment decisions across a portfolio of brands. Keyur Patel, VP of Retail IT at Carter’s, notes that among its advantages are that “Anaplan can scale. It can handle different use cases and orchestrate the processes we need to make better decisions. And it’s very flexible and quick if we want to make changes.” Carter’s began by deploying Anaplan first to assist with supply chain management and then for financial and assortment planning on the retail side of its business. From there a bigger vision emerged: a true connected planning environment for the entire company. Executives imagined a closed loop where data and information flowed from team to team. Sales planning would inform merchandising decisions and cost or price choices. Product selections would then inform operational decisions including manufacturing, inventory, and distribution. The business’s financial plans would tie back to the product and customer plans. Everyone would be connected in real time, silos would be a thing of the past, data would be transparent, and decision-making would be streamlined and proactive. But there was work to do. Parts of the organization were still using spreadsheets or legacy software that was no longer supported. And some users required more speed and flexibility in their existing Anaplan models. Susan Wood Anaplan is 100% customizable, and it’s managed by the business. As changes to the business process happen, the model is more flexible and can adapt. A growing partnership We partnered with Carter’s to implement Anaplan for a series of new use cases and to optimize existing Anaplan models. Over the course of the work, Slalom became a highly trusted partner. According to Jim Lane, senior director of connected planning at Carter’s, it wasn’t only our technical know-how that stood out but our “very collaborative and collegial” style. “And Carter’s is a very collaborative, consensus-based organization,” he says, “so that fit very well.” There was one more deciding factor: our people were local, already in Atlanta, and ready to work directly alongside Carter’s employees. Goodbye, spreadsheet chaos Carter’s product styles are quoted, refined, and finalized multiple times a year. It's an intense effort and one that provides the organization with key data for analyzing its fiscal well-being, tracking against goals, and projecting future revenue. Consider that Carter’s develops about 20,000 styles a year—and that each style may be available in multiple sizes—and the scale is apparent. Prior to Anaplan, multiple teams worked simultaneously across dozens of spreadsheets. “The real tipping point for chaos,” says Brett Harn, a leader for connected planning at Slalom Atlanta, “is pulling all those spreadsheets together.” Aggregating the data from all the different departments was complex and challenging. Getting the big-picture view and analyzing it in real time was even harder. One simple, elegant Anaplan model has replaced all those spreadsheets and rounds of emails and eliminated accidental edits entirely. Users can sort styles by relationship to a season’s costing goals or metrics, identify those most in need of problem-solving, and prioritize their workloads accordingly. Data refreshes on a standard, predictable cadence, forecasts sync automatically, and decisions happen in real time. Enhancing and optimizing existing models Our teams improved Carter’s existing Anaplan models, increasing functionality to make them smaller, speedier, flexible, and more efficient. The enhancements reduced store allocation workspace usage by 80% and cut the time it takes to import supply chain data—a process that runs multiple times a day—by almost half. The new models for these two use cases save a combined total of 150 GB in the Anaplan environment. Users can now add, remove, or modify store information and have the changes inform assortment and financial plans in less than a day. They can make inventory changes on the fly and be confident those changes are captured in dashboards and clear to others. And business users have visibility to assortment planning—they know how much inventory to order and when, and where that inventory should be marketed. Jim Lane Consistently, the Slalom team has been praised for their approach, their approachability, their candor, but also just their willingness to listen. The right tools for the right job Finally, we helped Carter’s wholesale planning team retire its legacy software and migrate to Anaplan, while also bringing one of Carter’s newly acquired brands—which had been operating purely in Excel—on to the solution. The wholesale sales planning team also wanted the ability to dynamically explore intersecting data hierarchies: between customer groups, across customers, or within a customer—a need our consultants realized would be well served by a Tableau connection. Instead of rounds of manual spreadsheet work and pulling pictures of data into static presentation slides, users now have the option to guide senior executives through a Tableau dashboard that shows quickly and clearly how the business is doing. “Given its success with the wholesale team, we did the same thing for the retail team,” says Susan Wood, the Slalom client service lead on the project. “And the response was amazing. Lots of oohs and ahs! When we showed it to the buyers, they said, ‘Are you kidding? We just click that little button and my roll-up is done?’” Ready to meet a changing landscape There are now 400 Anaplan users at Carter’s, and the company is on the way to making its connected planning vision a reality. All these improvements deliver new speed to insights and greater efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy that could well increase opportunities for full-price sales and reduce markdowns, enabling better margins. Carter’s Anaplan goals were in place well ahead of the disruptions of 2020. But as Wood says, “Obviously, planning is important. And planning in a world that’s completely different than you thought it was going to be is critical.” Yellow dresses for a baby hanging in a store --- title: Castell: Scaling value-based care with connected experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/castell-scaling-connected-experiences source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/castell-scaling-connected-experiences locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Castell: Scaling value-based care with connected experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/castell-scaling-connected-experiences - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/castell-scaling-connected-experiences - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Implementing an integrated healthcare cloud platform and change management from Slalom, Castell is revolutionizing value-based provider and patient experiences. ## Body Castell: Scaling value-based care with connected experience Castell | Slalom Through an integrated cloud platform and change management program, we helped Castell deliver stronger value-based healthcare. Implementing an integrated healthcare cloud platform and change management from Slalom, Castell is revolutionizing value-based provider and patient experiences. Scaling value-based care with connected experiences Share story At a glance After a chance meeting at Salesforce Dreamforce, Castell and Slalom teamed up to transform healthcare by implementing an integrated data platform, automated workflows and processes, and more tailored follow-up opportunities. Impact By moving disparate applications into one integrated platform and creating more automated workflows, Castell is delivering value-based care and improving outcomes for providers and patients. Key Services Industry Health tech Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Health Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Salesforce Experience Cloud - Copado Helping patients with complex needs [Castell](https://castellhealth.com/) is a population health platform working to transform the healthcare industry for providers, payers, and healthcare systems. By providing the data and infrastructure that enables value-based systems of care, Castell works to improve health outcomes and drive innovation in payment models. Recognizing that value-based care relies on vast amounts of data, operational transformation, and high-touch care coordination, Castell partners with payers, independent provider groups, and health systems to accelerate the transformation. Its highly developed data ecosystem empowers providers to prioritize their limited patient contact time and helps patients navigate the complex ecosystem of chronic and post-acute care. Castell leaders met the Slalom team at [Salesforce Dreamforce](https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/) after sitting beside a former Slalom client who said, “If you’re running an RFP in healthcare, you should talk to Slalom.” They had also attended a session where Slalom was copresenting with another client, and that reinforced what they had heard. Castell had already explored several other potential Salesforce implementation partners and was close to making a decision. Meeting with Slalom changed those plans. “Castell’s remit is to give healthcare providers the tools they need to deliver more patient-focused and comprehensive care at scale,” says Jake Harwood, a director focused on healthcare technology at Slalom. “As a healthcare professional, I love working on programs that advance our understanding of care delivery and help people stay healthy or manage their conditions, rather than only treating them when they get really sick.” Our teams were really embedded with Slalom’s teams, and it felt like one team most of the time. Rick Bennett Director of Population Health Solutions, Castell Empowering change with effective partnerships “From the first meeting, their culture fit was the same as ours,” says Rick Bennett, director of Population Health Solutions at Castell. “The people they had on their team, the way they approached problems, it all aligned with our culture and mission.” Coming into the project, Castell had no Salesforce experience, and the Slalom team had to deliver a big lift quickly while learning the ins and outs of Castell’s value-based care offerings. The teams focused on collaboration, communication, and transparency throughout the work. Slalom also instilled a [change management](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent) program, helping onboard Castell’s newly hired Salesforce developers, coordinate in the Agile program delivery, and develop the change management infrastructure within the operational teams to bring end users along throughout the process. “Partnering with a client who’s never done this before is immensely rewarding,” says Harwood. “We have a special obligation to share the craft of [Salesforce design and delivery](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) with them. And we worked through challenging governance and platform conversations empathetically and as a team.” “Our teams were really embedded with Slalom’s teams, and it felt like one team most of the time,” Bennett added. “We started this project with no Salesforce experience. By the end of it, through Slalom letting our team be embedded with them and working through that and learning, it felt like we came out of the project with a fairly mature group. I think that was really important and made a big difference for us.” Castell was facing two key challenges. First, the company’s current tools weren’t able to scale and evolve with the company as it got into new ways of approaching value-based care. Secondly, care coordinators worked with complex patients and needed to know the exact moments when to intervene and follow up. Traditional electronic medical record (EMR) systems made it difficult to see the full population and datasets of patients. Castell sought a solution that would simplify the workflows of care coordinators, giving them real-time information in one place with clear expectations of what they need to do. “Being able to make their workflow easier means they get to talk to and help more patients,” says Lisa Mekic, Castell’s director of Product Data Analytics. “That’s the really big impact they can create in their roles, not sifting through data and Excel files.” An improved healthcare system The solution brought three Salesforce clouds together to meet Castell’s needs. First, Slalom set up [Salesforce Health Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/healthcare-life-sciences/health-cloud/) for Castell’s network of care coordinators. Nathaniel Goodhue, a Slalom client partner for Castell, noted that patient information could be spread out across a handful of applications. Care coordinators needed to bounce between different systems and screens to find the right information, all while on calls with patients. The Health Cloud solution, which paired Salesforce-guided workflows with embedded Tableau dashboards and an integration to their telephony platform, helped visualize data from more than 100 sources alongside documentation and workflow tools. “They needed a single pane of glass that replaced a lot of disparate applications,” Goodhue says. “Health Cloud was the core for building out a 360-degree patient console, an aggregation of all patient data that was in the Castell ecosystem.” Slalom also stood up [Salesforce Marketing Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/marketing/) to manage follow-up requests more effectively. Care coordinators have manual outreach on many tasks, such as calls to patients. Marketing Cloud has helped automate some of that outreach, and building workflows into Health Cloud allows teams to share information easily with affiliate partners. “We were really focused on end-user experiences whenever we were tackling any challenges,” Goodhue says. Finally, a Salesforce Experience Cloud implementation using the Omnistudio Discovery Framework allowed Castell’s team to collaborate more seamlessly with associated medical groups and affiliates on patient care. The implementation clearly provided patient insights, such as risk scores, recommended follow-ups, open quality measures, and hierarchical condition categories, in a secure and personalized portal so affiliate providers could better partner with Castell care coordinators and make data-driven decisions, increasing engagement and action among patients. Knowing the importance of protecting patient health information, the team also developed a robust security and compliance model, implementing Salesforce Shield on the Hyperforce architecture. “With the shared mission at the core of both companies, it felt like we were working with coworkers and not a vendor,” Mekic says. Lisa Mekic Invest in change management. It is worth the money. Teams across the organization are seeing how great the results have been and are clamoring to get in. Driving impactful results Within six months, the Slalom solution produced impressive results for Castell and its network of 130 users, supporting 800 external providers. Within six months, a care coordinator was able to make 20 more calls a week on average. The phone calls were also more impactful, with the percentage of calls leading to scheduled appointments increasing from 30% to 41%. Patients are also receiving calls that are tailored to their needs. In the past, a care coordinator may have called a patient several times for each different care gap. Now, it’s just one call for everything, leading to impactful care and satisfied patients. “Care coordinators can talk about more topics and answer more questions from patients because everything is structured more easily for them to see,” Mekic says. This improved production has rippled throughout the company. The pharmacy side of Castell’s network has more than doubled its weekly call volume. The coding and documentation team increased its longitudinal record reviews from 750 to 1,150 per week, ensuring more patients with chronic conditions are properly coded. These improvements mean Castell and its network of providers can help more patients in need, delivering the right care with better efficiency. The organization is already working on projects for two additional teams. “Invest in change management. It is worth the money,” Mekic says. “Teams across the organization are seeing how great the results have been and are clamoring to get in.” Ready to improve patient care for your organization? Slalom’s expertise and AI solutions, combined with Agentforce, enable personalized engagement and streamlined processes, allowing you to focus on delivering compassionate care. Learn more --- title: CDL RSC: Supporting rapid antigen screening across Canada url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cdl-rsc source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cdl-rsc locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CDL RSC: Supporting rapid antigen screening across Canada - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/cdl-rsc - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/cdl-rsc - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We’re proud to have partnered with Microsoft and CDL Rapid Screening Consortium on a mission to solve one of Canada’s biggest challenges in history: keeping its people safe while reopening the economy. ## Body CDL RSC: Supporting rapid antigen screening across Canada CDL RSC | Slalom We’re proud to have partnered with Microsoft and CDL Rapid Screening Consortium on a mission to solve one of Canada’s biggest challenges in history: keeping its people safe while reopening the economy. Supporting rapid antigen screening across Canada CDL RSC Share story At a glance Impact Together, we’ve developed a rapid antigen screening program, built on Microsoft Power Apps and Azure, which is available to all organizations in Canada. Key Services Cloud Industry Federal national government Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power Apps - Azure A historical mission As we write this story, there have been 1,523,668 reported cases of COVID in Canada and 27,073 COVID-related deaths. There are an average of 2,787 new reported cases per day. [The CDL Rapid Screening Consortium](https://www.cdlrapidscreeningconsortium.com/) (CDL RSC) is a private-led, not-for-profit initiative formed in August 2020 with the mission of developing and implementing a rapid COVID screening system available to all organizations in Canada. Led by Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), it’s an unprecedented collaboration of businesses, researchers, and the government, all working together on a single, public-interest goal. Slalom joined the collaboration after [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), our partner of nearly two decades, reached out asking if we’d be interested in helping CDL RSC implement its rapid screening solution built with Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft Power Platform. We gave a resounding yes, and in less than seven business days, our Slalom team was up and running. Results within minutes Canadian organizations of all sizes, across all industries—from retirement homes to restaurants to yoga studios—are participating in the rapid screening program. Here’s how it works: A worker goes to a testing location (often the lobby of their company’s building), takes the rapid antigen test, and waits 15 minutes or less for the results. If the results are negative, they can go into the office. The healthcare professional records the results in the enterprise app (which is also used for scheduling). If someone receives a positive result, they’re directed to get a confirmatory PCR test and are encouraged to share those results as well. Another option is for workers to take an at-home test and upload the results themselves through the employee app, where provincial guidelines permit. Workers are advised to take at least two tests per week. All screens are government-approved, and sites are conducted according to health guidelines. Employers can view the results in a Power BI dashboard, which helps them continue adapting and planning for the future to protect their people and their businesses. Once a week, results—which are de-identified and encrypted in the process—are automatically transferred to the CDL RSC’s centralized data hub, which helps drive insights to protect all Canadians. We feel the impact of this work every day ... We hear from employees saying it gives them greater security knowing that if there’s an individual who is asymptomatic, there’s a higher likelihood of discovering it before there’s a potential outbreak. Devon Elke Director, CDL RSC Seamless and secure A process that feels quick and easy to workers, organizations, and healthcare professionals required fast-moving technical expertise behind the scenes. “Our focus is making sure tools can be implemented as quickly and seamlessly as possible,” says Devon Elke, a director at CDL RSC. “Slalom has been a big part of helping to ensure that we have a really efficient and mature process for implementing our data product suite.” Our Slalom team provided support across three key areas: - Helping organizations connect their data to CDL RSC’s data hub. We created a scalable connection package, distributed using a GitHub code repository, for organizations to quickly connect to the centralized data hub. We also provided troubleshooting support and implemented the system end to end for organizations that wanted extra help. - Building enterprise member and public file upload portals. Recognizing that all organizations have unique regulatory compliance, policy, and operational challenges, transporting the screening results to CDL RSC’s data hub requires flexibility. We created a flexible, secure upload portal that participating organizations can use within a week. We also created a portal for small and medium businesses to easily upload their results and meet reporting requirements without having to build a complex architecture. - Working directly with Microsoft to build enhancements for the enterprise Rapid Screening Solution app. We’re building out new features using Power Apps to keep up with the changing COVID landscape. With every solution we built, security was a top priority. “We completed InfoSec reviews with the largest banks in Canada to ensure the tools and solutions met their security requirements,” says Ainslie Hancock, Director of Client Services in the not-for-profit sector for Slalom Canada. “One of the challenges of this work is that we’re responsive to what’s going on in the pandemic landscape, and, as everybody knows, it changes day by day,” says Elke. “Slalom came forward with a robust, well-rounded team of subject matter experts who were able to start working with us right away and get up to speed incredibly quickly. They were the partner who consistently worked alongside us as we pivoted time and time again.” Shaping public policy with data CDL RSC now has a national dataset on the effectiveness of rapid antigen screens and is using that data to provide insights on screen administration guidance. For example, based on collaboration with public health entities, CDL RSC has shared data on the effectiveness of at-home screening. CDL RSC advisors are also completing analysis on the outcomes of large-scale implementations of rapid antigen testing systems, and on managing workplaces during Canada’s third wave. CDL RSC is scaling the program to as many organizations as possible across Canada, including schools. “A number of universities and postsecondary institutions have joined the consortium and launched their screening programs in preparation for return to campus,” says Elke. “We also recently launched a cohort of public and independent K–12 schools and licensed childcare providers. We have upwards of 800 participants in that particular cohort.” Legacy of the program This has been a historical collaboration with high stakes—and one of the most impactful projects of Elke and Hancock’s careers. “The fact that we’re having an impact on our local community and innovating on some of the coolest, newest Microsoft technology that’s out there makes me really proud to be a part of this,” says Hancock. “We feel the impact of this work every day,” says Elke. “We hear from companies that need to travel across provinces and visit different client sites, and the fact that they’re running a screening program gives comfort to their clients. We also hear from employees saying it gives them greater security knowing that if there’s an individual who is asymptomatic, there’s a higher likelihood of discovering it before there’s a potential outbreak.” The CDL RSC shows what’s possible when organizations come together for the greater good. By participating in this program, they’re protecting each other—and the economy—so that everyone can be together again, safely. Person laughing at a table --- title: Celink: Loan servicing gets a faster future with AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/celink-loan-servicing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/celink-loan-servicing locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Celink: Loan servicing gets a faster future with AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/celink-loan-servicing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/celink-loan-servicing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary New to artificial intelligence and machine learning, Celink partnered with Slalom and Amazon Web Services as part of the ML Embark program. ## Body Celink: Loan servicing gets a faster future with AI Celink | Slalom New to artificial intelligence and machine learning, Celink partnered with Slalom and Amazon Web Services as part of the ML Embark program. Loan servicing gets a faster future with AI Celink Share story At a glance New to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Celink partnered with Slalom and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as part of the ML Embark program. Impact We identified AI/ML use cases, delivered cross-functional trainings, and co-developed a proof of concept, resulting in an AI/ML-powered solution that automates Celink’s default process with 97% accuracy while keeping humans in the loop. Key Services Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - AWS ML Embark Servicing loans, serving clients [Celink](https://www.celink.com/) is the largest independent subservicer of reverse mortgages in the US and has a portfolio of more than 300,000 loans. As a servicer of loans, not an originator, Celink is able to focus solely on serving its clients, which include private lenders, banks, and their customers. Celink is one of many companies in the reverse mortgage industry that are realizing the value of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). AI opens the door to new service-enhancing capabilities. Key among these—and appealing to clients and employees alike—is the automation of the vast amount of paperwork innate to the industry. Celink receives and manages millions of loan-related documents. One mortgage can come with hundreds of different documents from various sources and not all of them are properly indexed, which means finding the right documents within a loan package is often a manual, time-consuming process. To help Celink accelerate document processing while minimizing the risk of errors, the company’s CIO, Sergey Dyakin, wanted to apply AI/ML. “Celink has a goal of being a technology-driven company,” says Dyakin. “We wanted to create more opportunities to utilize machine learning capabilities and develop this muscle within the company.” That desire, combined with the strength of Slalom’s technology partnerships, has helped bring Celink’s first AI/ML project to life. Guidance for a new frontier Early into Dyakin’s search for help implementing AI/ML at Celink, he grew interested in the [Amazon Web Services (AWS) ML Embark](https://aws.amazon.com/ml-embark/) program—an immersive, customized ML enablement service that brings executives and technologists together to solve business problems with ML. The program was jointly developed with Slalom and includes a unique combination of discovery, enablement (business and technical), and proof of concept (POC) based on a use case relevant to the participant. We wanted to create more opportunities to utilize machine learning capabilities and develop this muscle within the company. Sergey Dyakin CIO, Celink When an opportunity came along for Celink to participate in ML Embark, the company didn’t hesitate, thanks in large part to Dyakin’s staunch advocacy for AI/ML adoption. Slalom and the [Amazon ML Solutions Lab](https://aws.amazon.com/ml-solutions-lab/) would co-facilitate the program, delivering ML Embark over a 10-week period. Together with Celink, we explored different applications of AI/ML and their potential ROI. By the end of the discovery phase, we’d identified six proposed AI/ML use cases for Celink and developed a rigorous ROI model to help determine the highest-value use case for the POC. From six proposed use cases, a candidate emerged—one of Celink’s most manual processes and most important ones to get right: the filing of mortgage loan defaults to initiate foreclosure. It’s the responsibility of Celink’s foreclosure referral submission team to process defaults quickly and with a high level of accuracy, which helps prevent the filing of incorrect documents in error. Celink could improve the speed and accuracy of the referral submission process by developing an AI/ML model that automatically identifies and classifies the 10 documents essential for processing loan defaults. Responsibly applied AI What sealed the deal for the default process to be the first use case was its projected ROI of 121% over the next three years, largely due to efficiency gains. To help Celink’s technologists best ensure that kind of outcome, Slalom and AWS incorporated personalized training into our broader AI/ML enablement plan. Then we got building. Celink, Slalom, and AWS co-created an ML model that analyzes the approximately 100 different documents in a loan package and surfaces those required for a foreclosure referral. The solution leverages Amazon Textract to extract information from loan documents, and Amazon Comprehend and Amazon SageMaker to identify and classify the necessary ones. On the front end, an interface displaying all the documents by category can be easily navigated by the referral submission team. At the time of writing, the solution has moved into partial production after reaching 97% accuracy in the POC. Something the solution doesn’t do is exclude humans from the process entirely. Believing that every AI solution should be grounded in transparency and accountability, we recommended that Celink incorporate human validation into the solution. With this particular use case, that means the model may recommend several options for the 10 required documents, leaving the referral submission team to finalize the list by reviewing and either approving or excluding each document. It’s a human “check” to the system that’s worth the assurance of an accurate referral—and a far cry from the amount of manual work the team was doing before. An AI-enabled organization As a result of our work together, 22 business and technical executives at Celink now understand how to identify strategic levers to accelerate AI/ML adoption at the organization. In addition, 16 technologists have a foundational understanding of ML science, as well as real-world, hands-on experience to take into their next AI/ML projects. As for the referral submission team, they’re spending less time searching through hundreds of documents and more time evaluating only the most relevant ones, improving speed and accuracy in the process. Celink and Slalom are actively discussing how to pursue new use cases in the months and years ahead. The program has also helped cultivate a culture of collaboration between Celink’s business and technical leaders. Dyakin says that while Celink has always enjoyed executive support for new technology, the focus with which the company facilitates cross-functional collaboration is proving crucial to delivering real business outcomes. Referring to this collaboration, Dyakin explains, “I didn’t want this to be one of those projects where IT goes into the basement and the lights flicker and Patrick [Celink’s COO] wonders, ‘What’s that burning smell?’ I was pleased to see there was huge engagement on the part of my colleagues on the executive leadership team. There was appreciation for what the technology can do.” A couple sitting on the couch --- title: Chicago Cubs: The future of fandom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-future-of-fandom source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-future-of-fandom locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Chicago Cubs: The future of fandom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-future-of-fandom - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-future-of-fandom - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary The Chicago Cubs partnered with Slalom to better understand their customer base and identify opportunities for the future. Learn how data-backed insights are helping the beloved baseball team fill stands. ## Body Chicago Cubs: The future of fandom The future of fandom The Chicago Cubs partnered with Slalom to better understand their customer base and identify opportunities for the future. Learn how data-backed insights are helping the beloved baseball team fill stands. The Chicago Cubs needed to get to the heart of today’s, and tomorrow’s, fans. We helped them deeply understand their customer base and identify new engagement opportunities. With a new generation embracing the excitement and rich heritage of baseball, the Cubs want to discover how to create experiences that will meet, and exceed, fans' expectations. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact Now the Cubs have data-backed insights to inform meaningful customer experiences that draw the next generation of fans to Wrigley Field. Industry Sports live entertainment Key Services Strategy Experience strategy & design Data Artificial Intelligence Key Technologies/Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Google Cloud - Snowflake Data Cloud The Vision The Cubs’ passionate fan base brings unparalleled devotion to the stands of Wrigley Field, contributing to the electric atmosphere that defines the stadium. As this fan base continues to evolve and grow, a cross-functional team at the Cubs wanted to be able to recognize, understand, and connect with every fan—and maximize ticket sales. They partnered with Slalom to dive headlong into the Cubs’ customer data. Our game plan? Develop data-backed customer segments that the Cubs could use to create more engaging fan experiences and offerings. Young girl and grandfather walking to Wrigley Field. Customers should be receiving highly relevant messages and offers from the Cubs organization, and ultimately this should result in them making more trips to Wrigley Field. Jen Martindale SVP of Marketing, Chicago Cubs The Solution We combined human insight and machine learning analysis to deeply understand fans and develop an effective customer segmentation. Chicago dog at a Cubs baseball game. We listened first, then validated. Taking a people-centered approach, we conducted deep-dive interviews with stakeholders across the Cubs’ strategy, marketing, and commerce teams to get their perspectives of the franchise’s changing fan base. To validate and expand on their observations with data, we gathered customer data across several dimensions including demographics, ticket purchase history, and residential area. Our goal was to locate patterns—many hidden to the human eye—that could help us define and crystallize a set of customer segments that truly represented all Cubs fans. Fans watching a Chicago Cubs baseball game. We uncovered insights in customer data. To analyze the data and expose insights, we created: - Custom data models in Snowflake, where we incorporated third-party data sources including US census data, which we used to compare the demographics of Cubs fans to those of the overall population - Digestible visualizations profiling customer segments in Looker, Google Cloud’s business intelligence platform, into which we loaded our data models - Custom machine learning clustering algorithms with Amazon SageMaker, along with an iterative data science process to quickly analyze new clusters Chase Carpenter Cubs fans come from all walks of life and value different things about the brand. This project with Slalom gave us a data-driven way to identify and quantify those differences. Grandfather engaging Chicago Cubs content through a digital experience. We humanized each customer segment. Our findings led us to develop a customer segmentation model and 12 customer personas that comprise the Cubs’ fan base—who they are, how they tend to behave as ticket buyers, and the types of experiences they might like. We branded the segments with catchy titles ranging from “Family Field Trippers” to “Neighborhood Nonchalants” and prioritized each according to the potential value of driving ticket sales with that group. As explained by Slalom team member Mark Ambrose, “It’s like you see 12 segments, but they’re also divided into different strategies for different groups.” For example, the Cubs identified several segments that were high in potential business value but had characteristics unlike those of the Cubs’ more traditional personas. Long-term growth strategies, such as qualitative customer research, can be helpful to connect with these new groups in a meaningful and authentic way. Customer Impact The Cubs can now confidently create new, engaging experiences that win hearts and drive business growth. Grandfather and granddaughter Chicago Cubs fans. Slalom helped us turn our data into actionable personas we could use to drive business growth, and we’re already seeing promising results from the strategies we designed based on the segmentation. Jen Martindale SVP of Marketing, Chicago Cubs Share story Mark Ambrose Photo of Mark Ambrose. Data science is such an interesting field. You don’t know what you’re going to get, right? I think the fact that we came up with the ideally optimal amount of clusters and that they actually made sense and resonated was very exciting to us. Jason Drucker Photo of Jason Drucker. We wouldn’t have been able to do 12 segments in 12 weeks if we hadn’t invested time as a practice and a company and an office into Slalom’s segmentation accelerator and our data science IP, which we were able to leverage for this project. Tim Staebler Photo of Tim Staebler. When looking at a lot of data, it s easy to hear only noise. We were able to navigate the confusion and discern some clarity around customer segments, enabling decisions that everyone can understand and action against. elpmk2a718 Chicago cubs fan with baseball --- title: Chicago Cubs: Real-time gamification and personalization for fans at Wrigley Field url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Chicago Cubs: Real-time gamification and personalization for fans at Wrigley Field - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary The Chicago Cubs and Slalom have partnered to elevate the customer experience of one of their fan events, the Chicago Cubs Premier Batting Practice, using the Snowflake Data Cloud and its Snowpark engineering capabilities. ## Body Chicago Cubs: Real-time gamification and personalization for fans at Wrigley Field Chicago Cubs | Snowflake | Slalom The Chicago Cubs and Slalom have partnered to elevate the customer experience of one of their fan events, the Chicago Cubs Premier Batting Practice, using the Snowflake Data Cloud and its Snowpark engineering capabilities. Real-time gamification for fans The Chicago Cubs Real-time gamification and personalization for fans at Wrigley Field Share story At a glance Impact The Cubs and Slalom transformed the event into a personalized experience with participants’ names on the video board, real-time gamification, customized baseball cards, and even post-event scouting reports. This innovative approach enhanced the overall event and fostered a deeper connection between fans and the Chicago Cubs brand. Key Services Industry Sports live entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power BI - Snowflake Whether it is your first or 100th trip to Wrigley Field, the moment you step within its ivy-clad walls, you know you are inside one of the great temples of the game. It’s easy to conjure the ghosts of legends here. It’s that sense of belonging and participating in a century-long tradition that makes Wrigley Field a bucket-list destination for baseball fans worldwide. The Chicago Cubs acknowledged this allure with the Chicago Cubs Premier Batting Practice, an exclusive event inviting Premier Clients and their families to step onto the field and experience the ballpark from a completely new perspective. Since 2021, the Chicago Cubs and Slalom have transformed the event, leveraging real-time data capture and data-driven insights to create a more engaging and personalized experience. The partnership elevated the occasion from a casual outfield ball-toss to a connected experience featuring participants’ names on the video board, customized baseball cards, and surprise scouting reports post-event. “The Cubs are a Chicago institution—we love our history, but we want to innovate too,” Chicago Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said. “Slalom is helping us honor our past and innovate for the future.” Behind the scenes: A winning team in innovation For Slalom marketing director Kate Hertler, the partnership between Slalom and the Chicago Cubs and the team’s enthusiasm for improving the customer experience afforded Slalom the opportunity to be creative with the experience they wanted to build. “We’ve always found our best solutions by bringing together all our teams,” she said. “I did focus groups of Cubs fans within Slalom and asked them, ‘What would make your dream come true?’ We sourced the ideas from our people, many of whom have been Cubs fans their entire lives.” The crowdsourcing turned into an ambitious data and analytics project: combine the sophisticated data science and engineering capabilities in [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake)’s new Snowpark engineering framework with a baseball fan’s love of statistics and the Chicago Cubs’ rich history. Make the event day more engaging with real-time analytics, and create a meaningful touchpoint after everyone goes home. Kate Hertler People were so floored to see their name in such a historic place. Power play: Analytics at the plate The Slalom Data and Analytics team seized the opportunity to test out Snowflake’s new Snowpark engineering framework and use its Snowpipe data ingestion tool to collect stats from the batting and pitching stations in real time. With only four weeks to take their ideas from concept to production, the team demonstrated: - How the right data platform can spur creativity and reduce risk - How capturing and sharing data in real time can drive engagement and fuel competition - How the right combination of customer-centricity, data expertise, and domain knowledge come together to create meaningful brand connections—even after everyone has gone home Selecting the Snowflake Data Cloud was a key decision that reduced the amount of manual effort and coding needed, enabling the team to think bigger and more creatively. “There are efficiencies you gain and risks you mitigate by using one solution with different features that are designed to work with each other,” Slalom senior director of data and analytics Jason Drucker said. “We created a holistic experience within Snowflake.” Leaderboard legends: Making history with every swing The first year Slalom supported the Chicago Cubs Premier Batting Practice, they turned the video boards and all the LED boards in Wrigley Field into a leaderboard. When you took your at-bat, Slalom measured your swing and exit velocity and displayed the top 10. They did the same for pitch speed and run speed. “The leaderboards were huge,” Hertler said. “People were so floored to see their name in such a historic place.” The data team saw an opportunity to create more excitement on the field. The leaderboards were great, but it was kind of a one-and-done thing,” Slalom senior principal Dan Kang said. “Many attendees never had the chance to see their name in the rankings, so we wanted to add something that would continue to drive engagement throughout the event.” Instead of simply ranking the results and presenting them back, Kang pulled them into Snowflake in real time using the Snowpipe data ingestion engine. Next, he and his team aggregated the data and displayed the running totals in real time with a Microsoft Power BI dashboard displayed on the video boards. To bring forward some of the Cubs history, the dashboard also displayed a running total of hits made that day and challenged the attendees to beat legendary player stats. This time, instead of just looking at a list, participants could take a swing and look up to see the rankings immediately update and move their name up or down on the list. At the same time, the Power BI dashboard updated the overall numbers, so with every hit, the participants could see themselves gaining on their heroes. “It really drove up competition and engagement,” Hertler said. “People would want to beat a stat, so they’d do the exercise again and again.” Taking it home: Personalized scouting reports for fans As Slalom’s Data and Analytics team experimented with Snowpark’s data engineering capabilities, they focused on creating a personalized memento out of the data they would collect from the fans that would delight any baseball fan: a scouting report with their personal stats from the event. By creating a dataset in Snowpark with Python from publicly available statistics for the 2022 Chicago Cubs roster, they even included a comparison to a current Chicago Cubs player and an analysis of their player “type,” from power hitter to utility player. There were challenges. Few ordinary humans can throw a baseball as fast and hard as a player in the major leagues. To level the playing field between event participants and actual Chicago Cubs players, Slalom data engineer Matt Byun normalized the data by converting the static values into percentiles. And because Snowpark supports machine learning, he was able to use its stored procedures, internal stages, and user-defined functions to train, register, and infer player comparison and archetype models. “With Snowpark, we were able to go beyond the SQL-based transformations that have made Snowflake such a popular choice for cloud data warehousing and create advanced analytics insights using machine learning in Python,” Byun said. A lasting connection: Strengthening the Chicago Cubs brand with data For marketers like Hertler, the scouting report gave fans one more connection to the Cubs brand that was made deeper and more meaningful by data. It’s an example of how a customer-centric, creative data solution can make an impact. “It extended the experience beyond the ballpark and tied them more closely to the Cubs brand,” she said. “That’s the goal for any brand-building you do.” As one fan shared, the experience made an impact in her home. “I cannot overstate how impressed I was with the whole Cubs organization after our experience at the Premier Batting Practice on Monday night. I had so much fun and loved watching our boys’ eyes widen with awe and excitement,” the participant wrote. “The boys absolutely loved getting their names on the big screen, and their stats recorded on their playing cards … We are honored to be a small part of a great organization.” Chicago Cubs baseball field --- title: City of Charlotte: A modern Workday foundation to support 8,000 city employees url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/city-charlotte-workday-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/city-charlotte-workday-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # City of Charlotte: A modern Workday foundation to support 8,000 city employees - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/city-charlotte-workday-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/city-charlotte-workday-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Learn how the City of Charlotte stabilized a high-stakes Workday transformation to restore confidence, ensure accurate payments, and support future innovation. ## Body City of Charlotte: A modern Workday foundation to support 8,000 city employees Charlotte’s Workday transformation | Slalom See how we helped the city of Charlotte stabilize a major technology transformation to restore confidence and modernize citywide operations. Learn how the City of Charlotte stabilized a high-stakes Workday transformation to restore confidence, ensure accurate payments, and support future innovation. City of Charlotte technology modernization | Slalom A modern foundation to support 8,000 city employees At a glance vision When a critical technology transformation hit roadblocks, the City of Charlotte partnered with Slalom to get back on track, restore confidence for its employees, and keep services flowing to the city's residents. IMPACT Role-based training enabled every employee to use the new, modern digital platform integrating finance, HR, and procurement operations, helping Charlotte continue to deliver accurate, reliable vendor payments and keep the Queen City humming. Key Services Industry State, provincial local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Workday Let’s modernize public services together. Start a conversation A high-stakes transformation under pressure As one of the fastest-growing US cities, Charlotte, North Carolina is constantly adapting how it serves nearly 900,000 residents. With more than 8,000 employees supporting everything from transportation and utilities to public safety and community programs, the city relies on integrated systems to keep operations running smoothly. To meet that demand, Charlotte launched the largest technology modernization initiative in its history: replacing decades-old, highly customized HR and financial systems with Workday. The goal was ambitious: modernize core systems, reduce complexity, improve data visibility, and build a stronger foundation for future innovation. However, midway through implementation, the program faced serious challenges. Critical integrations fell behind, organizational readiness varied across departments, and confidence started to slip. With vendor payments and essential city services at stake, Charlotte needed a trusted partner who could restore momentum and operational control to bring the program back on track—without losing sight of the people being impacted. That’s when the city turned to Slalom. With deep technology expertise and a strong understanding of the [public sector](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact), our team embedded with Charlotte’s IT, finance, and HR groups—working side by side to move the program forward. “Slalom didn't just fix integrations. They listened, partnered with us, and helped calm a very high‑pressure situation. That made all the difference.” Markell Storay CIO, City of Charlotte Step 1: Re-baselining and stabilizing integrations What initially appeared to be approximately 50 ready-to-build interfaces revealed deeper issues: incomplete design documentation, unclear business requirements, unsigned approvals, and overlooked dependencies with external partners, like banks and payment processors. Instead of jumping straight into the build, we first conducted a deeper assessment of the state of each in-progress integration to be as certain as possible that there wouldn’t be surprises down the line. The team: - Rebuilt and standardized integration design documentation - Facilitated working sessions with business, financial, and technical stakeholders to clarify requirements - Implemented clear approval and governance processes before the build and test phases - Prioritized mission-critical integrations tied to vendor payments and financial continuity - Partnered with external vendors and financial institutions to validate data flows and payment processing By combining rigorous documentation with close collaboration, Slalom designed, built, and tested more than 60 integrations—many of them complex, high-risk interfaces critical to daily city operations. The result was a streamlined integration workstream that restored leadership confidence and established a reliable foundation for Workday Financials—delivering clearer data, reduced risk, and improved scalability. Step 2: Meeting employees where they are Charlotte’s workforce includes office-based teams as well as field employees in utilities, transportation, and public safety—many without regular access to email, laptops, or a city-issued device. A one-size-fits-all approach to training would leave some teams without the vital information they needed. With just a few weeks to prepare employees ahead of the launch, we built a role-based learning strategy designed to adapt as the program evolved and timelines shifted. Our approach included: - Developing 11 interactive training courses, supported by quick-reference job aids and short instructional videos - Tailoring training by role, so employees only received content relevant to their day-to-day responsibilities - Offering multiple learning formats, including digital, self-guided, and in-person options, to accommodate different work environments This flexible yet focused approach to what employees truly needed to do their jobs helped the city build confidence heading into go live. Step 3: Change management and communications at scale While technical delivery was critical, the greatest risk to success was human. Employees were navigating change fatigue, uncertainty, and concern-often without clear answers about timing, impact, or what came next. Slalom worked with city leaders to deliver an empathetic, transparent change approach focused on honest engagement and keeping people informed—despite limited time and evolving answers. Together we: - Established a “Rock Stars” network—trusted employees embedded within departments who helped cascade information to frontline and field teams - Hosted listening sessions and leadership touchpoints to surface concerns and reduce uncertainty - Supported teams with FAQs, rapid-response support, and a war-room model to address issues in real time By also introducing highly visible, morale-boosting moments—from pop-up events to (yes) puppies and massage chairs—leadership brought care and presence to the process. As the program expanded, the change and communications strategy scaled to include vendors, who received support on the new invoicing and payment processes, which ultimately minimized disruption beyond the teams in Charlotte. Throughout the project, the City of Charlotte prioritized reliability of the new systems and training for its diverse workforce on the technology. Restored confidence and a foundation for the future Charlotte’s new Workday integrations helped restore confidence among leadership and end users alike. More than a technical recovery, the engagement helped Charlotte establish a modern, scalable foundation for future innovation. Charlotte’s transformation represents a meaningful shift in how the city approaches modernization and change. With this strong foundation in place, Charlotte is better prepared to further improve transparency and efficiency by expanding into new capability areas, including strategic sourcing, enhanced reporting, and analytics. Equally important, the people-first approach—rooted in clear communication, role-based training, and trusted departmental advocates—has created a repeatable model for managing change. By pairing modern technology with disciplined delivery and human-centered change, Charlotte turned a moment of risk into lasting momentum. With Slalom as a trusted partner, the city is well-positioned to continue modernizing its systems, strengthening public trust, and delivering high-quality services for years to come. Ready to modernize public services and empower your teams? Share this story We can help --- title: City of Oakland: Creating police transparency and trust with data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/city-of-oakland source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/city-of-oakland locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # City of Oakland: Creating police transparency and trust with data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/city-of-oakland - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/city-of-oakland - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We worked with the City to build Microsoft Power BI dashboards that clearly visualize police activity—including stops, uses of force, and complaints—at the individual, squad, and department level. ## Body City of Oakland: Creating police transparency and trust with data City of Oakland | Slalom We worked with the City to build Microsoft Power BI dashboards that clearly visualize police activity—including stops, uses of force, and complaints—at the individual, squad, and department level. Creating police transparency and trust with data City of Oakland Share story At a glance The Oakland Police Department has been under federal oversight for 17 years due to a high-profile civil rights lawsuit known as the Riders Scandal. We worked with the City to build Microsoft Power BI dashboards that clearly visualize police activity—including stops, uses of force, and complaints—at the individual, squad, and department level. Impact These dashboards provide transparency into the Oakland PD to better serve the people of Oakland. Key Services Industry State, provincial, local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power BI A deep-rooted problem Twenty years ago, four veteran Oakland police officers were charged with beating, falsely arresting, and planting drugs on residents in Oakland’s poorest neighborhoods. The alleged abuses came to light after a rookie officer, just three weeks out of the police academy, resigned and reported his former coworkers' activities to the department. The lawsuit, known as the Riders Scandal, ended in a settlement: The City of Oakland paid 119 plaintiffs a total of $10.9 million, and the Oakland Police Department received a list of 51 reforms it would have to comply with, including monitoring and addressing racial disparities in the outcomes of police activities and reducing officer-involved shootings. The court appointed an independent monitoring team to track the Oakland PD’s progress on these reforms. Many years—and millions of dollars—later, Oakland is still working to complete both the elements and spirit of the court-required tasks. Since the settlement, the department has faced many challenges and had a turnover of 10 police chiefs and 500 officers. In 2017, the City of Oakland hired two new leaders to help the City implement these reforms and create lasting change. Virginia Gleason, bureau of services director for Oakland PD, has worked with police departments for over 30 years on issues related to police accountability, such as internal investigations, early intervention policies, and strategic planning. One of her previous roles was chief strategic advisor for the Seattle Police Department. Andrew “Pete” Peterson, CIO for the City of Oakland, is a 35-year veteran of the technology industry who previously held leadership roles with IBM, Oracle, and CA technologies. They’re both passionate about using data to build transparency and better serve the people of Oakland. Virginia Gleason This is a huge deal. No other police department has a system like this that combines the data about stops with all of the other traditional early intervention data elements. An urgent reform One of the reforms that the Oakland PD hadn’t implemented was building a system to track all of its police activity data. Department leaders reviewed risk-related data monthly—but the data at those meetings was up to six weeks old. By the time Oakland PD presented this information to the court-appointed monitoring team, they were often sharing data from two months ago. “A lot of times the monitors would comment on something and the captains would say, ‘Actually, we fixed that a few weeks ago, you just don’t see it in this report,’” says Leslie Wan, principal consultant at Slalom. Gleason had previously worked with Slalom consultants when she was with the Seattle PD, and again partnered with Slalom to help create a data solution for Oakland. “I’ve worked with many consultants for many years, and the reason I encouraged the city from the very beginning to be involved with Slalom is I think there’s a unique way that Slalom engages with police departments to help them come up with solutions, rather than just implementing a predetermined product,” says Gleason. Slalom’s East Bay team was eager to help. Critical questions As a first step, our team needed to understand all the questions that the Oakland PD needed to answer with data. To do this, we worked with Stanford professors that Oakland has been partnering with to analyze and reduce bias in its policing. The professors put together a hundred-page compilation of information they’d gathered about the Oakland PD—for example, how the officers interacted with different racial groups—and recommended certain types of information to capture to identify racial disparities in stops searches, and uses of force. We also went on ride-alongs with officers and interviewed senior leaders, sharing hand-drawn prototypes of what the data visualizations could look like to get feedback early and often. “There were so many different directions we could have gone with these dashboards, but we really wanted them to be simple, accessible, and an open-hood approach,” says Eric Lohela, Head of Justice and Public Safety at Slalom. “We wanted leaders to be able to use them to accelerate important conversations and build trust.” We have a really powerful tool here…We can ask much deeper questions and make better decisions about our police force and policies. Andrew “Pete” Peterson CIO, City of Oakland Clear and current data We then built 15 [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Power BI dashboards on the Azure Government cloud. Now, Oakland PD leaders—bureau chiefs, commanders, police captains, the chief of police, the office of inspector general—can access and explore these dashboards, instead of requesting a report and waiting weeks for someone else to create it. “This is a timesaver for our supervisors in just a dramatic way,” says Gleason. “And it not only saves time but allows them to do much more comprehensive and meaningful supervision of their employees.” The dashboards automatically update daily. Supervisors can see data about the arrest an officer made 24 hours ago, or analyze trends across the department over the last five years, like the number of traffic stops by race. “We have a really powerful tool here,” says Peterson. “We’re able to see, how often does anyone in the police force pull their firearm? What’s the percentage of level-four uses of force, versus level three or level one? What’s the effectiveness of the 2019 academy class compared to the 2018 academy class? How many members of the 2019 academy class have been promoted or have undergone discipline? These facts might tell us something about the academy instructor. We can ask much deeper questions and make better decisions about our police force and policies.” Eric Lohela When the federal monitoring commission saw these, they said, ‘This is incredible. We would like to see these in every police department. This is the best digital tool for supporting effective policing we’ve ever seen.‘ “What the police supervisors like about these dashboards is they can’t screw them up,” says Gleason. “When we’ve tried tools in the past, people were afraid they were going to create data errors or have to bunch of records that would have to be removed. With these dashboards, it’s easy for them to reset back to the default settings, and they’re read-only access. This gives supervisors the ability to really explore and try different filters. And we have all the right security levels, so no one is seeing confidential information that they shouldn’t see.” Powerful potential “When the federal monitoring commission saw these, they said, ‘This is incredible. We would like to see these in every police department. This is the best digital tool for supporting effective policing we’ve ever seen,'” says Lohela. “This is a huge deal,” says Gleason. “No other police department has a system like this that combines the data about stops with all of the other traditional early intervention data elements.” Gleason and Peterson hope other police departments will be inspired by these dashboards and create similar tools of their own. “This is a tool that can be used across the country, or across the world for that matter,” says Peterson. “This data is specific to Oakland, but the tools and techniques are applicable to any police department, anywhere.” --- title: Clariant: Increasing productivity and innovation with a unified GenAI platform url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Clariant: Increasing productivity and innovation with a unified GenAI platform - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom partnered with Clariant to build GenAI-powered sales and research solutions to boost growth and innovation. ## Body Clariant: Increasing productivity and innovation with a unified GenAI platform Clariant | Slalom Learn how Slalom partnered with Clariant to build sales and research solutions to boost growth and innovation on ClaritaAI, Clariant’s GenAI platform. Slalom partnered with Clariant to build GenAI-powered sales and research solutions to boost growth and innovation. Increasing productivity and innovation with GenAI Increasing productivity and innovation with a unified GenAI platform Share story Medical professional using an instrument for measurement At a glance We helped Clariant, one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies, take proof-of-concept GenAI solutions and integrate them into its enterprise generative AI platform, increasing the user base and driving innovation and deeper connections with customers. Impact Clarita AI , Clariant’s generative AI platform, boosts productivity of all employees and assists the sales and research organizations with targeted solutions that deliver deeper insights at lightning speed, generated across different data sources and knowledge bases. Key Services Industry Materials chemicals Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon Bedrock - Amazon OpenSearch - Angular Front End - LangChain - Langfuse - .NET Seizing the opportunity of generative AI As one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies, [Clariant](https://www.clariant.com) contributes to value creation with innovative and sustainable solutions for customers from many industries. Its portfolio is designed to meet very specific needs with as much precision as possible. At the same time, its research and development are focused on addressing the key trends of our time. These include energy efficiency, renewable raw materials, emission-free mobility, and conserving finite resources. With their innate focus on innovation, teams at Clariant immediately saw the potential that generative AI (GenAI) could have for their work: consolidating relevant information from different sources, summarizing documents, and synthesizing patents being just a few relevant use cases. To enable all employees to leverage GenAI, Clariant built the Clarita AI platform as the foundation for multiple GenAI solutions, each designed to enhance the daily work of specific groups of employees with different needs, making every individual more productive and, at times, helping them identify insights that could lead to breakthroughs. Evolving from proof of concept to production Clarita AI was developed from the outset as a platform that could host different types of solutions, integrating generative AI models with other technologies. Most importantly, the goal was to provide a unified user experience across different use cases. This required attention to both the user experience and the technical aspects of taking an application and transforming it into a modular, scalable platform that could support not only these use cases but also other, future solutions. In true Agile fashion, they wanted to move fast and not let perfection get in the way of progress, and they needed technology and delivery expertise to make that happen. Clariant teamed up with Slalom to integrate two solutions that support the daily work of two important user groups: sales and R D. The process started with an end-to-end assessment of proof-of-concept solutions, comparing them side by side with the original Clarita application. The teams determined what could be reused, what needed to be redeveloped, and what adjustments needed to be made to the initial product, including how Clarita’s user experience would be impacted by this change and any addition of future solutions. “Slalom’s clear grasp of our GenAI vision was instrumental in defining our technical and commercial milestones,” explains Susanna Groth, Commercial Excellence Clarita AI Sales Product Owner, BU Adsorbents Additives. Susanna Groth Slalom’s collaboration helped us create a game-changing application, as confirmed by user feedback immediately after launch. Discussions about the appropriate use of GenAI in the prioritized use cases led to the creation of design prototypes demonstrating the future user experience, all while applying Agile development processes to rapidly deliver the desired functionality. Sanjeev Sujan, Global Project Manager, Clarita AI Sales initiative, notes, “Slalom created an exceptional collaborative environment where they truly felt like an extension of our team, not an external partner. Their commitment to joint solution development, open communication, and responsive feedback loops enabled us to harness the power of generative AI rapidly and effectively. The partnership has been seamless and highly productive.” Groth adds, “Slalom’s collaboration helped us create a game-changing application, as confirmed by user feedback immediately after launch.” Slalom’s teams focused not only on building the technical solution but also on the long-term sustainability of Clarita. By helping develop Clariant’s teams’ GenAI skills, we provided the means for Clariant to sustain and grow the Clarita platform well into the future. Hand with medical glove holding an eye dropper Their deep expertise in GenAI and AWS, combined with a strong focus on trustful co-creation, has empowered us to deliver exceptional results. Slalom’s commitment to our success has been evident in every step of the journey. Oliver Hauenstein Product Owner Clarita AI Research at Clariant Continuous development “Partnering with Slalom has been transformative for our Clarita AI Research Assistant project,” says Oliver Hauenstein, Product Owner Clarita AI Research at Clariant. “Their deep expertise in GenAI and AWS, combined with a strong focus on trustful co-creation, has empowered us to deliver exceptional results. Slalom’s commitment to our success has been evident in every step of the journey.” With the first versions of dedicated assistants for sales and R D built, GenAI’s potential to drive faster innovation, growth, and productivity became tangible. Based on these early successes, Clariant is planning to create more dedicated assistants while further expanding the existing ones. “Working with Slalom has been a major accelerator for Clariant. At a time when the world was beginning to understand the possibilities of GenAI, finding a partner with the capabilities and experience to drive these ideas forward has been key to our success,” says César Chocou, Clarita AI Program Head Head of IT Supply Chain Operations. Curious about what GenAI can do for you? Let’s talk Share this story Protas Customer Story | Slalom --- title: Clean Up Australia: Data to protect the planet url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clean-up-australia-data-protect-planet source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/clean-up-australia-data-protect-planet locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Clean Up Australia: Data to protect the planet - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/clean-up-australia-data-protect-planet - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clean-up-australia-data-protect-planet - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Clean Up Australia to help clean up, fix up, and conserve the environment using data visualizations. ## Body Clean Up Australia: Data to protect the planet Clean Up Australia: Data to protect the planet | Slalom We helped Clean Up Australia build data visualization dashboards to track its programs’ progress and create a more sustainable future. We partnered with Clean Up Australia to help clean up, fix up, and conserve the environment using data visualizations. Data to protect the planet Clean Up Australia logo Share story The ocean meets the sand on a sunny day. At a glance Clean Up Australia is one of Australia’s most recognized and trusted environmental organizations. For over 30 years it has inspired and empowered communities to clean up, fix up and conserve the environment. Impact We helped Clean Up Australia build data visualization dashboards to track its programs' progress and create a more sustainable future. Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Services When Ian Kiernan went on a sailing competition around the world in the late 1980s, he sailed through oceans that were supposed to be the most pristine and magnificent in the world. He expected to see beautiful blue water, sea turtles, whales. But what he saw shocked him. In places like the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic, a place he’d read about as a child and always wanted to visit, there was human-made waste everywhere. Plastic bags, bottles, diapers, empty toothpaste tubes. “His sailboat was covered in sludge,” says daughter and Clean Up Australia Chair Pip Kiernan. “He was horrified. And angry.” When he got back home to Sydney, he turned his anger into action. He rallied a group of friends to help organize a community event, Clean Up Sydney Harbour Day. Back then, people were throwing a lot of waste straight into the harbor. “He was ringing up his mates the night before saying, ‘Bring your rake, bring your gloves, bring a bag, and come join me,’” says Pip. He hoped a few hundred people might turn up. Instead, 40,000 people showed up ready to help. And [Clean Up Australia](https://www.cleanup.org.au/) was born. Since then, more than 19 million Australians have volunteered with the organization. In 1993, the United Nations asked Clean Up Australia to create and oversee a global initiative, [Clean Up the World](https://www.cleanuptheworld.org/), which now provides support and guidance to over 133 countries. Pip Kiernan We can’t continue to be ripping materials out of the earth and tossing them away. An urgent need for change Today, Clean Up Australia’s mission goes far beyond cleanup. “Our focus is as much on prevention as it is removal,” says CEO Terrie-Ann Johnson. Every year, Australia produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste. Of this, only 13% is recovered and 84% is sent to the landfill. Around 130,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the marine environment each year. “We can’t continue to be ripping materials out of the earth and tossing them away,” says Pip. “We need to move towards a circular economy where we think of things as a resource instead of waste. We need to be mindful and cautious about how we design a product or packaging, with its end of life in mind. Dad was talking about this concept 32 years ago.” In 2018, Ian Kiernan passed away after a short battle with cancer. He’d received many honors for his conservation work, including the UN’s Sasakawa Environment Prize, Australian of the Year, and the Officer of the Order of Australia, the highest recognition for service in Australia. His legacy continues to live on through his daughter, the organization and the countless people he’s inspired all over the world. Slalom team cleaning up the beach. The opportunity to help an organization that I’ve known since I was five was amazing for me. I didn’t realize the full-time team was only six people because they are just so well-known in Australia for the work they do. Amanda Ly Senior consultant, Slalom Helping a small, resourceful team For many on the Slalom Australia team, Clean Up Australia is an organization close to their hearts. They grew up participating in Clean Up Australia Day every year since primary school. “I remember getting the gloves and the t-shirt and picking up rubbish for an entire day,” says Slalom consultant Amanda Ly. “The opportunity to help an organization that I’ve known since I was five was amazing for me. I didn’t realize the full-time team was only six people because they are just so well-known in Australia for the work they do.” Clean Up Australia is very careful about keeping its overheads low. “With every donation we get from the public, 100% of that goes back into the community,” says Pip. “The ethos of our organization is to be very careful with anything we’re spending, and I’m very proud of that.” Our Slalom team came in to support this ethos with technology. “We’re a small team, so we have many different responsibilities,” says Johann Kytzia, Operations Manager for Clean Up Australia. One of Johann’s responsibilities is creating reports on Clean Up Australia’s priorities and progress, which the team shares during regular board meetings. The organization’s priorities are waste reduction, education and insights, optimizing resource recovery, and circular economy solutions, each with their own goals and programs. To create the reports, Johann would have to manually enter data into an Excel spreadsheet, which was a “lengthy, painstaking process,” he says. It’d take him six hours, and because it was all manual, there were many opportunities for human error. “It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it?” We partnered closely with Johann to cleanse the data, creating formulas to automatically correct inaccuracies, identify holes, and calculate things like numbers of event occurrences and volunteers. We had daily check-ins with him to make sure we were building a tool that would scale with the organization, and we trained him to be able to use it confidently in the future. Updating the data has gone from taking six hours to 15 minutes. “The process has been completely simplified and comes out with wonderful results,” he says. “It has saved me a lot of pain and time and freed me up to work on other tasks. And the data will be more consistent.” We also built user-friendly data visualization dashboards in Microsoft Power BI for the team to share during board meetings. “The power of the visualization of data – it’s an amazing thing, isn’t it?” says Pip. “It’s completely different than looking at data on a spreadsheet. These visualizations are so dynamic and easy to filter. They’ve ignited great discussion because the data was presented in a visual way that really brought it to life for our team and our board. It’s a really powerful thing for us.” The team can now easily track how its programs are performing and know where it needs to allocate resources. “Where are we doing really well? Where do we need to put more resources? We can make better-informed decisions because we’re seeing things clearly,” says Pip. Our teams are finding more ways to work together, using our technology expertise to help Clean Up Australia make a powerful impact every day. “I just want to commend the innovation of the Slalom team,” says Terrie-Ann. Never have I worked with consultants who have been so enthusiastic, delivered everything on time, been so fun to work with, and been highly respectful of us as a team and our own skillsets. They’ve brought us on the journey without us ever feeling as though we’ve been stupid or should have understood something. I come away energized every time I meet with them.” Photo of man from Clean Up Australia. A legacy that lives on Little did Ian Kiernan know, when he rallied his friends to clean up the harbor all those years ago, what an immeasurable impact he was going to have on the world. He could have seen all that pollution during his sailing trip and thought: It’s too much. There’s nothing I can do. But instead, he called a friend, and they called their friends, and on and on it grew. One action, one piece of rubbish, at a time. Look at the power of that. If you’d like to support Clean Up Australia’s mission, [learn how](https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/become-a-changemaker). Slalom team members at the beach doing cleanup --- title: Contract Services: The Hub is ready for its close-up url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/contract-services source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/contract-services locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Contract Services: The Hub is ready for its close-up - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/contract-services - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/contract-services - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Working behind the scenes to support the film and television industry, Contract Services keeps tens of thousands of motion picture production employees safety trained and eligible to work. ## Body Contract Services: The Hub is ready for its close-up Contract Services | Slalom Working behind the scenes to support the film and television industry, Contract Services keeps tens of thousands of motion picture production employees safety trained and eligible to work. Working behind the scenes to support the film and television industry, Contract Services keeps tens of thousands of motion picture production employees safety trained and eligible to work. The Hub is ready for its close-up Contract Services The Hub is ready for its close-up on day 1 Share story At a glance Working behind the scenes to support the film and television industry, Contract Services helps Hollywood employers meet a wide array of contractual, legal and regulatory requirements and keeps tens of thousands of motion picture production employees safety trained and eligible to work. The 57-year-old nonprofit engaged Slalom to create the Industry Hub: a public-facing database for employers and the gateway to a brand-new self-service portal for Industry Professionals (its term for the creative and technical professionals who work on production). Impact These new tools not only represented a significant upgrade to Contract Services’ capacity to deliver on its mission, it also transformed the user experience for an entire industry. The result has received applause from every audience! Key Services Industry Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Experience and Service Cloud implementation - MuleSoft Making an impact behind the scenes in Hollywood Most people outside film and TV will never hear of [Contract Services](https://www.csatf.org/). But tens of thousands of Industry Professionals who comprise the production workforce (e.g., costume designers, make-up artists, camera operators, and many more) and the studios hiring them know that Contract Services ensures these workers are safety trained, skilled in their craft, and compliant with government and labor requirements. Established by the major film studios in 1965, Contact Services Administration Trust Fund is tasked with important services that facilitate a smooth employment experience for a vast freelance workforce. One of its primary roles is to maintain rosters of Industry Professionals who must satisfy work experience, safety training and other requirements. In the simplest example, Industry Professionals must apply to Contract Services for placement on a roster, demonstrate their eligibility by providing proof of qualifying work experience, and then maintain various roster and safety training requirements in order to stay compliant and eligible for employment. This system keeps a large pool of artists, technicians and creative professionals ready to work for a significant number of Hollywood studios. Over time, the population the nonprofit serves has grown to include nearly 60,000 Industry Professionals working in more than 200 different job classifications under dozens of different union contracts. Contract Services’ systems had grown organically over many decades, leading to users navigating multiple disparate legacy platforms, manual paper-based processes and exceedingly cumbersome workflows in order to pull together workable views of Industry Professionals' qualifications. Unfortunately, almost none of this information was transparent to Industry Professionals themselves, who often found it difficult to understand what they needed to do or where they stood in the process. It was time for a new angle. Seeking to transform its business and better serve its stakeholders through a new core operating platform, Contract Services engaged Slalom as a strategic partner. David Gross The Industry Hub is nothing short of revolutionary for us. Feedback has been unanimously and overwhelmingly positive. This new system will forever change how Contract Services fulfills its vital role in the motion picture industry. Starting with a wide shot, then zooming in To fully understand the breadth of the project, the Slalom team began by assessing 20 client legacy systems and leading more than 45 workshops to review and improve operational workflows. Before development began, over 260 user stories were crafted, as well as technical architecture designs, data migration and integration plans, user interfaces, and an implementation roadmap. The big idea? The [Industry Hub](https://www.thehub.org/)— or “The Hub,” for short. One simple, easy-to-use platform for an entire industry, where anyone could search Contract Services’ publicly available roster and training records and where Industry Professionals themselves could create an account, complete their application requirements and maintain their ongoing obligations (including safety training) with ease. It quickly became apparent that creating The Hub would be complicated, as the size and complexity were beyond anything most organizations encounter. With more than 200 different job classifications, many with their own unique requirements and esoteric rules, the level of detail among use cases was astonishing. The system we created serves a vast collection of 'edge cases,' rather than a small set of 'normal' uses, offers Slalom senior principal, Jason Arnold. Nearly every element has been highly customized, and very little was leveraged from Salesforce out of the box. For example, in some cases, Contract Services needed to store data about an Industry Professional before they'd even set up a user profile. An API integration was created to receive and hold information from leading entertainment payroll companies, so they could confirm Industry Professionals' eligibility for certain job types. Fortunately, the client's teams, including the C-suite, were extremely passionate, mission driven, and precise about their needs, adds Arnold. Contract Services was able to build consensus on their vision for technology tooling and future-state operations and empower Slalom to build it. The system we created serves a vast collection of edge cases, rather than a small set of normal uses. Nearly every element has been highly customized. Jason Arnold Senior Principal, Slalom Nothing less than a camera-ready, pixel-perfect solution It was a big lift. Using agile methodology, Slalom hyper-customized Salesforce Experience and Service Clouds with a bespoke user interface, more than 6,000 business rules, and integrations with 15-plus in-house and third-party apps via MuleSoft. Perhaps the greatest challenge, however, was the requirement for a complete, fully functional platform upon initial release. Contract Services needed to go live with a tool that could be released and used by Industry Professionals immediately. It had to work flawlessly from launch, explains Arnold. That meant we couldn’t aim for a minimum viable product or a bare-bones tool that first adopters would access to provide feedback. We had to satisfy all use cases and delight every constituent right off the bat. Ultimately, by working closely together, Contract Services and Slalom were able to design and deliver a solution that covered all the bases. Six million records were migrated from legacy systems, making it easy for stakeholders to search, view and send information and documents through Salesforce. Individual portals, designed specifically for unions and Industry Professionals, provide automated reports and dashboards for easy reference. Naturally, webpages are optimized for mobile and desktop, to support these often-freelance, on-the-go audiences. Automated business rules, workflows and notifications provide Contract Services staff and approved users greater visibility into users’ records and reduce manual effort. To further ensure success, videos and detailed manuals were created to train and support six client departments on how to use the new system. On launch day, The Hub went live — with full functionality and minimal hiccups. Within a few days of launch, nearly a third of Industry Professionals (~20,000) had claimed their new Portal accounts, and since then thousands more have done so. The results are clear. The Hub is a hit. “The new Industry Hub and Portal are truly game-changers, showcasing the remarkable progress and positive transformation I have personally witnessed at Contract Services.“ – Tobey Bays, Business Agent – Local #44 (Affiliated Property Craftspersons) The Industry Hub allows Contract Services to collaborate with Hollywood employers, unions and Industry Professionals with ease and accuracy, bolstering their reputation as a leading partner to the entertainment community. “We've been able to improve the way a large part of the entertainment industry functions. Instead of being a required administrative burden, The Hub is helping a whole industry function better,“ muses Arnold. “For those of us on the consulting side, it’s been a thrill to know we've achieved something difficult and work with a client organization that’s so passionate about its cause. And it's been humbling to see that our solution is making Contract Services employees' jobs easier—and is making it a smoother process for entertainment professionals to be hired.” The new Industry Hub and Portal are both incredibly user friendly. With streamlined processes that cut down on ‘back-and-forth’ emails, the Portal not only saves time but allows our members to get placed faster, allowing them quicker access to safety training and important resources on their Portal. As a daily user, I appreciate the numerous roster search features of the Hub and our Portal dashboard display of applicants and compliance snapshots – it is extremely helpful when assisting members with navigating their next steps for roster placement. Ashley Scally Executive Assistant, Business Agent’s Office Local #44 (Affiliated Property Craftspersons) Sign of Hollywood --- title: CRICO: Protecting patients and providers with data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crico-protecting-patients-and-providers-data source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crico-protecting-patients-and-providers-data locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CRICO: Protecting patients and providers with data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crico-protecting-patients-and-providers-data - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crico-protecting-patients-and-providers-data - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a medical professional liability and patient safety organization modernize its data solution with AWS, Microsoft, and Snowflake. ## Body CRICO: Protecting patients and providers with data Protecting patients and providers with data We helped a medical professional liability and patient safety organization modernize its data solution with AWS, Microsoft, and Snowflake. Crico logo Share story Female doctor working with a tablet. At a glance We helped a medical professional liability and patient safety organization modernize its data solution with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Snowflake. Impact Now CRICO’s healthcare provider clients can use and analyze their data in new ways to provide insightful information to risk managers, save money on storage, and reap the rewards of greater scalability. Patients are safer due to better insights and reduced risk. Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Snowflake Industry Healthcare payer Key Services Safeguarding clinicians, hospitals—and patients Data is more than just numbers for [CRICO](https://www.rmf.harvard.edu/), a group of companies (and their respective divisions) owned by and serving the Harvard medical institutions and their affiliates, and a leader in medical professional liability (MPL). Much more. It’s the kind of information that can help save lives. That’s because CRICO unites medical and insurance communities—both Harvard-based and others—by using data to reduce medical errors, protect providers, and promote patient safety. The organization has decades of experience helping the Harvard medical community’s 35 hospitals,16,000 physicians, more than 325 other healthcare organizations, and more than 140,000 clinicians and employees. In addition to supporting member organizations such as Mass General Brigham, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Beth Israel Lahey Health, CRICO also receives and analyzes data from a national collaborative of healthcare systems across the country, representing one-third of all national MPL claims through [Candello](https://www.candello.com/), a division of the organization. Patient safety is paramount At the heart of it all, CRICO data protects patients. “People at CRICO are passionate about protecting the providers and gaining patient safety insights from our data,” says Abbie Brown, vice president and chief information officer (CIO) for CRICO. CRICO creates tools that improve patient safety and identify risk-reduction solutions to mitigate adverse events and harm. Best practices such as surgical checklists and clinical guidelines help reduce possible errors in inpatient and ambulatory care delivery that could result in malpractice claims or be detrimental to patients’ well-being. Legacy systems leave challenges When you’re in charge of that kind of critical data, you need the latest systems. However, CRICO’s legacy analytics systems were not ready to scale due to more traditional data warehouses and data marts. CRICO’s national Candello clients had limited access to the very data they needed to inform their individual patient safety initiatives. Processing times were problematic too, as CRICO was working with giant volumes of data with its on-premises environment. Abbie Brown The automated testing and deployment processes we developed have allowed the team—and organization—to operate with confidence. The making of a modern data solution When Brown joined CRICO a few years ago, she worked with the leadership team, composed of the analytics program manager, the executive sponsors, the principal data architect, and IT engineers to develop a three-step plan to modernize the analytics platform. “We knew we wanted a cloud solution to leverage cloud storage, scalability, and resiliency,” Brown says. The team focused on people, process, and technology in its solution. “First, we made sure we had the right people with the right skills in place before we started,“ says Brown. “Throughout the project, we checked in with the team to make sure everything was going well. Secondly, we leveraged agile project management processes and clear project governance, and identified automated testing and deployment mechanisms.“ Finally, Brown said the team chose cloud-native technology tools like Snowflake, Power BI, Fivetran, DBT, and Okta, which allowed the team to deliver a more sustainable, reliable environment and move out of a legacy, on-prem data center. The team wanted to deliver initiatives on time and on budget, ensure stability in the solution, and upgrade the IT foundation to minimize risk while keeping the business running smoothly. With the analytics platform designed, CRICO then selected Slalom as a partner to embark on a plan to upgrade its internal and external-facing analytics capabilities. Slalom’s project governance work with CRICO was especially important as they started their work together, and offered the team a model that kept them on track with biweekly check-ins, anonymous surveys, and more. Brown says, “We kicked off the analytics engagement by connecting our engineers to assess the current state of data quality and management. Together, we confirmed the selection of an [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) cloud solution and Snowflake. Slalom helped build a secure cloud foundation with EC2, secure API endpoints, and Lambda.“ Data was ingested using the DBT development framework, and the team created data pipelines and transformations with the [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/snowflake) data platform for a multi-tenant, secure data solution. Adding a [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Power BI analytics layer on top of the cloud foundation took the solution to the next level. The team implemented security policies, established networking and connectivity, and built the infrastructure to support CRICO’s new cloud analytics platform. CRICO’s new data platform was ready in 10 months. The team was able to bring 20 data sources to the cloud, and now 500 million records are available for greatly improved querying speed to near-instant return of results. Chris Patten This platform unlocks our ability to be innovative in the data science space and start to look at modernizations like predictive analytics. CRICO has some amazing ideas, and we’ve got people who can help them deliver. Gaining better insights in less time CRICO’s clients now work in the Microsoft Power BI cloud-based, self-service tool with faster performance and more insightful analytics. “It’s been a night-and-day change for the clients and members as they can now answer questions and gain deeper insights right in the tool,“ says Chris Patten, director, data and analytics at Slalom. “We were able to give them a way to leverage modern tools to do self-service exploration.” CRICO’s Candello clients find it easier to drill down into their clinical and financial data, helping them better manage their risk or assist organizations mine the vast database for events matching their search parameters. “It becomes a secure way to compare and benchmark while safeguarding patient data,” Brown adds. Reaping the rewards of scalability Now, CRICO can work with its data at a scale never before possible. The organization has a robust foundation so it can add new data sources and capabilities. “The automated testing and deployment processes we developed have allowed the team—and organization—to operate with confidence as far as data quality and with reduced need for manual QA cycles and avoidance of risky manual deployments, saving time and increasing the scalability of the solution,” explains Brown. Saving money on secure storage Because Snowflake is a consumption-based model for compute, CRICO only pays for what it uses. The Snowflake solution also allows the organization to store protected health information in the platform, which is critical in the healthcare industry. For the Candello clients, CRICO has gone from needing to take snapshots of specific dates to enjoying easy-to-use, as-of-date reporting. “Not only do we now have multitenancy with our Candello clients and can look at data without using separate stand-alone environments, but we also have as-of-date reporting,” Brown adds. “Following our next project of sunsetting our legacy reporting environment, we are looking for additional significant cost-savings.“ Enjoying better response time, performance Instead of monthly data loads, now CRICO data is loaded every evening (and it could be loaded more frequently if it made sense). There are fewer outages, and the prior day’s data is easily accessible. “It’s so reliable,” says Brown. “With our old system, it could take minutes before a query would come back. Now we’re down to sub-minute to get 500 cases, which is amazing. We will continue to focus on performance as we roll out additional tools that leverage the new platform.“ Forming a lasting partnership CRICO and Slalom were in sync from the beginning. “Slalom and CRICO brought each other along each step of the way,” says Patten. “We weren’t just building something and then handing it off. We wanted to make sure that CRICO was going to be able to own their solution moving forward. A big part of the process was helping CRICO find trainings and continually review the design process to ensure alignment. It was a continuous knowledge-transfer opportunity.” Looking forward, both CRICO and Slalom are excited about future possibilities together. “This platform unlocks our ability to be innovative in the data science space and start to look at modernizations like predictive analytics,” Patten adds. “CRICO has some amazing ideas, and we’ve got people who can help them deliver.” Brown notes that a few key elements made the partnership and project successful. “Number one is we did this in an incremental way,” says Brown. “We also focused on the team, knowledge transfer, and involvement from both Slalom and CRICO. From a partnership perspective, Slalom has exhibited four key elements of leadership: the ability to work with us to set the strategic vision, the ability to execute, the sense of urgency to get things done, and organizational change management. And they really do fire on those four cylinders.” CRICO Customer Story | Slalom --- title: CRISP: A data platform to handle anything url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-azure-data-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-azure-data-platform locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CRISP: A data platform to handle anything - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-azure-data-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-azure-data-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary An Azure Data Lake forever changed how an HIE serves its stakeholders. And local communities benefit from leading-edge, insightful healthcare information. ## Body CRISP: A data platform to handle anything CRISP: A data platform to handle anything | Slalom We helped a healthcare information exchange build its Azure Data Lake. With faster data analysis and richer insights, CRISP’s information is now some of the most reliable in the US. An Azure Data Lake forever changed how an HIE serves its stakeholders. And local communities benefit from leading-edge, insightful healthcare information. A data platform to handle anything CRISP logo Share story Medical professional works with a patient. At a glance A healthcare information exchange wanted to analyze its data faster and curate deeper insights. Together, Slalom and CRISP built an Azure Data Lake. Impact The results forever changed how CRISP serves its stakeholders—and its local community now benefits from some of the most reliable, insightful healthcare information in the US. Key Technologies / Platforms - Azure Data Lake - Databricks - Microsoft Industry Health tech Key Services A simple choice with powerful results Sometimes, clients share feedback with Slalom that leaves us delighted and profoundly humbled. It usually speaks to a dazzling business transformation, the impressive ripple effect of technology, or powerful community impact. This story has all three—and it began with a simple choice. In early 2020, [Chesapeake Regional Information Systems for our Patients](https://crisphealth.org/) (CRISP) chose Slalom to build an Azure Data Lake. Data is CRISP’s mission CRISP gets the right healthcare information to the right place at the right time, enabling patient-centered care and effective public health decisions. It’s the State of Maryland’s officially designated healthcare information exchange (HIE), a technology partner to HIEs in West Virginia and Connecticut, and a data provider to high-profile research institutions like [Johns Hopkins](https://www.jhu.edu/). Day to day, CRISP’s teams aggregate data from hundreds of providers and share it back, allowing healthcare information to move securely and safely. If you live in the Chesapeake region and want to exercise your right to see who’s accessed your medical records and when, CRISP will find that information. If a public health leader needs to identify patterns in opioid use, CRISP helps with that too. Craig Behm Suddenly, we can build a full view of a person which can be used by epidemiologists or a reporting suite in research studies. And we can link hundreds of thousands of records and link files in specific ways that are 100% accurate. We couldn’t dream of doing that a year ago. It’s like we’re in a different league now. Transforming operational data into analytical data Like all HIEs, CRISP works with disparate data sources, a variety of data owners, and high-volume databases. Before the data lake, analyzing and reporting was a manual, time-consuming job, and working at scale and speed was a challenge. Lindsey Ferris, program director of HIE projects at CRISP, explains, “We might have lab data coming in, immunization data, imaging data, or prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data, all in their own separate databases. We had an API layer and anytime somebody queried for it, the query went to the API, the API went and grabbed the data from the different sources and consolidated it and sent it back. For a patient-by-patient perspective we could get a complete picture. But when we wanted to ask questions that are more analytical like, ‘How many patients do we have that are Medicaid, have a prescription, and recently went to the hospital?’ those questions took a long time to answer.” With one eye to PDMP data and the [SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6), Ferris began advocating for a modern analytics platform that could enable those metrics-driven questions on an ongoing basis. She envisioned a solution that could bring together CRISP’s multiple datasets, be relevant to helping understand the care of high-risk populations, and enable speedier insights. Discovering a data lake Slalom was introduced to CRISP by our partners at [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft). While the RFP called for a data warehouse, we proposed—and ultimately partnered with CRISP to deliver—an Azure Data Lake. The advantage of a data lake, says Phil Hetzel, a senior principal in Slalom DC, is that organizations aren’t tied to an enterprise view. They can start work with single use cases and deliver incremental value. CRISP could begin pulling data at terabyte scale almost immediately, have the flexibility to make changes in the future, and the long-term running cost would be sustainable. Accelerating the build At the beginning of the pandemic, the Maryland Department of Health reached out to CRISP with a request: Get us the demographic data we need to track COVID and proactively support our communities. CRISP was eager to help. But work on the data lake hadn’t yet begun. The reality for team members? Multiple spreadsheets, multiple handoffs. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week. CRISP’s leaders made the courageous decision to hold the PDMP use case, prioritize COVID, and accelerate Slalom’s delivery timeline. Our consultants were ready for the challenge—and the teamwork. With Slalom DC’s Azure Data Platform Accelerator—which uses Databricks and other Azure services—the teams deployed the basic infrastructure speedily and put their energy straight into creating datasets. The big difference with using the accelerator, says Steve Dowling, senior consultant in Slalom DC, is that “we can take on the first use case and solve a problem right away while we’re also making the platform better and bigger and stronger.” Says Hetzel, “We stood up the platform within three weeks. In weeks four to five, we rolled out the race and ethnicity use case. Since then it’s been an [Agile](https://www.slalom.com/insights/agile-advantage) partnership. Whatever is on the front burner for CRISP’s teams, we work on it.” Woman typing on laptop computer. We went from this 12-hour day, multiple-person process that we had to do every single day, including weekends, to an automated file that you spit out in a couple of hours. Lindsey Ferris Program Director, CRISP The new platform—CRISP Insights—easily handles datasets of 400+ billion records and 30+ unique data sources. It automatically masters any data the teams need and provides a single, clean file that can be used for analysis and reporting. And new data sources can be added to the platform in less than an hour. The results for Maryland? CRISP was able to create a powerful, near real-time summary report of key COVID measures. It’s trended across time with the ability to break out demographics like race and ethnicity. Using this information, Maryland has been able to track the path of the pandemic in local communities, target the locations of new testing sites, and ultimately improve access for vulnerable communities. “We can't thank the Slalom team enough for being bold and saying, ‘here’s the right technology for you,’” says CRISP Insights lead Andy Hanks. “If we’d gone with a data warehouse design, we could not have been as responsive to COVID.” Speedy insights for public health issues And the demographic use case was just the start. In the first 12 months, CRISP Insights has contributed to the following outcomes: hourly contact tracing with data already cross-referenced for individual risk factors, automated reporting on COVID hospitalizations, real-time ICU capacity sent directly to EMTs, tracking COVID-19 patterns in student populations for schools and universities, tracking the vaccine rollout progress, connecting MCOs in Maryland to vulnerable people who need to be prioritized for the vaccine, monitoring trends in the way COVID has impacted pregnancies . . . the list goes on and on. CRISP and Slalom have also returned to the PDMP use case for the platform. CRISP Insights can help link prescriber, patient, and dosage data and create a flag for a physician to help identify high-risk individuals and ensure they get the right care. Medical professional working with a patient in a clinic. Of course, there have been significant time and financial savings as a result of the platform, but more important to CRISP is a capacity to say yes more often to its stakeholders and support bigger public health questions. Its teams have the power to explore how different populations are affected by everything from overdoses and regular seasonal flu to pre-diabetes. And they can do it with a speed and reach unmatched by other HIEs. CRISP’s executive director of Maryland Craig Behm offers the stunning example of a multimillion-person panel for a large insurance company: “The CRISP Insights team was able to set it up, configure it, link all the records, and push it out in three days. We calculated it would have taken the old engine 190 days just to run the master person matching.” Ready for anything The world of what’s possible for CRISP and its stakeholders is wide open. A data lake is no longer seen as something that’s “nice to have,” says Ferris. “It’s been adopted by everybody. And people think about CRISP Insights as core infrastructure. They understand the power that it has.” Ferris hopes CRISP Insights will become a true public health utility for multiple HIEs across the country and allow CRISP to broaden its partnerships. Whatever’s next, the team is ready. “The sky’s the limit,” says Hanks. “It’s certainly not boring around here!” --- title: CSS: Taking control of data to improve health outcomes url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-shared-services source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-shared-services locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # CSS: Taking control of data to improve health outcomes - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-shared-services - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-shared-services - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary CRISP Shared Services (CSS) wanted to bring its near real-time Health Information Exchange data processing in-house to increase speed and security, so it partnered with Slalom to build out their streaming data platform in Azure Databricks ## Body CSS: Taking control of data to improve health outcomes CRISP Shared Services | Slalom CRISP Shared Services (CSS) wanted to bring its near real-time Health Information Exchange data processing in-house to increase speed and security, so it partnered with Slalom to build out their streaming data platform in Azure Databricks. CRISP Shared Services (CSS) wanted to bring its near real-time Health Information Exchange data processing in-house to increase speed and security, so it partnered with Slalom to build out their streaming data platform in Azure Databricks Taking control of data to improve health outcomes Share story At a glance CRISP Shared Services (CSS) wanted to bring its near real-time health information exchange data processing in-house to increase speed and security, so it partnered with Slalom to build out their streaming data platform in Azure Databricks. Impact Now CSS can process over 1.7 million messages daily—in real time, with increasing quality—to drive better health outcomes across 10 states and counting. Key Services Cloud Industry Health tech Key Technologies / Platforms - Databricks - Microsoft Azure Unified messaging for better outcomes In the medical field, a split second can mean the difference between life and death, and that moment can often hinge on medical professionals having access to crucial information. [Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients](https://www.crisphealth.org/) (CRISP) understands this, which is why it aims to keep its health information exchange (HIE)—a secure way of messaging that hospitals and clinics use to share patient information—at the cutting edge of efficacy and speed. Since 2011, every hospital in Maryland has used CRISP as their data and messaging platform. The organization has since launched [CRISP Shared Services](https://www.crispsharedservices.org/) (CSS), a nonprofit that has expanded CRISP HIE services to 10 states including Virginia, West Virginia, Alaska, and Connecticut, as well as the district DC. At the core of CSS’s offerings are HL7 messages—information sent between disparate healthcare systems. For example, if a patient involved in a car accident ends up in a hospital on the other side of town from their primary care physician (PCP), their PCP can access that medical info sent via HL7 messages. This type of information sharing requires the utmost security, accuracy, and speed. In the past, CSS was sending updates in batches. This approach limited access to real-time data and created dependencies that slowed down innovation. It also posed challenges for scalability and performance optimization as the organization grew. “Often we were processing everything under the paradigm of a nightly bulk, sort of snapshot of data,” said Rhonda Moody, director of data insights at CSS. “And so sometimes there were use cases where more timely information would be very beneficial, and we couldn’t offer to support those.” They’re definitely improving the speed and the quality of data that’s being shared with providers so that if you end up in the emergency room, they have a little bit of your background, they might know about some preexisting conditions, and they have context about you. I think that’s incredibly important. Chris Mantz Slalom principal CSS wanted to bring its data processing in-house to drive better outcomes for patients at the individual level as well as public health and research purposes, while simplifying communication to physicians and payors. Building on the success of its earlier collaboration with Slalom, which resulted in a [robust data platform for COVID tracking](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-azure-data-platform), the organization naturally turned to Slalom as a partner in enhancing and expanding its data capabilities. CRISP and Slalom had previously implemented a data lake to analyze CRISP’s data faster and curate deeper insights. Now that the organization was beginning to process its messaging data in-house, there was a clear opportunity to process this extremely high volume of data with total control. It was soon decided that an [Azure Data Lake](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/data-lake) solution would, again, be the ideal choice. But this time there was an additional goal: to build a streaming data platform that would process message data in near real time, allowing medical providers to receive messages close to instantaneously while maintaining security and privacy. Rhonda Moody There’s so much power in how easy it is to get the data, once it’s connected, to all the places it needs to go. Streaming healthcare data at scale The team got to work enhancing their advanced data platform for streamlining healthcare data management. The platform integrates four key components: a streaming engine for real-time data ingestion, a rules engine for linking hospital events and clinical results together to create a complete understanding of patient visits, a panel engine managing patient-provider relationships, and a notification engine delivering customized information—all linked to CSS’s long-standing integration capability to deliver custom information outbound. Using [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks) and [Azure](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), the platform optimizes resource allocation and costs while providing flexible, near real-time data processing and delivery tailored to user-specific needs and preferences. “Right now, with all of the streaming capabilities we have, the time from when we receive a file or message until it shows up in the portal is close to five minutes, which is really huge,” says Ayanjyoti Thakuria, senior data engineer and data insights technical lead at CSS. The new architecture not only accelerated data processing but also enhanced data quality monitoring and reporting capabilities. “CSS was able to create a feedback loop for quality assurance that allowed them to better report on the data quality of the messages they received,” says Slalom principal Chris Mantz. Another highlight is the ability to onboard new data sources and accommodate increasing message volumes and new healthcare partners without compromising on performance or requiring significant additional resources. “Our confidence and ability to scale are really big for us right now,” said Moody. “We’ve been in a growth period, and we’re anticipating that to continue. So making sure that whatever we build is very responsive and very scalable—those are two of the key components.” Building on a mission CSS’s mission is to appropriately and securely share data to facilitate care, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes, and the streaming data solution it built with Slalom lets it do just that. “They’re definitely improving the speed and the quality of data that’s being shared with providers so that if you end up in the emergency room, they have a little bit of your background, they might know about some preexisting conditions, and they have context about you,” says Mantz. “I think that’s incredibly important.” “There’s so much power in how easy it is to get the data, once it’s connected, to all the places it needs to go,” says Moody. Within the ecosystem of healthcare delivery and public health management, CSS is helping to bridge information gaps, enabling seamless communication across networks and driving tangible improvements in patient experiences and outcomes. Physician sitting at desk and working on tablet --- title: Daikin Comfort: Keeping cool with unified sales and operations planning url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/daikin-comfort-sales-and-operations-planning source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/daikin-comfort-sales-and-operations-planning locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Daikin Comfort: Keeping cool with unified sales and operations planning - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/daikin-comfort-sales-and-operations-planning - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/daikin-comfort-sales-and-operations-planning - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Daikin Comfort streamlines sales and operations planning with a unified view of vital supply chain data and advanced AI capabilities. ## Body Daikin Comfort: Keeping cool with unified sales and operations planning We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Daikin Comfort | Supply chain planning | Slalom Discover how we helped Daikin Comfort increase supply chain planning accuracy and improve visibility for all S&OP stakeholders. Daikin Comfort streamlines sales and operations planning with a unified view of vital supply chain data and advanced AI capabilities. Daikin Comfort streamlines S&OP with Anaplan | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Keeping cool with unified sales and operations planning At a glance VISION We helped a leading global HVAC company streamline its sales and operations planning process with a single source of vital supply chain data. Impact By moving to a unified planning system with advanced AI capabilities, Daikin Comfort reduced inventory by 10% and boosted forecast accuracy by 15%. Key Services Industry Industrials and electronics Technologies/Platforms - Anaplan Are all your stakeholders working from the same, accurate, up-to-the minute information? Let’s get data right A better way to plan [Daikin Comfort](https://daikincomfort.com/) provides HVAC technologies, including smart home and clean comfort solutions as well as environmentally friendly refrigerants. With its focus on efficient and sustainable climate control for residential, commercial, and industrial customers, Daikin Comfort has seen impressive growth in its North American operations. Growth, however, often brings additional complexity, especially for [manufacturers](https://www.slalom.com/us/en//insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026) and other companies managing extensive supply chains. As Daikin Comfort expanded, its teams were tracking 10x the number of SKUs they had in recent years while continuing to use tools and processes more suited to a smaller business. Leadership saw this as an opportunity to modernize sales and operations planning (S OP) while also creating a better experience for customers. Daikin Comfort had already worked with Slalom on numerous projects, so a collaboration to optimize S OP landed squarely in everyone’s comfort zone. Billy Shipley Slalom was really good at listening to our needs and conceding when necessary while still making everything work, rather than being anchored in one style. Moving away from silos and spreadsheets Daikin Comfort’s primary hurdle was a disconnected planning environment. The company’s four key groups—sales, logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain management (SCM)—managed their respective areas individually. “Every group had its own manual spreadsheet,” says Billy Shipley, senior vice president finance, CFO at Daikin Comfort. “Sales would take its spreadsheet and send it to SCM. SCM would load that into a giant 8,000-row file and then pass it on to manufacturing. But once you pass a spreadsheet on, it’s already old.” This lack of real-time visibility led to firefighting and heroics from team members who often had to reconcile conflicting data and update short-term production plans. Without a single source of truth, the organization found it difficult to plan effectively beyond a few weeks, leading to excess inventory and potential delays in fulfilling customer orders. A strategic reset Slalom partnered with Daikin Comfort to move from a reactive execution model to a proactive, integrated planning process. Slalom team members, many of whom are former industry practitioners, worked closely with Daikin Comfort leaders to bridge cultural differences and align the organization around common goals. To automate and sustain the new processes, the team used [Anaplan](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan) as the central technology platform. By consolidating data from across the business, Daikin Comfort established a single source of truth that allows for real-time collaboration. “The future state required one system and source of truth with real-time collaboration. We wanted things like key performance indicators (KPIs), plan reporting, analytics, and dashboards, but first we needed to establish the right process.” Biju Jatheendran Director at Slalom Everyone on the same page One of the most impactful changes was the move to consensus demand. Instead of building inventory based on static annual budgets, SCM, sales, and manufacturing now collaborate to challenge assumptions and align on what the market will actually tolerate. The team used the forecast outputs from Daikin Comfort’s existing AI tools to establish a baseline for the S OP community and inject +/- building blocks (inputs from market intelligence, sales and pricing strategy, and assumptions) to drive the most up-to-date demand signal. Enrique Ervesun, a director at Slalom, explains the forecast value-add KPI we introduced to Daikin Comfort: “If the statistical models, machine learning, and AI create a baseline that’s 95% accurate, then the teams know they don’t need further adjustments. For products that have a forecast value add that’s extremely negative, they have to dig deeper and find out what the problems are.” So far, this approach is yielding impressive results. “Last month our forecast was 15% better from the efforts we’ve made and having sales work with the AI tool,” says Shipley. A smoother process and better results The transformation has significantly improved Daikin Comfort’s operational efficiency and financial health. By aligning production with true market demand, the company has already reduced its inventory by 10%, with a plan to reach a 30% total reduction by next year. The impact extends directly to Daikin Comfort’s customers through improved order fulfillment. With better visibility into inventory targets and production plans, the company can deliver the right products in the right place at the right time. “Now manufacturing, logistics, sales, and SCM can all collaborate on the budget,” Shipley notes. “We’re challenging each other and building a much better consensus demand. It’s been huge.” CUSTOMER RESULTS What does a truly streamlined sales and operations planning process look like? Take the first step Beyond the metrics, the project has empowered team members and reduced the stress of the planning cycle. Executive update meetings that used to involve last-minute adjustments and uncertainty are now streamlined reviews of accurate, pre-validated data. “The really cool thing about this project is that, for supply chain management, we have one source of truth,” concludes Shipley. “We have everything sitting in the same spot. Even though every entity has its own objectives, we can see everything in one place.” The potential for global rollout Reflecting on the partnership, Shipley shares, “Slalom’s been a great partner. This project was very, very complex, and they've just been great with all the detail and intricacies.” With the success of the North American transformation, Daikin now has the opportunity to use it as a blueprint for its other locations across the world, leaving the company even better positioned to build on its leadership in the HVAC industry for years to come. Are you ready to reduce the stress of planning cycles? Talk to an expert Share story --- title: Databricks: A Salesforce transformation to empower growth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/databricks-salesforce-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/databricks-salesforce-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Databricks: A Salesforce transformation to empower growth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/databricks-salesforce-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/databricks-salesforce-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When seeking a robust PRM system for its expanding partner ecosystem, Databricks innovated with Salesforce PRM, creating a seamless blend of technology and human experience. ## Body Databricks: A Salesforce transformation to empower growth Databricks sought a robust partner relationship management (PRM) system for its expanding partner ecosystem. We innovated with Salesforce PRM, creating a seamless blend of technology and human experience. Databricks | Salesforce | Slalom When seeking a robust PRM system for its expanding partner ecosystem, Databricks innovated with Salesforce PRM, creating a seamless blend of technology and human experience. A Salesforce transformation to empower growth A Salesforce transformation to empower growth Share story At a glance Databricks sought a robust partner relationship management (PRM) system for its expanding partner ecosystem. Impact We innovated with Salesforce PRM, creating a seamless blend of technology and human experience. Key Services System implementation Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce In the fast-paced world of data and AI, lakehouse company [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/databricks) stands as a pioneer, dedicated to simplifying complex technological challenges and making them accessible to all. Facing the need to seamlessly integrate its growing partner ecosystem, Databricks turned to Slalom for its expertise in bridging technology and human-centric solutions. The challenge was clear: migrate to [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) PRM while upholding Databricks’ core mission. In response, Databricks and Slalom embarked on a journey to innovate while prioritizing the end user, through a fusion of Sales Cloud, Experience Cloud, experience design, and CRM Analytics—propelling them even closer to their goal of democratizing data, analytics, and AI. Databricks faced a trio of challenges: the need for clear partner performance insights, an outgrown PRM system, and a wish list of essential features. To effectively track and strengthen its relationships with partners, the company needed much more flexibility on the interface than its existing PRM system provided. Karl Kadon We really appreciate Slalom’s thought partnership and world-class industry expertise, implementing a best-in-class platform for our partners to enable massive growth. From data to action The partnership between Slalom and Databricks proved instrumental in understanding user needs and enhancing the user journey, especially in implementing Salesforce PRM. The Slalom team carried out the integration with a keen focus on compatibility across Sales Cloud, Experience Cloud, experience design, and CRM Analytics, effectively incorporating impactful metrics into the project’s success. The new interface streamlined internal and application processes and offered an inviting portal for Databricks partners to access resources, collaborate, register deals, offer training, track performance, analyze data, and expedite other vital tasks. The intuitive design fostered engagement, making it effortless for partners to navigate and collaborate. And the metrics speak volumes about this connection. With thousands of active partner contacts leveraging the portal, and a staggering 250% surge in partners reviewed and onboarded every week, it’s become more than a tool. It’s a glimpse into the exciting road ahead. The true testament to this partnership’s success was the threefold increase in partners over the last year since the new Salesforce PRM was launched. ”We really appreciate Slalom’s thought partnership and world-class industry expertise, implementing a best-in-class platform for our partners to enable massive growth,” says Karl Kadon, Databricks senior director, partner strategy operations. In consulting, we talk about synergy. This solution brings the right data to the right stakeholders at the right time so that customers can optimally leverage the Databricks platform. Eli Hill Senior Director, Slalom Dreams fueled by synergy The impact was undeniable. As new partners joined and existing relationships flourished, the framework built by Databricks and Slalom proved its scalability. The partnership became more than just a transaction; it was a relationship built on mutual growth. “The Databricks partner team was great to work with,” says Shirley Lai, Slalom senior delivery principal. “They were really looking at the big picture of helping us prioritize what was important and what could be different. Databricks trusted our team a lot to provide the recommendations and would listen to our suggestions and then make an informed decision.” The Databricks-Salesforce PRM transformation wasn’t just a technical project. It was a testament to the power of partnerships and the potential of technology to enhance human interactions. “In consulting, we talk about synergy,” says Eli Hill, Slalom senior director. “This solution brings the right data to the right stakeholders at the right time so that customers can optimally leverage the Databricks platform.” By investing in the right tools, Databricks has paved the way for boundless expansion, demonstrating how a collaboration can transform not only a business process but also the essence of partnership dynamics. In a world where data and AI are the new frontiers, Databricks, Salesforce, and Slalom are proving that when technology and humanity converge, the possibilities are limitless. --- title: DDRFA: Connecting data to cure childhood brain cancer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ddrfa-data-to-cure-childhood-cancer source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ddrfa-data-to-cure-childhood-cancer locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # DDRFA: Connecting data to cure childhood brain cancer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ddrfa-data-to-cure-childhood-cancer - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ddrfa-data-to-cure-childhood-cancer - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with DDRFA to build a resource hub that empowers families with critical care information and accelerates data donations to combat DIPG DMG. ## Body DDRFA: Connecting data to cure childhood brain cancer DDRFA | Resource Hub | Slalom We partnered with DDRFA to build a resource hub that empowers families with critical care information and accelerates data donations to combat DIPG DMG. Connecting data to cure childhood brain cancer Share story At a glance In just six weeks, we partnered with DDRFA to build the DIPG OneLink, a centralized resource hub that empowers families with critical care information, accelerates patient data donations, and drives the discovery of new treatments for DIPG DMG, a rare form of childhood brain cancer. Impact The creation of the DIPG OneLink led to a significant increase in patient data donations, surging from 101 donations over a five-year time span to 220 donations in less than a year. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Finding strength in numbers The leading cause of brain tumor-related death in children is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), also known as diffuse midline glioma (DMG). A rare and often fatal form of childhood brain cancer, DIPG DMG’s life expectancy at diagnosis is just 6 to 12 months. Fewer than 500 people are diagnosed with DIPG DMG every year, and with limited and fragmented data available, this small patient population leaves researchers grappling to understand the disease. United in their own search for a cure, parents who’ve felt the tragic impact of this cancer banded together to create the [DIPG DMG Research Funding Alliance (DDRFA)](https://ddrfa.org/). Recognizing that there’s strength in numbers, this family of 50 organizations is working together to fund cancer research and fight DIPG DMG—because lives depend on it. Trying to comprehend the incomprehensible The standard of care for DIPG DMG is 60 years old, and with no proven treatment options, doctors are unable to give definitive guidance, leaving the onus to fall on parents and caregivers to decide what’s best for their child. Every minute counts for a family after diagnosis, and yet they’re left hunting through information, spending weeks dissecting medical language to ensure their child receives the best care. Some families will travel the country searching for clear answers, but others are unable to do so, limited by geographical and financial barriers. “Along the way, all of us, at the different times that we faced DIPG DMG, felt like this should be easier,” says Lisa Ward, member of DDRFA and president of the Tough2gether Foundation. “Regardless of who you are and who you know, we needed to make DIPG DMG care and support accessible to all.” DDRFA approached Slalom looking for a way to simplify this daunting process for families, alleviating the burden of research while showing them they’re not alone. At the same time, the organization knew that to make true change, it had to begin collecting the vital data that would accelerate research and drive the discovery of new treatments. Slalom committed to this resource hub in six weeks—and now it’s a beacon of light for all cancer communities. The way’s it’s written is wonderful. Slalom found every word by getting to know our families, by doing the interviews, and by asking us the hard questions. Lisa Ward DDRFA member Laying a foundation of purpose Together, Slalom and DDRFA began building the [DIPG OneLink](https://dipg-onelink.org/), a centralized resource hub that could raise awareness of DIPG DMG, empower families with knowledge and insights, and provide critical pathways to educate on the importance of patient data donations. Slalom’s team of web developers, user experience designers, and visual designers developed the DIPG OneLink on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud. Slalom's team delivered an enterprise-grade website on AWS Amplify that's easy to maintain, cost-effective for a nonprofit to operate, and secure for handling sensitive health information while still offering a dynamic and intuitive experience. Owen Farrell, senior director at Slalom, explains, “By leveraging tailor-made services through AWS Amplify, DDRFA can now use the same kind of technology that Fortune 500 companies use without the army of engineers needed to maintain a site.” With a solid foundation in place, the next step was to ensure the resource hub was not only functional but also rich with purpose. Bridging the gap between research and compassion The DIPG OneLink needed to present complex information clearly, with sensitivity and understanding. To inform the content and design, Slalom sat down with families who had lost loved ones to DIPG DMG and listened to their lived experiences. These open discussions unearthed the challenges and emotions that arose from the moment of diagnosis onward. From these conversations, it was clear that the DIPG OneLink must create an inclusive and supportive digital environment that shows while everyone may be at different points in their journey, no family is ever walking their path alone. Ultimately, Slalom and DDRFA ensured the DIPG OneLink was built by families, for families. Many of the stories are written in a parent-to-parent approach, interweaving the collective family experience throughout the website. Keywords that resonated during interviews—hope, light, simple, and together—were chosen to create unity throughout the design and messaging. Every image was selected with careful consideration, and even the circular logo was designed as a symbol of inclusion and completeness. To match the three distinct moments families could face throughout their battles, Slalom then organized the resource hub into three sections. For families new to the fight, the DIPG OneLink provides education, detailing what DIPG DMG is, what clinical trials are, and how to make connections within the community. Families in the fight learn how to live with DIPG DMG, the clinical trials that are available, and the value of data sharing. In this section, families can also seek out second opinions from the National Brain Tumor Board and access the My DIPG Navigator, where they can contact trained nurses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For families that have faced unimaginable losses and are now fighting for others, the DIPG OneLink is a place where they can find support systems, share their own stories, and donate their loved ones’ data. Expanding the circle to end DIPG DMG As researchers actively work toward a cure, they need access to as much patient data as possible. Clinical records, imaging, blood samples, data sequencing, and central nervous system tissue donations are crucial for breakthroughs in research. Yet, before the DIPG OneLink, little information was available to families on the importance of these donations. “If you’re going to get this great care, we knew we had to collect the data—and we needed patients’ help to do that,“ Ward says. “Slalom’s team helped us walk with families along their journey, interspersing how important data is to their own care.“ By educating through empathy and emphasizing the value of patient data across the DIPG OneLink, DDRFA has seen an immediate increase in data donations. In fact, 65 patients signed up to contribute their data in the first four months after launch, and 220 have signed up over the last year. To put those numbers into perspective, before the DIPG OneLink was created, only 101 patients had donated their data in a five-year time span. Slalom and DDRFA’s work to expand this circle of data is directly supporting [Cancer Moonshot](https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=bP1sFtreXO3RK4S78Cv8T9dhYrxXAdHeXSA-_rCpEWkCF9gFZM27Ds1Gi_8Viqe5NUIMI_JAMueMErEAFOA1gHsxj0axAZ84mpAckmAl9YvzTlq0OBhbJQki2Iy3-r4M), a White House initiative to prevent more than four million cancer deaths by 2047 and improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer, bringing the world one step closer to Moonshot’s goal of ending cancer once and for all. I love my doctors, but having people who lived through it and are willing to keep helping, who don’t even know me—it’s life-changing. I would be lost without it. Seana Isaac DIPG warrior Illuminating a future of hope ”Slalom committed to this resource hub in six weeks—and now it’s a beacon of light for all cancer communities,” Ward reflects. “The way it’s written is wonderful. Slalom found every word by getting to know our families, by doing the interviews, and by asking us the hard questions.” DDRFA is now watching the direct impact of the DIPG OneLink unfold. The website has become an essential tool for children and young adults like Seana Isaac, a twenty-three-year-old who was diagnosed with DIPG DMG. Isaac had applied for a clinical trial but was denied because the trial required at least 42 days of radiation—and she only had 41. However, the DIPG OneLink gave her the resources needed to advocate for herself, and she was reaccepted into the trial. “It’s all on the website, broken down in one place for people,” Isaac conveys. “I love my doctors, but having people who lived through it and are willing to keep helping, who don’t even know me—it’s life-changing. I would be lost without it.” Isaac’s story truly encapsulates the heart of Slalom and DDRFA’s efforts. At its essence, the real purpose of the DIPG OneLink is to help. To help those like Isaac who are actively fighting. To help honor the memories of the children who fought as hard as they possibly could. To help the parents and caregivers who are overwhelmed and confused. And, ultimately, to help create a future where DIPG DMG is a cancer of the past. Girl looking out the window --- title: Deakin University: A master class in leveraging Salesforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/deakin-university source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/deakin-university locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Deakin University: A master class in leveraging Salesforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/deakin-university - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/deakin-university - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped Deakin University map a path forward to a cohesive and efficient digital ecosystem that’s primed for growth. ## Body Deakin University: A master class in leveraging Salesforce Deakin University | Slalom Slalom helped Deakin University map a path forward to a cohesive and efficient digital ecosystem that’s primed for growth. A master class in leveraging Salesforce Deakin University Share story At a glance When Deakin University saw room for growth in its digital systems and use of Salesforce, leadership sought out advice on how to optimize that journey and maximize their ROI. Impact Slalom assessed Deakin’s existing solutions, identified operational priorities, recommended opportunities to improve critical capabilities, and mapped a path forward to a cohesive and efficient digital ecosystem that’s primed for growth. Key Services Cloud Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce 5w0e6nni9d A vision to unlock potential As an organization that aims to be a catalyst of positive change for its students and community, [Deakin University](https://www.deakin.edu.au/) needed to unlock the potential of its systems for critical growth. From faculty and students to staff and partners, the university had an enormous amount of talent to work with, but faced some technological limitations. Their recent, initial adoption of [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) showed promising results, but at a relatively small scale. Deakin’s leaders saw the potential and sought out Slalom’s expertise in both Salesforce and the education industry to recommend a scalable strategy for a new phase of digital transformation. Seeking system synergy Deakin had a vision of highly efficient processes that would streamline experiences for both employees and students. However, siloed software, data, and systems made it difficult to curate those processes at scale. For example, a student might receive several emails from multiple departments, creating a user experience that, at times, wasn’t holistically collegial. This was a result of unique departments not having a central place to view what’s being sent by other stakeholders. For university leadership, the disparate sources of truth across the organization made data-driven insights hard to come by. “From marketing journeys and campaign management to donor relations and reporting, we had a lot of capabilities we wanted to optimize,” says Ronnie Sejean, Deakin’s digital platforms manager. “Prioritizing those capabilities and identifying the right solutions was no small task.” A handful of departments had access to Salesforce solutions but lacked the time and expertise to leverage those tools and unlock their potential. Deakin saw the limitations of its isolated systems, and the pandemic-driven shift toward digital learning made pain points more apparent. Overhauling its digital ecosystem in pursuit of system synergy would require a significant investment of time and resources, and the university wanted to be confident it was implementing the right solutions. Mapping out a path to progress “Our first step was a thorough discovery process,” says Clancy Brodrick, a senior consultant at Slalom. “We wanted to get a clear understanding of Deakin’s vision for growth, and the pain points that were holding them back.” Brodrick and the team met with a variety of stakeholders to identify the critical objectives, low-hanging-fruit solutions, and long-term strategies that would spur a digital transformation at scale. Armed with those insights, they got to work on a capability and requirements modeling exercise to summarize Deakin’s priority operations. The exercise also heat-mapped Deakin’s business capabilities by how frequently they were utilized across departments. Some of the top priorities included marketing journeys, partner acquisition, events, account management, and data analytics. With these priorities in mind, the next step was to lay out a target state architecture. Clancy Brodrick We wanted to give them a picture of what a streamlined and integrated digital ecosystem could look like. And it was really rewarding to see their genuine excitement about that vision. The recommended architecture included several expansions and implementations of Salesforce solutions: Sales Cloud to support partner management, Service Cloud to improve digital engagement, Tableau to develop reports and dashboards, Marketing Cloud for campaign management, and MuleSoft for integrations with non-Salesforce software. The idea was that each component would be interconnected, unifying operations across the university with a single source of truth and addressing the isolated systems that kept the organization out of sync. Aligned and motivated “Our partnership with Slalom was invaluable in validating our vision to double down on Salesforce and accelerate our digital transformation,” says Sejean. “But more than that, they gave us a fresh and insightful perspective on our priorities and a road map for the journey to growth.” Slalom’s team also recommended specific departments where expanding Deakin’s Salesforce capabilities would improve student and employee experiences. From admissions and digital learning initiatives to student services and marketing, they identified scalable opportunities that would contribute to big-picture goals. With integrated systems, unified data visibility, and improved access to strategic insights, Deakin University will be able to unlock more of its student, system, and stakeholder potential across the organization. Moving forward With a plan in place and insights in hand, Deakin’s leadership is looking forward to the next phase of its journey: implementation. Moving from planning and strategy to execution and results is set to catapult Deakin’s growth and unlock new levels of potential across the organization. A man on a laptop in the park that is smiling --- title: DECIEM: A tech-ops makeover to deliver the best in beauty url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/deciem-salesforce-makeover source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/deciem-salesforce-makeover locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # DECIEM: A tech-ops makeover to deliver the best in beauty - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/deciem-salesforce-makeover - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/deciem-salesforce-makeover - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with DECIEM to continue integrating its technologies and optimizing its operations so it can sustainably scale its direct-to-consumer business and improve its customer experiences at the same time. ## Body DECIEM: A tech-ops makeover to deliver the best in beauty A tech-ops makeover to deliver the best in beauty We partnered with DECIEM to continue integrating its technologies and optimizing its operations so it can sustainably scale its direct-to-consumer business and improve its customer experiences at the same time. DECIEM logo Share story At a glance Impact With better tools and processes, DECIEM is quickly launching new features and accelerating growth. Key Services Industry Retail Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce A beautiful start A lot of companies with great products start strong and gain plenty of momentum, but fail to maintain the quality of their customer experiences as they grow. [DECIEM](https://deciem.com/) is not one of those companies. Founded in 2013, DECIEM quickly made a name for itself as a beauty brand with a science-first approach and in-house product development. Leveraging premium quality in both its products and customer service, DECIEM rapidly gathered market momentum and became an influencer in the beauty industry. As DECIEM’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) business grew, the additional scale began to put stress on its existing technology and operations. Leadership knew they would need to further strengthen their technology foundation for both the back and front end of the business to continue thriving. Pursuing business agility From their earliest days, DECIEM's leaders recognized the value of technology platforms like Salesforce to standardize and streamline operations across their business. It worked with a number of system integrators who helped them set up multiple tools to support objectives including marketing, ecommerce, and customer service. Those solutions worked perfectly for DECIEM in its early stages of growth. But as the scale of their business accelerated, DECIEM’s leadership recognized the need for a deeper level of integration and synergy to achieve the agility necessary for the next phase of growth. DECIEM’s leadership wanted to improve collaboration and data visibility between departments to streamline the development of new web content, launch new products faster, and efficiently build new features for their ecommerce site like a gift card program or chatbot. “DECIEM's first approach was to engage an expert system integrator (SI) for each Salesforce cloud to help us with the implementation,” says DECIEM technology director Julio Torres. “Each SI was excellent on their own, but their approaches were different and not necessarily compatible with each other. It was like assembling a team of top chefs to cater an event, all wonderful on their own but each with a different cooking style. The result, instead of a feast, started looking more like a potluck. We needed a master chef with a common vision in all the clouds to make sure our ecosystem grew organically.” When Slalom and DECIEM began exploring a partnership to reach these goals, a clear overlap in company values and priorities created excitement and momentum from the beginning of the project through delivery and go-live. Aaron Mohammed We didn’t want to just resolve short-term pain points. We wanted to build efficient, foundational systems and processes that would yield tangible results 5, 10, even 20 years from now. Tailored technology and a process playoff Slalom’s mission was to craft a large-scale services program to assist in consolidating DECIEM’s technology and streamlining its operations. As always, our approach to accomplish that mission started with empathy. We spent time analyzing the technical environment, interviewing DECIEM’s customers, as well as stakeholders across the business, to make sure we understood the challenges that needed to be addressed and what success would look like. “The key to this program was delivering immediate value but staying focused on long-term results for DECIEM,” says Aaron Mohammed, a senior principal at Slalom Toronto. “We didn’t want to just resolve short-term pain points. We wanted to build efficient, foundational systems and processes that would yield tangible results 5, 10, even 20 years from now.” The Slalom team took a two-pronged approach to setting DECIEM up for scalable success. The first goal was to connect and streamline previously siloed teams and technologies. As proven experts and a celebrated partner of [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), we helped tie together DECIEM’s software tools like Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and Service Cloud. This improved collaboration and data visibility across departments and enabled a faster time to market for new ecommerce releases. The second goal was to advise DECIEM on how to improve operations, processes, and workflows to optimize efficiency and agility alongside rapid business growth. We recommended frameworks, governance models, data KPIs, and procedural best practices, connecting people, processes, and technology within DECIEM. “Like the old adage says, we didn’t just give the team at DECIEM a high-end fishing pole,” says Mohammed. “We gave them tailor-fit advice on how and where to use their technology to catch bigger and better fish, both delivering and teaching as we went.” Gathering momentum Slalom’s partnership with DECIEM is ongoing, and stakeholders across the company are just beginning to recognize the opportunities that come with their new agility and efficiency. DECIEM decided to pick up a previously impractical cross-cloud gift card initiative after working with us, and successfully went “live” in February 2022. The improved technology and cross-platform collaboration helped the company stand up the initiative in record time. This created a new source of revenue, delivered on customer expectations for ecommerce brands, and generated momentum and excitement around what was possible with DECIEM’s new and improved operations. The growth is just getting started DECIEM and Slalom are both eager to continue our partnership and unlock new growth opportunities that leverage both existing and new technologies. Specifically, the teams are eyeing advanced analytical capabilities and improved ecommerce features, like a chatbot, to alleviate the customer service team’s case volumes and increase customer satisfaction in the buying process. “We couldn’t be happier with this partnership,” says Torres. “Slalom has felt like an extension of our team every step of the way, and we’re genuinely excited to grow with even more confidence in our business.” Aaron Mohammed is no longer with Slalom. Woman putting on makeup --- title: Delmar: Building a strategy for customer service and growth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/delmar-strategy-customer-service source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/delmar-strategy-customer-service locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Delmar: Building a strategy for customer service and growth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/delmar-strategy-customer-service - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/delmar-strategy-customer-service - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When Delmar wanted to grow its logistics business, we partnered to streamline customer service and empower sales teams with Salesforce. ## Body Delmar: Building a strategy for customer service and growth Delmar: Building a strategy for customer service and growth | Slalom We partnered with a logistics business to streamline customer service and empower sales teams. When Delmar wanted to grow its logistics business, we partnered to streamline customer service and empower sales teams with Salesforce. Building a strategy for customer service and growth Delmar Share story Man with family outside in yard. At a glance When Delmar wanted to grow its logistics business, Slalom partnered to implement Salesforce. Impact As we learned more about the company’s needs, we discovered strategic opportunities to empower employees, streamline customer service, and better equip sales teams. Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce - MuleSoft data integration For thousands of years, trade has fueled our economies, and shipping has made it possible. While the basic tenets are simple—one party ships the goods, the other party receives them—the processes are extremely complex. That’s why Montréal-based [Delmar International](https://www.delmarcargo.com/en/index.html) helps clients all over the world manage supply chains and logistics. Founded as a customs broker in 1965, the company has since expanded its offerings to include advisory services, international freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, business-to-consumer ecommerce, supply chain technology, and more. That means ensuring that products will be produced and shipped on time; coordinating air, ocean, and trucking; and consolidating freight loads from suppliers of all sizes. As a family-owned business with more than 1,500 employees in 15 countries worldwide, Delmar differentiates itself with services that are highly customizable, fast, and efficient. When Delmar was ready for a new phase of growth, the first step was to enhance its technology stack with a new CRM. Slalom was chosen to implement [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce)—but we wanted to ensure that the company had the tools and information to optimize it. A closer look at Delmar’s internal processes revealed important opportunities where, together, we could streamline customer service and build a strategy for short- and long-term growth. Daniel Cutler Where other firms were hyper-focused only on implementation of Salesforce, Slalom was interested in why we needed a new CRM in the first place. Strong solutions need a strategy Delmar had always valued technology, but more than ever, saw the potential to lead with it. Slalom initially provided a logistics expert to implement Salesforce, but we soon saw that technology alone would not grow relationships. As we discussed the best approach, Delmar recognized the need for strategy and change management, and expanded the scope of our partnership. From the start, we knew it was fundamental to understand exactly what Delmar was trying to achieve. “Where other firms were hyper-focused only on implementation of Salesforce, Slalom was interested in why we needed a new CRM in the first place. They really worked with us to dive into the root causes of our issues and saw an opportunity to refresh our processes company-wide,” says Daniel Cutler, CTO at Delmar. The project began with discovery. Because everyone at Delmar works together in some element of customer-facing service daily, Slalom interviewed representatives from every business unit in every country, from senior executives to operational coordinators and everyone in between. As we drilled down, we learned what was working and what could be improved. We implemented Salesforce through a short series of two-week sprints. Using its suite of services, we then quantified our discovery findings, including customer challenges, tasks that employees found stressful, and the intersection of those issues. Some findings confirmed what Delmar already believed, while others—complexities around the customer onboarding process, issue resolution, and case management—were more surprising. We needed to figure out how to set up the right structure within the organization and help Delmar create a more seamless customer experience. Woman presents to team in the office. The reason why I love this project is that logistics hasn’t changed that much in thousands and thousands of years—and yet it’s ripe for all kinds of strategic and technological innovation. Neil Hamdani Senior Principal, Slalom Putting new systems to work In phase two, we augmented Salesforce to align people and processes. Our goal was to create a holistic, customer-centric solution driven by Delmar’s needs, metrics, and KPIs—and to do it quickly. To define priorities, as well as our strategic and technical approach, we had daily virtual meetings with the client team. Together, we analyzed the big picture—what was happening in the world, what was happening in the industry, and how Delmar could attract different types of customers. Based on those findings, we created a roadmap for the business and a plan that began with internal efficiencies. “The reason why I love this project is that logistics hasn’t changed that much in thousands and thousands of years—and yet it’s ripe for all kinds of strategic and technological innovation,” says Neil Hamdani, senior principal at Slalom. Delmar had plenty of useful data, but it was siloed in several disconnected systems—an internal accounting system, ocean, air, and trucking systems, and more. To integrate all that data, we implemented MuleSoft and structured it in a way that allowed us to train the Delmar team to manage its own integration needs. Next, we needed to ensure successful adoption of the new platform and show employees how to maximize it. Using recorded training sessions and documentation, the system was rolled out across the company. The process also made many representatives aware of tools they hadn’t known were available. Delmar teams are now empowered to help customers help themselves. Everyone involved in an inquiry can now see who’s answering, when, and how it’s being resolved. “This would not have been possible without Salesforce, especially in departments that have seen higher turnover than usual due to the pandemic,” says Oliver Cutler, CMO at Delmar. “Knowledge transfer between coordinators has allowed customers to feel equally well taken care of.” Visibility gets results The solution was delivered on time and on budget—and is seeing strong adoption throughout the company. Among the many positive employee comments: “Where has Salesforce been all my life?” With access to company-wide data, representatives have seen a reduction in both call resolution times and case volumes. In fact, one type of service inquiry that represents 25% of all inquiries has been reduced by 80%. Customer satisfaction has improved now that MuleSoft enables representatives to track their own shipments and account information. Using the portal, they can also work through parts of the onboarding process independently, which means significant time savings for employees. “We would not have done this strategic exercise with any of the other implementation partners we spoke to, says Daniel Cutler. The platform’s marketing data capabilities have yielded important results in acquisitions as well. Delmar can now create dynamic lists and send specific communications to a subset of clients, then record touchpoints to discover which were most successful. Sales teams have the tools to bring new clients into the system far more easily. Our data integration work with Delmar continues with further enhancements. “Even virtually, this became a true partnership with strong relationships. We always made time to make it about personal connection before we got down to business,” says Hamdani. Together, we built a foundation to help Delmar reach its goals—and expand its customer-first services worldwide. --- title: DSW: Reimagining customer loyalty in Google Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/dsw source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/dsw locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # DSW: Reimagining customer loyalty in Google Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/dsw - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/dsw - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Google Cloud and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse to build a flexible, scalable loyalty platform that powers near real-time interaction with 26M DSW VIP loyalty members. ## Body DSW: Reimagining customer loyalty in Google Cloud DSW | Slalom We partnered with Google Cloud to build a flexible, scalable loyalty platform that powers near real-time interaction with loyalty members. We partnered with Google Cloud and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse to build a flexible, scalable loyalty platform that powers near real-time interaction with 26M DSW VIP loyalty members. Reimagining customer loyalty in Google Cloud Share story At a glance A leading footwear and accessories retailer wanted to engage its customers faster, with more personalized offers. Impact Key Services Cloud Industry Retail Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud Loyalty in action I’ve purchased three pairs of shoes since I began working on this case study, and I couldn t be happier. In fact, I’m looking forward to visiting my local [DSW](https://www.dsw.com/) again this weekend to donate an older pair of shoes that never fit quite right. That’ll earn me another 50 VIP points and a reward credit. I might even indulge in some summer sandals while I’m there, which will bump me up to the next loyalty level for more benefits. Real time, right time DSW has more than 500 locations in 44 states, and I’m not the only one who finds the retailer’s loyalty platform irresistible. Since DSW VIP launched, the brand’s new customer rate is up nine percent. Over 90% of all DSW's transactions go through the platform, and both repeat customers and customer spend have increased significantly. It’s partially the well-designed tiers, generous offers, and robust app, but what’s truly compelling is that rewards, offers, and upgrades arrive in near real-time. With the previous, batch-based system, they could take a full day or more to appear. Now, customers making in-store purchases typically get an email or notification before they hit the front door on their way out: “You earned a $5 award!” “Do they ever turn right back around and buy something else?” I asked a store employee. “Oh yes, I’ve seen that,” she nodded. And that’s the power of the cloud. The [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) in this case, with help from Slalom. A platform for self-expression DSW leaders knew that faster rewards would result in more brand engagement—more purchases, tweets, and interactions. The decision to rebuild the loyalty platform was based on direct customer feedback. “Customers told us they wanted more, and they wanted it faster,” says Rich Clum, manager of marketing applications for Designer Brands, the company that owns the DSW brand. Rich Clum Customers told us they wanted more, and they wanted it faster. No surprise there. Modern retail customers expect to be heard and included. Collaboration is the new competition, says Benjamin Mokotoff, a managing director at Slalom. People like to go to DSW because they’re recognized as part of the DSW community. They have opportunities they can’t get online. That includes personalized experiences. In keeping with DSW's mission to inspire self-expression, the retailer wanted to be able to tailor rewards and offers with a high level of detail, engaging customers as individuals to build emotional loyalty. Shoes may not be something that people buy every day, says Clum. But when you can keep them engaged with multiple interactions, it keeps DSW in the forefront of their minds. With the new platform, Clum's team can build offers based on any combination of customer attributes, products, stores, dates, and loyalty tiers. For example, they could award bonus points to Elite members for coming in to try on a pair of shoes, and add a point multiplier for individuals that purchase the shoes in a store with a DSW credit card. Performance and scalability This project was DSW’s first significant foray into the cloud. “We didn’t have that skill set in-house,” says Clum. Google Cloud recommended Slalom to support the implementation, and it was a strong partnership right from the beginning. “Slalom didn’t just take our information and say, ‘Yep, that’s what we’re going to build,’” says Clum. “They provided strategic feedback and best-practice recommendations. They stood with us and truly showed that they had ownership in the solution.” Steven Porter It really was a three-way partnership—Slalom, DSW, and Google Cloud merged together as one team, working toward a common goal. DSW, Google Cloud, and Slalom collaborated to make optimal use of the Google Cloud product set and navigate the complexities of DSW’s historical data and legacy processes. “It really was a three-way partnership—Slalom, DSW, and Google Cloud merged together as one team, working toward a common goal,” says Steven Porter, a practice area director focused on custom development at Slalom. “It worked perfectly.” With a microservices-based architecture running in Google Kubernetes Engine, DSW’s new platform is both flexible and highly scalable. It leans heavily on BigQuery, the “hook” that drew DSW to Google Cloud initially. “Google calls it a ‘no-operations’ data warehouse,” says Porter. “You can get started very quickly, and you don’t have to invest a lot to get a lot back.” Launching shortly before Black Friday, the platform performed flawlessly through some of DSW’s biggest sales days ever. Ready for anything Cam Heightland joined Clum’s team at DSW to help build the new loyalty platform. Even over the phone, it’s immediately apparent that this young developer is more than a little excited about his job. He spent months working closely with Slalom solution principal Hamilton Evans and senior engineer Chad Orwig, soaking up best practices and learning Slalom’s agile methodology. Cam Heightland I remember watching Chad write like 500 lines of Java in half an hour and being just blown away. It’s second nature for them to accomplish some pretty complex things. “In terms of technical expertise, they’re probably the best developers I’ve worked with in my career,” says Heightland. “I can’t say enough about how much I learned about application development on the cloud, about best practices and how to conduct everyday development. So, what’s next? Anything the company throws at them. “We’ve been able to react to customers’ needs so much faster than ever before,” says Heightland. “Any request that comes through, we’ve got the tools to figure out a solution.” Slalom is now working with DSW on a loyalty platform for the retailer’s Canada stores, as well as additional data capabilities to draw rich insights from the treasure trove of data now available in BigQuery. “They want to push the envelope and innovate in ways that nobody else is able to do,” says Porter. “They want to keep going.” Loyalty is a way of life at DSW now, says Clum. We're working to keep our loyalty offerings constantly updated and relevant for the consumer's changing needs. Our cloud-based platform empowers us to do just that! k1spvbhmbc Woman shopping for shoes --- title: EDF: Humanized service through big data processing url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/edf-humanised-service-through-big-data-processing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/edf-humanised-service-through-big-data-processing locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # EDF: Humanized service through big data processing - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/edf-humanised-service-through-big-data-processing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/edf-humanised-service-through-big-data-processing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity to co-create a secure, scalable customer analytics platform on AWS that unites the data of millions of customers and unlocks its potential. ## Body EDF: Humanized service through big data processing Better customer service through big data processing We partnered with the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity to co-create a secure, scalable customer analytics platform on AWS that unites the data of millions of customers and unlocks its potential. EDF logo Share story At a glance Impact This work has resulted in hundreds of thousands of pounds in outstanding balances already matched to the right customers and the power to recognise and welcome back return customers. Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Industry Energy utilities Key Services Serving customers wherever they go [EDF](https://www.edfenergy.com/) is the United Kingdom’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, with a vision of “Helping Britain achieve net zero carbon emissions. It was recently rated number one for customer service out of 40 energy suppliers in the country. That’s no small feat when you have 3 million customers and your market’s awash in energy startups intent on disrupting the industry. In a landscape so competitive, putting customers first is key. So, when EDF faced challenges recognising return customers to thank them for their loyalty, it embarked on a quest to better identify them when they came back. EDF creates new accounts whenever customers sign up, which makes identifying return customers a challenge. It was more than a missed opportunity for EDF to welcome customers back. It was also a lost opportunity to assign any energy bills that either were left behind or arrived after customers moved – bills that would go into debt collection if left unpaid. With a second chance to settle their debts, customers could avoid the stress of the collections process and protect their credit scores from damage due to late or missing payments. The dual prospect of optimising customer experience and company revenue made customer account matching part of a larger data initiative across EDF. “We were looking for all of the good stuff that enterprises do with their data programs,” says John Hutchins, Head of Smarter Living at EDF’s Blue Lab, an innovation hub working to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon society. “ Master data management. Better quality. Access. Standardisation.” The data scientists at Blue Lab are just one team of many that will be able to leverage data across the company using a customer analytics platform that EDF and Slalom created together. “Why” versus “what” For years, EDF had been working to build a robust data strategy to improve internal reporting and get more value from its data. It had moved much of that data to the cloud but wanted to do more with it: prepare it, engineer it, and open it up for different teams to use. At a meeting with Slalom and leaders from EDF, a truth surfaced. In the effort to unite data across multiple platforms and vendors, the technology had stolen the spotlight from the business need—the “what” had eclipsed the “why.” This discovery sparked a shift. “We knew where we wanted to get to,” says Slalom’s UK Energy Lead, Davi Quintiere. “The key question was how to take those first steps up the ladder in the time we had. So rather than, ‘Let’s fix all data problems,’ we asked, ‘What are the use cases we should tackle first that would most benefit EDF and its customers?’” The first true use case for the platform became debt recovery, specifically by matching lapsed customer accounts to active ones for the same customers. This called for data processing on a massive scale—especially if EDF ever wanted to integrate other use cases in the future—so Slalom helped EDF move from data warehouses to a cloud-based data lake architecture on AWS with three analytics zones: a data landing zone, a technical zone, and a democratisation zone. The result is a secure, scalable analytics platform that separates storage from compute and is designed to be used by data engineers, data scientists, and product teams alike. John Hutchins Debt recovery is a use case that in the end requires the breadth of what AWS and the platform we built can deliver: super security, super flexibility. The power of big data processing To build the platform, Slalom leveraged Amazon EMR, the big data processing service of AWS. In the technical zone, EMR helps ingest raw data from the fully protected data landing zone, process it, and then release it in structured format. Data can then be prepared for different use cases in the democratisation zone, which displays only what users need to see based on their credentials. To accommodate EDF’s security requirements, Slalom also collaborated with Amazon to enhance EMR’s encryption key provisioning. In its first quarter of use, the platform helped EDF match hundreds of thousands of pounds in outstanding balances to the right customers. On an annual basis, it’s projected to match multiple millions of pounds. But the financial benefits of the platform go beyond debt recovery. Hutchins considers the decoupling of storage and compute to be an essential feature of the platform for its ability to optimise costs. The platform’s modular architecture and EMR enable EDF to quickly isolate what it needs from billions of rows of data. EDF only pays for what it uses, and the number of compute instances can be increased or decreased automatically. “We minimise the amount of compute that is running all the time,” says Hutchins. “There are companies that don’t separate [storage and compute] with services like EMR and if we were one of them, we would be paying a lot of money to host those tables.” A connected customer experience EDF is already thinking of new uses for the platform. One involves machine learning to help service agents proactively offer payment plans or bundled tariffs to customers who might want them. Agents could make offers in near-real time as customers’ usage and payment history ran through the model. Another involves data mapping and visualisation to illustrate to customers how their energy usage compares to that of their neighbors. If usage is comparatively high, EDF could then provide recommendations for reducing it, such as adding insulation – all in service of EDF’s vision to help Britain achieve net-zero emissions. It’s no coincidence that both use cases play a role in improving customer experience. They put more power in the hands of customers to manage their accounts – just like the original use case did. It marks the beginning of what’s possible when you unite customer data and unlock its potential. Hutchins hopes that the platform will lead to “a better, more seamless customer experience and relationship.” As he says, “It’s already helped us improve our offboarding and onboarding process so that it has some great impact. Now we can say, ‘Hey, Mrs. Smith. Thanks for coming back to EDF!’” Woman working on laptop holding a cup of coffee while packing --- title: Elsevier url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/elsevier source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/elsevier locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Elsevier - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/elsevier - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/elsevier - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Elsevier wanted to empower 1,200 salespeople all over the world with timely insights to make better decisions every day. ## Body Elsevier Elsevier | Slalom Elsevier wanted to empower 1,200 salespeople all over the world with timely insights to make better decisions every day. Elsevier Richer Sales Insights with Tableau and Salesforce Richer sales insights with Tableau and Salesforce Share story At a glance Impact We used AWS and Talend to design a solution that integrates data from multiple systems, and served it up through Tableau visualisations, embedded in Salesforce. We also trained more than 80 Elsevier employees to dig deeper with Tableau and accelerate a modern culture of data at Elsevier. Key Services Industry Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Talend - Tableau - Salesforce From publisher to data company [Elsevier](https://www.elsevier.com/) is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science, and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Founded in 1880, Elsevier started out as an academic publisher, known for prestigious scientific and medical publications like The Lancet and Cell. Today, more than 80% of the company's revenue comes from digital product sales. “We’re bringing together all the data and research we have acquired over the years and building platforms on top of that to give better insights and help scientists, clinicians, doctors, and nurses make better decisions,” says Tom Perry, Elsevier’s senior director of data, insights, and integration. To support this evolution, Elsevier embarked on a journey to reimagine its global sales organisation and better serve customers with a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) transformation. However, after evaluating Salesforce’s built-in reporting capabilities, the Elsevier team decided they wanted a more robust visual analytics solution, with the potential to integrate other data sources. Nearly two years before Salesforce’s game-changing [acquisition of Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau), Elsevier made the decision to purchase Tableau and embed Tableau dashboards in Salesforce. Slalom signed on to help implement the solution and upskill Elsevier employees to make the most of [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau). Tom Perry Our vision is to put good quality data and great analytics at the heart of all decision-making. More data, more insights Slalom and Elsevier quickly realised that the rich insights salespeople needed would require more than just Salesforce data. They needed additional data from several other systems, including historical sales data, sales compensation data, and territory management data. Slalom designed and helped implement a data mart that uses Talend, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon S3 to combine multiple data sources in a single data model. This consolidated data source feeds into Tableau Server and refreshes daily. Once the data was on tap, it was time to build dashboards that would be easy for salespeople to understand and use on a daily basis. “We spent a lot of time with the Elsevier sales teams, especially in Amsterdam, trying to understand how they worked and what they needed from a reporting perspective,” says Richard Fayers, who leads data and analytics for Slalom in the UK. “We wanted to really bring the data to life and help them focus in the right areas. n3b1icoxd3 Today, data-driven insights are part of the daily workflow for every Elsevier salesperson and sales leader. Instead of waiting for monthly reports to be laboriously produced in Excel, they can browse visually appealing Tableau dashboards, seamlessly embedded in Salesforce and automatically updated every night. These dashboards provide a comprehensive view of sales performance, opportunity pipeline, Salesforce activities, and sales forecasts. “You log into Salesforce in the morning and you can see exactly where you stand and make better decisions earlier,” says Perry. “A lot of companies can pull reports, but the biggest value comes when you embed insights into a person’s day-to-day way of working. If they don’t have to go out of their way and they’ve got the insights right in front of them, it really helps with adoption and getting people to use data the right way.” A lot of companies can pull reports, but the biggest value comes when you embed insights into a person’s day-to-day way of working. Building a culture of data “It was an exciting time at Elsevier, as they were on a path to becoming a very modern and data savvy organisation,” says Andrew Herman, a Slalom data and analytics consultant who designed some of the Tableau dashboards and spent a lot of time upskilling Elsevier employees. “It was exciting to be at the very centre of that change.” Slalom trained over 20 Elsevier power users, moving them from intermediate to expert level through week-long workshops in New York and Amsterdam, as well as follow-up sessions and on-demand resources. We also conducted day-long workshops focused on teaching small groups of employees to interact with Tableau around their specific needs—empowering dozens more employees. “I loved seeing people go from being absolute beginners to being able to use Tableau and build their own dashboards to solve their own problems,” says Herman. “When we walked out the door, they were ready to take it on and run with it. Beyond the sales organisation, Slalom partnered with Tableau to facilitate a hackathon for over 60 Elsevier employees. Working in teams, attendees used data visualisation to unlock hidden insights across finance, GDPR compliance, IT, and other product areas. New frontiers Slalom is now working with Elsevier to extend a modern culture of data across the organisation, expanding data sets, building dashboards, and training employees in finance, HR, marketing, and other functions. We’re also helping them create central sources of truth with an enterprise customer data hub and an enterprise data hub “We’ve come a long way towards being self-sufficient, but we need that extra flex and capacity,” says Perry. “Slalom works with us to help us be successful, rather than just selling services. That builds up a proper trusted relationship, where it’s not just transactional.” Perry’s team is now leaping ahead on Elsevier’s data maturity journey by developing use cases for artificial intelligence, such as advanced customer matching algorithms and customer sentiment analysis. Slalom's Richard Fayers is excited about the future for Elsevier. “As the business continues to transform, AI will give Elsevier with smarter ways of looking at its data. It will deliver better understanding of customers' needs and help them develop more personalised ways of engaging with customers. Man talking with a physician in an office --- title: Embarking on a climate-conscious journey with Net Zero Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/embarking-with-net-cloud-zero source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/embarking-with-net-cloud-zero locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Embarking on a climate-conscious journey with Net Zero Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/embarking-with-net-cloud-zero - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/embarking-with-net-cloud-zero - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary In an effort to better align with our purpose and achieve our ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance) goals, Slalom formed a Sustainability + Impact team to help us put these goals into practice. ## Body Embarking on a climate-conscious journey with Net Zero Cloud Climate-Conscious Journey | Slalom In an effort to better align with our purpose and achieve our ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance) goals, Slalom formed a Sustainability + Impact team to help us put these goals into practice. Embarking on a climate-conscious journey Share story At a glance Impact Partnering with Salesforce, we implemented Net Zero Cloud to help bring a culture of sustainability to life. Key Services Industry Professional services Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Net Zero Cloud Aligning climate action with core values At Slalom, the complex problems we solve are grounded by a simple purpose—to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. To accomplish this purpose, we put people first. This tenet informs how we show up for our employees, communities, and the environment. As a people-first organization, Slalom embraces the opportunity to do good in the world. So in 2020, we began to shed light on our contributions to [environmental and social progress](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact) by defining a set of goals around social impact and sustainability. Each goal serves as a driving force, helping teams at Slalom fulfill our purpose and build better tomorrows for the people impacted by our work. That’s where three key environmental initiatives were identified: - Achieve carbon-neutral operation emissions and switch to 100% renewable energy by 2030 - Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis - Implement waste management programs across Slalom offices To put these goals into practice, we formed a Sustainability + Impact (S+I) team with the objective of scaling environmental initiatives globally. The first step was to address gaps in emissions data and form a baseline understanding of Slalom’s carbon footprint. But without a tool driving automation, the team was beholden to a tedious emissions tracking process that was primarily managed in Excel. Team members had to hunt for tracking methodologies online, sift through emails and spreadsheets to locate data points, and perform calculations manually. Partnering for a better planet As the S+I team worked tediously toward closing data gaps, Slalom’s stakeholders and partners also doubled down on environmental engagement. Salesforce, one of our key technology providers, encouraged its partners to strive for science-based emissions targets by 2024. With other partners requesting carbon disclosure assessments, employees expressing interest in driving climate action, leaders wanting to lean further into core values, and clients looking for guidance on their own sustainability journeys, we quickly found an opportunity to help pioneer a path toward a healthier planet. To be a true partner in environmental action, Slalom needed to shift focus from unlocking siloed data from past emissions to creating strategies for future climate projects. That transformation called for a solution that would enable collaboration, acting as both a centralized location for data and an environmental activity management system. With the right platform, we could move beyond emissions reporting and accounting to launch a greater commitment to climate action. Building a toolkit for environmental action After evaluating all the best available options, Net Zero Cloud, a sustainability management platform from [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), was identified as the optimal solution for bringing a culture of sustainability to life at Slalom. Because Salesforce implemented Net Zero Cloud internally to achieve net zero emissions and 100% renewable energy across its own operations, we knew we had a dependable partner. And with a long history of successful implementation projects with Salesforce, our team trusted that they would continue to support Slalom’s sustainability journey as Net Zero Cloud expanded in features and capabilities. We needed a platform and partner that could help guide the growth of our environmental strategy, and Net Zero Cloud’s robust feature roadmap made that ambition practical. Additionally, because of its seamless integration with our existing Salesforce ecosystem, Net Zero Cloud could be broadly implemented, giving employees the visibility needed to engage with the cause. Between support from Salesforce and a more effective way of engaging the workforce, Net Zero Cloud would enable Slalom to mature our approach to sustainability. In early 2022, our development team began to tailor the platform to the company’s needs and create customizations that align with our sustainability goals. As a premier implementation partner with years of experience in optimizing Salesforce solutions for our clients, we had the internal capabilities to take on a 10-week build phase with two essential workstreams. Workstream #1: A sustainability management platform - Streamline and automate emissions reporting to better inform future environmental initiatives Workstream #2: A custom impact management module - Leverage a Sales Cloud integration to track the impact of client projects and internal activities at Slalom for alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs) to increase both environmental and social resilience As a sustainability management platform, Net Zero Cloud eliminates the friction from emissions tracking and paves the way for a data-driven approach to sustainability. Its emissions dashboards and data visualizations help the S+I team identify top greenhouse gas contributors, pinpoint high-emitting offices, streamline data audits, and generate emissions forecasts. Now, the team can access a single-pane view of Slalom’s environmental performance while cutting the tracking process from several months to just a few weeks with the power of automation. Teresa Davies I love the platform and the versatility of it. We can centralize information, compare progress, see consumption improvements, and tie actions with goals and initiatives—all in one place. To keep climate initiatives in focus and track the impact of implementation projects alongside our broader sustainability goals, we also built a tailor-made, innovative module. The team calls it OARs—objectives, actions, and results—because it keeps the whole company rowing in the same direction toward more sustainable outcomes. With a custom-built dashboard seamlessly managing impact tracking efforts, the module gives the S+I team visibility into the early phases of projects so they can lend their expertise where it drives the most progress. And with an intuitive platform measuring and reporting on the effects of environmental initiatives across the company, the annual Impact Report is both more robust and easier to generate. For example, if Slalom is helping a client transition from on-premise servers to a cloud provider that uses 100% renewable energy, the team can tag it in Sales Cloud as work that aligns with the SDGs to increase the use of clean energy, then measure the impact alongside their broader climate goals. The S+I team can then leverage those success stories to socialize how Slalom and our clients are driving momentum around climate change. “I love the platform and the versatility of it. We can centralize information, compare progress, see consumption improvements, and tie actions with goals and initiatives—all in one place,” said Teresa Davies, the S+I team’s program manager. Galvanizing an organizational focus on the future For the next phase of the project, we’ll bring scope 3 emissions tracking into the system. These indirect, value chain emissions are notoriously difficult to pinpoint in the professional services sector. Salesforce will help us lead the way by connecting Net Zero Cloud with our ERP to include emissions data from activities like business travel, purchased goods, and teleworking. And as more data is added to Net Zero Cloud, the system’s forecasting gets more powerful. The team can access a visual trajectory of how Slalom emits as we grow, arming us with insights that enable a proactive approach to reducing high-emitting activities. “With Net Zero Cloud, everybody at Slalom will have the power to contribute to our climate goals. It communicates a better understanding of our carbon footprint—how it looks over time, the regional breakdowns, and areas for improvement—which is much more effective at inspiring action among our workforce than a spreadsheet,” said Davies. As we make contributions toward a healthier planet, our teams are eager to share their learnings with future partners. From streamlining emissions tracking to building customizations that measure the risks and opportunities associated with social and environmental goals, the insights gained along the way will be invaluable in helping clients navigate and measure their own sustainability initiatives. Man digging with a shovel --- title: Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Expanding horizons with intelligent track maintenance support url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/expanding-horizons-with-intelligent-track-maintenance-support source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/expanding-horizons-with-intelligent-track-maintenance-support locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Expanding horizons with intelligent track maintenance support - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/expanding-horizons-with-intelligent-track-maintenance-support - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/expanding-horizons-with-intelligent-track-maintenance-support - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Learn how Kawasaki is leveraging intelligent products to make it easier and less expensive for US rail companies to keep their tracks safe—with help from Slalom and Microsoft. ## Body Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Expanding horizons with intelligent track maintenance support Kawasaki Heavy Industries | Slalom Learn how Kawasaki is leveraging intelligent products to make it easier and less expensive for US rail companies to keep their tracks safe—with help from Slalom and Microsoft. Intelligent track maintenance support Kawasaki Expanding horizons with intelligent track maintenance support Share story At a glance Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki) has been manufacturing large machinery for more than a hundred years. Now the company is taking on a new challenge: making it easier and less expensive for US rail companies to keep their tracks safe. Impact With Intelligent Products that combine hardware and software, the Kawasaki team is expanding their horizons for innovation. As early customers field-test these solutions and see the results in performance and cost savings, the way is clear for Kawasaki to take these initial efforts further. Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Azure - Azure Sphere - Databricks - NVIDIA Jetson Orin - NVIDIA cuOpt The US has the biggest national rail network in the world, with around 130,000 miles of railroad track. Keeping that much track in safe condition, when it’s spread out over 3.8 million square miles of terrain, is uniquely difficult. And that difficulty contributes to more than 1,000 train incidents per year, which disrupt service for freight and passengers. By contrast, the rail network in Japan sets the international standard for safety, and it’s renowned for technological innovation in autonomous track inspection. Since Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing (KRM) already supplies rolling stock to North America, the company saw a prime opportunity to add track maintenance support services to its offering for US railway companies. Non-digital operations are inefficient and hard to scale Historically, track inspection has been a labor-intensive process. It interrupts freight operations because railways must run dedicated inspection cars that cannot carry freight. It’s hard to scale, because inspectors must be well-trained to recognize small but critical issues when visually inspecting rails, fasteners, ties, and ballast. They also need to follow safety regulations and meticulously document their findings. Simply put, traditional track inspection is a manual and inefficient task. Kawasaki as a company faced some of the same challenges as the rail industry. Its growth was being held back by the limitations of delivering physical products, which are not scalable the way digital products and services are. So, expanding its track technologies—while developing the capability to create those technologies—puts Kawasaki and its customers into a new frontier of potential. Since Kawasaki had less experience in software engineering, it needed to find a partner with software expertise comparable to its hardware expertise. If the rail division could effect a digital transformation to unlock more value for its customers, that success could then be replicated throughout Kawasaki. We are trying to change our business. The hardware business is a one-time business, whereas software and digital technology is a sustainable business. Ryoji Negi Product Owner, Kawasaki The advantages of pioneering the digital future For the first leg of its journey into integrated software, Kawasaki has developed a digital platform that leverages AI/ML on the edge and interfaces with IoT track inspection devices such as digital cameras, lasers, and gyro sensors. The platform collects and analyzes rail data using modern cloud computing, and automated training intelligently improves the ML models on the edge. Rail companies that adopt the platform for automated track maintenance services can see an increase in safety and efficiency, and a decrease in costs for inspection. Connecting sensor data with on-the-ground expertise of railway staff ensures that valuable human capital isn’t left behind in the pursuit of automation. The rail data platform represents a promising new revenue stream for Kawasaki in the tens of millions of dollars. Even greater is the growth potential across Kawasaki when this digital strategy is implemented in other lines of business, such as robotics and hydrogen. To support this endeavor, Kawasaki has established a new internal Agile engineering team. For a company that started with zero software engineers, it’s a testament to their diligence that they now have a team of 12 to 15 and are successfully delivering working software. Kawasaki will be more resilient and prepared for the digital-first future because of this capability. The transformative impact of Intelligent Products How did Kawasaki reach this point in a few short years? To begin, key Kawasaki employees came to the Slalom Build Center in Seattle. Together we undertook the Discovery phase to determine a product vision that would create value for rail customers and for the Kawasaki business, with an achievable scope. Kawasaki had been building momentum with its Geometry system, which uses sensors to detect irregularities in the three-dimensional positioning of railway tracks that need to be corrected or repaired. This system is already commercially available and was an important proof of concept for the overall strategy. Agile development on additional platform components started with Kawasaki and Slalom team members in both countries, Japan and the US. The two-way transfer of knowledge has built respect as hardware and software experts work together to solve strategic and engineering problems. The next component, the Fastener system, uses computer vision to inspect the spikes, clamps, clips, and other fasteners that affix the track to the rail ties. Software running on edge devices performs powerful image recognition, comparing the data with the railroad’s rules and Federal Railroad Administration rules to flag defects. It then sends that data to the cloud to produce a list of defects so customers can understand the condition of the track. Another groundbreaking component, the Maintenance Advisor, uses AI/ML to compile repair needs and plan optimized routes for carrying out maintenance with minimal cost and disruption to the rail system. This component is where the power of Intelligent Products comes to the fore, turning mountains of data into smart, actionable directives that make the most of repair efforts. Ryoji Negi We were very impressed with the Slalom business model. Most software companies just build the product. There’s no skill transfer, no team building, no other consulting or research activities. We decided to work with Slalom Build because their help with software team building is very important in allowing us to expand our business in the US without relying on third parties. Full steam ahead for modern manufacturing Although there have been challenges for both Kawasaki and Slalom Build in overcoming cultural and language differences in our collaboration, there has been great value for both companies in working together and learning from each other. Kawasaki engineers recognize the critical opportunity for themselves and their company in expanding their skills and adapting Agile practices to the Kawasaki culture. Shohei Mase The team-building method in Japan is very different from the US. Typically, Japanese teams would be made up of people who have similar experience. But when I came to Slalom, I learned that everyone contributes different expertise to the team whenever it’s needed. This was very eye-opening. As early customers like Union Pacific and BNSF Railway field-test these track maintenance solutions and see the results in performance and cost savings, the way is clear for Kawasaki to take these initial efforts further. With the skill to augment its world-class hardware with valuable software solutions, Kawasaki has switched over to a track leading to competitive success. A mother and child looking out a bus window --- title: Fairstone Financial: Moving deeper into the cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/fairstone-financial--moving-deeper-into-the-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/fairstone-financial--moving-deeper-into-the-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Fairstone Financial: Moving deeper into the cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/fairstone-financial--moving-deeper-into-the-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/fairstone-financial--moving-deeper-into-the-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary We helped Fairstone Financial Inc., a leading provider of responsible lending solutions in Canada, expand and strengthen its IT capabilities with deep Amazon Web Services (AWS) expertise and tools so that it could quickly scale its business. ## Body Fairstone Financial: Moving deeper into the cloud Moving deeper into the cloud We helped Fairstone Financial Inc., a leading provider of responsible lending solutions in Canada, expand and strengthen its IT capabilities with deep Amazon Web Services (AWS) expertise and tools so that it could quickly scale its business. Share story At a glance Impact We also guided the rollout of Amazon WorkSpaces to the organization’s 1,400-plus employees, who can now access their virtual desktops from anywhere. Key Services Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud-first at almost 100 years old Headquartered in Montréal, Fairstone Financial Inc. provides personal and home equity loans to everyday Canadians, as well as flexible automobile and retail point-of-sale financing programs. With roots in Canada for almost 100 years, the responsible lending solutions leader migrated to a cloud-first strategy on AWS in 2018, to keep pace with digital disruption in the financial services industry and accelerate its own digital transformation. Due to the pandemic, many businesses slowed down—and some even shuttered. But in the financial services industry the pace of change accelerated. “Disruption in consumer lending, along with assertive competition and the evolution of technology, made us pause and rethink our priorities and where the focus needs to be to maintain a best-in-class borrowing experience for our customers,” says François Côté, Chief Digital Technology Officer at Fairstone. Lionel Pimpin Beyond the results, the relationship and team spirit created among the combined delivery teams made a big difference, especially as we were all going through unprecedented times. Maintaining a competitive cadence Fairstone’s IT team is highly skilled but needed some outside support and expertise to stay nimble. Lengthy RFPs and bringing partners up to speed on complex business requirements can bog down a lean team. “To keep up with the transformative changes required to drive growth, meet customers’ needs, and attract the right talent, we needed to be able to react more quickly,” says Côté. In addition to elevating his team’s IT capabilities, the leader wanted to resolve specific pain points for his customers, merchants, and internal teams. Fairstone needed a trusted partner to help migrate its in-house applications to contactless ones and scale up the business. After Côté considered our expertise with AWS, Fairstone landed with Slalom. We also had experience with Amazon’s unique approach to product development. “We work backwards from the customer, rather than starting with an idea for a product and trying to bolt customers onto it,” says Côté. “In 2020, it was a constant challenge to find the right partner experienced in the AWS virtual environment. We were already on the cloud, and we needed the right technical, highly skilled talent to integrate into our culture, complete our team, and collaborate on key digital transformation projects.” Enter Slalom. The nitty-gritty We worked with Fairstone to implement several strategic initiatives using AWS services across compute, storage, databases, analytics, networking, and mobile. We enabled developers with new cloud-based tools and helped set up AWS security services and management tools for optimal control. It’s the first financial institution in Canada to move its business entirely to the AWS cloud. We also deployed Amazon WorkSpaces, which allowed Fairstone to provision virtual, cloud-based desktops to more than 1,400 employees in 240 branches and centralized offices across Canada. This service allows the business to quickly add or remove users as their needs change, and employees can access their virtual desktops from multiple devices or web browsers. This new approach allows Fairstone’s teams to scale up or down as needed on projects, without losing time on RFPs, contracts, or third-party training. “It’s like a vending machine infrastructure—we integrate talent into our core team to keep the velocity going. And then if we need more velocity, we outsource again,” says Côté. Other IT initiatives we helped deploy to maintain Fairstone’s place as an industry disruptor include: - Creating a new online account-management web application to improve the customer experience. - Co-developing a machine learning model to reduce manual intervention in loan approvals. - Using Shopify and Magento to expand the company’s ecommerce offerings for merchants. - Revamping and automating processes to decrease merchant onboarding time—for both merchants and Fairstone’s internal teams. François Côté We now have access to highly skilled resources who give us the ability to react to sudden changes in the marketplace. This approach has helped us increase velocity without compromising the quality of our work. A two-pizza, one-team partnership Fairstone’s digital and technology (D T) team finds inspiration in the “two-pizza team rule,” where two pizzas are enough to feed the entire group. D T workers are divided into small, decentralized teams comprising Fairstone and Slalom resources, who are empowered to foster agility, ownership, and accountability. “The goal was to leverage our deep expertise in software engineering while showing how uniquely Slalom can scale locally, with a global level of expertise. The result is a team that reached unprecedented levels of quality and velocity,” says Lionel Pimpin, General Manager for Eastern Canada at Slalom. “Our product teams own and run what they build along with Slalom resources and are not afraid to experiment and learn,” says Côté. “We now have access to highly skilled resources who give us the ability to react to sudden changes in the marketplace. This approach has helped us increase velocity without compromising the quality of our work.” Fairstone increased the work done in the retail sector by more than 700% in 2021 compared to 2020, even though the size of its technical team increased by just 300% during that same period. “Slalom and AWS helped us continue to innovate at a faster pace during the pandemic. The benefits of our partnership to scale product teams up and down with Slalom resources are helping us offer a best-in-class experience,” says Côté. “It’s allowing us to rapidly and efficiently grow our D T team with highly skilled talent, which is vital in today’s ever-changing business environment.” “More importantly, beyond the results, the relationship and team spirit created among the combined delivery teams made a big difference, especially as we were all going through unprecedented times,” says Pimpin. “We want to thank the whole Fairstone organization for their commitment and for the opportunity to work within an amazing organization.” Next steps Fairstone continues to work with Slalom and invest in the AWS cloud platform to respond to its evolving customer needs. This includes innovating through technology and attracting and retaining top tech talent, as well as evolving how teams work together to create value-based outcomes. “We’re 100 years old, but we’re running on some of the most advanced technologies out there and we’re empowered to use technology to drive innovative outcomes,” says Côté. “We aspire to learn through Agile projects and create a blueprint to scale this Agile methodology across the organization.” --- title: Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: Delivering same-day funding with modern software url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/federal-home-loan-bank-chicago source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/federal-home-loan-bank-chicago locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: Delivering same-day funding with modern software - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/federal-home-loan-bank-chicago - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/federal-home-loan-bank-chicago - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary To help FHLBank Chicago uphold a commitment to provide reliable, same-day funding, we co-created a new underwriting platform that streamlines loan processing. ## Body Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: Delivering same-day funding with modern software Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago | Slalom To help FHLBank Chicago uphold a commitment to provide reliable, same-day funding, we co-created a new underwriting platform that streamlines loan processing. Delivering same-day funding with modern software Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Share story At a glance Impact In parallel, we modernized part of its eBanking portal to support more self-service loan transactions and give FHLBank Chicago members greater visibility into their loan status. Key Services Cloud Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Improving a reliable source of funding The mission of [FHLBank Chicago](https://www.fhlbc.com/) is to partner with its members in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment in the Bank, and support for community investment activities. Banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions use the Bank to secure funding for their businesses. What makes FHLBank Chicago unique is its ability to provide same-day, reliable funding to its members. And it’s no easy feat. In the past it required a lot of manual work. Teams would need to process member requests made over the phone as well as online through FHLBank Chicago’s eBanking portal, then apply a set of business rules to every request, and finally reconcile its loan and cash processing systems at the end of each day, sometimes working to deliver funds late at night. To make the experience easier for both staff and members, FHLBank Chicago was ready to modernize its loan processing system. The Bank wanted to reduce the amount of manual work that teams were doing, provide members faster access to funding, and enable additional self-service options for requesting funds online. Modernizing its system could also help the Bank reduce time to market new products that further improve its members’ experience. Taking full advantage of the cloud The first step was rebuilding its 10-year-old loan underwriting platform. The platform is responsible for receiving, validating, and processing loan requests from hundreds of member institutions to ensure that all loans meet collateral, credit, and capital stock requirements and regulations. The Bank’s original platform, the Automated Advance Approval Process (AAAP), had started to accumulate tangled layers of business logic and extensions added by different teams over the course of a decade. This slowed the Bank down and posed a series of technical challenges including testing complexity and scaling limitations. When FHLBank Chicago and Slalom partnered to redesign AAAP, we both saw an opportunity to modernize the company’s DevOps tech stack in the process. Operational improvements including the creation of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines could help teams automate testing and other previously laborious tasks. The platform and the rest of the Bank’s IT infrastructure were already on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform, so we leveraged the AWS Well-Architected Framework to help the Bank adopt best practices in a variety of areas. Together, we: - Optimized application development with .Net Core and Angular. - Automated testing with SpecFlow and Protractor. - Implemented infrastructure as code with Terraform, and container orchestration with Docker and Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS). Now, with a new underwriting platform called the Member Transaction Approval Process (MTAP) and newly adopted best practices, the Bank can see the benefits of automation for internal teams—including its Member Transaction Desk (MTD)—as well as members. “The MTD team sees a lot of immediate value from the new automated processes,“ says Slalom Solution Owner Catherine Eckbold. “It also benefits members in terms of faster loan processing, faster remediation, and the ability to get their funds faster rather than waiting for the end of the day.“ We’re the only Federal Home Loan Bank that’s 100% on AWS cloud. Leveraging this high-performing technology enables us to enhance the member experience and provide reliable service to support their business needs. Mike O’Malley Vice President, Banking Administration, FHLBank Chicago MTAP meets member experience For members to truly benefit from the dynamic improvements to the Bank’s loan processing system, the Bank needed to translate these improvements on the front end, in the member-facing eBanking portal. Opting for lasting change over temporary stopgaps, FHLBank Chicago decided to use its new tech stack to rewrite and rearchitect key parts of eBanking with Slalom’s help. Our starting point? Expanding opportunities for members to request funds online. The teams identified which loan types were most common and also most straightforward, then prioritized those as self-service options. This allowed the Bank to strategically start to modernize its front end in a way that would deliver the greatest impact for its customers. Now, 29 products and advance originations (loan requests) are available through eBanking and 85% of advances are originated through the portal. Through the closer integration of eBanking and MTAP, members are also able to track the status of their loan requests as they’re being processed. Greater visibility for members doesn’t end with request tracking. “With MTAP, we streamlined a lot of processes, improved our security posture, and modernized our infrastructure and architecture,” says Karthik Reddy, Assistant Vice President, Lead Business Systems Analyst, FHLBank Chicago. “We’ve given our members the ability to know exactly what their borrowing capacity is and what their thresholds are at any given point in time. They can log into eBanking, take inventory of their real-time outstanding positions, and make more informed business decisions.” Holding true to its mission A week before launch, the teams overcame an unexpected hurdle: collaborating remotely due to COVID-19. Thanks to modern ways of working in the cloud, from any location, Slalom and the Bank safely launched the solution. On the first day of business after launch, FHLBank Chicago completed 60 transactions from initial request all the way to fulfillment—with a combined value of approximately $8 billion. The Bank brought a new product to market in the early days of the pandemic: a special advance with a 0% interest rate to support qualifying members impacted by COVID-19. On the day of the promotion, hundreds of members took out applications. By the end of that day, you could see hundreds of transactions settled. With a modern system in place that can easily handle new products and process billions of dollars daily, it’s easier than ever for the Bank to hold true to its mission of providing same-day, reliable funding. Woman sitting in an office typing on a laptop --- title: Feeding America: Connecting food banks, ending hunger url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Feeding America: Connecting food banks, ending hunger - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Feeding America and Slalom are partnering on a multiyear effort that will transform how Feeding America uses data and technology in its national office and across the network of member food banks. ## Body Feeding America: Connecting food banks, ending hunger Connecting food banks, ending hunger Feeding America and Slalom are partnering on a multiyear effort that will transform how Feeding America uses data and technology in its national office and across the network of member food banks. Feeding America logo Share story Smiling young girl at home. At a glance Impact New ways of working and modernized tools from partners like Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and Tableau will enable closer connections, mindful growth, and more support for people in need. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft - Microsoft Azure - Tableau - Salesforce - Google Cloud In the US, 1 in 5 children are facing hunger Sit with that figure for a moment. One in five children and approximately 44 million adults and children in total. That’s the magnitude of what Feeding America fights every single day, and [the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates](https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=107702) that food insecurity is at its highest level since 2014. Food bank CEOs like Mike Miller of [River Bend Food Bank, Iowa,](https://riverbendfoodbank.org/) and Eric Cooper of [San Antonio Food Bank, Texas,](https://safoodbank.org/) can paint a vivid picture of the human cost. “Imagine you’re a child sitting in school right now, who doesn’t know where dinner is coming from,” says Miller. “That kid doesn’t care about conjugating a verb or solving for X. They care about when they’re going to eat next. They have just as much capability as anybody else but such a lower chance of succeeding. And there is enough food. We’re just throwing it away.” A vision of an America where nobody goes hungry Hunger’s not about a lack of food. The US sends more than 70 billion pounds of food to landfills every year. Feeding America already rescues 3.6 billion pounds of food and is continually working on new ways to get more of that food to the people who need it most. Feeding America has established a bold aspiration for a better tomorrow – every community and each person within it has access to the food and resources that they say they desire and need to thrive. The food insecurity rate is 5% by 2030 and disparities by race and place are cut in half. But the mission doesn’t stop there. Feeding America is working to end hunger altogether. Its teams take a holistic focus that aims to remove the [stigma of hunger](https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/dawn-story-confronting-the-stigma-of-snap) and elevate neighbors (people who use its services) out of food insecurity altogether. Talk to the people at the Feeding America National Office (FANO) and the food banks, or to any of the millions of people who volunteer every year, and their passion for the work shines through. Eric Cooper What does our work mean? Food is everything. It’s culture. It’s family. It’s life. It’s love. It’s nutrition. It’s medicine. While most of the 200-member food banks and 60,000 agencies in the Feeding America network have their own strategies, leaders, and IT groups, they’re supported by FANO and backed by larger state associations and cooperatives at a regional level. Their work is powered by a large, complex supply chain that serves millions of people every year and makes up 80% of charitable food distribution in the US. Feeding America infographic about how food moves through the system. How technology transformation can help With the leadership of Feeding America’s first-ever CIO Maryann Byrdak and the support of Slalom, Feeding America is undertaking a multiyear transformation that will position data and technology as a true strategic partner in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. At FANO and across the network, Feeding America will be able to leverage its size in new ways, increase collaboration between food banks, improve data sharing, optimize food collection and distribution, learn more about the nature of hunger, and deliver even better services to neighbors. For Byrdak’s teams, this effort represents major investments and the ability to say yes more often to member food banks. Byrdak says it’s about “opening the door. We’re serious about revamping our portfolio. We’re serious about building the right solutions that provide the most value, and we’re building a team to sustain them.” “If you want to solve hunger, the goal is to do it at a size and scale that can only be achieved and enhanced through technology,” says Alex Zinicola, a non-profit director at Slalom Chicago who heads up the Slalom project team. “The mission of technology is the mission of the business. Those two are the same.” A people-centered approach The Feeding America and Slalom teams embarked on a listening and discovery exercise to understand FANO’s current portfolio, systems, and processes. Then they talked to 30 food banks to understand what tools they were using and what type of help they would most value. The discovery identified 160 opportunities. We helped Feeding America group them into 14 program-level ideas, and then a steering committee of food bank leaders (the Feeding America Connect Council) voted to prioritize the right opportunities and create a multiyear roadmap featuring tools that are complementary and easy to adopt and deliver high value at the food bank level. Building a new foundation Executing the roadmap will create a [modern culture of data](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data), connecting Feeding America’s member food banks and agencies as a true digital network with platforms and tools from a range of partners including [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), [Google](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud), [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), and [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau). The Feeding America and Slalom teams have done much to transform the charitable food system over our three year partnership, including: - MealConnect food donation and sourcing platform By connecting retailers with food banks to support local food rescue, Feeding America’s [MealConnect](https://mealconnect.org/) platform has already recovered more than five billion pounds of food since 2014—a number that’s set to grow. We used Microsoft Azure Cloud, Azure Identity Services, and Azure DevOps to expand MealConnect to create the first nationally available produce marketplace and matching system, mobile-friendly functionality, and UX with human-centered design features allow food banks to better leverage the size and scale of the network. MealConnect digitally connects large produce donors (i.e., those with truckloads of produce) with the nearest Food Bank. Food donors can donate product from online or their phone into a centralized marketplace for Food Banks to browse, mix and match product to form truck loads, and coordinate all logistics and transportation - including offering and ordering from other Food Bank inventories. - Understanding neighbors facing food insecurity through Service Insights Using Microsoft Azure Cloud, Azure Identity Services, and Azure DevOps, we built a national platform called Service Insights to understand our neighbors experiencing hunger and how to best serve them. Used at the point of food distribution, Service Insights is used not only to facilitate food service, but also to understand who is being served (e.g., demographic data for the person and household, travel information, food preferences), but also to alert a neighbor when they qualify for state and/or federal assistance programs like “[SNAP](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility)”. At the Food Bank and National Office level, Service Insights data are used to place food pantries in areas of greatest need; demonstrate impact as part of grant applications; model demand; support advocacy; and identify the need for culturally appropriate food to meet neighbor preferences. - Enterprise data warehouse Built on Google Cloud with Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services for data integration and Tableau for data outputs, the warehouse brings together historically disparate sources and processes in one place. With centralized access to clean, on-time data, FANO will have access to richer insights, more capacity to answer analytical questions and respond to data requests, and the ability to package data in a user-friendly way for members. Supported by our consultants’ advice on data governance and architecture, the warehouse is a future-focused, sustainable solution that can scale with the organization. - Data sharing and operational dashboards FANO is encouraging member food banks to connect their ERP platforms to the new data warehouse. This will enable food banks to automate old, manual reporting processes and save countless hours for their analysts, while FANO gleans timely insights about how food is moving through the network and the ability to track trends and capture granular information about the kinds of foods being distributed. As a program incentive, a Tableau Online dashboard is being offered to participating food banks at no cost. Now food bank leaders can see with a glance where their food is being sourced and where (and to whom) it’s being distributed. - CRM implementation No more siloed spreadsheets or disconnected conversations! The new CRM built on Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud with Notes and Chatter is a hub for collaboration. A Tableau integration means information from the data warehouse—like statistics on the impact of food banks and donations in a specific location—is available at the click of a mouse. The CRM offers a 360-degree view of how FANO’s teams are engaging with member food banks and helps them share information across the network. Support for programs for seniors and kids, advice on managing federal programs, and advocacy work can all be coordinated using the CRM. And if one food bank has enjoyed success with a program or initiative of their own, it’s easy for FANO teams to pass those insights and ideas to other members. Together, Slalom and Feeding America are proud to have generated the following impact through our digital transformation: - Over 300M pounds of produce sourced (and counting), which translates to 217M nutritional meals. - Sourced produce no longer ends up in landfills, which translates to a reduction of CO2 emissions of over 164M lbs of CO2 emissions or the equivalent of removing 16,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year - Over 1 million neighbors have been served using Service Insights - Connected tens of thousands of neighbors with state and federal assistance programs - Saved the Network an estimated 150M to-date Just getting started With the foundation in place, the future is bright, and Slalom is continuing to partner closely with Feeding America on the transformation. While much has been accomplished to-date, much remains to be done. Having built nationally available solutions to understand food supply and demand, we are just scratching the surface of what we can do using AI and machine learning capabilities to optimize the charitable food system. For food bank leaders like Miller and Cooper, the results of the work so far and the innovations ahead are exciting. Says Miller, “What if we get visibility o all supply, all inventory, and all demand nationwide? We could be making such better decisions. And what really excites me is the client intake work. Both Eric and I can spout off from memory the volume of pounds of food that have left our buildings every year. We can tell you the number of visits there were to pantries, but we don’t know the number of people who visited, and we don’t know how long they were in need.” Cooper agrees: “I imagine a day when we’re really connecting people. For example, a coffee chain that might have 10 to 11 pounds of surplus every day at a store level. Why couldn’t the store give it to a senior citizen who lives across the street? In the future, we’re going to have an opportunity to introduce them directly to the corner store or to a grocery store and get out of the middle.” Transforming futures, changing lives Transformation work is traditionally measured by efficiencies. Feeding America’s success can and will be gauged by hours saved and food pounds donated, rescued, and shared. More uniquely, it will also be measured by the connections it drives across the network and everything those connections can help food banks do for neighbors. What could that mean for a child in the classroom or an adult who must choose between putting food on the table and keeping the lights on? Not only improved access to nourishing food—but to human dignity. Girl sitting at a table --- title: Filling in the Blanks: Fighting childhood hunger with data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/filling-in-the-blanks source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/filling-in-the-blanks locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Filling in the Blanks: Fighting childhood hunger with data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/filling-in-the-blanks - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/filling-in-the-blanks - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When a nonprofit needed a solution to streamline its operations in the fight against childhood hunger, Slalom launched a Salesforce initiative to improve data tracking and enable the organization to efficiently deliver meals to underserved children. ## Body Filling in the Blanks: Fighting childhood hunger with data Filling in the Blanks | Slalom When a nonprofit needed a solution to streamline its operations in the fight against childhood hunger, Slalom launched a Salesforce initiative to improve data tracking and enable the organization to efficiently deliver meals to underserved children. Fighting childhood hunger with data Share story At a glance Impact In just six weeks, our team used the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack to deliver an automated system that managed delivery tracking, reduced manual tasks, and reported on essential metrics, including the number of children, schools, and districts fed, along with key demographics. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Delivering support with weekend meals More than 22 million children across the U.S. must rely on free or reduced-price school lunches to receive proper nutrition. Yet when weekends come and school doors close, many of these children don’t have access to the appropriate amount of food. In 2013, [Filling in the Blanks](https://www.fillingintheblanks.org/) was created to support them. Fueled by volunteers, the Connecticut-based organization combats childhood hunger by delivering weekend meals to children every Friday. Filling in the Blanks provides food bags—packed with two breakfasts, two lunches, and four snacks each—to more than 100 schools and community centers across Connecticut and New York so children no longer go home to empty pantries. With 131,000 children living in food-insecure households in Connecticut alone, the work that Filling in the Blanks does is both crucial and immense. As the organization continues to expand to feed more hungry children, it needed technology and operations that were adaptable, too. “We believe if kids have food, they are able to focus, learn, and have more success in their lives,” Shawnee Knight, cofounder of Filling in the Blanks, explains. “But as we started to grow, we didn’t have a system that was scalable. We needed a better way to track and manage our delivery data.” Slalom saw a hole and a need in what we were doing and jumped right in. It made it so easy for our people. Tina Kramer Cofounder of Filling in the Blanks Accurate data, amplified impact Before engaging Slalom, team members often served multiple roles within the organization and manually managed intensive processes—including its 4,300 weekly deliveries—using spreadsheets. To simplify operations and improve data quality, Filling in the Blanks decided on a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) solution, but needed a Salesforce consulting partner to implement the technology. When the Slalom team volunteered at a Filling in the Blanks event, introductions were made and we hit the ground running. Together with leadership, we examined the organization’s processes and began to uncover opportunities for efficiency. “Slalom saw a hole and a need in what we were doing and jumped right in,” says Tina Kramer, cofounder of Filling in the Blanks. “It made it so easy for our people.” In just six weeks, our team used the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack to deliver an automated system that managed delivery tracking, reduced manual tasks, and reported on essential metrics, including the number of children, schools, and districts fed, along with key demographics. We also discovered that Filling in the Blanks was using 150+ registration forms for each school served, which led to problems with data quality and collection. We consolidated these into one simple form that integrated directly with Salesforce, which reduces lag time and burdens on the families signing up for meals. Google APIs were also incorporated into the form for data validation and consistency. “We had a unique opportunity to help Filling in the Blanks by doing what we do best—transforming their business operations,” says Casey Sung, director at Slalom. “Initially, we came in to do a Salesforce enablement, but we quickly realized the need for more. We expanded our scope without expanding the timeline and delivered much more impact than we anticipated.” From Salesforce partner to community ally Beyond standard data collection, with Salesforce’s surveying capabilities, Filling in the Blanks can now access richer and deeper analytics, too. Not only does this help their grant writer substantiate grants, but the organization is now launching surveys to improve the quality of deliveries and make sure food is culturally appropriate, leading to more inclusivity. To facilitate the adoption of these new processes, tools, and technology, Slalom also provided change management and strategy consulting, supplying Filling in the Blanks with training videos and new internal procedures. With a best-practice operating model in place, the organization is now set up for future success when the time comes to incorporate inventory, donor, and volunteer management into Salesforce as well. Filling in the Blanks aspires to expand nationally, and this project laid the groundwork for the organization to further its reach and feed more children at scale. Since enablement, Filling in the Blanks has already added over 600 children to its weekly deliveries—and that number is expected to multiply. “Our team made new personal connections and smiled throughout the engagement, knowing that they were building a better future,” Sung continues. “We brought a lot of heart, energy, and passion to this project.” In fact, even though the project has ended, this passion never stopped. Slalom continues to support Filling in the Blanks’ efforts within the community whenever possible. From hosting a food drive that raised over $2,400 to regularly volunteering and packing thousands of weekend food bags, our ongoing commitment to Filling in the Blanks and its mission truly captures the essence of fiercely human consulting. A brother and sister holding hands and smiling --- title: Florida Division of Emergency Management: Reclaiming time in the face of disaster url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Florida Division of Emergency Management: Reclaiming time in the face of disaster - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how we partnered with FDEM to modernize its emergency management operations by leveraging our product engineering and data consulting expertise. ## Body Florida Division of Emergency Management: Reclaiming time in the face of disaster Learn how we partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to modernize its operations and accelerate disaster relief. Learn how we partnered with FDEM to modernize its emergency management operations by leveraging our product engineering and data consulting expertise. Florida Division of Emergency Management | Slalom Reclaiming time in the face of disaster We partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to modernize its operations and accelerate its disaster response efforts, helping coordinate vital resources to communities faster. Impact Together, we launched an emergency management enterprise solution on Salesforce that enhanced FDEM’s agility and efficiency, enabling quicker, more effective support in times of crisis. Industry State, provincial local government Key Services Key Technologies/Platforms - Salesforce - Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Power BI - Microsoft Purview - Informatica - Conga Connect with a Slalom expert The vision Disaster relief is always a race against the clock. To help Floridians prepare and recover faster, we partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to modernize its operations. While time is often against us when disaster strikes, it is critical to our ability to plan, respond, mitigate, and recover. That’s why the [Florida Division of Emergency Management](https://www.floridadisaster.org/) (FDEM) teamed up with Slalom to digitize its infrastructure, accelerate its response to disasters, and reduce how long it takes to deliver aid to communities. In its commitment to a more resilient Florida, FDEM plans for and responds to emergencies and disasters—from natural weather phenomena like hurricanes and floods to man-made incidents. At the heart of its operations, FDEM is responsible for coordinating essential resources to its communities, tapping into its mutual aid network to deploy first responder teams and procure lifesaving equipment. To aid recovery efforts, FDEM also administers or manages state and federal grant programs to ensure funds are distributed to recipients across Florida. However, manual processes often hindered efficiency, causing lengthy reimbursement timelines. With a belief that technology would be fundamental to protecting and serving the citizens of Florida, FDEM partnered with Slalom to modernize its operations, elevating its ability to expedite resources to Floridians impacted by devastating disasters. Kevin Guthrie We’re in the business of saving lives and helping people recover as fast as possible. We want to get Florida’s economy back up and running. That’s what this transformation has been about. 1geqfox9fu As seen at the 2024 Florida Government Leadership and Innovation Summit hosted by the Florida Technology Council THE SOLUTION Slalom developed an emergency management enterprise solution on Salesforce and Microsoft Azure that allows FDEM to automate workflows, access data, manage grants, and rapidly respond to disasters. Shifting into gear when gray skies appear As we formed our partnership, Hurricane Ian was barreling toward Florida, putting our team in the very eye of an unfolding crisis. This immediate immersion allowed us to gain on-the-ground knowledge of how FDEM operates under emergency conditions, unearthing real-time pain points. From there, our mission was clear: to build the system to help FDEM modernize, alleviating the Division’s reliance on physical spreadsheets and manual processes. During any disaster, FDEM transitions into “gray sky” mode, deploying its external emergency functions for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Often, in these high-stakes situations, FDEM needs to be able to account for over 100,000 responders, and these extensive operations were increasingly difficult to manage with paper-based forms. To streamline and expedite relief to Floridians, we worked together to build the [Division of Emergency Management Enterprise Solution](https://www.floridadisaster.org/DEMES/) (DEMES) on [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). DEMES is a scalable and secure platform that modernizes FDEM’s emergency management operations. At its core, DEMES fuels interconnectivity during times of crisis. A few key components of DEMES that are activated during emergencies include: - Statewide mutual aid to facilitate emergency response—such as urban search and rescue, fire departments, and law enforcement—across jurisdiction lines and oversee the reimbursement of costs resulting from emergency response deployments. - Resource management for FDEM to mobilize and demobilize the necessary emergency response teams or equipment needed before and during a disaster. - Procurement to view, submit, and track quotes, invoices, and purchase orders. - Grant management that provides an end-to-end framework for FDEM to manage agreements, as well as for individuals and communities to apply for grant assistance. By conducting its emergency operations through DEMES, the Division is now able to increase the rate at which it responds to the needs of Floridians and the speed at which funds are distributed so that its communities can begin to recover as soon as disaster hits. Propelling productivity when skies are clear With DEMES in place, we then partnered to establish a robust data platform on [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Azure to centralize, store, process, and manage data from disparate state enterprise systems. Microsoft Power BI dashboards were also created for deeper insights into this data, providing 360-degree visibility into the Division’s ongoing activities. This secure, accurate analytics platform has enabled FDEM with the tools to perform sophisticated trend analyses, enhancing its preparedness for future emergencies while paving a path for internal efficiencies. In fact, while DEMES and the analytics platform are indispensable during times of disaster, they are equally vital during “blue sky” mode, which is how FDEM functions outside emergency situations. By enhancing everyday productivity, these tools directly support the Division’s operational, financial, human resources, information technology, and procurement teams. For example, FDEM can now: - Measure invoice processing performance with Power BI dashboards, providing visibility into open invoices and increasing the speed at which invoices are paid. - Facilitate non-disaster-related grants through DEMES. - Enhance the accuracy of reporting, driving transparency and accountability. Streamlining these internal operations allows FDEM to reduce state spending while directly investing in its own people. No longer weighed down by manual processes, employees can stay focused on what truly matters: keeping Florida’s communities safe. As Kevin Guthrie, FDEM's executive director, explains, “We’re making a difference in the way that money is being reimbursed to local and state governments so that they can invest in quality-of-life issues that affect our cities and counties.” Pioneering the future of emergency response FDEM’s modernization has ushered in a new era of efficiency and resiliency, serving as a best practice for emergency management across the [public sector](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact). FDEM remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation, continuing to embrace new technologies like generative AI to further automation. In fact, through FDEM’s initiatives, Florida is one of the first states to use large language models to transform emergency management. With each step forward, the Division is not just keeping pace with technology—it’s leading the way. Lego blocks with a figure in the middle We are becoming the leader in the industry in everything we do. We are very excited about that, and I can’t imagine doing this without our partner. Kevin Guthrie Executive Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management CUSTOMER IMPACT With a modern digital platform, FDEM has turned the problem of time into a solution, creating a more resilient Florida. These quantifiable results underscore the profound impact of our work together. Statewide mutual aid time, critical for supporting first responders like firefighters or search and rescue teams, has been reduced from 468 days to just 45 days. Executing response plan contracts, which used to take 20 days with paper routing, now takes 24 hours. Invoice processing time has also dramatically improved: while the average processing time during Hurricane Ian was 61 days, it was only 16 days for Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. Financially, FDEM’s investment in DEMES has paid off significantly too. For every dollar spent on technology modernization, FDEM has processed $126 in mitigation projects and saved an estimated $530 in business efficiencies. Ready to modernize your tech? Get in touch Share this story Monica Corbin Curiosity is the primary catalyst for learning how we can better serve our communities. Our team remained curious and partnered with FDEM to dream bigger and move faster by leveraging technology. Sara Olivier At Slalom, we’re always thinking about the human. It’s about bringing technology, people, and innovations together and figuring out how it works for us as humans. Jose Romero If we’re not saving lives, we’re saving livelihoods. And in this case, with FDEM, we’ve done both. p.cmp-homepage-hero__pretitle {color: #ffffff;} 1d13nd98co --- title: Forest Stewardship Council: Accelerating forest protection with a modern data and AI solution url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/forest-stewardship-council source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/forest-stewardship-council locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Forest Stewardship Council: Accelerating forest protection with a modern data and AI solution - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/forest-stewardship-council - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/forest-stewardship-council - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary We helped the leader in sustainable forestry develop a technical blueprint for integrating a robust advanced analytics platform architecture that will allow FSC to harness the power of artificial intelligence. ## Body Forest Stewardship Council: Accelerating forest protection with a modern data and AI solution Forest Stewardship Council | Slalom We helped the leader in sustainable forestry develop a technical blueprint for integrating a robust advanced analytics platform architecture that will allow FSC to harness the power of artificial intelligence. Accelerating forest protection with data & AI Forest Stewardship Council Accelerating forest protection with modern data and AI Share story At a glance Impact The Forest Stewardship Council now has a modern data foundation that saves time with predictive capabilities and paves the way for more AI innovation. This work strengthens a worldwide mission of nourishing healthy forests—and a healthy environment. Key Services Industry Environmental services and natural resources Key Technologies / Platforms - Data strategy - Data architecture - Machine learning - Artificial intelligence - Geographic information system (GIS) Growing a sustainable solution Our forests not only purify the air we breathe but also help us combat climate change. For global organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), protecting healthy forests is a lifelong mission—and one it takes seriously. With headquarters in Germany and offices around the world, FSC unites businesses, individuals, and governments in protecting forests. Following accreditation with FSC, businesses or governments are able to use the FSC stamp on their products, so consumers are aware of the organization’s sustainability actions. To do its accreditation work, FSC gathers a large amount of sustainability and ethical use data, as well as certification and compliance data for customers. There’s also a large and diverse process flow that the council follows to evaluate customers and determine if they meet the parameters for FSC certification. Today, there are 50,000 FSC certificate holders and more than 150M hectares of certified forests. Within FSC, the system integrity team helps ensure that forest certification is vetted. “This means if somebody is saying that they are sustainably harvesting and growing timber products, that it’s true,” says Scot McQueen, senior technology officer for the Forest Stewardship Council. As the integrity of the certificate is so critical, a challenge presented itself: FSC’s system didn’t always identify violators and the council’s employees were spending too much time on data processing. Fortunately, McQueen and his team knew there was a way to improve the system that would leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to provide scalability for the future. The council also knew the [European Union Deforestation Regulation](https://fsc.org/en/newscentre/fsc-welcomes-the-new-eu-anti-deforestation-regulation) (EUDR) start date was fast approaching, a law that is part of the European Union’s Green Deal plan. With the EUDR, any company that is selling forest products in the European Union has to verify where the product came from geographically. It’s amazing to see a practical application with a huge downstream impact on protecting the forests, protecting the workers, and making sure that we can help customers in risky areas continue to do the right thing. That’s a practical application of some very sophisticated modeling and software. Scot McQueen Senior Technology Officer, Forest Stewardship Council Digging into the future of forestry data Slalom joined FSC’s mission as a strategic partner to help the council craft its vision of a future state. Through workshops, the team analyzed FSC’s current infrastructure and datasets, and then made recommendations to support the foundational datasets. The Slalom team delivered an overall architecture and recommendations on how to proceed with the vision as well as bring it into production and mature the system for future scalability. The risk mitigation (or policy for association) and risk assessment processes McQueen refers to are two components of the work. The first requires that a customer cannot be associated with a deforestation or human rights violation or have been kicked out of the FSC system previously. With risk assessment, FSC looks at a region and assesses its geopolitical risk, instability, and other deforestation problems. Using a host of criteria, the council then produces a risk index. If the risk index is high enough, FSC would require other due diligence procedures to be implemented. “For instance, you have a certificate in Myanmar and they’re dealing with teak and other products. We would send out auditors if needed. It’s an easy, data-driven way to use machine learning to try to get ahead of a potential violator,” McQueen says. McQueen adds, “The workshops helped us better understand the business cases we were trying to solve and find potential data sources that could help us with the risk mitigation and risk assessment processes.” Clarifying a vision with AI and ML McQueen feels Slalom provided an eye-opening experience for the system integrity team, giving the team a solid understanding of the technical solution and how it would benefit FSC. “This work has become the North Star that’s now guiding the system integrity team,” McQueen says. The solution is also valuable for FSC’s certificate holders. McQueen says, “Honestly, Slalom helped us clarify the vision in a way we could also then communicate out to our certificate holders to get them comfortable with the new solution.” FSC now has a clear roadmap to proficiency in applying AI and ML. Slalom helped break the journey down into manageable steps—setting up the council to become a modern organization and the system integrity team to mature from a technological perspective. “This work helps drive what we’re doing at FSC, McQueen says. “In my role with FSC, I’m trying to help drive the adoption of technology in the certification process so we can make sure people are doing the right things—or getting the assistance they need to do them.” Gaining efficiencies with predictive capabilities Today’s work will benefit the FSC employees tomorrow in terms of hours saved with modernization and speeding up the certification process. FSC employees will reap the benefits of the ML prediction capabilities that can forecast which individuals, companies, or governments may be falling out of compliance over time. “It’s amazing to see a practical application with a huge downstream impact on protecting the forests, protecting the workers, and making sure that we can help customers in risky areas continue to do the right thing,” McQueen says. “That’s a practical application of some very sophisticated modeling and software.” Strengthening a worldwide ESG mission By assisting FSC with its work protecting forests around the globe, there is also an impact on supporting ethical forestry practices. “This work not only ensures the FSC logo and brand represents responsible environmental stewardship, says McQueen. But it also includes the ability to stop deforestation before it starts. Deforestation and forest degradation are part of the EUDR, so this helps us stop that before it occurs and continue to encourage companies that are trying to do the right thing.” McQueen notes that much of the Slalom work will help FSC certificate holders comply with the EUDR. As for the future, FSC and Slalom will continue to work together to help FSC save the forests by continuing to modernize the council’s systems. McQueen adds, “Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and geospatial analysis are all very technology-focused terms. But through this work Slalom did with FSC, we have a practical application of some advanced technologies that is just simply protecting existing forests from deforestation or further degradation and protecting the Indigenous people and communities that make a living in these forests. And that is a hugely powerful application of complicated, obtuse technology.” Woman hiking in pink shirt with backpack and jacket tied around waist --- title: Forward: Moving in the right direction url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/forward-moving-right-direction source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/forward-moving-right-direction locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Forward: Moving in the right direction - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/forward-moving-right-direction - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/forward-moving-right-direction - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a leading shipping company activate its ESG strategy, communicate the approach with stakeholders, and uncover solutions for implementation. ## Body Forward: Moving in the right direction Forward ESG strategy | Slalom A leading shipping company partnered with Slalom to push its ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy into overdrive. We helped a leading shipping company activate its ESG strategy, communicate the approach with stakeholders, and uncover solutions for implementation. Moving in the right direction Share story At a glance Impact We helped Forward communicate their approach with stakeholders, and uncover quick, efficient, and tangible solutions for implementation and adoption. Key Services Industry Mobility Meeting the demand For over 40 years, [Forward](https://www.forwardair.com/) has flourished as a North American powerhouse in providing reliable ground transportation and related services for businesses of all sizes. Forward’s reputation for simplifying ground transportation has established the company as an innovator in the space. But when stakeholder inquiries about corporate responsibility began to swirl, Forward’s head of Corporate ESG, Katie Bishop, needed help developing an ESG strategy and narrative—and she needed it fast. When Bishop started in the role, ESG was new to the company and a high-priority item for Forward’s CEO. “We wanted to figure out a way to define what our story was, and how to tell it,“ says Bishop. “We wanted to make sense of all the external pressures for ESG reporting. We knew we were ready to begin developing our strategy and roadmap, and that we wanted to take our stakeholders along that journey with us.” After previously identifying what components of ESG were the most impactful and meaningful for the business, and determining areas of measurement and action, the Forward team was ready to spring into action. Slalom performed a risk and opportunities assessment to reveal both the external and internal factors that could influence Forward’s ability to achieve its goals, competitiveness, mission, and vision. It was a big decision for us to decide to go ahead and put out a report without having all the metrics and targets in place, but it was the best decision that we made. Katie Bishop Head of Corporate ESG at Forward Slalom helped the Forward team dig deep and develop their ESG framework. “We assessed their current state to see where they were going to focus moving forward, where they had risks, and where there were opportunities for them to innovate using ESG to be a leader in their industry,” says Slalom delivery principal Chantal Contijoch. The Slalom team led a workshop with Forward stakeholders—uncovering 10 ESG top-priority areas that the company would further integrate into three pillars: People and Communities, Customer, and Environment. “We gained their trust—particularly the CEO’s,” says Slalom delivery director Tim Purtill. “His sentiments were ‘We’re an action-driven company. How can you take this theoretical strategy stuff and make it actionable for us? We’re truck drivers. We’re doers. We’re not a philosophy club. Make it doable.’” Honesty is the best policy Slalom equipped Forward with a transparency report, openly sharing the company’s ESG journey, approach, initial commitments, and improvement activities with the company’s employees, contractors, communities, customers, partners, and investors. This decision created a standard for which Forward would lead in their ESG journey—one of honesty, transparency, and humility. “It was a big decision for us to decide to go ahead and put out a report without having all the metrics and targets in place,” says Bishop. “But it was the best decision that we made. We understand that there’s a long journey ahead—and this report showed what we as a company value and our commitments.” The Slalom team structured a program tailored to how Forward does business—focusing on main objectives and identifying actionable items. Katie Bishop For a company just starting out on ESG this is exactly what you need. Somebody who you can trust, who will be real with you, understands where you are, where your company is, and knows that sometimes there’s not a black-and-white answer. Tangible takeaways With lasting success in sight, we also worked with Forward’s legal, HR, and finance teams to create a roadmap representing what they could achieve, who they were in the marketplace, and their long-term company goals. “For a company just starting out on ESG this is exactly what you need,” says Bishop. “Somebody who you can trust, who will be real with you, understands where you are, where your company is, and knows that sometimes there’s not a black-and-white answer—but we can work together to figure out the best solution. I felt like I could always do that with Slalom.” Forward’s actions gained stakeholder approval and peer admiration, positioning the company as a bold, authentic, environmentally focused, and socially responsible company. Today, Forward uses this roadmap to establish specific goals, baselines, and targets, and to guide its annual ESG reporting. Pushing forward (pun intended), well equipped With a solid ESG framework in place, Forward was able to create a [microsite](https://forwardair.metrio.net/) highlighting its ESG focus areas, and further demonstrating its commitments and long-term goals. --- title: FrontYa: Making home buying easier url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/frontya source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/frontya locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # FrontYa: Making home buying easier - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/frontya - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/frontya - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When an Australian startup set out to make home ownership more accessible, Slalom collaborated to create an intuitive customer portal backed by integrated data and marketing tools to help streamline campaigns and build long-term relationships. ## Body FrontYa: Making home buying easier FrontYa | Slalom When an Australian startup set out to make home ownership more accessible, Slalom collaborated to create an intuitive customer portal backed by integrated data and marketing tools to help streamline campaigns and build long-term relationships. Making home buying easier Share story At a glance When an Australian startup set out to make home ownership more accessible, they brought Slalom in to help. Impact Slalom and Frontya collaborated to create an intuitive customer portal backed by integrated data and marketing tools to help streamline campaigns and build long-term relationships. Industry Real estate Key Services Cloud Taking on a tough housing market For many people, home ownership is a lifelong dream. More than a financial investment, it’s a symbol of independence, stability and personal pride. But in Australia’s booming market, owning a home can be particularly challenging. In 2020, [ABC News Australia](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/home-prices-affordability-soar-supply-government-inquiry-flawed/100532574) estimated that home prices increased by an astonishing $600 per day. The trend continued in 2021, as prices increased by 20% while wages increased by just 1.7%. Prospective buyers felt that while a mortgage might be manageable, saving for a deposit was not. That’s where [FrontYa](https://frontya.com.au/) came in—with a [new and newsworthy](https://vimeo.com/frontya) partnership model. Founded in October 2021, FrontYa introduced a way to bridge the deposit gap—doubling buyers’ down payments with no interest, no up-front costs, no monthly repayments, no hidden fees and no need for personal guarantees. By unlocking more borrowing capacity, the company helps people own a home sooner and accelerate their financial returns. FrontYa’s initial investment is returned within six years along with a percentage of the increase in the property’s value. As a startup with unique business processes, FrontYa wanted to create an easy-to-use self-service portal that would allow customers to explore the offering on their own terms and without sales pressure. That interface also had the potential to provide important customer insights that would support the company’s marketing efforts, users and future growth. For me, it’s about helping FrontYa be more streamlined and deliberate in its approach. But the other side was the analytics—it became a fact-finding mission, a way to actually communicate with customers. Clancy Brodrick Principal, Slalom Building the foundation The Slalom team jumped right into discovery to better understand FrontYa’s complex business model. The company had established its visual branding, developed wireframes and created an interim website, but the customer onboarding process was still predominantly manual. The goal was to launch a self-service experience as quickly as possible. “When you launch a product to the public, what you think you need to do and what you actually need to do can be very different,” says Robbie Baskin, co-founder and chief risk officer at FrontYa. “Customers, mortgage brokers and our staff all interact on our site—and they’re all handling the same data.” The first phase of the work focused on the portal. FrontYa had a novel business model and a blank canvas on which to design a perfectly tailored customer experience—and knew that [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Experience Cloud was the right platform for the job. Leadership was ready to partner with Slalom shoulder to shoulder, day-to-day to create the best possible solution. Putting the customer first The customer portal needed to be seamless—making it easy to explore the offering, submit applications and properties, upload employment information and tax documents and receive results. We began by developing the user interface based on the existing process outlines. Then, as the Slalom team demonstrated the full capabilities of Salesforce, we were able to anticipate and address new and different customer behaviours. Together, we determined which systems were necessary to enable each scenario. “The best part of this project was the collaboration,” says Dattaraj Deshmukh, a principal at Slalom. “The FrontYa team understood the challenges and provided great feedback—and that made it possible to create an outstanding customer experience.” To support the complexity of the business model and integrate with third-party systems, the Slalom team developed a fully customised front end, complete with visual branding. With a new responsive interface, FrontYa can provide a unified experience for users on any device, including laptop, mobile and tablet. In just a few months, the new site was launched. Robbie Baskin The Slalom team and I were able to translate our novel business ideas into a seamless customer experience while educating us on the platform along the way. Hardworking marketing tools With the front end complete, the team was ready to explore the data architecture. For FrontYa, it was imperative that customers could navigate the site on their own terms, without spam or sales pressure. At the same time, the company needed user data to enable targeted marketing strategies. We worked together to identify challenges and opportunities. “For me, it’s about helping FrontYa be more streamlined and deliberate in its approach. But the other side was the analytics—it became a fact-finding mission, a way to actually communicate with customers,” says Clancy Brodrick, a principal at Slalom. The portal captured visitor data, but it didn’t include enough information for FrontYa to tailor its marketing efforts. We integrated Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement with Google AdWords, allowing the company to discover how users arrived at its site. Once there, the system tracks customer journeys anonymously until users submit an email address and officially become prospects. Only at that point does FrontYa attribute behaviours to specific individuals in order to tailor its communications. Salesforce Social Studio allows the company to create filtered prospect lists to deliver targeted advertising on various social media platforms. Flexibility and longevity “The Slalom team and I were able to translate our novel business ideas into a seamless customer experience while educating us on the platform along the way,” says Baskin. Thanks to a high level of collaboration, FrontYa now has the knowledge and skills it needs to maintain the new Salesforce solution. To enable internal teams, Slalom provided training and developed a background configuration simple enough for anyone to use. “What we actually achieved was much more than we set out to. With that level of client engagement, we were able to provide more value,” says Brodrick. That value, of course, is that FrontYa has the right tools to establish insight-driven marketing practices, long-term customer relationships and a home-buying experience like no other. Man looking down toward laptop on table and smiling at person next to him --- title: Genie: Cutting call wait times in half with change management and AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Genie: Cutting call wait times in half with change management and AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary From change management to AI-enhanced offerings, see how Slalom helped Genie boost contact center agent efficiency and reduce average call wait times by 50%. ## Body Genie: Cutting call wait times in half with change management and AI We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Genie | Contant Center | Slalom See how Genie’s global contact center transformation enhanced agent work, slashed call wait times, and set the foundation for AI. From change management to AI-enhanced offerings, see how Slalom helped Genie boost contact center agent efficiency and reduce average call wait times by 50%. Genie contact center agent efficiency | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Cutting call wait times in half with change management and AI ascension Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with Genie to create a scalable, always-on support system that features customer prioritization and smarter agent assistance. This contact center transformation makes the most of Salesforce and AWS technology, while empowering Genie’s teams to deliver better experiences. Impact By introducing global, enterprise change management and migrating 180 agents to a new contact center solution, Slalom helped Genie build an AI-enhanced foundation to better serve customers. Key Services Industry Discrete manufacturers Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Service Cloud Voice - Amazon Connect - Salesforce Einstein [Genie](https://www.genielift.com/en), a leader in the equipment manufacturing industry, provides support and sales services to machine operators and resellers across six continents. Over time, its systems and processes had grown fragmented, resulting in extended wait times impacting customer experience. The company wanted to hit key goals, such as standardizing an always-on customer service model, providing priority service to strategic accounts, improving customer support agent experience and efficiency, and creating AI-enhanced interactions. Genie partnered with Slalom to develop a new [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) and [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) contact center solution. The first phase of the project implemented a change management and business readiness plan and moved 180 agents and supervisors onto the new platform in 4.5 months. Phase two extended into additional regions and broadened the early transformative effects of AWS and Salesforce by introducing AI components through [Salesforce Einstein](https://www.salesforce.com/artificial-intelligence/). Together, the teams have laid the groundwork for a reimagined digital customer experience, built on an AI foundation and aligning around shared goals. “Speaking to our president after we had gone live with phase one, he said this was the best implementation he had ever seen.” Matthew Skipworth Vice President of Global Service Digital Solutions, Genie People-first change management for a new global platform Slalom kicked off the project with 17 Genie leaders from across the globe in a three-day workshop to establish goals, ownership, and working methods across workstreams, organizations, and individuals. In just four weeks, the team shaped the foundations for a new best-in-class [Amazon Connect](https://aws.amazon.com/connect/) and [Salesforce Service Cloud Voice](https://www.salesforce.com/service/call-center-integration/). “Genie’s leadership prioritized and made time for the appropriate conversations and was also involved in all aspects of the change and communication approach, focused on their ‘why’ and driving a better experience for both customers and agents,” says Jessica Heaton, a principal focused on transformation at Slalom. “That’s a critical factor. Leaders set the tone for what’s expected.” As the solution moved forward, the teams continued to collaborate and iterate, utilizing a flow-based delivery. Slalom helped develop business readiness trainings, documentation, and all-hands meetings to prepare customers and agents for the upcoming experience. “This was a collaborative effort between Slalom, Genie, and our partners—AWS and Salesforce,” adds Alex Aitken, a principal at Slalom. “They didn’t say, ‘Go build this and come talk to us when you’re done.’” Are fragmented systems slowing your agents down? Explore how modern contact centers use AI to streamline service and support empowered, efficient teams. Our approach The global rollout of Genie’s new, 24-hour “Sun Never Sets” standardized support system brought North American, European, and Australian agents onto the platform. Prior to the migration, everything was region-locked and calling after business hours didn’t offer immediate support. “We built something that will grow with Genie easily,” says Kellie Laflin, a senior cloud consultant at Slalom. “The solution makes it much easier to onboard new groups at the right global level.” Slalom also implemented customer recognition and prioritization for key and strategic accounts. Now, agents know when they’re talking to someone who’s a high priority for the business, accessing data in real time from Salesforce. Slalom guided Genie in updating customer data to a recognizable, standard format, ensuring this customer enablement provided the desired results and improved agent efficiency. “This wasn’t around a vendor-customer relationship. It was about collaborating and getting to a partnership,” says Matthew Skipworth, vice president of global service and digital solutions at Genie. “That’s key to me. Having seen so many projects head off in the wrong direction, this is a success story all around, and we took a lot of learnings away.” Matthew Skipworth We haven’t had a single customer complaint. We’ve enhanced the offering. They’re getting a better service and improved performance. Supporting human agents with AI The project’s first phase, launched in the United States, EMEA, and Australia regions, set up the foundation for Genie through change management and aligning the tech stack. Reducing the average customer wait time was a significant goal; both 24/7 support and customer prioritization helped accomplish that. “Speaking to our president after we had gone live with phase one, he said this was the best implementation he had ever seen,” says Skipworth, referring not only to the technology build but also the change management teams and how they collaborated to support Genie’s customer service agents with communications, training, and testing. The second phase introduced generative AI and expanded to Singapore and Southeast Asia. Genie customers often call the support team with some knowledge of the problem, but they can’t quite put their finger on the best solution. The support agent works with them to determine the part they need, which the customer can then purchase on the ecommerce site. Genie receives about 7,000 of those calls each month, each lasting between three and 12 minutes. With Einstein’s AI working in the background, agents have call summaries and the proper parts surfaced for them. They’re not spending time jumping around manuals, knowledge articles, and the install base. The contextualized AI serves as a foundation for improved service. Not only do agents have a more streamlined experience, but they’ve also gained opportunities for personal growth that didn’t previously exist. “We’re enabling them to have more time to develop themselves,” says Skipworth. “In the past, it’s been caller, hang up, caller, hang up, caller, hang up. Now, they can focus some of their day on personal development or relationship building internally.” Genie has cut average call wait time for its strategic and key accounts in half, while also standardizing data and boosting both data quality and call volume handling. Improved internal efficiencies, better customer experiences Internal operations have improved, too, leading to more confident employees and impactful results. After user acceptance testing, Slalom surveyed Genie employees about their experience: 92% of participants reported satisfaction or favorability with the training content, and 100% responded that they felt adequately equipped to answer questions. “There was a lot of really good feedback around business readiness and the level to which people felt supported,” Heaton says. “It was such a difference between where the Genie product owner started versus where he ended,” Laflin adds. “His confidence and ability to make quick decisions and iterate were really cool to see.” Now, Genie is primed to build on its AI offerings to better support customers, which remains the company’s number one goal. “We honed in on wait time because that had impact,” Skipworth says. “Determine the true problem for your customers and create a solution that will move the needle.” “The launch is the beginning, not the end,” Aitken says. “This is a product Genie is going to continue to build on. That’s success.” Ready to see how change management and AI can create a solid foundation for your company’s future? Get building Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: Georgia CJCC: Better tracking for sexual assault survivors url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-criminal-justice-coordinating-council source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-criminal-justice-coordinating-council locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Georgia CJCC: Better tracking for sexual assault survivors - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-criminal-justice-coordinating-council - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-criminal-justice-coordinating-council - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to develop a statewide tracking system to ensure accountability for survivors. ## Body Georgia CJCC: Better tracking for sexual assault survivors Criminal Justice Coordinating Council | Slalom We partnered to develop a statewide tracking system to ensure accountability. We partnered with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to develop a statewide tracking system to ensure accountability for survivors. Better tracking for sexual assault survivors Share story At a glance When a bombshell investigation revealed that thousands of sexual assault kits had gone unprocessed in Georgia, Slalom partnered with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to develop a statewide tracking system to ensure accountability. Impact Our partnership with CJCC has connected agencies across Georgia and provides a model that other states can use to eliminate evidence backlogs and increase accountability for kit processing Key Services Industry State, provincial local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Forensic Advantage Tracking System configuration Creating accountability in public safety In 2016, an investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that Georgia’s largest hospital had more than 1,400 untested sexual assault kits (SAKs). Throughout the state, hundreds more remained unprocessed—and there was no existing system to hold agencies responsible for the backlog of forensic evidence. For survivors, this meant that even after the trauma of an assault and subsequent medical exam, their cases had not been investigated and the evidence might, in fact, be lost. Georgia’s [Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)](https://cjcc.georgia.gov/) was created to build consensus between interdependent state agencies and establish innovative solutions to empower victims. The organization was instrumental in providing information that led to Georgia’s initial and subsequent legislation concerning SAKs. When state lawmakers passed legislation to address the problem head-on, they asked the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to lead the implementation. After securing grants from around the country, the CJCC was ready to develop a simple-to-use statewide solution to track SAKs—and Slalom was invited to partner. Mike McKinney We had 1,100 stakeholders who needed visibility and clarity, so we developed a system that’s very easy to use. The hope, of course, is that no one needs to use it. Shining a light on survivor experience At the time of the investigation, most states were grappling with similar issues around how to handle, process, and store SAKs so that evidence could be used to prosecute survivors’ cases. Because Slalom had already helped another state plan for and procure a national award-winning SAK solution, we had a team of experts right from the start. “We needed a partner to ensure that we were able to meet all of our benchmarks in order to deliver a system in a very short turnaround,” says Liz Flowers, supervisor of the sexual assault unit at CJCC. Our first step was to create a task force of key stakeholders from all over Georgia, including leaders in nursing, law enforcement, advocacy groups, and many others. Through a series of workshops, we reviewed insights from other states and ultimately determined what was best for Georgia. First and foremost, we focused on survivors and their journey. “It’s difficult to connect with human beings through a technology system,“ says Gretchen Peri, head of public and social impact at Slalom. “But as much as we can interject empathy and understanding into these digital transactions, we’re better off for it.” The most unexpected impact was just how much the system has helped reinforce laws that people were often unaware of. Liz Flowers Supervisor of the Sexual Assault Unit, CJCC Creating clarity and simplicity Complexity was the number one challenge. The team needed to define a process that began with the assault itself and extended through intake, forensic evaluation, storage, and prosecution. Then there were the facilities to consider. Medical exams weren’t always performed in hospitals or police stations—they took place in correctional facilities, sexual assault centers, child abuse centers, independent agencies, and military bases. With input from all over the state, we worked with CJCC to create a detailed model of the stakeholder and legal requirements and the processes needed to meet them. We then configured the new forensic tracking system to put those processes in motion. “I think that our attention to detail was the greatest value we provided,” says Mike McKinney, a principal at Slalom. “We had 1,100 stakeholders who needed visibility and clarity, so we developed a system that’s very easy to use. The hope, of course, is that no one needs to use it.” The next step was driving user adoption. CJCC and Slalom conducted a successful pilot launch with six Georgia counties. We conducted virtual training and created video tutorials to prepare more than 1,000 agencies for the statewide rollout, and continued to train new users after the system was launched. Our partnership created an important new tool to empower survivors as well. The Survivor Portal allows people to track the location and status of their kits—offering reassurance that their cases do matter. The next step was driving user adoption. CJCC and Slalom conducted a successful pilot launch with six Georgia counties. We conducted virtual training and created video tutorials to prepare more than 1,000 agencies for the statewide rollout, and continued to train new users after the system was launched. Our partnership created an important new tool to empower survivors as well. The Survivor Portal allows people to track the location and status of their kits—offering reassurance that their cases do matter. Better tracking of sexual assault kits to support survivors A new precedent for awareness and accountability Our partnership with CJCC has connected agencies across Georgia and provides a model that other states can use to eliminate evidence backlogs and increase accountability for kit processing. Since the system’s launch, hundreds of agency users have been trained in the system and aligned to the tracking process. “The most unexpected impact was just how much the system has helped reinforce laws that people were often unaware of,” says Flowers. “For example, kits must be picked up within 96 hours of notification of collection, then delivered to the crime lab within 30 days. That new awareness around important requirements was a pleasant surprise.” With standardized processes, a unified tracking system, and ready access to their case information, sexual assault survivors can move forward with less uncertainty and develop more faith in the justice system. ypjycmclao Person sitting with arms and legs crossed --- title: Georgia State University: Serverless AWS url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-state-university--serverless-aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-state-university--serverless-aws locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Georgia State University: Serverless AWS - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-state-university--serverless-aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-state-university--serverless-aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary With serverless AWS and DevOps best practices, Georgia State University's technology team spends less time managing infrastructure and more time helping students. ## Body Georgia State University: Serverless AWS Georgia State boosts innovation with serverless AWS | Slalom Slalom helped the university’s technology team adopt a serverless AWS approach and DevOps best practices. That means less time managing infrastructure and more time developing innovative new systems. With serverless AWS and DevOps best practices, Georgia State University's technology team spends less time managing infrastructure and more time helping students. Reimagining IT to innovate for students Georgia State University Reimagining IT operations to innovate the student experience Share story Two educators walking through the hallway. At a glance To support faster innovation, Georgia State asked Slalom to help move many of its key applications to the cloud. With a serverless AWS approach and DevOps best practices, the university’s technology team now spends less time managing infrastructure and more time developing new systems to benefit students. Impact We helped the university reimagine IT operations for innovation, starting with a modern student experience portal. 50,000 students used the new portal in its first month to navigate course schedules, bills, financial aid, and more. Key Services Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Culture of innovation Over the past decade, innovation at Georgia State has increased graduation rates by 22 percentage points, reduced time-to-degree by half a semester, and eliminated achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity, and income. Ranked [fourth most innovative university](https://news.gsu.edu/2017/09/12/georgia-state-fourth-innovative-university-u-s-news-world-report/) in the country and featured in [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/us/georgia-state-african-americans.html) as an “engine of social mobility,” Georgia State is a globally recognized success story. The university exhibits a core commitment to innovation: testing new ideas and quickly scaling the best ones. Technology is one key component, facilitating better learning experiences and greater digital access for students. Phil Ventimiglia In our quickly changing world, the need to innovate is just as critical in academia as it is in the corporate sector. Very few organizations have the kind of innovative culture that we have here at Georgia State. We’re creating the digital university of the future. This is the story of how one of Georgia State’s many innovations—the Student Dashboard—became a test case for advancing the university’s infrastructure to position for the future and facilitate faster innovation. Integration as opportunity The Georgia State Student Dashboard displays up-to-date information and alerts for students, with relevant links to the student information system. Students use it to stay on top of their course schedules, bills, financial aid, and more. The dashboard met the university’s goals at launch but soon faced operational challenges. It was built on a legacy student portal, which made adding new features and tuning system performance difficult. It also relied on an on-premises infrastructure that was prone to performance bottlenecks during busy periods, such as the beginning of the academic year. A consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College, a nearby two-year college with six additional campuses and 20,000 additional students, provided a stimulus for Georgia State to reimagine its IT operations. Jaro Klc, director of strategic initiatives and development, saw the opportunity to improve his team’s approach to building applications, starting with the dashboard. “Both schools had legacy tech stacks, built using a wide range of tools and platforms” says Walt Austin, Slalom practice area director for custom development. “Georgia State chose to leapfrog to the most current technology instead of going incremental. We helped the university's team start fresh and rebuild at the cutting edge.” A man in a blue polo shirt sitting at a desk using a tablet with a mug to his left and a notebook and pen to his right. We needed a partner with extensive experience to help us architect the new infrastructure and adopt best practices around cloud solution development and delivery. Jaro Klc Director of strategic initiatives and development, Georgia State University Partnering to get cloud right Through a nine-week partnership, Slalom helped Georgia State’s technology team adopt serverless architecture to achieve scalable performance while eliminating infrastructure management. “Establishing a cloud infrastructure stack and DevOps process was critical,” says Klc. The first step was architecting the technology team's vision for the Student Dashboard. Slalom solution architect Scott Hankinson designed a serverless AWS architecture, using Typescript to deliver a mobile and web client based on Angular 2 and Ionic 2. We then worked side-by-side with the Georgia State team to build, test, and deploy the application. “A big part of it was opening their eyes to the possible and helping them build skills to do development in a new way,” says Hankinson. We led classroom training and spent time in immersive “pairing” sessions—sharing one keyboard and mouse with two monitors—to help individuals learn by doing. Along the way, Slalom cloud developers helped the team understand DevOps best practices for cloud development and establish the Jenkins automation server as their continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) platform. Saving money and innovating faster In its first month of operation, the new Student Dashboard supported more than 50,000 students—serving 4.5 million AWS Lambda requests and 8.3 million Amazon API Gateway requests. The total bill? Just $375. “Static content is served extremely fast, and the serverless backend scales to meet request volume seamlessly,” notes Klc. The solution enables single sign-on convenience for students thanks to a successful integration with Georgia State’s on-premises OpenID service. It’s also highly available by default because of the geo-redundant nature of the AWS Cloud, so the dashboard is always there when students need it. This project paves the way for future innovations and cost savings. Georgia State now has production, quality assurance, and development environments in a logical Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) framework. Klc’s team looks forward to moving more legacy applications to the cloud with a serverless approach, minimizing the number of virtual machines, databases, licenses, and support resources they need to manage and provision. Most importantly, the team now has more time for innovation. They can reallocate time they used to spend on repetitive tasks like patching, upgrades, and troubleshooting to more impactful projects. For example, they’ve been looking at ways to integrate artificial intelligence and exploring a solution for real-time data collection at facilities and student events. “We’re able to shift our resources to high-value projects, such as next-generation analytics and rapid, responsive solution development,” says Klc. “These are the innovations that truly help Georgia State students, faculty, and researchers to excel.” --- title: Glenmark: Boosting efficiency and speed with a pricing data integration solution url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/glenmark-pricing-data-integration-solution source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/glenmark-pricing-data-integration-solution locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Glenmark: Boosting efficiency and speed with a pricing data integration solution - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/glenmark-pricing-data-integration-solution - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/glenmark-pricing-data-integration-solution - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Read about how Slalom helped a German pharmaceutical company gain pricing information to stay competitive in its industry. ## Body Glenmark: Boosting efficiency and speed with a pricing data integration solution Boosting efficiency and speed with a pricing data integration solution Read about how Slalom helped a German pharmaceutical company gain pricing information to stay competitive in its industry. Share story At a glance Slalom helped Glenmark Arzneimittel GmbH (Glenmark) improve and expedite access to an existing key information source, enabling quicker price adjustments in the heavily regulated German market. Impact Glenmark now has an improved decision-making process, which boosts its efficiency and speed and streamlines operations to empower deeper market analysis—and a competitive edge. Key Services Cloud Industry Pharmaceutical, biotech biopharma Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL - Amazon DynamoDB - Python Navigating complex pricing regulations [Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.](https://glenmarkpharma.com/) is a research-led, global pharmaceutical company with a presence across branded, generics, and over-the-counter (OTC) segments. Glenmark Arzneimittel GmbH (Glenmark) is the German subsidiary. The company is ranked among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the German generic segment, where regulations heavily influence pricing decisions. Besides profitability, these regulations determine the probability that a pharmacist will dispense or substitute a specific product to a patient or that a doctor will prescribe it. Pharmacists may substitute a prescribed drug with a cheaper, equivalent alternative, promoting cost efficiency. Generic drug manufacturers must respect a specific, time-sensitive process when setting prices during regular pricing rounds. They have a short timeframe of one to two days, twice a month, to adapt and submit their prices to a leading pharmaceutical data provider based on current market conditions. If an off-patent drug manufacturer misses the deadline to set its prices, it must wait two weeks to change these details. The pitfalls of inefficient data processes Glenmark accessed pricing data from an external source but often received this information too late. Beyond this challenge, the data source it relied on for setting prices for its roughly 500 products was less comprehensive than the information offered by a different pharmaceutical pricing data provider. The pharmaceutical company manually processed information from this external data source using Excel, resulting in issues with timing, potential errors, and extra internal effort. Its team of data analytics engineers was highly skilled at interpreting information, but the company lacked the ability to create a solution to obtain the most up-to-date pricing data in its systems in a structured and analytics-friendly way. Achieving this goal would help the company be more efficient and speedier, leading the way for increased sales and margin growth. That’s when Glenmark reached out to Slalom. Michael Schroepel What we particularly appreciate is the professional, flexible, and solution-oriented partnership we have with Slalom. Building an efficient data processing solution We began our collaboration with a small workshop and discovery period to understand the use case, where data was coming from, and where it should go. Equipped with this knowledge, we set up an automatic pipeline in the cloud using Amazon Aurora Serverless. We used Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda and AWS Step Functions to schedule calls for web scraping from the pharmaceutical pricing data provider’s page. As soon as detailed information is published on the pricing data provider’s portal, the data pipeline takes over and does all the work. Depending on the size of the data set published, this process can be completed within a few minutes, sometimes half an hour. “What we particularly appreciate is the professional, flexible, and solution-oriented partnership we have with Slalom,” says Michael Schroepel, Business Planning Analysis Manager, Glenmark Arzneimittel GmbH. Increased speed and efficiency for a promising future Glenmark can now immediately jump on information from the pricing data provider as soon as it’s available. The information is much more robust, offering the company more detailed analysis options. Gaining deeper and faster insights into market prices earlier improves the company’s decision-making on medication pricing and leads to better top- and bottom-line results. The company has become more competitive and agile in responding to market developments. Updating reports with the latest data is simplified and accelerated. Glenmark’s employees are saving an estimated two days a month on automated data processing, which they can now spend doing more meaningful work. Speaking of transforming the employee experience, we’ve helped train Glenmark’s data analytics engineers to work with a cloud environment. They’re now deploying changes, doing source control and in-depth testing, and deploying to production, among other tasks. “This implementation significantly improves the processing and use of data. It allows us to automate certain steps, enhancing our employees’ productivity,” adds Schroepel. Charting the future with prescriptive insights Glenmark has transformed its approach to navigating the complex German pharmaceutical market. By implementing a sophisticated data pipeline, the company has enhanced its ability to adapt pricing strategies swiftly, leveraging insights with unprecedented speed and efficiency. This technological advancement not only streamlines Glenmark’s operations but empowers it with deeper market analysis capabilities, significantly boosting its competitive edge. The project marks a pivotal step towards embracing digital innovation within Glenmark, setting a new standard for operational excellence and strategic agility in the pharmaceutical industry. Schroepel concludes, “Our team’s previous Excel-focused way of working meant that this project was a significant first step towards advanced data processing and automation. It opens new possibilities in our organization, where we use the power of technology to increase our efficiency and accuracy in data analysis, optimize workflows, and improve decision-making processes.” Physician and patient in an office and both looking at a clipboard --- title: GOAL: Teaming up for sustainability wins url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/goal-sustainabillity-net-zero-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/goal-sustainabillity-net-zero-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # GOAL: Teaming up for sustainability wins - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/goal-sustainabillity-net-zero-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/goal-sustainabillity-net-zero-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary With Salesforce Net Zero Cloud and data visualizations, GOAL empowers sports, music, and event venues to enhance sustainability efforts around waste, water, and energy. ## Body GOAL: Teaming up for sustainability wins With Net Zero Cloud and CRM Analytics, Slalom and GOAL empowered live event venues to compare performance and drive climate action. With Salesforce Net Zero Cloud and data visualizations, GOAL empowers sports, music, and event venues to enhance sustainability efforts around waste, water, and energy. GOAL sustainability wins with Net Zero Cloud | Slalom Teaming up for sustainability wins Share story At a glance GOAL partnered with Slalom to implement Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, building data visualization dashboards for its network of live event venues to drive climate action. Impact GOAL used Slalom’s Net Zero Cloud expertise to help sports teams, arenas and stadiums, convention centers, and live event venues gain insights and take action around waste management, water usage, carbon emissions, and more. Key Services Cloud Industry Sports live entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Net Zero Cloud - CRM Analytics [GOAL (Green Operations Advanced Leadership)](https://www.goalstandard.com/) is a collaborative network of 55 sustainability-focused live event venue operators who have a common interest in collaboration and sharing lessons learned. The GOAL network extends across NBA and NHL arenas, MLB and MLS stadiums, F1 circuits, entertainment venues, convention centers, cultural institutions, and more. Collectively, the network’s members draw over 60 million fans and guests every year. GOAL has been in operation since 2022, guiding sports and entertainment organizations on their sustainability initiatives. As GOAL’s clients matured, the data management and insights from the data similarly needed to mature. Much of its data management had existed on another platform that didn’t empower the flexibility and data visualizations necessary to support the GOAL members as desired. GOAL turned to Slalom for assistance in identifying the best technical solution and executing its vision. “Working with a team of people familiar with the concept of sustainability and the storytelling behind it was really helpful,” says Kristen Fulmer, head of sustainability at GOAL. Other developers would only construct what we told them to construct. With Slalom, we could have more of a conversation with a team of sustainability-focused experts. Kristen Fulmer Head of Sustainability, GOAL Data visualization to drive results Slalom’s team worked closely with GOAL to transition existing data onto a new platform and build out a CRM Analytics dashboard using [Salesforce Net Zero Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/net-zero/cloud/). The fully customizable dashboard shows month-over-month and year-over-year trends in water, energy, fuel, waste, and emissions. This new dashboard offered valuable analysis that GOAL and its members didn’t previously have, such as the ability to compare one venue to other similar facilities. Slalom’s team also delivered end-to-end training to encourage adoption across GOAL’s network. “It’s an easy way to see and visualize their data and track their performance, to see the trends of their core KPIs and any troughs and spikes,” says Nicolai Johnson-Borelli, a senior principal at Slalom. “That’s information they can take action on to improve sustainability.” Since venues may submit information irregularly or have incomplete data, Slalom implemented automated checks to ensure higher data quality. That process included building data gap-filling, duplicate flags, and outlier flagging. Now, GOAL can confidently share even more robust data with its members to enact positive changes. For example, GOAL saw one NHL arena consuming 33% more energy than other buildings. That finding led to the installation of utility submeters to better track energy usage, which ultimately resulted in an overall reduction in energy consumption. The GOAL Analytics Dashboard has also helped baseball stadiums visualize their water use in comparison to rainfall, bringing visibility to irrigation and opportunities for saving water without minimizing quality. Sustainability in sports and entertainment More musicians are focusing on sustainability too. Several big-name artists will have inclusions about the subject in their riders, which outline performance requirements and venue support during a show. Some musicians won’t play at a venue that doesn’t meet certain sustainability benchmarks, making capturing and analyzing data and implementing those results even more critical. “So many carbon dashboards that exist don’t measure water and waste, which are two of the biggest metrics in our world,” Fulmer says. “The GOAL Analytics Dashboard is the only dashboard with the power of Salesforce and the Net Zero Cloud plug-ins that translates that data into something operators across our ecosystem can understand.” A major part of GOAL’s effectiveness is using metrics that make sense to a venue operator. The dashboard can measure consumption per event or visitor to help guide action, rather than something harder to grasp, like cubic tons or energy use per square foot. Those relatable metrics can also be shared with fans in ways that get them to buy into sustainability efforts. For example, an arena that hosts NBA games, among other events, informs fans about the proper waste disposal methods by converting waste volumes into the equivalent number of basketballs. The zero-waste venue can show fans they are helping save thousands of basketballs’ worth of waste per game. Similarly, a professional hockey team used the GOAL Analytics Dashboard to calculate emissions avoided through its park-and-ride transportation system. The organization highlighted how fans were contributing to a greener game experience. While it called out the over 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent saved, it also translated that to understandable terms for fans—more than 169,000 gallons of gas saved, or the equivalent of over 440 commercial passenger flights between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. “The reason we’re doing this work in sustainability is to drive impact. The reach GOAL has is so great that a lot of our focus was looking at how this data informs fan and visitor behavior,” says Bryan Hollaway, Slalom’s global sustainability technology lead. Bryan Hollaway asdf What’s particularly exciting is that the audience these venues are reaching may not be your typical sustainability audience. This is broadening the awareness in a way we rarely see. Better insights, better action The dashboard visualizations can help venues reach both short-term and long-term goals. Taylor Erklenz, an associate consultant at Slalom, shares how comparisons inspire action. “All the energy and fuel data gets automatically converted in the system to kilowatt-hours,” Erklenz says. “It’s a better comparison to look at all the consumption data side by side because it’s in one standard unit. That’s a big piece of any move to Net Zero.” As more organizations join GOAL and use the GOAL Analytics Dashboard, the data will become even more valuable since additional similar venues are being measured. The comparisons are aggregated and anonymized; operators and leagues can see comparisons by factors such as venue age, seating capacity, region, type of building, and more. Slalom and GOAL have driven impressive results together. The two teams have developed some key takeaways for venues working toward similar sustainability or net-zero goals: - Empower employees to be sustainability leaders: Treating sustainability as a key initiative and engaging leadership is critical. Whether you have someone entirely focused on tracking and improving net-zero efforts or if any employee can be a sustainability leader by working with GOAL, it’s important to empower employees to lead in achieving sustainability goals. - Use high-quality data, but don’t stress perfection: Better data quality can inform proper next steps, though some companies wait until data is perfect before taking action. If you’re missing a month or don’t have the complete number, that doesn’t mean that the data isn’t good data overall. Even the best athletes and musicians make mistakes, so don’t hesitate in the pursuit of perfection—a strong performance will still lead to something great. - Engage your audience in your efforts: Most audience members at sporting events or concerts won’t know traditional sustainability KPIs. When a venue can help fans relate to their goals by speaking their language as it relates to the event, it’s much more powerful. [The GOAL Impact Report](https://www.goalstandard.com/goal-impact-report-2025) highlights what GOAL members have accomplished. There’s an opportunity for other events, venues, and teams to reach their sustainability goals—with Net Zero Cloud and CRM Analytics dashboards offering an assist. “The ability to bulk upload into Net Zero Cloud and the connectivity from the data input to the dashboard is great,” Fulmer says. “It’s scalable to any live event operator or any event. From car-racing events to large-scale city events like the Olympics or All-Star Game, they can all use the dashboard and gain value from it.” Do you have net-zero or sustainability goals you're working toward? Let’s talk --- title: GTÜ: AI vehicle inspections url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/gtu-ai-vehicle-inspections source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/gtu-ai-vehicle-inspections locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # GTÜ: AI vehicle inspections - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/gtu-ai-vehicle-inspections - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/gtu-ai-vehicle-inspections - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary See how an AI assistant makes millions of vehicle inspections safer and faster for 2,700 test engineers in Germany. ## Body GTÜ: AI vehicle inspections GTÜ CoExpert AI vehicle inspections | Slalom ​​​​Meet CoExpert, an innovative AI assistant that empowers 2,700 test engineers to work faster and more independently​. See how an AI assistant makes millions of vehicle inspections safer and faster for 2,700 test engineers in Germany. Putting AI to work for faster, safer vehicle inspections Share story At a glance We partnered with GTÜ—Germany’s largest officially recognized monitoring organization for freelance experts—to develop CoExpert, an AI assistant that gives test engineers efficient access to specialist knowledge so they can work faster and more independently. Impact CoExpert improves the quality of work of 2,700 engineers, reduces hotline calls, shortens inspection time, and positions GTÜ as an innovative partner for its clients. Key Services Digital product development Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Aurora - Amazon Bedrock - AWS Lambda - Langfuse Demographic change meets digital transformation In Germany, there are only few organizations entrusted with conducting millions of legally mandated technical inspections. Consequently, the market for licensing partners is highly competitive. [GTÜ Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH](https://www.gtue.de/en) (GTÜ) is the largest officially recognized monitoring organization for freelance automotive experts and inspection engineers. GTÜ partners conduct more than 4.7 million main inspections and over 8.3 million vehicle inspections annually—approximately every sixth vehicle in Germany. This makes GTÜ an important pillar of German traffic safety and environmental protection. Demographic change presents the organization with a dual challenge in both the short and long term. The shortage of skilled workers, especially with nearly 20 million Baby Boomers retiring by 2036, requires that knowledge built up over the years be digitized and made accessible long term. At the same time, there’s a need to bridge the growing gap between older inspectors who adhere to older but familiar systems and younger digital natives who expect intuitive tools. Throughout this process, partner interests remain at the forefront. Supporting the inspection engineers who work for GTÜ is the company’s top priority. The company’s 20-person support team receives over 60,000 calls annually. An AI assistant was intended to relieve support staff of simple inquiries and enable them to focus on complex requests. Inspection engineers would also be able to complete their inspections faster, without waiting in a telephone hotline queue. “We want to not only bring advantages to our partners but also excite them and show that we are passionate about what we do,” explains Lukas Tomalla, development manager at GTÜ. running on beach From concept to implementation: The workplace of the future To secure a long-term competitive advantage in the competition for skilled workers, GTÜ aims to create the ”workplace of the future” for inspection engineers. The company laid the foundation with the ”GTÜ+” online platform. Introduced in 2021, GTÜ+ was intended to be a comprehensive and intuitive system for inspection engineers, replacing the existing system. However, CoExpert represents the real innovation: the AI assistant answers questions from inspection engineers in seconds—whether on mobile phones or computers. The integration of the AI helper into GTÜ+ increases the value of the platform for daily users and speeds up the system changeover. The requirements for the development of the AI assistant were demanding: 24/7/365 availability, error-free and completely traceable answers, seamless integration into GTÜ+, mastery of engineering language, and exclusive use of internal resources. Particularly challenging was the time pressure—Slalom teams had only four months from the idea to the presentation at the annual GTÜ partner event. After initial experiments, GTÜ quickly recognized the need for external expertise to implement the AI assistant. ”With Slalom, we had a partner from the beginning who approached us professionally and as equals,” says Philipp Schaffors, product manager at GTÜ. ”They proved right from the start that they understood our systems and business model and were able to help us quickly.” Forward-looking architecture and accelerated development Based on AWS Bedrock, GTÜ’s CoExpert is a holistic solution with four core components: an intuitive interface for user inquiries, a system that processes fed documents for the vector database, a feedback mechanism that ensures the quality of answers, and an observability module that provides insights into given answers to continuously make improvements. A crucial success factor was the use of Slalom’s proprietary AI accelerator as a framework, which enabled rapid implementation. cruise port Despite development under enormous time pressure, Slalom pursued a clear vision of the AI assistant with a clear focus at every stage of the project. In small steps, they led us to our goal in the shortest possible time. Lukas Tomalla Development Manager at GTÜ From the beginning, knowledge transfer was a central concern. Slalom’s task was not only to deliver a solution but to enable GTÜ to implement and maintain AI applications themselves in the future. In the third project phase, Slalom transferred its knowledge to GTÜ employees who will maintain CoExpert and enable GTÜ to expand its AI applications. Direct and measurable success with future perspective The initial successes of CoExpert can already be observed. “In April 2025, for the first time in GTÜ’s history, we managed to stop the continuous increase in calls to the technical hotline,” Schaffors is pleased to report. “Partnering with Slalom was an investment in our future,” says Thomas Emmert, CEO of GTÜ. ”With their data and AI expertise, they helped us to use existing data to create business value, build up long-term expertise, and take our employees with us on this journey. This is important for the long-term economic success of GTÜ.” After the successful first project, GTÜ is already working on further innovations. The goal: just as in 1994, when GTÜ pioneered the first digital support system for inspection engineers, the company wants to position itself once again as an innovation leader in the German market with tools like CoExpert. Thomas Emmert blank The commitment and expertise of the Slalom teams were crucial in helping us secure a long-term competitive advantage. For us, CoExpert is a strategic step to become more attractive to younger target groups in the future and thus for the future of our industry. Curious about what AI can do for your company? Contact us --- title: Hanna Andersson ecommerce | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Hanna Andersson ecommerce | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Composable commerce and close partnership enable Hanna Andersson to innovate faster, enhance customer experience, and deliver a scalable platform for future growth. ## Body Hanna Andersson ecommerce | Slalom Hanna Andersson | Ecommerce | Slalom See how Hanna Andersson partnered with Slalom to modernize ecommerce, driving faster innovation, better customer experiences, and scalable growth. Composable commerce and close partnership enable Hanna Andersson to innovate faster, enhance customer experience, and deliver a scalable platform for future growth. Scaling high-value shopping experiences At a glance vision Hanna Andersson partnered with Slalom and Vercel to modernize the retailer’s ecommerce storefront with a composable platform poised for customer ease and future growth. IMPACT The children’s apparel retailer is driving higher conversion and loyalty, streamlining the checkout process, and enabling innovation—boosting mobile page load times by more than 25%. Key Services Industry Retail Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Commerce Cloud - Vercel Ready to energize your ecommerce for growth? Get started now The making of a meaningful modernization In the world of children’s clothing, [Hanna Andersson](http://www.hannaandersson.com/) leads with style and sustainability, crafting iconic family favorites that blend premium quality with bold colors and playful imagination. Founded in 1983 in Portland, Oregon, the children’s apparel retailer is known for its high-quality organic textiles, family pajamas, and creative collaborations. Recently, Hanna Andersson set out to elevate its customer experience by modernizing its technology. The vision was clear: leaders wanted a “site of the future” powered by a composable commerce solution—an approach that uses best-of-breed components—that would deliver exceptional customer experiences and scale for tomorrow’s growth. The checkout process was the greatest opportunity to enhance the customer experience. “The team’s conviction was clear: focus on improvements to checkout first and build trust from the most business-critical moment,” says David Horton, a Slalom lead on the project. That’s exactly what we did. “We wanted to establish a modern, flexible ecommerce foundation that would allow our teams to move faster, test more effectively, and support ongoing innovation as the business continues to grow.” Mike Frazzini Chief Technology Officer, Hanna Andersson Weaving together a seamless solution What started as an introduction between Hanna Andersson and Slalom at Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference quickly became a highly productive collaboration. Our team worked hand in hand with the retailer, supporting the goal of a true partnership. Slalom’s alignment with Hanna Andersson’s processes, tool sets, and business priorities helped maintain momentum and consistency. Together, we improved the speed and fluidity of the online experience and established a modern, scalable foundation that supports continued growth and innovation. “We focused on improving overall site performance and responsiveness, while taking an incremental approach to modernization so we could deliver value steadily over time,” says Mike Frazzini, chief technology officer for Hanna Andersson. Frazzini and the team were seeking a versatile option that offered them more control and the ability to make adjustments without being restricted to one specific platform. By implementing a composable architecture with tools like [Vercel,](https://vercel.com/) our Slalom experts helped separate the front-end experience from the back end, delivering improved resilience and scalability. The work led to four major feature launches: - Checkout consolidation: Optimizing the checkout experience - Outfitting: Delivering a new merchandising experience - New cart experience: Producing an optimized cart with a new user experience - Updated product display pages: Renovating and modernizing the product display pages With a modern infrastructure now in place, Hanna Andersson can iterate and release development projects far more efficiently and flexibly. At the same time, the retailer was able to preserve its significant investment in [Salesforce Commerce Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/commerce/), using it as the core commerce engine within the solution. Customer Impact Modernization is yielding results for Hanna Andersson—and its customers. Let’s modernize together Empowering customers on the path to purchasing Hanna Andersson’s digital transformation puts customers first, delivering a faster, easier, and more rewarding shopping experience. Quick-loading pages make it simple for families to browse, select, and purchase their favorite styles, while a new mobile-first, single-page checkout reduces cart abandonment. Loyalty program sign-ups through “Hanna Rewards” soared, especially on mobile, giving shoppers even more reasons to return. Close collaboration with Slalom built trust and kept technology decisions aligned with business goals. Thanks to a strong partnership, Hanna Andersson now enjoys the confidence and capability to shape its customer experience and future. “We carry this forward as the baseline for our new site,” says Frazzini. “The foundation we’ve built delivers value today and sets us up for continued evolution, with clear patterns, stronger confidence in our platform, and a delivery model that supports ongoing growth.” Share this story --- title: HomeEquity Bank url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/homeequity-bank source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/homeequity-bank locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # HomeEquity Bank - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/homeequity-bank - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/homeequity-bank - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When HomeEquity Bank was facing issues with data accuracy, lead management, pipeline visibility, and analytics, it partnered with Slalom to rebuild its Salesforce platform and streamline its sales operations. ## Body HomeEquity Bank HomeEquity Bank | Slalom When HomeEquity Bank was facing issues with data accuracy, lead management, pipeline visibility, and analytics, it partnered with Slalom to rebuild its Salesforce platform and streamline its sales operations. Earning more customers with efficient lead management Share story At a glance Impact The new solution has dramatically improved the efficiency, capacity, and satisfaction of the sales team. Enhanced activity management and data visibility are enabling inbound leads to receive more prompt attention, which is driving more conversions. Key Services Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Red flags around lead management [HomeEquity Bank](https://www.homeequitybank.ca/)(HEB) is the only bank in Canada that focuses solely on the needs of homeowners aged 55 and older. New customer leads are almost exclusively inbound. HEB advertises online as well as through direct media channels, and it receives a number of leads from partner networks such as banks, wealth advisors, and mortgage brokers. HEB is committed to enhancing its processes so its customers receive the best possible banking experience tailored to their individual needs. That’s why the bank knew it needed help when the call center and mortgage specialist teams raised concerns about its aging [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) platform and the ability to efficiently handle incoming leads. HEB selected Slalom to help it upgrade Salesforce as well as redesign the underlying process and data models to streamline end-to-end operations. An aging system causes inefficiencies that frustrate employees and delay customer service “At Slalom, we approach transformation engagements by first learning about existing processes, the people who use them, and what they are trying to achieve,” said Ramapriyan Gopal, senior director of client services, Slalom. “That informs our strategy and vision, which we then leverage to recommend tailor-fit solutions.” To that end, Slalom conducted user and technical interviews with a number of stakeholders across departments at HEB. Reviewing current process flows and technologies gave Slalom’s team a clearer picture of the obstacles employees were facing—and the solutions that would be the most valuable to them. One of the most significant challenges was the way leads were assigned. When an incoming lead contacted the call center, an agent would vet the person and assign them to a mortgage specialist. This process was done manually and randomly, without a system to ensure each specialist was receiving the same amount of qualified leads. “We had no way to control the assignments coming out of the call center,” said Martin Bell, vice president of enterprise systems, HomeEquity Bank. “Our team was frustrated by this system because it sometimes led to an unfair distribution of leads, where one specialist might receive several while another wouldn't receive any in the same time frame.” A number of other challenges created inefficient workflows and employee frustration, including: - Over-customization of Salesforce, which created the need for duplicate data entry and caused data accuracy issues - Inconsistent activity and goal management due to both technical limitations and user adoption - A lack of end-to-end data visibility thanks to a patchwork of processes in different technologies - Limited and inaccurate reporting - No pipeline visibility, trend analysis, or analytics capabilities to drive performance and sales tactics - Inability to track the impact of marketing campaigns and touchpoints against a lead or contact Roger Favero We were in an unsustainable situation where our employees couldn’t trust our processes and data. And these challenges caused delays and errors that impacted our customers. We needed help. Improved processes helped convert more leads into customers Together with HEB, we designed a strategy to address the underlying technology foundation causing the majority of pain points. This came to life by upgrading the Salesforce user interface from Classic to Lightning. The modern user interface helped create a streamlined experience for employees, with the entire workflow from lead to close in one dashboard. Salesforce Sales Cloud helps HEB manage leads, track progress, and automate sales processes. “One of the most impactful things we did was create a better process for managing, prioritizing, and assigning qualified leads to mortgage specialists,” said Eric Zurfluh, director of Salesforce delivery at Slalom. In addition to smoothing out the lead assignment process and bringing crucial functions together on a centralized dashboard, HEB’s new Salesforce platform replaced its over-customized and imprecise system with standardized, out-of-the-box, cutting-edge capabilities the team could rely on. From data and pipeline visibility to reporting accuracy and marketing performance tracking, the new solution improved the efficiency and effectiveness of a wide variety of processes. This led to higher user adoption and deeper insights for HEB’s leadership to identify strategic priorities for the business. By streamlining workflows and increasing the team’s capacity to manage the volume of leads, the optimized platform has helped HEB increase loan originations by 23% . In turn, customers are happy to receive prompt and efficient service. HEB had its best year ever, reaching over $1 billion in new originations. Our new Salesforce platform was a critical component in our overall success. Up next: Identifying further room for growth HEB’s leadership was thrilled with the results of the partnership with Slalom—so much so that both teams are now moving toward a follow-up project to identify more opportunities to optimize digital processes. The goal will be to better understand the customer journey, further strengthen the employee experience, and empower greater success for partners. Two people sitting on patio reading a tablet --- title: The Honey Baked Ham Co. AI computer vision | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/honey-baked-ham-retail-process-optimization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/honey-baked-ham-retail-process-optimization locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # The Honey Baked Ham Co. AI computer vision | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/honey-baked-ham-retail-process-optimization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/honey-baked-ham-retail-process-optimization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Retail innovation with AI computer vision. See how an iconic franchise uncovered cost savings and revenue uplift opportunities equivalent to 2% of net revenue. ## Body The Honey Baked Ham Co. AI computer vision | Slalom The Honey Baked Ham Co. | AI computer vision | Slalom See how AI and rapid experimentation are helping a food franchise leader unlock up to eight figures of savings and revenue uplift. Retail innovation with AI computer vision. See how an iconic franchise uncovered cost savings and revenue uplift opportunities equivalent to 2% of net revenue. A smarter recipe for peak holiday performance At a glance vision Slalom partnered with a leader in holiday family meals to analyze peak-season operations using human observation and AI. We then conducted targeted, in-store experiments to quickly test improvements across labor, workflows, and the customer experience. IMPACT By combining nuanced observation with real-world experimentation, we uncovered and tested eight-figure opportunities for cost savings and revenue uplift—representing more than 2% of net revenue. Key Services Industry Restaurants dining Key Technologies / Platforms - Axon Vision Ready to serve up efficiency with a side of innovation? Let's get started A seasonal staple The centerpiece that graces many holiday tables is Honey Baked Ham—an iconic, spiral-sliced tradition coated in a signature golden glaze. [The Honey Baked Ham Co.](https://www.honeybaked.com/home) (HoneyBaked), a combo restaurant/deli franchise headquartered just outside Atlanta, Georgia, operates over 400 locations across the United States. The company is known for making holidays simple and delicious with its hams, turkeys, sides, and desserts. The business model for HoneyBaked is unique because most of the company’s revenue occurs in just 15 days of the calendar year: the five days before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. During these periods of extreme spike in demand, business operations shift dramatically with an influx of seasonal workers and adjustments to store layouts, inventory management practices, and more. HoneyBaked turned to Slalom with the question: How can we be even more efficient and effective during these critical, pre-holiday periods? Darin Morrow Working with the Slalom team helped us quickly uncover insights unique to our business, clearly define innovation opportunities to implement, and do it all in just a matter of weeks. We are excited to continue partnering with Slalom to transform our operational efficiency and customer experience. The right balance of human and technological insight With the goal of uncovering actionable insights, we combined in-person field research with cutting-edge AI computer-vision analysis. Slalom deployed teams to five HoneyBaked locations in California, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia, where researchers shadowed employees, conducted interviews, and observed store operations across kitchen prep, logistics, inventory restocking, and customer interactions—all without disrupting business during the busy pre-Christmas rush. David Vanderpoel, a Slalom director, spearheaded the research and analysis: “Through a combination of technology and human observation, we identified dozens of factors to increase efficiency across the restaurant team.“ Low-risk experiments. High-impact insight. Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive, risky, or time-consuming. Slalom’s Accelerated Research Centers (ARC) focus on designing and running experiments to quickly test new ideas in the real world, using hardware and software prototypes that don’t disrupt normal business operations. The result? Confidence in ideas worth scaling. Start experimenting Some of our discoveries would not have been possible without human observers. For example, the team on site at one location noticed that fast-paced music in the glazing area seemed to correlate to higher efficiency. By recording music in all locations and comparing it to performance, we found that music around 145 beats per minute (bpm) noticeably boosted work performance, compared to the typical 100-130 bpm. We enhanced our analysis with the capabilities of Axon Vision, a trailblazing Slalom partner that enables real-time training of computer vision models with human support. This technology used existing security video feeds to track key activities at HoneyBaked, eliminating the need for new hardware to capture key video-based insights and enabling national scalability. Axon Vision technology also monitored customer wait times, employee interactions, and kitchen tasks, providing insights into productivity and customer experience. Turning research into results Just a few weeks after our observation period, we delivered a comprehensive data readout to HoneyBaked leaders, including extensive suggestions for improvements. Together we worked to quantify the opportunity for cost savings and revenue uplift at more than eight figures, representing over 2% of HoneyBaked's net revenue. We then prioritized a list of low-effort experiments to test our hypotheses during the following year’s Thanksgiving rush. These experiments tapped into opportunities both in front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) operations. At the register, we observed that customers often needed a lot of time to make purchase decisions once they’d reached the counter. This resulted in longer lines and the tendency for people waiting there to fall into their phones. To expedite transaction time by educating customers in line, we tested several solutions, including: - Posting larger, simplified menu boards and counter placemats featuring popular holiday meal options - Displaying replica hams for customers to easily see the size and weight of each - Providing a web app for customers to place their orders while in line In the kitchen, we looked for ways to speed production while maintaining product quality. The holiday season requires intimidating daily production goals, but by gamifying the ham glazing process with real-time individual and team-based performance metrics, we found ways to increase both quality standard adherence and team morale. New team members were also onboarded at record pace and self-coached to improve their performance with each task completed. Store leadership now has at-a-glance visibility to track kitchen progress toward daily production goals. Increased alignment to target times for individual tasks has decreased bottlenecks across the variety of kitchen roles. “We're improving the lives of the humans on both sides of the counter, and we're also helping the client manage their labor better,” says Vanderpoel. “This leads to more predictable business operations and reduces stress on workers during busy times, making everything run more smoothly.” Customer Impact With improvements to both FOH and BOH operations, customers were in and out the door quicker, often with fuller shopping bags. Let’s talk impact A recipe for success HoneyBaked is on a journey to expand to more locations and double its revenue in the next six years. The work we’re doing together will help them get there. Vanderpoel emphasizes that improving the customer experience significantly boosts the company’s success: “It's not only about cutting down wait times; it's about enhancing every aspect of the transaction.” Employees also benefit from more streamlined processes and reliable orders, which is particularly important given the influx of seasonal labor and high-volume nature of the holiday peaks. As the retail industry faces mounting labor pressure—while also striving to integrate physical and digital experiences—efficiency is a vital competitive advantage. Our partnership with HoneyBaked exemplifies how human insight and cutting-edge technology can help retailers set a new standard of customer service while serving up a generous slice of production efficiency. Share this story --- title: Hyatt: Welcoming world travelers with industry-leading digital hospitality url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hyatt-digital-hospitality source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/hyatt-digital-hospitality locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Hyatt: Welcoming world travelers with industry-leading digital hospitality - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/hyatt-digital-hospitality - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hyatt-digital-hospitality - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Hyatt to create an industry-leading hospitality app, while building the Hyatt team's delivery capabilities every step of the way. ## Body Hyatt: Welcoming world travelers with industry-leading digital hospitality Hyatt | Slalom We partnered with Hyatt to create an industry-leading hospitality app, while building the Hyatt team's delivery capabilities every step of the way. Welcoming world travelers with industry-leading digital hospitality Hyatt Share story At a glance Hyatt engaged Slalom to build the technology to unleash the power of Hyatt's people, purpose, and data to transform the customer experience. Impact The new World of Hyatt app redefined hospitality in a digital world, increased bookings by 80%, and empowered Hyatt's UX and technology teams to continue innovating with confidence. Key Services Industry Travel hospitality When Hyatt and Slalom collaborated to envision the future of digital hospitality, we saw an opportunity to do something different. We asked ourselves, what would happen if we could unleash the power of Hyatt’s people, purpose, and data to transform customer experience? Hyatt recognized the opportunity to use the mobile devices that customers always have nearby to increase customer satisfaction, surpass the digital experiences offered by competitors, and explore operational efficiencies at its properties. The hospitality leader envisioned a mobile app that would engage people in new ways and elevate guest satisfaction throughout their stays at Hyatt hotels around the globe. With a thoughtful, contextually relevant approach to app design, Slalom and Hyatt teamed up to make this vision a reality with the new World of Hyatt app. In the process, Slalom helped set Hyatt up for success in the future by building capabilities within Hyatt’s existing team. Download the story A mom and dad holding their baby at a resort with a bungalow over the water --- title: IG Wealth: Empowering advisors to build stronger financial futures url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ig-wealth-empowering-advisors-build-stronger-financial-futures source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ig-wealth-empowering-advisors-build-stronger-financial-futures locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # IG Wealth: Empowering advisors to build stronger financial futures - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ig-wealth-empowering-advisors-build-stronger-financial-futures - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ig-wealth-empowering-advisors-build-stronger-financial-futures - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When IG Wealth Management was ready to create a transformative digital experience, Slalom & Salesforce Financial Services Cloud helped create a seamless interface for 5,000+ users. ## Body IG Wealth: Empowering advisors to build stronger financial futures Empowering advisors to build stronger financial futures When IG Wealth Management was ready to create a transformative digital experience, Slalom & Salesforce Financial Services Cloud helped create a seamless interface for 5,000+ users. IG Wealth Management Share story At a glance When IG Wealth Management was ready to transform its business and create a next-generation digital experience to empower its advisors, increase productivity, and help clients reach their financial objectives, Slalom lined up as a strategic partner. Impact Leveraging Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, we created a seamless interface for more than 5,000 users. Key Services Organizational change & talent Industry Wealth asset management Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce From paperwork to productivity As one of Canada’s leading diversified wealth and asset management companies, [IG Wealth Management](https://www.investorsgroup.com/en) has thousands of advisors and over $101 billion in total assets under management. For every advisor, there are hundreds of clients, and for every client, there are hundreds or thousands of records. That’s a lot of data—and it was weighing down IG Wealth’s existing, highly customized CRM (customer relationship management) system. Advisors were losing valuable time reentering data in multiple systems and relying on hand-written notes to support their clients. IG Wealth knew that in order to drive productivity and provide the best possible experience for its advisors and clients, transformation was essential. “We needed to create the right foundational digital platform to empower our IG Wealth Management advisors,” says Sam Burns, SVP, Digital Technology and Enterprise Applications at IGM Financial, IG Wealth’s parent company. In 2017, Slalom and IG Wealth initiated a partnership to modernize the client and advisor experience, leveraging the [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) platform to create a digital client portal. So, when IG Wealth decided to expand its Salesforce goals to create an advisor portal on Financial Services Cloud, Slalom was there. Making the case for transformation The scale of the project was formidable: over 5,000 users, 250,000,000 pieces of data, and a multiyear delivery. Beyond the complex technology and daunting logistics, change management was critical. Change wasn’t necessarily a top priority for IG’s advisors—they were already comfortable with their own personal devices, software, and ways of working. A transformation of that size represented a significant investment of time and resources, and IG Wealth needed assurance that it would pay off in the short and long term. In the past, the IG Wealth team had used a waterfall development process with mixed results. Advisors were concerned about missed deadlines. If the project was going to be successful, IG Wealth would also need to adopt an Agile delivery process. To earn the support of the advisors and Agile champions within IG Wealth, Slalom helped make the strategic business case to pursue an Agile delivery model for the MVP (minimum viable product), defining the initial release in such a balanced way that advisors could embrace the value of the product. Slalom refined an industry standard estimating model to illustrate just how far Salesforce could take the company in terms of modernization and future productivity from a technology perspective, a change perspective, and an experience perspective. IG Wealth was ready to transform. Managing change at every level Slalom’s job was to coach, grow, and broaden IG's Agile practice across all teams so they could work faster, drive innovation, and increase collaboration between business and technology. IG Wealth also onboarded new digital leaders to help drive this new way of working throughout the organization. Together, in a badge-less work environment, Slalom and IG Wealth set up integrated, multidisciplinary roles to establish governance and reporting, coach product owners, create user stories, and define a product roadmap. This side-by-side approach allowed us to evolve IG Wealth’s product vision and drive business value. “Right from the start, Slalom helped bring us together as one team,” says Burns. “Sometimes you can have great intentions but not deliver on it, but I think the stars just aligned. We had great comradery at all levels of the team. People just wanted us to reach our goals, period. And that went a long way.” To help people adapt to new systems and processes, we implemented change management right from the start. A Slalom business architect and a Salesforce functional lead worked together to empower IG Wealth’s Chief Product Owner to maximize the platform’s benefits and fully own the transformation. “I very much enjoyed partnering with the Slalom team. The mix of digital expertise, delivery focus, and client-focused culture contributed directly to our accelerated digital journey,” says Milorad Stefanovic, VP, Digital Technology at IGM Financial. The path to transformation More than 100 business leaders and developers collaborated to develop the MVP. In true Agile fashion, teams were reevaluated and restructured to work as efficiently as possible. Following the MVP launch, monthly and semi-monthly releases allowed teams to test, deploy, and collect user acceptance data to inform next steps. The complexity of the legacy system and the volume of data presented daily challenges. For example, IG Wealth had about 25 different applications that were tied to the old system and needed to be cut and fed to Salesforce. We reconfigured functionality to match the business model while avoiding customization as much as possible. As a result, IG Wealth is well-positioned to both maintain and enhance the production system and take full advantage of the Salesforce product roadmap for Financial Services Cloud. They really helped us move the needle from speaking about Agile and doing small stuff to Agile with a capital A at a scale of millions of dollars and thousands of users at stake. Slalom provided that structure. Sam Burns SVP of Digital Technology and Enterprise Applications, IGM Financial Pivoting in a pandemic In December 2019, a strategic rollout began to more than 5,000 users from coast to coast. Beginning in the west and rolling across to the east, teams visited IG Wealth offices to train users on the new system and introduce mobile functionality. We held live demos and provided a helpdesk, as well as one-on-one support to transition users to the new Microsoft Exchange server. Of course, when COVID-19 hit in March of 2020, everything changed. IG Wealth put the health and safety of its team and clients first, shutting down regional and corporate offices. This put the rollout on hold while advisors, leadership, and developers transitioned to working remotely. Over the next six weeks, the team regrouped and pivoted to remote delivery, providing weekly and bi-weekly releases of new features and functionality to enable an effective work-from-home model. In July, rollout was complete—and leadership is already seeing an impact. “It’s still very early in the game. But we have some advisors that are having record years in this COVID-19 environment. They’ve embraced digital processes, virtual technology, and virtual relationship management. And a lot of really exciting things are still to come in 2021,” says Bill Jack, SVP, Distribution at IG Wealth and business lead for the advisor portal program. The future is bright Two years of strategic collaboration paid off. In both size and scale, the IG Wealth Advisor Portal is a standout Salesforce deployment. Advisors now have an intuitive, easy-to-use digital and mobile experience. Salesforce is integrated with Outlook so that users can easily communicate with their clients, journal, track upcoming engagements, review portfolios, and strategize how to market and engage their clients—all from a single interface. “Salesforce effectively takes what was being reported from a pure data perspective and makes it more interactive. So it’s not just about the fees and how the investments are doing, it’s about the relationship,” says Lesley Smythe, Slalom delivery lead. For IG Wealth, Salesforce is a long-term strategic partner. “Salesforce has many, many applications that we can easily tie into the ecosystem and continue to grow. It’s opened a lot of doors for us,” says Mike Jack, chief product owner at IG Wealth. With Slalom’s help, IG Wealth has developed a Salesforce Center of Excellence to establish best practices, maximize advisor productivity, and take full advantage of Salesforce reporting capabilities. “The team at Slalom has played a critical role helping us stand up our digital operating model and grow the Salesforce Center of Excellence at IG, enabling both our new strategic initiatives as well as digital platform activities and persistent product teams,” says Milorad Stefanovic. A Slalom managed services team continues to support the application—and the features still-to-come will only improve the advisor-client experience. “It’s all about the power of trusted relationships,” says Brianna Ramsay, Managing Director at Slalom and accountable executive for IGM Financial. “Before coming to Slalom, I may have worried about putting our heart and soul into enabling a client to upscale and modernize and become so self-sufficient. At Slalom, I’ve learned that if you focus on your client’s success, the good work will continue to come. It’s a privilege to support IG Wealth on their journey.” Brianna Ramsay At Slalom, I’ve learned that if you focus on your client’s success, the good work will continue to come. It’s a privilege to support IG Wealth on their journey. --- title: IncomeMax: helping people in the UK maximise their income for a brighter future url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/incomemax source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/incomemax locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # IncomeMax: helping people in the UK maximise their income for a brighter future - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/incomemax - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/incomemax - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary With Slalom’s help and some critical Salesforce updates, IncomeMax advisors are now more efficient, improving the support they are able to give to families across the UK. ## Body IncomeMax: helping people in the UK maximise their income for a brighter future IncomeMax | Slalom With Slalom’s help and some critical Salesforce updates, IncomeMax advisors are now more efficient, improving the support they are able to give to families across the UK. Helping people in the UK maximise their income Helping people in the UK maximise their income for a brighter future Share story At a glance When the economy crashed in 2008, many people in the UK plummeted into financial difficulty. That’s why IncomeMax was founded the next year: to help people experiencing financial insecurity maximise their income and gain access to all the money they were entitled to. However, IncomeMax’s Salesforce solution wasn’t scaling to meet increasing demand. Impact With Slalom’s help and some critical updates, advisors are now more efficient, allowing IncomeMax to improve the support they are able to give to families across the UK. Key Services Industry Retail Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Service Cloud - Salesforce Experience Cloud mhpopdue1z Tough economic times trigger an increasing need for support [IncomeMax](https://www.incomemax.org.uk/) is there for the people who are struggling financially across the UK—starting with the 2008 economic crash and moving through the COVID-19 pandemic up until today’s current cost-of-living crisis. In fact, the organisation has helped find over £38 million in extra income for households, assisting over 123,000 people with their finances. While IncomeMax had been using Salesforce for its solution, the advisors were under pressure to meet increased demand, as they were spending too much time on manual processes and admin. It was time to expand and modernise to help the people of the UK. Leigh Thompson Slalom was fantastic at being able to get into our heads, decipher our needs and requirements, and come up with a system fit for the next 10 years for IncomeMax. Updating the solution makes for a more efficient operation When the need became apparent, IncomeMax turned to Slalom to update its [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) solution. While the advisors at IncomeMax pride themselves on the human-to-human support they offer, the team realised that the traditional method of servicing a customer with a phone call and manual entry of financial details could be streamlined with the additional option of an online customer input form. Because IncomeMax added an open banking component to the solution, advisors can now verify income and expenditures more easily. The partners—utility firms and creditors who refer customers to IncomeMax—enjoy more precise reporting on how IncomeMax is assisting customers. All this work was done in only 10 weeks. Paving the way for a path out of poverty IncomeMax quickly saw the impact of the new solution on its ability to scale and help more families increase their household income and relieve some of the financial stresses they were facing. IncomeMax’s advisors now spend less time on manual processes and more time assisting customers. Without the lengthy manual processes, advisors can focus on what they’re best at: advising and helping. Partners have the transparency they desire and can view more intelligent reports to help them with their business processes like referrals to IncomeMax. As for the customers? They’re also saving time and receiving better help from the advisors. This means IncomeMax advisors can reach out to a larger number of households, making a positive change for the people in the UK and assisting them on a path to a brighter future. Man and woman sitting at table shaking hands --- title: InvenTrust Properties Corp: Leading with Microsoft Power BI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/inventrust-properties-corp source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/inventrust-properties-corp locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # InvenTrust Properties Corp: Leading with Microsoft Power BI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/inventrust-properties-corp - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/inventrust-properties-corp - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Together, we built Microsoft Power BI dashboards that brought critical data to employees’ fingertips and helped the company leap past competitors. ## Body InvenTrust Properties Corp: Leading with Microsoft Power BI InvenTrust Properties Corp | Slalom Together, we built Microsoft Power BI dashboards that brought critical data to employees’ fingertips and helped the company leap past competitors. Leading with Microsoft Power BI InvenTrust Properties Corp Share story At a glance InvenTrust Properties Corp. needed quick, accurate insights to manage its real estate properties and plan for the future. Together, we built Microsoft Power BI dashboards that brought critical data to employees’ fingertips and helped the company leap past competitors. Impact We helped InvenTrust build Microsoft Power BI dashboards that brought critical data to employees’ fingertips and helped the company leap past competitors. Key Services Industry Real Estate Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power BI dashboard development - SQL Server database on Azure virtual machines qm9jr3ghon InvenTrust Properties Corp. is a premier, multi-tenant retail real estate company that owns, leases, redevelops, acquires, and manages 88 open-air shopping centers. That REI in Durham, North Carolina where you bought gear for your family’s hiking trip? That was in InvenTrust’s Renaissance Center. That Best Buy west of Austin where you bought those noise-canceling headphones? That’s in InvenTrust’s Shops at the Galleria. Dipesh Shah At the end of the day, it’s really driving our bottom line. A real estate must-have In the leasing world, you have to be proactive and plan who you’re leasing spaces to, when, and for how much—before the space is empty. To do this, you need accurate, up-to-the minute data. This was InvenTrust’s challenge. “We had a lot of data but no way to effectively mine it, visualize it, or report off of it quickly,” says John Simon, Director of Application Management and Infrastructure at InvenTrust. Sitting, waiting, wishing It took InvenTrust’s lease accounting team three weeks to create monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports. “It was extremely stressful and always a big rush,” says Sara Campbell, Director of Property Accounting at InvenTrust. “We had to work a lot of late nights to get those reports done.” On top of that, Campbell’s team had to respond to ad hoc requests for custom reports. For example: a leasing director would want to know which tenants were expiring at his properties but didn’t want to search through thousands of InvenTrust’s property and tenant data to find the information. So he’d ask Campbell’s team for help. Creating a filtered report would take the team anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. That meant leasing directors and executives had to sit and wait for the data—and couldn’t make business decisions on the fly. “With leasing, things are constantly changing, so if someone had to wait weeks for a report, by the time they received it, the data was already stale,” says Campbell. “We weren’t able to measure some critical KPIs for departments across our organization,” adds Simon. “And the manual reports were taking too much time to create.” John Simon With this technology, we’re way ahead of any of our competitors. A better way Dipesh Shah, InvenTrust’s CIO, had a vision: create one standard place for InvenTrust employees to access information quickly and easily—and make sure the data is consistently accurate. Slalom and InvenTrust started working together to turn that vision into reality. First, we tackled the issue of having no single source of truth. We built a SQL Server database hosted on Azure virtual machines that consolidated and organized all of InvenTrust’s data—financial actuals, CRM opportunities, budgets, forecasts, and demographic information. We also created consistent definitions for data points. From there, we developed dozens of Microsoft Power BI dashboards to relieve the lease accounting team of its weeks-long reporting headache and provide decision-makers with the accurate data they needed, faster. With the new dashboards, users can access a wide range of information about their properties and the business in a visual, interactive way—from when leases are expiring, to real-time budget and forecasting analysis. No more waiting or guessing. The new dashboards gave Campbell’s team precious time—and sleep—back. “Now, when I'm doing my reporting for the first quarter, I can go in on April 1st and the reports are automatically there,” says Campbell. It took the data compilation time down from three weeks to a couple of hours. Campbell’s team can now focus on analyzing the data and pulling meaningful insights versus sorting through the data dump and pulling reports. No more digging “We now have a full view from soup to nuts of all the leasing activity across our company and a platform to help us make forward-looking decisions,” says Simon. “We can pull up a dashboard and show expired leases instead of having to sift through a mountain of data. It’s at our fingertips. Plus, we can show it in a visual graphic that’s easy to understand, instead of just looking at a spreadsheet.” The new dashboards gave leasing directors mobile insights that they couldn’t get before. Now, they can be onsite at a property, take out their phone, and access data immediately—like which leases are expiring when, and the average rent per square foot for that property. Turning beginners into experts Along with giving everyone at InvenTrust access to the dashboards, we wanted to empower the teams even further—by teaching them how to create custom, self-service dashboards at any time. To do this, we hosted in-depth training sessions with a group of selected power users, as well as anyone else that was interested, where we created Microsoft Power BI dashboards together and turned the group into pros. Wowing competitors “With this technology, we’re way ahead of any of our competitors,” says Simon. “I go to conferences and tell other companies in our industry that we have these tools and I show them the dashboards on my phone. They’re like, ‘Wow, you guys are doing really great things out there.’” Woman with long brunette hair walk down street past retail stores --- title: Jaja Finance: Responding faster to customers with GenAI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Jaja Finance: Responding faster to customers with GenAI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how we helped a UK fintech leader launch Airi, a GenAI chat assistant that has reduced customer response times by 90%. ## Body Jaja Finance: Responding faster to customers with GenAI Responding faster to customers with GenAI Learn how we helped a UK fintech leader launch Airi, a GenAI chat assistant that has reduced customer response times by 90%. Jaja Finance Logo Share story Woman Paying with a credit card through her tablet At a glance By partnering with Slalom to future-proof its customer service approach with generative AI, Jaja Finance is accelerating its mission to become the UK’s leading digital lender. Impact Jaja’s GenAI chat assistant, Airi, has reduced customer response times by 90%, while freeing up 30% to 40% more time for customer service teams to address complex queries. Key Services Cloud Industry Banking payments Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Claude (Anthropic) A vision for exceptional customer experience [Jaja Finance](https://jaja.co.uk/) (Jaja) is a leading digital lender in the UK, focused on providing simple and fair credit through its own brand credit card, Jaja Vanta, and its Asda Money Credit Cards. By focusing on simplicity, functionality, service, and security, Jaja has built a strong and rapidly growing customer base. With this growth, the company recognised a need to boost its customer service offering while maintaining its commitment to helping customers use credit better. Jaja partnered with Slalom to explore the potential of using generative AI (GenAI) to automate up to 30% of routine customer requests. The goal was to reduce the need for manual intervention by Jaja’s customer service team on more general enquiries while freeing up customer service colleagues to handle more complex enquiries, enhancing the overall customer experience. The project began with a rapid feasibility assessment of automating knowledge-based responses to customer queries using large language models (LLMs) and semantic searching. From there, the team moved quickly to productionising the solution, which went live to a select customer segment in March 2024, with a full launch in May 2024. Francesco Di Costanzo As a digital lender we’re already employing sophisticated data models and advanced technologies to ensure we’re giving our customers the tools they need to manage their credit well. Adding an intelligent generative AI assistant like Airi helps us unlock the power of advanced AI for our customers, while ensuring their financial health and well-being. Jaja became one of the first UK fintechs to launch a GenAI chat assistant using Anthropic’s state-of-the-art Claude 3 model family, which it has now upgraded to Anthropic’s more advanced language model, Claude 3.5. Known as Airi, the GenAI chat assistant focuses on complete accuracy in customer chat responses and understanding the reasons why conversations end to determine the next steps required in business processes. “As a digital lender we’re already employing sophisticated data models and advanced technologies to ensure we’re giving our customers the tools they need to manage their credit well,” says Francesco Di Costanzo, interim CEO and CFO of Jaja Finance. “Adding an intelligent generative AI assistant like Airi helps us unlock the power of advanced AI for our customers, while ensuring their financial health and well-being.” Airi is enhancing the customer experience by providing a 24/7 service, offering increased intelligence with near-human levels of responsiveness and improved data accuracy. Jaja customers can use Airi to access a broad range of self-serve options with 24/7 availability, whether it is managing general statement enquiries or discussing payment options. Airi is also allowing customers to reply to conversations at their own convenience, while providing them with a full transcript of their conversation. Ensuring a scalable solution At its core, Airi uses Jaja’s customer and colleague knowledge base to automatically respond to customer queries, but this is just the start of its power. The solution was designed to be extensible, allowing for the integration of additional context document inputs in the future. Key elements of the solution include: - Amazon Bedrock and Claude LLMs to power Airi’s GenAI capabilities - Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to ensure high accuracy in AI-generated responses - Seamless integration with Jaja’s existing tech stack via the new REST API Jaja’s operations team and quality assurance specialists conducted rigorous and iterative testing, which quickly identified areas for further improvement. The solution’s extensibility was enhanced by the development of test frameworks and a testing UI, reusable Terraform scripts, and easy-to-maintain context files. Integrating Airi into Jaja’s existing technology stack allows for robust monitoring and reporting capabilities, as well as relatively low run costs. Jaja continues to regularly monitor and assess Airi’s progress ensuring its continued accuracy and intelligent near-human responsiveness. After implementing Anthropic’s more advanced large language model, Claude 3.5, Jaja saw a marked improvement in Airi’s grasp of nuance, humour, and complex instructions, while delivering exceptionally high-quality content with near-human responsiveness. Additional guardrails for hallucinations have also been implemented to ensure customers receive the highest level of accuracy when interacting with the chat assistant. The improved process gives Airi access to more information so even more filters can be added and used, increasing its overall efficiency for both customers and colleagues, including its ability to take more account actions. Man talking on a cell phone with quote popouts of conversation Airi continues to massively exceed our expectations in terms of delivering the superior experience our customers expect. Our colleagues are also seeing the benefits of its advanced capabilities by being able to spend more time dealing with customers’ complex enquiries, but also by helping our customers use their credit better. Francesco Di Costanzo Interim CEO and CFO, Jaja Finance Exceeding expectations During testing, Airi achieved high levels of accuracy. Response times ranged from 7 to 14 seconds, with 80% accuracy across three measures (correctness, completeness, and readability). When Airi launched, Jaja predicted that the chat assistant would handle 30% of routine customer interactions, freeing its customer service teams to devote 30-40% more time to complex, high-value customer interactions that require human expertise. The company also predicted a 65% reduction in customer response times, but three months later, Jaja announced that Airi had in fact reduced customer response times by 90%. The digital lender can now answer customer enquiries in just under 15 seconds, compared to three minutes before Airi. In just under six months, Airi has already engaged in over 61,000 unique customer conversations and independently resolved over 25% of general enquiries. “Airi continues to massively exceed our expectations in terms of delivering the superior experience our customers expect,” says Di Costanzo. “Our colleagues are also seeing the benefits of its advanced capabilities by being able to spend more time dealing with customers’ complex enquiries, but also by helping our customers use their credit better.” “This is only the start of our journey with GenAI,” Di Costanzo adds. “We have already made, and will continue to make, many more advancements by optimizing its technical expertise, for both our customers and our colleagues.” Woman paying with her credit card using a tablet device --- title: Jersey Mike's Subs: Serving up growth and impact with a satisfying digital experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jersey-mike-subs source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jersey-mike-subs locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Jersey Mike's Subs: Serving up growth and impact with a satisfying digital experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jersey-mike-subs - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jersey-mike-subs - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how a redesigned website helped a nationwide restaurant chain improve customer experiences and give back to its communities. ## Body Jersey Mike's Subs: Serving up growth and impact with a satisfying digital experience Learn how a redesigned website helped a nationwide restaurant chain improve customer experiences and give back to its communities. Jersey Mike's Subs | Slalom Serving up growth and impact with a satisfying digital experience Serving up growth and impact with satisfying digital experience Share story At a glance Jersey Mike’s Subs, a restaurant chain deeply committed to customer satisfaction and raising much-needed funds for local charities, sought to modernize and scale its website. Our teams collaborated to build a new site that provides white-glove services for Jersey Mike’s customers. Impact The redesigned website can also keep up with peak demand during the company’s nationwide Month of Giving in March, increasing both sales and donations collected. Key Services Industry Restaurants dining Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - JavaScript - Contentful CMS - Custom APIs A website that truly serves the community Started in 1956, [Jersey Mike’s](https://www.jerseymikes.com/) has grown from a sub shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to a nationwide brand with more than 4,000 locations open and in development. The franchise stays true to its roots, focusing on fresh ingredients and authentic recipes, and providing customers with A Sub Above. ® As Jersey Mike’s continues to expand, its website provides an essential connection with customers. Visitors rely on this digital storefront to place orders, sign up to earn rewards with the loyalty program, MyMike’s™, find nearby locations, and redeem special offers. The site also plays a pivotal role in helping the nationwide brand make a difference in its customers’ lives through Jersey Mike’s solid commitment to charitable giving and community involvement. Legacy tech was showing its age The previous version of JerseyMikes.com was starting to show its age and required adjustments to meet future business and technology goals. Critical features were missing from the website, like the ability to make donations, which meant that customers weren’t getting consistency between the web and mobile channels. Jersey Mike’s also wanted to reinvent its web presence with an exciting new and modern design. When it came to efficiency, the marketing team couldn’t update the site themselves—they had to send requests to IT, which took longer and tied up valuable developer time. The fact that the website was built using older technology meant that it was costly to maintain or change. In addition, to prepare for Jersey Mike’s biggest fundraiser of the year—Month of Giving—the company wanted to ensure a seamless donation and sales process, anticipating increased online activity during March. During the month, Jersey Mike’s locations across the country join forces with more than 200 local charities, including hospitals, youth organizations, and food banks, accepting donations. The campaign culminates with the nationwide Day of Giving, when local Jersey Mike’s owners and operators donate 100 percent of sales to local charities. Architecting a website for future growth During the months we spent rebuilding the site, Slalom’s technologists seamlessly embedded themselves within Jersey Mike’s IT team. Our teams traded expertise and knowledge, diligently working to cocreate a flawless and friction-free experience. The new website features mouthwatering and eye-catching videos that communicate the dynamic nature of the brand. Text syncs up perfectly with graphics, no matter the resolution, thanks to the implementation of truly responsive design. Promotions appear throughout the site, wherever they’re most relevant to customers. The website and mobile app were brought into parity, which standardized the customer experience across platforms, ensuring consistent functionality for key features like digital orders, promo codes, and delivery options. In fact, there’s no longer a need to maintain separate APIs for the mobile app and website; it’s all powered from a single digital API, making it more efficient to implement new features. Across the board, the new site architecture has saved employee time required for updating the content. The new website is a modernized, scalable platform designed to improve performance and flexibility. It uses Contentful as its composable content platform, which allows the marketing team to independently update content such as promotions, charity initiatives, and career pages. Marketing can now operate in a self-serve manner and be less reliant on IT, which frees up engineering resources for other work. Kelly McGee The ability to easily change things in a few minutes, rather than submitting a ticket to IT and waiting weeks, has been a huge time saver for us. Visually, the site just looks better. The process for ordering is smoother, customers can find things more quickly—overall, it’s a much better customer experience. A new beginning for the Day of Giving In addition to the customer experience and operational gains the new website has facilitated, this modernization effort helped Jersey Mike’s achieve outstanding results from its 2024 Day of Giving. Pre-launch, the pressure was at a fever pitch. It was crucial that the Day of Giving was a success. Slalom’s team was thrilled to watch Jersey Mike’s staff navigate and adjust their monitoring and reporting activities before it was determined that the website was ready for prime time. “On our big Day of Giving, the new site handled four to five times the normal traffic with no issues. It was a huge success,“ says John Hopper, director of customer technology at Jersey Mike’s. Incredibly, Jersey Mike’s raised a record-breaking $25 million for local charities nationwide during March. Activity on the site was seamless all month—including the Day of Giving, Jersey Mike’s busiest day of the year. Stephanie Nardini, vice president of IT at Jersey Mike’s, described the launch as “flawless. We didn’t roll anything back. It went live and stayed live. We could have easily switched back to our old site, but there was no reason to do that.” Scott Scherer From the beginning, the Slalom team really bought into Jersey Mike’s culture. They understood what it took to work with us. This wasn’t a ‘take it and do it yourself’ project. This was ‘get embedded in our teams and develop something we would have developed, with the added perspective of an outsider.’ A digital experience that feeds future growth With a rock-solid MVP version of the site now live, Jersey Mike’s has plans to continue working with Slalom, adding digital features, maximizing new opportunities such as AI, and addressing other technology needs in the company. The sky is the limit for the franchise as it moves toward achieving continued growth and expanding globally. Hungry diners are thrilled that their favorite sub sandwiches are easier to buy than ever, while community organizations have more financial support to do their important work. Ready to build a more satisfying experience for your customers? Let’s talk Share this story --- title: JRCS: Waterfalls, high seas, and turning tides url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jrcs-waterfalls-high-seas-turning-tides source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jrcs-waterfalls-high-seas-turning-tides locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # JRCS: Waterfalls, high seas, and turning tides - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/jrcs-waterfalls-high-seas-turning-tides - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jrcs-waterfalls-high-seas-turning-tides - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When a Japanese manufacturing & shipping company wanted to disrupt its business model, it called on Slalom Build. ## Body JRCS: Waterfalls, high seas, and turning tides JRCS: Digitizing the shipping industry | Slalom When a Japanese manufacturing & shipping company wanted to disrupt its business model, it called on Slalom Build. Digitizing the shipping industry When a Japanese manufacturing & shipping company wanted to disrupt its business module they called on Slalom Build. JRCS logo Share story shipping container ship on the sea At a glance When a 70-year-old Japanese manufacturing company wanted to disrupt its business model—and the entire shipping industry—they called on Slalom Build. Impact We not only helped JRCS modernize its organization, we helped lay the foundation for autonomous sea vessels of the future. Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Azure Stack Edge - Unity Game Engine - Computer Vision - IoT Edge - Azure Cloud Industry Mobility Key Services Japan has a problem. Two, actually. Because it’s surrounded by water, Japan’s economy relies heavily upon fishing, shipping, and other watery trades. Its lanes are plied by not only the massive shipping and ferry vessels, but also the smaller “Mom and Pop” fishing boats. The seas surrounding the more than 6,000 islands that make up the nation are as chaotic and crowded as they are utterly essential to the economy. Second is their waning workforce. Younger generations are less-than-enthusiastic about a life at sea. Captains must be always on, which can result in crushing stress levels and early career burnout. When so many other modern options are available to them, working on a huge ship for weeks at a time is losing its appeal. Grabbing the wheel One very daring company decided to approach these challenges in new and transformative ways – and they called on [Slalom Build](https://www.slalombuild.com/) to help. Help in transforming their business to digital, help in shifting the very DNA of their company from hardware to software. Just Right Customer Solution (JRCS) is a 70-year-old, family-owned marine hardware systems integrator. They’re hardware specialists, manufacturing control panels and engine monitoring systems for vessels, but were looking to push the boundaries of what they could bring to the shipping industry – especially when it comes to safety and efficiency. So, they peered over the bow, past the hardware and instead thought far, far into the future. What they came to understand was that future would likely involve manned – and eventually even unmanned – autonomous cargo and ferry ships. The shrinking shipping workforce combined with the need to carefully navigate between buoys, boats, and fishing nets makes eliminating – or in the short term, assisting – the human element an attractive proposition. Ryuta Hosaka As part of Discovery, we employed an exercise called The Envelope Game, in which the team is split into Waterfall and Agile groups. We put Kondo-san as a QA on the Waterfall team. He was shocked at how little he was able to accomplish in his role, while his Agile counterpart was always busy. It was a real lightbulb moment for him. But shifting from hardware manufacturing to pioneering unmanned vessels was to be the biggest change in the company’s history, and they needed partners to make it happen. To deliver the machine learning aspect of the autonomous vessels, JRCS decided that involving Microsoft was a smart first step. They also traveled to the U.S. and toured autonomous vehicle manufacturers, meeting with Tesla, Apple, among others. The Slalom Build team was invited to conduct an agile workshop as a precursor to our Accelerate to Build (A2B) process. We deployed a team to Shimonoseki, Japan and delivered a workshop to the newly formed JRCS Digital Innovation Lab engineering team and their CEO, Koichiro Kondo. It turned out to be a dramatic first step for a hardware manufacturing company developing simple software in a waterfall industry. Because they had an idea – but not yet a path toward a product – we followed that with a 12-week Discovery process, learning and understanding their goals and long-term strategy, and created a roadmap for the project. Together we determined what an MVP (minimum viable product) would look like, as well as defined the overall vision. By the end, the JRCS team had a product roadmap, architecture and services design, a feature backlog, and other crucial tools designed to set everyone up for success. Most importantly, we came away with the single, focused goal of creating a state-of-the-art device that leverages cutting-edge technology including Microsoft edge computing, computer vision, and machine learning to drive decision support. It was to be a system to ingest live camera feeds in order to more effectively navigate the ship's course – all controlled on a handheld tablet. And we were doing it on an accelerated schedule, driving toward a robust proof-of-concept to make a splash at the upcoming SeaJapan conference. Tides, tech, teams Because they were endeavoring to completely overhaul their organization and become a modern software company, it was critical to bring the JRCS and Build teams together, in the same brainstorming room, refining the vision and immersing themselves in the agile process. The idea is that while we were helping them transform their technology skills – and the industry overall – we would also help them transform from a waterfall to agile process. A JRCS team decamped for an extended stay with their builder counterparts in Seattle. Then, as we all know, COVID hit. SeaJapan was cancelled as Japan was one of the first countries to shut down and naturally, there was a concern for our friends getting stuck thousands of miles from their families. So their team returned home, and we carried on with a front-end proof-of-concept team, adding machine learning expertise, engineers, QE, architecture, DevOps and even an Azure cloud specialist. But it didn’t stop there, Build supplied a truly global team across five different time zones. Take Tokyo. Slalom wasn't even a branded name there. And yet, with only a new tiny office of four people, we are helping to make enormous waves (pun maybe intended) in JRCS and the shipping industry as a whole. When it came to tech, Microsoft Azure Stack Edge server was the natural choice. This new offering (it has just been released) enables the power of Azure’s cloud services in remote application such as aboard an ocean-going vessel. In other words, this project had JRCS and Slalom Build working on the bleeding edge as testers of Microsoft’s vision for the future of cloud. For the interface, we needed a handheld device that could be easily carried around on ship. Something the team could easily carry and monitor anywhere. And that all spelled iPad. (Plus, it’s still considered a hot product in Japan and JRCS was looking to make the biggest splash and impression they could.) Lastly, the entire experience is being built on the Unity gaming engine, largely due to the flexibility and portability of its codebase and potential to expand capability to other devices like large screen displays, or even HoloLens. But it was a decision made with the future in mind, as Japan has a wealth of talent in the gaming industry. All this teaming and tech has created an amazingly effective prototype to put decision support in the hands of ship captains using Computer Vision. Currently, live streaming video from the ship feeds into the Microsoft Edge device. That video is then served into to the iPad – all while feeding the machine learning engine in the background with the IOT Edge. This video data is pulled from an array of three cameras on the ship: straight ahead, half left, half right. These views are all married together to get a full, complete picture of what's in front of the boat. The next steps are the integration of existing sensor data to not only pick up objects on the horizon, but to help determine what a given object might be: boat, buoy, bird, something else? This is truly the definition of disruptive, innovative work. A stellar start Though the industry seems light years (or at least just plain years) from fully automated vessels, this project is already a success. Build was able to form an early vision of autonomy and create a decision support product that was delivered in a scant nine months to their first customer. And in turn, JRCS delivered a workable solution faster than anyone else in the industry, showcasing themselves as innovators in the machine learning space. Plus, in the same timeline, they transformed from a waterfall based, machinery manufacturing organization into an agile software company allowing for continuous innovation at velocity and scale. The JRCS team grew from 5 engineers to 19 while working with Slalom Build. And from a technical standpoint this exciting project allowed our Builders to try things that have never been done. As one said, “This project is both difficult and exciting. It’s what I think about over dinner and what I wake up thinking about each day. It is what I will think back to as a highlight of my career.” This project is proof. Proof that international teams, often small ones, can work together to make massive impacts on ancient industries. Proof that old school hardware companies can transform themselves from the ground up and help usher their industry into the future. Proof that when daring visions meet smart processes and talented teams – extraordinary transformations can happen. https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/loyaltyone Man standing in shipyard with clipboard --- title: Keywords Studios: Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Keywords Studios: Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Harnessing AI sentiment analysis and data modernization to uncover deeper gamer insights that help video game publishers stay competitive. ## Body Keywords Studios: Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation See how a technical service leader in the video game industry turned untapped data into stronger insights, publisher support, and new levels of player engagement. Harnessing AI sentiment analysis and data modernization to uncover deeper gamer insights that help video game publishers stay competitive. Leveling up the gaming industry with AI innovation Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation Share story people playing video games together At a glance With the support of Slalom and Snowflake, Keywords Studios revolutionized its data analytics approach, empowering the company to offer actionable insights that streamline reporting processes, personalize player experiences, and help game publishers better understand and fulfill player needs. Impact The digital modernization and AI sentiment analysis tool enhances player engagement and informs marketing and community strategy—captivating gamers and unlocking new opportunities. Key Services Industry Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Snowflake Focus on fandom Game publishers are in an epic showdown to outpace fierce competition fueled by cutting-edge technology, gamer expectations, and a recent gaming surge. Gamers today crave the latest graphics, immersive characters, and worlds that captivate their imaginations. Gaming models are also changing, moving away from single-player games to online, live service and mobile games. Digital advertising spending is exploding, and high gamer churn is shaking up the industry. The key to combatting both lies in player retention. The powerhouse that elevates 24 of the top 25 video game publishers today is Keywords Studios. Founded in 1998, Keywords Studios is an international technical service provider that offers a range of services including art, game development, audio, localisation, QA, marketing services, community engagement, and player support. The company works with top-name publishers like Activision Blizzard ( Call of Duty, World of Warcraft ), Electronic Arts ( EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, The Sims ), Epic Games ( Fortnite, Rocket League ), Ubisoft ( Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six Siege ), and Take-Two Interactive ( Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K ). [Keywords Studios](https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/) generates massive amounts of data in its quest to uplevel video games and is on a mission to revolutionize video games by unlocking new and valuable possibilities. Simon Stokes heads up data and strategy for the company and leads the charge to advance the strategy to the next level. “We knew we had loads of valuable, informative data, and we wanted to drill down into it,” says Stokes. “Snowflake and Slalom were the perfect package to do that.” Starting with strategy Slalom’s [trusted partner Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) introduced us to Keywords Studios, asking us to facilitate a workshop around the company’s data and usage. “We started by setting the foundations to ensure repeatable data availability to optimise ROI reporting across several game developer studios partners,” says Chris Connon, a senior principal with Slalom. “The team liked our work and they were ready to start monetising data in new ways.” Through Slalom’s innovative data monetisation strategies, we enabled Keywords Studios to create incremental value by using insights to provide a seamless gamer experience across all touchpoints. By identifying key opportunities to enhance engagement and reduce churn, the company was able to deliver personalised content and support at critical moments by effectively addressing gameplay issues to reduce attrition rates. Additionally, we streamlined customer data initiatives, reducing redundancies and enhancing data access and action, empowering teams to make informed decisions and drive impactful outcomes. Armed with AI and data analytics, our solution unveils thrilling insights into player motivations, preferences, and decision-making patterns. We’re passionately committed to empowering publishers to supercharge player engagement—and this is a monumental leap forward. Simon Stokes Head of Strategy and Insights, Keywords Studios Accelerating with AI Slalom then worked with Keywords Studios and Snowflake to build a custom AI sentiment analysis tool called Lens that allows the team to better understand and analyse customer attitudes in real time. The studio previously relied on an off-the-shelf tool and found that the new AI sentiment tool provided a more conversational interface that made it easier to explore nuanced information and garner higher-quality insights. Stokes says, “This is the clever bit—the AI sentiment analysis tool Slalom built is like having an expert social media marketer drill down into the characters, gameplay, and other details. It also allows us to produce detailed reports for our publishers based on this information so we can provide deep insights.” A game-changer in player sentiment analysis The AI sentiment analysis functionality harnesses AI to analyse in-game behaviour and player sentiment from social media platforms, delivering actionable insights to boost engagement and minimise churn. For example, by examining customer attitudes to determine if they are positive, negative, or neutral, Lens can identify gamer opinions about a specific character in a game. The work goes beyond traditional analytics by shaping marketing and community strategies and creating personalised experiences that maximise revenue opportunities. The tool also supports publishers in discovering innovative advertising avenues. Connon says, “This work has shown Keywords Studios the benefits of the technology so that the team can use it across different business functions. It’s also enabled the studio to be more confident in being a data- and insight-led business.” Lens also delivers immediate cost-savings because the company can use it to onboard community managers efficiently without paying for additional licenses. “Keywords Studios can train the model to be much more adaptive and deploy it quickly because training costs are minimal and usability is high,” says Connon. “The work changes the way the studio supports and engages its clients through data and insights.” By leveling up its data and AI strategy, Keywords Studios is changing the game: From prototype to launch of AI sentiment analysis tool Reduction in time to uncover customer insights and generate reports “If publishers can understand players better—what they’re excited about and what frustrates them—that’s like a superpower for them. Now we can more effectively help publishers get closer to audiences,” says Stokes. “It’s what I like to call a win-win-win—good for players, publishers, and us.” Ready to unlock epic rewards with your data? Lets talk Share this story Start here --- title: KiwiHarvest: How smarter tech fuels the fight against hunger in New Zealand url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/kiwiharvest-systems-integration-salesforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/kiwiharvest-systems-integration-salesforce locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # KiwiHarvest: How smarter tech fuels the fight against hunger in New Zealand - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/kiwiharvest-systems-integration-salesforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/kiwiharvest-systems-integration-salesforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how a Slalom Salesforce consultant streamlined KiwiHarvest's systems integration, freeing the nonprofit to feed more families and fight food waste in New Zealand. ## Body KiwiHarvest: How smarter tech fuels the fight against hunger in New Zealand How smarter tech fuels the fight against hunger in New Zealand Discover how we helped KiwiHarvest unlock the power of Salesforce to fight hunger, protect the planet, and reach more families in need. Learn how a Slalom Salesforce consultant streamlined KiwiHarvest's systems integration, freeing the nonprofit to feed more families and fight food waste in New Zealand. KiwiHarvest Customer Story | Salesforce | Slalom kiwiharvest logo Share story At a glance By stepping in to streamline its data management, Slalom freed up valuable resources to help KiwiHarvest focus on what really matters—rescuing food, protecting the planet, and serving more New Zealand families in need. Impact KiwiHarvest’s streamlined Salesforce system saved time and money, allowing the nonprofit to hire a new driver, make 2,100 more donor visits, and deliver nearly 15,000 additional meals. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Driven by a shared commitment to doing good [KiwiHarvest](https://www.kiwiharvest.org.nz/) is on a mission to fight food insecurity in New Zealand. The nonprofit rescues surplus food that would otherwise end up in a landfill and redistributes it to those in need. In the process, it creates a lifeline for vulnerable communities across the country, all while reducing the environmental impact of food waste. Yet, behind the scenes, the KiwiHarvest team was spending too much time dealing with tech roadblocks that limited their ability to do everything from raise funds to schedule deliveries. KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver describes the [systems integration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/systems-implementation) issue the group had between Salesforce and vWork (a tool they used for managing logistics) as “crippling.” She says, “At one point, we went weeks—almost months—unable to report on our data.” That means her team didn’t have access to invaluable information they rely on to apply for grants, generate donor and government reporting, and improve their operations. They were also frustrated with Salesforce itself, which they knew had powerful potential but didn’t know how to use effectively. That’s when Doris Lee, a senior [Salesforce consultant](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) who happened to be volunteering with the Slalom New Zealand team at the KiwiHarvest warehouse, saw an opportunity to help. What began as a personal commitment to the cause evolved into a partnership that would empower KiwiHarvest to consolidate and organize their data, streamline their operations, and feed even more hungry New Zealanders. Turning tech hurdles into stepping stones “KiwiHarvest does so much good, rescuing food and helping people. Seeing them spend time wrestling with a tool that was supposed to help them was frustrating. I knew we could simplify things so they could focus on their mission,“ Doris explains. With the full support of her team at Slalom, Doris began meeting weekly with KiwiHarvest to figure out how she could help and where she could train the team there to help themselves. The goal was to enable them to unlock the power of their existing Salesforce system. To that end, Doris and the KiwiHarvest team streamlined data management, removed unnecessary third-party tools, and fixed the vWork integration, making the system easier to use and more effective. This allowed KiwiHarvest to track logistics more efficiently, trust its data, and respond in real time. The team at KiwiHarvest does so much good—rescuing food and helping people. Seeing them spend time wrestling with a tool that was supposed to help them was frustrating. I knew we could simplify things so they could focus on their mission. Doris Lee Senior Consultant, Slalom The ripple effect: Exponential impact By consolidating systems and empowering the team, Slalom helped KiwiHarvest increase its efficiency and impact, allowing the organization to reach more families, rescue more food, and further protect the planet. The team now also has substantive, reliable data at their fingertips to leverage for grant applications, donor solicitations, government reporting, and more. And because it’s no longer battling expensive tech challenges, KiwiHarvest can invest more in its core mission. The funds saved enabled the hire of a new driver, resulting in 2,100 additional donor pickups per year. This expansion then helped the nonprofit deliver nearly 15,000 more meals to families across the country last year, which means their children are no longer going to school hungry. “It was incredible to see the difference even small changes could make,” Doris says. “By optimizing their Salesforce system and removing unnecessary tools, we gave the team back time and confidence and even freed up funds to put another driver on the road.“ Angela adds, “It’s amazing how quickly Slalom understood our challenges. What felt impossible to us, they made simple. Now we have the tools we need to do even more, and we’re only getting started.“ Thanks to a streamlined Salesforce system and Slalom’s pro bono contribution, KiwiHarvest is now making an even greater impact each year: A partnership for the future Looking forward, KiwiHarvest is excited about the future. With a more efficient and user-friendly Salesforce system, the nonprofit has greater confidence in its ability to scale operations and deepen its impact. “Slalom didn’t just fix our systems—they empowered us,“ Angela concludes. “We went from being intimidated by Salesforce to feeling confident in using it to its full potential.“ Angela and the entire team at KiwiHarvest are devoting their working lives to nourishing New Zealanders who need it most—and to protecting the planet from the effects of food waste at the same time. For her part, Doris is one compassionate person who works for (and is empowered by) a company that cares. She saw a need that could be met with her tech skills and jumped in to fill it. The result? A partnership between KiwiHarvest and Slalom that’s a testament to the power of technology to support and amplify the work of organizations dedicated to making a difference. Angela Calver It’s amazing how quickly Slalom understood our challenges. What felt impossible to us, they made simple. Now we have the tools we need to do even more, and we’re only getting started. Ready to unlock the full potential of your tech? Let’s talk Share this story --- title: LA County DPSS: A modern helpline to serve the public url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/la-county-dpss-modern-helpline-serve-public source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/la-county-dpss-modern-helpline-serve-public locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # LA County DPSS: A modern helpline to serve the public - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/la-county-dpss-modern-helpline-serve-public - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/la-county-dpss-modern-helpline-serve-public - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary After Slalom partnered with LA County on a helpline system overhaul and new online portal, members of the public have more self-serve options and can connect with vital services faster. ## Body LA County DPSS: A modern helpline to serve the public After Slalom partnered with LA County on a helpline system overhaul and new online portal, members of the public have more self-serve options and can connect with vital services faster. LA County DPSS | Slalom A modern helpline to serve the public LA County Department of Public Social Services Share story At a glance We partnered with LA County to overhaul a helpline system and create an online portal for critical social services. Impact 150,000 Angelenos using In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) can now get information online, without calling. 100 helpline agents use the new portal to chat with IHSS recipients, manage support tickets, and standardize data. Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce - Amazon Connect - Azure Active Directory Industry State, provincial local government Key Services Customer service that supports critical needs We’ve all been there. You spent a busy morning combing through a customer support website for information, but found only limited answers and had no choice but to dial a call center. Suddenly it’s much later in the day and you’ve been trapped on the wrong side of hold music for far too long. Now raise the stakes: Imagine that accessing the answers and customer service you need profoundly affects your independence and the way you live your life. That’s exactly why the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) at LA County wanted to overhaul a helpline system and bring a modern customer service experience to the elderly, vulnerable, and low-income LA County residents who use its In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). It was no small ambition. LA is one of the most populous areas in the US, and every year over 100 IHSS Helpline Call Center agents help more than 150,000 members of the public connect with providers and pay for services that allow them to continue living safely at home with dignity services like laundry, personal care, or grocery shopping. Working without cloud capabilities Before the overhaul, members of the public did not have a way of accessing basic information about IHSS or their support requests online. IHSS Helpline agents were fielding an average of 8,500 calls a week, and they were relying on 10-year-old call center technology that was overdue for an upgrade. “I wouldn’t say that we had a full customer relationship management [CRM] approach employed for IHSS,” says Carlos Sanchez, the IT manager for DPSS who oversaw the project. He notes that although the licensing stack was rich, “it had an outdated interface, limited automation options, no cloud capabilities, and no 360-degree visibility.” Leaders wanted to update the helpline and add a self-service web portal to cut waiting times for the public, improve access to timely information, and reduce manual work for agents. But it was vital for this transition to go as smoothly as possible so IHSS clients didn’t lose access to any services and benefits. Slalom was proud to be chosen as a partner to support LA County on that journey. Self-service and speedy answers We partnered with DPSS teams to set up a multilingual portal on Salesforce Experience Cloud that empowers members of the public and service providers to quickly search the IHSS website for FAQs, find detailed answers, and chat with agents without having to call the helpline or wait on hold. The community portal was new for DPSS, and leadership hoped that the public was ready for this new way of conducting business with the department, says Sanchez. To build reassurance that agents, providers, and the public were ready for this type of online interaction, the teams decided on incremental rollouts, a soft launch to a limited number of IHSS providers and recipients, and an initially limited and targeted marketing campaign. Sanchez said, “We were pretty confident the providers were going to catch on quickly. And they did! All of a sudden, when we went live with the portal, we noticed they jumped on.” A few months later, a larger marketing campaign was launched. With the portal in place, people “don’t need to go to multiple sites, sifting through numerous documents, or they might not even need to call. It’s all right there,” says Tracy Julian, a senior principal for Slalom Los Angeles. Both providers and members of the public can register for access to self-service features like ticket status and direct chat with agents. A custom self-registration form built on Lightning Web Components and Apex classes matches them with verified, active contact records and keeps privileged information safe. Single sign-on with Azure Active Directory ties the IHSS platform into core LA County infrastructure, giving customers easy and secure access. Slalom brought a really good team to the table. They were all about developing stories. And it was so well received by our staff, not only by the analysts and the developers but the subject matter experts in the business units and other stakeholders involved. Carlos Sanchez IT manager, DPSS A vision for next-level customer service realized Our consultants worked with DPSS IT teams to implement Salesforce Service Cloud and tools like Flow, Process Builder, and Omni-channel. DPSS also asked us to bring our Amazon Connect expertise and knowledge of Salesforce best practices to provide thought leadership, training, and project management. With Salesforce tools at their fingertips, IHSS teams are better placed to serve the public. They can manage tickets, standardize data, and send targeted emails. This not only makes it simpler and faster for people to access the services they need, but also to help IHSS recipients connect better with their providers and receive rapid updates to information associated with new regulatory changes. Calls can be efficiently and appropriately routed, and agents can toggle between a live phone call and online chat according to the needs of the moment, or to work on both simultaneously. The Lightning Service Console and Chatter interface allows agents to collaborate without having to leave the new system. Reports on near-real-time metrics can be run without asking IT teams for custom support, and they even integrate with a state billing system that generates providers’ time sheets. Says Sanchez, “Salesforce already had the plug-ins to the system built in. Even though it’s not real-time or 100% live, there’s no longer as long of a wait for the data, which previously was a day or more behind what was live in the state system. Now we run it incrementally throughout the day and we know our data is up-to-date.” New ways of working DPSS was used to working in a waterfall development style but is now seeing the ripple effect and benefits of Agile development approaches across its organization. Says Sanchez, “Slalom brought a really good team to the table. They were all about developing stories. And it was so well received by our staff, not only by the analysts and the developers but the subject matter experts in the business units and other stakeholders involved.” The team also worked together to devise a series of knowledge transfers alongside sprints and deployments—something that proved to be key for empowering DPSS analysts in the IT shop. Says Sanchez, “Our analysts and developers adapted well to the newer technology and became proficient with it quickly. Now they understand the conversation and can speak Agile more fluently. They’re doing a lot of things without relying on consultants, and that is our objective—to be self-sufficient.” A partnership with lasting impact As a result of this engagement, DPSS teams are ideally positioned to manage, support, and continue evolving the helpline and portal well into the future, and to leverage Salesforce in new and innovative ways. The project has proved to be a test case for what could be achieved at larger scale elsewhere, how other services could be delivered differently, and how automation can benefit helpline call center agents and the public similarly. Sanchez notes a new project already underway with a larger call center. “There,” he says, “we’re talking close to 3,000 agents.” For LA County residents in need, this project demonstrates how innovating once can spread and show dividends in other parts of the organization, sprouting department-wide opportunities to continuously improve the level of DPSS services to the public. --- title: La-Z-Boy: A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/la-z-boy-mainframe-modernization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/la-z-boy-mainframe-modernization locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # La-Z-Boy: A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/la-z-boy-mainframe-modernization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/la-z-boy-mainframe-modernization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary From legacy to agility. With Slalom and AWS, La-Z-Boy is retiring its mainframe to cut costs, reduce technical debt, and build a faster foundation for growth. ## Body La-Z-Boy: A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future La-Z-Boy | Mainframe Modernization | Slalom See how the retail and manufacturing leader will save $1.1M by retiring its mainframe with help from Slalom and AWS. From legacy to agility. With Slalom and AWS, La-Z-Boy is retiring its mainframe to cut costs, reduce technical debt, and build a faster foundation for growth. La-Z-Boy mainframe modernization | Slalom A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future La-Z-Boy Incorporated partnered with Slalom and AWS to map decades of mainframe dependencies, de-risk modernization with AI-assisted analysis, and execute a clear path to full decommission—freeing teams to focus on growth. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact The retail and manufacturing leader will reduce annual run costs by more than $1M by shutting off the mainframe, while strengthening resilience and innovation agility. Industry Retail Key Services KEY TECHNOLOGIES/PLATFORMS - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Connect with a Slalom expert The Vision As La-Z-Boy Incorporated approaches its centennial, the brand that defined comfort is investing in its journey toward modernization. For nearly 30 years, [La-Z-Boy Incorporated](https://www.la-z-boy.com/)—the vertically integrated furniture retailer and manufacturer known for its founders’ invention of the iconic recliner in 1927—relied on a mainframe computing system for a handful of critical processes. It was stable, but the legacy tech stack required the company’s IT team to keep two retirees on contract for occasional support. And the hosting was costly. When CIO Carol Lee joined La-Z-Boy, she found an IT team that had been chipping away at the legacy platform for years. One major program was set to be replaced as part of a warranty system modernization, but remaining workloads were complex, opaque, and risky to touch. Lee and her team began discussing the mainframe retirement challenge with Slalom while partnering on another project. Then, AWS funded a workshop where Slalom introduced our co-created [mainframe modernization methodology](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-accelerate-mainframe-modernization) and asked detailed questions to explore how it might work for La-Z-Boy. “In the past, I’ve worked with a lot of partners that come in and say, ‘Yeah, we can absolutely do this and we’re totally confident,‘” says Lee. “Slalom brought a lot of knowledge and a strong AWS partnership, but the team also understood our skepticism.” “Mainframe modernization projects are never easy,” says Walt Austin, a Slalom managing director. “There’s no room for arrogance, or you’ll get humbled very quickly.” Trust and confidence grew as La-Z-Boy and Slalom began to unpack the complexity together. Around the same time, Lee negotiated a new mainframe hosting contract. “The sales guy didn’t think we could get out that fast,” she recalls. “I took it as a personal challenge.” With additional AWS funding to offset the investment, Slalom and La-Z-Boy kicked off a full assessment. Carol Lee Eliminating technical debt and modernizing our technology is an important part of our strategy as we prepare to celebrate 100 years in business, and retiring the mainframe is a key component of success. The Solution From ambiguity to momentum: we used AI to decode legacy logic, mobilized a phased plan, and modernized priority jobs with rigorous, penny-accurate reconciliation. Assess phase: Mapping and prioritizing “Having Slalom come in with fresh eyes, fully focused on the mainframe, was a really good first step,” says Lee. To thoroughly understand the legacy system and validate a modernization approach, Slalom went deep on the details with La-Z-Boy’s team. We mapped the code base—a labyrinth of COBOL and other venerable programming languages—using a deterministic AI product from AWS called Blu Insights, a precursor of AWS Transform. We also used an early generative AI product, Amazon Q Developer, to understand the intent of some of the code. Mark Carrier, La-Z-Boy’s director of delivery operations, describes how the remaining skeptics on his team became believers in the project after Slalom’s Alex Hatcher presented a Miro board that visually detailed everything on the mainframe and how it was connected. “It was like, ‘Oh yeah, we can trust these people.’” Within six weeks, Slalom had catalogued and prioritized three complex workloads that had no like-for-like replacement and touched multiple processes—an electronic data interchange (EDI), an inventory costing process that the company relied on for end-of-year reconciliation, and a set of relational database loads. That led to scoping and soon we were full steam ahead on the first modernization target, the relatively straightforward EDI. “The AI assessment gave us a boost. It mapped everything and helped us figure out the various dependencies between programs.” Mark Carrier Director of Delivery Operations, La-Z-Boy Incorporated Mobilize phase: Plan the work, work the plan In the mobilize phase, our Slalom team focused on designing a future state cloud-native architecture and planning a wave-based migration strategy. Through it all, we continued to partner closely with the La-Z-Boy team to make sure the work would leave them in a better place. We paired with existing ways of working—building the backlog in La-Z-Boy’s Jira/Confluence and extending the way they were using Control-M for observability, so new cloud runs would feel familiar to the operations team. On delivery mechanics, we adopted La-Z-Boy’s deployment patterns and offered specific improvements. “We were proving it out every step of the way,” says Carrier. “We could show that what we thought was going to work was working. By the end of the mobilize phase, we even had some things that were close to ready for production.” Modernize phase: Delivering value As we began the iterative modernization process, the priority was simple: move workloads off the mainframe and into the AWS cloud. But we were often able to deliver more than “lift and shift.” “We started to refactor some of the jobs,” says Gavin Main, a senior principal at Slalom. “One job took 20 hours to run on the mainframe, and now we have it running in four minutes. We did that by identifying and pruning sources that were no longer applicable.” Confirming technical parity for the inventory costing process migration was the most nuanced piece of the project. The mainframe can retire when the team can fully validate that whatever is processing on the mainframe today on a nightly, weekly, and monthly schedule is being processed identically—every line, every penny—in the AWS environment. “We’re nearly there,” says Carrier. “That true mirroring capability was something no client had ever asked for,” says Lee. “Slalom wasn’t sure it would be possible, but they figured it out. The openness to work with us and deliver what we need has been awesome.“ Together, La-Z-Boy and Slalom proved that modernization can be fast, precise, and respectful of what came before—capturing the spirit of what we call [Zero Legacy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy): a future where legacy systems no longer hold progress back. The way we worked together felt very aligned with La-Z-Boy’s culture. The Slalom team’s demeanor throughout the project made the partnership incredibly productive. Ready for life without legacy? Explore how Slalom helps companies modernize what matters. Customer Impact Long before 2027, when La-Z-Boy Incorporated celebrates 100 years in business, the company will take a clear step into the future by fully retiring its mainframe. Retiring the mainframe will free the company to focus on its true legacy. “Building for the long term is part of the culture at La-Z-Boy,” says Mark Holt, who leads the La-Z-Boy account for Slalom. “It’s a brand that moves deliberately, with purpose, to build durable relationships and durable products.” In the AWS cloud, La-Z-Boy will move more efficiently to keep its commitments to customers and deliver exceptional experiences that stand the test of time. “We have a lot more flexibility being in a modern architecture,” says Carrier. “I feel really good about where we’re at.” “We will definitely be celebrating this milestone,” says Lee. Is it time to modernize your outdated systems? Get in touch Share this story Mark Holt It’s not a common activity to go through a modernization effort like this. For La-Z-Boy, this was new territory. We were able to bring the expertise and stepwise approach they needed. Walt Austin When you have these legacy systems, it’s difficult to move quickly. Processes and people often have to work around them to get things done at the speed of business. Gavin Main La-Z-Boy’s appetite to modernize is about making the technology stack match the strategy. They want to stay competitive for a long, long time. Alex Hatcher There’s a lot of history in any mainframe. We wanted to respect that history and also bring the best of our AWS expertise to show them a better way forward. Man sitting in the airport looking at his phone --- title: Lake County Health Department Vaccine orchestration url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lake-county-health-department source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lake-county-health-department locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Lake County Health Department Vaccine orchestration - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lake-county-health-department - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lake-county-health-department - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary A once-in-a-lifetime mission to help Lake County vaccinate its diverse population became a shining example of building for equity and long-term community trust. ## Body Lake County Health Department Vaccine orchestration Lake County Health Department | Slalom A once-in-a-lifetime mission to help Lake County vaccinate its diverse population became a shining example of building for equity and long-term community trust. Responding to a crisis, building trust for the future Share story man with n95 mask At a glance Impact The technology foundation developed through this project will help the county meet the needs of its community for years to come. Key Services Industry State, provincial and local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce - Tableau - Mulesoft The team assembles When the call came, we knew it was a drop-everything moment. The task was both straightforward and mind-bogglingly complex: partner with the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) to prepare for the challenge of administering COVID-19 vaccines to its diverse population. The focus on the “diverse” part was front and center. Lake County—situated on Lake Michigan north of Chicago, with a population of about 700,000—is home to sizable communities of people of color and the elderly. A solution that didn’t reach the most underserved would be no solution at all. “In a very, very short period of time—over a weekend—we were able to staff a 40+ person cross-capability working team that combined the very best of our strengths across our Salesforce customer engagement, MuleSoft, organizational effectiveness, and experience design teams,” says Jessica Cash, a director of customer engagement at Slalom Chicago. “We knew this would likely be the project of our careers in terms of public impact.” Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, Director of Health Informatics and Technology for LCHD and leader of this effort, says, “We wanted to breed trust with our community. People see a large government entity trying to collect a whole bunch of information on them and they get very scared very quickly. With good historical reasons! So I don’t want to scold anyone for that. People have good reasons to feel that way.” The vaccine orchestration solution had to account for the segments of the Lake County population whose first language isn’t English, as well as those with housing instability and/or technology issues, including the elderly and the disabled. In short, Lake County needed something that would work across multiple languages, be accessible to blind and hearing-impaired constituents, and gain the trust of communities that are dubious of the medical establishment and vaccines. And the LCHD needed it almost overnight. Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit The Slalom team really became our team. Part of the Lake County family. And that was brilliant to me. McMillan-Wilhoit readily admits he was somewhat skeptical of consulting agencies at first. He’s found working with consultants in the past “very transactional in nature. It’s like, ‘Okay, everything’s defined in this statement of work (SOW), so we’re gonna do the SOW and then we’re done, right? And when you have something like a vaccine orchestration system where the needs were changing almost every hour, we don’t have that option. We can’t sit at the beginning of an engagement and say, ‘Yep, we know exactly how this is gonna run.’” But in this case, says Daniel Burkhardt, a senior principal of customer engagement at Slalom Chicago, “The SOW was less of a statement of work than a statement of vision. And the vision was one we were all aligned on.” “I’ve never felt this way in a consulting engagement before,” says McMillan-Wilhoit, “but I do feel like the Slalom team really became our team. Part of the Lake County family. And that was brilliant to me.” In turn, Slalom was taken with the incredibly high standards the county was aiming for. As Cash explains, “You could sacrifice on time or quality, and Lake County said, we’re going with neither. We’re going for Option C. We want to be able to have something out and have it be timely, but also have it provide high value to our community.” Equity and accessibility in action The team partnered with church groups, community leaders, and business leaders to demonstrate early versions of the vaccine solution, get their feedback, and incorporate it into the final product, down to the smallest details. They walked through the Spanish-language version with Latinx groups to make sure all drop-down menus and buttons were clear and intuitive, and verified that it worked with screen readers for the vision-impaired. “The result was not only a much better solution, but also leaders who were invested in its success,” says Burkhardt. “They could go back to their communities and say, ‘Yes, this is something that we are all collectively going to be involved in.’” Outreach extended beyond those receiving the vaccination to those administering it. Social workers who work with people experiencing housing insecurity, for example, needed easily accessible guidance. Testing on the ground also included making sure it worked for medical professionals—“I saw nurses literally applauding as they were going through the training,” says Burkhardt—and could stand up to the Illinois winter. The team overcame challenges like the difficulty of using touchscreens in freezing temperatures and QR scanners in wet conditions. AllVax: Nailing the details that make a vaccine successful The user-facing part of the solution developed by the Slalom team in conjunction with the LCHD is the AllVax Portal—an outstanding example of how adaptable the [Salesforce platform](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) is. The portal maximizes the Salesforce capacity for automation and minimizes the need for tedious manual data entry. AllVax automatically shares data with state and federal systems through a MuleSoft integration. That data—including things like the percentage of distributed vaccines that have been administered and reports of adverse reactions—would under legacy systems need to be entered and sent by hand. AllVax also uses analytics tools powered by [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau), allowing Lake County to determine inventory status and identify trends. On the back end, Lake County employees have access to Salesforce Health Cloud, which is integrated into the AllVax platform. Here’s a quick overview of how it all works: - Residents create a profile on the AllVax Portal via Salesforce Experience Cloud and are served up relevant information and FAQs by Salesforce Knowledge. - Information from resident profiles is captured in an HL7-ready electronic health record in Salesforce Health Cloud. This record is used to determine eligibility based on what vaccination stage the county is in. - When a resident is eligible, they’re notified by email and/or text message. This stage leverages Marketing Cloud, allowing immediate appointment scheduling and the ability to opt in to future communications.That success is ongoing, but was apparent immediately. - At the point of vaccination, the provider accesses the resident’s health record via Salesforce Health Cloud and the administration data is sent to integrated state-level systems using MuleSoft. - LCHD monitors progress and uses insights via Tableau to help plan when and where to set up the next vaccination site. The crucial element here: residents are shielded from the massive complexity underlying this process. Says Lake County’s Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, “Those elements still exist. Vaccine orchestration is really hard! While our community can see over the shield, the tool limits logistical concerns for our community and our staff. That success is ongoing, but was apparent immediately. There were more than 40,000 vaccine sign-ups in the first 24 hours of launch and 200,000 within the first couple of weeks—which translates to an impressive 25% of the resident population. Another interesting indicator of success, according to McMillan-Wilhoit, is that even people who got their first vaccine dose through a pharmacy got their second through the AllVax Portal. “Because it’s an easier system to use. They can make appointments easier. Even if they got it somewhere else in the state, we’re pulling in the state registry information, so it automatically makes them eligible to schedule dose two. If you don’t finish it off, that first dose is a waste! And so that’s where the investment really paid off.” Looking ahead: A robust platform beyond vaccines McMillan-Wilhoit is sold on the Salesforce platform for processes far beyond vaccine orchestration. Now that his agency has made the investment in Salesforce, the possibilities are virtually endless. He’s especially taken with the concept of shielding end users—both staff and residents—from the complex backend of his agency’s workings. And the best part? “We already have the platform. I don’t need new software. I don’t need new add-ons. I don’t need new anything,” he says. “We’re evaluating our HR system and our animal care and control system, our laboratory systems, and our electronic health records. We’ve proven the (Salesforce) platform, and we now have people who can develop on it, and we’ve shown time to develop to be very, very short. Hours, not weeks.” When Burkhardt looks back on the engagement, what comes to mind is not only the specifics of the technology, but what an interaction between a public agency and a resident means at its core, and how essential it is to nail all the details that make it work. “What we’re building in every interaction is trust with the community. And trust is something that’s earned with great effort.” Long after COVID-19 has left the headlines, the trust and toolset established through this project will be helping Lake County meet the ever-changing needs of its community. Woman working on a laptop --- title: Lead Bank: Expanding the digital boundaries of community banking url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lead-bank-community-banking source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lead-bank-community-banking locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Lead Bank: Expanding the digital boundaries of community banking - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lead-bank-community-banking - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lead-bank-community-banking - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Lead Bank is a community institution with national aspirations. Slalom partnered with Lead Bank to implement a cloud-based platform that positions the company to become a digital leader in the community banking space. ## Body Lead Bank: Expanding the digital boundaries of community banking Lead Bank is a community institution with national aspirations. Slalom partnered with Lead Bank to implement a cloud-based platform that positions the company to become a digital leader in the community banking space. Lead Bank | Slalom Slalom partnered with Lead Bank to implement a cloud-based platform that positions the company to become a digital leader in the community banking space. Digital leadership in community banking Expanding the digital boundaries of community banking Share story At a glance Impact Now Lead Bank can more intelligently analyze and monitor data, partner with FinTech service providers, and offer innovative digital solutions to its expanding customer base. Key Services Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Snowflake A mission to empower communities With nearly 100 years of history in Kansas City, [Lead Bank](https://lead.bank/) views community investment, service, and empowerment as the core of its community banking ethos. “Our mission is to be at the heart of the success of our communities, and we take that very seriously,” says Lead Bank CMO Melissa Beltrame. The bank’s guiding values of compassion, openness, imagination, and nimbleness push it toward a view of community that expands beyond location. “We define communities not solely by geography but also by the people we serve.” With those values in mind, Lead Bank wants to expand the borders of its communities by becoming a leader in digital banking. Traditionally, brick-and-mortar banking has grown by acquisition—particularly acquisition by large banks and financial institutions. They buy up smaller banks, branches, and businesses. The digital banking landscape, however, offers forward-thinking community banks the opportunity to compete and expand exponentially through financial technology (FinTech) services and digital partnerships. Where an institution like Lead Bank would previously need a large physical footprint and a healthy investment of capital in order to grow, internet banking affords it the ability to acquire customers across the US by partnering with companies that offer FinTech services—like car loans, life insurance, and bill negotiation—and by offering digital direct services to its own customers at a fraction of the cost and infrastructure. “There are not very many community banks our size that are playing in that digital space,” says Lead Bank CTO Mike Beattie. “That goes back to our name and the way it calls us to leadership. The value opportunity for us as an institution is there. By building a cloud environment and leveraging FinTech service partners—their technology and brand awareness—we can reach a much larger audience and continue to find those underserved communities that are the core of a community bank.” Laying the foundation for growth Lead Bank’s ambitions were limited by its technology infrastructure. It had a talented but small IT team, and all its systems were on-premises. It also had limited experience with cloud processing and no data warehouse. Our Slalom team brought extensive knowledge of the cloud and data engineering space to facilitate Lead Bank’s transformation to become a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) and FinTech leader. We may be one of two community banks in the country to have a footprint in our own API services in a public cloud environment and to be using a revolutionary data platform like Snowflake. Mike Beattie CTO, Lead Bank A smarter, more secure data option Leveraging AWS and Snowflake, Slalom provisioned a stable and scalable data warehouse that securely aggregates information from multiple sources into a single 360-degree view of the client. Whether a client relationship comes from a FinTech partnership, a BaaS partner, a digital direct customer, or a customer that walks into a Lead Bank branch, that information is collected and accessed in one place. There are two key benefits: - Lead Bank teams utilizing this global view of the client can analyze data more cohesively, producing unparalleled business intelligence throughout the bank. “Having a single customer record across all sources so that we can have a 360-degree view of the client will be tremendously fruitful in the future,” says Beltrame. “Data becomes knowledge and knowledge becomes power.” - Lead Bank can also more securely aggregate and monitor sensitive data using a single source of truth for client information. The digital trust of a customer is paramount, and Slalom ensured appropriate monitoring tools to facilitate account control, monitoring, anomaly detection, and several other security components. When open-banking regulations inevitably hit the US in the future, the data warehouse foundation leaves Lead Bank positioned to react to new data regulations with speed and flexibility. This data warehousing foundation is built with future scalability in mind: “The beauty of Slalom is that they helped us build so that it will be significantly lower effort downstream,” says Beattie. “We did a lot of work up front, a lot of creating the railroad tracks. We created a repeatable process that has some flexibility built in, but it’s very easy for us to make those updates and changes and facilitate a slightly different stream with a handful of templates.” A new ecosystem of partners Slalom also helped Lead Bank develop its first FinTech partner API. “Migrating to a cloud platform enables agility in expanding Lead Bank’s partner ecosystem,” says Tony Graham, a director at Slalom. Using native AWS services like Lambda and DynamoDB and a continuous build and deployment process, this API guarantees scalability and enables a new line of business for Lead Bank. The API layer allows Lead Bank to seamlessly partner with a range of FinTech providers, offering digital services like life insurance, bill negotiation, car insurance, and credit improvement. Now it can “partner with a variety of different FinTech companies to do all these really creative projects outside of their brick-and-mortar foundation of just servicing the Kansas City area,” says Slalom solution owner Jon Scherer. Upskilling the Lead Bank team What’s the fun in getting a new toy if you don’t know how to use it? Our teams collaborated to ensure that Lead Bank’s IT team had a significant knowledge base with which to operate the new data warehouse and FinTech partner API. We also introduced scrum execution methodology and worked to guarantee the Lead Bank team a strong foundation with this model—positioning them to help the bank scale and grow around the new platform for years to come. A platform to transform the future The new platform is already reshaping the way Lead Bank works. “We may be one of two community banks in the country to have a footprint in our own API services in a public cloud environment and to be using a revolutionary data platform like Snowflake,” says Beattie. With its new cloud infrastructure, Lead Bank can securely aggregate and monitor sensitive information while transforming data into incisive business intelligence. With an API layer in a cloud environment, Lead Bank has dramatically grown its partner ecosystem. It can now offer a scalable selection of FinTech services through its digital partners and more convenient banking to its digital direct customers. With a bold vision of BaaS and a strong foundation on AWS and Snowflake, Lead Bank has claimed a leadership role in the future of digital community banking. --- title: The LEGO Group: Building stronger customer connections with Amazon Marketing Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # The LEGO Group: Building stronger customer connections with Amazon Marketing Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how we helped boost LEGO® DUPLO® sales on Amazon with data-driven insights, increasing conversions and enhancing customer connections. ## Body The LEGO Group: Building stronger customer connections with Amazon Marketing Cloud Consumer goods & services See how we helped boost LEGO® DUPLO® sales on Amazon with data-driven insights, increasing conversions and enhancing customer connections. Building stronger customer connections See how Slalom, as an Amazon Marketing Cloud consultant, helped LEGO boost Duplo sales, improve ad performance, increase conversions, and drive growth. Building stronger customer connections with Amazon Marketing Cloud Share story Child playing with Duplo blocks At a glance We helped the LEGO Group grow sales on Amazon by using smart data from Amazon Marketing Cloud to focus ads on the right customers, at the right time. Impact With new data insights, LEGO marketers improved RoAS by 120%, increased click-through rates by 60%, and boosted growth for the LEGO ® DUPLO ® line. Key Services Industry Consumer goods services Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) Cracking the code to smarter ads with Amazon Marketing Cloud In a crowded digital landscape, where the average person sees more than 4,000 ads per day, how can advertisers cut through the noise and connect with potential customers? The answer is data. Companies need to know who their customers are, what they want, and when they’re ready to buy. Armed with this information, they can meet their customers exactly where they are—at the moment they’re ready to buy. Amazon Ads asked Slalom to help prove the power of Amazon’s unique data signals to target customers more effectively and affordably. To do so, we partnered with one of the most recognizable brands on the planet: [The LEGO Group](https://lego.com/). LEGO marketers wanted to grow Amazon sales of the company’s toddler-focused LEGO ® DUPLO ® line. They knew that understanding customer behavior was crucial for expanding market share but needed help translating the data into actionable insights. Lego blocks with a figure in the middle Data mining and drawing insights is extremely important to move a business forward, but time-consuming. Partnering with Slalom allowed us to focus on multiple strategic priorities while giving the required attention to each. Drina Maneze eCommerce Retail Marketing Manager, The LEGO Group Setting the stage for smarter marketing The challenge for LEGO marketers was to optimize their return on ad spend (RoAS) while finding the right audience in a sea of potential buyers. They needed to target customers more effectively for the preschool product line and make sure digital ads were driving conversions. Our Slalom team started by analyzing the LEGO Group’s advertising and purchasing data through AMC to identify the company’s most valuable customers—those spending three times more than the average buyer. This helped us create detailed customer profiles and audiences, allowing LEGO marketers to identify high-value customers and how they could target new potential buyers with similar shopping habits. “Data mining and drawing insights is extremely important to move a business forward, but time-consuming,” says Drina Maneze, ecommerce retail marketing manager at the LEGO Group. “Partnering with Slalom allowed us to focus on multiple strategic priorities while giving the required attention to each.” Once we had a clear picture of the high-value customers, we used AMC to build look-alike audiences—groups of potential new customers with similar behaviors—which allowed LEGO marketers to target people more likely to purchase their preschool-range products and increase new customer acquisitions. “Amazon Marketing Cloud is quite different from other AdTech tools,” explains Abby Placido, a customer data consultant at Slalom. “You can measure the impact of your campaign, identify the audiences who have engaged in these campaigns, and retarget them with the right message that’s going to help you boost your conversion. This is like the holy grail for marketers.” By focusing digital ads on this high-value segment, LEGO marketers made their campaigns more effective and efficient. Standing out in the crowd With our audience segmentation strategy in place, we analyzed ad performance across various touchpoints, determining which ads were driving conversions and which weren’t. One of the most significant findings? Most conversions happened within just seven days of ad exposure, showing an immediate impact. “Helping a brand like the LEGO Group gain fresh insights and rethink its paid media strategy was really exciting,” says Drew Myers, a customer strategy consultant at Slalom. “We delivered real, actionable takeaways that LEGO marketers could use immediately to make bolder and more effective decisions.” The LEGO Group is now connecting with customers on Amazon faster. The return With new data-driven strategies, the LEGO Group doubled its budget allocation for high-value customer segments, significantly improving RoAS by 120%. Instead of casting a wide net, the company’s ads now target the right audience—parents, gift buyers, and others interested in the preschool-range portfolio—leading to a 60% increase in click-through rates (CTR). “While I had known AMC as a ‘magic tool’ for marketers to get a holistic view of media performance, I was unfamiliar with its full potential,” says Miho Brown, senior performance marketing manager, APAC B2B eCommerce at the LEGO Group. “Having professional consultancy from Slalom has been invaluable in helping us better understand AMC’s capabilities and how to leverage it more effectively.” Customers also enjoyed a better experience. Ads were no longer wasted on irrelevant audiences. Instead, they connected with people who were more likely to buy, increasing the likelihood of conversions. The LEGO Group is now set to continue expanding its presence on Amazon and offering personalized experiences to customers. Together, we are developing more effective marketing strategies that deepen the connection between this beloved brand and people of all ages, from toddlers just discovering the joy of building to lifelong fans who continue to create and play. Ready to connect with more customers? Start here Share this story --- title: Teradata Leveling up for the cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/leveling-up-for-the-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/leveling-up-for-the-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Teradata Leveling up for the cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/leveling-up-for-the-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/leveling-up-for-the-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Teradata, a global leader in advanced analytics, partnered with Slalom to develop powerful cloud services on both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. ## Body Teradata Leveling up for the cloud Teradata | Slalom Teradata, a global leader in advanced analytics, partnered with Slalom to develop powerful cloud services on both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Leveling up for the cloud Teradata Share story At a glance Scope Modern Software Engineering, Serverless Architecture, DevOps Automation, Cloud Migration, Multi-Cloud Solution (AWS Azure), Cloud Security Assessment, Delivery Center Build-Out Technology Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, AWS CloudFormation, Serverless Framework, Azure Function Apps, Node.js, Angular Embracing the cloud opportunity Widely known for its advanced analytics technology and services, Teradata’s core strength is helping businesses drive better outcomes with data. The $2.5 billion company has led the data and analytics space for over 35 years. For some Teradata customers, their “data center of gravity” is shifting from on-premises to the cloud. Gartner predicts that the cloud shift will affect over $1 trillion in IT spending by 2020. With that in mind, Teradata started offering its own cloud capabilities in 2011 and expanded into the public cloud in 2015. The goal was not only to enable popular Teradata software on AWS and Azure but also to fully empower customers with the cloud benefits of self-service, elasticity, and pay-as-you-go. These attributes fit neatly with Teradata’s larger vision of breaking down barriers to enable lightning-fast, connected decision-making. ASHUTOSH TIWARY We’re meeting customers wherever they are. By taking our cloud capabilities to a new level in the public cloud, we’re making it that much easier for our customers to succeed. Need for speed “Organizations need to become like sentient beings,” says Ashutosh Tiwary, Teradata vice president and general manager of cloud. “They need to make data and knowledge freely accessible and available to everyone so that insights can drive the business agenda.” He cites The Sentient Enterprise , a book co-authored by Teradata’s Chief Operating Officer Oliver Ratzesberger, which charts a course for business survival in an increasingly data-centric world. In short, Teradata and the cloud are a perfect fit. But the company needed a little help speeding up its ambitious rollout of managed offerings across the leading public cloud platforms. Building serverless, together Tiwary approached Slalom with his vision for building an advanced cloud engineering organization at Teradata. Together, we hatched a plan to support and accelerate it in one of our regional product engineering centers. A Slalom team would begin developing a self-service management console for Teradata’s cloud service immediately and integrate Teradata recruits as the work unfolded. Soon after, Abhishek Lal joined Teradata as director of product development for the cloud offering, initially working with an all-Slalom team. “On day one, Slalom provided people that worked well with each other, were very, very skilled, and were ready to start building. As new people came on board, they could see that this was a modern software and cloud services build environment,” says Lal. The extraordinary partnership continued for over a year, allowing Teradata to quickly build up its IntelliCloud service features and in-house team. Even after the new organization moved to its own space, a few people remained integrated in a Slalom team part-time and many IntelliCloud new hires spent time at Slalom as part of onboarding. Close collaboration had the bonus benefit of setting Slalom up to rapidly explore new product ideas for Teradata. Over time, our engineers developed familiarity with Teradata’s technology stack and formed strong relationships across the company. The team also gained an understanding of the company’s customers and their needs. The biggest win of the collaboration is the IntelliCloud Management Console. We helped Teradata design and build it for AWS – and then extend it for Azure. The serverless architecture uses Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, and other AWS services to build up the platform. Microservices enable customer definition, security, capacity monitoring, scaling up and down, metering, and everything else that Teradata customers can now manage with the console. Building with serverless technologies requires a cultural shift. Traditionally, a separate organization would stand up the infrastructure and then the delivery team would build the application on it. With serverless, you have to think differently because the team is responsible for both developing the infrastructure as code and the applications as services. They brought key advantages to the table—the ability to partner in a flexible and unique way, raw technical talent, and a development methodology that provided clarity up front and drove success. Ready for what's next Today, Teradata has a thriving cloud engineering organization spread across San Diego, Seattle, and Pune, India. IntelliCloud is getting rave reviews on AWS and will soon be released on Microsoft Azure. “Interest and adoption have exceeded my expectations,” says Lal. The IntelliCloud Management Console has been so popular that customers are now requesting the same experience for their on-premises Teradata services. “Customers see it as the new way of working with their Teradata systems,” Lal explains. --- title: LG CNS: Empowering engineering teams to innovate at the speed of business url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lg-cns-agile-development source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lg-cns-agile-development locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # LG CNS: Empowering engineering teams to innovate at the speed of business - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lg-cns-agile-development - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lg-cns-agile-development - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Learn how LG CNS shifted to Agile methodology to accelerate app modernization—and bring about a pivotal culture transformation. ## Body LG CNS: Empowering engineering teams to innovate at the speed of business We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. LG CNS | Agile development | Slalom Learn how LG CNS shifted to Agile methodology to accelerate app modernization—and bring about a pivotal culture transformation. LG CNS accelerates app modernization | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Empowering engineering teams to innovate at the speed of business At a glance VISION We partnered with a giant in the world of digital transformation to retool its 5,000-person engineering organization into one that could easily deliver cloud-based migration, modernization, and new product development. Impact In collaboration with our engineers in Seattle, LG CNS transformed into a modern Agile software builder organization—and changed its entire business structure. Key Services Industry Professional services Technologies/Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Can you deliver when customers need better solutions faster? Let’s talk Agile Consulting the consultants [LG CNS](https://www.lgcns.com/) is the consulting and services arm of the technology giant that has probably made half the appliances in your home. It provides consulting, system construction, and operation services for LG Group family companies and for open market (non-LG) companies. Founded in 1987, LG CNS was established to help LG Group with its technology and consulting needs and soon grew into the #1 IT service provider in the Korean open market. But, like all things, technology evolves. Business needs evolve. The entire global way of work evolves. And LG CNS wanted to leap forward. It had always used a waterfall approach to technology projects, and that typically entailed intense, detailed requirements gathering up front before building out the product step by step. Once finished, the teams would present the product to the customer, pause for client feedback, iterate, incorporate, and repeat. It’s a process that leaves little room for reflection or revision and no space for innovation and creativity. So, LG CNS needed to get smart, get Agile, and fast. The team also knew they needed to ramp up their cloud efforts, both internally and for their client offerings. In fact, the chairman of LG Group laid out the vision for strategic initiatives of cloud adoption to revolutionize the way the organization innovates. After a productive discussion with the Slalom leadership team, the way forward was clear: they wanted to retool their 5,000-person engineering organization into one that can easily deliver the cloud-based migration, modernization, and new product development that was coming their way. But rather than simply purchasing a technology product, LG CNS flew a team to meet with, work with, play with, and learn from our engineers, all with the aim of recreating the entire experience back home. Watching, doing, learning To achieve these goals, it was important to get LG CNS building side by side with Slalom engineers, who would share more than just skills. LG CNS wanted to understand how we organize, how we communicate, how we operate, and how we build a culture around engineering. So, 30 people from LG CNS packed their bags for a months-long trip, arriving in Seattle to work on two product workstreams, while a group of LG CNS leaders learned the ins and outs of building a high-performing team. It was a completely immersive project highlighting everything from software engineering to front end, back end, database, and different technologies. We also walked the team through how we handle our capabilities, from software to data engineering, marketing, even recruiting and operations. But again, this was no passive learning environment of whiteboarding and note-taking. This was see, learn, do. When we asked for a live application they wanted to work on, they offered up a modernization of one of their homegrown ERP systems, as well as creating a common reservation system (CRS)—a brand new, internal digital system that covered everything from reserving conference rooms to tickets to sporting events to renting cars. The technology they leveraged to modernize these apps ran the gamut, but the project team built cloud-native applications using Serverless, Node, TypeScript, Java, NoSQL, and more. We also had many technical discussions on best practices for security, reliability, cost optimization, and operational and performance topics. Together, the teams zoomed through the technological aspect of the cloud projects. The LG CNS team was also fascinated by many aspects of how our team was structured. How could everyone work in such an open space and not get distracted? Why would you bring your spouse to a work event? And wait—HR doesn’t simply provide laptops but instead drives actual corporate culture and personal support!? After one event, an LG CNS team member was asked if this was different from the events back home. His reply? “Yes, it’s a bit different. We’re working and having fun!” “Slalom is an excellent partner with deep expertise in building cloud-native systems on AWS.” Sang Yeob Park Build Center Leader, LG CNS Through it all the teams became great friends, enjoying a lot of non-work time together. Long discussions about where the best sandwiches were in Seattle, lots of Korean barbecue, and the hundreds of other little things built strong friendships. Which, in actuality, is an important aspect of a high-performing team culture, demonstrating that we value connections and experiences outside the walls as much as those that happen within. Ultimately, everything Slalom does was on the table. We showed them our process for creating modern software experiences, but it was more than that. We had their HR team join us for two weeks to work with our talent acquisition group. We showed them how we go about creating an inviting space and had their operations leader (a position which didn’t even exist before) come to Seattle to discover what that entails. We went deep on everything: culture, staffing, opportunity management, people management, marketing, and everything in between. Ready, willing, and already succeeding When the project concluded and the team returned to Korea, they were armed with more than just checklists and playbooks. They arrived home with a firm organizational construct and a set of capabilities and skills for a new LG CNS high-performing team. They also knew how to harness all of it together to ultimately deliver value for their clients. And how, even during work hours, fun can help productivity. Now all that watching, learning, seeing, and doing is paying off. The new team employs several hundred people and is rapidly scaling and growing the business. The LG CNS team is now always thinking about what’s next in the cloud, data engineering, machine learning, and more. Because this project was more than just guiding LG CNS in agile software delivery: It was about teaching the craft of building. What will you build? Let’s get started Share story --- title: Low Income Housing Institute: Enabling volunteers to help end homelessness url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lihi-volunteers source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lihi-volunteers locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Low Income Housing Institute: Enabling volunteers to help end homelessness - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/lihi-volunteers - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lihi-volunteers - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped LIHI stand up a Salesforce solution enabling the nonprofit to focus less on paperwork and more on ending homelessness—one person, one family, and one community at a time. ## Body Low Income Housing Institute: Enabling volunteers to help end homelessness Low Income Housing Institute | Slalom We helped LIHI stand up a Salesforce solution enabling the nonprofit to focus less on paperwork and more on ending homelessness—one person, one family, and one community at a time. Enabling volunteers to help end homelessness Low Income Housing Institute Share story At a glance The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) needed a more robust solution to organize, track, and report on volunteer efforts. Impact Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce 5rfm7c75g7 Bringing LIHI’s volunteerism to a whole new level [LIHI](https://web.archive.org/web/20230224115755/https://www.lihihousing.org/) develops, owns, and operates housing for the benefit of low-income, homeless, and formerly homeless people in Washington State. It also administers a range of supportive service programs to assist in maintaining stable housing and increasing self-sufficiency. Volunteers are a vital part of LIHI’s process, and its volunteer base is growing year after year. To keep volunteers organized, LIHI needed a new comprehensive system that integrated the sign-up process, communication, and reporting into a single, easy-to-use platform. Slalom met with LIHI’s staff from the beginning to map out the entire project and walk them through how a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) solution could modernize and consolidate their volunteer efforts. By adapting a Salesforce module, Slalom was able to turn multistep processes like emailing volunteers and reporting hours into a click of a button, saving countless hours. Jon Grant That’s just another example of going above and beyond. We needed a database, and you all are out there building tiny houses for homeless folks. Supporting the mission beyond technology In addition to providing a scalable solution, Slalom’s small delivery team made a financial contribution and pledged to build a tiny home, signing up on the same platform they created. Now, LIHI can offer volunteers a seamless experience, freeing up staff to spend less time on the back end and more time creating affordable housing solutions for a healthy, strong, and committed community. --- title: LiveRamp: Leaping 5 years ahead of the marketing curve url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/liveramp-marketing-curve source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/liveramp-marketing-curve locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # LiveRamp: Leaping 5 years ahead of the marketing curve - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/liveramp-marketing-curve - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/liveramp-marketing-curve - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary LiveRamp was spending millions of dollars on marketing every year but couldn’t easily measure the effectiveness of those dollars. That's where Slalom stepped in. ## Body LiveRamp: Leaping 5 years ahead of the marketing curve LiveRamp was spending millions of dollars on marketing every year but couldn’t easily measure the effectiveness of those dollars. That's where Slalom stepped in. LiveRamp | Slalom Leaping 5 years ahead of the marketing curve Share story At a glance Impact We built a data lake, universal ID, and Tableau dashboards to give clear insights on how its campaigns are doing—and help drive more sales. Key Services Industry Marketing advertising Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Tableau Companies like Macy’s, Lowe’s, and REI come to [LiveRamp](https://liveramp.com/) when they need help connecting customers across touchpoints—online and offline—to get a full, omnichannel view of their behavior. For example, with the help of LiveRamp’s identity resolution, a company will know when a customer who searched for a cat bed on its site ended up buying it in-store—so they can avoid emailing him about the bed Mittens is already sleeping in. Rebecca Stone What Slalom has done for LiveRamp is on the extreme cutting-edge of what can be done from an analytics perspective. And I don’t think anyone else could have done it for us. The good kind of growing pains LiveRamp is growing quickly. That means new opportunities for the business, but less time to focus on the internal projects LiveRamp needs to get done. “We just weren’t effectively able to get to all the projects we had on our plates,” says Rebecca Stone, VP of demand generation and international marketing at LiveRamp. One of those projects included getting faster and more meaningful insights about how its sales and marketing campaigns were working. “People like me were having to analyze up to 12 unique reports, looking at different elements of our campaigns’ performance, trying to make sense of it all,” says Ben Coffee, head of marketing operations at LiveRamp. Slalom employees collaborating in the office. Get to know us better Read story Let’s stay together After working together on LiveRamp’s Salesforce implementation, Stone and Coffee “liked the Slalom team so much we wanted to hire all of them,” says Coffee. So we partnered again—and got to work. “Our vision was to bring data from many of the 40-plus technologies in our stack—from Salesforce to Marketo to Pendo—into a dashboard that would give us a complete picture of our campaigns,” says Coffee. Ben Coffee I went from running up to 12 reports to having just one Tableau dashboard that clearly shows all of our data. It’s a huge, huge win. Universal source of truth But before building a dashboard, we needed to get to the root of the problem: blending LiveRamp’s different data sources to create a single source of truth. To do this, we created universal IDs. Starting with ‘lead’ and ‘contact’ IDs in Salesforce, we searched for other siloed information about LiveRamp’s accounts and combined all the data to create one reliable universal ID per person or company. This “hadn’t been done in the [B2B marketing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing) attribution space to our knowledge,” says Hoshang Chenoy, solution architect in customer engagement at Slalom. He describes the project as “five years ahead of the curve,” citing a recent conference where a panel of leaders at major B2B companies said they hoped to achieve a universal ID for attribution within five years. “LiveRamp can now match all touchpoints back to the universal ID and get a 360-degree view of the customer,” he says. Multi-touch attribution at its easiest With the blended data, we worked together to envision, design, and implement a scalable data lake in the [AWS cloud using Amazon Redshift](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws). We then built interactive, [user-friendly Tableau dashboards](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau) that pull from the data lake in real-time. Now, everyone at LiveRamp can quickly and easily see what content and channels are working well across accounts and industries. “I went from running up to 12 reports to having just one Tableau dashboard that clearly shows all of our data,” says Coffee. “It’s a huge, huge win.” h4zqjzxy7j LiveRamp Customer Story | Slalom --- title: LogicMonitor: AI-powered upgrade for enhanced support and compliance url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/logicmonitor-ai-upgrade-support-compliance source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/logicmonitor-ai-upgrade-support-compliance locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # LogicMonitor: AI-powered upgrade for enhanced support and compliance - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/logicmonitor-ai-upgrade-support-compliance - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/logicmonitor-ai-upgrade-support-compliance - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary From introducing a GenAI chatbot to gaining FedRAMP compliance, LogicMonitor has tapped Slalom to expand and improve its customer experience. ## Body LogicMonitor: AI-powered upgrade for enhanced support and compliance AI-powered upgrade for enhanced support and compliance Learn how we partnered with LogicMonitor to develop a technical support GenAI chatbot that’s launched an ongoing AI program. From introducing a GenAI chatbot to gaining FedRAMP compliance, LogicMonitor has tapped Slalom to expand and improve its customer experience. AI-Powered Upgrade | LogicMonitor | Slalom Share story At a glance Slalom continued its fruitful partnership with LogicMonitor, developing a GenAI chatbot to help with technical support and ensuring FedRAMP compliance to propel the organization toward an expanded customer base. Impact LogicMonitor can now handle more cases, better analyze agent performance, and collaborate more effectively across teams, all working toward its mission of revolutionizing IT monitoring. Key Services Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator - Salesforce Service Cloud - Salesforce Government Cloud For many people, hopping on the phone to troubleshoot an issue or learn more about a product is not their preferred method of communication. They’d rather head to the company’s website to find a solution. But if they can’t find that answer quickly, it sours their experience, leading to more frustration. [LogicMonitor](https://www.logicmonitor.com/) provides comprehensive oversight of its customers’ servers to ensure there are no outages. The company’s service catches network issues or errors, both on-premises and in the cloud, helping to minimize downtime, proactively detect anomalies, and eliminate complexities across company monitoring. Since customers coming to LogicMonitor often have technical questions, a growing case volume meant its team of 68 agents needed support. Additionally, LogicMonitor sought FedRAMP compliance to pursue partnerships in the public sector. LogicMonitor already has an ongoing relationship with Slalom. When leaders saw Slalom’s generative AI (GenAI) expertise and FedRAMP capabilities, the decision to team up again was easy. Entering the GenAI era Slalom began a 19-week engagement to help LogicMonitor deploy the [Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator](https://go.slalom.com/Salesforce_AIAssistant) and build a foundation for AI governance across the company. The solution integrates business content from [LogicMonitor’s Resources page](https://www.logicmonitor.com/resources) with a large language model (LLM). When users visit LogicMonitor’s technical support website, the GenAI chatbot provides a self-service option. “Before, people accessed chat through the LogicMonitor product portal. If there were issues with the portal, chat was unavailable,” says Kristi Brown, a solution architect at Slalom. “Moving chat into the Salesforce experience site, it’s always up, always available. Customers have access even if there’s an outage.” With LogicMonitor’s relatively small agent base, the chatbot’s “always on” functionality is a massive time-saver. Salesforce has also introduced capacity-based routing to assign cases and chats based on who’s most available and what their workloads are, a helpful complement to analyzing agent performance. “Overall reporting and capturing data in Salesforce has been huge,” Brown says. “Since we’ve pulled all of this into Salesforce, other teams benefit. It’s definitely a larger impact on the organization as a whole, not just the technical support team.” Ashley Kanok, vice president of Enterprise Applications at LogicMonitor, noted that this implementation is special because it involves both the business and IT sides of the company. It also provides the LogicMonitor team with a clear sense of ownership, forging a stronger partnership with Slalom. “It’s forced us to work more cross-functionally than we normally do,” Kanok says. “It’s not just IT and support. It’s also the content team, the product team, product engineering, and eventually, as this becomes bigger in our AI footprint, we’ll get tighter in governance and how we manage all these use cases and systems we’re bringing in.” The bot enables quicker solutions for customers, supports call deflection rates, and comes with the agent-assist components that LogicMonitor wouldn’t have on its own. It just makes it easier on both sides for customer engagement. Gada Lam Principal, Global Digital Service at Slalom Better efficiency, stronger customer relationships Since implementing the chatbot, LogicMonitor has deflected about 38% of cases across account information, alerts, integrations, its [Collector](https://www.logicmonitor.com/support/collectors/collector-overview/about-the-logicmonitor-collector) application, and more. That’s only with a small subset of the highest-viewed articles loaded into the chatbot—as more documentation is added, that already impressive deflection number can rise even higher, allowing LogicMonitor to handle increased case volumes. The chatbot is one part of LogicMonitor’s journey with GenAI, though there are additional ways to improve outcomes for the team—the core focus of any successful GenAI application. The company also saw the opportunity to accelerate quality assurance in agent interactions with customers. With the tool the team had been using, this was a highly manual process. A manager needed to review recordings and look at chat transcripts to see how an agent was performing. Slalom built an updated solution that improved the user interface and incorporated generative AI and automation into the process. The new evaluation rubric includes metrics like customer sentiment, how the agent addressed the customer, and whether the case was filled out correctly. If AI determines a situation requires a closer look, it alerts the manager, who can examine it more thoroughly. The new process has saved LogicMonitor hundreds of hours of manual work and at least $50,000 in costs going toward the previous tool. Gada Lam, a principal in Global Digital Service at Slalom, highlighted the importance of seamlessly integrating the chatbot within agent workflows. For example, if a customer interacting with the chatbot asks to speak with a representative, the agent has to quickly get up to speed with the conversation via a transcript. When there’s a lot to go through, it adds complexity and nerves. Building from the [Service Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/service/cloud/) groundwork, Slalom developed agent assistance components. Those include conversation summaries that pull out critical information for the agent and suggested responses, which generate real-time answers to customer questions. These quality-of-life enhancements have improved how agents interact with customers. LogicMonitor can also use these tools to train new hires faster during onboarding. “Customer engagement wouldn’t be where it is today without the bot,” says Lam. “It enables quicker customer responses, aids in deflection rates, and comes with the agent-assist components that LogicMonitor wouldn’t have on its own. It just makes it easier on both sides for customer engagement.” Gaining FedRAMP compliance As LogicMonitor heads into the next phase of its digital journey, the company hopes to extend its work to government organizations. The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is mandatory for any executive agency cloud deployment and service model. Lacking FedRAMP compliance is like trying to enter a new country without your passport—you won’t get very far. LogicMonitor’s previous CRM solution couldn’t handle the FedRAMP compliance aspect, which meant LogicMonitor couldn’t reach its goals of working with customers in the public sector. Something needed to change. Through the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB), [Salesforce Government Cloud Plus](https://compliance.salesforce.com/en/fedramp-high) has achieved a provisional Authority to Operate (ATO) at the high impact level. LogicMonitor is now following the standardized approach for cybersecurity assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring. The company can spend more energy on building relationships within the public sector. Ashley Kanok There is ongoing work, but I think it’s worth it, and we’re going to be very, very happy with it. Setting up for the future Going forward, LogicMonitor is excited to continue advancing its AI capabilities, with more projects planned for the coming months. Brown credits LogicMonitor’s willingness to collaborate and Slalom’s AI and Agentforce expertise as keys to success. “The team we worked with was really great and collaborative,” she says. “It made the whole project enjoyable and smooth. There were no butting heads. We were aligned.” Kanok is confident about LogicMonitor’s roadmap and the power of AI to enhance any company’s internal operations and customer experience, but she notes that there is a learning curve. She offered some advice to others looking to evolve their AI offerings. “Do not think you just get to plug this in, and there are no problems, and everything works,” Kanok says. “There is ongoing work, but I think it’s worth it, and we’re going to be very, very happy with it.” Slalom is excited to continue supporting LogicMonitor on its AI journey and public sector expansion, paving the way for future innovations together. Ready to jumpstart your AI journey? Slalom’s suite of pre-built solutions for virtual agents and Agentforce can deliver AI impact with minimal setup, giving you more time to focus on delighting your customers. Learn more --- title: LogRhythm: Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/logrhythm-streamlining-cybersecurity source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/logrhythm-streamlining-cybersecurity locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # LogRhythm: Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/logrhythm-streamlining-cybersecurity - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/logrhythm-streamlining-cybersecurity - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with LogRhythm for an organizational transformation to upgrade the platform, streamline processes, and enable sales teams with a smart toolset. ## Body LogRhythm: Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity We partnered with LogRhythm for an organizational transformation to upgrade the platform, streamline processes, and enable sales teams with a smart toolset. LogRhythm logo Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with LogRhythm for an organizational transformation to upgrade the platform, streamline processes, and enable sales teams with a smart toolset. Impact With its processes and technology optimized, the company can maintain its powerful momentum for growth—and continue finding innovative new ways to keep its customers’ data secure. Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Industry Professional services Key Services A North Star in cybersecurity Year after year, we increasingly live our lives online—and all too often, hackers are paying attention. Since 2014, cybersecurity breaches have increased by 67 percent, and for businesses, the average cost of a single malware attack is $2.6M. That’s why NASA, Macy’s, SiriusXM, and many others trust [LogRhythm](https://logrhythm.com/) to prevent the constant and growing number of cybersecurity threats. Founded in Boulder in 2002, LogRhythm is a leading security and event management (SIEM) solution built by security professionals, for security professionals. The company serves clients of all sizes, offering an end-to-end product framework—log management, network and endpoint monitoring and forensics, security analytics, network traffic analytics, and more. It provides the toolset not only to identify threats but to respond to and neutralize them using machine learning and artificial intelligence. In less than 20 years, LogRhythm grew from a garage-based team of two cofounders to a 500-person global company. Early adoption of Salesforce helped support that growth—but with so much focus on expansion, maintenance of the legacy interface fell behind, creating inefficiencies across the organization. When LogRhythm was purchased by a private equity firm, the company made a commitment to streamline and mature processes. Because we had successfully partnered in the past, leadership recommended Slalom to the new board. “I knew they wouldn’t miss a deadline, they’d be under budget, and they’d provide a realistic view of how we could attack the problem,” says Rex Young, Chief Information Officer at LogRhythm. Together, we embarked on the Polaris project. Setting a course for growth To get a 30,000-foot view of the company, we began with a discovery process. In talking with leadership and development teams, we learned that governance of the legacy platform had fallen behind. Heavy customization had made updates unmanageable, so the platform had become cumbersome and created redundant, manual work for sellers and customer-facing teams. Together with LogRhythm, we developed a strategic three-year roadmap to put the company in a strong position to scale. Each phase of the project would address a different work stream, and up to 250 users would be affected in each phase. With a team of more than 20 Salesforce experts, project owners, program managers, and change management resources, our Slalom team set out to reduce technical debt, transform the platform, and help streamline the organization. Andrew Otton I think the LogRhythm team appreciated that we were ready to speak from the perspective of best practices, and that’s why we were able to have a solid working relationship built on trust. Repairing the foundation LogRhythm primarily used Salesforce for core selling functions and product organization. But as the platform aged, entering lead generation and financial reporting information had become labor-intensive, which resulted in inaccurate or diffuse data. In phase one, we restructured the outdated Salesforce platform. The work was heavily process-driven and focused mainly on Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ). Leadership expected it would need to be torn down altogether, but we advised against it. Before we could upgrade the system, we needed to fix the cracks in the foundation: streamline internal processes, identify and remove recurring waste, and clean up the code structure. Using an agile process, we worked closely together in daily scrums, requirement and testing sessions, and weekly status meetings. “I think the LogRhythm team appreciated that we were ready to speak from the perspective of best practices, and that’s why we were able to have a solid working relationship built on trust,” says Andrew Otton, principal at Slalom. The detour In phase two, we conducted value mapping and expanded our focus to external-facing improvements. Then, halfway through the three-year project, the pandemic hit. We paused for six months, and when we resumed work, we did so with a new perspective. To insulate LogRhythm from another potential stoppage, we shifted to a more incremental work model. “We revised our contract because it was the right thing to do. And we were able to provide continuity through all four phases because our solution owner was right there throughout the project,” says Benjamin Kendrick, director at Slalom. Barry Capoot The Polaris project has made us a more efficient company. A transformational upgrade Now that the company's Salesforce foundation was strong, it was time to leave heavy custom code behind. In phase three, we upgraded the platform to Lightning and delivered a cleaner, more intuitive user interface. Developers no longer need to maintain the legacy platform, and the all-new experience makes it easy to build new efficiencies on top of it. Lightning also boosts the value of the application for sales teams, providing a clear look at their progress. “Now we have a very distinct sales process that ties directly to the technology, so teams know exactly where they are in the deal,” says Young. “Lead handoffs and deal registrations are more easily defined and easier to find.” In the final phase, we continued to streamline processes and maximize the technological improvements. To better connect marketing and lead-gen teams, we created a unified lead record that allows LogRhythm to easily share and process leads and respond to partners more quickly. To give sales leadership more flexibility, expedite approvals, and reduce redundant work, we implemented Salesforce advanced approvals. Our work helped support the finance team as well. “We worked with Slalom to partially automate our annual recurring revenue [ARR],” says Barry Capoot, Chief Financial Officer at LogRhythm. “It’s a very important metric in our industry, and because it’s coming from Salesforce, which is the record of truth for us, we can now be confident that the numbers we report are correct.” In fact, the new ARR functionality has become the reporting standard across the entire portfolio. Big picture, bright future Project Polaris was ambitious in scope, but the strong partnership between LogRhythm and our Slalom team made the work possible. The company has seen remarkable efficiencies, both qualitative and quantitative—a 77 percent reduction in average time to create an approved quote and a 23 percent decrease in average time to convert new sales in North America. “We set out to create a solution that would support LogRhythm’s ambitious growth plans, allowing it to rapidly scale while limiting increases to its cost basis and staffing,” says Edwin Gordon, senior director at Slalom. And not only has LogRhythm simplified its workstream, it has enabled sales teams to do their jobs more effectively and proven that leadership cares about supporting their day-to-day experience. “The Polaris project has made us a more efficient company,” says Capoot. With its processes and technology optimized, the company can maintain its powerful momentum for growth—and continue finding innovative new ways to keep its customers’ data secure. Man in laboratory doing work --- title: Make-A-Wish Canada: Modernizing a heartfelt mission url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/make-a-wish-canada source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/make-a-wish-canada locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Make-A-Wish Canada: Modernizing a heartfelt mission - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/make-a-wish-canada - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/make-a-wish-canada - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a Canadian nonprofit that fulfills wishes for children with critical illnesses move to Salesforce on its journey to becoming a modern organization of the future. ## Body Make-A-Wish Canada: Modernizing a heartfelt mission Make-A-Wish Canada | Slalom We helped a Canadian nonprofit that fulfills wishes for children with critical illnesses move to Salesforce on its journey to becoming a modern organization of the future. Modernizing a heartfelt mission Share story At a glance Impact Make-A-Wish Canada can now deliver its work processes efficiently to help its teams grant more wishes to children in Canada, moving forward in its heartfelt mission with confidence, control—and a single source of truth. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce In support of more wishes When children blow out the candles on their birthday cake each year, they make a wish. For children with illnesses such as leukemia, cystic fibrosis, and brain tumors, these wishes can be even more meaningful if they come true. That’s why organizations like [Make-A-Wish® Canada](https://secure2.wish.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate_today ft=SPEA fi=23_124 chid=100-000 pf=true level1=15 level2=25 level3=50 level4=100 level5=500 level6=1000 presel=level4 Campaign_ID=MNOO%25fy%25 Appeal_ID=%25fy%25ON-XXX-SRCH Package_ID=OT-NT-FY23MWSRCHB Subtype=DEV-Multimedia%20Online s_src=ads-bing-d2d s_subsrc=mw-ads-bing-search-brand-d2d-0723 gclsrc=aw.ds msclkid=0402c43fbf051c958e46a1d0eadffc3a utm_source=bing utm_medium=cpc utm_campaign=MW%20-%20Branded%20Search%20-%2007-23 utm_term=make%20a%20wish%20website utm_content=Branded%20-%20No%20Intent) (MAWC) fulfill wishes for Canadian children with critical illnesses—whether it’s a trip to Walt Disney World or a new puppy. Make-A-Wish Canada believes children’s wishes are an important part of their treatment journey. Research proves children who receive wishes can build the strength they need to fight their illnesses. The organization grants these wishes by raising money through corporate sponsorship, events, and mass-market fundraising efforts. Since MAWC underwent a major merger in 2019, and was working with multiple, disparate databases, processes were not as efficient as desired. Recently, MAWC also set a goal to grant more wishes for children. The organization is on track to grant about 2,000 wishes this year, according to Lyanne Goulin, senior vice president of mission and fundraising operations at Make-A-Wish Canada. The organization was looking to fill these additional wishes with technology that would allow MAWC to expand its reach, streamline its business processes, lay the foundation for a digital transformation, and become a technology-enabled nonprofit that could operate effectively on a national scale. “We were trying to build a national, consistent organization, and we know a CRM strategy is key to that in terms of process,” notes Goulin. Ivneet Chadha, vice president of digital, IT, and data management at Make-A-Wish Canada, joined the organization about that time and was tasked with leading this critical modernization. His role: to build out the technological function, from both the business and infrastructure sides. We can use this Salesforce solution to drive our business forward in a time of significant growth for our organization. We need to grow almost 50% in mission delivery this year. Lyanne Goulin Senior Vice President, Make-A-Wish Canada Shooting for the stars, together In 2023, Slalom helped Make-A-Wish Canada transform with a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) solution. The name: Project Galileo. Project Galileo featured the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), a managed package that helps the nonprofit community engage constituents and fundraise seamlessly. From there, Slalom helped MAWC adapt the solution to the organization’s specific needs. Significantly enhancing its wish-granting capability is the top priority of MAWC. Everything managed in Salesforce NPSP is designed to support the granting of more wishes, whether it’s a fundraising or management process. There is now clarity on wish stages and tracking, while processes such as management and status consolidation were also improved, giving the MAWC teams a new way of looking at the wish data. On the donor side, the team is making improvements in donor care and stewardship. The donor care team is now able to query a donor’s giving and involvement to better serve and steward them, which improved the donor’s satisfaction with MAWC. The team is also finding the financial system functions at a higher level. For example, accurate tracking of campaign performance and reconciliation with the finance system has significantly improved. In addition, the data is more accurate since everything is pulled from Salesforce. This improves exactness and efficiency in segmentation and reporting as well. With development management, the new solution gave MAWC team members better visibility into tracking and lead development, helping them further enable data quality and avoid duplicating data, as well as track earlier-state engagement with volunteers and donors. The team also tracks wish family data with the new solution and is able to use that information to identify both trends and opportunities. When it came to stewardship, the Salesforce solution changed one of the key pain points for the team: having a single source for constituent data. When a team member reaches out to a constituent, they know the data is readily and easily accessible. MAWC can also now drill down into the data, looking for donors with a specific giving history, for example. One team, using tech for good Make-A-Wish Canada and Slalom worked as a single team, and training was tailored to MAWC from the beginning of Project Galileo as Slalom and MAWC decided on the type of learning that would be most beneficial for the organization. Goulin adds, “Slalom did an incredible job of engaging our team in the build—not just our technology team—but all of the users. Slalom got it—and us.” Slalom provided two weeks of custom, instructor-led training for 150 users, divided into different personas and teams for donation processing, marketing, and more. This training included instructional content as well as robust demos, hands-on training, and Q A periods. Slalom also involved the MAWC champions, or “super users” of the platform. These champions were advocates who could provide early feedback that helped the team move forward efficiently. In fact, 91 percent of all MAWC staff attended at least one training session, and 87% attended more than one. Within a week of the solution going live, 100% of the organization’s team members logged on and used the application. Slalom made an impact on Make-A-Wish Canada, just as Make-A-Wish Canada made an impact on Slalom. That’s why Slalom team members Jordan Karrys, Corey Schreiber, and Simran Saini joined MAWCs Lynda Debono and Jennifer Chang to volunteer at the Make-A-Wish Canada and Honda Canada Indy Foundation, a marquee racing event in Toronto, Canada. Creating efficiencies The new solution has streamlined the organization’s critical business processes. For example, a data pull that used to take several months can now be completed in one month. This is a significant improvement, as Make-A-Wish Canada strives to meet its ambitious goal to grow its revenue by 100% over the next five years. “We can use this Salesforce solution to drive our business forward in a time of significant growth for our organization,” explains Goulin. ”We need to grow almost 50% in mission delivery this year.” So far, the organization is hitting its targets. We have much better quality data today in Salesforce. More importantly, we now understand how to improve our data strategy to help us continually improve our organization. Ivneet Chadha Vice President of Digital, IT, and Data Management, Make-A-Wish Canada Becoming a data-driven organization Being driven by data was a priority for Make-A-Wish Canada from the beginning, and Project Galileo was a big step toward that goal. “We have much better quality data today in Salesforce,” says Chadha. “More importantly, we now understand how to improve our data strategy to help us continually improve our organization.” Angela Fraser, director of business applications for Make-A-Wish Canada agrees, adding, “There’s so much information now that elevates what leadership can do. At a glance, leadership can see everything, whereas before they were only seeing parts of things because not everyone was working in one system. It’s been a journey to get us to the place where we are today and see how many more wishes we can complete.“ Fraser notes that there is much less risk with the data now. “Being on an up-to-date platform puts us at less risk. We’re able to make changes, and we have the freedom to be agile for the business now—and that’s a major win.” Enabling future innovation—with confidence and control The multiyear journey that Make-A-Wish Canada embarked on has come to fruition in one consistent system that works for everyone to complete all the mission-critical work. Having this control over the organization’s future ensures MAWC can continue to enhance and grow its solution to meet any future needs and desires—on its own, or with a trusted partner like Slalom. “One of the biggest benefits for our organization is how it’s created a foundation for us to move to the next stage of innovation,” says Chadha. “Now we’re having more discussions and saying to ourselves, ‘How can we do better?’” Boy in striped shirt playing with bubbles --- title: Maravai LifeSciences: Making data make sense url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/maravai-lifesciences-making-data-make-sense source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/maravai-lifesciences-making-data-make-sense locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Maravai LifeSciences: Making data make sense - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/maravai-lifesciences-making-data-make-sense - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/maravai-lifesciences-making-data-make-sense - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary To help Maravai LifeSciences better understand its financial health, Slalom developed a data and analytics architecture with Snowflake, Fivetran, and Tableau. ## Body Maravai LifeSciences: Making data make sense Maravai Life Sciences | Slalom The world benefits from the research of Maravai LifeSciences. When it was time to better understand its financial health, Slalom developed a data and analytics architecture to help keep the breakthroughs coming. To help Maravai LifeSciences better understand its financial health, Slalom developed a data and analytics architecture with Snowflake, Fivetran, and Tableau. Making data make sense Maravai LifeSciences logo Share story At a glance Every day, the world benefits from the health research of Maravai LifeSciences. So when it was time for the company to better understand its financial health, Slalom developed a data and analytics architecture to help keep the breakthroughs coming. Impact The end-user experience exceeded Maravai’s expectations, gaining traction not only in finance but with the entire executive team and its private equity firm. With 15 interactive financial dashboards, leadership can quickly access daily insights on profits, margins, budgets, sales revenues, and customer analytics. Key Technologies / Platforms - Fivetran - Snowflake - Tableau Industry Pharmaceutical, biotech biopharma Key Services Uncovering the math behind the science To recover from a global pandemic, the world anxiously awaited the vaccines that would save lives and restore some normalcy to our daily interactions. Luckily, companies like [Maravai LifeSciences](https://www.maravai.com/) have the talent, experience, and resources to bring those hopes to fruition. Through its Nucleic Acid Production business segment, Maravai provides key reagents and proprietary technologies that enable the development and production of novel vaccines—including those for COVID-19. The company helps its customers address complex discovery challenges and streamline and scale from research through clinical trials to commercialization. Maravai’s Q4 2020 IPO was a highlight in the market. Of course, a public offering represents significant financial restructuring, and this one was made even more complex by the company’s acquisitions. For some time, Maravai had been primarily focused on building a portfolio of subsidiaries that would sustain its growth. But along with each acquisition came a unique set of legacy data—all tracked and formatted differently—that was critical to understanding the company’s financial health. In order to analyze that data, Maravai’s team had to manually cull and enter it into cumbersome spreadsheets. In fact, it took a full month to produce each quarter’s report—an unsustainable workload. Maravai needed a partner with deep experience in cloud-based data and analytics to modernize its reporting. Slalom was proud to earn the partnership. In just 15 weeks, Maravai’s leadership had timely, holistic insights into the company’s financial health. The art of data architecture Maravai had experienced strong year-over-year growth since 2016 and wanted the analytics capabilities to continue that growth. “The team at Maravai knew what they needed and were willing to learn and engage with us as a trusted partner. They believed in our credentials and knew we would ensure their success,” says Akshay Mehta, senior principal at Slalom San Diego. We kicked off the five-week discovery process with a blank slate. First, we needed to learn about the data itself—what type it was, where it was housed, and the frequency of the refresh. We began by determining the company’s analytics needs. To identify all key use cases across the company, the team regularly and directly engaged with stakeholders at the highest levels. Most users wanted answers to these four questions: We divided up the business units and different components of the data to determine which KPIs would be important to each unit. Based on the data already in the system, we learned which KPIs needed to be established and whether there were any KPIs for which there was no existing data. Building for better capabilities To deliver Maravai’s interactive and automated analytics, the Slalom team articulated both the current and the future-state architecture. We then planned what it would take to go from current to future, providing options for the data integration platform, database, and visualization tool. Together, we decided on a technology stack that would not only provide the best analytics capabilities but be cost-effective as well. Over the next 10 weeks, we implemented all the identified use cases. “I greatly appreciated teaming with Slalom and was impressed with their understanding of our businesses and processes and unbiased approach to delivering us the best end solution,” says Kevin Herde, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Maravai. The Slalom team chose [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/snowflake) as the Data Cloud, creating schemas to ensure the data was modeled correctly. Powerful, fast, and flexible, Snowflake also offers Maravai end users a very quick query response time. [Fivetran](https://fivetran.com/case-studies/case-study-maravai-lifesciences) serves as a smart, fast, and low-maintenance data pipeline, and [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/tableau) provides a comprehensive, intuitive front-end experience. “Based on the guiding principles we defined together, especially those pertaining to leveraging software as a service with as little coding or specialized expertise as possible, these three vendors aligned well and have proven to drive business value in all areas at Maravai LifeSciences,” says Ryan McNaught, a data and analytics lead at Slalom. From questions to answers in 15 weeks The end-user experience exceeded Maravai’s expectations, gaining traction not only in finance but with the entire executive team and its private equity firm. With 15 interactive financial dashboards, leadership can quickly access daily insights on profits, margins, budgets, sales revenues, and customer analytics. Executive summaries with flexible filtering provide a common platform to visualize KPIs and discuss Maravai’s business performance. Kevin Herde Having the ability to obtain, present, and analyze data on a timely basis in a user-friendly interface represents a major step forward for Maravai LifeSciences and our business intelligence platform, serving our leadership as well as our financial and operations teams. Because the data warehouse is made to scale seamlessly, it requires only one person to manage it—a huge time savings for Maravai. The architecture is self-sustaining, allowing Maravai to easily add new use cases. In a continued partnership with Slalom, the company hopes to model all its [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) data in Snowflake for additional commercial analytics. And that legacy data from Maravai’s subsidiaries? The Slalom team dug deep to manually scrub four years of data, ensuring it would load properly into the new automated system. Today, Maravai is well positioned for the kind of strong, informed growth that powers scientific breakthroughs. --- title: Mass General Brigham url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/mass-general-brigham source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/mass-general-brigham locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Mass General Brigham - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/mass-general-brigham - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/mass-general-brigham - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how Slalom helped the Mass General Brigham (MGB) hospital system improve communication and collaboration on its way to becoming “One MGB.” ## Body Mass General Brigham Creating a unified “One MGB” experience | Slalom Learn how Slalom helped the Mass General Brigham (MGB) hospital system improve communication and collaboration on its way to becoming “One MGB.” Creating a unified “One MGB” experience Creating a unified “One MGB” experience Share story At a glance Slalom helped Mass General Brigham (MGB) better serve its member hospitals and employees with Vitals—a streamlined communication and collaboration platform built on Microsoft SharePoint. Impact With this one-stop shop for important information, the organization has taken a significant step toward delivering on its “One MGB” transformation promise. Key Services Cloud Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft SharePoint Online - Integrations with ServiceNow, HealthStream - Microsoft Stream - Microsoft Viva Connections - Microsoft Forms - Microsoft Power Platform Together yet separate. [Mass General Brigham’s (MGB)](https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en) rich history began over 200 years ago with the establishment of Massachusetts General Hospital and continued when the health system was founded by Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 1994. Over the years, the hospital network has expanded to encompass 16 member institutions, more than 80,000 employees, and $2 billion in research activities. MGB institutions excel in patient care, research, discovery, training, and education. They offer a broad range of healthcare services across multiple disciplines and specialties, covering the entire spectrum of clinical care needs. The group’s growth in recent decades brought with it certain challenges common to networked organizations of its size. MGB member hospitals were operating largely independently, with staff identifying more with their own institutions rather than as members of “One MGB.” This isolation came through in the way information was being shared and communicated. “There were multiple sites and an enormous disparity,” recalls Carolyn Miga, director of workplace productivity, MGB Digital. “Depending on your role and responsibility within the organization, the path to finding the right information might have been straightforward, or it could have been really complicated—and honestly frustrating.” The lack of group-wide oversight meant that information was not always being managed as effectively as possible, often resulting in missing, duplicate, and/or outdated information across multiple hospital sites. The biggest driver for the project was to get everybody onto a single platform using the same solution with the same appearance and experience for all our employees across the board. Laurie Hassan CIO, Mass General Brigham Medical Group and Community Physicians Fostering new ways to work together To help break down the barriers, MGB leadership has undertaken a transformation that started with a new enterprise-wide intranet—aptly named Vitals—that would embody its vision of One MGB. “The biggest driver for the project was to get everybody onto a single platform using the same solution with the same appearance and experience for all our employees across the board,” says Laurie Hassan, CIO, Mass General Brigham Medical Group and Community Physicians. To this end, the organization opted for a [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) SharePoint solution to maximize interoperability with its existing Microsoft technologies as well as solutions like ServiceNow and HealthStream. SharePoint would also create a solid foundation for any needs the group might have in the future. MGB enlisted Slalom’s help to drive the project forward. “Slalom really painted a vision for us that was tangible; we could see where they were going to take us on this journey,” explains Miga. “They considered our resources, the volume of work, and our desired time frame and didn’t overpromise, but still managed to deliver features they knew would really excite our employees.” The teams kicked off the project by conducting stakeholder interviews with a cross section from each business unit. This helped to zero in on common themes and challenges. By working with MGB to set up governance for Vitals, Slalom ensured that as many voices as possible were heard when designing the experience. With this input from member hospitals, the teams set out to architect Vitals in a way that would satisfy their requirements. This included setting up a logical navigation framework and site structure with information in one cohesive system to help employees find what they needed faster and easier. By using mostly out-of-the-box SharePoint functionality, Slalom and MGB created a solution that would also be easier for Miga’s staff to maintain once the rollout was complete. The road to a healthier MGB As the phased rollout was conducted over the span of about a year, communication was key to the success of the project. Michael Hebner, senior delivery principal in Slalom’s Boston office, explains his team’s approach: “We were very cognizant of the impact this project would have across the user base, so working with MGB around when and how each hospital would make the move to Vitals was done in a very thoughtful way to minimize the burden that often comes with change of this magnitude.” Thanks to these efforts, MGB was able to find the best way to inform its staff of the upcoming changes. “Slalom helped us develop robust and effective training and communications plans,” says Anna Moran, director of internal communications at MGB. “As part of this project, we created an integrated communications plan for the entire healthcare system that can serve as a model for us with other major projects moving forward.” Just shy of two years from the project’s kickoff date, all 16 hospitals were successfully moved to Vitals and are experiencing the benefits of a single source for much of their key information. Carolyn Miga Slalom really painted a vision for us that was tangible; we could see where they were going to take us on this journey. Progress toward bringing One MGB to life From a user standpoint, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Everybody’s mindset has changed to Vitals now being the first place people are going to look for information,” says Hassan. “We’ve also got a long list of people wanting to get their information on Vitals, because it's really being looked at as our one-stop shop.” MGB has also been able to realize cost savings from the project. “We’ve sunset some of our legacy systems,” notes Hassan, “and with a small SharePoint team handling maintenance and keeping Vitals up to date, we’ve really decreased our cost from an overall maintenance perspective.” On the technical and execution side, there’s also been reason to celebrate. “We actually finished the project on time, so Slalom definitely did a great job keeping us on task,” says Hassan. “But we also really valued the collaboration. They listened to what we had to say—even when I would push back on conversations, they would listen.” “It took communication, it took coordination—the MGB folks had different roles and responsibilities, but it was really Slalom that helped stitch us all together and keep us moving forward,” says Miga. “Mike and the team had a vested interest in our success, and that came through loud and clear. I’ve never seen another vendor make the extra effort Slalom did to ensure the knowledge transfer but also to validate that the subject matter experts on the MGB side were absorbing that information and felt as confident as they needed to be to carry that torch forward when Slalom’s work was done.” Vitals first, Vitals forward What does the future hold for MGB and Vitals? Not every department was part of the initial project, so there’s still some work to be done. “Eventually the goal is to have one pharmacy site, one emergency preparedness site, et cetera, at the enterprise level on Vitals,” states Hassan. “We see Vitals as something that’s going to evolve, so it's going to continue to help us in our transformation journey. It’s just one of the tools in that process.” According to Moran, “We will continue streamlining our communications across the enterprise, because we know our employees are busy doing the things that matter most: they’re providing compassionate and skilled patient care, discovering key breakthroughs, educating the next generation of healthcare professionals, and supporting our communities. Now that we’re all under one enterprise umbrella, we really want to lean into being a Vitals first, Vitals forward organization.” Want to empower and connect your teams? Let's do this Share this story A physician talking to a patient while looking at a tablet --- title: Melbourne Indigenous Transition School: Building brighter futures url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/melbourne-indigenous-transition-school source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/melbourne-indigenous-transition-school locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Melbourne Indigenous Transition School: Building brighter futures - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/melbourne-indigenous-transition-school - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/melbourne-indigenous-transition-school - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how Slalom helped an Australian Indigenous school deliver better student outcomes through strategy development, research, and data visualization. ## Body Melbourne Indigenous Transition School: Building brighter futures See how Slalom helped an Australian Indigenous school deliver better student outcomes through strategy development, research, and data visualization. Melbourne Indigenous Transition School | Slalom Building brighter futures Share story At a glance Creating opportunities for Indigenous communities is a key priority for Slalom Australia and many of our clients in the region. As part of an ongoing partnership with the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS), we helped shape the strategy and establish data analytics capabilities that empowered the school to build new facilities and make business decisions that set students up for success. Impact In addition to new facilities, MITS enjoys a stronger community for its students, with better retention rates that put more young people on a path to higher learning and workforce success. Key Services Cloud Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Forging pathways to success The Indigenous communities of Australia make valuable contributions to the country’s identity. However, many of the children from these communities aren’t set up for higher levels of education due to geographic, structural, and societal barriers. In fact, only 56.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20 to 24 had completed year 12 in schooling, according to the [Australian Bureau of Statistics](https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/australia-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-population-summary). That’s where the [MITS](https://www.mits.vic.edu.au/) comes in. This school and boarding program helps young Indigenous students from remote communities transition to partner schools in Melbourne to carry on in their education and find successful pathways into the workforce. One of these students is Ruby, who is now the first in her family to attend college, thanks to her perseverance and an opportunity at MITS. Ruby is planning to double major in nursing and midwifery. She plans to return to her community to give back and help where it’s needed after finishing university. “Students like Ruby come from remote areas where they might have 200 or 300 people in their community,” says Edward Tudor, chief executive officer at MITS. “Coming to Melbourne for them is certainly about educational quality and opportunity. But it’s also about that broader opportunity that is often found in a big city.” MITS educates students in years 7 and 8 today, helping them transition to partner schools in the area for years 9 through 12. Students learn academics such as math and English, as well as life skills. “The MITS curriculum follows the national standards; however, it’s highly differentiated and modified to meet our students’ learning needs and aspirations,” says Edward. He explains that in the past the students were housed with host families while attending MITS, but that model presented challenges. The completion of year 7 has also been a challenge in recent years, as well as the transition period when the kids move on to partner schools. To evolve the program wisely and help more students succeed, school administrators needed a robust view of student data. While money is fungible, expertise is unique. We work with the best in each sector, and we highly value Slalom’s expertise. Edward Tudor CEO, Melbourne Indigenous Transition School Teaming up for transformation In 2020, a group of Slalom employees in Melbourne made personal donations to MITS. That led to MITS reaching out to these employees, and a partnership was born. Slalom supported MITS in a pro bono capacity with student data visualisation, strategy development, and student research. Pol Lavery and his team led the charge, building a dashboard to help MITS understand what was driving its retention issue. Next was strategy development involving student, parent, and partner school research to inform the decision to expand the schooling program to include an additional year (year 8). Finally, the Slalom team assists with regular student and family research to help shape MITS’s approach to student engagement and support. “The dashboard brought together different sources of data to look at student experiences year over year,” explains Edward. “We noted there was a pattern of students who had moved between multiple different living environments, leading to a retention rate that we didn’t feel was sufficient in the context of the students’ aspirations.” The education data analysis and dashboard helped MITS understand the big picture and determine how to respond to a retention rate of just over 50% post year 7. In contrast, the year 7 completion rate is 93%. The dashboard work highlighted the need for more housing and led to MITS investing in additional boardinghouses. “Within a three-year period, we grew from one boarding house for 22 students to four boardinghouses for 100 students,” says Edward. Edward adds that the boarding model enables the students to feel safe in their community, saying, “This model is really about cultural safety and strength.” Additionally, the [Slalom Foundation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact) awarded two grants to MITS; the first contribution helped build a boardinghouse, and the second grant is being used to renovate new classroom spaces for the students. “To have the Slalom Foundation contribute towards the fit-out costs for our new building allowed us to proceed with confidence,” says Edward. “It also gives our board confidence that we are making these changes with the backing of our community.” Pol Lavery We’ve invested time and effort in MITS, but the real value for us is in working with MITS. There are always opportunities to make an impact, and supporting organizations doing valuable work helps make the world a little better. Impacting Indigenous education MITS benefits from a unified data source that enhances decision-making and keeps students engaged in their educational journey. Edward explains, ”The dashboard guided our decision to provide on-site boarding, allowing daily connections with students.” Today, MITS has expanded to serving year 8 students with the support and insights of Slalom. MITS uses year 8 time to help the kids get into the new school, build friendships, and learn more about the partner school community. Thanks to these data-driven changes, year 9 retention rates are up from approximately 50% to 86% today. The MITS community has grown stronger, offering students better experiences and the highest-quality education. Students enjoy living on campus in the new boarding facility and studying in the new classroom facility. Relationships matter in nonprofit consulting Edward appreciates the sustainable, fulfilling partnership MITS enjoys with Slalom, especially our [strategy consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy) and [data analytics](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data) expertise. “While money is fungible, expertise is unique,” he says. “We work with the best in each sector, and we highly value Slalom's expertise.” He also emphasizes the importance of pro bono and social impact work, noting it creates connections beyond technical skills and reflects the values of a business. Slalom is also thinking differently about how it creates opportunities for our Indigenous communities. By creating pathways for education, we believe that we are creating the opportunities that form the foundations of successful journeys in the workforce. Pol agrees, noting the MITS work aligns with [Slalom’s global sustainability and impact goals,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact) and Slalom Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan. “We've invested time and effort in MITS, but the real value for us is in working with MITS,” he says. “There are always opportunities to make an impact, and supporting organizations doing valuable work helps make the world a little better.” As for Ruby, the MITS student who was the first in her family to attend university, she hopes more students go to Melbourne and are given the opportunity to continue on in their education and eventually put that energy back into their communities. “For my community, I hope we grow stronger,” she says. “The more people going to uni and getting careers and giving back to their communities—that’s the ultimate goal.” Many success stories like Ruby’s exist—and many more will in the future, thanks to MITS and its inspiring work. Ready to make a bigger impact with better data? Let’s connect Share this story Physician and patient in an office and both looking at a clipboard --- title: Meredith Corporation: Rich insights on 95% of US women url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/meredith-data-studio source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/meredith-data-studio locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Meredith Corporation: Rich insights on 95% of US women - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/meredith-data-studio - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/meredith-data-studio - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped Meredith Corporation launch Meredith Data Studio, a suite of advertising solutions leveraging Meredith’s vast, proprietary, first-party data. ## Body Meredith Corporation: Rich insights on 95% of US women Slalom helped Meredith Corporation launch Meredith Data Studio, a suite of advertising solutions leveraging Meredith’s vast, proprietary, first-party data. Meredith Corporation provides rich insights on 95% of US women | Slalom See how Meredith’s unparalleled data set, combined with Slalom’s advanced analytics expertise, gives advertisers a deep and timely understanding of women’s habits, preferences, and motivations. Rich insights on 95% of US women Meredith Corporation Share story At a glance Building on a successful five-year partnership, Slalom helped Meredith Corporation launch its Meredith Data Studio, a suite of advertising solutions leveraging Meredith’s vast, proprietary, first-party data on over 95% of US women. Impact Meredith’s unparalleled data set combined with Slalom’s advanced analytics expertise gives advertisers a deep and timely understanding of women’s habits, preferences, and motivations. Key Services Industry Marketing and advertising Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Snowflake Trusted content for nearly 120 years From risotto recipes in Allrecipes to newborn sleep strategies in PARENTS, [Meredith](https://www.meredith.com/) has brought essential, inspiring, and trusted content to Americans for nearly 120 years. Meredith’s National Media Group reaches more than 190 million American consumers and 95% of all US women. With over 40 sites across entertainment, parenting, food and beverage, style and beauty, health and wellness, home, and travel, Meredith has an unparalleled amount of first-party data on US women. Since 2015, Slalom has been a trusted adviser and implementation partner on Meredith’s data journey. “Meredith brought us in to help develop a framework for analyzing and structuring its first-party data—a framework to bring all the data together where they could gain the most insight from it,” says Pallavi Tyagi, a Senior Principal consultant at Slalom. “Slalom has this huge reservoir of talent, so we were able to pull in Slalom consultants who could help out with very specific types of data analyses that we just couldn’t do internally,” says Corbin de Rubertis, Meredith’s Head of Innovation. Slalom helped Meredith build a [modern culture of data](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) by: - centralizing its data sources—giving executives direct access to metrics; - analyzing billions of data points across data sources to identify and predict trends and patterns in consumer behavior; - providing ML-driven insights to influence advertiser marketing, targeting, creative, and product development; - developing a consumer-decision framework that understands consumer actions from the lens of their key daily decisions to optimize media spend and placement; and - leveraging capabilities of underlying [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/aws-cloud-consulting) and [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/snowflake) platforms. Introducing Meredith Data Studio, in partnership with Slalom Meredith enlisted Slalom to help support the exciting launch of Meredith Data Studio, Meredith’s in-house research and insights division leveraging its vast, proprietary, first-party data and predictive insights capabilities to offer full-service data solutions to advertising partners about women’s habits, preferences, and motivations. The solutions include predictive analytics, paid consulting, and self-service tools. “We’re providing an unmatched, comprehensive, and timely understanding of women and their purchase intent—the holy grail for our partners,” says Alysia Borsa, President of Meredith Digital. Meredith Data Studio provides insights powered in part by Slalom. The suites of solutions are offered in a flexible tiered model. This includes a custom consulting solution, which is an ongoing, annual retainer service that leverages Meredith’s data, social listening, market research, and editorial expertise. This offering provides insights tailored to clients’ business needs. Advertisers can also choose the Insights Pack solution, which gives access to onetime, trends-based insights at a brand or category level. With Meredith Data Studio, advertisers get a multidimensional view of consumers that fills in knowledge gaps. “Meredith owns so many brands across so many different types of industries, and the ability to have a holistic view of the content someone chooses to interact with is really powerful,” says Erica Kilbride, a data and analytics Director at Slalom. “It’s a lot of breadth and depth we’re covering.” Consumers don’t make decisions in isolation, Tyagi adds. “Our overall lives influence how we behave with a product. Having that full 360-degree view of the consumer—of her and her life—helps us see what else she would do, what else she likes, how else advertisers can reach or influence her.” Powered by advanced data science The foundation of Meredith Data Studio is a proprietary and evolving taxonomy of over 13,000 terms. For example, lavender relates to colors and patterns, gardening, and cooking. Having a detailed and robust taxonomy enables us to combine terms across levels of the taxonomy and slice data with high specificity. Knowing the different uses of lavender helps answer questions like What colors are trending in home decor? Which herbs do home cooks commonly use in desserts? Are edible landscapes trending? The next step for Meredith was to create an identity graph that allows us to uniquely identify consumers as they engage with content across multiple channels and devices. “With the identity graph, you can see, for example, that suburban moms between 26 and 35 years old tend to be interacting with diaper content more frequently—and maybe 50-plus female and male users are looking at that content as well—potentially grandparents reminding themselves on how to do it,” says de Rubertis. Alysia Borsa We’re providing an unmatched, comprehensive, and timely understanding of women and their purchase intent—the holy grail for our partners. Meredith captures over 12 billion intent signals—what visitors are searching for, clicking on, subscribing to, buying, sharing, or adding to a list. For example, if you’re typing in “quick dinner” on Allrecipes, your intent is to make a meal. If you’re emailing a recipe, your intent is to share it with someone. Meredith Data Studio is also able to predict women’s future behavior and preferences using machine learning. One way our teams do this is by using natural language processing to scrape comments sections, finding sentiments and trends. “Not only can we see what people were doing in the past, we can actually forecast what they might be doing over the next couple of weeks, months, or years in certain categories, which is fascinating for advertisers,” says de Rubertis. Validated stories In addition to capturing clickstream data, the Meredith Data Studio team works with Meredith editors to validate and expand on these insights. “Meredith has some of the most savvy and sophisticated editors in the industry, and we have direct access to them,” says Tyagi. “They share their expertise and foresight, which helps bring the art and science pieces together. They help validate insights we’re seeing or provide their editorial expertise on emerging trends.” Corbin de Rubertis Not only can we see what people were doing in the past, we can actually forecast what they might be doing over the next couple of weeks, months, or years, in certain categories, which is fascinating for advertisers. Meredith also has its own survey groups to answer specific questions and augment and validate insights, creating a deeper understanding of specific customer behaviors. “It’s a blend of a market research group, as well as a media group that is very close to their customer and understands who they are at a closer level than just audience aggregation,” says Kilbride. Advertisers can also choose to validate which trends are informing purchases by leveraging Meredith’s own, or the brand’s, shopper data. All these sources come together to tell a story that’s not just unique and powerful, says Tyagi, “but we know it’s been validated by data, editors, and consumers.” Left and right brain working together Meredith Data Studio is a first-of-its-kind business partnership between Slalom and a client where we’re going to market together and driving mutually beneficial growth. “It feels like we’re both bringing about 50 percent to the table in terms of Meredith’s scale and data and Slalom’s analytics skills and strategic intelligence,” says de Rubertis. “It’s nice to be able to have that combination, which has given us that speed to market and quality of what we’re going to market with. It feels like we’ve got a whole brain now instead of just the left brain.” De Rubertis says the client reception and enthusiasm has been the best part of working on Meredith Data Studio so far, and “the second best has been the opportunity to work with the super-smart people at Slalom.” Pallavi Tyagi is no longer with Slalom. --- title: Metro Supply Chain: Fueling new ventures url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/metro-supply-chain source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/metro-supply-chain locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Metro Supply Chain: Fueling new ventures - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/metro-supply-chain - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/metro-supply-chain - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When a world-class logistics provider was ready to amplify data-driven benefits for customers and expand into new markets, Slalom developed a cloud-based solution to modernize its analytics. ## Body Metro Supply Chain: Fueling new ventures Metro Supply Chain | Slalom When a world-class logistics provider was ready to amplify data-driven benefits for customers and expand into new markets, Slalom developed a cloud-based solution to modernize its analytics. Fueling new ventures Metro Supply Chain Share story At a glance When a world-class logistics provider was ready to amplify data-driven benefits for customers and expand into new markets, it chose Slalom as its partner. Impact Slalom helped Metro Supply Chain develop a cloud-based solution to modernize its analytics. Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Snowflake - Matillion - Microsoft Power BI A data opportunity Every day, some of the world’s best-known brands entrust their goods and services to [Metro Supply Chain](https://www.metroscg.com/)—a world-class third-party partner provider. Headquartered in Montreal, the company has a team of 6,000 employees and operates almost 100 sites across North America and Europe. Thanks to a combination of financial strength, buying power, and vast warehouse space, it offers a wide range of innovative and automated distribution services, including warehouse and order fulfillment, transportation, contract packaging, automation, and much more. Founded in 1974, Metro Supply Chain began as a single public warehouse for the paper industry. Over time, it expanded to serve major consumer packaged goods (CPGs) , retail, footwear and apparel, industrial, food and beverage, and more industries in North America and Europe. Then, while many of its competitors struggled during the pandemic, the company grew—and with acquisitions came new opportunities. Metro Supply Chain had always understood data’s potential to help reach its goals. By providing key KPIs—labor reports, inventory turnover, and (for its new B2C customers) order status—it could provide tangible benefits to customers, fulfill its long-term vision to amplify value-add services, and create a foundation for future growth. “Business intelligence is one of our differentiators. It’s an important aspect of how we compete in this industry, so we knew we had to invest in it,” says Edgar Seiden, vice president of information systems and technology at Metro Supply Chain. The company was ready to modernize its capabilities—and Slalom was proud to be chosen as a partner. Edgar Seiden We asked ourselves: Would we have a partner that would stay with us and work through the problems? And Slalom didn’t walk away. The lay of the land Like many organizations, Metro Supply Chain had long relied on static and spreadsheet-driven data. The company embarked on an analytics journey internally, but issues with its on-premises architecture soon brought the work to a halt. Leadership knew they needed a long-term solution and invited Slalom to join the project. In our initial assessment, the Slalom team found that the architecture had hit its limit and would no longer scale. Reports took hours to refresh and reload, costing teams valuable time. The organization would need to either purchase more costly hardware or leverage the elasticity of cloud services, and ease-of-use was critical to the project’s short- and long-term success. Because [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) was designed and built in the cloud, the company had already begun to explore a partnership. ”Leadership is certainly very innovative in the way they think about what they want to do for their customers,” says Louis Cheuk, director at Slalom, ”and they want to do it in a way that isn’t too cumbersome for their internal teams.” Journey to the cloud In the first phase of the work, we agreed on a hybrid approach—some data remained on-premises and some was moved to the cloud. But with Metro Supply Chain’s rapid increase in size came an increase in data, and the solution we’d hoped would last for 12 months instead lasted for six. The Slalom team developed a number of different options for the new ecosystem, and together, we decided to fully modernize with an all-Snowflake solution. “It gave us the opportunity to have more robust data refreshes and a securable source of information,” says Paolo Mari, vice president of business analytics and commercial management at Metro Supply Chain. “We could have backup information in the UK, for instance, and our main source data in Canada.” Our goal was to keep the data sources where they were, move the data lake into the cloud, build the ingestion process through a cloud-based product, and merge with the company’s existing visualization tools. “Our teams worked really well together. They were very open to feedback and guidance about what needed to happen and helped us prioritize the right work for our sprints,” says Kim Waselovich, senior director at Slalom. Over the course of the project, Metro Supply Chain’s three-person team expanded to 10 people, most of whom were able to learn the business even while we created the new environment. The project, of course, wasn’t without its challenges. The ecosystem around Snowflake was still evolving, and data ingestion required considerable research and revision. “We asked ourselves what would happen if we did what we set out to do and it didn’t work,” says Seiden. “Would we have a partner that would stay with us and work through the problems? And Slalom didn’t walk away.” Paolo Mari Customers say we are far, far ahead of the curve. Using the common data platform we built together, Metro Supply Chain can now provide customers and potential customers with a holistic view of operations—financials, warehouse volumes, and distribution center productivities. New labor and machinery reporting directly translate into cost optimization. “All that information is a new product offering,” says Mari. “I don’t need slides in the sales pitch, I just show a demo of the Power BI reporting. Customers say we are far, far ahead of the curve.” Our work with Metro Supply Chain continues as the company modernizes its internal systems to visualize financial information, facilitates data-driven technology, and expands into machine learning. “We’re doing a lot more than letting customers view their own data,” says Seiden. “We’re enhancing it with labor tables, for example, which gives them a lot more insight into profitability and productivity, which they love. And I think they’ll keep asking for more.” Woman working at a table in a warehouse --- title: Michigan State Police: Creating a dynamic crime dashboard for safer communities url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/michigan-state-police-crime-dashboard source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/michigan-state-police-crime-dashboard locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Michigan State Police: Creating a dynamic crime dashboard for safer communities - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/michigan-state-police-crime-dashboard - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/michigan-state-police-crime-dashboard - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary With a modern dashboard for crime analytics, Michigan State Police is empowering public safety and enabling data-driven policing. ## Body Michigan State Police: Creating a dynamic crime dashboard for safer communities Michigan State Police dashboard crime analytics | Slalom Learn how an up-to-date crime data dashboard helps the state of Michigan empower better-informed public safety decisions. With a modern dashboard for crime analytics, Michigan State Police is empowering public safety and enabling data-driven policing. Creating a dynamic crime dashboard for safer communities MICHIGAN STATE POLICE Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with the Michigan State Police to support one of its goals—to maintain public trust—by creating an up-to-date crime data dashboard and upskilling internal teams so they can find new, data-driven ways to support the community. Impact Michigan’s Crime Dashboard empowers better-informed public safety decisions using insights based on the most current data available. Stakeholders and residents can better understand regional public safety trends across jurisdictions. Industry State, provincial local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Tableau Key Services Cloud Harnessing the value of public safety insights [Michigan State Police](https://www.michigan.gov/msp) (MSP) is a leader and partner in law enforcement and public safety, with a highly trained, full-service force that is mobile, flexible, and responsive to emerging public safety needs across Michigan. Because public trust and support are essential to good community policing strategies and accountability, MSP is committed to making information about its operations and administration easily accessible to the public. Michigan is one of just two states in the entire country where emergency management falls within the purview of the state police. For Michelle Kleckler—an 11-year veteran in emergency management—those two very different worlds came together when, on her first day as director of Michigan’s Criminal Justice Information Center, she was asked to create an all-new crime dashboard. Historically, MSP had relied on manual processes to manage and report its legally mandated Crime in Michigan Annual Report. Creating the report required about six months of tedious work from their teams each year—writing, rewriting, and analyzing data and summary language from agencies all over the state. The final product of all that hard work was a very long PDF report—static, out-of-date, and therefore unhelpful to the people and agencies who needed its data. “I decided I never wanted to review another one of those again,” says Kleckler. Then, at a time when communities began demanding visibility into public safety data, Slalom’s Detroit team reached out to MSP to offer support and expertise. Our initial engagement was not about pushing solutions but about listening and learning. Police officer using laptop in vehicle We first wanted something meaningful and actionable primarily for our troopers, sergeants, lieutenants, and first lieutenants. Then we decided to expand this valuable resource to external partners in law enforcement. Finally, we recognized the opportunity to create transparency by broadening it to the public. Michelle Kleckler Director, Michigan Criminal Justice Information Center Building a public safety experience for the people who need it Our Slalom team spent two years deeply embedded within the MSP Criminal Justice Information Center, immersing ourselves in its processes, understanding how it collects and manages data, and exploring the broader impact of public safety data across Michigan. Our approach was fundamentally human-centered. The early phases of our work involved persona building and discovery, as Slalom facilitated conversations with stakeholders to ensure that the dashboards would deliver the specific information that each agency required. We also asked critical questions about the people involved and existing processes in place, ensuring that our work was tailored to the unique needs of MSP and the communities it serves. Following a monthlong discovery process, we collaborated with MSP to automate the tedious, time-consuming manual processes required to produce the annual report. The logic for crime counting is very complex, so we first addressed three key challenges—outdated reporting, limited accessibility, and data management inefficiencies. As with most projects that transform manual processes into automated ones, scrubbing the data was a critical first step. Eric Fowler, who manages data strategy and governance at MSP, had already begun rewriting the logic that supports the new dashboard—thousands of lines of SQL code— transforming the raw data into the tables needed to support the dashboard. As we looked for ways to not only provide data but make it insightful and actionable, the depth of our “bold vision explorations” revealed unexpected insights for everyone. Scott Smith, a director at Slalom, says, “We spent quite a bit of time asking troopers and commanders about their work. And what we discovered was just how open they were to it. They were very interested in being able to talk data across different districts, posts, geographies—all to get a better, less-siloed perspective. As a data strategist, I was excited to help MSP think beyond their current construct and move not just one foot away but a thousand feet away from where they were and to then help translate that vision into reality.” Slalom and MSP began thinking beyond what was necessary and exploring what was possible—additional functionality, an intuitive look and feel, and consistent, carefully considered language that would ensure that members of the public could easily understand exactly what the information they were viewing meant. CJIC Dashboard Portal crime data overview Upskilling a team and enabling new insights The next phase was development. “We were meeting throughout the entire life of the project, multiple times per week, brainstorming how we wanted it to look, how we wanted it to interact, what was the right logic, what about ADA compliance ... There was a lot of teamwork, a lot of collaboration throughout the project,” says Fowler. Working side by side using Tableau Prep, Tableau Desktop, and Tableau Server, we automated MSP’s data workflows and transformed its data management practices. For the agency, it was critical that its own team learn to carry the vision forward independently. Through many knowledge transfer sessions with Slalom, MSP developed the skills and models necessary to both maintain what was created in that project—and to build upon its suite of data dashboards to provide more specific reports, including vehicle crashes. In fact, while it takes far fewer people to maintain the new crime dashboard, MSP has actually grown its information team by finding new ways to use both the data and the suite of [Tableau services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau). Minimizing effort, maximizing value For the state of Michigan, the new [Crime Dashboard](https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/cjic/dashboard-portal/crime-dashboard) enables better-informed public safety decisions based on current, interactive data and insights. Stakeholders and residents can better understand their data and regional public safety trends across jurisdictions using intuitive and dynamic tables, charts, and graphs. The launch of the dashboard represents significant community engagement, accessibility, and data sharing. By replacing static reports with interactive, customizable dashboards, MSP is meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders, including public users, researchers and academics, and government agencies and media. For Kleckler, the value of the project is multifaceted. For too long, the team was limited by the tools and training they had. This work was an opportunity to expand their skills using the Tableau tools they’d asked for, and to help them discover new data-driven ways to support their community. So how will the crime dashboard evolve from here? Kleckler says, “The crime dashboard served as a blueprint for what we want to do in other areas across the division. It’s the first dataset that went into our data lakehouse and the first dashboard available to the public. We now have a series of dashboards—internal, external, and public. As a result, we’ve been able to use those dashboards rather than create a massive annual report that took my team hours to produce. It’s really transitioned our vision into concrete capabilities and proven we can go everywhere. We are replicating this process with other key datasets such as statewide traffic crash data and automatic set-aside numbers.” Ready to automate time-consuming manual processes? Let’s talk --- title: Multnomah County: Tackling the homelessness crisis with data-driven insights url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/multnomah-county-data-mart source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/multnomah-county-data-mart locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Multnomah County: Tackling the homelessness crisis with data-driven insights - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/multnomah-county-data-mart - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/multnomah-county-data-mart - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Multnomah County and Slalom built a Snowflake data mart to modernize homelessness reporting, improve services, and secure vital funding. ## Body Multnomah County: Tackling the homelessness crisis with data-driven insights We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Multnomah County | Data Mart | Slalom See how a Snowflake data mart is helping Multnomah County fight homelessness with clear insights, better services, and stronger funding. Multnomah County and Slalom built a Snowflake data mart to modernize homelessness reporting, improve services, and secure vital funding. Multnomah County data mart | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Tackling the homelessness crisis with data-driven insights Share story At a glance In Oregon’s most populous county, an outdated data infrastructure was creating confusion about the extent of the homelessness crisis—and the impact of efforts to intervene. Slalom partnered on a Snowflake solution to make it easy to extract and share accurate data. Impact By replacing manual processes with a data-exchange platform, the county gained a clearer view of its unhoused population—including crucial demographics and solutions—and accessed tools needed to secure funding. Key Services Industry State, provincial local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Snowflake - Tableau To effectively solve a crisis, we have to understand it Geographically speaking, [Multnomah County](https://multco.us/) is Oregon’s smallest county, but it’s also the state’s most populous. The majority of residents live in Portland, well known for its spectacular mountains, forests, food, and art scene. However, like many American cities, Portland is also experiencing a homelessness and housing crisis. Of the county’s 800,000 residents, approximately 15,000 are experiencing homelessness—and each year, those numbers increase due to a housing shortage that makes rent unaffordable for many residents. In Multnomah County, homelessness is a true crisis in need of effective solutions. While the numbers alone presented a staggering challenge, for those tasked with ending the crisis, the situation was far more layered—and individualized—than the public could see or understand. And the public had questions. With the record-breaking funding being raised to end the homelessness crisis, residents understandably wanted to know how dollars were being spent and when they’d see results. But without the right platform to access data on the county’s services, these were very difficult questions for Multnomah County to answer. Even though the county had done years of work to improve its data, its antiquated systems meant extracting and sharing that data was a cumbersome process that could introduce inaccuracies. “As someone who lives in Portland and has homeless encampments near my house, the most meaningful work for me was understanding what our orchestration looks like,” says Stephen Patch-Putt, a senior consultant at Slalom. “When I learned I’d be part of this project, I went to a homelessness consortium meeting. One of the common threads was the lack of data—of good data—that was available to researchers and providers.” Modernizing data collection for more effective public service When Jenna Kivanc joined Multnomah County’s [Homeless Services Department](https://hsd.multco.us/) as data manager, she brought fresh eyes and an extensive background in public health to her new position. “I was trying to solve the problem of how we could modernize, get the data into a data mart so we could monitor the quality and improve it in order to make better decisions—because one of the things we’re trying to do here is be as transparent as we can possibly be,” says Kivanc. That’s when Dan Cole, the county’s IT portfolio manager, reached out to Slalom. Together, we embarked on a journey to create a data-exchange platform in [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) with Slalom’s [Homeless Response System Accelerator](https://www.snowflake.com/en/resources/solution-brief/slalom-homeless-response-system-accelerator/). “To provide decision makers with faster access to information, we needed a more accessible and usable data solution,” says Cole. “Slalom’s skilled data professionals designed and implemented our new data mart in just a few months. They were crucial in converting our previous manual tools and processes into a robust, analytics-focused data mart that was immediately ready for use by analysts and report developers.” Dan Cole IT Portfolio Manager, Multnomah County As part of our discovery process, Slalom led two workshops—one exploring intake in various places like shelters, rehabilitation facilities, and hospitals, and the other focused on bidirectional reporting to ensure the county could present data in a way that kept key decisionmakers informed. The team came to understand not only how difficult it is to count a transient population but also how critical it was for Multnomah County to have good systems for both data collection and data cleansing. “It wasn’t a surprise that they were experiencing data-quality issues—in dire situations like these, data hygiene tends to take a back seat to boots-on-the-ground needs,” says Jack Murphy, principal at Slalom. Working closely with Multnomah’s skilled internal team, we learned that the data sources used for reporting were siloed in separate systems, and the county’s processes were intensively manual. So as dire as the crisis already looked on paper, the number of people experiencing homelessness was actually double what officials had believed it to be. “Once the Multnomah County team was able to explore our reports, they could drill down to the underlying data to gain more insight into trends and patterns within our local homeless services system,” says Patch-Putt. Up to that point, understanding local trends and patterns meant stitching together reports from different states over several years. According to Murphy, “The biggest challenge was creating a common language for multiple analysts who work on different styles of reporting and creating consensus on what their target measurements were supposed to be.” Snowflake served as kind of a foundation for all those different feeds into the county’s system, essentially taking snapshots of what happened every 24 hours. Delivering effective public service solutions with timely, data-driven insights With the new platform, Multnomah County officials have a 30,000-foot view of the crisis—not only the total number of people experiencing homelessness, but also crucial demographics such as who is most affected, where they’re sheltered, and more. “This solution was built with a lot of care and understanding of our business needs,” says Kivanc. “It was like nothing we could’ve created within that time frame—we could not believe that we had something operational within six months. And we continue to have a very productive relationship with the IT team that was integrated and upskilled with Slalom.” Today, Multnomah County can respond with confidence to questions about the crisis and can make better business cases for future funding. Analysts and service providers can collaborate with the clarity and transparency of a shared language. Most importantly, timely statistics and a more detailed perspective empower policymakers to make informed decisions about where to allocate resources, develop targeted programs, and tackle the root causes of homelessness. Gretchen Peri You can’t talk about government services simply in terms of efficiency. Services have to be delivered efficiently and received effectively. Too often government agencies don’t know if they’re helping or reducing the problem or even exacerbating it. That’s where data can change the game. Ready to make your program more efficient—and more effective? Talk to a Slalom expert Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: MV Transportation: Increasing driver safety with Power Apps url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/mv-transportation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/mv-transportation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # MV Transportation: Increasing driver safety with Power Apps - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/mv-transportation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/mv-transportation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with both drivers and management to develop an app that evolved from a dispatch solution into a tool that replaced several paper-based processes, improving efficiency, transparency, and the overall employee experience. ## Body MV Transportation: Increasing driver safety with Power Apps We partnered with both drivers and management to develop an app that evolved from a dispatch solution into a tool that replaced several paper-based processes, improving efficiency, transparency, and the overall employee experience. MV Transportation | Slalom A private transit operator needed to quickly deploy an app to help keep its drivers safe from COVID-19. We partnered with both drivers and management to develop an app that evolved from a dispatch solution into a tool that improved efficiency, transparency, and the overall employee experience. Increasing driver safety with Power Apps Share story At a glance A private transit operator needed to quickly deploy an app to help keep its drivers safe from COVID-19. That's where Slalom stepped in. Impact Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft [MV Transportation](https://www.mvtransit.com/) is the largest privately owned passenger transportation contracting firm in the United States. When COVID-19 hit, the company’s drivers needed an alternative to their usual in-person check-in process. Prior to each shift, they were crowding into a small space near the dispatch window to clock in and get their vehicle numbers. There (could be) an app for that Stephanie Doughty, MV’s vice president of professional services, mentioned the company’s wish for a contactless dispatch app during her regular monthly meeting with the company’s [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) account manager. The account manager put Stephanie in contact with a Microsoft Power Platform Power Apps app developer, who created a base configuration prototype. The app required further development, so MV partnered with Slalom to rapidly refine and deploy the Driver app solution. MV pulled together a pilot group of 20 drivers in the Las Vegas market for help. The Slalom team took an Agile approach and iterated based on feedback from the drivers, who come from varied demographic backgrounds. The group included tech-savvy digital natives and older drivers who had never downloaded an app. While everyone was initially hesitant about using an app for dispatch, many drivers quickly saw the value in it. Some even became super users who started to help train their peers. Jazmine Lockhart is a younger MV paratransit driver in Las Vegas who regularly helps her coworkers with the app. As part of the pilot group, Lockhart was recruited to give feedback in the early stages of the app’s development. “There were a lot of glitches in the beginning,” she says. But with regular meetings and more iterations, Lockhart happily reports “the app has come a long way.” Anthony Priest Now they’re working much faster and more Agile than they ever have before. They’ve amplified their ability to deliver with Power Apps. Training smooths the transition Lockhart found the MV Driver app intuitive and easy to learn—and she’s helped some of her older coworkers when they’ve needed assistance with the new tool. “I text them how to work it if they’re out on route,” she says. “I think that sometimes they think that I’m with IT.” MV Transportation works with both union and non-union markets. The first deployment location, Las Vegas, is union. MV found more success with change management when the company recruited members of the Las Vegas union to become training leads during the classroom training sessions. “One of the things that we first learned from working with the pilot group was to make sure, first and foremost, that we worked with them,” says Doughty. By including the drivers as part of the process, they became stewards for change. Drivers at each new deployment location now receive in-person classroom learning time to master how to log in to Azure Active Directory and create a password so they can use the app. “In-person and live training has been a key aspect of change management,” says Doughty. During trainings, some people who aren’t as technologically savvy have expressed frustration. “We spent time sitting down and empathizing with them,” she says. That individualized attention helped gain driver buy-in. The few drivers who don’t own smartphones can clock in using the tablets the company provides in the lobby and break rooms. In addition to the training that we provided for the drivers, Slalom developer Anthony Priest spent 40 to 60 hours teaching the in-house IT team at MV Transportation how to use Power Apps to deliver solutions. “They were full-stack .NET developers,” says Priest. “Now they’re working much faster and more Agile than they ever have before. They’ve amplified their ability to deliver with Power Apps.” Jazmine Lockhart Ninety percent of people use all the MV Driver app features because it’s so efficient. Adding app enhancements While the idea for the app sprang from a need to keep MV drivers safe during pre-shift check-ins, it’s ultimately helping MV scale and address other problem areas within the company. By addressing the primary issue at hand, Slalom enabled the company to solve for the future as well. Today, the app is the main way for drivers to interact with the company. In the markets where MV has deployed the app, drivers log in not only to clock in for their shifts, but also to submit paid-time-off (PTO) requests and payroll discrepancy forms, and view their time sheets. “Ninety percent of people use all the MV Driver app features because it’s so efficient,” says Lockhart. Lockhart says the app makes it “way easier” to request PTO. “I arrive around the same time management leaves,” says Lockhart. Before the app existed, she’d have to leave a note under someone’s door. “You can use the app during a break on your route or at home.” Sometimes drivers’ scheduled time conflicts with actual time worked, which requires a correction. “Nobody wants to come in on their day off to deal with a payroll discrepancy,” says Lockhart. “You can deal with that issue through the app too. It’s way more convenient. And it gets looked at faster, before the actual pay period hits, so it can be corrected.” Digitizing the workflow has significantly increased visibility for MV’s employees. “Drivers were complaining that some people were getting their time-off requests approved and other people weren’t,” says Priest. “It was first come, first served. With a piece of paper, you could never tell exactly what time someone handed it in. Now there’s full transparency.” Priest’s team also added a feature for “unusual incident” reporting. Any driver-involved vehicle accident goes through incident reporting, and anything outside of an accident—such as a passenger fight that causes a route delay—is marked as an “unusual incident.” Previously, these events were reported on paper, and drivers often felt that they were overlooked. Now, with the feedback mechanism that Priest added to the app, a driver who has submitted a report receives a status update after someone on the management team has reviewed it. Drivers now feel more heard, improving employee relations, and eliminating paper reports has helped the company stay true to its sustainability vision. MV management will benefit from the reporting capability that the Slalom team built on top of the new “unusual incident” reporting feature. The insights they’ll gain could help them make adjustments to improve operations. For example, if MV notices that unruly passengers are more prevalent on certain routes during a specific time of day, they could increase security during that period. While there’s not a lot of hard data yet, Doughty believes that there are likely more on-time driver departures in the locations where MV Driver App is deployed. Additionally, the MV employee experience has improved for all drivers. A groundswell, not a wave At present, about 1,200 out of 9,000 total drivers are using the app. As a practice, Doughty has found that “more concrete and defined deployments are more successful” than broad deployments, so the company is starting small. MV plans on deploying the app for all its new-market contracts. Incoming drivers will use the app from the start of their employment. Doughty reports that drivers have appreciated the speed with which we’ve added new features to the app, such as the shift-trade request feature that’s now in beta. “That’s going to be very popular,” she says. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on that.” --- title: Nasdaq: Investing in a culture of innovation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/nasdaq-investing-culture-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/nasdaq-investing-culture-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Nasdaq: Investing in a culture of innovation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/nasdaq-investing-culture-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/nasdaq-investing-culture-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Want to retain top talent with a purpose-driven culture? Find out how we helped stock exchange giant Nasdaq build an enterprise-level culture activation roadmap. ## Body Nasdaq: Investing in a culture of innovation Nasdaq: Investing in a culture of innovation | Slalom Want to retain top talent with a purpose-driven culture? Find out how we helped stock exchange giant Nasdaq build an enterprise-level culture activation roadmap. Investing in a culture of innovation Nasdaq logo Share story At a glance When stock exchange giant Nasdaq wanted to address company culture through the lens of its business transformation, Slalom partnered to deliver an enterprise-level culture activation roadmap. Impact Not long ago, a visible artifact—a company screen saver, a mug—could be mistaken for work culture. Nasdaq knows the difference. Together, in just nine weeks, we developed an enterprise-level culture activation roadmap with a sustainability plan, process development, workshop design, initial culture awareness communications, and transition memos and meetings. Industry Capital markets Key Services Activating a global culture Not a weekday goes by that the news-watching world doesn’t see or hear the name [Nasdaq](http://www.nasdaq.com/). Founded in 1971, it was the world’s first electronic securities exchange and has grown to become the second-largest exchange in the world. More than 3,700 stocks are listed on the Nasdaq (NDAQ), including technology giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and many others. From its position at the center of capital markets, Nasdaq serves corporations, broker-dealers, and investors all over the world. Widely recognized as an industry innovator, Nasdaq is increasingly technology-driven—in fact, data and analytics services are now the biggest part of its business. To continue expanding its technology offerings, Nasdaq has made significant acquisitions and shows no signs of slowing down. With so many new hires and new global offices, maintaining a positive and unified work culture has become a priority. In recent years, Nasdaq grew its people team to meet the demands of its changing business. And when the company rolled out its refreshed cultural values in 2019, employees fully embraced them. Values and culture are not synonymous, however, and Nasdaq leadership understood that one supports the other. “I really wanted to understand our employees’ perceptions of what it means to work at Nasdaq from a cultural perspective—in terms of our behaviors, the way we work, and where we have opportunities to meet the demands of our future business growth,” says Laura Agharkar, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Culture at Nasdaq. The company wanted to develop tangible recommendations to activate its culture and support its purpose, values, and plans for growth. Slalom was proud to be invited to partner. Laura Agharkar Throughout the process, we had to pivot, change directions, and appeal to audiences multiple times. But I had 100 percent confidence in Slalom. One size does not fit all When it comes to work culture, there’s no perfect formula that fits all companies—or even an individual company. In our initial conversations, the Slalom organizational effectiveness team presented tactical recommendations for ways that Nasdaq could strengthen the connection between its growth strategy and its people strategy. “You need to create a culture that will help you execute on your vision and your business model,” says Amy Marshall, a senior director at Slalom. “We want to know what you’re trying to do as a business and talk about the culture you need to help achieve that.” For Nasdaq’s leadership, that was the right approach. With a corporate purpose to champion inclusive growth and prosperity all over the world, it was crucial for Nasdaq to ingrain diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout every part of the culture. We needed to ensure that it felt globally relevant, speaking to different cultures and demographics. But in order to arrive at a well-aligned future state, the Slalom team needed to understand the culture’s present state. To learn how teams were experiencing Nasdaq’s culture, we reviewed Nasdaq’s existing employee surveys and found that the responses were overwhelmingly positive. People felt that collaboration was encouraged, work-life balance had improved, and inclusivity was increasingly prioritized. Of course, there were also some disconnects—people didn’t understand the “why” behind the culture. Things seemed to be organically good rather than purposefully good. Employees also wanted to see the culture championed by leadership, clarification around professional development, continued momentum around ID E, and actionable ways to innovate. Together with Nasdaq, we set out to address the gaps and align vision with culture. As part of our discovery, the Slalom team conducted interviews and focus groups with 90 people from multiple levels in every global region, including North America, MEA, Europe, and APAC, as well as from all employee resource groups—Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latinx, LGBTQ, and more. We then defined the desired future culture and held leadership sessions to align on takeaways. Applying the organizational strategy lens For Nasdaq, we didn’t need to fix a broken culture—we needed to activate its existing culture. We set out to establish behaviors, processes, interactions, and ways of working that would protect the unique, positive attributes that had already enabled it to grow and scale. The culture also needed to be realistic, attractive, and transparent to continue supporting new growth. “We wanted to help Nasdaq prioritize its efforts with specific parts of the culture and show how to focus on them,” says Euna Park, a senior principal focused on organizational effectiveness at Slalom. “For example, rather than telling them how to be innovative, we offered ways to actually be more innovative.” In phase two, we developed a high-level roadmap of recommendations to arrive at the desired future state and created persona-based employee journey maps. We planned actions for six months, one year, and two years. To further boost Nasdaq’s ID E efforts, we recommended that the company bolster ERGs, BRGs, and affinity groups. In career planning, we recommended a standardized skills and development framework and improvements around 360-degree feedback. To empower innovation at every level, we recommended removing boundaries and red tape so that employees could move faster. To promote engagement, we recommended a purpose-led culture communications campaign. And to make those recommendations realities, we articulated a change management plan. The biggest challenge came with internal alignment. In an organization where many people stay for life and experience many changes over time, it wasn’t always easy to understand the need for a new framework. But as it became clear that a culture activation would not only dovetail with Nasdaq’s business goals but also help recruit and retain top talent to achieve them, leadership became fully engaged and passionate about the project. “Throughout the process, we had to pivot, change directions, and appeal to audiences multiple times. But I had 100 percent confidence in Slalom. I always knew they would be extremely well-prepared,” says Agharkar. The evolution of an innovation giant Not long ago, a visible artifact—a company screen saver, a mug—could be mistaken for work culture. Nasdaq knows the difference. Together, in just nine weeks, we developed an enterprise-level culture activation roadmap with a sustainability plan, process development, workshop design, initial culture awareness communications, and transition memos and meetings. “Not only did Slalom help us build the foundation for one of our core enterprise goals—a holistic, well-defined culture—it informed executive conversations around strategy and fostered engagement from our teams around the world,” says Richard Taylor, Senior Vice President, People Experience and Diversity at Nasdaq. Right now, changes in the job market and in the world are pushing many organizations to reevaluate their cultures. Employees, candidates, and leaders alike expect a connection between a company’s values and its actions. By prioritizing a clearly defined culture aligned with its business goals, Nasdaq has stayed ahead of the curve. The company has made an investment in its employees. And those employees now have the tools they need to champion inclusive prosperity around the world. --- title: National Kidney Foundation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/national-kidney-foundation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/national-kidney-foundation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # National Kidney Foundation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/national-kidney-foundation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/national-kidney-foundation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When National Kidney Foundation wanted to create a more holistic experience for its constituents, we helped them launch a business transformation strategy. ## Body National Kidney Foundation Leveraging change to eradicate kidney disease When National Kidney Foundation wanted to create a more holistic experience for its constituents, we helped them launch a business transformation strategy. National Kidney Foundation | Slalom Share story At a glance Impact This transformation allowed the organization to intentionally prioritize its culture, break through organizational silos, tailor its online messaging, and scale impact in the fight against kidney disease. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Change management - Data visualization Casting a brighter light on kidney disease While heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are health issues largely at the forefront of public awareness, conversations around kidney disease often fall by the wayside. Yet a staggering 33% of people in America are at risk for kidney disease. That’s one in three people who may be affected, which is why the [National Kidney Foundation](http://kidney.org/) was founded in 1964. Headquartered in New York with over 30 offices across the country, the National Kidney Foundation is the largest patient-centric nonprofit organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the United States. The organization advocates for more policies, research, education, and innovation to support the kidney patient community. To further its efforts, the National Kidney Foundation needed a way to reach and meaningfully connect with more constituents while still optimizing efficiencies from within. To do so, the organization partnered with Slalom to launch a transformational strategy that would unite the organization internally while driving external awareness and engagement across key audiences. ​ Kevin Longino Our website and digital assets are extremely important to scaling our mission impact, but we’d underinvested in that area. Slalom helped us build the culture, infrastructure, and platform necessary to scale our organization’s reach in the way we needed. Taking a human-centric approach to content The first step of the project: tackling kidney.org, the organization’s digital front door. “Our website and digital assets are extremely important to scaling our mission impact, but we’d underinvested in that area,” says Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation. “Slalom helped us build the culture, infrastructure, and platform necessary to scale our organization’s reach in the way we needed.” Slalom’s team first audited the organization’s website, performing a crawl of over 25,000 pages to analyze user engagement, metadata, content tagging, and duplicative content. From there, we conducted more than 50 interviews with online users to understand how the nonprofit’s messaging resonated with its constituents. Our research uncovered misaligned messaging and found that over 56% of pages had received no traffic in a 12-month time span. Together, using these key learnings, we stripped away thousands of website pages hindering search performance. We then developed six personas, two customer journey maps, and 14 recommendations to inform a human-centric content strategy for kidney.org that would resonate with the unique needs of every user. Doctor with white coat on Breaking down silos to build up relationships Once a content strategy was in place, it was time to equip the organization internally. The National Kidney Foundation has an array of stakeholders to reach, including patients, care teams, policymakers, insurance companies, public health officials, and more. With the intricacies of so many stakeholders, the organization needed to go beyond its website and enact a digital services model that would enhance decision-making and ​build deeper relationships with every audience segment. The Slalom team interviewed more than 60 stakeholders and performed an in-depth discovery into the nonprofit’s processes, uncovering that each department competed to obtain certain goals, leading to department-centricity and silos. To combat this problem, we worked with internal teams to deliver a best-practice architecture and future-state operating model, clearly articulating new roles, workflows, escalation procedures, a governance council, and more. “If we don’t organize our own house, we’re just going to create chaos for others,” explains Dolores Machuca-Ruiz, chief marketing officer of the National Kidney Foundation. “Slalom really helped us with a digital framework that forced us to put a process into place. It’s helped us be more collaborative, more holistic, and more strategic.” Turning compassionate focus inward In the last phase of the project, we helped launch a cultural transformation that would allow the National Kidney Foundation to turn its compassionate focus inward and better unite staff on all levels and geographies in support of the organization’s mission. Our team designed a culture survey and data dashboard to understand employee outlooks more deeply. Together, based on the results of this survey, we developed a cultural roadmap, vision, and new set of values for the organization. This laid the groundwork for the organization to address challenges, engage staff, and further promote diversity and inclusion. “Slalom held itself up as a good example of what a culture could or should be. I believe that everyone at Slalom has bought into the values of their organization,” says Longino. “And that became very meaningful for us as we were trying to do our own cultural transformation.” To ensure long-lasting success, the Slalom team delivered a change management plan, equipping leadership with coaching to champion changes from the top down. Our work allowed the National Kidney Foundation to strengthen its community across a hybrid workforce, elevate internal communications, and inform future recruiting, onboarding, and retention strategies. Dolores Machuca-Ruiz Slalom really helped us with a digital framework that forced us to put a process into place. It’s helped us be more collaborative, more holistic, and more strategic. Driving impact to save more lives The National Kidney Foundation considers itself a lifeline for kidney patients, and at its core, the purpose of the organization is to save lives. Our comprehensive approach to business transformation will enable the National Kidney Foundation to broaden its reach, drive innovation, and elevate impact in its work to eradicate kidney disease. “I cannot think of a better group of folks to collaborate with and partner with,” says Longino. “I’m honestly convinced that our constituents and patients are going to be benefiting for decades to come from the value that Slalom brought to our mission and our organization.” Two kids hugging looking away from the camera --- title: National MS Society: Creating a digital experience that empowers the MS community url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/national-ms-society-digital-experience source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/national-ms-society-digital-experience locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # National MS Society: Creating a digital experience that empowers the MS community - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/national-ms-society-digital-experience - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/national-ms-society-digital-experience - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how our Salesforce consultants transformed the National MS Society’s website with an accessible and personalized cloud implementation. ## Body National MS Society: Creating a digital experience that empowers the MS community National MS Society | Slalom Learn how we worked with the National MS Society to create a personalized and accessible digital experience for those affected by MS. See how our Salesforce consultants transformed the National MS Society’s website with an accessible and personalized cloud implementation. Creating a digital experience that empowers the MS community Share story At a glance We partnered with the National MS Society to redesign its website, ensuring people affected by MS can easily access the essential resources and support they need and helping empower them to live their best lives. Impact Together, we launched the largest Salesforce Experience Cloud website in history, revolutionizing the National MS Society’s ability to deliver personalized and accessible experiences to its constituents. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Experience Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization - Sanity - Google Analytics 4 - Coveo Leading a movement to create a world free of MS Nearly a million people across the United States live with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease that targets the central nervous system. While MS symptoms vary from person to person, they can include fatigue, mobility challenges, cognitive changes, and vision issues. Despite the growing number of MS diagnoses, the disease still holds many unknowns, with scientists unable to identify a direct cause or cure. However, to date, more than 20 disease-modifying therapies have been approved to treat MS—all of which were supported through funding or research fueled by the [National Multiple Sclerosis Society](https://www.nationalmssociety.org/) (the Society). Founded in 1946, the Society is the largest MS organization in the world, working tirelessly to fulfill its mission to cure MS while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives. Through cutting-edge research, advocacy, and support programs, the Society is dedicated to creating a world free of MS. Lindsey Read Slalom had a connection to our mission. They took a lot of care and effort to showcase that they understood exactly what we needed. Slalom’s passion and skills across a full suite of solutions, combined with that true depth of expertise, is what ultimately led us to select them as our partner. Offering a gathering place for those who need it most Over 8.6 million people engage with the Society every year, making the organization a gathering spot for anyone affected by MS. From people living with MS to care partners and healthcare professionals, people across the MS community turn to the Society’s website to learn more about the disease and find resources, support, and connection. Yet, as the resources on the Society’s website grew, the experience became harder to navigate, making it difficult for users to find the most relevant information. Additionally, the site wasn’t mobile-friendly, which created friction for the 60% of users who accessed it via a mobile device. “The way the world is now, digital experience is ubiquitous. It is often the main way people engage with organizations, and you only get one chance at a first impression,” says Lindsey Read, vice president of digital experience and analytics at the Society. “We needed to meet our constituents where they are, making it easy to access information and resources that empower them to live their best lives.” Given the crucial role of its online presence, the Society wanted to create a more seamless, frictionless digital experience for its constituents while enabling cross-functional collaboration internally. To do so, the Society engaged Slalom to reimagine its website. “Slalom had a connection to our mission. They took a lot of care and effort to showcase that they understood exactly what we needed,” Read explains. “Slalom’s passion and skills across a full suite of solutions, combined with that true depth of expertise, is what ultimately led us to select them as our partner.” Just because we’re a nonprofit doesn’t mean that people don’t have the same expectations from their digital experience. Ronda Krier Executive Vice President of Technology, National MS Society Keeping constituents at the core of a cloud implementation We immediately assembled a team of 40 Slalom experts and Salesforce consultants to bring the Society’s vision of an accessible, mobile-first, constituent-centric website to life, which would also lay the foundation for personalization and omni-channel experiences. The Society already had a significant Salesforce footprint, utilizing Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud. Given this strong existing infrastructure, the decision was made to leverage Salesforce Experience Cloud to build and host the Society’s new website, specifically utilizing the Lightning Web Runtime framework (LWR) to ensure a faster and more modern web experience. From there, we embarked on a 10-week discovery period, diving deep into the Society’s user flows and their work to shift from a persona-based approach to a “jobs to be done“ model, focusing on the specific “jobs“ users aimed to accomplish on the website. Throughout the research process, constituents continuously provided feedback, shaping the site’s structure based on the path and experience they desired. “Just because we’re a nonprofit doesn’t mean that people don’t have the same expectations from their digital experience,” points out Ronda Krier, executive vice president of technology at the Society. “We have to meet those expectations in order to be a trusted source of information for people who are living with MS.” Fueling personalization with Salesforce and Sanity Slalom performed a comprehensive audit, working with the Society to review over 6,000 pieces of content and remove any outdated information. These pieces were then transferred to Sanity, a content management system that leverages reusable content block templates, making it easy for the Society to update its resources on an ongoing basis. The seamless integration between Sanity, Salesforce Experience Cloud, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization created a robust personalization engine for the Society. Visitors to the website will now be greeted with a drop-down box asking, “What brings you here today?” This feature retrieves the most relevant content based on their answer, offering an accelerated path to the vital information constituents need to access. Next, our team integrated the website with Google Analytics 4, developing a KPI framework with clearly defined business metrics to monitor ongoing performance and quantify success. This work will help the Society understand constituent behavior in a detailed and meaningful way, laying the groundwork for more personalization opportunities in the future. This has been one of the best partnerships I’ve had in my career. Slalom made all the difference because they were just as committed to our success as we are. They went above and beyond and made sure that we crossed the finish line and launched a website that we would be proud of, and we did. Embracing an accessibility-first approach To ensure people can easily find the Society’s website, we worked closely with the Society to incorporate SEO best practices into every element of the site, from the tagging codes in Salesforce to the keywords weaved throughout the content. In addition to optimizing for search engines, the website was also designed to be mobile-first, multilingual, and—most importantly—accessible to all users. Since accessibility is paramount for those who live with MS, we performed a website accessibility overhaul. The entire site—from the design to the content—was meticulously crafted to meet WCAG AA-rated accessibility standards and, wherever possible, AAA standards. For example, our team ensured the website had easy-to-read color palettes, screen reader compatibility, simple visuals and videos, and straightforward language to replace complex medical jargon. We then conducted feedback sessions so people living with MS could comfortably navigate and use the website. “Accessibility isn’t just in design. It’s in the way that we code. It’s in the way that we implement content. It’s in the way that SEO works. In everything we did, we always took an accessibility-first approach,” says Tori Pesaturo, senior delivery principal at Slalom. “We built a website that truly meets the needs of constituents by keeping them in mind every step of the way.” Empowering connection through digital innovation Together with Slalom, the Society has now launched the largest Salesforce Experience Cloud website in production today. At a core level, this site impacts everyone who interacts with the Society. Internally, the website touches every team, streamlining processes and enhancing collaboration. Externally, the website offers a personalized, intuitive experience, providing constituents with a platform where they feel seen and heard while accessing the information they need to move their lives forward. “This has been one of the best partnerships I’ve had in my career. Slalom made all the difference because they were just as committed to our success as we are,” confirms Read. “They went above and beyond and made sure that we crossed the finish line and launched a website that we would be proud of, and we did.” Slalom was honored to receive a 2024 Salesforce Partner Innovation Award for this work. Learn more about our [Salesforce partnership](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Looking to deliver more personalized, accessible experiences? Get in touch Share this story --- title: Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles: Modernizing services for a seamless customer experience. url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/nevada-department-motor-vehicles-customer-experience source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/nevada-department-motor-vehicles-customer-experience locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles: Modernizing services for a seamless customer experience. - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/nevada-department-motor-vehicles-customer-experience - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/nevada-department-motor-vehicles-customer-experience - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped the Nevada DMV build a modern platform for their products and services to cut wait times for constituents and streamline processes for employees. ## Body Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles: Modernizing services for a seamless customer experience. Nevada DMV | Slalom Learn how we partnered with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to streamline service with a modern, citizen-centric platform. We helped the Nevada DMV build a modern platform for their products and services to cut wait times for constituents and streamline processes for employees. Modernizing services for a seamless customer experience Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Share story At a glance We helped the Nevada DMV build a modern platform for its products and services to cut wait times for constituents and streamline processes for employees. Impact With more services online, the customer experience is improved and processes are faster, easier, and more convenient for Nevadans. Key Services Cloud Industry State, provincial local government Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce - MuleSoft - ABBYY - Nintex - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Box - Drawbridge Identifying the issues Everyone has their own Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) story, complete with long lines, incorrect paperwork, and maybe even multiple visits. As most of the DMV’s products and services require an office visit, this can be challenging for customers who need to carve out significant time from their day and often take time off work to visit during business hours. A challenge facing the [Nevada DMV](https://dmv.nv.gov/) in particular is the growing volume of constituents. Nevada’s population has grown steadily year over year as people flock to the state for job and housing opportunities. Inevitably, these new residents end up at the DMV, contributing to long lines and wait times. The Nevada DMV wanted to build a new, modern experience for constituents, improving access and convenience by offering services beyond regular business hours and providing online options to reduce the need for in-person visits. The DMV also wanted to streamline processes and optimize its employee experience. Having successfully worked with the largest DMV in the country, Slalom was well positioned as a strategic partner to help the Nevada DMV modernize and transform its organization across people, processes, and technology. Slalom’s human-centered design approach was exactly what we needed. The Slalom team understood that it’s not just about the technology but the employees who will be using the system and the vast, varied population who will be affected. Molly Lennon Administrator, Nevada DMV Charting a course forward The Nevada DMV transformation started in October 2021 with an extensive discovery period dedicated to uncovering the DMV’s various products and services. The result was a catalog of over 800 products and services the team could use as a single source of truth. The catalog was then prioritized based on the product’s or service’s popularity and the impact of moving it online. The Slalom team worked intimately with customers, employees, and leaders from across various domains at the DMV to identify, value map, and prioritize all functional and non-functional capabilities, which allowed them to develop an eight-year directional execution roadmap. In April 2022, Slalom and the Nevada DMV mobilized a cross-functional team of 130 members to develop strategic and transformative capabilities that balanced foundational long-term investments with quick wins. “Although we have an eight-year roadmap, there is no end date to the transformation effort,” said Lennon. “Even after the core products are online, the program will continue to refine and optimize our citizen-centric platform to streamline DMV services.” Real-world results The first quick win that had an immediate impact on both customers and employees was the deployment of a multilingual chatbot. This chatbot eliminated the call center email backlog (and associated staff overtime expenses) and provided customers with a self-service option that allowed them to resolve issues faster. Next, the team launched a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) platform to reduce the processing time for new dealer car titles. The DMV had a large backlog of unprocessed titles, causing dissatisfaction among dealers and customers. The platform reduced processing time for DMV technicians to collect and verify documents from 40 to 14 days, resulting in better service and an improved experience for Nevadans. In the summer of 2024, the team released Rapid Registration, which allows Nevadans to apply for vehicle registrations online. This provides a convenient alternative to in-person office visits and, ultimately, reduces traffic and wait times in DMV offices. In the first week the initiative launched, Slalom saw 10% adoption of the online service, with over 1,200 Nevadans creating an account in the two pilot locations. Additional digital transformation efforts included launching a complaint and ID theft submission portal, digitizing certain paper forms, and creating back-end workflows for the Compliance Enforcement Division (CED) and investigators. This allows CED employees to take in, assign, and track cases for identity theft and complaints, and NV customers can now file complaints against DMV licensees using this new online portal. Looking to the future Nevada citizens now benefit from faster, more convenient DMV services online, including reduced wait times, easy access to appointments, and more. They can complete DMV transactions on their own time, at any time, and are not restricted to business hours. By accessing services online, customers now know in real time whether they have all the required documentation and can complete tasks faster than the end-to-end experience of going to a DMV for the same service. Nevada DMV employees benefit from streamlined processes and powerful tools, allowing them to better serve citizens and focus on high-impact tasks. Moving the most routine services online reduces lines in offices, creates operational efficiencies, and frees up employees to focus on cases that require high-touch customer service. ”Nevada DMV is excited to partner with Slalom to create a DMV of the future. This transformation will revolutionize how our citizens interact with us, making their experience faster, easier, and more convenient,” says Lennon. --- title: Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how we helped Norwegian Cruise Line embrace generative AI to transform the customer experience and simplify cruise vacation planning. ## Body Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations Norwegian Cruise Lines GenAI assistant | Slalom See how GenAI assistant Nora simplifies vacation planning, so guests are 58% more likely to enter the booking funnel at a 16% higher value. Learn how we helped Norwegian Cruise Line embrace generative AI to transform the customer experience and simplify cruise vacation planning. Norwegian Cruise Line GenAI assistant | Slalom GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations Share story At a glance To help guests navigate the complex process of booking a cruise, Norwegian Cruise Line partnered with Slalom to develop [Nora](https://www.ncl.com/ai-assistant), a GenAI-driven itinerary search assistant. Impact With Nora making it easier to plan their dream vacations, guests are 58% more likely to enter the booking funnel at a 16% higher value. Key Services Organizational change & talent Industry Travel hospitality Key Technologies / Platforms - OpenAI - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - LangGraph As a leader in the cruise industry, with an award-winning fleet of 32 ships and over 450 travel destinations, [Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)](https://ncl.com) has been innovating for over 57 years to help people vacation better and experience more. However, cruise lines face a pervasive, industry-wide challenge: the process of booking a cruise is innately complex, especially for guests who have never set sail before. With so many different ports, ships, and itineraries to choose from, it takes up to 64 considerations before someone books a cruise. From the moment of their first consideration, it also takes up to 18 months before a guest embarks on their actual voyage. Recognizing this complex digital journey, NCL partnered with Slalom’s [AI consulting experts](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) to embrace advancements in technology and eliminate the overwhelming array of decisions that guests face when planning their dream vacations. cruise port Slalom had a great vision and a relevant understanding of our industry. Their team helped us push the envelope and stretch beyond our own comfort zone to keep our guest experience moving in a positive direction. Kellay Buckelew, Chief Digital Experience Officer Norwegian Cruise Line Venturing into new horizons with GenAI Our teams kicked off with a four-week innovation sprint to iterate through solutions that could simplify the cruise-booking process. In this short time frame, we developed a prototype of a digital itinerary search assistant. Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and AWS, this prototype demonstrated that generative AI (GenAI) can significantly enhance the cruise-planning experience, offering guests insights and answers in ways that surpass traditional web-browsing capabilities—even without tailored customization or direct data integration. With our destination clearly in sight, we were ready to mobilize. As Dylan Brock, senior director of digital product design and innovation at NCL, explains, “There’s a big difference between creating a proof of concept and putting something into production. So we looked to Slalom to say: ‘You’ve started this great work. Now let’s execute it.’” Introducing Nora: NCL’s GenAI assistant running on beach To bring NCL’s GenAI-driven itinerary search assistant to life, we worked together to: - Determine the best technologies for NCL’s existing architecture - Integrate the assistant with NCL’s data, brand guidelines, and FAQ knowledge base - Establish guardrails to protect personal information, identify and block toxicity, and guard against prompt injection - Experiment with different user experiences to ensure depth of knowledge and visually appealing responses The result of this powerful collaboration was Nora. Built on the same OpenAI and AWS technology, Nora is a GenAI chatbot that helps guests narrow down itinerary options, inspiring them to find, compare, and ultimately choose the right vacation. Guests can message Nora with their cruise preferences, and Nora will recommend itineraries based on their inputs. For example, a guest could ask Nora, “Can you recommend a family-friendly cruise with lots of shore excursions at a low price?” and Nora will deliver personalized vacation options that fit their exact criteria. Beyond itinerary planning, Nora can also answer customer service questions through conversational language and human-like guidance. Whether a guest needs to know the best time to board their cruise or an NCL employee seeks information to assist a guest quickly, Nora is equipped with the answers to create a more informed consumer. Driving more bookings, at a higher value “With Slalom, we get a company that can always bring the right skill sets to the table. Slalom understands our product, our guests, and the pain points our guests face to help us realize solutions,” says Scott Friedman, vice president of digital experience at NCL. Now live and available to NCL’s website visitors across the United States, Nora has significantly reduced the complexity guests face when planning a cruise. Additionally, Nora will continue to serve as a powerful data source for NCL, allowing the cruise line to gain deeper insights into guest preferences to boost ongoing customer satisfaction and loyalty. By elevating the vacation planning experience for guests, Nora has helped NCL achieve tangible improvements in booking metrics. Expanding the boundaries of tomorrow As we look toward the future, the foundational building blocks are now in place for NCL to scale Nora’s technology even further, evolving the assistant into an end-to-end digital vacation companion that can help with all aspects of planning, answering questions, excursions, restaurant reservations, and more. Kellay Buckelew, chief digital experience officer, concludes, “I believe the future is incredibly bright for the digital experience journey we are building to support our guests, our employees, our travel partners, and our crew. Nora is going to play an incredibly impactful and important part in supporting this journey moving forward. And it all started from a conversation with our trusted partner Slalom.” Need an expert to help you set sail with GenAI? Let’s talk --- title: Ochsner Health: Making healthcare more human with Salesforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ochsner-health source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ochsner-health locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ochsner Health: Making healthcare more human with Salesforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ochsner-health - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ochsner-health - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary A national hospital system wanted to improve how it connected with patients. Using Salesforce, we built a solution that helps Ochsner’s teams create a unified patient journey. ## Body Ochsner Health: Making healthcare more human with Salesforce Ochsner Health A national hospital system wanted to improve how it connected with patients. Using Salesforce, we built a solution that helps Ochsner’s teams create a unified patient journey. Ochsner Health | Slalom Making healthcare more human with Salesforce Share story At a glance Impact Now, with a 360-view of patients, streamlined processes, and the ability to deliver personalized messaging, the organization can anticipate and respond to patients’ needs like never before. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Health Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud ozztootcsj A push to personalize the patient experience [Ochsner Health](https://www.ochsner.org/), the largest non-profit academic healthcare system in the state of Louisiana, has grown into a national hospital system of more than 25,000 employees serving 40+ hospitals. Driven by its mission to serve, heal, lead, educate, and innovate, Ochsner provides coordinated clinical and hospital patient care with a focus on connected, convenient patient experiences. As a forward-thinking healthcare provider, Ochsner Health was looking for ways to leverage innovative technology and optimize the way it interacted with patients. From awareness and intake to follow-up and retention, the goal was to improve care by providing the relevant, timely, targeted messaging patients deserve and expect, based on their experiences with consumer brands. Ochsner implemented a variety of third-party data and digital solutions to improve its patient experience, but encountered roadblocks trying to integrate the disconnected applications. Ochsner’s teams recognized that siloed data was making it difficult to leverage the information they needed to improve communications. The organization wanted a CRM platform capable of unifying a single, comprehensive patient journey. Chelsea Lockhart At the core of Ochsner is a spirit of innovation to improve outcomes and experiences for our patients. Slalom clearly valued that innovative spirit. The team’s ability to see our challenges and provide custom solutions to fit our system was evident from day one. An end-to-end patient engagement system To achieve its goals quickly and smoothly, Ochsner began looking for a consulting partner with experience in optimizing customer journeys using CRM platforms. We were thrilled when the health system decided to combine Slalom’s expertise with its compelling vision: leveraging technology to elevate care for all patients. Our consultants spent hands-on time with Ochsner’s IT, marketing, contact center, and analytics teams to understand their needs and craft a comprehensive solution. We quickly recognized that integrating existing systems and tools would be crucial to a successful rollout. For example, incorporating Ochsner’s existing data software (and the millions of documents within it) would enable team members to spend less time switching between third-party platforms and more time optimizing patient communications. Keeping Ochsner’s patients in mind was crucial to prioritizing new features. After gathering perspectives from various stakeholders within the hospital system, our experts began building the basics of Ochsner’s solution on Salesforce Health Cloud and Marketing Cloud. We conducted extensive pilot tests, sharing and discussing results with Ochsner to ensure effective, repeatable outcomes at scale. Then our consultants built out the rest of the CRM functionality, incorporating existing patient information to ensure a smooth transition. The results? - 50,000 incoming calls per week optimized with streamlined patient detail visibility - 7+ million patient records organized, including integrated clinical data - 35.15% email open rates and 3.29% click rates - Improved targeting and tracking for marketing campaigns with consolidated data - More personalized communications for patients at every stage of their journey with Ochsner - Reduced dependence on third-party vendors - Faster strategizing and beta-testing through increased visibility of results Slalom has worked with Ochsner to develop a more holistic understanding of our patients as healthcare consumers. With the Salesforce platform, we re able to ensure each of our patients feel heard, understood, and cared for at every touchpoint. Jennifer Bollinger Senior Vice President, Consumer Strategy, Ochsner Health Efficient data integration and highly personalized patient journeys With relevant information available on a single, accessible platform, Ochsner can now map a 360-degree view of its patient experience. Consolidated data enables the marketing team to deliver targeted messaging to segmented patient categories and the call center to provide faster, more personalized recommendations for medical care. Prior to working with us, much of Ochsner’s marketing execution and reporting was managed by a third-party vendor. But with a comprehensive, optimized patient engagement solution, it was able to bring those processes in-house. Increased visibility of metrics and results has led to more internal buy-in on the strategies and their effectiveness. Ochsner’s call center associates now have the helpful tools they need to better serve patients—like patient detail summaries that automatically pop-up on their desktop, based on incoming phone numbers that match existing records. A recommended services tab, powered by the CRM’s customized integrations, also enables associates to give more precise guidance to each unique patient. These personalized communications help Ochsner patients feel understood and valued. More good things to come After such a successful CRM overhaul, Ochsner is now in the process of working with us to implement Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management. These tools will enable Ochsner to incorporate transactional data from its retail businesses—bolstering the teams’ 360-degree view of their patients and further streamlining the patient experience. The future is bright. Patient sitting on hospital bed in doctor's office talking to healthcare professional with medical equipment nearby --- title: Ocuco: A sharper vision with AI-accelerated engineering url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ocuco: A sharper vision with AI-accelerated engineering - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Integrating GitHub Copilot AI-accelerated engineering with human-focused change management helps achieve productivity gains and a transformative cultural shift. ## Body Ocuco: A sharper vision with AI-accelerated engineering We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Ocuco | GitHub Copilot | Slalom See how Ocuco partnered with Slalom to embrace AI-powered engineering that led to significant productivity improvements and a cultural shift towards innovation. Integrating GitHub Copilot AI-accelerated engineering with human-focused change management helps achieve productivity gains and a transformative cultural shift. A sharper vision with AI-accelerated engineering | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom A sharper vision with AI-accelerated engineering ascension Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with the engineering team of a global optical software company to facilitate GitHub Copilot adoption through a personalised change and adoption journey, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement. Impact Ocuco’s developers integrated AI-empowered engineering into their workflows to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency—including a 233% increase in time savings per week. Key Services Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - GitHub Copilot Finding focus In the visionary world of eyecare technology, [Ocuco](https://www.ocuco.com/company/about-us) shines as an innovation leader, orchestrating the future of optical software with precision. Ocuco works to transform the eyecare industry, crafting digital solutions that redefine what’s possible for optometrists, optical labs, and retail chains. At the heart of Ocuco’s offerings is a practice management system that synchronizes clinical and retail operations for everyone from independent practitioners to vast optical empires. With solutions deployed in over 6,750 sites across 88 countries, Ocuco is powered by over 350 experts stationed in tech hubs from the US to China. “Ocuco stands out among technology companies by providing an incredible platform tailored to the industry and maintaining a close partnership with customers through a continuous release cycle of new features,” says David Gregg, a managing director at Slalom who collaborated closely with Ocuco. To deliver faster time to market for new product features and updates, Ocuco wanted to look at how AI can accelerate its engineering function. The company had previously purchased GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered tool that streamlines the development process and boosts productivity—key factors in Ocuco’s innovative approach to integrating customer investment into its growth strategy. While many of Ocuco’s software engineers had adopted the new functionality into their daily workstreams, others needed a nudge to fully embrace the change. “We wanted to challenge the mindset of the organisation—we were really looking for a mentality shift,” says Ben Churchill, who leads AI strategy for Ocuco. To do that, the visionary optical software company looked to Slalom for assistance in helping its developers embrace [AI-accelerated engineering](https://www.slalom.com/us/en//services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering). Ready to make technology move faster and smarter? Explore how Slalom’s AI-accelerated engineering approach improves quality—and speed. Our approach A human approach to AI Ocuco and Slalom embarked on a journey to help Ocuco developers fully adopt GitHub Copilot. The initiative kicked off with a workshop attended by Ocuco’s senior technical leaders, focusing on the transformative power of AI. Michael Jones, the Slalom director leading the project, explains, “This work boils down to getting Ocuco to fall in love with the benefits and value of the technology.” The team delved into why Ocuco chose this technology, emphasizing goals like enhancing productivity, accelerating speed to market, improving quality, and elevating customer satisfaction. Slalom used a blend of practical sessions and dedicated office hours for employee questions, which proved to be a beneficial strategy. “While many companies adopt an ad hoc strategy for AI, we’re considering the hearts and minds of our team—that’s the real difference.” Ben Churchill Chief AI Officer, Ocuco Next came a pivotal discussion on change adoption. Jones says, “Adoption work is actually about human transformation—it’s teaching individuals how to reimagine the building blocks of their days to infuse AI into everything they do.” A structured human-centered change adoption strategy empowered Ocuco’s developers to unlock the full potential of AI tools. The project’s final component was fostering a mindset of continuous improvement within Ocuco. The focus shifted to the question: “How can we unlock more benefits and better value by infusing AI into more of these building blocks?” This forward-thinking method was designed to ensure long-term success and momentum. All together, these efforts created a strong foundation for Ocuco’s developers to not only embrace AI technology but to thrive in a constantly evolving digital landscape. The partnership promises ongoing innovation and collaboration, setting the stage for future successes. “Slalom’s overall capacity to provide guidance and serve as a sounding board for a range of issues—even those beyond the project’s original scope—proved invaluable,” adds Churchill. Slalom’s AI approach helped Ocuco automate efficiently, achieving significant gains in the first quarter. Delivering productivity—with heart The adoption of AI-accelerated engineering led to significant productivity gains for Ocuco, thanks to a holistic approach focused on both technology adoption and improving the overall experience. “We’re observing greater engagement with AI today, with numerous use cases emerging and overall productivity rising,” says Churchill. “However, one aspect that remains difficult to quantify is the cultural shift within the organisation—there are certainly benefits we’ve gained that aren’t directly reflected in the productivity metrics.” That’s because Ocuco has taken a holistic approach to AI—one that prioritises the well-being and perspectives of its employees above all else. Ready to release the benefits of AI-accelerated engineering? Let’s talk Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: Oncopadi: Advancing cancer care in Nigeria url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/oncopadi-advancing-cancer-care-nigeria source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/oncopadi-advancing-cancer-care-nigeria locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Oncopadi: Advancing cancer care in Nigeria - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/oncopadi-advancing-cancer-care-nigeria - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/oncopadi-advancing-cancer-care-nigeria - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When e-health startup Oncopadi won the Astellas Changing Cancer Care (C3) contest, we helped the company mature its business model, expand its user base, and create new revenue streams. ## Body Oncopadi: Advancing cancer care in Nigeria When e-health startup Oncopadi won the Astellas C3 contest, we helped the company mature its business model to give more Nigerians access to oncology care. Advancing cancer care in Nigeria | Slalom When e-health startup Oncopadi won the Astellas Changing Cancer Care (C3) contest, we helped the company mature its business model, expand its user base, and create new revenue streams. Advancing cancer care in Nigeria Share story At a glance When e-health startup Oncopadi won the Astellas Changing Cancer Care (C3) contest, we partnered to help the company mature its business model and expand its user base while creating new revenue streams via partnerships. Impact Oncopadi is now better positioned to provide the Nigerian people with access to oncology care and structured for the future with scalable revenue. Industry Healthcare provider Key Services Connecting cancer patients with clinicians Many types of cancer are treatable, and even preventable—if you’re able to access the oncology care you need. In many parts of the world, that luxury doesn’t exist. Inequities in healthcare systems across the globe lead to a lack of preventive care, education, access, and more. Many people are left stuck on the wrong side of the healthcare equation—and that can be dangerous, if not deadly. In Nigeria, the challenge is a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly clinical oncologists (COs). There are currently only 78 practicing COs in Nigeria with a ratio of 1 CO to 1,645 new cancer patients. That’s where [Oncopadi](https://oncopadi.com/) comes in. The mission-driven startup serves 30 healthcare institutions in 19 states across Nigeria with e-patient health platforms to help patients connect with clinical oncologists. Because most of the COs practice in the larger cities, care is not easily accessible for patients who live farther away from the city centers. The shortage of COs and high patient loads for the current clinicians compound the problem, as does the relatively high cost of subscription fees for Oncopadi’s previous health platform. In too many cases, patients end up seeking care when they’re at a later stage in their cancer and treatment options are slim. For Dr. Omolola Salako—oncologist, cofounder, and CEO of Oncopadi—the quest for better cancer care is personal. She lost her sister to cancer many years ago, and improving cancer care in Nigeria has become her life’s work. Oncopadi’s other cofounder, Dr. Adaorah Momodu, brings a focus on developing award-winning, technology-powered solutions that help people. “I am passionate about solving issues sitting at the intersection of technology, healthcare, and innovation,” Dr. Momodu says. To improve access to care and help patients receive treatment earlier on in their cancer journeys, Oncopadi built a health platform to focus on e-patient care. Oncopadi needed to continue providing patient care with solutions that would deliver the best experiences and scale for future growth as its partnerships and user base expanded. Astellas’ C3 contest brings hope for change Oncopadi entered [Astellas' annual Changing Cancer Care (C3) contest](https://astellasoncology.com/c3prize). Each year, [Astellas Pharma](https://www.astellas.com/us/) holds a global challenge to bring forward the latest non-treatment ideas for advancements in cancer care for patients, caregivers, and providers. The contest rewards the grand prize winner with a grant, as well as consulting services to help bring an idea to life or to advance its lifesaving capabilities. In 2021, that winner was Oncopadi, and Slalom was delighted to be the consulting partner. Creating the member journey was a huge benefit as it’s something we hadn’t done before. It helped us set the stage for some patient-centric solutions we’ve been able to develop. Dr. Adaorah Momodu Cofounder, Oncopadi Working toward an impactful outcome Slalom mobilized to understand Oncopadi’s mission and business, and then determined the most impactful ways to help. Our team hosted a workshop to help Oncopadi build a pitch deck with key messaging that could be used to secure new partnerships and sponsorships. We also cocreated a business backlog to help the company prioritize its business ideas, such as new services and platform functionality. Together, Slalom and Oncopadi discussed how to create prioritization criteria to use resources most effectively and finish building the services that would be most valuable to Oncopadi’s patients. In addition to reviewing operational ways to expand growth, Slalom worked with Oncopadi to increase its patient base by understanding and intentionally managing the user experience with persona and customer journey mapping tools. In all, Slalom provided more than 125 hours of consulting services with workshops, a pitch deck, partnership backlog, persona framework, user journey map, and a product evolution scoring framework. “In one session with Slalom, we looked at all of our various user personas,” says Momodu. “Then we began to sort and invest heavily in the two most common user personas that we identified, looking at how we could best provide information to these groups.” Dr. Salako adds, “It was one session—but it has a lifelong application to many of our decisions when we’re building new products or programs.” Following our discussions, Oncopadi reworked its digital presence and prioritized building services that targeted its largest user base. Today, the company has three products: an e-patient mobile app, a web app, and a virtual tumor board. With the tumor board, Oncopadi sets up virtual cancer hubs where patients can walk in and interact with virtual oncologists in collaboration with local physicians. Breaking down inequities and increasing access Thanks to the Oncopadi team—as well as the Slalom consultants—more Nigerian cancer patients can access digital cancer care today. The barriers of cost and geographic location have both been improved due to new partnerships and rebranded patient experiences. Oncopadi has also been able to create educational videos for patients, and the company is already receiving positive reviews from the cancer community. As for the user base? It’s grown—and Dr. Salako is hopeful it will increase exponentially in the future. “We want to drive our user base to 15,000,” says Dr. Salako. “Currently we’re at 3,000 users, and when we engaged with Slalom, we were at 1,000.” The doctors also see improvements in Oncopadi’s communications, which now speak more closely to the cancer patients and overall cancer community. “We deliberately invested in copywriters to improve our messaging, and that idea came from the C3 prize money.” Reaching more people with new partnerships All the messaging and strategy work led to successful pitch meetings and additional funding streams. Oncopadi can continue to operate and grow due to sponsorships, partnerships, and advertising on its platform. “We now understand what we want to sell and what we want from each partner,” says Dr. Momodu. “We can now be more specific with our asks and how we work together with our partners.” The Slalom-Astellas C3 partnership helped Oncopadi create new solutions that specifically benefit patients and their caregivers, such as the member journey mapping work. “I think creating the member journey was a huge benefit as it’s something we hadn’t done before,” says Dr. Momodu. “It helped us set the stage for some patient-centric solutions that we’ve been able to develop such as the virtual tumor board and patient-reported side effects.” Moving forward—with heart Oncopadi looks forward to establishing partnerships with more hospitals and pharmaceutical companies and breaking even in revenue by 2024. The doctors believe the ongoing partnership discussions to date have been a success—and eagerly anticipate where these relationships will go in the future. While Oncopadi has big dreams, the end goal remains closer to the heart: helping patients. “For us, the goal at Oncopadi remains the same: we want to connect cancer patients with lifesaving resources quickly, whether that’s connecting them with specialists, clinics, or coping resources. That’s really the goal,” says Dr. Momodu. As of 2022, Slalom is now working with the next Astellas C3 winner. These types of partnerships benefit everyone—from patients to providers. Most importantly, they help cancer care innovators save lives—just like Oncopadi is doing. Healthcare worker and happy elderly person with a cane for a disability --- title: OnSide: Life-changing support through technology url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/onside source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/onside locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # OnSide: Life-changing support through technology - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/onside - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/onside - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped OnSide maximise an existing Salesforce solution so that its teams could build a new foundation for the future while continuing to support youth across England. ## Body OnSide: Life-changing support through technology OnSide | Slalom We helped OnSide maximise an existing Salesforce solution so that its teams could build a new foundation for the future while continuing to support youth across England. Life-changing support through technology OnSide Share story At a glance OnSide’s team was looking to evolve their existing Salesforce solution in ways that would help them better support young people and demonstrate the impact of their work. Impact We helped OnSide maximise an existing Salesforce solution so that its teams could build a new foundation for the future while continuing to support members across England. Key Services Industry Nonprofit and philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Maximizing tech for good with Salesforce 9q0kgk5evz Safe spaces, bright futures [OnSide](https://www.onsideyouthzones.org/) is a charity that provides young people in economically disadvantaged areas across England with positive adult role models and safe spaces. It gives young people somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to. Youth workers partner with Youth Zone members to help them see what they could achieve and to build the skills and confidence that allow them to pursue their dreams. OnSide’s team was looking to evolve their existing [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/salesforce) solution in ways that would help them better support young people and demonstrate the impact of their work. A global team of Slalom consultants from Manchester, London, Boston, Atlanta, and Seattle partnered with OnSide to develop and deliver the following features: - Safeguarding has been incorporated into the solution, eliminating offline paper forms. - Online evaluations enable workers to track young people’s journeys and measure their progress. - New dashboards and reports provide valuable insights on deprivation and help teams identify where to reach out. - Donations across OnSide and the Youth Zone network can now be managed via a standard online process. Now, OnSide has access to tools that help them tailor their offerings and tell compelling stories about the value and impact of their work. And young people who rely on the Youth Zones remain on the path to loving their futures. Jamie Masraff For the first time we are really going to be able to start understand the impact that universal youth work has on young people. young girl coloring at a community youth program --- title: P&G: Turning Amazon ads into sales with data-driven strategies url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/p-and-g-turning-amazon-ads-into-sales source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/p-and-g-turning-amazon-ads-into-sales locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # P&G: Turning Amazon ads into sales with data-driven strategies - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/p-and-g-turning-amazon-ads-into-sales - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/p-and-g-turning-amazon-ads-into-sales - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how we helped P&G improve its Amazon Ads strategy for Oral-B with data-driven insights, increasing customer engagement and sales. ## Body P&G: Turning Amazon ads into sales with data-driven strategies Turning Amazon ads into sales with data-driven strategies See how we helped P&G improve its Amazon Ads strategy for Oral-B with data-driven insights, increasing customer engagement and sales. Amazon Advertising Consultant | P&G Customer Story | Slalom Share story At a glance We partnered with P G’s Oral-B marketers to transform their Amazon Ads strategy, using data-driven insights to improve audience targeting, ad performance, and overall customer engagement. Impact The reimagined Amazon Ads strategy for Oral-B reduced waste in ad spend while boosting conversions. Key Services Industry Consumer goods services Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Marketing Cloud Optimizing digital ads with Amazon Marketing Cloud Across the e-commerce landscape, brands are trying to figure out which ad strategies resonate with audiences and which ones waste ad spend. Brands need deeper insights to fine-tune digital marketing and connect more effectively with customers. For marketers charged with growing sales of Oral-B, a household name and key [Procter Gamble](https://pg.com/) (P G) brand, the goal was to make ads work harder on Amazon. They needed a clearer picture of which ads were driving sales, how to better target the right customers, and how to maximize return on ad spend (RoAS). The P G team partnered with Slalom to help dive deep into Oral-B’s Amazon signals, uncovering key insights and delivering a strategy that improved ad performance, audience targeting, and overall engagement. A deeper clean with data Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) is a secure, privacy-safe clean room solution that allows advertisers to glean insights from signals across Amazon properties, advertisers, and onboarded third-party providers. Our Slalom team leveraged AMC to dig into a year’s worth of Oral-B campaign data. The goal was to figure out which ad formats and audience segments delivered the best results. The analysis extended beyond surface-level metrics—it involved understanding user behavior, path-to-purchase dynamics, and audience segmentation on a granular level. It wasn’t just about looking at past performance; our insights allowed us to create real solutions—more effective and efficient campaigns,” says Abby Placido, a customer data consultant at Slalom. We found the AMC analysis was thorough, precise, and strongly linked to the business questions we were seeking to explore. Celeste Burke Senior Brand Manager, Digital eCommerce Procter Gamble, Oral-B We also identified specific use cases that would improve both client acquisition and engagement with current Oral-B customers. For example, frequency caps were introduced to limit how many times a customer would see the same ad, preventing ad fatigue. Keyword overlaps were also cleaned up to prevent multiple ads from competing for the same terms. “We found the AMC analysis was thorough, precise, and strongly linked to the business questions we were seeking to explore,” says Celeste Burke, Senior Brand Manager, Digital eCommerce at Procter Gamble, Oral-B. With a data-driven marketing transformation, Oral-B ads are connecting with customers on Amazon faster: Mint-fresh results Benefits of the new Amazon strategy were quickly evident, with 56% of purchases happening within just 24 hours of ad exposure. By streamlining its ad approach and targeting audiences across all four Amazon ad products, 63% of new sales came from customers exposed to the ad strategy. Our analysis also helped identify new, high-value audiences for Oral-B to target. Strategic targeting really worked—82% of total Amazon sales came from customers exposed to ads, and 54% of those were new to the brand. Additionally, 68% of sales came from users who searched branded terms after seeing the ads. Beyond the numbers, the Oral-B ad transformation made the experience better for customers too. Instead of bombarding shoppers with irrelevant ads, marketers were able to show the right products to the right people, at the right time—creating a smoother, more satisfying shopping experience. Collaboration across continents This entire project took less than two months from start to finish. The Slalom team worked collaboratively across time zones, keeping the momentum going. “It was amazing to wake up and see updates from the Australia team,” shares Drew Myers, a customer strategy consultant at Slalom. “Our workdays flowed together, making the process smooth and ensuring we hit our goals on time.” This seamless collaboration allowed the Slalom team to deliver quick, impactful results without missing a beat. Bright smiles ahead This partnership with Slalom has set Oral-B marketers on a path for ongoing success on Amazon. By leveraging data insights and making strategic adjustments to ad campaigns, they are now better equipped to connect meaningfully with customers. And this is just the beginning. “The insights uncovered from the analysis led to highly actionable recommendations, which we will use to take the business forward,” says Burke. This transformation has opened the door for P G to keep evolving and stay ahead of the curve. Ready to optimize your Amazon Ads strategy? Start here Share this story --- title: Pathward: Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/pathward-rebranding-adobe source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/pathward-rebranding-adobe locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Pathward: Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/pathward-rebranding-adobe - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/pathward-rebranding-adobe - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary We partnered with Pathward, N.A., to navigate a brand transformation that enhanced customer experience, increased digital engagements, and streamlined internal processes. ## Body Pathward: Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love Pathward | Slalom We partnered with Pathward, N.A., to navigate a brand transformation that enhanced customer experience, increased digital engagements, and streamlined internal processes. Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love We partnered with Pathward, N.A., a national bank that offers banking as a service and commercial financing to underserved markets, to architect an integrated marketing technology foundation based on the Adobe platform to launch an updated brand and fuel its customer experience. PATHWARD Share story Two women sitting at a desk in an office reviewing papers At a glance Impact With this work, Pathward was able to navigate a brand transformation that enhanced customer experience, increased digital engagements, and streamlined internal processes. Key Technologies / Platforms - Adobe Experience Manager Industry Banking Key Services Expanding financial access is the heart of [Pathward’s business](https://www.pathward.com/). The national bank works with diverse partners to deliver financial products to underserved markets—the individuals and businesses that traditional financial institutions have historically overlooked. Pathward’s story began in 1954 as a community bank and grew via expansions and acquisitions through the years, eventually coming to represent multiple brands under the bank’s family. By early 2022, the company’s leadership knew it was time to streamline its brands and messaging and it was well positioned when another company offered to buy its brand name and certain trademarks. Pathward came to an agreement to sell its name and various trademarks, committing to rebrand within a matter of months and embarking on a remarkable next chapter. The company started the year under a different name with multiple legacy brands and websites, but ended it as Pathward, reinvented with one brand, two core lines of business, and a modern, redesigned website. “Changing our name was merely one part of the story,” says Pathward president Anthony Sharett, who describes the rebranding as the most visible manifestation of a bottoms-up business transformation that streamlined numerous areas of the business into a new, simpler operating model. “The goal was to simplify our business structure, improve product innovation, boost knowledge sharing, and strengthen our culture under the umbrella of a brand that embodies our purpose of powering financial inclusion.” The importance of empathy When Pathward sold certain trademarks, it aimed to launch its new brand in October 2022. “Every customer likes to take on three or four transformations at one time, and it can be a disaster,” observes Dustin Withrow, Slalom senior principal and delivery lead for Pathward. “This is one of those rare times when they can plant the flag and say, ‘We were able to do everything we wanted to do in a year's time.’ It was really transformational in a short period.” Fortunately, it was already moving in the right direction. Pathward’s IT department had just completed a rigorous assessment of marketing automation platforms and selected Adobe Marketo Engage as the winner. Sold on the value and quality of Adobe products, it chose Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) for its new, unified content management system. It hired consultants to guide the rebranding and design new trademarks. With a tight timeline and new technology to implement, Pathward needed a consulting partner that could determine an efficient way to get from pre-rebrand marketing strategies, technologies, and operating models to a unified future state. The partner had to be experienced Adobe experts at a minimum, but Pathward also prized soft skills, attention to detail, and value alignment that collectively promised a shared commitment that extends far beyond delivering a website on time and on budget. Pathward found that in Slalom. “I felt like Slalom truly cared about doing a great job and making sure everything was executed on time,” says Amanda Gress, senior vice president of IT infrastructure and operations for Pathward. “You wouldn’t have known they were an external entity.” I felt like Slalom truly cared about doing a great job and making sure everything was executed on time. You wouldn’t have known they were an external entity. Amanda Gress SVP of IT Infrastructure and Operations, Pathward New system benefits Before launching Pathward.com, the bank’s several websites used a combination of the open-source Wordpress platform, a platform that lacked full support, and custom coding. Because of these complexities, Pathward’s marketing department relied on Pathward’s IT team to update old content or add new pages, adding layers of complexity and making it hard to implement website changes quickly. “Even simple updates were very manual and required coordination among multiple people,” says Barbara Raus, marketing manager for Pathward. “In the world that we live in now, having moved to AEM, we have so much more autonomy to manage the website and the content in the way that we need to and at the speed we need to.” From an IT perspective, moving to AEM meant Amanda’s team could retire the existing websites. She focused on improving the platform’s underlying foundation and improving security and interoperability overall. And the autonomy Barbara enjoys is a bonus to Pathward’s IT team too. Empowering workers one at a time For years, Tara Whittaker managed Pathward’s websites. A veteran digital and content marketer, Tara is a word person but could write a little code, an invaluable skill particularly when maintenance requests bottlenecked. Even with her coding skills, making minor changes to the website was a cumbersome process. For organizations like Pathward, people like Tara are gold. They are the connective tissue between the business’s ambitions and the organization’s ability to communicate them to the world. They know the processes, the risks, and the hurdles that stand between a project kickoff and its successful launch. In a very real way, the Taras are the people Slalom seeks to empower the most with marketing technology. “Enablement is a key focus of ours from day one,” explains Trevor Keintz, the global lead for Slalom’s Adobe practice. “Success isn't whether they have a website. It’s whether they can do this work themselves.” Enablement is a key focus of ours from day one. Success isn t whether they have a website. It’s whether they can do this work themselves. Trevor Keintz Global Lead, Slalom What Slalom delivered: - A website that could be updated quickly, autonomously, and without risking compliance or security - New processes and solutions that reduced complexity for mundane tasks and expanded modern marketing capabilities - Training and documentation, including a bespoke tool kit to make AEM more plug-and-play friendly “Slalom really helped us modernize and streamline our processes. They could have just said, ‘Here is a cookie-cutter solution we can do for you guys in the time allowed,’ but they did not,” Tara recalls. “They really helped us make our site exactly what we wanted.” The next chapter In the four months following launch, Pathward.com garnered 300,000 sessions with a conversion rate of nearly 10%, far outperforming the 2% to 5% industry standard. Now, Barbara and Tara can turn their attention to automation. The success of Pathward.com has prompted new conversations about the role of marketing at Pathward. “It allows us to have more meaningful conversations with the business lines about how we can collaborate, what tools we can use together, and how it all plays into one interconnected ecosystem,” explains Barbara, adding that she has embraced a newfound autonomy and agility. “AEM has allowed us to think a little bit bigger about what could be.” --- title: PayChoice: A preferred payments provider scales for future global growth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/paychoice-payments-provider-scales-for-global-growth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/paychoice-payments-provider-scales-for-global-growth locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # PayChoice: A preferred payments provider scales for future global growth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/paychoice-payments-provider-scales-for-global-growth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/paychoice-payments-provider-scales-for-global-growth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped an Australian payments provider embark on building a modern cloud solution with Amazon Web Services (AWS). ## Body PayChoice: A preferred payments provider scales for future global growth A preferred payments provider scales for growth We helped an Australian payments provider embark on building a modern cloud solution with Amazon Web Services (AWS). PayChoice logo A preferred payments provider scales for future global growth Share story At a glance Impact Key Services PayChoice is now ready to take on new customers with quick data retrieval, an environment that will scale for a global presence, and built-in security tools for customers who use its ecommerce payment solutions. Industry Banking Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hindering customer growth Chances are you don’t think too much about how the payment process works when you purchase a sweater or shoes online or at the store. But [PayChoice](https://www.paychoice.com.au/) does. While consumers are busy shopping and reviewing items in their carts, PayChoice is performing behind-the-scenes work to ensure your transaction goes smoothly and is completed with the highest levels of security. As the preferred payment solution for more than 3,000 businesses in Australia, from childcare centres to ecommerce sites to school districts, PayChoice keeps payments running smoothly for its partners and their customers. The payment gateway provider touts its low fees, industry-leading security, and same-day customer support from a dedicated team. PayChoice also integrates with a business’s existing software for seamless transactions and no manual follow-up. “PayChoice has been around nearly 20 years, but we’re really in a growth stage now,” says Theo Dela Cruz, project manager for PayChoice. “But being [in] an on-prem environment has limitations with capability and turnaround time because it’s all physical hardware.” Due to the nature of working with sensitive data such as credit card numbers, PayChoice and companies like it need to be Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant with their data and transactions. This type of compliance has regulations that differ depending on the number of transactions the company completes per year. The company also faces an internal challenge: it is cost-prohibitive to add more developers. There is now no limitation for PayChoice to onboard more customers at speed. They can do it at any moment in time. Mohammed Usman Principal, Grow Delivery, Slalom In recent years, PayChoice began facing questions from customers about whether it was in the cloud. Dela Cruz explains, “When we tried getting a larger merchant or customer, we started encountering them asking us, ’Are you in the cloud?’” PayChoice began looking for a more agile solution that would not cost as much and would scale better to accommodate its future growth strategy. The company chose Slalom as its trusted partner to complete the modernisation. Embarking on a cloud enablement journey with a business consultancy The partnership has been strong from the start. “I don’t have much cloud experience, and Slalom has been amazing from the beginning,” Dela Cruz says. “Slalom has helped drive the project, and I’ve learned a lot from our contacts—they’ve gone above and beyond for us.” Slalom helped PayChoice establish an AWS landing zone and created segregation of different environments using AWS Control Tower and AWS Network Firewall. The team also utilized Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for Microsoft SQL Server. Being in the cloud and using AWS offers a multitude of built-in security controls such as physical data centre security. There's also security protection against DDoS attacks—malicious attacks on the server—built into PayChoice’s cloud environment. PCI compliance is maintained at high levels and usually with the click of a button. ”For PayChoice, we leveraged AWS native security services that tightly integrate with the solution,” says Mohammed Usman, a principal at Slalom. ”We used the native services to customize for PayChoice, such as with Web Application Firewall that protects against threats. Since AWS manages the controls, everything is constantly updated.” Usman notes that leveraging the AWS native services means operational activities like patch management, backup, and monitoring are all automated now. He predicts, “PayChoice is going to spend less time on its operations now and can focus its time more on the business.” Saving time each month Regarding impact, Dela Cruz states, “The biggest benefit is to our time.” In the past the company had to take down the system for maintenance, now PayChoice has that time back. Dela Cruz adds, “This means we don’t have any scheduled maintenance or disruptions to clients on a monthly basis.” In addition to saving time on maintenance, PayChoice now enjoys greater data resilience. The company has a virtual data centre in the cloud, so even if the solution went down, there would be another for it to fall back on, Usman says. “This makes the solution incredibly resilient.” Data retrieval that used to take PayChoice employees four or five hours now takes five minutes. Security with a click PayChoice now enjoys built-in AWS security tools. “With a cloud environment, you’re basically just clicking a button,” Dela Cruz says. He notes PayChoice can now set alarms with ease that would notify the team if needed. In the arena of PCI compliance, the team can now quickly and easily create reports to meet the requirements. “All these bits and pieces with AWS add up to speed up the entire compliance process,” Dela Cruz says. Smoother scalability for global expansion Since PayChoice can now scale its servers with a tap of the finger, the company doesn’t need to provision new hardware or wait for lengthy updates. “There is now no limitation for PayChoice to onboard more customers at speed. They can do it at any moment in time,” Usman notes. Today, PayChoice has already added new customers since moving to the cloud. The company has expanded into New Zealand with plans to move into the UK and the Middle East next. PayChoice is also working on developing new service offerings at the same time. The cloud has truly enabled a modern, global expansion for this payments provider. --- title: Persist Nashville: Helping more students earn college degrees url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/persist-nashville source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/persist-nashville locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Persist Nashville: Helping more students earn college degrees - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/persist-nashville - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/persist-nashville - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Persist Nashville to create a streamlined tool that connects students with information and resources, so that they have the support they need to start and complete their postsecondary educations. ## Body Persist Nashville: Helping more students earn college degrees Persist Nashville | Slalom We partnered with Persist Nashville to create a streamlined tool that connects students with information and resources, so that they have the support they need to start and complete their postsecondary educations. Helping more students earn college degrees Persist Nashville Share story At a glance We partnered with Persist Nashville to build an automated survey that helps more Nashville high school students get to and through college. Impact By leveraging Salesforce technology, we created a streamlined tool that connects students with information and resources, so that they have the support they need to start and complete their postsecondary educations. Key Services Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Only 1 in 4 Nashville high school grads earn a college degree The economy of Nashville, TN, has been booming for the last decade as the city’s famed music scene has begun sharing the stage with a growing tech industry. New businesses, top restaurants, and transplants from around the country are flocking to this hub of Southern hospitality for its promise of excitement and new opportunities. Yet Nashville’s high school students, who are on the cusp of diving into the job market, are not keeping pace with what the city has to offer. Only about half of Metro Nashville Public School graduates enroll in a postsecondary program, with Black and Latino students enrolling at lower rates than their white and Asian peers. And just 27 percent of Nashville graduates earn any kind of postsecondary degree, whether from a two-year college, four-year college, or technical school. That’s about half the national average. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the challenge of making it to and through college. “If our workforce in Nashville wants a more diverse and local pipeline, we have to graduate more students from college,” says Scott Campbell, executive director of [Persist Nashville](https://www.persistnashville.org/). Scott Campbell (This technology) is going to help us coach kids better. And it’s going to help our schools serve students better as well. It is a win for our students, schools, and city. Helping students persist in college Campbell cofounded the nonprofit in 2019 to empower more Nashville students to earn a college degree. Persist Nashville’s goal is to double the city’s rate of college graduates. The organization uses a three-part model of coaching, community, and care to help students with the admissions process, financial aid, socioemotional support, mentoring, and whatever hurdles might crop up as they enroll in college and complete their education. In early 2022, our [Slalom Nashville](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/nashville) team partnered with Persist to streamline a key part of this work and enable the organization to connect with more high school students. We created an automated survey that allows Persist to collect information quickly and efficiently from students—from basic demographic data to their post-secondary plans—and build relationships so the organization can support students through their studies in the coming years. Persist Nashville distributes the survey in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools to collect data about students and connect with them before they leave the school system. During a six-week process, we took an Agile approach to create the survey using SurveyVista, integrated to Salesforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack. The survey has built-in automations to provide follow-up information to students and assign them to dedicated Persist coaches. By leveraging [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) technology, we replaced a time-consuming process that wasn’t making the kind of impact Persist hoped to achieve. Before we created the tool, the organization would get students’ names and phone numbers from the school district, then spend months reaching out to students individually to find out about their transition plans and how Persist could help. That process limited the number of students Persist was able to partner with, meaning only a fraction of Nashville’s graduating high schoolers were capitalizing on the resources the organization offers. Now, Persist can roll out one survey to thousands of students at a time, collect actionable data about their schooling and job plans, and connect students with coaches who will support them in the years ahead. “We’ll have more information in 20 minutes after students complete this survey than we’ve had about some of our students a year later, in terms of understanding what their career goals are,” Campbell says. Committed to our communities Lauren Stark, a managing director of Slalom Nashville and native Nashvillian, says supporting Persist has been an opportunity to engage more deeply in the local community and contribute to positive change that will have ramifications across the city now and into the future. “We have a responsibility to support the education and training needed to change the economic outlook for future generations of Nashvillians,” she says. “We love Persist Nashville’s mission and are grateful for the opportunity to leverage technology to help them make a bigger impact in the Nashville community.” Tripling the reach Campbell and his team plan to roll out the new survey tool to all 4,500 students who will graduate from Nashville public high schools in spring 2022. That’s a three-fold increase from the number of students they’ve been able to support so far. Eventually they want to implement versions of the survey earlier in students’ academic experience so they can track longitudinal data. Long term, they hope to share their model with other cities to help them tackle similar challenges while continuing to make an impact across Nashville. The technology, says Campbell, “is going to save time for Persist Nashville. It’s going to help us coach kids better. And it’s going to help our schools serve students better as well. It's a win for our students, schools, and city.” Group of five high schoolers walking through school hallway --- title: Plan International Canada: Optimizing data for the global good url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/plan-international-canada source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/plan-international-canada locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Plan International Canada: Optimizing data for the global good - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/plan-international-canada - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/plan-international-canada - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When a global organization needed clean, timely data to ensure that vulnerable children receive education, healthcare, and more, Slalom built a solution to support its digital journey. ## Body Plan International Canada: Optimizing data for the global good Optimizing data for the global good When a global organization needed clean, timely data to ensure that vulnerable children receive education, healthcare, and more, Slalom built a solution to support its digital journey. Plan International Canada | Slalom Share story At a glance When a global organization needed clean, timely data to ensure that vulnerable children receive education, healthcare, and more, Slalom built an integrated customer relationship management solution to support its digital journey. Impact Thanks to our work together, Plan International Canada can accelerate its goal to become a more insights-driven organization, able to rapidly adapt to programmatic priorities and connect Canadians with the causes they’re most passionate about. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthrophy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Sitecore - Snowflake - Talend A call to global citizenship For [Plan International Canada](https://plancanada.ca/), success is measured in the health, safety, education, nutrition, and protection of children in need. But the proof is in the numbers as well. In 2022, the organization supported more than 14.5 million people globally, including 7.6 million children, with a special focus on rights and equality for girls. In the 85 years since its inception, Plan International Canada has become one of the largest and longest-running children’s charities in the world, working with families, supporters, communities, and governments in more than 80 countries. The organization’s work, however, is never done. At least 10 percent of the world’s population still lives on less than two dollars per day and girls living in those areas are among the most disadvantaged on the planet. These are the realities that inspire Plan International Canada to not only to continue its work but to amplify its impact—until every child can access their rights in a more just and equal world. Funding, of course, makes that possible. To secure the future of giving, the organization navigates complex information about its constituents, partners, and donors. “We knew that with the right tools delivering timely data, we could easily track and align our business development with our programmatic priorities—and connect our donors with opportunities to support meaningful change in the communities we serve,” says Negin Zebarjad, director of strategy and operations PMO at Plan International Canada. As part of a three-year digital transformation strategy, Slalom was invited to build a modern foundation for innovation. The core of charitable giving If funding is the water that keeps Plan International Canada afloat, its CRM is the current propelling the organization forward by tracking revenue and centralizing donor and grant management systems. When the Slalom team joined the project, we began with strategy, planning, and design. Over time, heavy customization and data redundancies had slowed the legacy system, making it more difficult for the organization to achieve its goals. Together, we explored the functional needs of the organization, change management and technology gaps, and areas of opportunity. We established a plan to gather the data and optimize it in Salesforce for five separate business units. We mapped a two-part release—first to support the marketing teams, and second, the philanthropy teams. In phase one, we addressed the sales pipeline for institutional grants, such as those from the United Nations and World Food Programme, whose donations comprise nearly half of the organization’s funding. Phase two was more complex, requiring the Slalom team to re-create the foundational systems that drive experiences for more than 200,000 donors with specific preferences about how and where their funds are used. Slalom helped us build a modern technology and data ecosystem centered around Salesforce CRM, which is now the foundation for our future growth and innovation to further our mission. Altaz Hemani VP of Information and Technology, Plan International Canada Powering the data that delivers hope “Slalom helped us build a modern technology and data ecosystem centered around Salesforce CRM, which is now the foundation for our future growth and innovation to further our mission,” says Altaz Hemani, vice president of information and technology at Plan International Canada. Our partnership began at the height of the pandemic. We worked side by side, remotely, creating efficient and flexible ways to adapt our delivery structure—always keeping budget top of mind. As part of the CRM implementation, we were able to create new efficiencies in Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and integrate it into a broader technology ecosystem. Working closely with multiple vendors, Slalom helped integrate the new front-end experience, using Snowflake and Talend for data migration and warehousing. “The level of collaboration between all parties was really unique. The Slalom team even contributed to features in third-party apps. We worked very closely with Plan International Canada’s IT and data teams, and the level of support they provided was phenomenal,” says Mike Ginou and Manasi Gupta, director and senior delivery principal at Slalom. Impact is part of our brand intention, and this work creates lasting ripples in the pond, supporting children who need it most. Noosh Mohimani Senior Director, Slalom Insight-driven impact With a modern 360-degree view of its constituents, Plan International Canada can better manage donor relationships—delivering inspiring and engaging experiences that change children’s lives. For the philanthropy teams, the new CRM provides dashboards and the ability to more easily allocate funds raised to the intended area of programmatic impact. The marketing teams can easily process payments, manage donation cycles, track giving campaigns, calls, and emails, as well as ensure that donors support children in ways that are most meaningful to them. “Impact is part of our brand intention, and this work creates lasting ripples in the pond, supporting children who need it most,“ says Noosh Mohimani, senior director at Slalom. Thanks to our work together, Plan International Canada can accelerate its goal to become a more insights-driven organization, able to rapidly adapt to programmatic priorities and connect Canadians with the causes they’re most passionate about. Young girl carrying something on her head --- title: Plezzel: Delivering faster and easier results in real estate url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/plezzel source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/plezzel locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Plezzel: Delivering faster and easier results in real estate - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/plezzel - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/plezzel - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Together with the Plezzel team, we brainstormed and built a simple but informative dashboard solution and apredictive modeling that helps its clients connect with more in-market buyers. ## Body Plezzel: Delivering faster and easier results in real estate Plezzel | Slalom Together with the Plezzel team, we brainstormed and built a simple but informative dashboard solution and apredictive modeling that helps its clients connect with more in-market buyers. Delivering faster and easier results in real estate Plezzel Share story At a glance The Plezzel team was spending hours assembling monthly performance reports in spreadsheets, until they came to us. Impact Together, we brainstormed and built a simple but informative dashboard solution that looks good and does away with most of the manual work. Best of all, our data engineers positioned Plezzel to implement predictive modeling that helps its clients connect with more in-market buyers. Key Services Cloud Industry Real estate Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Well-informed guides in the wilds of real estate Real estate is a search that never stops. It’s not only a hunt for a good price, a better bath–bed ratio, or the best neighborhood. Whether it’s buying or selling, expanding or downsizing, residential or commercial, real estate is about who people want to be, and where they want to be, in the next chapter of their lives. To help each customer through that unique search, realtors must be attuned guides. They should be equipped with all the information needed to make the market feel less like a wilderness and more like a personalized journey. They need to understand buyers’ and sellers’ criteria and accurately crossmatch those to what the market has to offer. And they’d better move at the speed of search engines, where most customer journeys begin. With an abundance of market and customer data to master – not to mention fierce competition joining the chase for the same information – where do these guides go for guidance? [Plezzel](https://plezzel.com.au/) has been helping real estate agents and companies build their brands and connect with the right buyers and sellers since 2010. More than 7,000 agents in Australia use the Plezzel platform to launch targeted digital advertising campaigns, streamline lead capture and management and run intelligent, automated inquiry follow-ups to ensure they’re responsive whenever and wherever customers are online. But to take its products and services to the next level in a fast-moving market, Plezzel wanted to keep evolving its capabilities. Cecille McCutcheon Slalom produced something in a small amount of time that we were able to get business value out of right away. Guiding the guides with simpler reporting The Plezzel platform captures leads and inquiries from multiple online and social portals and then pipes those leads back into its clients’ customer relationship management (CRM) software. Clients, the real estate guides who Plezzel supports, then maintain ownership of that data. Serving thousands of real estate agents, companies and developers, Plezzel is keenly aware of the value of timely data reporting – but that hasn’t always been easy for its teams to deliver. While data reporting can help its clients spot trends and make better business decisions for promoting future listings, behind the scenes it took hours for senior members of the Plezzel team to manually grab that data, run queries, plug it all into a spreadsheet, generate graphs and wrap everything into monthly performance reports for each customer. As well as being time-consuming, the work ultimately didn’t add value since, by the time reports reached customers, they were far from reflecting real-time conditions. Plezzel prides itself on making work easier for its customers, and it knew it needed help to inject similar modernization into its own internal processes. “We’re all about automation and ease at Plezzel,” chief operating and financial officer Cecille McCutcheon explains. “We’ve got such rich data sets on the backend, but we needed a more efficient way to present that data across our company and for all our clients in a nice, presentable dashboard without a lot of intensive, manual effort.” Less manual work, more insight Plezzel wanted help not only simplifying its reporting process but readying its technology architecture for new standards and practices just over the horizon. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Plezzel was eager to use predictive modeling to serve up the most relevant listings to in-the-market buyers. These listings would reflect users’ interests demonstrated at a precise level of granularity – right down to preferred house colors. But first Plezzel needed to get its data house in order, so to speak. For phase one of the engagement, our team introduced Plezzel to [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/), a cloud-powered business intelligence service that makes data analysis accessible, even conversational. We knew that once we did the heavy lifting of migrating the data to [Amazon Web Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) (AWS), Amazon QuickSight could enable Plezzel to slice and dice that data into any visualization it needed. But before implementing the new dashboard, significant data engineering was required to ready the data. Turns out Plezzel was relying on over 8,000 tables or ad hoc extracts and reporting strategies. Within the six-week project timeline, we built a data lake on AWS, then migrated and transformed the data and streamlined those 8,000 tables into 65. Now the system automatically feeds data into Amazon QuickSight, where anyone on the Plezzel team can easily explore the existing data, regardless of technical experience, and produce useful reports lightning fast. “Slalom produced something in a small amount of time that we were able to get business value out of right away,” McCutcheon says. “Getting all the platform statistics, as well as digital marketing statistics and advertising metrics all in a simple dashboard was brilliant – and the team was brilliant, too.” Our consultants also provided comprehensive documentation and demonstrations for the Plezzel team to ensure they had all the tools and knowledge to use the new solution effectively. After all, dashboards don’t do much if you don’t know how to use them or what you want to do with them. For many of our consultants, training is a rewarding part of our co-delivery model because it’s a way to help our clients feel more confident and inspired by what they can accomplish with the technology. “Our dev team liked working with Slalom,” McCutcheon confirms, “and it’s something we want to expand on.” Simpler, faster reporting – and room to build Soon after we completed the first phase with Plezzel, success was confirmed when the CEO discovered he could prepare performance reports for a client meeting instantly – a process that had previously taken hours, even days. Spread this time-savings across all of Plezzel’s clients and you have a huge win for the bottom line, not to mention team morale. The next phase will bring customizable, interactive dashboards directly to clients, which the Plezzel team is extremely excited about. “At Plezzel, we want to be our customers’ partners,” says Kristina Blanksby, Plezzel marketing and product manager. “The dashboard gives us more capability to make the right decisions to help them grow their business in the future. It’s a competitive advantage for Plezzel, certainly, but I think it benefits our customers even more.” With better access to more accurate data, it’s easier for Plezzel to help clients forecast how, when and where to reach the right customers. And that’s only the beginning. As Plezzel continues to augment its digital advertising and analytics services with innovative automation and personalization, it can help its partners more confidently guide people through that relentless search and into the next chapter of their lives. --- title: Public Media Group: Strengthening community connection with data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/pmg-strengthening-community-connection-data source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/pmg-strengthening-community-connection-data locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Public Media Group: Strengthening community connection with data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/pmg-strengthening-community-connection-data - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/pmg-strengthening-community-connection-data - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped PMGSC build a MarTech implementation roadmap and create data visualization dashboards with Tableau to track viewer behavior and analyze performance. ## Body Public Media Group: Strengthening community connection with data We helped PMGSC build a MarTech implementation roadmap and create data visualization dashboards with Tableau to track viewer behavior and analyze performance. Strengthening community connection with data | PMGSC | Slalom We helped PMGSC build a MarTech implementation roadmap and create data visualization dashboards to track viewer behavior, helping secure long-term funding and better inform program scheduling. Strengthening community connection with data Public Media Group of Southern California logo Share story At a glance We helped PMGSC build a MarTech implementation roadmap and create data visualization dashboards with Tableau to track viewer behavior and analyze show performance, helping to secure long-term funding and better inform program scheduling that reflects its diverse community. Impact By streamlining data intake and analysis with automation, the PMGSC team now has more time and resources to create and curate programming based on informed and interest-targeted viewer behavior. Key Technologies / Platforms - Tableau Industry Media communications Key Services Data, data, data Just over a decade ago, television programming and advertising meant little more than scheduling a spot for airtime and hoping your audience was tuning in. Today, however, viewers are “tuning in“ through their desktops, mobile devices, and connected TVs, shifting the television broadcast landscape. New, data-driven streaming services are popping up regularly. Content programmers and advertisers can now reach specific audiences where they are and offer content that’s tailored to them. [PMGSC](https://www.pmgsocal.org/) is a not-for-profit broadcasting organization that operates two content channels—PBS SoCal and KCET—as well as Link TV, a noncommercial satellite channel. As legacy providers of publicly funded content that aims to inspire, inform, and entertain, the company is in a position to improve its complex marketing and data ecosystem. Through a holistic roadmap, PMGSC plans to unify disparate data sources, fully understand viewer behavior, and craft one-on-one user journeys to become a leader in defining the future of public television. The best path forward? Informed data. Dan Ferguson Only through knowing where we are can we truly know where we are going. Streamlining processes and strategy Since 2020, PMGSC leaders have been examining their business holistically across all platforms, redefining their goals under the direction of Dan Ferguson, the company’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. With a proven record of successfully leading marketing programs for well-known companies such as DirecTV, STARZ, and AT T, Ferguson is helping PMGSC find its way in the data-informed streaming landscape. The company’s previous methods for gathering insights were both cumbersome and time-consuming. Broadcast and digital data were pulled from at least eight different sources, and staff were inundated by the manual effort of exporting, organizing, and visualizing data. Answers to basic questions like, “How many people did we reach this month?” took weeks to decipher due to the multiday process of exporting, converting, cleaning, and beautifying data. Workload issues ensued, and PMGSC was too bogged down to make clear, informed programming decisions. As a not-for-profit that relies on member subscriptions, grants, and foundations for funding, the company needs these insights to show how they affect the communities they serve. Without easy access to unified and clean data, PMGSC was struggling to connect its marketing efforts to its broader mission. PMGSC needed a new data strategy to forge a clear path forward for its business. Charting a course together Having enjoyed working with Slalom in the past, Ferguson reached out to our team to help support the following goals: - Accelerate automation - Improve efficiency - Increase user engagement - Improve strategic decision-making The initial discovery phase consisted of interviews and workshops to assess the current state of marketing efforts, gather requirements for an ideal future state, and identify key KPIs and underutilized data across various sources. We then entered a build phase in which we mapped source data tables to the key KPIs needed for reporting. Through an iterative process, Slalom and PMGSC worked together to design a set of wireframes across broadcast and digital data, providing viewership and rating insights for PMGSC’s various channels. Calvin Tanudisastro By piecing together data from various sources, we were able to provide a holistic view of PMGSC’s viewership and show performance across platforms that pinpointed opportunities to increase engagement. We also partnered with PMGSC to help develop a semantic layer in its existing data warehouse and create a set of interactive [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/tableau) dashboards, enabling the entire organization to make data-driven decisions. These dashboards consider data such as viewership across linear and digital, website engagement, and marketing performance. In a convoluted landscape of abundant data with no easily accessible way to view it, Slalom helped PMGSC identify a single source of truth. Stacy Shaffer PMGSC’s work with Slalom serves as a model for the 300+ other PBS member stations. Empowered insights, informed storytelling On-air, online, and in the community, PMGSC plays a vital role in the educational and cultural enrichment of Southern and Central California. The organization has won hundreds of major awards for news and public affairs programming, national documentary productions, and educational family programs. By streamlining data intake and analysis with automation, the PMGSC team now has more time and resources to create and curate programming based on informed and interest-targeted viewer behavior. Through understanding what the data is telling them, the team can elevate the way it’s used. And a more efficient workflow means that any leftover time can now be used for innovation. “PMGSC’s work with Slalom serves as a model for the 300+ other PBS member stations as we navigate the future of public television and sustain our cultural importance,“ says Stacy Shaffer, senior director of marketing operations and business intelligence at PMGSC. What’s up next With detailed, audience-specific insights and a path forward in place, PMGSC and Slalom continue to partner together to implement a next-generation marketing and data ecosystem. The next phase of the journey is a company-wide, Slalom-supported roll out. Moving forward will open the door to new possibilities across the company and—most importantly—the local communities it serves. --- title: Prolife Foods: From paper-based systems to a mobile app url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/prolife-foods source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/prolife-foods locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Prolife Foods: From paper-based systems to a mobile app - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/prolife-foods - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/prolife-foods - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We applied a user-centered design methodology to develop a mobile app with Microsoft Power Apps that streamlines the order and inventory process for field employees of a global food company. ## Body Prolife Foods: From paper-based systems to a mobile app Prolife Foods | Slalom We applied a user-centered design methodology to develop a mobile app with Microsoft Power Apps that streamlines the order and inventory process for field employees of a global food company. From paper-based systems to a mobile app Prolife Foods Share story At a glance Impact With the new Microsoft Power Platform solution, the company’s operations are more environmentally sustainable, and merchandisers have more autonomy and less stress. Key Services Industry Consumer goods and services Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power Apps Struggles before every shift [Prolife Foods](https://www.prolifefoods.co.nz/) has grown from a family-run business – operated out of a house in New Zealand – into a global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that focuses on providing high-quality bulk foods to its customers. In Australia, the organization sells its products inside more than 700 grocery stores around the country. Merchandisers for Prolife Foods are part-time field staff who travel from store to store, tending to the bulk food sections that display and dispense product. They replenish stock, clean bulk food bins, record wastage, and submit the orders that keep the containers full of product. They also unpack delivered stock and stash it in the back of the stores. And once or twice every year, they do stock-take [inventory] activities. But these field staff were facing challenges that significantly hampered their ability to work efficiently. When the merchandisers arrived on-site to start their shifts, it could take up to an hour before they were able to begin work. Often, they had to hunt down a scanner gun – a tool that they competed with grocery-store employees to use – and then find the correct password to unlock it. Sometimes they also had to ask for access to a back-office printer, to print off order forms with the correct barcodes for the company’s frequently changing stock. Other difficulties included lack of insight into products that might be unavailable at the warehouse, lost slips of paper, and errors because of changing barcodes or outdated order forms. And merchandisers weren’t the only ones affected – all these challenges meant staff in the corporate office lacked visibility into stock loss and supply chain issues too. The company could deal with the bothersome aspects inherent in manual, paper-based processes when they were selling product in 100 to 200 supermarkets, but “we’re in more than 700 stores now, and that scale is harder to manage without a digital solution,” says Nigel Williams, general manager of Prolife Foods. “We were at a stage where we needed a way to get information out to our team in real time – and get the kind of feedback that would help us make better business decisions.” So the company contacted Slalom for help. Nigel Williams The app is really user-friendly and very intuitive. Adoption with staff has been seamless. The case for user-centered design The Prolife Foods team wanted Slalom to start building an app immediately. When we recommended beginning with some user experience (UX) research, they were cautious. “Involving end users means the project is a bit longer and a bit more expensive – but it also makes the end result much more successful,” says Jen Glass, a managing director at Slalom. To ease concerns, Slalom held a workshop with the company’s regional managers and potential solution users and did some “day in the life” journey mapping that surfaced new issues – things that influenced the app’s design. Together, Slalom consultants and Prolife Foods completed a discovery process that allowed us to create wireframes and early prototypes that illustrated the value of a UX approach. “We wanted to make sure the solution we designed would work for them in the field environment,” Glass says. Distilling a lengthy manual activity into a simple digital flow that’s also accessible for low-tech users can be a challenge. But it was a challenge our teams were more than ready to meet. Says Williams, “One of the things that impressed me the most was the Slalom designer’s ability to interpret what we were saying during our user interface design meetings into something visual.” The Slalom and Prolife Foods teams looked at the biggest challenges for the corporate staff and the merchandisers, prioritized the issues, and concluded that a minimum viable product (MVP) built around the order submittal process would have the biggest impact for the business. Our UX designers also spent time in the field with the merchandisers. “People got really excited as we talked,” says Andrew Lamont, a principal at Slalom Melbourne. “We showed them a prototype and asked them how they worked. Being a participant in the process was something a lot of them enjoyed. Everyone felt valued.” It gives me a lot more comfort and peace of mind that we have better control over our supply chain out in market. From ideation to launch in six weeks “We didn’t have time to boil the ocean, so we thought about how to make the solution as simple as possible for users, and for Prolife Foods to maintain and improve going forward,” says Pol Lavery, Slalom engagement lead. To keep costs down and help speed delivery, Slalom used [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Power Apps – a technology Prolife Foods already had licensing for and was familiar with – to build the solution. Because the cost of maintaining tablets was too prohibitive, our team recommended a “Bring Your Own Device” approach so that merchandisers could use their own phones to place orders. The finished Power Apps app has stock-taking [inventory] capabilities and a geo-location feature that tailors the stock shown within the app to the products that sell within the exact store where the merchandiser is working. Prolife Foods staff can also pull up a previous order as a baseline for producing a new one – a user-requested feature that saves additional time. As a stakeholder, Williams appreciated how Slalom included him and his teams in the process. “It was a very collaborative approach,” he says. “The Slalom team stick with you all the way and deliver on what they promise.” The MVP pilot involved only 10 people, but the user-centered approach paid off. Says Williams, “The app is really user-friendly and very intuitive. Adoption with staff has been seamless. We’ve rolled the app out in stages, and by the first quarter of next year all 750 field staff will be using the new solution.” A solution that scales Armed with the new app on their own phones, the field merchandisers have more autonomy, are less stressed, and no longer waste time on those pre-shift hunts. Daily and weekly tasks such as ordering and stock receipting are easier, faster, streamlined, and more accurate. All this means more time spent on consumer engagement activities, like product sampling. Merchandisers know exactly which stock is available at the warehouse before they place an order, and the corporate office staff know when supply chain hiccups (such as late deliveries) occur. Corporate staff can also update product barcodes within the Power Apps app and don’t have to rely on the field staff to print 750 multiple-page order forms every time stock and barcodes change. With the new Microsoft Power Platform solution, the company’s operations are more environmentally sustainable. Paper has also disappeared from the stock-taking process – an endeavor that used to require multiple steps and take weeks. “We just completed our first stock-take using only the app – no paper – and it went really well. This has been the quickest turnaround that we’ve had getting data from a stock-take analyzed,” says Williams. “It gives me a lot more comfort and peace of mind that we have better control over our supply chain out in market.” Woman in green apron working in food retail --- title: Protas: Transforming clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/protas-transforming-clinical-trials source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/protas-transforming-clinical-trials locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Protas: Transforming clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/protas-transforming-clinical-trials - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/protas-transforming-clinical-trials - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom and Protas created Cantata, a platform that streamlines clinical trials, reducing costs tenfold and improving patient safety. Transforming trial management. ## Body Protas: Transforming clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact Transforming clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact Discover how Slalom and Protas revolutionised clinical trials with Cantata, reducing costs tenfold and improving patient safety. Slalom and Protas created Cantata, a platform that streamlines clinical trials, reducing costs tenfold and improving patient safety. Transforming trial management. protas logo Share story Medical professional using an instrument for measurement At a glance Slalom partnered with Protas to build Cantata, an innovative platform that streamlines the process of conducting large-scale clinical trials by integrating every stage of trial management into one unified system. Impact Cantata enables a 10x reduction in the cost of large clinical trials, accelerating much-needed innovation to improve the health of millions worldwide. Key Services Industry Research clinical services Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Health Cloud - Salesforce Omnistudio - Salesforce Experience Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Salesforce Service Cloud - MuleSoft - Heroku - CRM Analytics Overcoming barriers to treatment innovation Large clinical trials have become excessively complex and expensive, with many trials costing over $1 billion. Fewer patients are enrolling in trials, and many trials fail due to bad design. This has profound global implications because the burden of common conditions is rising yet fewer treatments are being developed. [Cantata](https://protas.co.uk/cantata/) is designed to solve this problem. This revolutionary clinical trials management platform supports the full patient pathway, from recruiting or registering participants to screening, randomisation, and follow-up; treatment and participant supply logistics; safety; recording adverse events; monitoring; issue and quality management; and finally preparing data for analysis. It is a unified platform that supports the end-to-end process of running a clinical trial, built on the Salesforce platform. Designed, built, and delivered by Slalom and [Protas](https://protas.co.uk/), Cantata brings together Protas’s decades of experience in designing and running large-scale, low-cost, high-quality trials and Slalom’s expertise in building innovative technology solutions with [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Hand with medical glove holding an eye dropper We needed a partner who shared our vision and could help make it a reality. We wanted a true collaborative relationship with a company that had the necessary technology and expertise. We found this in Slalom, an organisation with a great team and a culture of openness and collaboration, eager to understand and achieve our goals. Stefan Blixen-Finecke CIO, Protas Enabling end-to-end clinical trial management Cantata leverages cutting-edge Salesforce technology and advanced data techniques to support the entire process of running a clinical trial. This is an unprecedented innovation in the industry. The solution is built on one unified data model, in a manner that allows the platform to be tailored to the exact needs of a particular trial, with a sophisticated security model that allows trial staff to only see and do what they are meant to at any given time. This approach means that Protas can provide integrated, streamlined, and guided processes and journeys for clinical trial site staff and patients. Individuals working at a testing site don’t have to constantly take the trial protocol out of the drawer because the system guides them through it. The advantages are clear: - Everything is online. Data gets entered into the system at the point of the event. No paper copies or transcripts are required. - High-quality data is ensured through sophisticated validations and edit checks that reduce errors and guide site staff and participants every step of the way. - A unified approach eliminates the need for rekeying between systems. Cantata is built on Salesforce Health Cloud, including Omnistudio, and uses Experience Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and MuleSoft. The platform also leverages the Heroku cloud platform and CRM Analytics. blcf6hc73e For the Slalom team, partnering with Protas on Cantata has been a rewarding journey of pushing the boundaries of technology to transform the future of clinical trials. “This large-scale programme required collaboration across many parts of Slalom, showcasing our team’s adaptability and commitment to meeting deadlines,” says Slalom senior director Matt Goulding. “Winning a Salesforce Partner Innovation Award for our work with Protas is a tremendous honor and a testament to our team’s dedication and expertise,” adds Simon Strudwick, Salesforce UKI co-lead for Slalom. “I’m incredibly proud of this work that will ultimately improve the health of millions worldwide.” Real-world impact for years to come Cantata significantly reduces monitoring costs and the need for data queries. It also means that testing site costs are significantly lower as a large multinational trial can be controlled effectively by a relatively small clinical team at the centre. Additionally, the platform improves patient safety. Data is entered in real time as events arise, and the same data is immediately accessible to highly trained central clinicians who can act on it without delay. Overall, Cantata will reduce the cost of large trials tenfold. It accelerates recruitment and increases retention and the number of patients that adhere to the treatment till the end of the trial. The first trial using the platform commenced in September 2024. It is estimated to be the world’s largest-ever pivotal phase 3 trial in kidney disease—a disease that affects 10% of the global population. In the United Kingdom, kidney disease costs the NHS £6.4 billion, approximately 3.2% of total NHS spending across the four nations of the UK. But this trial is only the beginning of delivering on Protas’s vision for Cantata to accelerate much-needed new and innovative treatments. The future is bright as Protas scales up to make a major impact on global health with Cantata: “Ultimately, our aim is to change the way clinical trials are designed and run, and to make large-scale, low-cost, high-quality clinical trials possible,” says Blixen-Finecke. “Large-scale clinical trials are needed to find treatments for the common diseases that will eventually affect most of us. Our aim is for 100% of these trials to produce evidence that can inform clinical decision-making, helping to improve the lives of people worldwide.” Need a partner to transform your ideas into impact? Let's collaborate Share this story Protas Customer Story | Slalom --- title: PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/puma-ai-creator source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/puma-ai-creator locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/puma-ai-creator - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/puma-ai-creator - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Slalom helped PUMA build AI Creator, a global generative AI experience that activated fans worldwide and set a new benchmark for digital brand engagement. ## Body PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI PUMA | AI Creator | Slalom See how we helped PUMA create a global generative AI experience that empowered fans to co-create Manchester City jerseys. Slalom helped PUMA build AI Creator, a global generative AI experience that activated fans worldwide and set a new benchmark for digital brand engagement. PUMA AI Creator | Slalom Activating customers worldwide with generative AI We helped PUMA launch AI Creator—an innovative experience that let fans worldwide cocreate Manchester City jerseys and compete in a landmark contest that fueled record-breaking engagement. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact PUMA AI Creator generated 180,000 jersey designs 1 and 1.7 million fan ratings in just 10 days, activated 54,000 users from 206 countries, and positioned PUMA as a tech-savvy innovator in the global retail market. Industry Retail Key Services KEY TECHNOLOGIES/PLATFORMS - Google Cloud Platform - Google Kubernetes Engine - Nvidia H100 GPU Connect with a Slalom expert The Vision How do you transform ecommerce from buying to belonging? With AI Creator, PUMA set out to create a first-of-its kind interactive experience inviting fans worldwide to become active participants in the brand story. [PUMA](https://us.puma.com/us/en) is a global sporting goods manufacturer that sees itself as more than that. PUMA has consistently emphasized its commitment to bringing joy into its customers’ lives through new technologies, creative solutions, and collaborations with stars like Rihanna, Neymar, and Pelé, as well as football clubs like Germany’s own Borussia Dortmund. As the kit supplier for English football club Manchester City, PUMA found a partner that shares the same vision and whose brand core is also anchored in innovation and openness to technology. Together with Manchester City, PUMA wanted to bring AI Creator to life and create a new brand experience that intelligently combines AI technology with its own brand and Manchester City fan culture. The background: Announcing new jerseys is a challenge for kit suppliers every season. Whether positive or negative, every fan has a strong opinion about the jerseys, which are the main identifying feature for supporters. PUMA AI Creator was designed to let them participate in the process and activate fans everywhere in the world. Ivan Dashkov As a modern brand, we want to be pioneers and develop solutions for which there are no blueprints. The PUMA AI Creator is a unique project that underscores this commitment, and user feedback shows us that we did everything right. The Solution Together, we created an innovative ecommerce experience that delighted users around the world and positioned the PUMA brand as a pioneer in customer-oriented AI technologies. During the live phase from December 9 to 20, 2024, people around the globe could register and log in to the PUMA AI Creator website and bring their jersey visions to life. In the browser-based app, users created initial 3D designs with text prompts of up to 300 characters and then edited the details using intuitive tools. The designs could be saved in the gallery. Users could then submit their favorite designs in the competition for Manchester City football team’s third kit for the 2026/27 season—the first AI fan jersey in Premier League history. Upon registration, users received 10 design credits and two opportunities to submit jerseys in the competition. Waiting for the image creation, the gamified app prompted them to rate other designs by swiping. With 10 votes per day, users received two additional design credits. Manchester City fans (Cityzens), DEEPOBJECTS.ai community members, and PUMA NFT holders had double the amount available. From concept to global activation: Technology meets passion There was no playbook for a project like this. The pressure was intense—PUMA’s brand, Manchester City’s brand, and the technical complexity all had to be managed. To succeed, the AI app needed a global, scalable infrastructure. PUMA chose strong partnerships from the beginning: [Nvidia](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/nvidia) as hardware partner; [FTR](https://ftrworld.com/) as lead agency and creative, front-end, and user experience partner; Modern English as app front-end and back-end builder; [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) as platform partner; and Slalom as AI back-end and infrastructure partner. Slalom had the critical task of developing a global, scalable infrastructure for generative AI and adapting the application to this infrastructure. “Projects without comparable values and blueprints require partners you can trust 100 percent. In Slalom, we found a partner who brought the expertise from the beginning and earned our trust,” explains Dashkov. Robust cloud architecture with innovative user experience For a global and scalable application, Slalom transferred the existing local app with ComfyUI Stable Diffusion image generation AI model using custom nodes into a virtual container and deployed it on Google Kubernetes Engine in Google Cloud. The heart of the infrastructure is a custom queueing system that sorts and buffers simultaneously incoming user requests. This ensures that the system processes all requests even with 10,000 or 50,000 simultaneously incoming prompts. Another crucial success factor was using the latest Nvidia chips. These were introduced shortly before AI Creator launch—a blessing and curse at the same time. Despite better Nvidia H100 GPUs, AI Creator’s performance initially declined. Within 15 days, Slalom, together with a Google expert team, identified the performance problems and solved them before the go-live date. Design-generation time was reduced from 60 to 17 seconds per four HD images, and the provided solution was significantly more cost-effective. During the live phase, the system only needed 306 instead of the original 600 Nvidia GPUs. “With Slalom’s infrastructure expertise and the back-end connection between the app and the Nvidia H100 GPUs, we were able to significantly reduce image production time. This was critical for the user experience and the project’s success.” Ivan Dashkov Head of Emerging Market Tech, PUMA Global breakthrough: Technology that overcomes boundaries and connects people AI Creator exceeded the established marketing KPIs on the first day. However, the greatest success was global participation: during the 11-day live phase of AI Creator, 54,000 users from 206 countries registered, created a total of 180,000 kits, 1 and submitted 1.7 million ratings. During the Top Ten voting a few months later, AI Creator even reached a total of 81,000 registrations—27,000 more than in the live phase. The project received numerous awards and generated immense media coverage. “Marketing events are often locally limited,“ says Dashkov. “In contrast, anyone around the globe with an internet connection could participate in AI Creator. Regardless of location, people could thus become part of the PUMA and Manchester City community.“ Customer Impact PUMA AI Creator offered users from around the world a unique AI experience and let them participate in the PUMA brand. Long-term impact: More than a marketing tool AI Creator not only strengthened the relationship between PUMA and Manchester City but also the brand’s perception. “When we started, nobody believed we could take this pioneering position. PUMA AI Creator proved to everyone that PUMA is a technology-savvy and innovative company,“ says Dashkov. Another success: After using AI Creator, many users also registered in PUMA’s CRM. “PUMA wants to bring joy into its customers’ lives. With AI Creator, we succeeded in offering users worldwide a unique experience and enabling participation in the production process—without design knowledge or professional design tools,“ says Ivan Dashkov. PUMA AI Creator shows what becomes possible when technological expertise meets cultural vision—and how AI technology can create genuine human connections that go far beyond traditional marketing boundaries. “For some participants, PUMA AI Creator was their first AI touchpoint. We are pleased to have inspired people worldwide with the freely accessible tool and to show how technology can be used in culturally meaningful ways. This kind of success is the breeding ground for further new pioneer projects,“ says Dashkov. 1. User-generated, virtual designs—not commercialized, produced, or sold. Curious about what AI can do for you? Get in touch Share this story Simon Regnet With this project, we developed a blueprint for how a customer-oriented AI project can be rolled out with Nvidia chips on Google Kubernetes Engine global scalably. Roman Stückert With Slalom’s help, PUMA AI Creator proved how technology, fan culture, and brand loyalty can cooperate to offer customers innovative experiences. Man sitting in the airport looking at his phone --- title: REI: Making it easier to experience the adventure of travel url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rei source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rei locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # REI: Making it easier to experience the adventure of travel - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rei - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rei - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary When REI Adventures wanted to make it easier for customers to prepare for the trip of a lifetime, we helped find ways to simplify the process, reduce paperwork, and focus on the pleasure of the journey. ## Body REI: Making it easier to experience the adventure of travel REI makes it easier to experience the adventure of travel | Slalom When REI Adventures wanted to make it easier for customers to prepare for the trip of a lifetime, we helped find ways to simplify the process, reduce paperwork, and focus on the pleasure of the journey. REI | Slalom Making it easier to experience the adventure of travel REI Share story At a glance Impact Now customers can get information whenever they want and can easily fill out paperwork online. Key Services Industry Travel and hospitality Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Sales Cloud - Salesforce Community Cloud The time leading up to the vacation of a lifetime should be about the excitement and anticipation of leaving the mundane details of life behind. Not the hassle of filling out paperwork. The folks who run REI Adventures, the travel arm of the famous Seattle-based outdoors retailer, wanted their travelers to be able to spend the time before their trips dreaming about watching blue-footed boobies, traversing Machu Picchu, or kayaking through fjords. It’s not just that REI Adventures felt like customers had to do a lot of work. Jimenez said the company also worried that its pre-trip relationship with its customers was more about nagging them—for payments, paperwork, and other bureaucratic reasons—than about getting them psyched for the trip. That’s a far cry from the amazing experience customers get while they’re on the actual trips, noted another solution principal in Slalom’s customer relationship management practice. So, the travel company decided to call on technology to help. It worked with Slalom to launch new technology that, among other things, allows customers to easily fill out paperwork online instead. But REI Adventures was grappling with an old-school system that required its customers who booked trips to fill out up to nine trip-related forms—by hand—and then send them back via snail mail. Andy Jimenez They were mired in a lot of the operational processes, rather than garnering excitement about the trip. The sweetness of anticipation Simplifying paperwork may seem like a small thing, but there’s actually science behind the idea of making the time before you go on vacation as enjoyable as possible. A [study of Dutch vacationers](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-009-9091-9/fulltext.html) found that people are generally happier than their peers before they go on vacation, but they aren’t necessarily happier after they return. The researchers speculated that that’s because people like the anticipation of an upcoming vacation, and look forward to the trip weeks or even months before it happens. REI Adventures’ new system has other advantages besides enhancing anticipation. The old system didn’t have a way of keeping track of customers’ information from trip to trip, so even the most loyal adventurers got a new mound of papers each time they booked a vacation. And if there was a problem with the paperwork, a game of phone tag could easily ensue. The new system can keep track of customers’ information, so repeat travelers don’t have to fill out most papers each time they travel. The REI Adventures’ website has also been revamped, so customers can get information whenever they want, rather than just by speaking with one of REI Adventures’ service specialists. The company built in other ways to help people get excited for their trips. A new portal lets people who’ve already booked a trip more easily see packing lists and other information about their trip. There’s even a countdown clock to tick off the days until departure. “There’s a lot more information at the customers’ fingertips,” Jimenez said. Going forward, REI Adventures is hoping to make that anticipation even sweeter. The company is working with Slalom to make sure its website works on mobile platforms, and also to incorporate social media into its systems. It’s also coming up with ways travelers can stay in touch with each other. Melissa Rainboldt, a consultant with Slalom, said that for many people, it’s been a relief just to not have to deal with those papers. “Customers are really excited about not having to fill out paperwork,” she said. Man and woman hiking with backpacks and walking sticks --- title: Renown Health: Simplifying access for over one million patients url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Renown Health: Simplifying access for over one million patients - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom healthcare consultants partnered with Salesforce and AWS to help Renown Health increase new appointments by 35% and improve patient access through contact center transformation. ## Body Renown Health: Simplifying access for over one million patients We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Renown Health | Access Transformation | Slalom See how we helped Renown Health rebuild patient access, creating an experience that’s digital when you want, human when you prefer. Slalom healthcare consultants partnered with Salesforce and AWS to help Renown Health increase new appointments by 35% and improve patient access through contact center transformation. Renown Health access transformation | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Simplifying access for over one million patients ascension Share story At a glance We partnered with Renown Health to transform care access around a simple question: What would the patient want? Impact By making care easier to reach and more personal, Renown experienced a 35% year-over-year increase in new patient appointments and a surge in preventive visits. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Connect - Salesforce Health Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Epic - MuleSoft Making the front door match the bedside As consumers, we’ve become used to instant everything. You can move money, book a flight, or order groceries to your doorstep with a few clicks. But healthcare remains stubbornly complex. Just scheduling an appointment or confirming a referral often means getting stuck in phone menus, bounced between departments, and repeating the same information over and over. [Renown Health](https://www.renown.org/) wanted better for its patients. The not-for-profit health system covers more than 100,000 square miles across Nevada and California, serving everyone from remote ranchers to an increasing number of Bay Area transplants. With the area growing fast, Renown didn’t want to lose patients before they even reached care. “If the entry point into the organization is difficult, it sets the stage for everything that follows—and we want to start patients off on the most positive foot,” said Sierra Kelly-Martinez, director of the Customer Engagement Center. “We needed to level up our technology so the experience we deliver outside the office is on par with the phenomenal clinical care we provide.” Partnering with our Slalom [healthcare consultants](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare), Renown transformed how patients connect with care, proving better access leads to better outcomes, stronger loyalty, and a healthier system overall. “We needed to level up our technology so the experience we deliver outside the office is on par with the phenomenal clinical care we provide.” Sierra Kelly-Martinez Director of Customer Engagement Center, Renown Health Reimagining access around what patients want Renown’s first attempt at [contact center transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems) ran over budget and off track. By the time our team entered the picture, executives were determined to do things differently. “Renown has the most highly aligned leadership team,” said Sylvia Doane Stephenson, managing director at Slalom. “That made it possible for us to forge a partnership based on trust, transparency, and a shared focus on driving high-impact outcomes for the people they serve.” Our team spent the first eight weeks immersed in the patient experience, tracing call flows and shadowing agents. What we discovered surprised some executives: Renown’s “front door” had ballooned into 19 separate interactive voice response (IVR) systems and over 20,000 routing rules that sometimes sent callers in circles. A patient might call to schedule an MRI and reach the imaging line. But if they also needed to check an authorization, that meant another call, another wait, and starting from scratch with an agent who had no record of the previous call. “We needed to take a step back and create a more integrated experience for our patients,” said Kelly-Martinez. At the kickoff, the head of the medical group, Dr. Mediwala, posed a simple question that would guide every decision going forward: What would the patient want? What would you want as a patient? That became the “north star” for a new Renown experience that empowers patients to manage their care on their own terms: digital when they want, human when they prefer. Does your contact center reflect the care your teams deliver? Find out how human-centered design and smart systems can reshape access and build connection. Our approach From 19 disparate IVRs to one intelligent CCaaS To bring Renown’s vision to life, we modernized and connected the systems behind care—so every interaction feels seamless, no matter where it begins. The new foundation brings together Amazon Web Services (AWS), Salesforce, and Epic to remove friction for patients, help agents see the full picture, and give leaders the insights they need to spot trends and close gaps. First, we rebuilt the front door with Amazon Connect, AWS’s Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution that makes it easy for patients to reach the right team the first time. Callers are now greeted by Matthew, Renown’s virtual agent. Instead of wading through long phone menus, patients simply say what they need: “Schedule a mammogram,” “check my referral,” or “resolve a billing issue.” Matthew understands their intent and routes them to the right place. If someone mispronounces a doctor’s name or says “Dr. T., the heart doctor” instead of Dr. Thomas, the system flags it so the team can retrain Matthew to recognize it next time. Chuck Podesta “Our digital online scheduling program is transforming how patients access care—making it faster, easier, and more convenient to book appointments anytime, and on any device, so people get the care they need when they need it.” Designing for meaningful connection Fixing the phone system was just the start. The real challenge was giving agents what they need to truly understand the person on the call and respond with care. “Traditional contact center metrics didn’t fit what Renown was trying to achieve,” said Jake Harwood, director of healthcare technology at Slalom. “We focused on defining what a valuable call looks like and designing the system to support it.” By prioritizing value over speed, Renown turned every call into an opportunity to build loyalty and trust. Before, agents didn’t know who was on the line or whether it was their first or fifth attempt at getting support. Once we connected Renown’s front door with Salesforce Health Cloud, that changed. Now, when someone calls, agents instantly see what’s relevant—past conversations, upcoming appointments, referrals, and open orders—all on one screen. We customized the layout to surface the most important details and added assistive tools that make every call feel more personal. “We’re seeing agents move from transactional to more coordinated, comprehensive support,” said Kelly-Martinez. The shift shows up in small but powerful ways. When one patient called 18 times in a week to confirm the same appointment, an agent noticed she’d recently been referred to memory care. Instead of just confirming again, the agent reached out to her provider, who saw the patient’s condition was worsening and adjusted her care plan. Suzanne Hendery “If we can make healthcare faster, easier, and more convenient, we can get more people in for the care they need.” Scheduling as easy as booking travel Our foundational work paved the way for Renown’s next big move: self-scheduling. “A lot of people would rather go without than make a phone call and talk to a human being,” said Suzanne Hendery, chief marketing and customer experience officer. “If we can make healthcare faster, easier, and more convenient, we can get more people in for the care they need.” Now, both new and existing patients can self-schedule in minutes and get personalized reminders sent to their phones. Renown also extended self-scheduling to imaging and specialty visits, a capability only 10% of US health systems offer. Going digital hasn’t just improved access—it’s changed how Renown connects with its community. By linking Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Health Cloud, we made it possible for Renown’s team to launch targeted campaigns that patients can act on instantly, like a mammogram reminder with a booking link. Today, 35% of all appointments are self-scheduled, with more patients coming in for preventive care than ever before. “Mammograms are off the charts,” said Hendery. “We’re doing more screenings and detecting cancer earlier when it’s treatable. That’s important to everyone at Renown.” Renown Health is helping more people get care—faster: 1. Jan. 2024 (1,721) vs. Jan. 2025 (2,328), as measured by Renown Health for primary care adult and pediatric appointments. 2. June 2023 (20.40) vs. Dec. 2024 (52.80), “Access” as measured by Professional Research Consultants patient satisfaction survey (n=1,688). 3. June 2023 (25.40) vs. Dec. 2024 (73.90), “Follow Up to Tests as Soon as Needed,” Professional Research Consultants patient satisfaction survey (n=1,688). 4. Dec. 2024 (90.90), “Ability to schedule an appointment,” Professional Research Consultants patient satisfaction survey (n=1,688). The ROI of access transformation The impact of Renown’s [contact center transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems) quickly showed up in patient surveys. Within months of go-live, patient-reported access to care improved by 32 percentage points, and reports of receiving follow-up tests on time increased by nearly 50 points, based on patient satisfaction surveys of more than 1,600 respondents. Renown also achieved a 91% “excellent” rating for ease of scheduling. Even more telling: new patient appointments grew 35% year over year, with more providers joining to meet the demand. “Being able to make healthcare more accessible to everyone brings us a tremendous amount of joy,” said Hendery. “We could not have done it without amazing partners across Renown and Slalom.” Ready to turn your contact center into a growth engine? Learn more Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: Restaurant Technologies: Cooking up an efficient digital ecosystem url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/restaurant-technologies source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/restaurant-technologies locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Restaurant Technologies: Cooking up an efficient digital ecosystem - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/restaurant-technologies - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/restaurant-technologies - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Restaurant Technologies to implement a new Salesforce ecosystem that improves collaboration, communication, and customer experience. ## Body Restaurant Technologies: Cooking up an efficient digital ecosystem Restaurant Technologies | Slalom When this company’s digital ecosystem proved to be a hurdle in meeting demand, the team partnered with Slalom to implement an innovative new system that fosters better experiences for employees and customers. We partnered with Restaurant Technologies to implement a new Salesforce ecosystem that improves collaboration, communication, and customer experience. Cooking up an efficient digital ecosystem Restaurant Technologies Share story At a glance Restaurant Technologies offers cooking-oil management and back-of-house cleaning solutions to over 36,000 commercial kitchens across the United States. When the company’s digital ecosystem proved to be a hurdle in the way of meeting demand for its oil management offering, the team partnered with Slalom to implement an innovative new system that fosters better experiences for employees and customers. Impact In just a few months, the teams successfully migrated processes, projects, and data from the legacy system into a new solution powered by Salesforce Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Field Service, and MuleSoft data integration. Key Services Industry Materials and chemicals Key Technologies / Platforms - Mulesoft - Salesforce - Lightning Web - Field Service Rising demand Between sharp objects, high temperatures, and crowded spaces, there are plenty of safety risks in any commercial kitchen—and managing and disposing of large volumes of hot oil isn’t one that’s easy to solve. Fortunately, kitchen services provider [Restaurant Technologies](https://www.rti-inc.com/) offers an all-in-one oil management solution, encompassing the entire process from oil tank installation to oil delivery and recycling. This unique offering enables Restaurant Technologies to help make its clients’ restaurants safer, more efficient, and more sustainable, all while reducing the risk of injury from oil burns and slips. And because the service is so integral to seamless kitchen operations and the well-being of staff, demand for total oil management was ramping up faster than Restaurant Technologies could keep up with. “It wasn’t long before we realized that the technology we were using to support the service was the main obstacle in the way of growth,” said Matt Throumoulos, senior director of operations at Restaurant Technologies. Andy Dulka Once we identified that our digital ecosystem was holding us back from offering new products and services, we knew it was time for a change. An appetite for integrated technology Restaurant Technologies relied on a mix of disconnected platforms to support its oil management offering, including a homegrown system for handling product maintenance and installation. But the custom platform couldn’t receive data updates from the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) or customer relationship management (CRM) systems, so project managers had to make updates manually—a tedious, error-prone process that made it difficult to keep up with demand. The homegrown solution was also disconnected from the application that scheduled maintenance and installation work for the field service team, leaving project managers to coordinate on their behalf. And because each department worked in disparate systems to see updates, there was no reliable record of a project’s status. Real-time insights about open fieldwork cases were lost in translation through time-intensive work-arounds, costing the company customer satisfaction and cross-departmental alignment. Additionally, the distributed data structure prevented Restaurant Technologies from leveraging a comprehensive view of each customer to deliver best-in-class service. If a customer called to troubleshoot a maintenance issue, the customer care team would be missing the information needed to deliver a quick solution, like their oil usage or the type of fryer they cook with. This all stood in the way of cross-selling opportunities that could enrich customer relationships and increase lifetime value. “Once we identified that our digital ecosystem was holding us back from offering new products and services, we knew it was time for a change,” said Andy Dulka, chief information officer at Restaurant Technologies. “When it came to choosing an implementation partner, Slalom’s expertise in driving digital transformations made them a natural fit.” With these efficiencies, we’re able to work together as a cohesive team rather than siloed departments. Matt Throumoulos Senior Director of Operations, Restaurant Technologies The ingredients for success The Restaurant Technologies team was impressed by Slalom’s technical capabilities and reputation, and confident that the partnership would lead to a holistic solution. Once [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) was selected as the best platform for the future of Restaurant Technologies, the Slalom team developed a multifaceted implementation approach, including in-depth discovery, build, testing, and training phases. In just a few months, the teams successfully migrated the processes, projects, and data from the legacy system into a new solution powered by Salesforce Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Field Service, and MuleSoft data integration. Technical experts from Slalom also built customizations that connect a third-party call center app to the central platform, creating a unified system where customer data flows seamlessly across teams. As the system’s components were being tailored to Restaurant Technologies’ needs, Slalom hosted lunch-and-learns, training sessions, office hours, and feature demonstrations to garner buy-in and feedback from future users. These efforts laid the foundation for widespread adoption, ensuring that teams were set up for success ahead of the go-live. Clear and cohesive operations Restaurant Technologies’ oil management operation is now supported by a fully integrated solution. As a result, teams are aligned, processes are streamlined, fieldwork is more efficient, and customers receive the tailored service they need to run their kitchens more effectively. The company’s oil management activities are housed in Service Cloud, which calls on MuleSoft to automatically create the cases that initiate an installation project. And because the team has a new workflow that introduces maintenance plans for recurring work, they no longer have to rely on creating each work order manually. Additionally, every installation site associated with a customer’s account now lives in a central digital platform—so each department has visibility into the related work orders that feed in through Salesforce Field Service. “All users can access a real-time view of the same account, case, work order, and service appointment from a single system,” said Tom Richardson, senior delivery principal at Slalom. “A customer care rep can be just as informed about a project’s status as the field technician assigned to the job.” The customer care team is also equipped with tools that elevate the customer experience. Because the new Salesforce-powered system communicates with the company’s call center app, reps can connect the phone numbers from inquiring callers to existing customer accounts. “With these efficiencies, we’re able to work together as a cohesive team rather than siloed departments,” said Throumoulos. Now that Restaurant Technologies’ digital ecosystem can seamlessly exchange data, a 360-degree view of the customer—including all the context and case history needed to address an issue—is readily available. Reps are empowered to deliver personalized service and identify the best-fit solution quicker than ever before. A fresh future for Restaurant Technologies As Restaurant Technologies embraces process efficiencies, seamless cross-departmental communication, and new levels of customer satisfaction, the company is seeing the following improvements: - 800 employees successfully using the system - 29% decrease in the time it takes to install equipment after a sale is made - 48% increase in the number of monthly product installations - 56% increase in the number of technical work orders resolved - 125% increase in the number of scheduled repairs After experiencing resounding success with Salesforce, Restaurant Technologies is eager to bring CPQ (configure, price, quote), and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement into the fold of its new oil management ecosystem, doubling down on data-driven decision-making and organizational alignment. “Our partnership with Slalom and Salesforce has empowered us to level up the experiences of both our employees and our customers,” said Dulka. “We’re proud to offer our clients a convenient, reliable service that helps them create more sustainable operations, fresher food, and safer kitchens.” Chef rolling up sleeves on chef jacket while working in a kitchen with a towel on shoulder --- title: Riot Games: A legendary cloud transformation to improve player experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/riot-games-experience source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/riot-games-experience locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Riot Games: A legendary cloud transformation to improve player experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/riot-games-experience - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/riot-games-experience - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary To fulfill its mission to be the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot Games needed to level up its technology infrastructure. Riot teamed up with Slalom and Amazon Web Services for a legendary journey to the cloud. ## Body Riot Games: A legendary cloud transformation to improve player experience Riot Games | Slalom To fulfill its mission to be the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot Games needed to level up its technology infrastructure. Riot teamed up with Slalom and Amazon Web Services for a legendary journey to the cloud. A legendary cloud transformation Riot Games A legendary cloud transformation to improve player experience Share story At a glance Impact With new cloud infrastructure and processes, Riot enjoys lower latency for its games, translating to smoother gameplay and a better experience for more than 100 million players worldwide. Key Services Cloud Industry Gaming, Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Changing the game Riot Games serves more than 100 million players worldwide. Its debut title, League of Legends , is one of the most-played PC games in the world and a key driver in the rise of esports. Beyond League , Riot enjoys rising demand for a growing set of games, such as VALORANT and Teamfight Tactics . The infrastructure this growth was built on leveraged the right tools at the time, but to be true to its player-focused mission, Riot knew it needed to level up to the cloud. This would take Riot on a journey that was nothing short of legendary. Tracy Ruthkoski This transition to AWS technology has not only uplifted the Riot player experience globally but also established a foundational environment for integrating cloud solutions into game development. Putting trust in the AWS Cloud Riot launched League of Legends back in 2009. Amazon debuted the first commercial cloud only three years before. Considering the cloud was such a new technology, it’s little surprise that Riot kept all its IT infrastructure in datacenters. “Let’s be honest,” said Riot’s head of global infrastructure and operations, Brent Rich, [onstage at AWS re:Invent 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlidizRzzWQ), “we didn’t trust that anyone else could meet our bar for making live games great.” In Rich’s words, “That worked for about a decade.” By then, it was taking “forever” for Riot to get things done. This risked affecting player experience, and with aspirations to be the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot would not tolerate being encumbered by aging technology. “We knew that if over 100 million players worldwide didn’t see Riot investing in and loving our own game, they would leave, even if it is free to play,” said Rich. By that same time, leaders at Riot had grown more confident that the cloud was a viable option, and that AWS had the broad set of services that Riot needed. So Riot decided to go all in with the cloud, transitioning away from the work of managing datacenters to focus more on building amazing games and player experiences. Working with AWS and Slalom, we now have a shared automation runbook for League of Legends that is incredibly detailed. If we have to stand up something in a new region, we can now do that in a matter of weeks. Brent Rich Head of Global Infrastructure and Operations, Riot Games Joining forces for an infrastructure level-up Through meticulous planning across teams from Riot, Slalom, AWS, and AWS Professional Services, Riot completed the journey to the cloud with finesse. Together, we retired or migrated nearly all of Riot’s infrastructure, including the workloads that power League of Legends . The overall migration program consisted of several different initiatives, including: - Decommissioning 16 datacenters across 10 cities that supported gameplay and in-game purchasing for millions of players worldwide - Exiting a datacenter in Las Vegas with more than 1,200 servers and 300 terabytes of data - Improving how Riot’s teams provision new, cloud-based IT resources through an automated deployment model Riot hit every target date for leaving its datacenters, thanks in large part to an automation runbook that Slalom created for Riot’s transition to the cloud. The runbook was the product of a comprehensive effort to understand, deconstruct, and document the intricacies of the engineering procedures for League of Legends . Riot’s teams successfully used the runbook to re-create on-premises environments on AWS efficiently, which helped them compress launch windows over the course of the migration. Behind the scenes of seamless gameplay More important for players, Riot’s migration has led to latency improvements for many gamers around the world. With support from Slalom and AWS, Riot has carefully considered the global infrastructure of AWS and strategically selected locations for its servers based on which ones will provide players the lowest latency. For example, Riot was able to achieve latency improvements that were 36% to 53% better than expected in one region, translating to a smoother gaming experience for players. “This transition to AWS technology has not only uplifted the Riot player experience globally but also established a foundational environment for integrating cloud solutions into game development,” said Tracy Ruthkoski, a director at Slalom. According to Rich, the entire migration would not have been such a triumph without the teamwork of Riot, Slalom, and AWS. In an [AWS blog post about the work](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/gametech/riot-games-prepares-to-close-its-last-data-center-as-it-completes-global-migration-to-aws/), Rich underscored the significance of strategic partnerships in navigating complex challenges: “There are some things that are very hard to do without a strategic partner. Working with AWS and our integration partner, Slalom, for example, we now have a shared automation runbook for League of Legends that is incredibly detailed. If we have to stand something up in a new region, we can now do that in a matter of weeks. Those partnerships are invaluable.” Kid cheering at the computer playing games --- title: RMIT University: Transforming education through data innovation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university-data-analytics-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university-data-analytics-platform locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # RMIT University: Transforming education through data innovation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university-data-analytics-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university-data-analytics-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom worked with an Australian university to carry out a data transformation project that enhances analytics capabilities and delivers improved insights. ## Body RMIT University: Transforming education through data innovation See how Slalom teamed up with a leading Australian university to enhance student understanding and service through an insightful new data platform. Slalom worked with an Australian university to carry out a data transformation project that enhances analytics capabilities and delivers improved insights. RMIT University data & analytics platform | Slalom Transforming education through data innovation Share story girl holding books At a glance Facing pressure from rising costs and shifting student needs, [Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology](https://www.rmit.edu.au/) (RMIT) partnered with Slalom to address data management challenges. Slalom helped RMIT create an enterprise data and analytics platform and modernize its machine learning models, providing a single source of truth and enhancing RMIT’s ability to deliver predictive insights and optimize resources. Impact By investing in a new data platform that allows for better insights and intelligence, RMIT is positioning itself as a leader in the changing landscape of higher education. Key Services Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Snowflake - Amazon S3 - Amazon SageMaker - DBT A data dilemma In higher education, costs continue to rise as student needs shift. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges, with disengaged students and declining international enrollments. These pressures have weighed heavily on many universities, including [Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology](https://www.rmit.edu.au/) (RMIT), a leading global university of technology, design, and enterprise that is located in Melbourne. With more than 70,000 students, RMIT is the third largest university in Australia. Internally, data management issues plagued RMIT, with disparate datasets across multiple systems and departments, and no centralized data hub or single source of truth for business insights. The result? Repetitive and time-consuming tasks that required predominately manual transformation and aggregation. RMIT’s analytics team lacked robust infrastructure and tools, and legacy technology platforms and data stores ran rampant. This caused the university to struggle to operationalize and find value from its data. In addition to these challenges, the university needed to meet regulatory demands from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), which required comprehensive insights into student performance across diverse demographics. It was time to create a reliable information hub for RMIT and enable the university to expand to scalable advanced analytics using modern techniques. “We needed a tool that could support every possible way for us to analyze data to produce the outcomes that our stakeholders wanted,” says Nonna Milmeister, the university’s chief data and analytics officer. Delving into data analytics RMIT worked with Slalom on two projects: an enterprise data and analytics platform (DAP) and machine learning (ML) modernization. The university wanted to establish the DAP as a trusted source of truth and empower multiple departments to use artificial intelligence (AI) and ML for business-critical operations and innovative initiatives. The university already had an abundance of data sources from super-domains connected with business units like finance and research. The collaboration focused on understanding key users, data sources, and technology opportunities to define a simplified approach. Andreia Maia and Lam Truong, Slalom leaders on the project, highlight the trust and shared momentum that shaped the work from the start. “It was truly a partnership,” says Maia. “RMIT contributed domain expertise, while we provided the technical skills and best practices in agile methodologies to set them up for future independence.” Together, we built a stable, flexible, scalable, and future-proof platform using modern integrations and data architecture. Woman in library reading The best industry practices that Slalom brought, combined with our clear idea of what we wanted to achieve, was the critical part of our success together—we were working as one team. Nonna Milmeister Chief Data Analytics Officer, RMIT The team focused on payroll for its first project, then expanded to meet an emerging need with TEQSA, the agency mandating a more comprehensive view of RMIT’s student performance. The agency required detailed student data across continents, colleges, and disciplines. RMIT also needed to provide demographic information on how students from English and non-English-speaking backgrounds were performing, as well as people with disabilities and other demographic groups. The platform utilized patterns that make it seamless to deliver new automated ingestion pipelines, quickly onboarding new datasets. The university continues to add more data and use cases as the journey continues. Overall, the work has enabled a pathway to self-service access to data for the university. “It was very important for us to build a stable and flexible platform for which we could do all of these investigations and have easy and secure access to data,” says Milmeister. A machine learning modernization When it came to modernizing with ML, RMIT wanted to uplift its ML models to the cloud to use big data to answer historical questions, understand trends, run training at scale, and perform predictive and prescriptive analytics. To achieve these goals, RMIT needed a modern, robust, reproducible, and manageable environment to enable teams to deploy ML models in a timely manner so the university’s data scientists could focus more on model development and less on orchestration. Slalom worked closely with RMIT to understand its existing ML models, engineering approaches, and data distributions to define an MVP. The move was designed to enable each business unit to consolidate and optimize for the future. The university now benefits from a single source of truth, with trusted data securely stored in one place and aggregated for easy viewing. Gaining deeper insights RMIT has transformed and elevated its data and analytics maturity and capability, unlocking the full value of its data by gaining a deeper understanding of it. Ben Stevens, who directs data architect and engineering at RMIT University, was heavily involved in the work. He highlights the significant time savings and efficiency benefits of the new platform: “The teams appreciate that the platform is automated. Now, once the teams build it, it’s tested, and they can release it into production.” Every college and university today must maximize resources while minimizing costs. With deeper data insights, RMIT can now enhance student understanding and service, and position itself as a leader in the evolving landscape of higher education. Ready to deepen your insights with data? Let’s connect --- title: RMIT University: Improved financial aid access drives increased retention url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # RMIT University: Improved financial aid access drives increased retention - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/rmit-university - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary RMIT University and Slalom revamped the university’s Student Welfare processes to help students deal with issues outside the classroom. It’s now easier for students to request support and advisors to manage information and proactively engage at-risk students. ## Body RMIT University: Improved financial aid access drives increased retention RMIT University | Slalom RMIT University and Slalom revamped the university’s Student Welfare processes to help students deal with issues outside the classroom. It’s now easier for students to request support and advisors to manage information and proactively engage at-risk students. Improved financial aid access drives increased retention RMIT University Share story At a glance Impact In the first school term after Salesforce implementation, the university had an increase of 60% in students seeking financial aid. Recent data reveals that regardless of whether they received financial aid or not, students who sought financial assistance were more likely to remain at the university 12 months later. Key Services Cloud Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Service Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud Lots of helpers but not enough visibility In the classroom, the 90,000 students at Melbourne, Australia-based RMIT University get a world-class education. Outside the classroom, they get top-notch support, too, from the university’s Students Group, which consists of a dozen services to help students be successful in their education. Among those services is Student Welfare, which assists students in dealing with a variety of issues, such as financial insecurity, domestic violence, or homelessness. To provide support, the advisors relied on spreadsheets and a software program that was limited to checking boxes. Consequently, support data was siloed and isolated, and no advisor could see what another advisor in another area of the university had done for a student. It was hard to connect the dots and provide a 360-degree view of the student. This could be frustrating for advisors and students; advisors didn’t know which services a student still needed, where the Student Welfare team needed to improve effectiveness, and where its services should be targeted. Students often had to repeat information when speaking with a different advisor. This made it seem like the advisors didn't know them or their situation. Students had to download, fill out, and email back PDFs to get assistance. Dene Cicci, the university's executive director for students, said that they “felt like we were flying blind.” As a result, some students fell through the cracks. To overcome these issues, Cicci and his team sought a new approach, which is when they turned to Slalom. Dene Cicci The Slalom consultants listened, and having a partner who actually listened to what we needed and didn’t lead with what the solution could do made all the difference. An MVP means greater success for the Student Welfare team “The Slalom consultants listened, and having a partner who actually listened to what we needed and didn’t lead with what the solution could do made all the difference,” Cicci says. Slalom and RMIT switched to a minimal viable product (MVP) approach where they rolled out [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) in increments and immediately started getting value from it while releasing and finetuning more features. “We couldn’t let perfection get in the way of delivering something,” Cicci says. They split the deployment into two phases: - The implementation of Salesforce Service Cloud provided a simple, secure way to input and store case management information. It also created a digital system for assistance requests. They leveraged Education Data Architecture to record information about students. - The deployment of Marketing Cloud to reach out to at-risk student groups who aren’t seeking help. “If you’re going to do something like this, the business has to invest in the right people to help the SMEs speak tech, drive the momentum, and challenge the culture to change,” Cicci says. “You need to have an open mind about changing the way you do things. If you don’t adapt or change, it’s not going to work. Being very clear about the value you’re delivering helps drive that change.” The joint RMIT and Slalom team established a rapid rapport, focused on improving the situation with at risk students. “The team really worked together to ensure we were consistently delivering the features they needed in the way they needed them without stepping on each others’ toes,” Slalom consultant Anjali Nagaraj says. Our data shows students who sought financial aid were more likely to still be studying with us 12 months later, whether or not we actually gave them financial aid. The help-seeking behavior and the needs-based conversation with the advisor is what adds value, not necessarily the distribution of money. Requests for assistance increase—and so does retention In the first term after full Salesforce implementation, the university had an increase of 60% in students seeking financial aid. While some of that was due to the increased cost of living, Cicci also credits the new system and processes that have made it much more accessible to seek that help through the new online system. The Student Welfare team is using Sales Cloud to track every interaction and provide advisors and executives with real-time reporting and visibility on each student. They can build personalized relationships with students, even when different advisors are involved. Outreach to at-risk groups has been automated in Marketing Cloud, freeing up advisors for personal interactions with students. All of this is having a tangible effect on student retention: “Our data shows students who sought financial aid were more likely to still be studying with us 12 months later, whether or not we actually gave them financial aid. The help-seeking behavior and the needs-based conversation with the advisor is what adds value, not necessarily the distribution of money.” For the first time, Cicci can report the amount of financial aid RMIT had delivered to students to the academic board. And it’s a thorough report: He can break that information down in many ways, including money given to different student cohorts, the value of the money given, the number of students who didn’t get approved, what money was approved for, and more. “The data gives us confidence that our interventions are effective, timely, and having an impact,” Cicci says. “My staff is grateful they don’t have to fill in so many forms or spreadsheets, and students can more easily access the support they need. Now we want to build it out more because we can see the value.” That value is changing lives. “This is what gives me a buzz working with Dene and his team: We can talk about the detailed work of giving financial aid, but it’s about outcomes and helping students be successful. That’s what really matters,” says Christopher Nugent, Salesforce Higher Education lead with Slalom. Cicci agrees: “Working in higher education is all about transforming lives. It’s about setting people up for a bigger future, for following their dreams. That’s pretty cool.” For RMIT U students, the improved access to welfare services means a greater chance of success in the classroom. And that ultimately means increased likelihood of their professional dreams coming true. Girl reading a paper in the library --- title: Salesforce: Smarter targeting and more ROI with a first-of-its-kind integration url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/salesforce-smarter-targeting source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/salesforce-smarter-targeting locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Salesforce: Smarter targeting and more ROI with a first-of-its-kind integration - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/salesforce-smarter-targeting - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/salesforce-smarter-targeting - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary By integrating Salesforce Data Cloud with Amazon Marketing Cloud, Slalom helped Salesforce optimize its audience targeting and advertising strategy. ## Body Salesforce: Smarter targeting and more ROI with a first-of-its-kind integration Clariant | Slalom With a comprehensive Amazon Marketing Cloud analysis, we helped Salesforce extend audience reach and improve advertising performance. By integrating Salesforce Data Cloud with Amazon Marketing Cloud, Slalom helped Salesforce optimize its audience targeting and advertising strategy. Salesforce Data Cloud with Amazon Marketing Cloud | Slalom Smarter targeting and more ROI with a first-of-its-kind integration Share story Medical professional using an instrument for measurement At a glance To better understand its Amazon Prime Video ad performance, Salesforce partnered with Slalom for comprehensive data integration and analysis, audience expansion, and messaging optimization. Impact By integrating Salesforce Data Cloud with Amazon Marketing Cloud—a world first—Salesforce enhanced its audience reach and optimized its advertising strategy to better serve customers. Key Services Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Data Cloud - Amazon Marketing Cloud A new frontier for B2B advertising Picture this: You’re settling in to watch a TV show for the night, perhaps catching up on the latest season of Yellowstone . The episode cuts to a commercial break as Kevin Costner glares menacingly at the camera. Suddenly, you’re dropped into [a train heist with Matthew McConaughey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aNKKxq83qk), who’s fighting bad guys stealing customer data like chat transcripts, purchase history, and sales forecasts. This situation isn’t a new movie project for McConaughey—yet—but rather an advertisement promoting the security of Salesforce’s AI solution, [Agentforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce). A B2B company advertising on Amazon Prime Video might seem like an unusual avenue at first glance. Yet, with [over 200 million global monthly users](https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/amazon-prime-video-200-million-monthly-viewers-tv-advertising-ceo-1235967913/), the Amazon platform is ripe with opportunities for B2B brands. “Brands like Salesforce, which don’t sell on Amazon but use it as an advertising channel, still see benefit and value in the insights available through Amazon Marketing Cloud [AMC],” says Jamie Vann, a director at Slalom. Working with Slalom, Salesforce sought to improve its Amazon ad tech performance from “alright, alright, alright” (as McConaughey would say) to excellent, opening up new customer connections along the way. Improved targeting and personalization Alanna Woodrow, a director of global brand marketing at Salesforce, emphasized a need that rings true for businesses everywhere: proving the value of your marketing efforts. “Knowing your audience is crucial,” Woodrow says. “We understand that even while we might have the best-crafted campaigns, if we’re not able to reach the right audience at the right time with the right message, that’s wastage, and we’re missing the mark. This engagement offered the opportunity to reduce that wastage, diversify our media mix, and reach our audiences.” Many customers experience ad fatigue, with brands trying to get front and center across different platforms, such as video, web, social, and email. One obstacle the teams had to navigate was ensuring viewers received the right message for their particular user journeys. Another challenge was connecting consumer profiles to business profiles. Introducing multiple data points, from email addresses to phone numbers, delivered stronger audience insights and helped identify customers for targeting. “Increasingly, our lives are blurred across business and consumer worlds,” Vann says. “Through AMC, we’re able to showcase how to connect business-to-consumer perspectives by sharing messaging outside their work context.” To more extensively reach those customers, Salesforce needed to identify higher-impact audiences across Amazon. It also looked to optimize advertising efforts on the platform to generate better-quality engagement and conversions. Salesforce called on Slalom to help tackle those goals. Hand with medical glove holding an eye dropper One thing that’s awesome about Salesforce is they’re very willing to thoughtfully innovate, experiment, and try things out. We were able to show how effective their ads were and how to grow their audiences. Jamie Vann Director, Slalom A world-first integration Slalom and Salesforce set up a new integration between [Salesforce Data Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/data/) and [Amazon Marketing Cloud](https://advertising.amazon.com/solutions/products/amazon-marketing-cloud)—the first-ever instance of fully integrating the two platforms. The integration meant we could upload specific target audience segments created from our first-party data into AMC, which allowed for the activation of more relevant and impactful messaging and advertising campaigns. Salesforce connected Data Cloud with Amazon Marketing Cloud to build a unified profile on each customer in a safe and trusted way that doesn’t share personal information or risk compliance issues. Slalom utilized its deep expertise with Amazon Ads to ensure all the moving parts worked together. “The data is in real time, so there are constant updates of customers entering Salesforce Data Cloud and flowing into Amazon Marketing Cloud,” says Vann. “That means more data that we can analyze and a better quality of analysis we can put out.” Salesforce could see where and how people saw and [interacted with the ads](https://www.salesforce.com/agentforce/commercials/), and make adjustments accordingly. For instance, the McConaughey data heist spot didn’t necessarily perform best during Western shows like Yellowstone . Instead, science fiction and anime viewers, as well as deal seekers, were the most engaged audiences. “Seeing this data made us consider, from a targeting perspective, do we shift our messaging and positioning to align with their mindset? Or do we focus more on brand differentiation and long-term value? That’s the route we’ve taken,” Woodrow says. “It’s always good to know your audience’s behaviors and what they’re interested in. Having partners and this capability helps us be very effective in the way that we execute our marketing strategies.” Driving B2B results through Amazon ad tech Though Slalom has ample experience supporting retail customers like [Procter Gamble](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/p-and-g-turning-amazon-ads-into-sales) and [the LEGO Group](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud) that sell directly to consumers on Amazon, working with a B2B company like Salesforce required a bit of a unique approach. As targeting a B2B audience in a consumer platform was likely to achieve a lower match rate on fields like email, additional data points were leveraged to expand the match rate for a B2B client, and an additional focus was placed on creating high-value look-alike audiences to improve quality reach. “Based on first-party data, we built look-alike audiences that matched customers more likely to be high value,” Vann says. “Not only would it grow their audience, but these would likely be higher-quality leads, so they would go downstream in the sales funnel at a bigger proportion.” Slalom’s analysis led to building three high-impact audiences, which increased high-value audience reach by 2.5 million people across various segments. “We’re able to overlap what we’ve done with Amazon in the past with this new segmentation,” says William Sakaris, a senior analyst and experimentation lead at Salesforce. “We could see how much of our audience we already reached with our targeting and audience strategy without using first-party data. There’s a huge opportunity for growth still on this platform to go after those other users.” Alanna Woodrow From a marketer’s perspective, it’s an absolute no-brainer. You’re more efficient, you’re more targeted, you know more about your audiences. The implementation also included capabilities like audience suppression. Since lifelong fans and customers already support Salesforce, the company wanted to ensure they saw more relevant services instead of messaging targeted toward new customers. “Salesforce is a big enterprise platform, and we’re proving the value to B2B enterprises of these third-party integrations like Amazon Marketing Cloud,” Vann says. A more targeted approach helps optimize both advertising messaging and creative. It also opens the door for further competitive marketing strategies to connect with additional customers. “You don’t have to spend more money to get bigger results,” Vann says. “We help brands be smarter about their ad spend and how to use it strategically to get more conversions.” “From a marketer’s perspective, it’s an absolute no-brainer,” Woodrow adds. “You’re more efficient, you’re more targeted, you know more about your audiences. You can take them on a new journey. All of it is goodness when you’re able to use data to inform your decision-making.” Ready to reach more customers with Amazon ad tech? Start here Share this story --- title: The Salvation Army: Turning data and process into front-line empowerment url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/salvation-army-data-crm source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/salvation-army-data-crm locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # The Salvation Army: Turning data and process into front-line empowerment - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/salvation-army-data-crm - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/salvation-army-data-crm - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how Slalom empowered The Salvation Army employees and volunteers with an updated CRM platform, data warehousing and visualization, and process improvements. ## Body The Salvation Army: Turning data and process into front-line empowerment We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. The Salvation Army | CRM | Slalom The Salvation Army’s data journey improved productivity, launched a new self-service portal, and increased fundraising. See how Slalom empowered The Salvation Army employees and volunteers with an updated CRM platform, data warehousing and visualization, and process improvements. The Salvation Army data and CRM upgrade | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Turning data and process into front-line empowerment ascension Turning data and process into frontline empowerment Share story At a glance Through a robust CRM platform, enterprise data warehouse, data visualization, and more, Slalom helped The Salvation Army deliver better experiences across hundreds of communities in Canada. Impact With a stronger hold on its data, The Salvation Army has increased fundraising revenue, enhanced frontline productivity, and built personalized user experiences for volunteers, congregants, donors, and clients. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack - Salesforce Experience Cloud - Salesforce Marketing Cloud - MuleSoft - Snowflake - Matillion ETL - Tableau As the largest nongovernmental direct provider of social services in Canada, [The Salvation Army](https://salvationarmy.ca/) serves over 400 communities every day with thousands of volunteers and multiple campaigns. The Salvation Army’s [Accelerate 25 program](https://salvationist.ca/articles/accelerate-25/) is changing the organization’s trajectory in four major ways: reducing complexity, lowering costs, improving the stakeholder experience, and making it easier for ministry units to serve their communities. The Salvation Army partnered with Slalom to support the organization’s key workstreams. Throughout the partnership, Slalom delivered four major releases and 20 production deployments, spanning volunteer management, congregant engagement, donation management, program and case management, reporting and analysis, and the creation of a self-service portal. “The transformation of giving our front line back their time, minimizing the time they spend on tech and admin tasks, so they can truly focus on their calling, is a huge benefit that will lead to serving those people in their communities,” says Alice Johansson, a process lead for volunteer services at The Salvation Army. “When you’re dealing with almost a million hours that volunteers give every year, it’s extremely valuable to see the data on their hours and roles. We hadn’t seen that before Salesforce, and it provides opportunities to recognize volunteers in ways they deserve.” Alice Johansson Process Lead, Volunteer Services, The Salvation Army Putting data to work Slalom developed a new [client relationship management (CRM)](https://www.salesforce.com/crm/) system on [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) to provide a single source of truth for donors, volunteers, clients, and partners. The implementation integrated data using MuleSoft, processing 80 million records and connecting five systems to create an enterprise data warehouse on a modern cloud data platform in Snowflake. To make that data more accessible, Slalom also built a modern data visualization tool using Tableau. These implementations were complemented by building a self-service portal through Salesforce Experience Cloud. Volunteers could manage their profile, complete training, schedule shifts, and have more control over their experience. Additionally, The Salvation Army utilizes Salesforce Marketing Cloud to communicate seamlessly with volunteers. This includes welcome emails, shift confirmations, personalized details, and points of contact within the organization. “We created a solution that empowers the front line to do more with less time,” says Ainslie Hancock, a senior director and client partner at Slalom. “It removes that administrative burden from the employees and volunteers at The Salvation Army.” Slalom delivered the implementation across four phases. First, the Corps Mission and Emergency Disaster Services tested a pilot, with features like contact and roll management, as well as volunteer tracking. Next, the Social and Community Pilot introduced program and service management, case management, and enhanced security and permissions. The pilot extended to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign, highlighted by volunteer management and congregant engagement. Finally, the enhancement release introduced donation management. The Salvation Army now has a better grasp of volunteers’ history and their journey throughout the organization. Data offers new insights on how they’ve spent their time serving their communities. For example, leadership can see that someone began as a donor and then transitioned into volunteering, serving most of the hours at food banks. The Salvation Army can use Salesforce Marketing Cloud to share messaging highlighting the organization’s—and by extension, the volunteers’—impact against food poverty. During the most recent Christmas Kettle season, The Salvation Army ran a pilot with four Ministry Units using Salesforce to manage volunteers. The impact was immediate: Delivering impressive results The Christmas Kettle Campaign is one of The Salvation Army’s most significant fundraising efforts. Running from mid-November to Christmas Eve, the organization raises $22 million annually. It requires a lot of volunteer power—with over 2,000 locations across Canada, volunteers contribute about 400,000 hours over the six-week campaign. “Now, imagine doing that without Salesforce in place, using Excel sheets or documents, Post-it notes, whatever that might be,” Johansson says. “Salesforce enables us to look at how we’re manning our Kettles, how we’re engaging with new volunteers, and how we can help our Ministry Units strategically look at running the campaign differently. Having a system to look at the data a little bit differently not only saves the front-line time and helps them raise more funds but also makes the experience a lot more meaningful for the volunteers.” James Bowes About half of our front line is already queued up saying, ‘Can I have this, please?’ That’s a pretty darn remarkable result. “I want that” — gaining volunteer buy-in As Slalom built the solution, it worked closely with The Salvation Army and its front line. Both parties recognized the need to deliver a high-quality experience for the end users in the communities. “We focused on creating a product that would result in our front line saying, ‘I want that,’ and we worked with them to address their pain points,” says James Bowes, a senior director of relationship management capabilities at The Salvation Army. “The result is a set of capabilities that is useful to them. It solves their challenges.” The initial pilot was limited to a smaller group of Ministry Units, but The Salvation Army quickly saw the solution’s potential. “In change management, you’re not trying to convince people to use something because it helps somebody else,” says James. “They’re using it because it helps them deliver on their mission.” As Slalom shared subsequent releases, the enthusiasm continued to grow. Initial releases were reviewed by the leadership team first. By the end of the implementation, Slalom was demoing to end users every two weeks, incorporating their feedback. “Something our Ministry Units really wanted was the ability to see their shifts in a calendar view. To techie people, that might seem like it’s not worth spending time on. Together with the Slalom team, we understood the value and who was asking for it,” Johansson says. “There was so much joy when we presented the calendar view as a result of their feedback. That continues to give to this day.” “One leader at a pilot location was a notoriously late adopter with technology. She thought things were too complicated and wanted to stick with pen and paper,” says Caitlin Tuba, a senior delivery principal at Slalom. “She ended up being one of the biggest advocates of what we built.” The organization’s leadership and employees can generate dashboards with over 10 years of data across 400 Ministry Units in seconds. Brotin Ghosh, a director of data architecture and analytics at The Salvation Army, shared how access to data has been an aha moment for managers of volunteers and employees from other business departments. “They’ve said this kind of ability has never existed before,” Ghosh says. “One of my favourite pieces of customer feedback is: ‘It’s powerful, it’s fast, and more importantly, it’s accurate.’” “There was a perception change along the way. Initially, people thought we were there to change all this stuff and add trouble to their day. They had seen that play out before,” adds Mike Ginou, a director at Slalom. “When we rolled out the releases, they saw how their day-to-day jobs improved and that collaboration came to have a momentum of its own. That was really, really great.” A fruitful partnership With continuous releases and updates, Slalom and The Salvation Army acted as one strong team. Together, they worked with users to implement feedback and deliver value to everyday volunteers and mission partners. “With data, it’s a matter of constant refinement,” Ghosh says. “We have a lot of people who are experts in their own domains, and we’ve combined that with Slalom to come up with a solid foundation that will really work well.” Over a two-year period, Slalom went through six different cycle checkpoints of complex delivery reviews. It maintained a low delivery risk through every checkpoint, minimizing or eliminating budget, governance, and other challenges. Hancock noted that The Salvation Army’s eagerness and collaboration were key elements for an impactful engagement. “Be open to changing the way you’re operating today. Don’t try to force-fit your current process into your new technology,” she advises. Moving forward, The Salvation Army plans to roll out CRM capabilities across all Ministry Units, including features like learning management and more robust self-scheduling. “Slalom has been a tremendous partner,” Bowes says. “They brought a discipline and experience in this space that was critical to our success.” Ready to see how a data-driven approach can enhance user experience for your customers and employees? Get building Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: Sarah Group: Building a business-led IT strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sarah-group source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sarah-group locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Sarah Group: Building a business-led IT strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sarah-group - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sarah-group - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped the leaders at a fast-growing construction company in South Australia redefine their approach to IT and create a new technology vision and strategy. ## Body Sarah Group: Building a business-led IT strategy Sarah Group | Slalom We helped the leaders at a fast-growing construction company in South Australia redefine their approach to IT and create a new technology vision and strategy. Slalom helped the leaders at a fast-growing construction company in South Australia redefine their approach to IT and create a new technology vision and strategy. Building a business-led IT strategy Sarah Group Share story At a glance Impact Now, with an actionable, clear path forward, Sarah Group’s future looks even brighter. Key Services Industry Construction and engineering Key Technologies / Platforms - Technology vision and strategy - IT operating model Building great communities [Sarah Group](https://sarahgroup.com.au/) builds great communities. Founded in 1961 in Adelaide, Australia, the company is still family-owned today and run by co-managing directors (and cousins) James and Tim Sarah. Sarah Group’s hardworking IT, finance, and people and culture teams support the company’s various operating businesses: Sarah Constructions, a commercial construction contractor; Hindmarsh Plumbing, a commercial plumbing, maintenance and water treatment contractor; and Longridge Group, a retail housing builder. The group places value on strong relationships, high-quality solutions and long-term sustainability. It’s an approach that has served the organization well. When Sarah Group reached out to Slalom, the company had been enjoying a five-year period of strong and sustained growth. Revenue had increased by more than 300% and employee head count had risen significantly. But there was one problem. For many years, Sarah Group had maintained an IT support-centric approach. The IT teams were industrious and valued by fellow employees, but crucial touchpoints with business teams were either manual or missing altogether. There was little room for business and IT work together iteratively, and launching new technology was a challenge. Sarah Group’s leaders wanted to make changes that could support the company’s growth and help it take advantage of innovative technologies in the construction sector. Day-to-day focus areas for improvement were identified as project management, QHSE (quality, health, safety and environment), and point-of-sale software. In addition, Sarah Group’s leaders recognized the blue-sky potential of engaging with inventions like modular construction software and on-site tools that use augmented reality and virtual reality. There are very few Tesla-like companies in the construction world and, to lay a foundation for the future, they wanted to reset the relationship between business and IT and develop a strategy that would allow for growth, encourage innovation and enable new competitive advantages. To do that, they needed consulting assistance. “Slalom came highly recommended to our business from a trusted board adviser and they did not disappoint,” says Matt Woodrow, chief operating officer of Sarah Group and the executive sponsor of the engagement. Matt Woodrow Slalom challenged our thinking ... We now have a strong sense of where we want to take our technology operations. Surveying the landscape Our consultants partnered with Sarah Group’s leaders to develop a business-led technology strategy, one that was the right fit for a modern, growing organization. Says Ian Goshko, a senior principal at Slalom Sydney, “We came in to understand Sarah Group’s true business goals and objectives, and then help design how those goals and objectives could be supported from an IT technology perspective.” Our approach was technology agnostic. Instead of focusing on specific tools and platforms, we helped leaders explore the relationship between their company culture and their technology. First, we reviewed Sarah Group’s current capabilities and maturity level. We assessed its enterprise architecture, held 30 stakeholder interviews, conducted surveys, listened and built trust throughout the organization. Then we sat down with C-suite leaders in a series of workshops to co-create the group’s strategy and help leaders reach consensus and agree on priorities. Together, the Slalom and Sarah Group teams explored how business and technology could be brought into closer alignment, how to build support for new capabilities within the organization, how to minimize silos, and how to ensure technology would be implemented and used effectively and successfully. Says Khale Lewis, a senior principal at Slalom Melbourne, “Systems and applications only took up a very small portion of the framework. The rest of it covered what needs to be organized around those systems and processes. This included the more people- and organization-oriented elements. How do you deliver projects? How do you govern investments, spend, and decisions around your technology? How do you plan strategically? How do you define the right software architecture?” A common mistake, says Goshko, is that “You can’t just put someone from a business team onto an IT project or initiative on top of their day job. You need to start thinking about them at a 20% capacity or a 50% capacity. If a project is critical to the business, IT needs that link into the business in order to make the right decisions and work collaboratively.” A blueprint for a new way The result was a strategy with an actionable three-year roadmap that supports leadership in independent exploration, decision-making and innovation – and, crucially, allows Sarah Group to adapt to changing circumstances. The roadmap includes improvement opportunities for: - IT project delivery - Automated data and reporting - Operating model and resourcing - Change management - Enterprise architecture - Process and governance - Funding for high priority initiatives The end goal, says Lewis, is “not a nirvana where Sarah Group has solved all of its technology problems. It’s that it has the capability to recognize them, define pragmatic solutions and then the capability to deliver.” The roadmap is an iterative, living document that guides leadership through their options and helps them measure progress. It’s not an inflexible “one and done” deliverable. Rather, it’s designed to be reviewed regularly, to prompt reflection on progress and to be refined by Sarah Group’s leadership every quarter in response to real circumstances. And our consultants are continuing to provide aftercare by regularly checking in Sarah Group and ensuring its teams have what they need. A foundation for the future With a new vision and strategy in place, together with the guidance of the roadmap, Sarah Group’s leadership is empowered to build on the company’s strengths, start investing in high priority initiatives and enjoy a future of continued growth and quality outcomes. Says Woodrow, “We now have a strong sense of where we want to take our technology operations.” Construction worker on job site taking notes from scaffolding on tall building --- title: Save the Children: A data foundation for lasting impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/save-the-children source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/save-the-children locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Save the Children: A data foundation for lasting impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/save-the-children - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/save-the-children - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Save the Children US to establish a modern data lakehouse platform leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS), Snowflake, and Tableau. ## Body Save the Children: A data foundation for lasting impact We helped a nonprofit embark on a digital transformation journey to modernize its data infrastructure. We partnered with Save the Children US to establish a modern data lakehouse platform leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS), Snowflake, and Tableau. Save the Children | Slalom A data foundation for lasting impact Share story At a glance Save the Children US partnered with Slalom to establish a modern data lakehouse platform leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS), Snowflake, and Tableau. Impact By unifying siloed data into a centralized analytics platform, Slalom empowered Save the Children to gain comprehensive insights to drive maximum impact for children worldwide. Key Services Cloud Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Managed Workflows for Apache Airflow - AWS Lambda - Amazon Simple Storage Service - Snowflake - Tableau Every child deserves a future Take a moment to picture a child in your life—the color of their eyes, their hair, their smile. Now consider the sobering fact that one in every seven children in the US faces adversities like hunger, dropping out of school, teenage pregnancy, and child mortality. For nearly a century, [Save the Children](https://www.savethechildren.org/) has been on a mission to improve the lives of children worldwide. In the US, the organization serves children in America’s poorest, hardest-to-reach rural communities, which have historically had limited access to critical early childhood education, health, and resilience-building services. As a nonprofit, Save the Children also maintains a strong commitment to maximizing the impact of donations, with less than 7% of every dollar spent on administrative costs. This financial responsibility ensures that the majority of funds directly benefit children in need. And yet, the ability to truly optimize program funding and quantify the impact of each dollar was limited by disconnected data systems and a lack of advanced analytics capabilities. To solve these challenges and further its mission of creating lasting change for children, Save the Children US (SCUS) embarked on a digital transformation journey to modernize its data infrastructure. By centralizing all data into a unified platform, SCUS has established the foundation to equip everyone in the organization with the data-driven insights to optimize their operations and maximize positive impact on children’s lives worldwide. This data lake has been all about making our staff more effective by getting them better access to the data that helps them do their jobs effectively. Doug Williams Solutions Architect at SCUS “Three partners, one team” SCUS recognized that its ability to truly understand program effectiveness, optimize funding decisions, streamline reporting, and serve both internal and external stakeholders was limited by fragmented data across its own systems as well as those of numerous program partners. With data scattered in silos and consolidated through time-consuming manual reporting processes, the organization lacked the ability to derive holistic insights into end-to-end program performance. In addition, SCUS was facing increasing challenges with its existing data lake, which was built for limited use cases and costly to maintain. As demand grew, the traditional setup lacked the flexibility and scalability to handle the increasingly vast amounts of data from across the organization and its partners. The pressing need to modernize its data infrastructure, integrate disparate sources into a centralized, high-performance data lakehouse, and enable self-service business intelligence and data reporting capabilities served as the driving force to develop a comprehensive digital transformation roadmap. A key turning point in the transformation journey came when the organization adopted [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). “When Salesforce came in, it made sense to adopt the AWS ecosystem to align with all the features and services Salesforce offers” recalls Santha Kumar, managing director of DevOps and integrations at SCUS. “That’s when our journey began to build a highly scalable, robust data lake architecture on AWS.” Given our strong relationship with [Amazon Web Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) (AWS) and Salesforce, as well as our expertise across leading data and technology platforms, SCUS approached Slalom to build out a modern, high-performance data lakehouse platform leveraging Snowflake on AWS, with [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau) for self-serve reporting and insights. The vision was to empower each functional area including finance, US programs, and HR to become users and customers of the solution, breaking down long-standing data silos and providing access to previously unavailable insights. “Slalom was wonderful,” says Doug Williams, solutions architect at SCUS. “Very technically knowledgeable with a good sense of how to architect things in order to deliver maximum business value.” “We had Scrum meetings with the different vendors, and Slalom was pivotal in bringing everything together from Salesforce and AWS to the partners in our business as well,” adds Kumar. “So, bringing everyone together and delivering on the ultimate requirement is what Slalom did really well.” Laying the foundation Once engaged, Slalom’s team of multidisciplinary data and analytics experts immediately got to work implementing the cloud-based data lakehouse architecture. Following an Agile delivery methodology with iterative sprints, they constructed the data ingestion layer by leveraging services like Amazon Managed Workflows for Apache Airflow (MWAA) and AWS Lambda, establishing pipelines to extract and load information from various sources into the Snowflake Data Cloud platform. The data is then transformed and modeled in Snowflake, which provides a robust analytical platform with real-time insights and enables outputs to Tableau, empowering decision-makers across the organization. The team also established data quality checks, enabled data lineage tracking, and instituted data governance policies to ensure accuracy and consistency as the lakehouse scales in the future. “We wanted to implement a solution that combines the flexibility and cost-efficiency of a data lake with the reliability and query performance of a data warehouse,” says Olya Solomon, Slalom principal and solution architect. “And thanks to the modern architectural paradigms and data engineering techniques we were able to employ, the entire end-to-end pipeline execution takes less than an hour.” Before, reporting was a highly manual process. “Staff had to take reports in Excel and manipulate them by hand,” explains Williams. “Anytime they needed a different data view, it required countless staff hours. By getting all that into Tableau, they can now click a filter and in seconds have the exact data view they need.” The outcome is a single source of truth for all SCUS’s data needs, and the ability to access and analyze the data faster and easier than ever before. SCUS now benefits from having a scalable, secure, and cost-effective data platform that can support their current and future business goals and challenges. “Ultimately, everything we’re doing, and the tools implemented, are not only to help all parts of the US business but can also scale to benefit Save the Children International“ says Katie Wharton, Slalom principal and engagement lead for the project. “This data lake has been all about making our staff more effective by getting them better access to the data that helps them do their jobs effectively,“ says Williams. “As the staff become more effective, the people they work on behalf of benefit—whether that’s donors, program recipients, keeping our board better informed, or better governance, enabling your staff has waves of positive effects afterwards.“ Every child deserves a healthy start in life. This data transformation establishes the foundation to empower Save the Children with comprehensive data insights to make fully data-informed decisions that best further its mission of creating lasting, meaningful change in children's lives worldwide. Discover how to harness data to amplify your mission. Let’s talk Share this story --- title: Scheidt & Bachmann EV infrastructure | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/scheidt-bachmann-ev-infrastructure source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/scheidt-bachmann-ev-infrastructure locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Scheidt & Bachmann EV infrastructure | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/scheidt-bachmann-ev-infrastructure - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/scheidt-bachmann-ev-infrastructure - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary See how a predictive AI solution is reducing wait times at electric vehicle charging stations, improving both utilization and customer experiences. ## Body Scheidt & Bachmann EV infrastructure | Slalom Scheidt & Bachmann EV | Infrastructure | Slalom Find out how predictive AI is helping to solve EV charging station utilization challenges—and drive the future of e-mobility. See how a predictive AI solution is reducing wait times at electric vehicle charging stations, improving both utilization and customer experiences. Solving EV infrastructure challenges with data and AI At a glance vision We partnered with Scheidt Bachmann Energy Retail Solutions to build a proprietary AI algorithm that uses predictive insights to improve the availability and utilization of electric vehicle charging stations. IMPACT SIQMA FlowMax.AI reduces uncertainty at the charging station—strengthening customer trust, improving utilization, and supporting the broader shift to e-mobility. Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon SageMaker Ready to transform your business model with data and AI? Let’s innovate together The e-volution: Transforming traditional business models Last year, [electric car registrations](https://www.kba.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/AlternativeAntriebe/2025/pm54_2025_Antriebe_11_25_komplett.html) rose 41% in Germany. Nearly one in five of all new cars purchased in the country are now battery powered. Demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, and the transformation is in full swing. But this shift often collides with reality: slow expansion of charging infrastructure, non-transparent charging rates, limited charging capacity, and a lack of visibility into the exact location of charging points all hinder the EV experience. Founded in 1872, [Scheidt Bachmann](https://www.scheidt-bachmann.de/de/energy-retail-solutions/home) is a pioneer in the mobility sector, developing innovative solutions in parking, signaling, fare collection, and energy retail. Scheidt Bachmann Energy Retail Solutions is known for its services and products for gas stations and now aims to revolutionize the e-mobility market. The goal: Solve well-known infrastructure challenges, such as the “tariff jungle” and the discoverability and availability of charging stations. At a gas station, customers generally know how long they’ll wait and what it will cost to refuel. This is not the case at charging stations. “E-mobility is growing rapidly, but it will only become accessible to everyone if it is transparent, reliable, and has a user-friendly infrastructure. This is precisely where we are taking responsibility and actively shaping the future of charging,” explains Jörg M. Heilingbrunner, managing director of Scheidt Bachmann Energy Retail Solutions. Scheidt Bachmann set out to develop a predictive AI solution that uses data and machine learning to make forecasts, creating transparency and confidence where uncertainty once prevailed. SIQMA FlowMax.AI would alleviate infrastructure challenges by improving utilization, price transparency, discoverability, and availability of charging stations. “E-mobility continues to gain ground and will dominate the entire market in a few years,” explains Florian Kampes, head of AI Ecosystem at Scheidt Bachmann Energy Retail Solutions. “We want to underscore our pioneering role by transforming our business model early and continuing to offer our customers unique solutions that don’t yet exist. SIQMA FlowMax.AI is such a product.” The human factor: Predicting the unpredictable This proprietary, predictive AI solution needed to meet Scheidt Bachmann’s exacting quality standards. To this end, the company first wanted to conduct a technical feasibility study to determine whether it was possible for a cloud-based app on AWS to capture information on charging stations and individual charge points. The application needed to show exactly where charge points were located and the cost to customers to charge their vehicles. The most challenging feature: The app should predict how many minutes were likely to pass before an occupied charging station would be available again. For this function, the app would have to forecast unpredictable human behavior. Charging takes more time than traditional refueling. But other factors—like the customer’s desired charge level, the availability of nearby cafés, restaurants, and shopping, or even whether a family needs to keep children occupied—need to be taken into account. Together with Scheidt Bachmann, our team took just four weeks to develop a proof-of-concept solution to predict this behavior. We based the algorithm on combined data sourced through open interfaces, purchased data, and well-grounded assumptions. “Within the first five minutes of a charging session we were able to accurately predict when a charging point would become available again. Slalom’s data and AWS expertise helped us quickly develop, scale, and implement the pilot while acquiring vital know-how. This kind of rapid AI pilot is now a success factor for all our AI projects,” says Kampes. “The AI prediction can’t prevent individual outliers, but most predictions are now accurate to within a few minutes. Our long-term goal is to further improve average prediction accuracy to provide customers and electric vehicle drivers with an experience they never thought possible.” Florian Kampes Head of AI Ecosystem, Scheidt Bachmann Energy Retail Solutions From pilot to implementation: Bridging wish and reality After successfully completing the proof of concept, we moved the solution into a working model for live operation. But live deployment brought a surprise: there was a significant gap between the training data and the real-world data seen in operation. As a result, the prediction accuracy was initially low. Through additional hyperparameter training and experimenting with more data—such as location, day of the week, time, weather, and nearby amenities—we significantly improved the model’s predictive power and reduced the error rate. Our team also connected direct data pipelines to ensure new data continually flows into the model, retraining it regularly and steadily improving prediction accuracy. “We have a prediction accuracy of just a few minutes. This makes SIQMA FlowMax.AI an extremely complex solution that already excites customers and electric vehicle drivers by making the nearly impossible possible,” explains Kampes. To ensure solution quality and track accuracy, we established a new KPI—the mean average percentage error. This value shows the average percentage deviation of actual charging time from the predicted time. If the value rises significantly, the team is alerted to intervene. Jörg M. Heilingbrunner With SIQMA FlowMax.AI, we are setting a new standard in charging: accurate predictions, clear information, and a reliable charging experience. Our goal is to reduce complexity and add real value for operators and drivers. Comprehensive, end-to-end solution for the future Gas and charging station operators can now purchase SIQMA FlowMax.AI together with the digital screen SIQMA Sign. The screen displays the current price for standard and fast charging at station entrances, and customers can check the availability of charging points, where they’re located on site, and what other amenities are available. The content management system also allows for advertising integration. “In combination with the screen, our customers can improve charging station utilization and offer seamless charging experiences that strengthen customer loyalty,” says Kampes. The solution is already in use in a charging station with 24 charge points where data is continuously collected to help further optimize the algorithm. The solution can also be purchased separately. Customers who only want to use the proprietary SIQMA FlowMax.AI solution can acquire the interfaces from Scheidt Bachmann and integrate the solution into their own platforms and applications. How can AI innovation create new value for your business? Share this story --- title: Securian Financial: Realizing a cloud vision url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securian-financial-aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/securian-financial-aws locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Securian Financial: Realizing a cloud vision - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/securian-financial-aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securian-financial-aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We embarked on a multiyear cloud journey with Securian Financial that has already yielded faster product innovation and empowered teams to learn and experiment in the AWS cloud. ## Body Securian Financial: Realizing a cloud vision We helped Securian Financial embark on a multiyear cloud journey, yield faster product innovation, and empower teams to learn and experiment in the AWS cloud. Securian Financial | Slalom We embarked on a multiyear cloud journey with Securian Financial that has already yielded faster product innovation and empowered teams to learn and experiment in the AWS cloud. Realizing a cloud vision SECURIAN FINANCIAL Share story At a glance We helped Securian Financial envision what it means to adopt the cloud from a company-wide perspective, addressing both technical and cultural components. Impact Together, we embarked on a multiyear cloud journey that has already yielded faster product innovation and empowered teams to learn and experiment in the AWS cloud. Key Services Industry Insurance Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) A need for speed One of the hallmarks of [Securian Financial](https://www.securian.com/), the St. Paul-based provider of insurance and retirement solutions, is its long-tenured associates. Richard Binger has worked at Securian for more than 35 years. As the current VP and chief architect of technology infrastructure, he’s seen and experienced the IT organization’s evolution from punched-card programming to mainframe processing and now to cloud computing. The move to the cloud has felt different. More pivotal. Binger wagers that for many of Securian’s long-tenured associates, “the current level, frequency, and pace of change is unprecedented.” The speed that Binger is referring to is central to Securian’s vision of a future in the cloud. For Securian, moving to the cloud is part of a larger plan for the business, with such goals as adapting to a faster pace of change and simplifying the experience for its customers, who include employers, individuals, and third-party administrators. According to Binger and Aaron Murray, who leads Securian’s Cloud Center of Excellence, the best of that vision is yet to come. But, if Binger and Murray have learned anything from Securian’s cloud journey to date, it’s that making it this far is a story in itself. The question of culture When Securian formally committed to a multiyear journey to the cloud, it wasn’t just technology leaders who helped make the call. A cross-functional executive team that included the organization’s CFO, CISO, enterprise technology chief, and head of infrastructure came together in the early, conceptual days of Securian’s cloud transformation. Their goal was to understand what was possible in the cloud, and what was needed to build on it securely. Why so many stakeholders? Murray, Binger, and others realized that one of the biggest potential roadblocks on Securian’s cloud journey would be culture—at least certain aspects of it. Managing risk had helped the life insurance provider succeed throughout more than 140 years of business, but it also meant that there was no shortage of skepticism within the company. If Securian was going to get anywhere in the cloud, that skepticism would need to be mitigated across the company, not just among infrastructure teams. That’s why Murray wanted to meet Trever Dahnke, a senior director at Slalom. Murray hoped that Dahnke could help him understand what it means to perform a cloud adoption and, “have it be about more than migrating technical infrastructure.” Murray’s hope was based on Securian’s experience working with Slalom on its larger transformation strategy, and his conversation with Dahnke did not disappoint. They talked about change management, talent development, and other not-so-technical elements of cloud adoption. What followed was the deepening of a partnership between Slalom and Securian that promised meaningful change—the kind that starts (and ends) with people. Getting on the (road)map Securian is now well into its cloud transformation journey with Slalom. The full journey can be broken into three legs: - Discovery: Slalom answered on a macro level how Securian could get the most out of the cloud—safely and securely. Together, we assessed cloud maturity and analyzed employees’ learning needs. On the more technical side, we evaluated cloud platforms, inventoried Securian’s applications, and rationalized which should move to the cloud. Our rationalization concluded that over 70% of Securian’s applications were a good fit for the [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/aws-cloud-consulting) cloud platform. - Mobilization: We determined how and when Securian’s applications would move to the cloud over the course of three years. This included mapping out migration waves that each contained one group of applications, often connected to one or more lines of business. It also included building out landing zones, upskilling teams, and creating an infrastructure roadmap. - Migration: Before kicking off each new migration wave, Securian and Slalom conduct smaller, micro-level discoveries of the applications and their dependencies. At the time of writing, the migration phase is well under way. Securian is now running a vast majority of its revenue-generating applications in the cloud. Borrowing from Agile principles, Securian and Slalom work together in pods. The pods give Securian’s engineers both hands-on migration experience and expert guidance from Slalom’s technologists, helping Securian quickly build the skills necessary to drive migrations and operate in the cloud with confidence. Educational workshops, internal communication, and established governance processes have helped mitigate security concerns. So has Securian’s selection of AWS as its predominant cloud platform. Even though Securian plans on leveraging additional cloud providers in the future, the teams agreed that starting with one platform would be the best way to scale the company’s transformation while supporting its infrastructure, architecture, and people. Picking up speed—and skills Binger considers part of his job is to help, “convey to folks that this is absolutely the right move for Securian at the right time.” It’s going well so far. Murray agrees and says he’s seen a shift in his relationship with internal partners in compliance and privacy. “They know that the cloud is a part of our future and not a thing to be afraid of; that we can absolutely meet our security requirements and be successful there.” It helps that there has been zero to minimal business disruption during the actual migrations. Richard Binger They know that the cloud is a part of our future and not a thing to be afraid of; that we can absolutely meet our security requirements and be successful there. To track and classify the ways that Securian is benefitting (and will benefit in the future) from cloud adoption, the company is equipped with a value framework that it created in partnership with Slalom. It outlines everything from efficiency gains to hard cost savings. Already, Murray says that timelines to deliver the right technology solutions are starting to shrink down to hours and even minutes from the months it previously took just to get the infrastructure, buy the licensing, and cycle through procurement, negotiations, and security reviews. Binger is impressed by how quickly some teams are using the cloud to leverage new technology like artificial intelligence (AI). For example, one team is using AI-powered chat capabilities to improve the customer enrollment experience for one of Securian’s clients. Binger believes that, “If we hadn’t been on our cloud journey and already prepared our AWS environment—our landing zone and how we’re structured—we would not have been able to provide an AI chat capability as a solution in 8 to 10 weeks.” The culture change is happening. For Murray, “It’s been fun for me to see the evolution of Securian into a company that is embracing technology and the way we use it to accelerate how we’re providing value for our business or our customers.” As a sign of this evolution, there’s been a remarkable uplift in Securian’s teams, their skillsets, and mindsets towards change, experimentation, and innovation. One observer is Tanya Mahoney, a Slalom consultant who currently leads the cloud migration program at Securian and works closely with on-the-ground delivery teams. Mahoney says she’s seen Securian associates, “empower themselves to learn and experiment and get excited about what it means to realize value in the cloud.” For her, that is, “the most rewarding piece of this transformative work.” Speaking specifically of the new cloud engineering team, Murray adds, “They continue to be recognized by folks at AWS and Slalom as very, very good at what they do. I’m very proud of the work they’ve done.” That makes all of us. Two women talking at a table --- title: Securing digital payments with AI-powered fraud detection url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Securing digital payments with AI-powered fraud detection - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Read how Sionic launched a fraud detection system for real-time digital payments with our financial consulting services and Google Cloud’s AI expertise. ## Body Securing digital payments with AI-powered fraud detection Explore how Sionic enhanced payment security with AI for safer, real-time transactions thanks to Slalom and Google Cloud. Read how Sionic launched a fraud detection system for real-time digital payments with our financial consulting services and Google Cloud’s AI expertise. Sionic Logo Share story Woman paying at a store with credit card At a glance Together with Google Cloud Consulting, we helped Sionic infuse its real-time, bank-to-bank payments with the AI intelligence and expertise needed for superior fraud detection. Impact With Slalom’s expertise and Google Cloud’s AI technology, Sionic is creating the next generation of digital payments, bringing to market an advanced fraud detection service that protects consumers and retailers. Key Services Cloud Industry Banking payments Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud - Vertex AI Studio - BigQuery - Cloud Run Setting a standard of trust for real-time transactions In the ever-evolving landscape of digital payments, [Sionic](https://sionic.io/) has set out to pioneer the future. Founded in 2010, the company initially began in the mobile commerce loyalty and rewards space. Now, 14 years later, Sionic has transitioned its expertise to an adjacent frontier: real-time, bank-to-bank payments at the point of sale. This strategic move aims to empower financial institutions and retailers by offering a seamless and secure payment solution that caters to small and large businesses. When planning its new payment solution, Sionic recognized the need to address the growing incidence of fraud plaguing the payments industry. With a commitment to innovation, security, and trust, Sionic’s leaders knew that offering a robust fraud detection and mitigation capability would be necessary. Powering AI through a collaborative partnership To help financial institutions, merchants, and consumers enjoy the advantages of instant bank payments without the fear of fraud, Sionic engaged Slalom and [Google Cloud Consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) to collaborate on an advanced fraud detection system driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). “The genesis for this initiative comes out of the fact that we’ve built a real-time payment solution within the Google Cloud ecosystem,” shares Matthew Watson, chief technology officer of Sionic. “We met with Google Cloud engineers and determined that our best way forward was to employ modern AI technologies leveraging the Vertex AI platform.” Vertex AI, a unified development platform for building and using generative AI, implemented in combination with Google Cloud’s BigQuery and Cloud Run, would allow Sionic to develop inference and training pipelines that could analyze payment transaction data, evaluate the level of fraud threat, and determine whether a transaction should be processed. However, since Sionic’s payments platform had not yet been released, there was no existing data to fuel the ML models. With Google Cloud Consulting focused on the system’s technical application, Sionic leveraged Slalom’s fraud domain expertise and Google Cloud’s engineering expertise to develop the AI-based synthetic data that would support the training of these models. Infusing intelligence and financial consulting expertise into the battle against fraud For reliable and effective fraud detection models, Slalom needed to define the types of fraud and characteristics that should be targeted and accurately reflected in the datasets. To do so, we identified, refined, and prioritized the fraud use cases that overlapped between small businesses and enterprise merchants. We then leveraged industry best practices to provide crucial feedback and examples that guided the parameters for generating synthetic data. From there, we advised on baseline guardrails around the ML models to eliminate obvious cases of fraud and improve model training. We also introduced a rules engine to mitigate the cost of running these models. Based on our guidance, the team of Google Cloud engineers could then generate millions of fraudulent and non-fraudulent transactions to effectively train the ML models. Woman paying at a store with her phone The depth and breadth of Slalom’s knowledge was a tremendous asset. Their team gave us a good, solid baseline and foundation that Sionic can now grow on and scale out as we move into a production footprint. Matthew Watson Chief Technology Officer, Sionic Securing the future of payments Looking ahead, Slalom has equipped Sionic with the knowledge and tools needed to iterate on its ML model as the company onboards new customers and matures its fraud detection offerings. This continuous improvement approach will ensure that Sionic stays ahead of evolving fraud tactics and maintains comprehensive security measures. “The depth and breadth of Slalom’s knowledge was a tremendous asset,“ Watson states. “Their team gave us a good, solid baseline and foundation that Sionic can now grow on and scale out as we move into a production footprint.” The partnership between Slalom and Sionic has laid the groundwork for an advanced, scalable fraud detection system poised to revolutionize real-time payments long into the future. Ultimately, this collaboration will lead to a more secure and efficient payment landscape, enabling financial institutions and retailers to strengthen customer relationships and minimize disputes while also positioning Sionic for continued success in its industry. --- title: Shell Page: Shaping the future of life sciences CRM url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/shaping-the-future-of-life-sciences-crm- source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/shaping-the-future-of-life-sciences-crm- locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Shell Page: Shaping the future of life sciences CRM - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/shaping-the-future-of-life-sciences-crm- - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/shaping-the-future-of-life-sciences-crm- - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary The human impact of the Veeva-Salesforce decision ## Body Shell Page: Shaping the future of life sciences CRM The human impact of the Veeva-Salesforce decision Empowering the Customer-Centric Future of Pharma The title of the story goes here and can be longer like this Share story At a glance A short description of the project goes here. It should help the user to understand what we helped to solve and why the project was important work. Impact Using data-backed insights into their changing fan base, the Cubs are creating more meaningful customer experiences that fill stands. Key Services Cloud Industry Sports live entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Google Cloud - Snowflake Data Cloud - Platform 4 - Platform 5 Habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus sit. Vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat. Ac odio tempor orci dapibus ultrices. Habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus sit. Vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat. Ac odio tempor orci dapibus ultrices. Ipsum faucibus vitae aliquet nec ullamcorper sit. Varius quam quisque id diam vel quam. Gravida cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient. Praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla est ullamcorper. Quisque egestas diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Posuere urna nec tincidunt praesent semper feugiat nibh. Sed vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Nunc lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa. Dui id ornare arcu odio. Diam donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in fermentum. Quam adipiscing vitae proin sagittis nisl rhoncus. Feugiat in fermentum posuere urna. Senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac. Sem et tortor consequat id porta nibh venenatis cras. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed. Ut consequat semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet. Name Sed lectus vestibulum mattis ullamcorper velit sed ullamcorper morbi tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas purus viverra accumsan in nisl nisi scelerisque eu ultrices vitae auctor eu augue ut lectus arcu bibendum at varius vel pharetra vel turpis nunc. Name Title test Description here Icon Description text Seattle, 2022 Title Description text goes in this space! Overline description Tempus egestas sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse in est Virgin Voyages offers its sailors a unique luxury cruise experience, with world-class amenities. We partnered to help elevate that experience from the very beginning of the customer journey. --- title: Turning AI potential into progress for software developers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/siemens-ai-microsoft-github-copilot source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/siemens-ai-microsoft-github-copilot locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Turning AI potential into progress for software developers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/siemens-ai-microsoft-github-copilot - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/siemens-ai-microsoft-github-copilot - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Learn how Siemens enabled 30,000 software developers with a comprehensive AI enablement program. ## Body Turning AI potential into progress for software developers Siemens | AI | Slalom Learn how Siemens enabled 30,000 software developers with a comprehensive AI enablement program. Siemens turns AI potential into progress for software developers | Slalom We helped Siemens AG successfully execute one of the world’s largest AI projects, rolling out GitHub Copilot for 30,000 software developers across the organization. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact Through targeted enablement, managed communications, and strategic community building, we boosted the productivity of 30,000 Siemens developers with GitHub Copilot. Industry Software Key Services KEY TECHNOLOGIES/PLATFORMS Microsoft GitHub Copilot Connect with a Slalom expert The Vision How does a global enterprise with complex technological frameworks activate AI for 30,000 developers within 14 months? Through a comprehensive AI training framework for employees. [Siemens AG](https://www.siemens.com/) has a long tradition of innovation. Its AI vision is both ambitious and forward-looking. Siemens management recognized early on that AI is a true game changer for software development. Over eight weeks the company conducted a scientific feasibility study across six different developer teams to examine how software developers could be more productive with AI. The study showed that developers were more productive and satisfied overall when they could focus on higher-value work. Siemens faced the task of developing a comprehensive AI enablement program covering technical, organizational, and human aspects. The goal: to empower developers to use AI in the long term, in line with the study’s results, and to code more efficiently with GitHub Copilot as an assistance system. Siemens was aware of the complexity from the outset. Successfully rolling out GitHub Copilot for 30,000 software developers across various Siemens verticals in 50 countries required implementation expertise that far exceeded simply providing technology. Thomas Rettenmaier Our vision was to position Siemens as a pioneer in AI-driven software development and make the benefits of artificial intelligence accessible to every developer in the company. We wanted not only to become faster and better, but also to create a new culture of collaboration and learning that would shape the company for years to come. We succeeded. The Solution Our Slalom team jointly developed an AI implementation framework with Siemens, enabling the company to establish a connected AI community across its software development departments. Feasibility: Ready to scale Together, Siemens and [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) selected Slalom as a partner to develop and implement a comprehensive AI enablement program. The Slalom team designed a multi-stage training plan to roll out GitHub Copilot to 30,000 developers within 14 months. After initial training for all, users were divided into target groups: essential, intermediate, and intensive AI users. Various learning formats and communication channels were developed to address technical aspects of AI use. The aim was to reach as many people as possible while also providing targeted enablement for different employee groups. With three hackathons, two learning days, over 120 targeted live trainings, and on-demand training materials in seven languages, the Slalom team equipped 30,000 software developers in 50 countries with the knowledge to use GitHub Copilot in software development. The human dimension: training and community building as a success factor At the heart of the AI transformation is the champions community, now comprising over 200 key users. Together with the Siemens team, Slalom identified and trained these users. Their role is to support colleagues in using GitHub Copilot through organized local trainings and to help overcome technical and organizational challenges. Today, the champions are AI ambassadors who, as multipliers of AI adoption in their respective business units, play a key role in acceptance and sustainable success. “Community building and ongoing communication across channels and time zones have led to success over time,” summarizes Thomas Rettenmaier, Senior Project Manager, Siemens AG. Another key component of the enablement is the train-the-trainer program: Slalom trained seven Siemens internal AI trainers and one lead trainer to ensure the long-term scalability and autonomy of the program. These trainers have gradually taken over the implementation of training courses, supported hackathons, and are making a significant contribution to anchoring AI knowledge within the organization. Ongoing enablement through targeted communication Communication was adapted throughout the project to address the diverse needs and challenges of different business units and regions. The Slalom team created relevant distribution lists to deliver content tailored to users’ needs and knowledge levels. Establishing internal communication channels beyond training formats—such as regular newsletters, interactive communication tools, and a central information hub—encouraged users to continually engage with available content. Legacy technologies: technical challenges of AI implementation Another challenge was the many different programming languages at Siemens. Legacy code sometimes made using GitHub Copilot seem impossible, as the solution can process up to 60,000 lines of code, while some Siemens applications have millions of lines in different and custom languages. Through targeted training, the Slalom team helped developers understand how to further develop Siemens applications with GitHub Copilot. “With Slalom as a partner, we created a foundation that not only enabled the technical implementation of GitHub Copilot but also established a new culture of collaboration and learning in software development.” Thomas Rettenmaier Senior Project Manager, Siemens AG Customer Impact The developed AI framework enabled the activation of GitHub Copilot for 30,000 users. d816p172a3 The many shifts that occurred over the 14-month project demanded a flexible approach. Teams had to continuously adapt to new technical and organizational challenges. Together, Slalom and Siemens developed a framework that serves as a blueprint for future AI projects and lays the foundation for sustainable AI adoption. “With Slalom as a partner, we developed an AI framework that unites technology, success and measurement, enablement and development, as well as communication and community building under one roof,” says Rettenmaier. “This has already enabled us to achieve productivity gains that exceed the costs of the AI technology.” Want to know how to successfully implement AI? At Slalom, we take a people-centered approach—we help you design, develop, and scale solutions that connect people and create real business value. Get in touch Christine Heitmann The key to success lies in clear role distribution, the courage to be transparent, and willingness to take responsibility. This builds trust, enabling change in complex organizations. Florian Vien Together with Siemens and Microsoft, we established a technical framework and a culture of trust, openness, and continuous learning. That’s the lever for sustainable change. Lily Tribel A new way of coding was inspired by the technical expertise and teamwork of Slalom and Siemens. Our comprehensive content and sessions enabled 30,000 developers, driving faster code delivery and sustainable productivity gains. Andrew Neinhardt Sustainable transformation only succeeds when technology, enablement, and corporate culture work together. The successful introduction of GitHub Copilot at Siemens provides the blueprint for future AI projects. Man sitting in the airport looking at his phone --- title: SightLife: Eliminating corneal blindness by 2040 | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sightlife source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sightlife locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # SightLife: Eliminating corneal blindness by 2040 | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sightlife - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sightlife - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary SightLife and Slalom are working together to eliminate corneal blindness by providing access to treatment in low- and middle-income countries. ## Body SightLife: Eliminating corneal blindness by 2040 | Slalom SightLife | Slalom SightLife and Slalom are working together to eliminate corneal blindness by providing access to treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Eliminating corneal blindness by 2040 SightLife Share story At a glance Right now, 12.7 million people around the world are living with corneal blindness, a condition that’s preventable and curable with the right care. But with 98% of those people living in developing countries, many don’t have access to treatment. SightLife and Slalom are working together to change that. Impact We developed an AWS-based solution that will enable SightLife to collect, store, and process data across its global programs. SightLife will use Microsoft Power BI dashboards to visualize the data and gain insights quickly. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Microsoft Power BI A global challenge You know that feeling when you have an eyelash in your eye? Imagine that feeling, but it won’t go away. The pain gets worse, so you go to the doctor and discover your cornea is scratched. Your doctor prescribes some antibiotic ointment, and soon you’re healed. For people in low- and middle-income countries, it’s often a different story. When a factory worker in Sitapur, India, injures their eye, the closest medical facility may be several miles away—or they may not even know they need medical attention. A scratched cornea can lead to something much worse: infection, and eventually blindness. Without being able to see, a parent can’t work or care for their family, a child can't go to school. Corneal blindness creates a ripple effect, compounding stress and poverty in communities already facing a lot of challenges. But most cases of corneal blindness are treatable, even preventable. Right now, millions are waiting for corneal transplants, and more and more injuries are progressing to blindness. Awareness and access to immediate care are key. SightLife is a global health organization with a mission of eliminating corneal blindness by 2040. The organization is working to achieve this mission by creating sustainable eye care systems to prevent and treat conditions causing corneal blindness, ensuring that all patients have access to the corneal health services they need, when and where they need them. By partnering with hospitals, community health care workers, surgeons, and government officials, SightLife helps communities around the world build the capacity to manage local eye banks and treat and prevent corneal blindness. Josie Noah We’re working to make sure everyone who suffers from corneal blindness has access to a safe and effective transplant. A complex and sensitive process Recovering donated tissue for transplants is complex, emotional, and time-sensitive. Eye donation counselors must talk to a grieving family—moments after their loved one’s passing—to retrieve the corneal tissue for donation. Technicians have to act within hours of a donor’s death to collect the tissue for the eye bank. SightLife helps communities with this process from end to end—from policy and advocacy (like having mandatory death reporting to know when tissue is available), to preventative care to treat abrasions and infections, to surgical training and eye banking. “We’re working to make sure everyone who suffers from corneal blindness has access to a safe and effective transplant,” said Josie Noah, Chief Global Officer at SightLife. “We’re also helping people get the treatment they need, so an eye injury doesn’t lead to blindness.” From impact to scale To eliminate corneal blindness worldwide in the next 20 years, SightLife is at a critical point: it needs to scale rapidly to new regions of the world to meet the demand for care. In order to scale, SightLife needs to effectively tell its data-driven story to ministries of health and other government officials in new countries—about why corneal blindness is an urgent issue, the importance of eye banks, and the success SightLife has already had in seven countries—to build partnership and drive impact together. “Data is a huge component of being able to tell our story, and provide evidence of the impact SightLife is making” said Noah. “Without it, we won’t be able to help those 12.7 million people as fast as we want to.” SightLife and its global partners—from clinics in Ethiopia to eye banks in China—have been collecting data manually in Excel spreadsheets and paper logbooks. These time-consuming, manual processes limit SightLife’s ability to quickly garner insights from the data, make necessary changes, and tell stories of impact in an meaningful way. With so much time dedicated to data collection and processing, it’s been nearly impossible to meaningfully forecast and track progress against its goal of eliminating corneal blindness by 2040. Amanda Lintelman We saw people who had traveled hundreds of miles to get to the clinic, in hopes of having a corneal transplant and being able to see again. Seeing the challenges first-hand Before our Slalom team created a solution, we wanted to immerse ourselves in a community that SightLife is helping, to deeply understand the challenges its global partners are facing. A group of cross-functional Slalom consultants traveled to Northern India (New Delhi, Lucknow, and Sitapur), a country where seven million people are currently living with corneal blindness. We spent two weeks meeting with SightLife’s New Delhi team, community health workers, eye donation counselors, and patients. “We saw people who had traveled hundreds of miles to get to the clinic, in hopes of having a corneal transplant and being able to see again,” said Slalom Solution Architect Amanda Lintelman. “We carried that experience with us over the next few months while we created a solution—always thinking about how we could best help those people.” We met with eye donation counselors who tracked cases on cumbersome paper forms between conversations with grieving families and trips to the morgue to retrieve corneal tissue. Surgeons training to perform corneal transplants provided valuable feedback via WhatsApp. Eye bank managers manually updated spreadsheets, documenting the quality of tissue received, where the tissue went, and how it will be used. All of this data was collected manually, reviewed, cleansed, consolidated, and finally reported to SightLife. Human-centered design approach After the trip to India, we took a human-centered design approach—prioritizing the people impacted by each challenge—to determine how to best help SightLife. Mapping SightLife’s end-to-end processes, we developed a needs assessment for the organization which we indexed and prioritized by level of effort, impact, and resources required. We then developed an AWS-based solution that will enable SightLife to collect, store, and process data across its global programs. SightLife will use Microsoft Power BI dashboards to visualize the data and gain insights quickly. We helped SightLife define, automate, and improve processes to save time and ensure accuracy. For eye banking, we created forms to digitize data collection and save hours in operations management. For policy initiatives, we created a framework to define success and measurable outcomes. We also equipped SightLife with a business requirements document that outlines next steps for building a mobile app for community health workers. These solutions will save SightLife employees and partners valuable time—accelerating their productivity and allowing them to focus on future strategy and scaling their impact. Creating a brighter future, together “Before we partnered with Slalom, we were at a point where we weren’t able to scale,” said Noah. “Now, with this data, we’ll be able to get more policies implemented, provide more treatment, and prevent more cases of corneal blindness around the world.” As a result of our partnership, SightLife estimates that it will be able to end corneal blindness up to three months faster than its goal of 2040. Three months faster means approximately 140,000 fewer people having to live with corneal blindness. That means children can go back to school, parents can go back to work, and people around the world can once again see the faces of those they love most. Blind woman staring off into distance --- title: Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/silicon-valley-education-foundation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/silicon-valley-education-foundation locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/silicon-valley-education-foundation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/silicon-valley-education-foundation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped SVEF modernize its data strategy to get insights on students’ progress and education programs’ impact across 70 districts. ## Body Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) Silicon Valley Education Foundation Slalom helped SVEF modernize its data strategy to get insights on students’ progress and education programs’ impact across 70 districts. Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) | Slalom Supporting students with data Share story At a glance Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students prepare for college and their careers. We helped SVEF modernize its data strategy to get insights on students’ progress and education programs’ impact across 70 districts. Impact Now, SVEF can share these insights with districts, schools, students, and donors, helping every student get the support they need to succeed in the future. Key Services Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Tableau - Alteryx An opportunity to innovate With cars driving themselves and robots returning your library books, Silicon Valley is one of the most innovative regions in the world. But innovation isn’t always reflected in the performance of its schools. With inconsistent resources, tight budgets, and an increasingly diverse population, there’s a substantial achievement gap—38 percent—between economically disadvantaged students and their more privileged peers. [Silicon Valley Education Foundation](https://svefoundation.org/) (SVEF) partners with districts, educators, and other organizations to raise underserved students’ performance in school and get them prepared to succeed in college and their careers. SVEF is especially focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Gucci Estrella Trinidad We can share our insights and impact to bring programs to larger audiences and help more students succeed in school, college, and their careers. A clearer view The SVEF team needed clear insights to understand—and share—students’ progress and the impact of education programs. But the team had over 75 spreadsheets that they were updating, and pulling from, manually. “Many nonprofits like SVEF have to enter data manually with incoming information from many sources,” said Julie Thomson, a data and analytics consultant at Slalom. “We wanted to help create a single source of truth and empower SVEF with the tools to pull the insights they need immediately.” Slalom partnered with SVEF to do just that. We started by asking the SVEF team a lot of questions about their goals and challenges. Then, we identified some quick wins to make a big impact right away. For example, we provided data collection templates with drop-down lists—like gender options instead of free text—and other best practices to make incoming data consistent across 70 districts. “We got an objective look at areas where we could improve,” said Gucci Estrella Trinidad, Program Evaluation Director at SVEF. “Slalom helped us see opportunities to build in more processes and controls.” Visualizing the impact With discounted [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau) licenses from Tableau Foundation and free licenses from Alteryx for Good, we were able to help SVEF bring three years of its data together and gain insights it couldn’t before. We leveraged Alteryx for natural language processing—i.e., fuzzy matching—to help identify a single contact based on a number of different attributes that may be in the system. For example, a student’s name could be entered as multiple records: Jim Jones, James Jones, James C. Jones. With fuzzy matching, all information for every student—grade, summer programs they participated in, test scores, etc.—was consolidated into one trusted record. We then hosted a “viz-a-thon” where Slalom consultants met with SVEF representatives to understand their needs and draft Tableau data visualizations that answer critical questions for SVEF staff, donors, and educators. We got an objective look at areas where we could improve. Slalom helped us see opportunities to build in more processes and controls. Elevating the data We looked closely at SVEF’s data for Elevate [Math]—a summer program that helps third- through tenth-graders boost their math skills before the next school year. The students take an assessment before and after the summer program to measure what they learned by being in the program. Now, using the new student records and Tableau visualizations, SVEF can share that data back with educators. “Slalom modeled the power of the Tableau tool,” said Trinidad. “We can create more dynamic visualizations that allow for a deeper dive into the data, more practical analysis, and the ability to ask questions of the data as opposed to having a static graph on a screen. That's something that I have leveraged for other SVEF programs.” SVEF can now tell districts when students struggle with certain math concepts. And, at the high school level, districts can use the data to place students in the right math class. Going further together Together, Slalom and SVEF modernized SVEF’s entire data approach. “With the help of Slalom, there really has been greater awareness about there being a whole data lifecycle,” said Trinidad. “Now we think about preparing for the data collection all the way through—and then processing the data, analyzing it, reporting on it, archiving it, and making that an ongoing cycle.” Slalom and SVEF worked closely at every step, making sure the SVEF team would be able to manage the processes and tools on their own in the future. “SVEF is better able to examine program impact, and we can improve our programs so that we’re continuing to address student needs,” said Trinidad. “We can share our insights and impact to bring programs to larger audiences and help more students succeed in school, college, and their careers.” Child in classroom writing with pen on paper --- title: Slalom Hacktober: Cybersecurity is no game … but learning about it can be! url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/slalom-hacktober source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/slalom-hacktober locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Slalom Hacktober: Cybersecurity is no game … but learning about it can be! - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/slalom-hacktober - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/slalom-hacktober - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how Hacktober, a gamified learning platform, empowers Slalom team members to protect their customers, our company, and each other. ## Body Slalom Hacktober: Cybersecurity is no game … but learning about it can be! Cybersecurity is no game … but learning about it can be! Learn how Hacktober, a gamified learning platform, empowers Slalom team members to protect their customers, our company, and each other. Slalom Hacktober: Cybersecurity is no game... but learning about it can be! Share story Hacktober is a build-your-own-adventure, gamified learning platform that empowers Slalom team members to protect their customers, our company, and each other. While cybersecurity is a critical aspect of modern business operations, getting team members excited about it is no easy feat. At Slalom, we’ve been where many companies find themselves—struggling with how to engage team members to learn about the most recent cybersecurity best practices that protect businesses and individuals. Instead of settling for a traditional training program, the Slalom Information Security (InfoSec) team got creative and launched our very own gamified cybersecurity program. Hacktober is a dynamic experience designed to inform and inspire our people, while strengthening our information security. The success of Hacktober has led us to believe that it might just be the remedy other companies are seeking. Empowering security excellence Hacktober isn’t your typical cybersecurity training program. It's a gamified experience launched annually in October─during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in many countries including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand─that empowers team members to build their own learning adventure. No more mundane lectures or mind-numbing modules. Hacktober participants have the opportunity to earn points by engaging in various activities designed to enhance cybersecurity awareness and security excellence. Points are earned for these activities, which include attending TED-style talks, answering daily questions, participating in hackathons, and joining virtual scavenger hunts to identify security issues. As the month draws to a close, the top 10 winners overall and the top three participants in each market have the chance to win prizes. Simply put, our people become heroes, keeping businesses and individuals safe in what can often be the scary and spooky topic of cybersecurity. Investing in InfoSec: The Slalom way At Slalom, information security is woven into our business practices; it’s not just a checkbox. Our commitment to a secure digital landscape informs substantial investments in InfoSec technology and training. Through our strategic priority of “Delivery Excellence and Security,” InfoSec innovation benefits our operations and lets our customers know they can trust us. “Our commitment to innovation, like Hacktober, reinforces our focus on building a culture of security, and fuels the curiosity of our clients, says Christopher Burger, Slalom’s vice president of Information Security Governance. Hacktober informs our cybersecurity efforts year-round as we work with our business and employee resource groups (ERG) to continue the dialogue. In 2022, our employees dedicated over 2,000 hours to bring what they learned to life—and that means quicker reactions to stop data breaches, phishing attempts, password thefts, and other threats. Hacktober also perfectly aligns with our broader goals of nurturing our people, culture, and values; strengthening how we work together; and, perhaps most importantly, striving for delivery excellence and security. The Slalom way. From inception to inspiration Hacktober was sparked by the passion and excitement of Slalom’s technical program manager of security and risk management, [Reedhima Mandlik](https://www.slalom.com/culture/qa-reedhima-mandlik-founder-slalom-hacktober) , and a team of security-minded volunteers. “I pitched this idea of building awareness in a fun way, aligned with what was becoming the international momentum of celebrating cybersecurity awareness,” says Reedhima. “I like building products, so I got together a group of folks who I knew loved working in technology education and asked if they wanted to help.” Fast forward to today, it's become an integral part of our company culture and required skill-building. And with the sponsorship and passion of our [Women in Tech](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-women) and InfoSec teams, the evolution of Hacktober continues. Slalom team members at a 2022 Hacktober celebration As our clients explore the potential of AI within the realm of security, we re right there with them. Christopher Burger Vice President, Information Security Governance, Slalom What’s that about artificial intelligence? We recognize the potential of [artificial intelligence (AI)](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) and its possible impact to safeguarding information. For 2023, our Hacktober is embracing generative AI challenges and solutions. We're tapping into the power of AI to drive even higher engagement among our employees, ensuring they stay ahead of the cybersecurity curve. For instance, the addition of a ChatGPT AI assistant enhances—dare we say, makes more challenging—our code hunt game. “It's like a Jeopardy-style game that helps colleagues, especially those new to coding, navigate questions about operating system vulnerabilities,” says Reedhima. “Team members can ask our configured version of ChatGPT for guidance, learn how to answer questions, and even discover what not to ask.” We’re also delving into AI's role in art with a feature called “Spot the Fake.” This feature challenges our team members to distinguish between AI-generated and human-made visuals. Team members earn points by getting it right, while broadening their AI literacy in a fun and engaging way. Reedhima Mandlik The excitement and encouragement of Hacktober gives people the toolset to be able to teach and educate themselves on how to use cybersecurity for good. Securing the future In an era where cybersecurity's importance has reached new heights, trainings like Hacktober stand as a symbol of innovation, engagement, and empowerment. It goes beyond the protection of our data—it's about securing our future, and that of companies around the world. Two men sitting on a bench looking at a laptop --- title: Smith Optics: Elevating the outdoor experience through innovation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/smith-optics-custom-app-development source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/smith-optics-custom-app-development locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Smith Optics: Elevating the outdoor experience through innovation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/smith-optics-custom-app-development - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/smith-optics-custom-app-development - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Smith Optics wanted skiers to be able to customize their goggles for any need, any face shape—we helped them revolutionize experience design to do just that. ## Body Smith Optics: Elevating the outdoor experience through innovation We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Smith Optics | Experience Design | Slalom Learn how we helped Smith Optics create a new customizable experience for skiers to get the perfect goggle fit. Smith Optics wanted skiers to be able to customize their goggles for any need, any face shape—we helped them revolutionize experience design to do just that. Smith Optics revolutionizes experience design | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Elevating the outdoor experience through innovation At a glance VISION A legendary ski goggle manufacturer has ventured into 3D printing and technology partnerships to develop Imprint, a personalized approach to gear that offers significant performance enhancements and a customizable buying process. Impact Its first product, I/O MAG Imprint 3D, earned recognition as a Time Magazine Best Invention of the Year. Smith plans to extend the Imprint concept to more products. Key Services Industry Consumer goods services Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Salesforce - Microsoft - Apple If you think customization can’t scale, think again. Together we can do it Taking the lead on goggle comfort and fit [Smith Optics](https://www.smithoptics.com/) is focused on building better goggles, helmets, and eyewear to deliver a better outdoor experience. Fit is the biggest challenge in sports equipment. Without exception. Creating gear and apparel that is not only beautiful and functional but truly comfortable has always been the goal. With ski goggles in particular, the challenge has to do with faces. Sizes, shapes, and individual features can all dramatically affect a quality fit. When obstacles—or a killer view—are ahead of you, your vision should be as impeccable as your turns. Legendary ski goggle manufacturer Smith Optics decided to tackle this monumental challenge and set its sights on creating what it hoped to be the future of the industry. A perfect-fitting goggle for all-day comfort, free from light leaks, air gaps, and pressure points, with a minimum of obstructive foam and an unparalleled field of vision for all face shapes. At the same time, Smith wanted the purchasing process to be quick and easy so that a rider could place an order while sitting on the couch watching shred videos. And if there was an opportunity to offer customized and personalized gear, all the better. Smith had the vision and its teammates—Slalom, AWS, and Structure—supplied the know-how. Together, we climbed into the gondola for the run of our lives, which landed Smith on the pages of Time Magazine with recognition for one of the best inventions of the year. Here’s what we accomplished. The rewards of adventurousness First, there’s the product itself. An immersive app using Apple’s TrueDepth camera and Lidar sensors captures the detail needed to create an extremely accurate face scan. The goggles are manufactured to fit, incorporating a 3D-printed face flange, and delivered within 14 business days. “The best product, the holy grail of product creation, is one that disappears on a user so that they forget that they’re even using it.” Tucker Barney Goggle Product Line Manager/Principal Stokeholder , Smith Optics Second, Smith has a new, blazing-quick go-to-market process. The traditional development cycle was cut from 18–24 months to 4–6 months, so new offerings can hit the shelves up to 80% faster. That means more opportunity for iterative design and market testing and a highly responsive manufacturing process. Third, Smith has received great attention for these innovative goggles, from rave customer reviews to historic site traffic to positive earned media, including recognition from Time and the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award. This initiative means more than just an exceptional experience for riders; it’s transformational for Smith. Connecting with Slalom and taking advantage of new technologies help the brand stay ahead of the curve. The Imprint project represents the company’s future and continues its commitment to riders to keep making great gear that is inclusive for all and helps create the best outdoor experience possible. From idea to delivery Behind all that magic was a deep collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its Amplify offering. AWS Amplify is a set of purpose-built tools and services that helped us spin up and run multiple development environments with ease, meaning simultaneous development, testing, and production throughout the project. Amplify allowed the team to quickly utilize AWS services like Cognito, S3, and Lambda, shaving weeks off the process. We also integrated with Salesforce Commerce Cloud (now branded as Agentforce Commerce) for secure authentication, customer validation, and order verification. From discovery to idea refinement to app architecture to prototyping—all the way through website, manufacturing, and shipping integration—Smith, Slalom, and the numerous technology teams needed to be in sync throughout to deliver before the first flakes fluttered toward the ground. The perfect app for the perfect fit How does someone get from tapping the app to hitting the slopes? Here’s how the magic happens: - First, the customer visits SmithOptics.com where they pick strap and lens colors. - Next, the customer downloads the app. - Then they use the front-facing camera on their iPhone to take a detailed 3D face scan. - Every measurement, each curve and contour that make up a person’s face are then used to create an individual model and custom CAD file, which is sent to Smith’s production facility in Utah. - From there, the frame is 3D printed; the foam, lenses, and straps are added; and the whole thing shipped. - The user’s initials are even etched into the frame for easy identification and ultimate personalization. In short: tap, scan, print, ship, shred. All in two weeks or less. Introducing the Smith I/O Mag Imprint 3D. The most perfectly individual, absolutely customized ski goggles. lnysjflq5y The next run Since initial app delivery, the relationship has continued to evolve. We’re making continuous fidelity and experience refinements to respond to ever-changing customer needs, and the technologies available to meet them. Slalom is super proud to have worked with Smith and the other technology teams on this truly transformative moment for Smith, a real testament to our shared belief in the power of technology to breathe life into an inspiring vision. Ready to serve your customers in ways you never thought possible? We’ll show you how Share story --- title: Solenis: Making a splash with AI-powered pool care url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/solenis-pool-care-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/solenis-pool-care-ai locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Solenis: Making a splash with AI-powered pool care - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/solenis-pool-care-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/solenis-pool-care-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary From cloudy to crystal clear: Solenis makes a splash in the pool industry by improving accuracy and enhancing customer experience with AI-powered innovation. ## Body Solenis: Making a splash with AI-powered pool care Making a splash with AI-powered pool care By removing the guesswork from pool water maintenance, Slalom helped Solenis’s customers breathe—and swim—more easily. From cloudy to crystal clear: Solenis makes a splash in the pool industry by improving accuracy and enhancing customer experience with AI-powered innovation. Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with Solenis to deliver improved accuracy and greater scalability for its pool water testing capabilities, and customers across the globe are diving in. Impact The AI-powered HTH™ pool water testing app provides clear, prescriptive results, helping Solenis’ customers maintain healthier pool water and avoid costly corrective treatments and repairs. Key Services Industry Process manufacturers Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud Platform - Vertex AI A legacy of expertise [Solenis](https://www.solenis.com/en/) is a leading specialty chemical supplier that helps its customers create cleaner and safer environments. With a century-long history of delivering advanced chemical and equipment solutions and a dedicated workforce of 16,500 professionals operating in 130 countries, Solenis excels at serving its customers with sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries. The company's expertise spans a variety of sectors and products, including pulp, paper, industrial processing aids, and water and wastewater treatments. Within its comprehensive portfolio, Solenis' Pool Solutions Group focuses on providing innovative products and technologies to simplify pool maintenance. Recognizing the complexities involved in maintaining pool water quality—including achieving the right chemical balances, deterring algae growth, and optimizing pH levels—Solenis' Pool Solutions Group developed the HTH™ Test to Swim app to assist pool owners in monitoring the conditions that contribute to pool water health. As part of their weekly maintenance routine, pool owners use test strips that, when dipped into pool water, display colors indicating the levels of various chemicals. To assist its customers, the company launched an app to simplify the water testing process, offering a Match Your Color functionality. The app, however, still relied on users to interpret the test strip colors, which was often subjective and could vary based on the user's perception of the color guide. Transforming the pool care experience Solenis partnered with Slalom to enhance the HTH™ Test to Swim app's capabilities. Slalom's team leveraged Google Vision AI to develop an AI model that could accurately read the colors on HTH™ 6-Way Pool Test Strips, eliminating the need for manual input and guesswork. Now, consumers can simply take a picture of the pool test strip with their phone and upload it to the app, where it’s compared against a color guide. Consumers are then provided with their pool chemistry results and product recommendations. “Slalom’s meticulous project management ensured that everything was executed according to precise timelines and with great attention to detail,” notes Gina Menicucci, global digital and e-commerce marketing manager at Solenis, Pool Solution Group. “Their ability to navigate the project smoothly and efficiently was key to the success of the new AI model for our HTH™ app.” Gina Menicucci Slalom’s meticulous project management ensured that everything was executed according to precise timelines and with great attention to detail. This innovation significantly improved the user experience, providing pool owners with precise product recommendations for maintaining water quality. The AI model's ability to interpret test strip results with high accuracy ensured that users received tailored advice, promoting optimal water conditions and reducing the likelihood of costly mistakes or equipment damage. The integration of the AI model into the HTH™ app yielded several key benefits for Solenis and its customers: - Enhanced accuracy : The AI model's ability to accurately read test strip results reduced the risk of human error, ensuring that consumers received the correct chemical advice for their pools. - Increased customer satisfaction : The simplified and accurate testing process empowered consumers to maintain their pools with greater confidence and ease, saving them time and effort. The improved user experience fostered trust in the HTH™ brand and contributed to higher customer satisfaction. - Cost savings : By preventing errors in chemical balancing, the app helped customers avoid costly mistakes that could necessitate expensive corrective treatments or even lead to equipment damage. This translated into potential savings of thousands of dollars for pool owners. Modernization and global expansion When Solenis sought to expand the app's reach to European markets, the company encountered challenges due to the deprecation of key features in the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that were essential for supporting the existing code. Slalom stepped in once again, this time to modernize the AI model by migrating it to the latest Vertex AI platform on GCP. This modernization effort not only ensured the continued functionality of the app in the US but also unlocked several additional advantages: - Global scalability : The migration to Vertex AI enables Solenis to seamlessly replicate the AI model across different regions, facilitating the app's expansion into European markets and beyond. This scalability empowers Solenis to reach a wider customer base and provide its innovative pool care solutions to users worldwide. - Enhanced maintainability : Vertex AI's model registry provides a centralized repository for tracking different versions of the model, which helps to streamline maintenance and guide future improvements. This centralized management system simplifies ongoing development and allows Solenis to iterate on the model more efficiently, ensuring its continued effectiveness. - Future-readiness : By leveraging the latest AI platform, Solenis has positioned itself to take advantage of new features and capabilities as they become available. This forward-thinking approach enables Solenis to adapt to evolving technologies and customer needs so it can remain at the forefront of the pool care industry. Without Slalom’s expertise and partnership, we would not have achieved the level of innovation and functionality that the AI model now offers. A future of AI-driven solutions Slalom's expertise in machine learning and cloud technologies has been instrumental in Solenis' journey to simplify pool care for its customers. “The Slalom team has been truly exceptional to work with,” says Menicucci. “Their professionalism, deep expertise in the field, and collaborative approach have been invaluable to our marketing team. From the very beginning, they brought fresh ideas and innovative solutions, helping us address complex challenges with the right technologies.” Looking ahead, Solenis is excited about the potential to apply AI—and specifically Vertex AI technology—to other areas of its business, such as the spa market. With Slalom's continued partnership, Solenis is well-equipped to leverage these cutting-edge technologies to further innovate and provide even greater value to its customers. Diego Garcia-Lopez, a director at Slalom and leader on the project, believes that the key takeaway from this success story is the transformative power of AI in enhancing user experiences and driving business growth. By injecting AI into your apps, you can achieve smarter, faster, and more efficient processes, he says. This can make all the difference in delivering exceptional value to your customers and staying ahead of the competition. The collaboration between Solenis and Slalom exemplifies how strategic partnerships and technological innovation can revolutionize an industry. “Without Slalom’s expertise and partnership, we would not have achieved the level of innovation and functionality that the AI model now offers,” explains Menicucci. “Their contribution has been instrumental in modernizing our app and delivering a greatly improved experience to our customers.” By embracing AI and machine learning, Solenis has not only simplified pool care for its customers but also strengthened its position as a leader in the market, demonstrating its commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that enhance the pool ownership experience. --- title: Southwest Airlines: Reimagining corporate travel experiences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/southwest-airlines--reimagining-corporate-travel-experiences source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/southwest-airlines--reimagining-corporate-travel-experiences locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Southwest Airlines: Reimagining corporate travel experiences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/southwest-airlines--reimagining-corporate-travel-experiences - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/southwest-airlines--reimagining-corporate-travel-experiences - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Southwest Airlines to build a Salesforce portal for business travel. ## Body Southwest Airlines: Reimagining corporate travel experiences We partnered with Southwest Airlines to build a Salesforce portal for business travel. Southwest Airlines | Slalom Slalom partnered with Southwest Airlines to build a Salesforce portal for business travel, facilitating self-service for corporate travel managers so they can provide real-time service and support for their business travelers. Reimagining corporate travel experiences Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with Southwest Airlines to build a Salesforce portal for business travel. Impact Leveraging Salesforce Experience and Tableau, the portal facilitates self-service for corporate travel managers and travel management consultants so they can provide real-time service and support for their business travelers. Key Technologies / Platforms Salesforce Industry Travel hospitality Key Services It’s said that if you want to go fast, you should go alone, but if you want to go further, go together. While that’s often true, some partnerships have a special something that makes it possible to go both further and faster than anyone anticipated. Known primarily for friendly, reliable, low-cost air travel, [Southwest](https://www.southwest.com/) knew that it wanted to continue to expand B2B offerings to position itself for the future. Leadership saw this as a pivotal opportunity, allowing them to continue their journey to remove friction while creating a world-class business travel experience. To achieve this ambitious goal Southwest would need a partner that was able to fully mesh with the company’s culture and ways of working. Slalom joined Southwest on its journey of expansion, launching a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) system integration partnership that outstripped everyone’s expectations. Charting a path toward a digital landscape Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Southwest currently offers flights from 121 airports across 11 countries. Commencing service in 1971, the airline is now one of the most admired and awarded in its field. With an employee-first culture, Southwest focuses on empowering its people to deliver the best hospitality to its customers. From its roots, Southwest was a business-focused airline with exceptional hospitality. As technology evolved, so did Southwest, though it lagged behind in adding technology that business travel decision-makers needed to serve their travelers. However, in 2019, that changed as the airline made a concerted effort to bring the “Southwest Effect“ to the business travel industry with the launch of Southwest Business Assist. Strongly positioned as the world’s largest low-cost carrier, the airline knew it could offer the same level of customer-obsession and hospitality to a broader audience. In 2022, for instance, over 80% of airline bookings were completed via a website or mobile app, effectively eliminating most human interaction. Southwest wanted to reposition itself as the carrier of choice in this new digital landscape while retaining their industry-leading hospitality and customer service. Chief sales officer and executive sponsor Dave Harvey had a vision for that differentiation—one that would allow the business to not simply keep pace with competitors but leapfrog over them with technology and service. To get there, Southwest needed to build a top-of-the-line, self-service portal to connect corporate travel managers directly to Southwest to track accounts. Historically, corporate travel managers received quarterly reports to track progress toward their targets and were reliant on phone calls and emails for support from the airline. Customers found it challenging to proactively manage their funds and partner benefits from Southwest, causing frustration and risking customer loyalty. With a long-standing, customized solution already in place, Southwest knew using Salesforce was the smartest move to get the company where it needed to go. The team needed a Salesforce System Integrator (SI) partner with a deep understanding of Salesforce products. That’s where Slalom stepped in. Keenly attuned to the Salesforce ecosystem, Slalom gave Southwest a clear path forward. “It wasn’t a question of the platform. It was who was going to be able to help them bring their vision to light,” says Ryan Gilmour, Slalom managing director. ”We came in with a persona-based approach, tagging in our own corporate travel managers to join the meetings and speak about their experiences and needs. We led with human-centered design and experience,” Gilmour says. “Dave Harvey looked at us and said, ‘Are you all looking forward to being in the room with us?’ And we looked at him and replied, ‘We can’t wait.” And just like that, the teams were ready for takeoff. We’ve delivered this work in such a concerted partnership between Salesforce and Slalom and Southwest. We just delivered five major releases in 14 months. That doesn’t typically happen at this scale. Ryan Gilmour Managing Director, Slalom Flying high together As we embarked on this partnership, the culture match between Southwest and Slalom was evident from the outset. It was a shared belief in the power of putting people first, coupled with a drive to understand customers’ needs, that allowed the two teams to easily function as one. “Slalom is a people-first company. Our CEO is so passionate about customer love that we have our own index for it,” explains Gilmour. “I’ve never seen two corporate cultures feel so aligned from the highest executive down to the individual team member. It allows us to bring a higher level of speed.” With the essential elements in place, the team set about building the Southwest Business Assist travel portal. The MVP had an ambitious set of features and customization to create a self-service portal designed to not just replace the existing systems and manual processes but truly dazzle Southwest’s internal and external stakeholders. Together, Southwest and Slalom created a solution driven by Experience Cloud, Service Cloud, Tableau/CRM Analytics, and Conga. The travel portal provides business customers and partners access to real-time information, analytics reporting, and benefits to improve efficiency and communication. Corporate travel managers and travel management agencies now have an on-demand portal that delivers simplified management of partner benefits, enhanced insights into contractual benefits, account performance, and dashboards. The portal also offers automated sustainability reporting as well as automated contract lifecycle, account, and request management. The relationship between Southwest and Slalom was essential in the solution-building process. “We’ve delivered this work in such a concerted partnership between Salesforce and Slalom and Southwest,” Gilmour says. “We just delivered five major releases in 14 months. That doesn’t typically happen at this scale.” Corporate travel managers and agencies now have an on-demand portal driven by Experience Cloud, Service Cloud, Tableau, and Conga. Launching a customer love solution The airline’s first release in May 2022 was to members of the Southwest Business Influencer Board, composed of travel decision-makers from some of the airline’s top business accounts. They were a critical part of the process, as they agreed to provide regular feedback and guidance. “That engagement helped prioritize future features. At each phase we’re going live, we’re giving them what they have been requesting of us via this champion’s network,” says Slalom senior director Raymond Juarez. Slalom delivered training curriculum to customers and Southwest account managers to ensure influencers were prepared and confident in their ability to conduct business in the portal from the outset. Since going live, 58% of flight upgrade requests have been fully automated. And since the launch of the MVP, 47% of support requests have come from the portal, which means Southwest now has the information required to service an initial request. The travel portal covers over 106 business capabilities across case management, contracts, and analytics, giving Southwest and its customers data insights to improve decision-making. With the Southwest Business Assist travel portal, over 5,000+ corporate travel managers and travel management companies can manage their contracts, use their benefits, and automatically fulfill travel-related requests for their travelers. It has automated over 20,000 requests since launch and continues to enroll more corporate customers. “Southwest Business Assist is a transformative tool for corporate travel buyers and business travel decision-makers,” says Harvey. “It makes back-office operations more efficient and helps them track their sustainability reporting—a huge win.” Dave Harvey With Southwest Business Assist now available, the Southwest Business team can spend more time providing next-level hospitality while continuing to welcome more business travelers to Southwest Airlines. The sky’s the limit Both customers and Southwest are now making decisions with ease thanks to newly accessible data. This combination of robust cloud solutions allows the airline to automate many tasks, improving the employee experience while simultaneously allowing account managers to focus on people-first loyalty-building with the account directly. With these expanded services, Southwest continues to increase market share and its competitive standing in the US marketplace. “With Southwest Business Assist now available, the business team can spend more time providing next-level hospitality while continuing to welcome more business travelers to Southwest Airlines,” Harvey says. And Slalom and Southwest aren’t finished going further and faster together. The next step is partnering to bring new and differentiated B2B solutions that continue to put Southwest forward as an innovator in business travel. Slalom is proud to help Southwest on the journey to create a frictionless experience, while putting self-service capabilities into the hands of travel managers. The sky is truly the limit to what’s next. Woman on cell phone looking at departure screen at airport --- title: St. Louis County DPH: Turning the tide on COVID-19 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/st-louis-county-dph source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/st-louis-county-dph locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # St. Louis County DPH: Turning the tide on COVID-19 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/st-louis-county-dph - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/st-louis-county-dph - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary The St. Louis County Department of Public Health worked with Slalom to create a better contact tracing and case investigation system using Salesforce. ## Body St. Louis County DPH: Turning the tide on COVID-19 St. Louis County DPH | Slalom The St. Louis County Department of Public Health worked with Slalom to create a better contact tracing and case investigation system using Salesforce. Turning the tide on COVID-19 St. Louis County DPH Share story At a glance We teamed up with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health (DPH) in the middle of the pandemic to improve contact tracing and case investigation for COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. Impact With Salesforce Health Cloud and MuleSoft powering the new platform, the county can respond to COVID-19 as the situation evolves and is in a prime position to take action against contagious diseases in the future. Key Services Industry State, provincial and local Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Health Cloud Protecting the health of a community in crisis Each day, the employees at the [St. Louis County DPH](https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/public-health/) work toward a common goal—to promote, protect, and improve health in their community of one million constituents. Supporting the well-being of an entire county is a daunting task in regular circumstances, which only becomes amplified amid a global outbreak. When COVID-19 spread rampantly during the early stages of the pandemic, locals turned to St. Louis County DPH as their beacon of information and guidance to navigate the crisis. The department was at the forefront of contact tracing and case investigation—processes that are vital to combatting any contagious disease. But as case numbers exploded across the state of Missouri, the department’s team recognized that their current digital infrastructure wasn’t robust enough to manage the overwhelming outbreak. Restricted by the limitations of legacy tools, case tracers couldn’t search for crucial data components, edit information in real time, or move efficiently and consistently through current contact tracing and case investigation processes. “Before COVID-19, our contact tracing and case investigation tools were designed for managing smaller outbreaks,” says Nebu Kolenchery, the director of communicable disease response at St. Louis County DPH. “The coronavirus led to case volumes we had never come close to before. Our only choice was to quickly overhaul our system as the situation was developing.” The case for collaboration The St. Louis County DPH team envisioned a modern tool that could scale case investigation and accelerate contact tracing. Their aspirations were met with budgetary complications and competing priorities, but the department’s leaders knew that the right partner could help them launch a new system mid-pandemic with the potential to transform the county’s plight against COVID-19. When it came to selecting a partner, the team trusted that Slalom could deliver a solution that would address the current pandemic while keeping the future in focus. Slalom put together a tailor-fit team and kicked off the project by meeting with specialists and epidemiologists to consider pain points across the organization. With a clearer picture of the department’s challenges, our experts identified [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Health Cloud and MuleSoft as the best tools for the job. The goal was to improve efficiency by accelerating case tracking at scale, and generate strategic insights by improving data visibility and reporting. With better tools, St. Louis County DPH would have a stronger foundation to fight the pandemic in the short term and other contagious illnesses in the long term. “Our collaboration with Slalom completely redefined how we manage outbreaks in the county,” says Nebu. “The tools we have at our disposal now give us more power to get a step ahead of viruses. They help make our community a safer place to live.” Modernizing contagious disease management Thanks to faster contact tracing and case investigation, getting ahead of the virus is easier than ever. Health Cloud unifies data across the organization, enabling an omnichannel strategy that helps St. Louis County DPH reach people more efficiently. Now, case tracers can send status updates via text, provide the latest CDC guidance by phone, and offer testing and treatment options, all from a single platform. Because of these efficiencies, case tracers successfully managed their workload even as case volume quadrupled. The solution also uses a case management workflow that the Slalom team customized for the department. Data flows in from MuleSoft to sort contact tracing lists by factors like household, geographic location, and age group. With easy access to near-real-time data, tracers can prioritize cases with the greatest potential for impact without compromising the health of the larger community. Now the average age of an open case is down to five days. “We wanted to build tools that made things easier for COVID-positive patients, too,” says Larry Valeriano, a director at Slalom. “Residents who test positive can manage their illness on their own terms. The tools in Health Cloud let patients log their symptoms, complete case interviews, and provide regular updates.” Automations and self-service capabilities foster better patient experiences while freeing up employee time for tasks that have more impact on case numbers. Innovations like these have helped the department’s team increase their average call volume to 500 per week. Before the transformation, it wasn’t possible for the county to accurately capture the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases in real time. Now, St. Louis County DPH has access to in-depth reporting that can help inform the county’s COVID-19 response as the situation evolves each day. The Salesforce data integrates with Missouri’s EpiTrax database to automatically share findings with the state. This free flow of information gives public health officials a more precise picture of the current situation, paving the way for data-driven decision-making and community guidance. Nebu Kolenchery Even at the height of a surge, I have better insights than ever. The kids in this community are safer because of the work of this team. A promising future for public health In less than six weeks, the project rolled out to 130 internal users who experience faster contact tracing, smoother employee onboarding, and improvements in process consistency. The team plans to apply the same framework to other communicable diseases, such as STIs. They’re also looking to use the tools for their vaccine management efforts. Fortunately, the integration capabilities built into the solution make other advancements in public health possible. Navigating a digital transformation while managing a public health emergency doesn’t come without an onslaught of obstacles—but when protecting your community is at the core of your mission, you can always find a way forward. “We have never had a better go-live,” says Nebu. “Even at the height of a surge, I have better insights than ever. The kids in this community are safer because of the work of this team. I could not be more thankful or proud of what this team has done.” Young girl at the doctor's office getting a bandage put on her arm --- title: Ströer: Engaging news audiences with AI-powered content discovery url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/stroer-ai-content-discovery source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/stroer-ai-content-discovery locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ströer: Engaging news audiences with AI-powered content discovery - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/stroer-ai-content-discovery - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/stroer-ai-content-discovery - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Ströer and Slalom built a trusted AI assistant that improves content discovery, boosts engagement, and delivers personalized guidance at scale. ## Body Ströer: Engaging news audiences with AI-powered content discovery We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Ströer | AI assistant | Slalom See how AI-powered content discovery guides news readers to relevant advice and boosts engagement on t-online.de. Ströer and Slalom built a trusted AI assistant that improves content discovery, boosts engagement, and delivers personalized guidance at scale. Ströer AI assistant | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Engaging news audiences with AI-powered content discovery At a glance VISION We helped the German media company Ströer build an AI assistant for its popular news portal t-online.de, giving millions of readers fast, secure access to the information that matters most. Impact The AI assistant boosts engagement, increases time on site, improves the user experience across t-online.de, and positions Ströer as an innovation leader in AI-powered media. Key Services Industry Media communications Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon SageMaker - Amazon Bedrock - AWS Lambda Ready to create engaging AI experiences for your customers? Let’s get started Creating a journalistic AI solution with a distinct signature [Ströer](https://www.stroeer.de/) is one of Germany’s leading media companies, with a unique business model in the German media landscape. The company combines outdoor advertising, digital media, dialog marketing, and offerings in e-commerce and data as a service (DaaS). Its subsidiary [t-online.de](https://www.t-online.de/) is one of Germany’s oldest and most widely read online news portals, providing readers with expertly curated news, opinions, and advice. To increase reader engagement and facilitate knowledge transfer, Ströer aimed to develop a customer-centric AI assistant. The goal: to efficiently and personally deliver advice content to t-online users. As an AI assistant in a journalistic environment, the solution had to meet the highest standards for data quality, accuracy, security, and editorial tone. “The expectations for digital services are rising in the AI era. Our goal was to develop an AI assistant that carries the editorial signature of t-online.de while operating reliably and securely,” explains Robert Becker, the director of product development for Ströer Content Group. Today, t-online users can prompt the AI assistant with custom or preconfigured questions and access useful answers from over 45,000 advice articles on t-online. Comprehensive quality requirements and rapid development From the initial idea to deployment, the AI assistant was developed in just three months. Strict requirements for quality and individuality in a journalistic context demanded close collaboration between the product team, editorial staff, and partners. The partnership between Ströer and Slalom was marked by open communication, clear responsibilities, short decision paths, and high transparency. A key principle was consistent user orientation. The AI assistant was designed not only to deliver accurate answers but also to support content discovery on t-online.de with preconfigured questions and recommendations per page. “It was important to us from the start to bring our readership transparently and understandably along on the AI journey,” says Becker. “Positive feedback, interaction rates, and time spent show we succeeded.” For many t-online users, the AI assistant was their first contact with AI technologies. Preconfigured questions helped users get the results they wanted, even without prior AI experience. Suggested interactions also allowed Ströer to manage the number of AI queries and thus reduce per-query costs. “At the start of the project, we faced several challenges,” says Ina Fuhrmann, the product owner at Ströer Content Group. “We had to choose the right model to balance quality and cost. The technology also needed to automatically generate meaningful questions from our archive of more than 45,000 articles. Additionally, we had to ensure safety and trust through AI guardrails and optimize the process iteratively using a test-and-learn approach.” Technological foundation and quality assurance The industry-specific expertise and customer focus of [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), plus Ströer’s existing AWS infrastructure led Ströer to build the AI assistant on Amazon Bedrock. Components for natural language processing, personalization, and security complement the solution. An integrated user feedback function allows continuous optimization. Users rate answers directly (thumbs-up or -down), and the Ströer team reviews negative ratings to adjust the AI as needed. “Slalom met us as equals and helped us throughout the process to develop a secure, efficient, and successful AI assistant and integrate it into our existing systems.” Ina Fuhrmann Product Owner, Ströer Content Group Enablement and sustainable skill building A central goal for Ströer was to empower its employees to operate and further develop the AI solution independently. Slalom provided hands-on training to transfer AWS-specific technological knowledge and valuable AI development skills to Ströer teams. “Building know-how was a core concern for us,” says Becker. “Slalom helped us expand our internal teams’ knowledge to operate and further develop the AI assistant independently and build future AI solutions in the same technological environment.” Impact and outlook Since launching the AI assistant on t-online.de in April 2025, measurable successes are already evident: interaction rates and average time per user have increased. “From today’s perspective, the project has already paid off for us,” Becker concludes. Ströer continues to build on this foundation and develop the AI assistant. The project has laid the foundation. Robert Becker “Slalom helped us recognize the business case beyond the technology and sharpen our awareness of the costs and benefits of AI solutions. Slalom’s understanding of our business model and AI assistant development enabled us to create a secure, customer-centric solution within three months.” Want to move faster from AI vision to real-world results? Talk to an expert Share story Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: Sygnomics: Visualizing a path to better cancer treatment url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sygnomics-ml-application source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sygnomics-ml-application locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Sygnomics: Visualizing a path to better cancer treatment - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/sygnomics-ml-application - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sygnomics-ml-application - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Slalom helps Sygnomics build a machine learning application and data visualization prototype to support oncologists and advance personalized cancer treatment. ## Body Sygnomics: Visualizing a path to better cancer treatment We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Sygnomics | Machine learning app | Slalom Discover how Slalom partnered with Sygnomics to build a machine learning prototype for more personalized cancer treatment. Slalom helps Sygnomics build a machine learning application and data visualization prototype to support oncologists and advance personalized cancer treatment. Sygnomics machine learning app | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Visualizing a path to better cancer treatment At a glance VISION Sygnomics set out to build a machine learning application to help oncologists predict how a patient’s cancer progresses and tailor therapies to match that profile. But they needed to show potential partners how it would work. Impact In roughly two months, Slalom developed a vision for the product and delivered a web-based app prototype and data visualization dashboard for oncologists to customize treatment for better patient outcomes. Key Services Industry Health tech Technologies/Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) - AWS Lambda - Amazon DynamoDB - Amazon CloudFront Ready to turn complex data into better decisions? Let’s innovate together Helping doctors see the fight against cancer differently The fight against cancer is complex and rarely straightforward. That challenge came into sharper focus when oncologists at [Sygnomics](https://sygnomics.com/) explained that every cancer—and every cancer patient—is unique. It’s this complexity, in part, that causes most new cancer drugs to fail in clinical trials. Matching the right drug to each tumor is beyond difficult. And the risk and cost of failure loom unimaginably high. But the oncologists and technologists at Sygnomics set out to build a solution. They created Systems Genetics Network Analysis (SYGNAL), an intelligence platform designed to help doctors and researchers visualize how a patient’s cancer may progress and recommend treatments with predicted therapeutic efficacy for that profile. SYGNAL achieves this by comparing anonymized genetic and demographic information. Using a machine learning model, the platform can improve its recommendations over time as new expert-reviewed data is entered. It’s a big idea—one that’s easier to explain with visual aid. That’s why Sygnomics needed a functional prototype of a web-based app with data visualization dashboard to demonstrate SYGNAL to other oncologists and potential partners. Building “easy-to-use” is anything but simple Destined for the desks of busy doctors and scientists, the user experience had to be intuitive. Design and visualizations needed to be scientifically useful as well as accurate and simple to understand. We conducted regular user testing sessions with oncologists to not only better understand their needs, but get a true, real-world measure of the efficacy of this proof of concept. In addition to the app, we also had to build trust. Our team worked to secure, anonymize, and encrypt the data to meet FDA and HIPAA compliance. And on the front end, it had to be contextualized so oncologists could be confident that the data came from an authoritative source. What’s more, we didn’t have access to the complete dataset right away. So, initially the team worked with mock data that didn’t tell engineers everything they needed—which meant more research, data modeling, personally identifiable information (PII) anonymization, and converting data to get it in the right format. In the end, the SYGNAL prototype we built allows users to create an account, log in, and view various dashboards presenting patient blueprints, relevant therapies, and risk analysis—all in a polished, responsive, easy-to-use web application that looks as good as it functions. We also left them with a roadmap for how their machine learning model could further mature. This future-state architecture will help them more easily add value and flexibility to later iterations of the product, developing more personalized therapy recommendations for each patient. In the fight against cancer, vision is key This project highlights why effective data visualization is so important in machine learning applications: it translates complex information into digestible, shareable, and more powerful ideas. With this platform, Sygnomics hopes to motivate oncologists to share more insights and help each other make greater progress. And that could lead to better health outcomes for patients. This work brought Sygnomics closer to realizing its vision for the SYGNAL platform, setting in motion a continuous learning loop powered by machine learning to help oncologists help more people. It’s an exciting and hopeful idea that shows how important vision and visualization are in the fight against cancer. Ashutosh Tiwary You should be incredibly proud of all the work that you did. Hopefully someday you can see an oncologist using a piece of software and say, ‘I helped that patient get better.’ And that will be powerful. Ready to improve patient care and outcomes? Talk to an expert Share story --- title: Takeda Pharmaceuticals url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals- source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals- locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Takeda Pharmaceuticals - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals- - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals- - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how we partnered with Takeda to build an AI-empowered workforce. ## Body Takeda Pharmaceuticals Fostering an innovation mindset with an AI-empowered workforce Learn how we partnered with Takeda to build an AI-empowered workforce. Fostering an innovation mindset with AI Takeda partners with Slalom to boost AI innovation Share story At a glance With the pharmaceutical industry at the cusp of a revolution driven by AI, Takeda recognized the strategic advantage of an AI-empowered workforce and partnered with Slalom to jump-start its AI transformation. Impact By training and enabling its workforce, Takeda’s team can now more confidently leverage AI to accelerate daily work and drive overall productivity. Key Services Industry Pharmaceutical, biotech biopharma Preparing for the GenAI revolution [Takeda Pharmaceuticals](https://www.takeda.com/) is on a mission to bring better health to people worldwide. To stay ahead in an AI-driven future, they partnered with Slalom to empower their Medical Excellence and Scientific Training team. The goal? To embark on a journey into the world of generative AI (GenAI) and cultivate a culture of innovation through [AI consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). We kicked off this partnership with a vision to design a comprehensive upskilling initiative and workshop that would help Takeda embrace an explorer’s mindset and break down barriers to AI adoption. Here’s how we did it. Our collaboration with Slalom felt like a true partnership. It was evident Slalom matched our level of investment for the success of our AI capability enhancement project. Faezah M. Rad Group Lead of Global Learning Strategy and Operations, Takeda Laying the groundwork We started by conducting an in-depth AI proficiency assessment and adoption interviews with team members. This helped us identify skill gaps and understand the unique needs of Takeda’s workforce. With this insight, we curated tailored AI content, cocreated practice exercises with Takeda’s leaders, and identified use cases that would resonate with their day-to-day operations, ensuring effective [organizational change management](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent). “Our collaboration with Slalom felt like a true partnership. It was evident Slalom matched our level of investment for the success of our AI capability enhancement project,” says Faezah M. Rad, group lead of global learning strategy and operations at Takeda. Creating a hands-on learning experience Our team developed a two-day workshop for participants, focusing on practical, hands-on learning. During the workshop, we: - Conducted proficiency assessments to curate tailored training content. - Worked closely with Takeda’s leaders to create relevant GenAI practice exercises leveraging Takeda’s AI tools. - Brainstormed innovative use cases to apply GenAI across the organization. - Engaged participants in “show, don’t tell” hands-on prompt-writing exercises with AI tools. The results of our efforts were remarkable. By the end of the workshop, participants achieved a: “Takeda’s leadership embraced AI as a strategic imperative, which was instrumental to our success. Our partnership created a blueprint for AI excellence that drives innovative, competitive, and impactful medical communications and scientific training, ultimately delivering better outcomes for patients,” says Trupti Sanikop, director of AI and software engineering at Slalom. Takeda’s team is also now better equipped to leverage AI in their daily work, driving productivity and fostering a culture of innovation. A foundation for the future This workshop is just the beginning of Takeda’s AI journey. We helped the company establish ongoing assessments to measure AI skill proficiency and set GenAI adoption benchmarks. We also developed GenAI resources and an active knowledge base to encourage continuous learning and experimentation. By experimenting and engaging with GenAI, Takeda has formed a critical foundation for future productivity gains and innovation. Our [business consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en) partnership with Takeda demonstrates that with the right approach and mindset, any organization can harness the transformative power of AI. GenAI is revolutionizing workplaces, fueling creativity and productivity. At Slalom, we're proud to help companies like Takeda navigate this new frontier and achieve true transformation. We’re moving past AI adoption and designing a future where AI influences every corner of work. Man in lab coat sitting at a desk and looking at a tablet --- title: The Home Depot: Building the future of retail with BlackLocus url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/the-home-depot-blacklocus source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/the-home-depot-blacklocus locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # The Home Depot: Building the future of retail with BlackLocus - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/the-home-depot-blacklocus - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/the-home-depot-blacklocus - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped the world’s largest home improvement retailer migrate its subsidiary BlackLocus to Google Cloud to gain efficiency, cut costs, and ensure optimal pricing strategies. ## Body The Home Depot: Building the future of retail with BlackLocus The Home Depot | Cloud Migration | Slalom Read about how Slalom rallied a retail home improvement leader to migrate its subsidiary to Google Cloud to streamline development, cut costs, and stay competitive. Slalom helped the world’s largest home improvement retailer migrate its subsidiary BlackLocus to Google Cloud to gain efficiency, cut costs, and ensure optimal pricing strategies. Building the future of retail with BlackLocus Share story At a glance Impact BlackLocus and The Home Depot can now more effectively deliver an everyday low-price strategy. Key Services Cloud Industry Consumer goods services Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud Gaining an edge in the retail race Retail has been on a roller coaster, thanks to a global pandemic, rising inflation, the prevalence of online shopping, and supply chain challenges. Competition is steep, too, with customers searching long and hard for the best price on a product. To stand out in the retail industry, you need to elevate your business by being nimble. And you need to have the latest technology. That’s what [The Home Depot](https://www.homedepot.com/) decided to do when it purchased Austin-based startup, BlackLocus, approximately 12 years ago. The Home Depot, founded in 1978, is the world’s largest home improvement retailer with more than 2,300 stores in North America. [BlackLocus,](http://www.blacklocus.com/) now a subsidiary of The Home Depot, drives market intelligence for the retail giant. Its work focuses on shaping the future of retail through data science, innovation, technology, and design. BlackLocus is a critical technology arm driving key product merchandising decisions for The Home Depot. However, when BlackLocus was purchased, it was using a different cloud provider than The Home Depot. “There were security and cost implications too,” says Justin Seides, a director at Slalom who worked on the cloud migration project. “The Home Depot saw an opportunity to streamline its solution and only pay for what it’s using.” The Home Depot also saw an opportunity to further modernize, optimize, and standardize its infrastructure. The goal then became to move BlackLocus to [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud). The migration journey BlackLocus worked with Slalom technology consulting to move from its previous cloud infrastructure to Google Cloud. “The partnership with Slalom was strong,” says Troy Zhang, a software engineer and senior manager at The Home Depot. “I had years of experience working with the Slalom team, so I felt comfortable with them coming in and helping us out.” The project team was highly engaged with The Home Depot and BlackLocus—even from the earliest days. “The team provided the technical guidance that we were really hoping for,” adds Troy. Together, the team tackled over 40 projects, from data ingestion to matching and recommendation engines. Slalom and BlackLocus decided to use Google Kubernetes Engine to keep the environments reliable and scalable, and used BigQuery, Vertex AI, cloud storage, and Cloud SQL Server as well. Vertex AI is now used as a component of the data science portion of the work to make recommendations to The Home Depot. And BigQuery improves the analytics and data science of the solution, helping the BlackLocus team garner insights and then use those for product recommendations. Navigating complex terrain with a Google Cloud consultant Slalom and BlackLocus worked hand in hand to stay focused on seamless integration and continuous improvement while updating projects in real time. The team was able to bridge communication gaps and identify dependencies as they worked. By building open communication channels and facilitating cross-team collaboration, Slalom helped empower BlackLocus to manage complexities with clarity and confidence. Effortlessly gaining efficiency For BlackLocus, development is easier and more streamlined today. There is less technical maintenance, so developers can spend their time making the most of their brain power, as opposed to just handling technical issues. BlackLocus is also a heavy utilizer of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Troy notes, “Whereas the team was previously running the machine learning models using Jupyter Notebook on their laptops, today the team is able to get on Vertex AI with Google Cloud.” And that helps developers deploy their AI models easier. One cloud, lower costs BlackLocus’s transition to Google Cloud not only ensured seamless system continuity for The Home Depot but also unlocked significant cost savings. Being on an optimized infrastructure means The Home Depot will only pay for what it’s using today—eliminating additional spend on depreciated and unused technology. BlackLocus will no longer pay for two cloud services, adds Troy. “We had to have a separate budget for each of the cloud services before; there’s always a little overhead if you’re paying two cloud providers.” Today’s rate for cloud services? Troy says it’s definitely lower than the previous rates. Forging into the future with pricing confidence BlackLocus enables The Home Depot to stay at the leading edge of pricing capabilities, and at the top of its game in the home improvement industry. What does all this BlackLocus work mean for The Home Depot? The retail giant moves forward with ongoing innovations in data science driven retail recommendations to continue its stride toward success and growth in the home improvement industry. Ready to make the most of the cloud? Start here Share this story Woman painting a wall with a roller --- title: TP ICAP: Making AI everyone’s business url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # TP ICAP: Making AI everyone’s business - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom and TP ICAP built an AI & Innovation Lab that turned GenAI pilots into production at scale, generating millions in projected ROI. ## Body TP ICAP: Making AI everyone’s business We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. TP ICAP | AI & Innovation Lab | Slalom See how we helped TP ICAP take GenAI pilots to production at scale, delivering millions in projected returns. Slalom and TP ICAP built an AI & Innovation Lab that turned GenAI pilots into production at scale, generating millions in projected ROI. TP ICAP AI & Innovation Lab | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Making AI everyone’s business TP ICAP At a glance vision We partnered with a global financial services intermediary and AWS to build a foundation that makes AI work, scale, and deliver millions in projected benefits. IMPACT In just six months, TP ICAP built and deployed multiple generative AI solutions—with ROI up to 5,004% and a model that keeps generating value. Key Services Industry Capital markets Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ready to deliver measurable, scalable value with AI and AWS? Start an ROI conversation Where AI meets people When a hedge fund needs to move billions in bonds or an energy company wants to lock in oil prices, they turn to [TP ICAP](https://tpicap.com/tpicap/). The global intermediary facilitates trillions of dollars in trades each year. Every deal depends on people—brokers connecting opportunities, analysts spotting trends, and engineers keeping things running behind the scenes. AI promised to make their work faster and more efficient. But leaders at TP ICAP hit a familiar roadblock: They had the vision and talent, but there wasn’t a clear path to turn ideas into real, working solutions. “The tech isn’t the hard part,” says Richard Fayers, senior director at Slalom. “What companies struggle with is how to structure themselves around it: What skills do you need? What processes? Where does accountability sit? How do you govern AI? That’s the bigger challenge we help solve.” Together with [AWS and Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), TP ICAP built what most companies overlook: the foundation that makes AI work, stick, and deliver value at massive scale. “The Slalom team helped demystify AI for us. But they didn’t just give advice—they rolled up their sleeves and worked side by side with us.” Shahen Bokhari AI Product Portfolio Lead, TP ICAP Getting the foundation right When TP ICAP started exploring AI, every team had ideas worth testing. But without the people or process to guide them, great ideas stalled at the pilot phase. “There’s a little bit of blood, sweat, and tears that need to happen up front to get everyone involved and pulling in the right direction,” says Milo Constable, principal consultant at Slalom. “But once you’ve built that foundation, the benefits are huge.” In just a few weeks, we designed TP ICAP’s own AI Innovation Lab to take AI from strategy through to delivery. For the first time, AI has a home, with a team that owns the work, guides priorities, and helps every function find a place to start. If you’re in compliance and wondering what AI means for your work, you have people to turn to. If you’re a broker with an idea, you have a process to bring it to life. And now, TP ICAP has a repeatable model—an “AI factory”—that keeps generating value, whether in London, New York, Belfast, or Singapore. “We’ve gone from isolated experiments to a connected, governed AI Lab,” says Shahen Bokhari, AI product portfolio lead at TP ICAP. “That shift has completely changed our delivery speed and mindset.” AI for everyone Most tech projects live in IT. This one reached the entire company. Our team ran workshops across legal, finance, operations, sales, trading, and engineering. Each session generated 20 to 30 use cases. Teams pitched their ideas Dragons’ Den style. But the question was never “Can we build this?” It was “Will it make an impact?” High-impact, low-effort ideas moved to the front because they could prove value fast. The rest went into a backlog. We also helped TP ICAP create an employee-driven intake process that gives everyone a chance to shape the AI roadmap. The Lab decides which ideas to tackle first based on business priorities. In London, TP ICAP converted a former meeting room into a hub where employees could drop in, experiment with tools, and see AI in action. “We made AI everyone’s business,” says Bokhari. “Once people saw what it could do for them, the word spread fast.” From pilots to production While one Slalom team built the foundation for AI, another ran pilots across sales, trading, legal, and engineering—all powered by AWS GenAI services: - Faster prospect screening: Before, manually researching what 15,000 potential clients traded would have taken two analysts two full years of work. Now, AI does it in hours—delivering a 5,004% ROI and freeing brokers to focus their attention where it counts. - Sales outreach that lands meetings: Salespeople have plenty of leads but not enough time for the kind of personal touch that converts. AI profiles each lead’s holdings, identifies three to five reasons they’re a strong prospect for TP ICAP, and uses those insights to draft tailored emails. - Automated test generation: Engineers used to spend two days writing test cases for every software release. We built a solution that does it in 15 minutes, and the team is already expanding it across the delivery lifecycle. “Slalom brought the structure and pace to move ideas into production,” says Bokhari. “And AWS gave us the agility to innovate quickly while meeting every security and compliance requirement.” Customer Results The first three solutions to reach production are projected to generate millions in value. Building global momentum Across TP ICAP, people are experimenting with AI and discovering what it can do for their work. The workshops and idea form sparked more than 200 use cases from every corner of the business. Nearly 30 are now live or in progress, including a revenue-generating solution that helps sales teams match the right products to the right clients. To keep the momentum going, TP ICAP, AWS, and Slalom hosted an AI Roadshow in the London office—a full-day event with demos, training, and AWS experts. It was such a success, we did it again in New York. “People were genuinely curious—coming up, asking questions, and being wowed,” says Constable. Later, when Bokhari took the stage at the AWS Summit in London to share TP ICAP’s journey, it was clear how far the company had come. “She spoke with such confidence, passion, and authority. That’s when I knew we’d done something really great together.” Shahen Bokhari “AI used to feel like something done to people—now it’s something they own. That empowerment, that sense of ownership—that’s what I’m most proud of.” Share story Construction worker with tablet and lifts --- title: TUI Group url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tui-group source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tui-group locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # TUI Group - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tui-group - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tui-group - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped TUI Group prepare for the change and migrate a critical set of applications—building confidence, skills, and repeatable processes along the way. ## Body TUI Group TUI Group | Slalom We helped TUI Group prepare for the change and migrate a critical set of applications—building confidence, skills, and repeatable processes along the way. Getting comfortable in the cloud Share story At a glance The world’s leading travel group is moving its entire technology infrastructure to the cloud. Impact Key Services Cloud Industry Travel and hospitality Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) Unmatched travel experiences Throughout Europe and the UK, [TUI Group](https://www.tuigroup.com/de-de) is the go-to provider of holiday experiences, from cycling tours in Eastern Europe to skiing in Andorra. “We flourish because we own the entire customer experience,” says Pieter Jordaan, TUI’s director of IT engineering. “You come to our shops, you fly on our airplanes, go to one of our hotels, and experience one of our end destinations.” TUI’s portfolio includes over 1,600 travel agencies, 150 aircraft, 380 hotels, 16 cruise liners, and tour operators across the globe. To deliver responsive, data-informed experiences to more than 20 million customers, the company relies on a massive web of technology built over decades of acquisitions. It’s nothing if not complicated. So, when TUI’s global leadership set a goal to close all its traditional data centres by 2025 in order to speed innovation in the cloud, [TUI UK](https://www.tui.co.uk/) got started immediately—with help from Slalom. “Our first meeting was scheduled for an hour,” recalls Miguel Blasco, a solution principal in Slalom’s London office. “We ended up being there for three-and-a-half hours whiteboarding and discussing what it would take to successfully transform the organisation to use cloud services effectively.” From the beginning, Slalom and TUI agreed on a highly collaborative approach that would up-skill TUI’s people and prepare the company for new ways of working in the cloud. Miguel Blasco We put everyone from operations, engineering, security, and architecture together and said, 'you’re going to design, deliver, deploy, and run this stack.' TUI wouldn’t have done that without us driving them to that point. Readiness and roadmap We began with a six-week cloud readiness assessment. Through stakeholder interviews, an alignment survey, and many conversations with the core team, a small Slalom team helped TUI clearly articulate the goals and objectives of the change. We also helped them understand how each group of stakeholders would be impacted, how they would benefit, and what they would need to make the transition successfully. TUI will gain operational efficiencies and flexibility in the cloud, but what’s really exciting is the opportunity to pay incrementally for leading-edge technologies, instead of making big investments to build new platforms. For example, TUI will be able to train machine learning models in the AWS cloud and deploy them to its cruise ships to deliver more personalized digital experiences to customers. Imagine walking up to the on-deck bar and immediately being offered your favorite drink, made the way you like it, shaken or stirred, says Blasco. “While it’s being poured, you get tips about the tour you’ve signed up for the following day, based on things you’ve enjoyed on the cruise so far. That’s the kind of customer service you see in movies from the 50’s. The cloud will allow TUI to bring this memorable customer intimacy back.” With this vision in mind, we assessed TUI’s cloud readiness across each component of our change framework and laid out a high-level cloud roadmap. We also delivered a change toolkit, a communications plan, a training approach for employees, and the first iteration of a cloud operating model that TUI can build on and extend for each of its market groups. These assets guided the next phase of project and will continue to support TUI’s cloud transformation for years to come. We moved away from a very waterfall, project-driven approach for delivering change to delivering business change on demand, at speed and at scale. Pieter Jordaan Director of IT engineering, TUI Group Stripy teams win together Two weeks into our assessment work, the TUI team began to zero in on their first migration target—a “beast” known simply as the web stack. Made up of seven applications across hundreds of servers, the web stack is the trading platform that processes over £4B in TUI holiday purchases each year. “They identified it as a sensible thing they could move that would be meaningful and give them enough learnings to be able to start a mass migration to AWS,” says Blasco. As soon as the readiness assessment was complete, a “stripy” (cross-functional, cross-organization) team came together to begin the effort of migrating the web stack, including people from Slalom, TUI U.K., TUI Group and TUI’s managed services vendor. This intensively collaborative approach was new for TUI. Slalom solution owners drove the project, teaching Agile best practices and ensuring on-time delivery. We also led workshops on topics like security, infrastructure as code, CI/CD, and AWS Landing Zone. “They really got educated in cloud, and they learned to work together in an agile way,” says Blasco. The project team later won TUI’s IT Collaboration Award in recognition of an extraordinarily successful partnership across more than 30 people, three time zones, and ten different languages. Pieter Jordaan explains how the AWS cloud is helping TUI accelerate digital transformation and deliver personalized travel experiences through machine learning. Proof and confidence Nine months of work culminated in one exciting night when the production web stack was migrated to 350 Amazon EC2 instances, ALBs/NLBs, RDS instances, and Lambda functions—to name just a few of the key AWS technologies used. The team had successfully transformed a hugely complex Hybris/Endeca reservations system from on-premises to cloud. The AWS Landing Zone they designed and implemented can be extended to support all of TUI’s cloud workloads going forward. And more than 70% of the best practices, processes, designs, patterns, standards, and code developed during the project can be re-used. In the cloud environment, with the new operating model, releases can be deployed in three hours instead of three weeks, and decisions can be made in two days rather than two weeks. The work also improved platform security, reliability, cost, and performance—all of which were further improved in a subsequent optimisation project. What made the project successful was dedicating team members and giving the team the autonomy to make decisions at the tempo required. Slalom presented the approach to other teams at TUI, and it’s now been adopted for TUI’s most strategic projects over the next five years. “At the end of the day, that’s what we want,” says Blasco. “We don’t want to keep on going back. We want them to be empowered to do it themselves.” Couple embracing and taking a selfie from deck of a cruise ship --- title: TV New Zealand url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tv-new-zealand source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tv-new-zealand locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # TV New Zealand - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/tv-new-zealand - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tv-new-zealand - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how Slalom helped Television New Zealand implement AWS Clean Rooms to increase return-on-ad-spend and consumer privacy. ## Body TV New Zealand Slalom helped Television New Zealand (TVNZ) integrate a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) capability called AWS Clean Rooms to unlock the value of customer data and serve targeted ads, increasing RoAS as much as 10x, in a privacy-first manner. See how Slalom helped Television New Zealand implement AWS Clean Rooms to increase return-on-ad-spend and consumer privacy. Maximizing collaboration to unlock customer data Share story At a glance Slalom helped Television New Zealand (TVNZ) integrate a new Amazon Web Services capability called AWS Clean Rooms to offer advertisers personalized ad targeting while maintaining viewers’ privacy. Impact Now TVNZ can collaborate with leading brands and agencies to unlock customer data and serve targeted ads to increase return on ad spend (RoAS) as much as 10x while respecting consumer privacy. Key Services Cloud Industry Media entertainment Key Technologies / Platforms - AWS Clean Rooms Accept cookies. Reject cookies. Which one do your customers click? Companies have come to rely on cookies, or small data packets that track people’s internet activity, to gather consumer data that allows them to serve targeted ads online. But given the choice, less than [50% of consumers accept cookies](https://allaboutcookies.org/internet-cookies-survey). Cookie-limiting data privacy laws are being codified around the world. Add to that a growing consumer expectation of privacy coupled with shrinking marketing budgets—it all adds up to a whole new era for advertisers. And just like any new era, this calls for new technologies. A tool to meet the moment Television New Zealand (TVNZ), New Zealand’s state-owned, commercially funded broadcaster, wanted to enhance personalized advertising on its streaming app, TVNZ+, while maintaining consumer privacy. Rob Hutchinson, TVNZ’s general manager of digital and data, knew that the organization needed to invest in cutting-edge marketing data tools to meet the moment. He learned of a new product called AWS Clean Rooms, which combines data from multiple sources to find overlapping characteristics, maintaining consumer anonymity by keeping unencrypted data hidden from all parties. Plainly put, this solution would allow TVNZ to meet its robust privacy policy and serve precisely targeted ads, potentially increasing advertisers' ROI exponentially. TVNZ called Slalom in to help implement AWS Clean Rooms due to Slalom’s extensive AWS expertise and our ability to understand and deliver on TVNZ’s need. “The very first time I met the Slalom team, I described our business problem and Slalom reflected it back with such a degree of accuracy I was immediately confident that this would be a fruitful partnership,” says Hutchinson. This has opened up a few avenues for TV New Zealand—not just targeting ads, but also customizing based on customer profiles and behaviors. Haris Khan Slalom Principal Partnering to innovate Together, we embarked on a six-week sprint to customize the AWS Clean Rooms architecture for TVNZ’s specific use case. This required a full integration with the network’s existing [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Azure data platform and [Adobe](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe) Experience Platform (CDP). We worked closely with AWS to identify and activate critical features into the solution, which was still in beta at the time. Within 48 hours of launch, TVNZ ran its first campaign on the new platform, partnering with McDonald's to serve targeted ads to a TVNZ audience most likely to visit the quick-service restaurant. “The Clean Rooms structure allowed us to search for existing TVNZ viewers with a high propensity to engage with the advertiser, along with people who, data-wise, look a lot like them,” says Hutchinson. Rob Hutchinson This work leapfrogs us ahead of our competitors. We are now the only TV channel that can deliver this level of data-enriched marketing in New Zealand. From Clean Rooms implementation to RoAS growth Traditional television advertising is at the top of the marketing funnel and is an amazing tool for building brand awareness. Using targeted ads, brands have the opportunity to accelerate past the awareness stage, engaging with customers who are either already favorable toward the brand or likely to be. The result? Targeted ads can garner anywhere from four to 10 times the return on ad spend (RoAS) “Before this service and this project, Television New Zealand had no way of finding out the common customers between themselves and their corporate customers,” says Haris Khan, Slalom principal. “So this has opened up a few avenues for Television New Zealand—not just targeting ads, but also customizing based on customer profiles and behaviors.” With AWS Clean Rooms, TVNZ can take a small advertiser database and compare those customer profiles to its own extensive data to find similar consumers—without exposing consumer data or running afoul of privacy regulations This can easily expand the list of customers to serve a brand’s ads from thousands to hundreds of thousands. And it has massive potential for small brands that can now use data-enriched marketing to access exponentially more potential buyers with surgical precision. Expanding the audience So, what’s next for TVNZ and its advertising partners? First, the network plans to scale the offering beyond its first batch of 10 early-adopter customers. “The TVNZ team followed back and they were like 'this is great,'” says Alex Black, Slalom principal. “They needed more bandwidth for this, so they worked to expand out the AWS capabilities and bring in more advertisers.” “This is a breakthrough for data platforms and for the data-sharing industry,” says Haris Khan. “With AWS providing the infrastructure, people now have a much greater ability to use data to collaborate. This work has shifted my view on where the data engineering community and industry is headed altogether.” Adds Hutchinson, “This work leapfrogs us ahead of our competitors. We are now the only TV channel that can deliver this level of data-enriched marketing in New Zealand.” “Advertisers are searching for ways to personalize engagement with consumers, and the solution we’ve built for TVNZ using AWS Clean Rooms provides this,” says Rio Longacre, global lead for advertising and marketing transformation at Slalom. “We are proud to be working with TVNZ and AWS to bring personalized advertising to the New Zealand market. The initiative was a huge success, demonstrating the incredible opportunity for broadcasters, like TVNZ, to be a leader in this space.” From global corporations to small businesses, it’s clear: when people use data collaboratively, everyone wins. --- title: UCLA: GenAI personalization for alumni fundraising url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-anderson-school-management-aws-salesforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-anderson-school-management-aws-salesforce locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # UCLA: GenAI personalization for alumni fundraising - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-anderson-school-management-aws-salesforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-anderson-school-management-aws-salesforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how Slalom, as an AI consultant, helped UCLA test the power of data and AWS generative AI and Salesforce Marketing Cloud to drive engagement and boost alumni fundraising. ## Body UCLA: GenAI personalization for alumni fundraising Discover how we partnered with UCLA Anderson to use alumni data and GenAI to personalize alumni emails and boost giving. See how Slalom, as an AI consultant, helped UCLA test the power of data and AWS generative AI and Salesforce Marketing Cloud to drive engagement and boost alumni fundraising. UCLA | AWS | Salesforce | Slalom GenAI personalization for alumni fundraising UCLA Anderson School of Management Share story At a glance UCLA’s Anderson School of Management partnered with Slalom to demonstrate the power of generative AI (GenAI) to supercharge its existing data and marketing platform, personalize alumni messaging, and boost giving. Impact Email personalization boosted click-through rate by 66% and total donations by 132%, highlighting GenAI’s potential to drive data-driven wins in higher education. Key Services Cloud Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon Bedrock - Anthropic Claude 3 Sonnet - Salesforce Marketing Cloud Innovating with data + AI in higher education As the [AI revolution](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) rapidly unfolds, now is the time for bold action. As the top-ranked public research institution in the country, [UCLA](https://www.ucla.edu/) is exploring how AI can have a positive impact on its mission. At UCLA’s business school, the Anderson School of Management, CIO Howard Miller was looking for the right opportunity to innovate with generative AI in the higher education space. The Slalom Education team, led by director Dr. Jennie Wong, recognized the potential to bring the power of GenAI together with UCLA Anderson’s existing data and marketing platform to support alumni fundraising. Our pitch? “Imagine if you could write each donor a truly personalized email that showed your understanding of their relationship with your institution, background, giving history, interests, and core values. How might that optimize your ability to convert your alumni into engaged donors? We can leverage the latest advances in generative AI to help you do just that.” Miller, a trailblazer within the UCLA ecosystem, agreed that fundraising was a strategic use case for the school and a good way to put AI to a real-world test. A team effort focused on data security What happened next required the collaboration of multiple teams—including Slalom, UCLA Anderson, UCLA External Affairs, and AWS as the selected generative AI provider—each inspired by the opportunity to support the Anderson Advancement team in their giving campaign. The focus of this initial effort was to test generative AI personalized emails (versus control emails) on a randomized subset of Anderson alumni to measure the differences in engagement and giving outcomes. The implementation brought together Slalom’s advisory expertise in fundraising best practices and generative AI engineering capabilities on [Amazon](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) Bedrock, all optimized by [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Marketing Cloud. Given the usage of alumni data, data security was of the utmost importance. To ensure privacy, all of Slalom’s work took place within UCLA External Affairs’ existing AWS instance and the institution’s Salesforce Marketing Cloud instance. At no point did alumni data leave the client’s secure environment. Additionally, all data processed by Amazon Bedrock is encrypted and is never used to train Amazon or any third-party models (e.g., LLMs). Howard Miller, CIO The neat thing that AI allowed us to do was to really personalize the message. By knowing something about who we’re sending the message to, it had a better chance to resonate. Customizing targeted messages that resonate Within Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic’s state-of-the-art model Claude 3 Sonnet was selected as the best-fit LLM and iteratively prompted to produce personalized messaging based on available alumni data. These personalized text blocks were then incorporated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud emails, which were further optimized via evidence-based persuasion and fundraising best practices. By leveraging targeted information like class year, previous donations, specific degree type received, and fellowship history, the generative AI emails received more engagement and achieved a higher conversion rate to donation among the 3,000 alumni who were a part of the 2024 reunion campaign. “The neat thing that AI allowed us to do was to really personalize the message,” explains Miller. “By knowing something about who we’re sending the message to, it had a better chance to resonate.” Jennie Wong, PhD This successful test with UCLA Anderson demonstrates the potential of GenAI to move the needle on the metrics that matter in university advancement and has relevance to broader engagement needs within higher education. Data + AI delivered, but this is just the beginning As Slalom’s global leader for the education industry, Wong sees great promise in the results of this small pilot effort. “The numbers all point in the same direction toward effectiveness and create a strong business case for a larger implementation.” Encouraged by numbers like these, UCLA is considering a larger test of this approach. For Miller, the project showcases the power of multi-partner collaboration and modern technology to solve business problems. He appreciates Slalom’s support and is discussing future collaboration on additional AI use cases. “Everybody I’ve encountered at Slalom has been friendly, technologically innovative, and fun to work with. We did really good development work together, and I think it has a lot of potential.” Wong agrees and sees a universe of potential in AI and machine learning for higher education. She explains, “This successful test with UCLA Anderson demonstrates the potential of GenAI to move the needle on the metrics that matter in university advancement and has relevance to broader engagement needs within higher education. Imagine a world where every donor feels intimately connected to the institution’s mission, and personalized interactions spark a flame of philanthropy across new audiences.” See what AI can do for you. Start the conversation Share this story Physician and patient in an office and both looking at a clipboard --- title: UCLA Health: The future of patient experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-health-future-patient-experience source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-health-future-patient-experience locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # UCLA Health: The future of patient experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-health-future-patient-experience - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-health-future-patient-experience - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped UCLA Health International Services integrate its customer relationship management system with its electronic health records. ## Body UCLA Health: The future of patient experience UCLA Health: The future of patient experience | Slalom With our help, UCLA Health International Servicess integrated its CRM with its EHR. Care coordinators now use Salesforce, automated workflows, and a custom quoting tool to deliver outstanding patient experiences. We helped UCLA Health International Services integrate its customer relationship management system with its electronic health records. The future of patient experience UCLA Health Share story At a glance We helped UCLA Health International Services integrate its customer relationship management system with its electronic health records to marry clinical processes with modern engagement practices. Impact Thanks to Salesforce Lightning Experience, automated workflows, and a custom quoting tool, care coordinators are delivering outstanding patient experiences—and the future looks even better. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Clinical excellence and better patient experiences Imagine you need a life-saving procedure. Now imagine the place to go for treatment is a hospital on the other side of the world. On top of the stress of being sick, there’s paperwork to organize, appointments to schedule, and travel to coordinate—and you might not even speak the local language. It sounds overwhelming, but it’s exactly the journey [UCLA Health International Services](https://www.uclahealth.org/international-services/) helps people navigate, every single day. UCLA Health’s four hospitals and more than 160 clinics are consistently ranked among the best in the US. Its physicians are global experts in the diagnosis and treatment of complex illnesses, and patients from all over the world rely on them for leading-edge, research-based care. For the international services team, patient care begins well before an appointment is scheduled. “My team is assigned from start to finish,” says Michael Burke, executive director of international services at UCLA Health. “Usually, patients have complex needs because they’re mostly coming to us for cancer treatments, transplants, neurosurgery, and that kind of thing.” Every patient is assigned a care coordinator who acts as a single point of contact throughout every phase of the patient’s experience. Alongside clinical excellence, it’s this level of patient support that sets UCLA Health apart. Why both Salesforce and Epic? The care coordinators’ role includes figuring out if a patient’s needs are a good fit for UCLA’s expertise and providing initial quotes for treatment, scheduling appointments, arranging for translators, and even physically escorting patients while they’re on site. Post-care activities might include account resolution, coordinating follow-ups, and administering surveys. It’s a complex task management chain that requires broader support than electronic health records (EHRs) can usually offer. A CRM working alongside an EHR creates one centralized record of patient encounters, both clinical and nonclinical, and puts the patient’s experience and journey at the center of it all. While CRMs are standard tools for other industries, healthcare providers have only just begun to harness their power. This is possibly because it might feel like a big conceptual leap to apply “customer” tools and strategies to a care scenario. As Burke points out, it’s important to realize that EHRs and CRMs complement each other. “Some health systems have understood it better than others,” he says, “but there’s still confusion. The ideal discussion should really be ‘What does our CRM infrastructure look like, and what’s the level of integration between the CRM and the EHR?’” His team had been working with [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Classic and were already in front of their competitors, but they wanted to push further ahead. They were keen to migrate to the Lightning Experience and start creating those all-important connections to their Epic EHR. Michael Burke The ideal discussion should really be ‘What does our CRM infrastructure look like, and what’s the level of integration between the CRM and the EHR? Driving operational efficiencies Today, with Salesforce Lightning Experience and a one-way integration in place, the whole team can share information in a more streamlined manner. For example, when a patient approaches UCLA Health about a liver transplant, that creates a new episode of care (EOC) in Salesforce. Each EOC is broken into stages that move from first inquiry all the way through to account resolution. Slalom automated more than 25 workflows using dynamic page components. Now, the system guides care coordinators through lists of tasks or questions which change based the specific EOC stage. And dashboards offer a clear overview of their day, workload, and case statuses. Another result: scheduling improvements. Prior to the integration, the team had to run daily reports and manually check the status of their patients’ appointments. They receive automatic alerts to cancelled or missed appointments and are able to reschedule more efficiently, in real time. No need for duplicate calendars, no manual reentry in multiple systems. “Slalom saved us so much time for what seems like small tasks,” says Burke, “but each of those small tasks used to take an additional five minutes to do.” The care coordinators on UCLA Health’s international services team handle over 3,000 cases every year, so a more intuitive process means speedier and smoother patient care. The front desk can easily see all the patients the team currently has in-house, search by patient name, and locate the right care coordinator to help or, just as likely, find the answer right away. Improving patient access When a patient is ready to submit their paperwork, they can use a webpage built with Salesforce Sites that enables them to attach multiple documents at once. Every new patient inquiry now comes to the team through Salesforce as a qualified lead, making it easier to track conversion rates and understand why patients might decide not to choose UCLA for their treatment. Qualifying leads upfront also benefits patients: they’ll know much earlier in the inquiry process if UCLA Health isn’t the right fit for their needs. Behind the scenes, a custom quoting solution has replaced hundreds of manual spreadsheet calculations. Slalom solution principal Joe Frank estimates the time it takes to produce quotes for patients has been reduced by nearly 80%. The tool combines the processes for quoting and invoicing. This means there’s one center of truth for financial representatives and care coordinators, and clarity and accuracy for patients. All of this gives executive decision makers deeper insights that inform patient care and experiences. The future of modern healthcare is here What began as a simple migration has blossomed into a true digital transformation. Slalom and the international services team are working together on a host of new projects, including a two-way connection between Epic and Salesforce that will allow EHR information to be accessible in Salesforce, and enable approved care coordinators to see the outcome of an appointment and be proactive with patient support. The team will be able to send surveys to patients via text message immediately after an appointment and get real-time, actionable feedback. There’s also the potential for a Zoom integration and to support messaging through WeChat, Facebook, and Instagram. An interactive portal—a single place online for patients to receive and share information with care coordinators—will go live later this year. Patients will be able complete their own profiles, upload medical records, receive treatment plans and telehealth care, and see appointment schedules. And, for the first time, they’ll be able to receive quotes and pay online. The drive to deliver better experiences is now extending beyond the US. A joint venture to build a state-of-the-art hospital in Guangzhou, China is slated for completion in 2021. Slalom is building a community portal to enable the UCLA Health team to manage referrals and provide telemedicine services, second opinions, and education. Ultimately, the clinical team will have the capability to provide real-time support to their fellow doctors at the partner hospital and offer live guidance during procedures. The teams are also building a real-time dashboard for quality benchmarking will allow UCLA Health to track key metrics on outcomes, mortality, readmissions, CMS star ratings, and HCAHPS. This is what the unleashed potential of an EHR and CRM integration looks like: each platform playing to its strengths, each supported by a good implementation and streamlined processes. “As we've been building a bigger use case for Salesforce, other parts of the organization have taken note, including our IT organization,” says Burke. “There’s been a lot more interest in investing additional resources.” His long-term vision is to see similar transformations across the whole healthcare sector, so that everyone, no matter they are, can have the best patient experience. --- title: Udemy: Making contracting a business enabler url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/udemy-contract-lifecycle-management source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/udemy-contract-lifecycle-management locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Udemy: Making contracting a business enabler - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/udemy-contract-lifecycle-management - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/udemy-contract-lifecycle-management - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Udemy makes contracting a business enabler with an integrated, AI-enabled CLM solution. ## Body Udemy: Making contracting a business enabler We helped a national healthcare leader drive improved patient engagement and care through triggered information collection campaigns and care-related reminders in Salesforce. Udemy | CLM | Slalom Udemy enhances service delivery to its contracting stakeholders with a modern, automated, integrated CLM solution. Udemy makes contracting a business enabler with an integrated, AI-enabled CLM solution. Udemy’s contracting solution brings seamless CLM | Slalom Ascension | Patient Care | Slalom Making contracting a business enabler At a glance VISION We helped a leader in online education use AI and automation to streamline the enterprise contracting process, giving legal, sales, procurement, finance, and IT greater visibility and faster turnaround times. Impact A complete process transformation has made slow, manual contracting a thing of the past. With a ~30% faster intake process, seamless integrations, streamlined workflows, and greater data visibility, teams can focus on more strategic work. Key Services Industry Education Technologies/Platforms - Leah (formerly ContractPodAI) - Salesforce - Zip - Workato Is your contract lifecycle enabling growth, or slowing it down? Talk to an expert A contract for success When people want to grow their expertise with the latest in-demand skills, they look to [Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/). Serving 81 million learners with over 250K business and technology courses, Udemy is a global leader in education technology. Udemy is constantly expanding its relationships with enterprise customers, which has resulted in a sharp increase in the agreements the legal team manages. Though legal already had a contract lifecycle management (CLM) tool, they knew they could further elevate service delivery—and their profile within the company—by moving to a new solution that provided enhanced efficiencies and greater visibility. Along with adopting the [Leah](https://leahai.com/) (formerly ContractPodAI) CLM tool, Udemy brought Slalom in to transform its contracting processes and equip the entire organization for success. Laura Fitzgerald Without Slalom’s strategic partnership, we couldn’t have achieved the rapid time-to-value that transformed our legal function into a revenue driver. CLM transformations require more than technology—they need integration partners who understand how to accelerate deal flow, unlock actionable business insights, and deliver measurable ROI from day one. A tangle of manual work The Udemy legal team’s primary challenge was a lack of visibility and standardization around the contracting process. There was too much manual work, with team members tracking approvals in spreadsheets and through a tangle of Slack messages and emails. The technology itself created an additional blocker: with legal on one system, sales on another, and procurement on yet a third system—with limited integrations between them all—critical information could be hard to pin down. “Our revenue velocity was constrained by information silos, not legal complexity,” says Laura Fitzgerald, VP, legal at Udemy. “Fragmented systems were creating deal friction and extending sales cycles. We needed streamlined processes that could capture actionable data and accelerate time to close.” Sales representatives found this particularly frustrating. Working primarily in Salesforce, they often struggled with limited visibility into where a contract was in the review process, resulting in the legal team having to field a high volume of one-off inquiries and time to revenue being delayed. “The teams needed a more seamless handoff,” explains Ashley Vasilovski, VP business applications, IT at Udemy, “a single place to be able to have back-and-forth communication.” Rather than simply implementing a new tool, Udemy sought a best-in-class solution that would transform its end-to-end contracting process from initiation and negotiation to signature and storage. Thoughtful process design meets legal expertise We worked with Udemy’s legal team to improve its processes and provide a technology solution to serve the unique needs of everyone who touches Udemy’s contracts. “Slalom brings a lot of the human aspects to these projects,” says Vasilovski. “They really, truly listen, and fully embed themselves into the business.” While Slalom led the business process design and requirements gathering—working with the sales, procurement, deal desk, and IT teams to define new processes that would meet all stakeholder needs—Udemy’s legal experts advised us on the specifics of their jobs, all while still focusing on their core work. “Slalom approached this as a strategic business transformation, not just a technology rollout.,” notes Fitzgerald. “Their collaborative methodology ensured we built sustainable legal processes that drive long-term value creation rather than short-term fixes. This partnership approach was critical to supporting the business so it could achieve the ROI targets.” “Slalom is very agile. They do a really good job of coming to the table with unique ideas and problem solving to get to the best solution, and from an execution perspective, they know exactly how to run a project efficiently.” Ashley Vasilovski VP, Business Applications, IT, Udemy Full visibility, for every user The core of the transformation involved creating end-to-end integrated workflows between the CLM, sales, and procurement tools. One of Udemy’s nonnegotiable goals was to keep Udemy’s sales team in Salesforce—the tool they use daily. By building what James Young, senior managing director at Slalom, calls a “single pane of glass,” we provided sales reps with a means to manage contracts and communicate with legal directly within Salesforce. This wasn’t the only integration that removed the need for teams to jump between unfamiliar applications. On the procurement side, the integration with Zip enabled bidirectional data synchronization across platforms. Fast, modern, automated Udemy and Slalom enhanced the contracting journey by putting more power into the hands of the business. Together we optimized the process by: - Enabling self-service: Sales reps can finalize standard non-disclosure and master service agreements much faster—sometimes as quickly as 30 minutes—without legal intervention. - Streamlining approvals: By improving contract vetting with more guardrails upstream and a clearer process for determining when legal review is actually required, the legal team can focus on more complex contract work. - Leveraging AI for reviews: The team uses AI for data extraction of key obligations and to assist with first-pass redlining. - Automating reminders and follow ups: With fewer delays and prompt closure of completed projects, the legal team processes more requests without additional headcount. - Modernizing reporting: Integration with Tableau delivers dynamic dashboards, giving leadership a high-level snapshot of key performance indicators, contract volume, and deal velocity. CUSTOMER RESULTS When a contracting process delivers improved speed and visibility, legal becomes a true partner and enabler to the business. Let’s talk results Becoming a growth enabler During the project, Udemy and Slalom migrated approximately 40,000 legacy contracts from multiple scattered systems into a single, consolidated, AI-enabled repository. For the first time, Udemy has full visibility and searchable access to all its historical contract data. The human impact is measurable: the contract intake process is now approximately 30% quicker. By reducing the administrative burden on the legal team, lawyers have been able to reallocate their time to more complex, high-value contracts rather than routine paperwork. At the same time, sales representatives have ready access to the information they need, so more of their valuable time is now spent on strategic deal making. By reducing friction, simplifying the process, standardizing templates, and upskilling its internal teams, Udemy is operating more efficiently and is also teed up for success in its next phase of global growth. According to Fitzgerald, “Slalom built our legal system for scalable growth and competitive advantage. We're now properly positioned to leverage AI for predictive contract insights, automate routine workflows, and reallocate legal resources to high-value strategic initiatives that directly support revenue expansion and market opportunities.” Share the story --- title: Unilode: Real time insights and demand forecasting url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/unilode-real-time-tracking source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/unilode-real-time-tracking locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Unilode: Real time insights and demand forecasting - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/unilode-real-time-tracking - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/unilode-real-time-tracking - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Unlocking Unilode’s data power with real-time tracking. Enhancing customer experience with Databricks on AWS for seamless data access and insights. Asset tracking revolutionized. ## Body Unilode: Real time insights and demand forecasting Unilode | Slalom Learn how we delighted Unilode’s customers with a move to real-time analytics that enable accurate tracking with ease. Unlocking Unilode’s data power with real-time tracking. Enhancing customer experience with Databricks on AWS for seamless data access and insights. Asset tracking revolutionized. Real time insights and demand forecasting Share story At a glance Unilode is delighting customers with a move to real-time analytics that enable accurate tracking with ease. Impact Unilode’s data platform provides a single view of assets and related information. This empowers business intelligence and machine learning—and can be used for ad-hoc queries and reports. Key Services Cloud Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Databricks 1d6ad4k0yk Unlocking the power of Unilode’s data [Unilode](https://www.unilode.com/) owns, manages and repairs the world’s largest fleet of Unit Load Devices—the containers and pallets that go onto planes with everything from baggage to cargo. With over 170,000 Unit Load Devices (ULDs) to monitor, manage and maintain—you can imagine it’s quite an undertaking to make sure everything is running smoothly, so that we receive our goods when we need them. Unilode wanted to delight customers with a move to real-time information that enables them to see accurate location and usage data of ULDs. This information is now accessible via the Unilode customer portal. Bas Vermeer Slalom helped us to architect and build this customer portal that enables real-time access to all relevant information on ULDs to customers, showing KPIs and trends, and drilling down to the lowest level of information on ULDs—all accessible in one place. Unilode customer portal with illustrative Unit Load Devices tracking data Revolutionising asset tracking with cutting-edge tech With Slalom’s help, Unilode’s centralised data repository now provides a unified view of Unit Load Devices and related information. Leveraging cutting-edge [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks) functionality on [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) and a data lakehouse architecture, the solution combines the capabilities of data lakes and data warehouses. Reducing data silos to empower business intelligence, and machine learning advancements at scale, across all of Unilode’s data. We really appreciated the agility of the development process—and the use of cutting-edge data engineering techniques built on AWS and Databricks. We feel very confident that with this solution we have created a true transformation in the customer experience in working with Unilode. Bas Vermeer CIO, Unilode Unilode’s customer portal , built using React, seamlessly integrates with the data lakehouse. Providing Unilode customers with access to the information they need to drive business decisions and to get the most out of their services. Invoicing —a really critical part of any service—has been further enhanced too, so customers can have even greater visibility and control of their spend, with ease. MOMENTUM THAT OUTLASTS US Unilode can now confidently provide advanced analytics and forecasting for its fleet of Unit Loading Devices. It was super important to Unilode to have specialist help with the step-change that would upskill their people, so they were empowered to manage the platform after the development work with Slalom was over. This is something that is in our DNA, and we’ve made sure knowledge transfer has been exceptional throughout the project. Catherine Wilks Senior Director, Slalom --- title: Unite Students: A unified platform for better resident experiences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/unite-students-resident-experience-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/unite-students-resident-experience-platform locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # Unite Students: A unified platform for better resident experiences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/unite-students-resident-experience-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/unite-students-resident-experience-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary See how the UK’s leading student housing provider improved efficiency with a single unified platform, better resident communication, and smarter asset tracking. ## Body Unite Students: A unified platform for better resident experiences A unified platform for better resident experiences | Slalom See how the UK’s leading student housing provider improved efficiency with a single unified platform, better resident communication, and smarter asset tracking. A unified platform for better resident experiences Share story At a glance Slalom partnered with the UK’s leading student housing provider to implement a multi-phase approach that helped improve workforce efficiency, standardise and scale processes, and make better operational decisions backed by data. Impact With a single, unified platform, Unite Students can handle more resident cases and gain stronger control of its asset and maintenance management, allowing its team to focus on delivering even better student experiences. Key Services Cloud Organization change & talent Organizational change & talent Industry Education Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Service Cloud - Salesforce Field Service - Salesforce Experience Cloud [Unite Students](https://www.unitestudents.com/) is the UK’s leading student accommodation provider, with around 70,000 rooms across 160+ properties. The organisation also offers 24/7 security and maintenance and hosts an app with Slalom-added functionality for quick communication and an automated Turn Around Room process, giving residents a seamless and safe living experience. That’s a lot of data and operations to keep track of all at once, so Unite Students welcomed Slalom’s [Salesforce consulting expertise](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Together, they sought to improve workforce efficiency, support the company as it continued scaling, and deliver even better results for students. “We wanted to have systems that integrated seamlessly, something that could collaborate with full visibility with residents during their living experience,” says Renato Ferreira, a senior transformation manager at Unite Students. “Then it was about standardising and creating best practices. It’s crucial that we have clear processes and standards for new team members and properties.” To help Unite Students accomplish these goals, Slalom delivered a phased approach across a two-month discovery and seven-month rollout. The initial phase introduced [Salesforce Service Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/service/cloud/) and [Salesforce Field Service](https://www.salesforce.com/service/field-service-management/), as well as integration and data migration, while the next part of the rollout added Salesforce Experience Cloud. Personalising the resident experience A significant focus area for Unite Students was moving its various systems, which featured multiple resident touchpoints, into one single view. The organisation wanted to handle all well-being, conduct, and maintenance matters in one space, with clear ownership and consistent team collaboration. Slalom introduced Salesforce Service Cloud to create a more cohesive resident experience. “It’s a good alignment of culture and values between Unite Students and Slalom,” says Martin Gardner, a director at Slalom. “All the people we interacted with really prioritised the well-being of residents. We could have pragmatic discussions about the functionalities and features of what we were delivering.” “They realised that Salesforce isn’t just a one-and-done implementation,” adds Nathan Brunt, a senior delivery principal at Slalom. “They can actually grow with the system.” The Service Cloud implementation gives Unite Students a comprehensive view of each student. With enhanced case management, the team can manage and resolve resident issues more effectively and achieve key SLA targets. Residents also remain informed on their cases through the Unite Students app, which features ongoing touchpoints and transparent communication. Through one unified platform, Unite Students can view the history of previous interactions, allowing the team to handle sensitive issues more effectively. For instance, the team might approach conversations differently with a student who recently expressed a mental health concern or use certain language to speak about a missed payment with a student in financial debt. Police officer using laptop in vehicle We have the data of every single customer interaction. That gives us the insight to make strategic decisions in the future because we know what’s happening in a much better way, and we know what our students want. We didn’t have that before. Renato Ferreira Senior Transformation Manager, Unite Students More strategic asset management When the project kicked off, Unite Students brought Slalom’s team to multiple properties to get an up-close look at the operations. That hands-on approach benefited both sides as they built out solutions. “They had a system, but it wasn’t fully connected, and not everyone could access what they were looking for,” says Gardner. “This project was about streamlining that process, in turn making a nicer place for people to live, where they can interact and get things fixed when they need it.” For example, a property might have purchased a new item for a room, such as a microwave, without realising a nearby property had a surplus. Slalom implemented better asset tracking by providing integration design direction to link Salesforce to existing and new systems within Unite Students. Migration activities helped ensure existing data supports the new Salesforce instance. The data migration included bringing in asset and location data. With the data in one place, Unite Students can streamline asset condition checks. Previously, a maintenance team member would be anchored to a reception desk to input information. Now, workers can handle checks on the go and log student communications more effectively, reducing manual tasks and duplicate jobs. They can also run reports comparing properties nationwide to get data-driven looks into which assets require maintenance or replacement. Since the university year typically begins in September and ends in June, Unite Students has many people moving in or out at those times. Other residents often stay in the rooms during the summer, so the turnaround time to get those rooms ready is incredibly quick. The Salesforce Field Service implementation addressed that challenge by building an automated checkout inspection. When a student checks out of a room, the Unite Students team is able to manage it through the unified dashboard, focusing efforts on the most urgent needs while saving time and money. “We’ve built that into dashboards, and our team easily knows which rooms to prioritise. That’s been a game changer for us,” Ferreira says. Renato Ferreira The work that Slalom has done goes well above everything else that’s happening in the business currently. From a people perspective, we don’t feel like we’re working with a contractor or external supplier. The team at Slalom was part of our team at Unite Students. CJIC Dashboard Portal crime data overview A strong data foundation for the future Within the first 12 weeks, over 1,500 users went live on the platform, with thousands of cases and work orders raised by teams and residents across more than 160 properties. Of those, 96% of cases and 94% of work orders were resolved—a significant increase from previous benchmarks. “The single view of the residents is really important to them to interplay between different issues that might be outstanding for a particular resident,” Brunt says. Cases are also being handled more quickly. Two common issues are residents accidentally being locked out of their rooms or filing a noise complaint. Previously, a guest would have needed to walk to the reception area to request assistance, or call the Contact Centre, which could be in another city, only for them to reach out to the property team on the resident’s behalf. Now, residents can alert the team through the Unite Students app, pinging team members and letting them know their exact location within seconds. Beyond offering more immediate student support, Salesforce Experience Cloud has given Unite Students greater visibility when managing third-party suppliers for both planned and reactive maintenance. After its collaboration with Slalom, Unite Students is primed to scale across more properties, all while building better relationships with both internal teams and students. Want to streamline your business operations and enhance customer relationships? Start here --- title: United Airlines - GenAI lifts traveler experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # United Airlines - GenAI lifts traveler experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary United Airlines used Slalom’s professional services and technical expertise to develop a generative AI platform and enable two use cases that benefit customers. ## Body United Airlines - GenAI lifts traveler experience United Airlines | Slalom Learn how we joined United Airlines for the start of its GenAI journey, co-creating a platform and solutions that use AI to improve CX. United Airlines used Slalom’s professional services and technical expertise to develop a generative AI platform and enable two use cases that benefit customers. GenAI lifts traveler experience With a strong culture of innovation, United Airlines was eager to implement GenAI. Together, we developed solutions that empower employees and elevate the customer experience. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact More relevant, efficient customer service and greater transparency for travelers when flight plans change have strengthened customer experience and trust. Industry Travel hospitality Key Services Key Technologies/Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Claude (Anthropic) The Vision You don’t get to where United Airlines is today without a knack for providing customers with great experiences enabled by cutting-edge technology at scale. As the world’s largest airline, United has an industry-leading loyalty program, an [award-winning app](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-wins-peoples-voice-webby-award-for-best-travel-app-301294927.html) loved by travelers, and routes to more than 210 destinations in the US and more than 120 internationally. United’s employees—agents, flight attendants, pilots, and so many other skilled team members—are responsible for making sure the thousands of customers they serve daily have the best experiences possible, whether they’re on the app or in person. And according to CIO Jason Birnbaum, United’s technology organization plays a large part in that mission. That’s why, every year, United organizes an Innovation Day, which is a hackathon-inspired event that caps off a period of time for teams to commit to solving problems through emerging technology. So when generative AI (GenAI) was beginning its meteoric ascent, it made perfect sense for United to dedicate an entire Innovation Day to this exciting technology to explore the art of the possible. What better way to educate employees, inspire new ideas, and test what GenAI could offer United’s employees and customers? m Jason Birnbaum I believe our customers not only expect, but really demand that they have the best digital experiences they possibly can. Our job in technology is to continue to provide them with these amazing experiences. The Solution Together, we brought GenAI use cases to production that elevate United’s customer experience and built an internal platform that enables teams to continue their innovation. A testbed for customer-centric innovation With less than 60 days until the GenAI-themed Innovation Day, Birnbaum and the entire technology organization wanted to empower teams to be able to test out different GenAI use cases independently and securely. United had partnered with Slalom to build a machine learning operations (MLOps) platform that streamlines the creation, deployment, and management of machine learning models, so United’s leadership knew Slalom had the knowledge and expertise to help extend that platform to accommodate GenAI. We got to building and integrating a GenAI “testbed” that securely leverages United’s data infrastructure. Built on AWS, the testbed uses [Amazon Bedrock](https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/) to give teams access to a variety of proprietary and open-source GenAI models including Amazon Titan, Anthropic’s Claude, and Meta’s Llama. Many participating teams used the testbed to determine which AI model best fit their use case in time to demonstrate that use case at the Innovation Day. In total, executives across the enterprise, including the CEO of United, evaluated more than 30 use cases as part of the Innovation Day. Grant Milstead, a vice president of digital technology at United, who helped lead the preparations for the GenAI Innovation Day, emphasized how important it was—and is—for United’s teams to be able to access the testbed on their own. “At one point we had, like, 30 teams doing different ideas,” said Milstead. “With that many hands in the cookie jar, it couldn’t just be one person at Slalom giving access out and showing how this worked. We had to be able to get a lot of developers in there and it had to be something that was kind of enterprise-grade versus just a science project.” The insight we believe is that no matter the situation, if you’re honest, empathetic, and transparent about what’s happening, the experience for people is better. Jason Birnbaum CIO, United Airlines Moving two customer-focused use cases from concept to reality The GenAI Innovation Day was a huge success, and the expanded MLOps platform will support United teams’ innovation and experimentation well into the future—and far beyond 30 use cases. Already, two use cases showcased at the Innovation Day have been released as solutions with Slalom’s help. United refers to the first solution as an enhanced version of its “Every Flight Has a Story” (EFHaS) messaging program. Even before the arrival of GenAI, a team of “Storytellers” at United have informed travelers about unexpected changes to flight statuses, like delays, through detailed but easy-to-understand custom messages. With the new GenAI capabilities of EFHaS, Storytellers will be able to customize 50% of all flight updates United sends, up from 15%. Storytellers still carefully review each AI-generated message but can ultimately customize and share a much greater volume of messages than they could have prepared manually. The result is more travelers receiving top-notch, transparent updates as soon as their flight statuses change. The second solution is a customer care copilot that leverages GenAI to help agents provide faster and more empathetic responses to the thousands of email inquiries they receive from customers every day. Exceptional service at scale In travel, plans change. United’s initial GenAI use cases give employees the grace to be ready for this—and to be ready to help customers navigate it. We think our work with United proves that in the right hands, artificial intelligence can enhance emotional intelligence. It can help people do what only humans can: care. ”We have the greatest employees in the industry, in my opinion,” said Stacey Wronkowski, a vice president of digital technology at United whose group leads its GenAI Center of Excellence (CoE), a dedicated team assembled to guide and scale United’s GenAI vision. “We are transparent people. We are caring and empathetic people. What it comes down to is, we don’t have the ability to handcraft a personal message to every customer, given our size. That connection with customers and messaging to them that is personal and relevant would be hard to scale without a capability like this.” Given how fast GenAI is evolving, it’s almost impossible to imagine how United might be using the technology a year or even a quarter from now—almost. With a robust platform at its fingertips, a talented CoE in the pilot’s seat, and our continued partnership, United’s GenAI future is clearer than ever. But rather than speculate here about what use cases could be just around the corner, we’ll spend our last words on something a little more human by thanking United’s teams for the opportunity to join the first “flights” of their GenAI journey. On behalf of Slalom and the entire crew, thank you for choosing to fly with us, and welcome to the age of AI. Customer Impact United’s developers can experiment freely, its teams can serve customers efficiently, and its customers are happier for it. Curious about what AI can do for you? Let's talk Share this story Damyant Gill We couldn’t have showcased the value of the many AI use cases so quickly without our stellar collective team employing a human-centered, impact-driven, technology-enabled, collaboration-fueled innovation approach. Lee Miller United and AWS have been amazing partners in this GenAI journey. Great ideas, collaboration, and hustle have helped us deliver GenAI use cases in months as opposed to years! Miheer Munjal Scale, cutting-edge technology, and real customer impact; this effort had three of my favorite things, plus a great team that adapted on the fly and were motivated to move quickly. Papa Ndir The key element here is that we were able to validate and confirm the value of generative AI and then develop different ways to unlock that value across the enterprise. Man sitting in the airport looking at his phone --- title: United Nations: Allocating humanitarian funds to those who need them most url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-nations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-nations locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # United Nations: Allocating humanitarian funds to those who need them most - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-nations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-nations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We worked with the United Nations Emerging Technologies Lab to use artificial intelligence to create a fast and thorough way for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to review project proposals., so that people get the help they need during humanitarian crises. ## Body United Nations: Allocating humanitarian funds to those who need them most United Nations | Slalom We worked with the United Nations Emerging Technologies Lab to use artificial intelligence to create a fast and thorough way for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to review project proposals., so that people get the help they need during humanitarian crises. Allocating humanitarian funds to those who need them most Share story At a glance Impact This collaboration will help OCHA in its efforts to direct funding where it’s needed most, as well as share insights with donors. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Azure Responding to global crises In countries like Myanmar, Venezuela, Syria, and Niger, millions of people are in need of urgent help, from access to food and safe water, to protection from violence. The United Nations [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs](https://www.unocha.org/) (OCHA) coordinates responses to humanitarian crises like these around the world. OCHA receives contributions from a wide range of donors—governments, nonprofits, charities, foundations, and individuals—and received $2 billion in contributions last year. Its top-priority initiatives fall into four categories: women and girls, disabilities, education in protracted crises, and protection. Exploring what's possible OCHA receives over 100 proposals a year from organizations requesting funding. These proposals can be 100 or 200 pages long, requiring significant time for the small OCHA team to evaluate in detail. The Emerging Technologies Lab at the United Nations wanted to explore a solution that would make the proposal evaluation process more efficient and enable OCHA to share insights about the impact donors are making. “It’s important for OCHA to know they’re making a difference in these priority areas,” says Lambert Hogenhout, chief data, analytics, and emerging technologies officer who leads the Emerging Technologies Lab. “And it’s important for donors to have confidence that their money is being spent as they intended. But there are just limitations to what humans can do—in terms of reading over 100 proposals every year and pulling important information out of them.” Hogenhout knew he wanted to create a solution using artificial intelligence, and after learning about Slalom’s [AI Center of Purpose](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence), he was interested in partnering with our team. “It always takes us a lot of time to get up to speed with these advanced technologies,” Hogenhout says. “We were hoping that by working with the Slalom team, who has real experts in these areas, they’d be able to kick-start our project, and we’d also be able to learn from them and significantly reduce the learning curve of our team on certain new technologies. Both of these things worked out exactly as we hoped.” Lambert Hogenhout I was amazed at how successful this collaboration was. Harry Potter, Dementors, and Cognitive Search Our teams had an ideating session to brainstorm solutions. Slalom gave a demonstration on how Azure Cognitive Search could help process the proposals, and we used a recognizable example to break down how the technology works. “We took all seven Harry Potter books and ingested them through the natural language processing pipeline using Azure Cognitive Search,” one of our solution architects explains. “What it does is automatically select words that mean something significant in the books, and it filters out all the mundane words that don’t mean anything. Azure forms different topics and associated words which are part of the topics. For example, Dementors could be a topic, and it’ll know that the closest possible spell to a Dementor is Expecto Patronum. So, it’s like a Google search for your Harry Potter books—it can generate this visual graph of topics and associations that knows what you’re looking for based on your topic.” We recommended using Azure Cognitive Services in the same way for OCHA’s proposals. We knew we’d be able to create a solution that searched through a proposal in a matter of seconds, finding topics and associations that may or may not tie to OCHA’s priority initiatives. For example, the tool could learn that words like schools, teachers, and classes might tie to the education initiative and give that proposal a high distance-to-initiative score when it comes to the education initiative. Hogenhout’s team was onboard. Quick and successful delivery In less than three weeks, we built a successful proof-of-concept that includes these key components: - Topic modeling Topic modeling is an unsupervised machine learning technique that scans a set of text documents, detects similar group of words, and organizes them into topics. We built an extraction pipeline by extracting text via optical character recognition (OCR), tokenizing words and extracting entities. Based on this, we gained a list of topics within each document and generated a list of terms with associated frequency within each topic. - Knowledge graph We created a “distance-to-initiative” scoring algorithm to determine proposals’ relevance to OCHA’s initiatives. For example, a proposal might be 90 percent relevant to education in protracted crisis—a percentage based on the frequency of words closely associated to the topics of “education” and “protracted crisis.” - Responsible AI ConceptNet is a freely available knowledge base and natural-language-processing tool. Models trained on open source data like ConceptNet are notorious for containing bias extracted from users using discriminatory language on the platforms they train their networks on. We were able to identify and mitigate these issues by automating the removal of biased terms and associations—like “servant,” “attendant,” and “baggage” being associated with women. We completed a manual review of all concepts directly related to OCHA’s initiatives and ensured this bias would not persist into any future iterations of the knowledge graph we built. - Cognitive Search We used Azure Cognitive Services to generate searchable indexes from raw UN PDF documents. For example, someone can search for “Cholera” and get a list of all geographical locations that have the closest proximity to that term within the raw documents. - Graph visualization We developed a web application that visualizes the large, complex knowledge graph in a user-friendly and digestible way for OCHA, and we handed over the coding to the team. Exceeding expectations “I was amazed at how successful this collaboration was,” says Hogenhout. “I did not have such high expectations from a first-time collaboration, at short notice, between teams that didn’t know each other. It really exceeded all my expectations.” He says our work together has inspired his team to explore new ways to use the tool—to help OCHA and the broader UN organization. “For instance, now that we’re in this COVID pandemic, people are very interested in health, pandemics, and the resilience of communities. And they’re starting to wonder: in the projects that we’ve done, in the past two years for example, how much have we actually focused on health? Going back into hundreds of project documents and rereading all of those for their relevance to health initiatives would be an enormous task. It’s just not possible to provide that insight at the moment. But with the tool that Slalom has built the foundation for, we’re going to be able to do that.” Who we’re helping most This solution can be used at any organization with long, complex documents that are time-consuming to review. Think: medical research papers, loan applications, insurance policies. Using these tools, organizations can process these documents thoroughly, within seconds. “I think this has a tremendous opportunity to help not just the UN but any organization that deals with this kind of challenge reviewing proposals and aligning them to specific missions,” says Hogenhout. For now, the people this work will help most are those living in crisis. “And, to help those people,” Hogenhout says, “we’re helping the people in the Office for Humanitarian Affairs who have to read the projects. We’re helping the donors get more insight in how their money is being spent. We’re helping OCHA senior management have better insight in trends over time. We’re helping all these parties in very concrete ways. But ultimately, the purpose of all of this work is to help the people in need.” Two girls smiling for a picture --- title: United Way: Using data visualizations to help struggling families during COVID-19 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-way source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-way locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # United Way: Using data visualizations to help struggling families during COVID-19 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/united-way - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-way - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Slalom helped United Way for Southeastern Michigan build Microsoft Power BI data visualizations that show how it’s helping those in need during COVID-19. ## Body United Way: Using data visualizations to help struggling families during COVID-19 United Way | Slalom We helped United Way for Southeastern Michigan build Microsoft Power BI data visualizations that show how it’s helping those in need during COVID-19. Slalom helped United Way for Southeastern Michigan build Microsoft Power BI data visualizations that show how it’s helping those in need during COVID-19. Using data visualizations to help struggling families during COVID-19 United Way Share story At a glance We helped United Way for Southeastern Michigan build Microsoft Power BI data visualizations that show how it’s helping those in need during COVID-19. Now, the nonprofit organization can rally more donations and support to help its community during this crisis and in the future. Impact Now, the nonprofit organization can rally more donations and support to help its community during this crisis and in the future. Key Services Cloud Industry Nonprofit and philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Power BI A community in crisis Before COVID-19 hit the Southeastern Michigan region, 44 percent of households were struggling to meet basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. According to [United Way’s ALICE report](https://unitedwaysem.org/onecrisisaway/), these households were only one bad day away from financial struggle. Now, these families—and many more—are in crisis. [United Way for Southeastern Michigan](https://unitedwaysem.org/) is one of 1,800 United Ways around the world fighting for the health, education, and financial stability for every person in every community. Since the devastating impact of COVID-19 began, United Way has been providing immediate and crucial support to organizations, nonprofits, schools, and childcare facilities. United Way for Southeastern Michigan launched a COVID-19 Community Response Fund to quickly help the community’s most vulnerable populations, like kids who can no longer get free meals at school. It also saw a surge in calls to its 211 help line—a free, 24/7 service that helps people find the local resources they need, from how to file for unemployment to where to find a shelter to sleep. Emily Mueller This product is phenomenal, and the backend data architecture really sets us up for long-term success. The United Way team needed a way to show the impact it’s making—with the COVID relief fund, 211, and volunteerism—to build trust with current donors and inspire more donations, partners, and volunteers. “There was an opportunity for people to learn about our organization, understand the immense community need here, and see how they can get involved,” says Emily Mueller, the organization’s director of research, data and analytics. The team had a lot of data about these initiatives but no way to turn it into compelling stories about the impact they’re making and the impact new donors and volunteers can make. That’s where Slalom came in. The dashboard Slalom created helps us better visualize and communicate the needs that remain across the community. It also provides clarity, as we message our response and impact in front of various audiences. Dr. Darienne Hudson CEO, United Way Easy-to-see stories We focused on creating a scalable solution that would help United Way now and in the long-term. United Way’s data was living in many different places, including Microsoft Forms, Excel, and Access database. There was also external data, like COVID-19 cases from local hospitals, that we tapped into through an API. To centralize all of this data in the cloud, we developed a SQL server in Azure. We then built four Microsoft Power BI dashboards, which are now live on United Way’s website. “People can dive in and use the dashboard interactively to see the needs of the community and the impact United Way is making on a macro and micro level,” says Drew Triplett, solution architect at Slalom. “People can easily see what United Way is doing in their own community, in Oakland County, in Farmington Hills, wherever they live.” “It's great to be able to integrate the dashboards so tightly with our site and be able to link to, for example, our volunteer portal,” says Mueller. “People can come to this dashboard, learn about what United Way has done around volunteerism, and then click a button and go sign up themselves.” Recognizing the urgency of a project like this, our Slalom team set an aggressive timeline and delivered the project in just four weeks. Immediate and long-term impact “One of the things I’m most grateful to Slalom for is that the product we implemented is phenomenal, but in addition to that, they helped us set up a backend data architecture that we're going to be able to leverage beyond COVID,” says Mueller. “This really lays the groundwork for our future efforts.” One of those efforts is community planning. As we move out of the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, United Way will be focusing on recovery and building resiliency across communities. “These dashboards will help us identify potential gaps and where we need to help remove barriers to really drive equity,” says Mueller. For example, by looking at geographical information on the visualizations, you can see the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has had on historically Black communities in Southeastern Michigan. Mueller says her team is now able to “make really important meaning out of this data and share it in a transparent way.” By bringing the community’s urgent needs into the light, United Way can help families weather the current COVID-19 crisis and create a strong, equitable future for everyone in Southeastern Michigan. Family at home in kitchen making lunch --- title: Univest: Elevating customer experience with expanded digital banking url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/univest-elevating-customer-experience-digital-banking source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/univest-elevating-customer-experience-digital-banking locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Univest: Elevating customer experience with expanded digital banking - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/univest-elevating-customer-experience-digital-banking - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/univest-elevating-customer-experience-digital-banking - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We co-created a digital strategy to modernize Univest’s digital banking experience, improve content control, and provide users with a connected experience. ## Body Univest: Elevating customer experience with expanded digital banking We co-created a digital strategy to modernize Univest’s digital banking experience, improve content control, and provide users with a connected experience. Univest | Slalom Elevating customer experience Elevating customer experience with expanded digital banking Share story Man on computer At a glance When a regional bank wanted to grow its market share while maintaining high standards for service, Slalom co-created and implemented a digital strategy to modernize the company’s digital banking experience. Impact With improved content control, Univest can now provide customers with a connected experience across its offerings. Key Services Industry Financial Services Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Digital expansion with community roots For nearly 150 years, [Univest](https://www.univest.net/) has distinguished itself as a uniquely customer-focused bank throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Based outside Philadelphia in Souderton, Pennsylvania, the company maintains a strong presence in the community—not only through its dozens of brick-and-mortar financial centers, but through philanthropic giving, educational outreach, and employee volunteerism. While Univest provides the kind of personalized service customers expect from a local bank, it’s also part of the largest industry in the world—and perhaps the most dynamic. The financial sector is subject to ever-changing regulations, security risks, and evolving business models. As acquisitions by larger banks become the norm, regional banks are under increasing pressure to modernize in order to remain competitive. Univest wanted to remain independent and grow its footprint while maintaining high standards of service. Leadership knew that by amplifying the digital banking experience, the company would attract a broader range of customers and have the capabilities to serve them wherever, whenever they wanted to bank. Slalom partnered with Univest to develop a multiyear strategic roadmap for digital transformation, streamline its data platform, and reinvent its web presence. Justin ”Fenny” Fentress We had many conversations about the right approach—one that would balance time, resources, and quality. And we had to make sure the quality was there. Putting the plan into action After years of collaborating on customer research, strategy, and [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) solutions, Slalom and Univest already had a strong foundation. This initiative would be the culmination of those projects. We began with a four-month strategy program to map the multi-year digital transformation, then embarked on an eight-week discovery for the new website. We explored technical requirements, the existing business framework, ways of working and partnering with customers, historical data, and current challenges. Because Univest’s legacy website was hosted by a third party, content ownership presented significant challenges. Templates were limited and real-time updates on the bank’s current offerings—mortgage and interest rates, for example—were difficult to implement. To create or edit content, the company had to submit a ticket and wait several days for the changes to be applied. Univest needed a modern user interface and robust mobile experience that fully showcased its services. Slalom was incredibly valuable in determining which content we should carry forward. Based on those data-driven decisions, we learned what was most meaningful, relevant, and timely for our customers. Jacklyn Bingaman SVP and Director of Marketing Strategy and Services Harnessing cloud services for data-driven content Thanks to our previous collaborations, we were able to hit the ground running—and for Univest, the implementation of its multiyear strategy couldn’t come too soon. “We wanted our website to be more than a billboard—it needed to drive conversion, lead generation, and functional and performance-based marketing items,” says Jacklyn Bingaman, senior vice president and director of marketing strategy and services. The Slalom team worked closely with internal teams to quickly create 15 initiatives around people, processes, technologies, and customers. ”Because we were working on such a tight deadline, we had many conversations about the right approach—one that would balance time, resources, and quality,” says Justin Fentress, a principal at Slalom. “And we had to make sure the quality was there.” For a more seamless integration with its existing Salesforce CRM, Univest selected Experience Cloud as the new platform. To test the company’s technology stack and ensure a smooth delivery of the new website, we launched a pilot site for Univest’s wealth division. Based on that work, the Slalom team was able to anticipate challenges and customize solutions, including integration with Google Search. New capabilities for a modern customer experience In just four months, we implemented Univest.net, a modern customer-facing website that’s already received overwhelmingly positive feedback from executives, employees, and customers. For leadership, the work represents more than a change in technology—it’s an evolution in the way the company positions itself in the world. “The true value in our partnership with Slalom was the team’s ability to tie together the components of our Univest.net journey—beginning with strategy and incorporating technology and data. Slalom’s deep understanding of the Salesforce ecosystem and how to strategically leverage its full potential allowed us to gain new insights and apply them to the user’s experience,” says Bingaman. The solution not only provides marketing and analytics to support the company’s growth but it gives internal teams control over its implementation schedule and business processes around industry compliance. “Univest said many times that the strength of our partnership has helped upskill its teams. That’s one of the hallmarks of this project,” says Brandon Kreider, a senior principal at Slalom. With newly accessible data and customized tools, Univest can better understand the options customers want and need—and has the capabilities to deliver them. Man sitting at a desk working on a laptop --- title: USC Price: Data drives stronger LA neighborhoods url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/usc-price-data-drives-stronger-la-neighborhoods source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/usc-price-data-drives-stronger-la-neighborhoods locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # USC Price: Data drives stronger LA neighborhoods - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/usc-price-data-drives-stronger-la-neighborhoods - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/usc-price-data-drives-stronger-la-neighborhoods - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with the USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation to put invaluable data into the hands of the LA community and policy makers. ## Body USC Price: Data drives stronger LA neighborhoods USC Price: Data drives stronger LA neighborhoods | Slalom We partnered with the USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation to put invaluable data into the hands of the LA community and policy makers. Data drives stronger LA neighborhoods Share story At a glance We partnered with the USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation to enhance a platform that puts invaluable neighborhood-level data in the hands of Los Angeles community groups and policy makers. Impact By moving the Sol Price Center’s Neighborhood Data for Social Change platform to Microsoft Azure, we helped create a more powerful and accessible tool to support social justice efforts across LA. Key Services Industry State, local provincial government Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Azure Making data more accessible With more than 10 million residents, LA County is the most populous county in the country, teeming with a diversity of incomes, languages, cultures, and changes. It’s a region of opportunity for LA’s communities and residents, but opportunities for improvement can be difficult to identify without the right data to bring them to light. “It’s hard to fix a problem if you can’t understand it right, and it’s hard to understand a problem without the data,” says Caroline Bhalla, executive director of the Sol Price Center for Social Innovation at the University of Southern California (USC). To provide LA community groups and decision makers with a deeper understanding of their region, the Sol Price Center operates the [Neighborhood Data for Social Change website](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/). The free, publicly available platform pulls from the American Community Survey and other public data sources to put data in the hands of anyone who needs it. The platform uses maps, charts, and data analysis to illuminate shifts and trends in health, income, education, food insecurity, environment, and more across LA’s 88 cities and 272 neighborhoods. Users can view data by census tract, neighborhood, or city, gaining a robust picture of what’s happening at a hyperlocal level. The data paints a picture of issues ranging from [renter vulnerability](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2021/05/renter-vulnerabilities-in-los-angeles/) to [air quality](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2021/06/air-quality/) across the region over time. Users can learn about the impacts of the [digital divide on students’ remote learning](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2021/02/low-internet-access-drives-digital-divide-during-covid-19/) during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining valuable insights that allow policy makers to better address pressing issues that LA residents face. They can better understand [where non-English-speaking households are concentrated](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2021/06/linguistic-isolation/) across the county, so that communities can invest in child and adult education resources to help integrate these households into their neighborhoods. Or they can dive deep into how health promotoras are [combatting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2021/12/health-promotoras-combat-vaccine-hesitancy-in-eastside-los-angeles/) in LA’s underserved communities. This democratized data is vital in LA especially, explains Sol Price Center Systems and Data Manager Elly Schoen, because it helps illuminate what’s happening in people’s own backyards. “Just based on our geography, neighborhoods are really, really important to folks,” Schoen says. “We don’t have a great public transit system and it takes a long time to get everywhere, so the neighborhood you live in and the surrounding area are where you spend a lot of your time.” Elly Schoen Having reliable, disaggregated, and current neighborhood-level data is really important for advocating for the type of change folks want to see in LA County. As in most major metropolitan areas, LA has significant discrepancies and inequities across its regions and demographics, she points out. “Having reliable, disaggregated, and current neighborhood-level data is really important for advocating for the type of change folks want to see in LA County.” Strengthening the data platform With more than 440,000 unique users, the Neighborhood Data for Social Change platform has proved to be a well-used tool. Yet the Sol Price Center needed a nimbler solution that would improve its functionality. Bhalla and team wanted to add new ways for users to interact with the data, streamline how to add data on the back end, improve data reliability, and reduce their operational costs while continuing to enable a range of users to seamlessly access community information. A friend at Microsoft connected Bhalla with our Slalom team—we’re a longtime [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) partner—to strategize how to rebuild the site. In early 2021 we embarked on a six-month project to migrate the platform to the Microsoft Azure cloud. We put together a small team with a range of expertise—user experience and design, Azure architecture, back-end data architecture, GIS technology, and more—to rapidly identify and deliver on the needs for the new platform. We began by walking through the user experience with Bhalla and her team to understand how people access and consume the platform’s data, explains Eric Burke, a senior delivery principal with Slalom Seattle. We discussed project objectives and how to address challenges that the existing platform posed for users, and we studied end-user feedback that the Sol Price team had collected from community users over the years. We also sought to understand how Schoen and her data team processed the data to gain an understanding of their back-end experience. “By starting with the customer first, we were able to get in tune with how people would be using this platform and what types of skills they have so we could best meet their needs,” Burke explains. Iterative and engaging process Our project team took an [Agile](https://www.slalom.com/insight/agile-advantage) approach, engaging daily with the Sol Price Center to show progress and make adjustments as needed. Because of the pandemic, the teams could not meet in person, so we settled into a cadence of daily Microsoft Teams meetings to stay up to speed on the project’s development. With the daily touchpoints, “we were able to embed the Sol Price team directly in the decisions around the design, show them examples, and work with them on design concepts through the process, so it was really rewarding,” Burke says. Bhalla concurs. “Slalom was able to translate our needs into technology solutions in a way that felt seamless,” she says. Deploying Microsoft Azure services for maximum impact Creating the Neighborhood Data for Social Change platform involved more than a dozen Microsoft Azure services to ensure safety, reliability, and performance. We developed the web application with Azure Maps and App Services; deployed Azure Front Door and Web Application Firewall for security; implemented the data pipelines with Azure Data Lake Storage, Data Factory, and Cosmos DB; and built the cloud infrastructure architecture with Azure Cloud Services. Interactive data on demand The updated Neighborhood Data for Social Change platform, which launched in August 2021, now has three main entry points for users to engage with the data: - An [interactive map](https://map.myneighborhooddata.org/) that enables users to explore the data across 10 different policy areas, such as transportation, health, or food insecurity. - [Data profiles](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/data/) that present curated datasets about key community issues and policy areas. - A growing set of [stories](https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/stories/) that pair data with narratives, photos, and visualizations to reveal how LA residents and community groups are living, learning, and solving issues in their region. Users now find the platform faster and simpler to navigate. They can more easily create accounts to build and save customized views of their neighborhoods, as well as share their findings with colleagues—meeting a huge need for community groups that like to present their data, Bhalla says. Added benefit: More time to support communities The transition to Azure also eased the experience for the Sol Price technology team as they continue to update the 50 or so datasets that the platform uses. Our developers condensed what was once a process of more than a dozen steps to convert and upload data into a much cleaner and less time-consuming effort, Schoen notes. In fact, with the time her team has saved managing the data, they have been able to launch a new Civic Support Initiative to provide 10 hours of pro bono data services to LA community groups each month. “Streamlining our updating processes has opened up time for our team to innovate and do some different and creative things with our community partners in terms of our data needs,” Schoen says. Reduced costs, deeper impact With its migration to the Azure cloud, the new data platform has reduced operating costs for the Sol Price Center while giving LA County residents a clearer, faster understanding of community needs. The updates are enhancing the efforts of advocates and policy makers to make improvements in their communities. “You can look around your neighborhood and describe it,” says Bhalla, “but there’s a lot of power in numbers. Having these numbers available to everybody at a level playing field is critical. It gives people the tools they need to do the next thing.” --- title: USCIS Enhancing critical systems url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/uscis source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/uscis locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # USCIS Enhancing critical systems - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/uscis - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/uscis - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary We helped the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) modernize its cloud-based systems, including verification systems that process millions of transactions every year. ## Body USCIS Enhancing critical systems USCIS | Slalom We helped the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) modernize its cloud-based systems, including verification systems that process millions of transactions every year. Enhancing critical systems US Citizenship and Immigration Services Share story At a glance IMPACT With the cloud solution in place, USCIS was able to increase the speed and accuracy of its data processing, so immigrants can more easily access benefits and start building their new life in America. Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Tableau INDUSTRY Federal national government Key Services Helping individuals in the United States live healthy and prosperous lives The [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/) (USCIS) verification systems are used regularly by hundreds of thousands of people—citizens, immigrants, refugees, individuals seeking asylum—as well as by other agencies and businesses, and they process millions of transactions every year. Slalom and USCIS are partnering on a three-year engagement to modernize the agency’s cloud-based systems, including the public-facing [E-Verify](https://www.e-verify.gov/) and [SAVE](https://www.uscis.gov/save/about-save/about-save) systems that are used to confirm individual eligibility for benefits and employment. Andreia Calin As a US citizen who is also a first-generation immigrant, I recognize the invaluable impact for those who come to the US seeking a better life. “One of the missions of the verification program is to provide services for people, with a variety of statuses, who arrive in the United States,” says Andreia Calin, a director at Slalom Build Seattle. “The work we are doing has a direct impact in the government, determining the timely and right benefits for these individuals. A large portion of people who arrive in the US and apply for these benefits come here to reunite with their families; others arrive after escaping dictatorial regimes. As a US citizen who is also a first-generation immigrant, I recognize the invaluable impact for those who come to the US seeking a better life.” Slalom’s team of 150+ engineers and consultants is working across seven different geographic locations and collaborating with multiple USCIS contract teams. We’ve already completed a successful transition of eight USCIS legacy systems or “products”—six systems internal to USCIS and two systems that are public facing—from various incumbent vendors to enhanced cloud infrastructure. In an additional win for USCIS, our consultants were able to identify areas contributing to high technical spend and implemented initiatives that reduced USCIS’s cloud costs by approximately 20% in 2020. Our technical approach to system enhancement Slalom’s approach to any project is holistic. We take into consideration a client’s entire stakeholder ecosystem and the scale of the enhancement. In our partnership with USCIS, we aim to not only support its people and teams but also enhance the way other agencies and users engage with its systems. Our consultants began the project by fostering a deep understanding of USCIS’s stakeholders and end users. We rapidly assessed the complex US immigration system as well as the technical landscape of specific internal and external USCIS systems. Then we applied our product engineering methodology to help USCIS manage its portfolio of enterprise-level, internal, and external-facing applications. Our consultants combined software and systems engineering expertise to develop an automated approach to building and operating USCIS’s products that will ensure resilience for their entire life cycle. Slalom consultants and USCIS staff are working in Agile teams with well-defined areas of responsibility for a full stack of services, including maintenance of the cloud infrastructure. This helps our consultants create clear troubleshooting zones and makes it easy for USCIS and its stakeholders to identify the accountable owners of a service or set of services. Our teams are also leveraging project management best practices across the program to help manage cost, schedule, performance, and risk. Throughout every stage of USCIS’s enhancement effort, we’ve established and monitored business-focused service-level targets and set success benchmarks. This approach helps business and technical stakeholders at USCIS align on work prioritized by the engineering teams, and ultimately will ensure users have streamlined access to their immigration and eligibility benefits, while providing a high-quality, end-to-end digital experience. Fostering continuous improvement USCIS prioritizes continuous improvement and continuous delivery (CI/CD) to enhance operations. Our consultants worked with USCIS teams to establish a DevOps cultural model that instilled the DevOps principles necessary for effective and efficient system modernization into USCIS processes, tools, standards, automation, roles, and responsibilities. We integrated DevOps functions into sprints and are now working alongside stakeholders to push an average of 50 to 100 production commitments per week across the verification program for CI/CD-enabled products. Slalom’s team is experienced and extremely knowledgeable in all technical disciplines. They partner with USCIS leadership, product owners, and IT project managers to understand issues and provide the government with logical, technical solutions. Slalom genuinely cares about the success of the verification program and wants to help the government operate efficiently and effectively. Contractor Performance Assessment Report Our joint teams have put user experience and human-centered design practices at the forefront, and they’re assessing the business impact every step of the way. First, we conducted user research and story collaboration. Then we carried out user interviews to identify pain points to understand how new features would impact existing business processes. With that research in hand, we are regularly prototyping new features, revising content strategies, testing them with users, and iterating designs based on user feedback and more user research. As part of a commitment to delivering an improved interface experience, usability and accessibility stories are prioritized, built in, and accounted for as part of the sprint backlog. Collaboration with community impact Despite the global challenges of 2020 and 2021, Slalom and USCIS have worked in tandem, weaving innovation into each stage of the project and supporting continued transformation for USCIS in the future. And throughout the process, our metrics-driven approach to prioritizing system changes continues to measure the value of each feature and how the changes tie back to the overall vision and mission of the verification program. Of course, enhanced internal and user-facing systems that provide streamlined access to data and information won’t only be impactful to USCIS’s employees and stakeholders. A big part of the program’s mission is focused on the people who have newly arrived in the United States. For immigrants who are eligible to receive benefits, improving the speed and accuracy of USCIS systems ultimately means less time in lines and more time spent building a new life—and a future they love—in the US. --- title: Hologic: Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Hologic: Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Hologic to make life-saving cervical cancer screening faster, more accurate, and available to anyone around the world. ## Body Hologic: Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all We partnered with Hologic to make life-saving cervical cancer screening faster, more accurate, and available to anyone around the world. Hologic: AI-powered cervical cancer screening for all | Slalom Learn how the power of intelligent solutions helped advance the development of a digital cytology platform to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer. Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening Hologic logo Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all Share story At a glance [Slalom Build](https://www.slalombuild.com/) was engaged by Hologic to advance the development of their digital cytology platform, which is designed to improve cytology lab efficiency, help promote earlier diagnosis and treatment, and advance efforts to eradicate cervical cancer everywhere. Impact In initial tests, the proof-of-concept algorithm exceeded expectations. The POC algorithm autonomously determined slide-level classification of pap test images with ~70% relative sensitivity compared to human review. Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud Storage - Genius Digital Diagnostics - GitHub - Jupyter Notebook - Kubeflow - Deep Learning VM Image - NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs Industry MedTech and med device Key Services There’s no eradication without access to care Cervical cancer is the [fourth most common cancer found in women globally](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer#:~:text=1%20Overview.%20Worldwide%2C%20cervical%20cancer%20is%20the%20fourth,of%20cervical%20cancer%20as%20a%20public%20health%20problem). Fortunately, medical advancements have introduced reliable screening methods that can catch cancer or even pre-cancer early and improve patient outcomes. So why are so many women still dying from the disease? For many patients, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and cervical cancer screening with Pap and HPV testing are widely available and routine. For others, preventive care visits may be few and far between. Disparities in care exist. Not all women around the world have access to the same technology and resources that allow for routine screening. If women go unscreened, the ones with cervical cancer may not be identified until long after the disease develops—when it could be too late. In fact, of the estimated [342,000 deaths from cervical cancer in 2020, about 90 percent of cases occurred in developing countries](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer#:~:text=1%20Overview.%20Worldwide%2C%20cervical%20cancer%20is%20the%20fourth,of%20cervical%20cancer%20as%20a%20public%20health%20problem.). The opportunity to impact our mothers and daughters is just something I couldn’t pass up. Nima Niakan Growth Partner, Slalom Build Accurate and efficient cervical cancer screening Leading women’s health innovator and medical technology company [Hologic](https://www.hologic.com/), which develops many diagnostic solutions, has worked for decades on improving cervical cancer screening— both quality and access—worldwide. Reliable screening and prevention methodologies for cervical cancer have made significant progress in the fight against this disease, but Hologic wants to keep improving them so one day it can help prevent the disease entirely. To do so means advancing solutions that address today’s lab challenges—such as how clinical laboratories are experiencing significant labor shortages as well as pressure to achieve more with constrained resources. In fact, compared to 1995, the number of cytologists entering the field in the U.S. decreased by 65%. “The introduction of the Pap test in the 1940s is credited with a substantial decline in cervical cancer incidence,” explains Michael Quick, Vice President of Research and Development and Innovation at Hologic. “But technological advancements like this only go so far if there aren’t the medical professionals to identify the disease, or if patients aren’t receiving this lifesaving test in the first place.” Moreover, the act of examining slides for signs of pre-cancerous or cancerous cells can be arduous and time consuming for lab professionals. zhb1sorutp Searching for needles in a haystack of haystacks [Slalom Build](https://www.slalombuild.com/) brought together a team of data engineers, software architects, solution owners, platform engineers, and quality engineers to help develop a prototype machine learning (ML) algorithm. This advancement could enable Hologic’s future digital cytology iterations to autonomously detect cancerous or pre-cancerous cells in patient samples—to provide cytologists even more insight. This meant designing, from scratch, neural networks that can perform image-based classification. In other words, teaching bots to look at extremely complicated images cell-by-cell, recognize certain characteristics, and then identify relevant cells to help complement the work of an expert cytologist. When analyzing patient cells under a microscope, cytologists typically zoom in on single areas of the sample, one at a time. With AI-assisted review, this is what the algorithm is doing. It rapidly analyzes all cells on the entire cell spot to identify potential abnormalities. Imagine analyzing a picture of human cells, pixel by pixel, in an image that is over 100,000 pixels wide. It’s like looking for a needle in 100,000 haystacks. To train the model, Slalom Build and Hologic worked with more than 50,000 images, each roughly 20GB. The engineers created protocols to slice and dice the images so they could be processed faster. And it all had to be done with patient privacy and data security baked in from the start. Working with the Google Cloud Platform gave the teams an edge on massive HIPAA-compliant data storage and ML research, which helped us establish an infrastructure capable of processing thousands of these images in seconds. So, we not only needed to train a machine to complement the work of a highly trained human cytologist—but we also had to grow and evolve its ability to scan the entire image in a standardized, efficient manner and render the slide-level probability of a diagnostic category. Continued advancement in digital cytology In initial tests, the proof-of-concept algorithm exceeded expectations. The POC algorithm autonomously determined slide-level classification of pap test images with ~70% relative sensitivity compared to human review. We proved that the POC artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm has the potential to learn to replicate what a human expert sees and complement their abilities. And as the algorithm improves over time, the results can only get better. “AI could make cervical cancer screening so much faster while not losing any accuracy,” affirms Ashley Jarosz, Hologic Lab Supervisor. “I'm absolutely inspired that this work could further improve patient outcomes.” Michael Quick is excited about what this means for the future of patient care, “The technology that we've developed at Hologic with Genius Digital Diagnostics and Genius Cervical AI could propel the World Health Organization’s goal of eradicating cervical cancer in our generation. This POC project is evidence of the technology’s potential to provide lab professionals even greater insight into patient care in the future.” And in the meantime, lifesaving cervical cancer screening can become more readily available to people everywhere. --- title: Vanguard Charitable: Increasing impact through improved donor experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vanguard-charitable source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vanguard-charitable locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Vanguard Charitable: Increasing impact through improved donor experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vanguard-charitable - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vanguard-charitable - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Together with Vanguard Charitable, a leading grantmaker and donor-advised fund, we created a “Platform of the Future” to make the end-to-end philanthropic experience for grantors more accessible and personalized. ## Body Vanguard Charitable: Increasing impact through improved donor experience Vanguard Charitable | Slalom Together with Vanguard Charitable, a leading grantmaker and donor-advised fund, we created a “Platform of the Future” to make the end-to-end philanthropic experience for grantors more accessible and personalized. Increasing impact through improved donor experience Increasing donor impact through personalized guidance Share story Woman with dog walking in prairie At a glance Impact We helped them migrate to Salesforce Financial Services Cloud to implement marketing automation, enhance customer relationship management, deploy an enterprise integration tool, and establish the groundwork for an improved donor experience. Key Services Cloud Industry Wealth asset management Key Technologies / Platforms - Boomi - Salesforce Meeting shifting donor expectations with evolving experiences Vanguard Charitable (VC) and its donors have positively influenced the world since 1997, donating more than $16 billion to charities with donor-advised funds (DAFs). The organization’s leaders seek innovative ways to enhance the donor experience, to encourage more sustained and increased giving—and, therefore, more impact. In 2020, they focused on better understanding each donor’s philanthropic journey so they could offer the more personalized guidance donors increasingly expect. However, their legacy technology stack couldn’t provide the necessary visibility—or scale to meet other organizational growth needs. “We have a wealth of information from our 25 years as one of the top grantmakers to help us be predictive and bring guidance to our donors. But we were looking to bring that to the next level by leveraging more external data to better understand each donor’s journey,” says Carol Dow, Vanguard Charitable’s chief information officer (CIO). “Updating our technology was an integral part of that.” I’ve never worked with individuals who truly care as much as they do. It’s in their DNA. At the end of the day, they care about the people they’re serving, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to make it the best experience possible. David Deitch Senior Director in the Global Salesforce Practice for Financial Services, Slalom Building the Platform of the Future Dow and her team concluded that Salesforce was the ideal platform to trace donors’ journeys, engage them, and improve their digital experience. Having conducted thorough research on Salesforce, the team knew the elements they required were available but may require a high degree of customization. “We’re a nonprofit, and we have an investment side to us,” Dow said. “So there was some question around the best option for us.” To support the implementation, VC enlisted Slalom’s assistance for its Salesforce digital transformation. “We wanted a consultant who would be a partner, not a vendor, and we got it with Slalom,” Dow says. “They bring to the table the Salesforce knowledge to help us understand what we needed to build the Platform of the Future.” Carol Dow I don’t think this was something that we would’ve gone forward with independently. Slalom has been a very good partner for us. FSC or NPSP for a nonprofit with a tilt toward financial services? The Slalom team organized a set of workshops to gain a comprehensive understanding of VC’s needs. Dow and Slalom concluded that either the Salesforce Financial Services Cloud (FSC) or the Salesforce NPSP (Nonprofit Success Pack) would be a suitable CRM. NPSP helps organizations build and nurture relationships with supporters, members, funders, and volunteers. But it doesn’t handle the financial aspects that Vanguard Charitable needs. FSC, on the other hand, provides an integrated platform for a financial organization’s high-touch relationships with its investors. But it was not designed for donor-advised fund management or granting. After careful consideration, the team selected FSC, on top of which they could build the nonprofit or granting components. “Financial Services Cloud has a lot of the household and relationship features we needed, and it provides the flexibility to expand our use of Salesforce as we work toward our business goals of providing more guidance and having strong relationship management with our donors and grantee organizations,” says Diane Pomenti, Vanguard Charitable’s head of Strategic Technology Services. Dow and her team mapped VC’s business cases to FSC and built other components, such as illiquid complex asset donations and succession plans, on top of this model. “It’s 90% native Salesforce,” says David Deitch, Slalom’s senior director in the Global Salesforce Practice for Financial Services. “We’re treating them as a for-profit with a nonprofit model. So they’re getting the best of both worlds.” Financial Services Cloud has a lot of the household and relationship features we needed, and it provides the flexibility to expand our use of Salesforce as we work toward our business goals. Diane Pomenti Head of Strategic Technology Services Extending Salesforce throughout the technology stack Now that Dow and her team knew the path forward, they began implementing Salesforce with a minimum viable product (MVP) approach. It deployed FSC and Pardot for marketing automation and connected these systems for lead capturing and opportunity management to help attract new donors. In spring 2022, VC leaders launched Boomi to integrate the multiple systems that will be part of the Platform of the Future, migrated all their donor information and DAF data from the legacy system into Salesforce, and implemented Salesforce Shield for encryption and enhanced security measures. This allowed the organization to keep track of all donor interactions such as cases, opportunities, and tasks in one place. In 2023, VC’s latest expansion involved implementing Experience Cloud to help enhance the donor experience by enabling donors to better define their values and aspirations and, in the future, receive curated granting advice in return. A true partnership to improve the donor experience With part of the Platform of the Future in place, Vanguard Charitable can provide guidance and connections based on each donor’s philanthropic journey. This, along with a more streamlined giving process, will contribute to increased granting and a more significant impact by Vanguard Charitable and its donors. And that’s what it’s all about. “I’ve never worked with individuals who truly care as much as they do. It’s in their DNA,” Deitch says. “At the end of the day, they care about the people they’re serving, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to make it the best experience possible.” Dow and Pomenti credit Slalom as a valuable partner in this transformation. “I don’t think this was something that we would’ve gone forward with independently. Slalom has been a very good partner for us,” Dow says. Vanguard Charitable’s digital evolution is ongoing and will likely never be complete. As it transforms to meet future initiatives, Vanguard Charitable is positioned to grow and scale to tackle the biggest challenges its donors face. Woman in prairie petting dog --- title: Vector Limited: AI-driven migration url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vector-aws-ai-migration source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vector-aws-ai-migration locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Vector Limited: AI-driven migration - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vector-aws-ai-migration - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vector-aws-ai-migration - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary See how agentic AI helped New Zealand’s energy leader complete a pilot migration of its VMware workloads to AWS in just 5 weeks and avoid costly renewals. ## Body Vector Limited: AI-driven migration Vector Limited AI migration with AWS Transform | Slalom See how New Zealand’s energy leader is using agentic AI to speed migration of its VMware workloads to AWS and avoid costly renewals. See how agentic AI helped New Zealand’s energy leader complete a pilot migration of its VMware workloads to AWS in just 5 weeks and avoid costly renewals. An AI–driven migration to cut costs and accelerate the future of energy Share story At a glance Using a cutting-edge agentic AI service, New Zealand’s energy leader partnered with Slalom to complete a pilot migration of its VMware workloads to AWS in just five weeks—preparing the company to save 35% over five years. Impact By avoiding expensive VMware renewal costs, the company will be able to reinvest significant savings in strategic energy initiatives that align with its long-term vision. Key Services Cloud Industry Energy utilities Key Technologies / Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - AWS Transform for VMware As New Zealand’s largest distributor of electricity and gas, [Vector Limited](https://www.vector.co.nz/) (Vector) delivers energy to more than 624,000 customers across the Auckland region. Vector is helping shape a smarter energy future—where data and digital tools empower better decisions for people and the planet. Like many companies navigating the escalating costs of VMware licenses, Vector was under pressure to migrate its workloads to AWS before its renewal date. The company’s skilled infrastructure team is highly proficient in both VMware and AWS, but the complexity and time-sensitive nature of the migration created risk. Vector’s general manager of digital technology, Jerry Li, was exploring options when Slalom approached him with a new possibility. Jerry Li For us, strategically, technology is not about technology, it’s about the people behind your technology. A good technology department requires good human capability—not only working with major suppliers, but collaborating with a really good consulting firm like Slalom. When trust meets transformation [AWS Transform](https://aws.amazon.com/transform/)—an innovative service developed specifically to accelerate migration with specialized AI agents—had just been announced at AWS re:Invent. As a leading [AWS partner](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), Slalom had the opportunity to use and ultimately help shape AWS Transform while it was still in its public-preview stage. We proposed the solution to Vector with full transparency. No one knows if it’s going to work, says Maria Sokolova, a director in Slalom’s cloud practice, recalling the initial conversation with Li. There will be bugs. There will be features missing. It’s 100% a test case, but we’ll be working with AWS very closely. Li and his experienced team saw the potential of agentic AI to automate many manual tasks and migrate quickly, without sacrificing quality or control. Together, Slalom and Vector embarked on one of the world’s first migrations using AWS Transform for VMware workloads. We were thrilled to be able to offer this solution. It all goes back to the strength and trust in our AWS partnership, because it allows us to offer customers early access to emerging tooling. Maria Sokolova Director, Slalom Most migrations follow a predictable path of phased discovery, detailed planning workshops, and environment readiness steps. Vector’s AI-powered migration was different: a race against time with unknowns at every turn. But both teams came to the table ready for anything—and took the leap together. We decided to do everything end-to-end in five weeks, says Sokolova. We knew this would be the type of engagement where things change very rapidly, and Vector was prepared to keep pace with us. They brought everyone to the table to make it happen. Slalom and Vector worked side by side throughout the project and had frequent calls with AWS to ask questions, discuss what worked well, find solutions when something didn’t, and suggest new features. With this dedicated migration team in place, Vector was able to navigate the intricate transition efficiently. Cost savings and future gains—powered by AI AWS Transform proved to be the optimal solution. In just five weeks—34% quicker than traditional methods—Vector’s pilot migration was complete. The company is now prepared to avoid the costly VMware renewal and reduce operational costs by using AWS-native services. With an AI-accelerated migration, Vector will save money to reinvest in CRM transformation and further its commitment to innovation and sustainability. No one can predict the future, says Li. To remain competitive, a business needs to be able to react to the demands of the market and its customers. Agility is number one. With this migration, Slalom helped Vector stay agile and manage costs, without compromising quality. Together with AWS, we proved that agentic AI can tackle rapid migrations and reduce manual effort, freeing organisations to focus more time and talent on creating what’s next. Ready to accelerate your cloud migration with AI? Let’s talk --- title: Vibrant Emotional Health: Empowering Connection url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vibrant-emotional-health source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vibrant-emotional-health locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Vibrant Emotional Health: Empowering Connection - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vibrant-emotional-health - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vibrant-emotional-health - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary See how Vibrant can now streamline its support operations, scaling to help more 988 Lifeline help-seekers and increasing the impact—especially to those in underserved communities. ## Body Vibrant Emotional Health: Empowering Connection See how Vibrant can now streamline its support operations, scaling to help more 988 Lifeline help-seekers and increasing the impact—especially to those in underserved communities. Empowering connection Vibrant Emotional Health offers suicide and mental health services through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other resources. We partnered with the organization to develop a data platform and strategy, Salesforce collaboration hub, and microsite to highlight the impact of Vibrant’s lifesaving work. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact Today, Vibrant can make data-driven decisions that help the organization scale to offer its critical support services to all help-seekers and communicate its impact to the public. Industry Public social impact Key Services Key Technologies/Platforms - Salesforce - Fivetran - Snowflake - dbt Labs - Tableau - Collibra - Amazon Web Services (AWS) The Vision Johnell Lawrence We are in a deep crisis among all identities and localities across the country today when it comes to mental health, well-being, and suicide. Vibrant Emotional Health is strategically and uniquely positioned to be an innovator with mental health and suicide prevention. It takes passion and heart to do the work that [Vibrant Emotional Health](http://www.vibrant.org/) (Vibrant) does, helping people across the US access crisis counseling through the [988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline](https://988lifeline.org/) (988 Lifeline) and other resources. It also takes technological prowess and an innovative approach—and Vibrant embodies all of the above. When the organization experienced substantial growth following a systems change and rebranding to incorporate 988 Lifeline capabilities, Vibrant needed to modernize its infrastructure and streamline operations, as well as get the word out to more people—from help-seekers to educators—about its mental health services. That’s where Slalom came in as a true partner. Slalom helped modernize Vibrant’s infrastructure with a new data ecosystem and reporting platform, as well as streamlined access and collaboration for the crisis center administrators through the Vibrant Exchange digital tool. We also teamed up to enable Vibrant to tell its data-driven impact stories to the public. Vibrant now has a robust CRM system, operationalized modern data management processes, and the ability to provide deeper insights through engaging data visualization to states, centers, and the federal government. In addition, Vibrant is establishing critical data standards and governance processes to enable safe sharing of consistent data across the network. Vibrant and Slalom know everyone deserves mental health care and support when and how they need it—delivered with dignity, without stigma, and in a way that works for them. That’s why Slalom is honored to be part of the team that’s supporting Vibrant’s mission and vision. The Solution Merging data governance with a new data platform and way of working helps Vibrant Emotional Health modernize its systems—and a data-driven microsite showcases the impact. Chicago dog at a Cubs baseball game. Working toward well-being The US is in a mental health crisis. The numbers don’t lie: one in five adults experiences mental health challenges; and one in five teens will struggle with a mental health condition at some point in their life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These numbers all represent loved ones, friends, neighbors, parents, and children. In 2023 alone, 988 Lifeline counselors responded to nearly six million contacts via phone, text, or messaging. Vibrant Emotional Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve mental and emotional well-being with dignity and respect. The organization offers call, text, chat, and online services; community programs; advocacy, policy, and education; and business solutions. Fans watching a Chicago Cubs baseball game. Seeking services through the 988 Lifeline Vibrant administers the 988 Lifeline, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 988 Lifeline works with a network of more than 200 crisis centers to provide 24/7 service via a toll-free number. It’s available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress within the US and its territories. And it’s free. In July 2022, what was previously the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Line transitioned to 988; an easy-to-remember, three-digit phone number for those seeking mental health services. With this transition came a steady increase in traffic across all modalities, highlighting the need to scale existing infrastructure, technology, and investment in new capabilities to better serve people in distress and crisis. Grant Riewe, chief technology officer at Vibrant, joined to assist with the change to the 988 Lifeline. He says, “I came in to elevate how we think about managing the infrastructure of a critical network like 988. I knew we needed to focus on how to grow it rapidly, and in a secure, stable fashion—which does require a different set of mechanics.” Grandfather engaging Chicago Cubs content through a digital experience. A data ecosystem modernization As usage of the 988 Lifeline increased, so did requests for data and information related to the 988 network. In addressing this, Vibrant sought to modernize its data ecosystem and reporting infrastructure to better equip crisis centers in the Lifeline network, along with the states, territories, and districts they serve, with the insights required for continual improvement. Grant adds, “Data drives all of the policy decisions around how we give people access to care—and it will for decades to come.” Vibrant needed a new data ecosystem that would offer greater transparency to partners and stakeholders, and embrace human-centric, data-informed decision-making, with established standards, policies, and procedures to support it. In addition to this foundational work, Grant and his team also knew they needed innovative digital products to support this scale of network growth. The challenge was clear: Vibrant needed to drive significant investment for the 988 Lifeline in both technology and process improvement. Dreaming up new solutions, together To meet the challenge, Slalom and Vibrant worked together to develop a scalable data ecosystem, facilitate center engagement, and highlight broader impact through storytelling—all with an eye toward supporting those who need it most. The 988 Lifeline supports people who call for themselves or someone they care about. It also supports historically underrepresented, diverse communities to ensure everyone has access to the tailored, culturally sensitive support they need. Grant refers to it as the entry point to care. As the director of equity and belonging for Vibrant, Johnell Lawrence focuses on helping underserved communities gain help through the 988 Lifeline. “When we look at our work today, it’s important that we move away from monolithic modalities and frameworks to engage and support individuals.” Vibrant has a multitude of programs to do just this, including those tailored to assisting Black youth through their high school years. Other programs help LGBTQ+ youth as well as those that target older adults, those in rural communities, and users of drugs. Johnell adds, “The idea is that when you target these communities and you really work towards ensuring that this service is something that is thoughtful and affirming of them, ultimately, you help everybody.” They note, “The 988 Lifeline is a system that is for everyone, but also cares about people that feel like most systems don’t care about them.” With the mission top of mind, Slalom saw an opportunity to support Vibrant in maturing and expanding its data ecosystem. The team established a roadmap for the build-out of a robust data warehouse to equip the 988 stakeholders with interactive dashboards and drive shared understanding. Together, the team embarked on a subsequent full-scale data governance and ecosystem implementation project, leveraging dbt, Fivetran, Tableau, AWS, and Snowflake. Collibra data quality tools and data platform security were also used. The team focused on equipping Vibrant for long-term success by shaping new processes, defining ways of working, and introducing a foundational set of self-service dashboards, powered by a new Tableau reporting suite to offer greater transparency on key 988 Lifeline metrics. The trusted data platform the team built allows for broad access and deep analysis—the kind that’s needed to answer questions and improve decision-making. It’s also the kind of data solution that enables an organization to go from being reactive to proactive. Once the data portion of the work was established, the team could build out a digital tool for giving the crisis centers improved connections. The Vibrant Exchange tool was built on [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) and integrated with [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) and other tools. It helps facilitate center engagement centrally and consistently, instead of via email, phone, or other non-web-based platforms. Near real-time reporting was added and achieved with [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau). With the new tool, Vibrant can reduce manual tasks and develop a holistic view of center information. The Vibrant Exchange tool makes critical operational information more available for crisis center administrators to make hiring decisions, see how counselors are performing, check projected network volumes, and locate the average time counselors are spending on interactions. In addition, the center administrators receive “help desk”-type support through the Vibrant Exchange tool. Vibrant and Slalom are now working together on advanced data analysis and predictive capabilities that help them analyze the way the state crisis centers operate and support the staff center traffic. Leadership can also make predictions regarding call volume spikes with the advanced capabilities. Vibrant also wanted a public-facing way of telling its story. That’s why the team developed an interactive microsite that visualizes Vibrant’s impact as the leading crisis and suicide prevention provider. This microsite drives awareness of the services for help-seekers, as well as learning community members like teachers, students, and professors, and policy influencers, donors, and corporate sponsors. The site is a hub of stories and interactive data designed to educate the US on the state of the suicide and mental health crisis, and to help people advocate, volunteer, and seek help. Working together: A dream partnership Throughout the exponential growth phase of the 988 Lifeline, the Slalom team helped Vibrant engage with the dream of what was possible. There have been more than 100 Slalom team members engaged on the work, and Grant notes that “each one of them has been committed to the mission that Vibrant is committed to.” Grant believes Slalom is supporting Vibrant—and its mental health mission. “This partnership has lasted because the Slalom team members come in eager to learn and are driven by the same mission that we are—I wouldn’t get that from any other partner.” “There’s a lot of consulting partners out there,” adds Grant. “I know, because I worked in consulting for 15 years. But to find one who has partnership and passion together? That’s unique.” The feeling is mutual. m Grant Riewe The only reason we’ve been able to grow at that pace in the last year is because we’ve got a partner like Slalom who can hear the mission from us and carry that load while we find other people to join the team. Customer Impact Vibrant administrators can now collaborate confidently and streamline support center operations, scaling to help more people in the US and increasing the impact—especially to those in underserved communities who need the most help. Showcasing Vibrant’s impact to everyone from teachers to policy influencers with an interactive, data-driven storytelling microsite is critical to helping the nonprofit educate everyone in the US on the state of the suicide and mental health crisis. Slalom is proud to do the critical work that enables Vibrant to help more people through the 988 Lifeline. What made this possible? Streamlined operations Today, Vibrant administrators reap the benefits of better collaboration and streamlined interactions with crisis centers. Data and reporting are also now available in a self-service capacity, and everyone has a holistic view with visibility into support processes like onboarding and operational center dashboards. Looking at data now, administrators can see spike times and events that may cause an influx of greater traffic over time, and when volumes may be lower or higher. This also helps with staffing and planning for the crisis centers. The centers also send data back to the state, Vibrant, and SAMHSA, helping the center administrators understand what they could be doing better and where they can change processes to continue to improve. All this work empowers crisis centers to give help-seekers a smoother experience. A focus on serving underserved communities For Vibrant, this development allows the organization to invest in additional services for its network, aiming to support individuals and help-seekers from underserved communities who may call with greater frequency and require more care. For an aging, rural population, this means Vibrant can understand who is calling in and what their unique challenges are, and even launch new services to reach these communities specifically or understand how to reach them to promote availability of the services. A solution that scales Thanks to the ability to scale its operations with ease, Vibrant can now serve more help-seekers. The Vibrant data team has grown exponentially since the 2022 launch. “The only reason we’ve been able to grow at that pace in the last year is because we’ve got a partner like Slalom who can hear the mission from us and carry that load while we find other people to join the team,” Grant says. By increasing awareness of the 988 Lifeline with the external impact website, more help-seekers will feel empowered and encouraged to seek help. At the end of the day, it’s clear that both Slalom and Vibrant are aligned to the same mission: to help more people. And we’re doing it with technology, our minds—and our hearts. Ready to modernize for growth and impact? Let's talk Share this story Anna Skoglund Photo of Mark Ambrose. Vibrant is very engaged in what we’re doing—and they see the impact of the work. It’s partially because we’re all showing up as one Slalom and they’re seeing that. Corrie Kaczmarek Photo of Jason Drucker. We’re using AWS, Fivetran, Snowflake, Tableau, Collibra, and Salesforce. Within Slalom, we’re using many of the teams across the globe. It’s pretty cool how big and robust the project has become. John Bradley Photo of Tim Staebler. I can honestly say that this work with Vibrant has been the highlight of my career. I’m truly honored to have played a part in their mission to help save lives. Jessica Park One of the Vibrant team members shared they like working with Slalom because we are truly a partner to them, not just someone coming in and doing the work behind closed doors. Oleg Kipnis Fueled by Vibrant’s mission and trust, our teamwork turned challenges into successes. We’re proud of the work to support people's well-being by helping deliver impactful tools to those making a difference. elpmk2a718 --- title: VillageMD: Revolutionizing patient engagement url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/villagemd source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/villagemd locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # VillageMD: Revolutionizing patient engagement - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/villagemd - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/villagemd - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary We helped a healthcare organization use Salesforce to consolidate multiple datasets and set up personalization to engage with patients through relevant, targeted communications. ## Body VillageMD: Revolutionizing patient engagement VillageMD | Slalom We helped a healthcare organization use Salesforce to consolidate multiple datasets and set up personalization to engage with patients through relevant, targeted communications. Revolutionizing patient engagement Share story At a glance Impact VillageMD is now better able to connect with its patients while cutting time and costs on its campaigns. Patients have a better understanding of how to use the healthcare services provided by VillageMD, and the company is poised for future growth across the enterprise. Key Services Industry Healthcare provider Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Working with disparate patient data What if your interactions with healthcare companies were tailored to your needs so you received relevant, helpful content to help you navigate your healthcare journey? With data often coming in from multiple systems, this level of personalization can be a challenge for healthcare organizations. But it was a challenge that VillageMD was excited to tackle. VillageMD is a physician-driven, patient-centric network committed to simplifying the complexities of healthcare and delivering a more responsive care experience for every stage of life through high-quality primary, specialty, and urgent care. Having just completed an acquisition of CityMD and Summit Health, VillageMD was working with data from multiple sources. The healthcare organization was hosting all its patient data in an electronic health record (EHR) system called athenahealth. The data was then replicated or transferred into an on-premises SQL server database, maintained by the company’s IT department. Each brand had multiple patient records that needed to be unified into a single view. Along with relevant patient information, there was a vast amount of engagement data that needed to be ingested and linked with the unified patient records. This was tens of millions of records. However, this solution wasn’t working—especially for the marketing department. In addition to wanting to navigate the changing technological landscape, the team couldn’t harness all the data between these brands to create a holistic view of the patient and market to them in a meaningful way across multiple channels. The marketing team had to ask IT or the business intelligence (BI) team to pull custom lists when it wanted to execute a campaign, a process that took a week on average. VillageMD marketers wanted to be nimble with patient engagement and were feeling constrained. I believe in the approach we’re taking. While this work stands out within the healthcare marketing space, success is gained by our ability to fit into personalized digital norms people expect outside of that space. Blaze DiStefano Director of Performance Marketing, VillageMD Moving to Data Cloud for marketing autonomy VillageMD decided [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Data Cloud (formerly CDP, or customer data platform) would be the optimal solution to provide autonomy for the marketing team to do its critical work of identifying and engaging patients with personalized solutions. That’s where Slalom came in—to assist VillageMD with the Salesforce solution, which included use of Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud Personalization. “We knew that this would set us apart and also drive acquisition, value, retention, and all of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that we’re trying to push for as a marketing department and as a company,” says Blaze DiStefano, director of performance marketing, VillageMD. “To tap into something like Salesforce Data Cloud would put us at the forefront of technology in our industry.” With the use of the Salesforce cross-cloud architecture, Slalom was able to bring data from multiple EHR systems, web data from Marketing Cloud Personalization, and engagement data from Marketing Cloud Engagement into Data Cloud and unify it. In fact, Slalom was able to unify more than 40 million patient records across the two brands into a more manageable 10 million unique, unified patient records—a 75% consolidation rate. These records could then be used along with other patient and company location data to build complex and specific marketing campaign segments. Campaigns were then activated or used in email and SMS through Marketing Cloud Engagement, on the website through Marketing Cloud Personalization, and across social and ad media. Custom performance dashboards were built within Domo, leveraging the Data Cloud Calculated Insights API, which enabled the client to obtain at-a-glance insights into the performance of Data Cloud segments. Slalom also helped VillageMD use Marketing Cloud Personalization to understand its website engagements and learn more about who is visiting the site—and how they are using it—based on behaviors such as what actions the patient takes. From there, the team could build out personas to automatically showcase tailored content and unique experiences. This work was completed in only 4.5 months. Enhanced patient engagement, savings By moving all the data into one system, VillageMD has created more than 100 Data Cloud segments for effective, targeted marketing campaigns that drive superior patient engagement. Instead of spending a week preparing an email activation with the previous solution, marketers can now create what they need in hours—a huge savings in both time and cost. VillageMD can also view enriched performance dashboards, allowing the marketing team to track and analyze how well the solution is working—and it’s working well. For instance, more than 100K patients have booked an appointment within two weeks of receiving a Data Cloud-powered email. Campaigns powered by Data Cloud also have a click-through rate 3x higher than non-Data Cloud campaigns. Patients are getting more personalized care with milestone reminders for flu shots, mammograms, and other preventive tests and immunizations—and they are acting on these communications to improve their health. The Marketing Cloud Personalization component of the solution has also enabled patients to feel connected to an individualized experience on the website. Enriched patient understanding and care “This solution makes it easier for patients to understand, access, and use our offerings,“ DiStefano says. “Now we can use our data in smarter ways, and we can drop the data barriers between internal company labels and get the true benefit to people who need our services—helping people as we remind them to get the medical care they need.“ For example, personalization on the website helps patients find local providers who are accepting new patients and offering services that are relevant to the patient’s needs. When a natural disaster occurs, VillageMD marketers can offer targeted communications, as they did during the Canadian wildfires that drove smoke into New York and other East Coast cities. Anticipated enterprise-wide growth As Salesforce solutions continue to move into the generative AI space and Data Cloud capabilities expand, VillageMD will be there to continue building smarter, more personalized solutions for its patients. “We’re focused on enterprise solutions in the future—expanding Data Cloud and Personalization to all the companies within VillageMD,“ says DiStefano. “I believe in the approach we’re taking. While this work stands out within the healthcare marketing space, success is gained by our ability to fit into personalized digital norms people expect outside of that space.” --- title: Virgin Voyages: Charting the future of customer service with GenAI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Virgin Voyages: Charting the future of customer service with GenAI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We partnered with Virgin Voyages to reshape the chatbot experience and launch one of the first generative AI-powered digital humans built on Salesforce. ## Body Virgin Voyages: Charting the future of customer service with GenAI Virgin Voyages | Slalom We partnered with Virgin Voyages to reshape the chatbot experience and launch one of the first generative AI-powered digital humans built on Salesforce. Slalom Partners with Virgin Voyages for Generative AI Solution Charting the future of customer service with GenAI Share story At a glance We partnered with Virgin Voyages, a luxury cruise line, to develop Vivi, one of the first generative AI-powered digital humans built on Salesforce. Through empathetic and knowledgeable responses, Vivi reshaped the typical chatbot experience and set a new standard for online customer service. Impact With the launch of Vivi, Virgin Voyages elevated its customer experience, alleviated management costs, and reduced call center escalations by more than 20% over the existing Einstein bot. Key Services Industry Travel hospitality Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce In a sea of competition, experiences are everything. When [Virgin Voyages](https://www.virginvoyages.com/) launched at the end of 2021, the luxury cruise line set out to disrupt the status quo and reinvent the cruise ship experience. Offering exclusively adult sailings to over 100 destinations, Virgin Voyages challenges industry norms to deliver epic vacations to its sailors. Yet, entering the market after the height of COVID-19 was daunting for any new company, especially a cruise line. Before its fleets could set sail, it was essential for Virgin Voyages to drive brand awareness, cultivate a strong customer base, and build excitement for cruising again. “We needed people to choose us versus other established cruise lines,” explains Gabriel Mendez, director of digital experience at Virgin Voyages. “We pride ourselves on offering an elevated service experience and we want that to start before you get on the ship.” To differentiate its brand at the onset, Virgin Voyages engaged Slalom to redesign its website navigation and content based on what resonated with cruisers post-pandemic. Through user testing and human-centric design innovation, Slalom developed a new website for the cruise line that fueled engagement and increased visitor site depth by 30%. “The results were amazing,” recalls Mendez. “People were interacting and engaging more with our website. So, when it came time to elevate our customer experience, Slalom was a natural choice for us to partner with again.” Navigating a new era of growth The website redesign project was only the beginning of Virgin Voyages’ transformative journey with Slalom. After its website went live, the cruise line had to prepare its Sailor Services call center for an influx of customer inquiries and bookings. “We’re in a unique situation as a cruise line because you can’t buy something, trial it, and return it if you don’t like it,” notes Mendez. Once someone lands on the website, it can take days or weeks of research before a decision is made—and during that time, customers typically have a lot of questions. Virgin Voyages needed a solution that could ease the booking process for customers while alleviating calls to Sailor Services. The cruise line had tried to launch a chatbot with Slalom before, but the technology capabilities were limited at the time. Responses were prescriptive and had to be mapped manually, which increased workloads for internal teams. Additionally, while the bot could answer basic FAQs, it couldn’t handle complex inquiries, which only left customers frustrated. Virgin Voyages had considered removing the chatbot from its website altogether—until the advent of generative AI. “We started to think about how we can use AI to better our processes and better our customer experience,” says Mendez. “Slalom was one of the first vendors to show us a working generative AI solution that could easily be implemented with our existing chatbot.” Virgin Voyages offers its sailors a unique luxury cruise experience, with world-class amenities. We partnered to help elevate that experience from the very beginning of the customer journey. Bringing generative AI to life As excitement around generative AI grew worldwide, Slalom’s team began to strategize how the technology could be used to overcome Virgin Voyages’ challenges. “We had a willingness to experiment,” says Allen Mann, a director at Slalom. “Nobody had answers in this space and there wasn’t a playbook we could follow. But Virgin Voyages was willing to jump in and run these experiments with us.” In just six weeks, this experimentation proved successful, laying the groundwork for a revolutionary new chatbot. Together, Slalom and Virgin Voyages developed Vivi, one of the first generative AI—powered digital humans built on Salesforce. Vivi leverages Salesforce Einstein and Slalom’s generative AI framework to derive information from Virgin Voyages’ internal database. Using semantic knowledge retrieval and model training, Vivi can then respond naturally to customer queries. In fact, customers can talk to Vivi like they talk to a human being. Vivi answers multi-faceted, complex questions knowledgeably and empathetically, mirroring Virgin Voyages’ tone and language to create a more realistic customer service chat experience. Internally, since response mapping is no longer needed, Vivi also optimizes efficiency and minimizes management costs. Additionally, because Vivi only retrieves information from a private knowledge base, rather than scanning the web, Virgin Voyages can ensure privacy, reduce inaccuracies, and eliminate intellectual property concerns associated with other generative AI technologies. Allen Mann Our team brought a willingness to experiment. Nobody had answers in this space and there wasn’t a playbook we could follow. But Virgin Voyages was willing to jump in and run these experiments with us. Employing a digital human to enable real people “It was amazing to partner with Slalom,” says Mendez. “Their team is always ready to adapt and go on whatever journey is needed to obtain the best results.” After the launch of Vivi, Virgin Voyages experienced an immediate 20% reduction in call center escalations. By deflecting unnecessary and repetitive calls to Sailor Services, agents can accomplish more productive, meaningful work. In turn, this has allowed Virgin Voyages to increase team morale, reduce burnout, and begin transforming Sailor Services into a revenue generator that’s focused on driving bookings. As the first cruise line to launch a generative AI-powered digital human, Virgin Voyages is redefining customer satisfaction in its industry and demonstrating the true power that generative AI can give back to people. It’s amazing to partner with Slalom. Their team is always ready to adapt and go on whatever journey is needed to obtain the best results. Gabriel Mendez Director of Digital Experience, Virgin Voyages Person drinking their morning coffee on boat --- title: VML: Reducing the carbon impact of digital communications url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vml-aws-vanishing-emails source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vml-aws-vanishing-emails locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # VML: Reducing the carbon impact of digital communications - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/vml-aws-vanishing-emails - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vml-aws-vanishing-emails - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Summary Learn how Slalom partnered with VML to build a solution that lessens the environmental impact of promotional emails. ## Body VML: Reducing the carbon impact of digital communications Learn how Slalom partnered with VML to build a solution that lessens the environmental impact of promotional emails. Vanishing Emails p.cmp-homepage-hero__pretitle { color: #ffffff; } What if a few simple steps were all it took to lessen the environmental impact of promotional emails? Slalom partnered with VML to answer this challenge and create a solution that tags and deletes expired promotional emails to enable less carbon-intensive inboxes. Young baseball fan making sign for upcoming baseball game. Impact The groundbreaking solution won a Bronze Innovation Lion at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2024 for its ability to lessen the environmental impact of promotional emails and pave the way for a greener digital future. Industry Marketing advertising Key Services Key Technologies/Platforms - Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon Bedrock - AWS Lambda - Amazon API Gateway - Next.js - APIs (including Gmail) The Vision In 2024 alone, it is estimated that over [361 billion emails](https://www.statista.com/statistics/456500/daily-number-of-e-mails-worldwide/) will be sent. Over [30 percent](https://dataprot.net/statistics/spam-statistics/) are promotional. This leads to increased CO 2 emissions due to the demand for storage, including storage of expired promotional emails that remain undeleted in inboxes. It is clear, therefore, that an urgent need exists for innovative resolutions to manage email content more sustainably. Slalom and [VML](https://www.vml.com/) came together to create a solution to this challenge through Vanishing Emails—a tool that automates the deletion of expired promotional emails from inboxes, thereby lessening the environmental impact of email communications. Young girl and grandfather walking to Wrigley Field. Vanishing Emails is such a no-brainer of an idea; people wonder why it hasn’t been done before. In fact, it took a lot of creative brains partnering across sustainability research, experience design, and AI engineering to make it work. With more global brands signing up to join this movement, we can really make a significant difference by reducing the impact of expired promotional emails. Bas Korsten Chief Creative Officer, Innovation, VML The Solution An idea four years in the making came to life in a few short months through Slalom’s partnership with VML. Coming together to ideate, visualise, prototype, and develop the solution, we focused on ease of engagement for the consumer and ensured mindful technology use that stayed true to the overall vision without exacerbating the problem we aimed to solve. Vanishing Emails uses a series of algorithms and AWS cloud infrastructure to manage email content and reduce CO 2 emissions efficiently. It identifies and deletes promotional emails based on sender information, subject lines, and content patterns. AWS’s scalable and secure infrastructure enables efficient processing and prioritizes data privacy and security, which is further augmented through both internal Slalom and third-party accredited cybersecurity testing. Designed for extensibility across brands, the tool’s engaging user interface surfaces key sustainability insights and showcases the positive impact being made through the use of the Vanishing Emails tool. Slalom’s sustainability advisory team performed analysis using published research and articles to to create “carbon equivalencies“—making the environmental benefits of deleting promotional emails tangible to users and thereby illustrating the impact of their contributions through everyday tasks. “To bring the concept to life, we quickly undertook a series of sprints through sustainability research, experience strategy and design, and engineering,” says Sonali Fenner, a managing director at Slalom, focused on strategy and innovation. The team was able to move from visioning all the way through independent cybersecurity testing to live within a period of just six weeks. The tool aligns with sustainability targets and efforts of many large global organisations, enhancing digital sustainability and offering economic benefits through reduced operational costs, and has already piqued the interest of large global brands. Long-term, it fosters a shift towards sustainable digital practices, contributing to a more responsible digital ecosystem. See it in action CUSTOMER IMPACT VML and WPP can now confidently provide global brands with a tool to help reduce the CO 2 impact of CRM campaigns—and more. When the agency approached us with this idea, it was immediately clear that it had enormous positive potential. Not just for exciting technical innovation, but in harnessing this to create better tomorrows for all. Sonali Fenner Managing Director, Strategy Innovation, Slalom Do you have a vision for better tomorrows? Let's collaborate Share this story Sonali Fenner Bringing an innovative solution to life in just a few short months took something truly special: a cross-functional, cross-geography VML and Slalom team who built trust rapidly and were united in a laser focus of creating a meaningful solution. Cyrus David Beautiful design and real customer impact. Plus, a great team that used tech in a mindful way, meant we stayed true to our overall vision without exacerbating the problem we aimed to solve. Scott Monk This fantastic tool promotes a harmony between digital ease and eco-friendly practices. It significantly aids our progress towards achieving new sustainability benchmarks. rsb4l856im --- title: Ware2Go: Helping SMBs scale and grow url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ware2go-helping-smbs-scale-and-grow source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ware2go-helping-smbs-scale-and-grow locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Ware2Go: Helping SMBs scale and grow - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/ware2go-helping-smbs-scale-and-grow - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ware2go-helping-smbs-scale-and-grow - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped Ware2Go build a Google Cloud solution that simplifies the supply chain for SMBs, empowering them to ship faster and with more flexibility. ## Body Ware2Go: Helping SMBs scale and grow Helping SMBs scale and grow | Slalom An on-demand warehousing and fulfillment company needed a platform to simplify the supply chain for its SMB partners. We helped Ware2Go build a Google Cloud solution that simplifies the supply chain for SMBs, empowering them to ship faster and with more flexibility. Helping SMBs scale and grow Share story At a glance An on-demand warehousing and fulfillment company wanted our help building a platform that simplifies the supply chain for its SMB partners. Impact Together, we built a Google Cloud solution that empowers Ware2Go’s clients to ship faster and with more flexibility. Key Services Industry Mobility Key Technologies / Platforms - Google Cloud Shipping like the big retailers For small-to-medium businesses (SMBs)—whether with a storefront or an entirely digital footprint—warehousing and delivery logistics can be daunting and expensive. Most SMB retailers partner with a third-party logistics provider (3PL), which means shipping from a single warehouse and paying big prices to have products sent via air. More than that, those 3PL providers ask small retailers to sign long-term contracts and occupy a set amount of warehousing space. Incubated within UPS, [Ware2Go](https://ware2go.co/) is an independent company that offers better service for both retailers and providers. Its mission is to simplify those supply chain and shipment pressures for SMB retailers. Whether it’s a local bookstore sending new thrillers to a reader, or an arts-and-crafts business shipping materials to a painter, Ware2Go gives SMB retailers access to third-party logistics and fulfillment services at a scale that they typically couldn’t achieve. “We’re here to help the little guy scale to act like big retailers,” says Brian Gallagher, chief product and technology officer at Ware2Go. Ware2Go finds its customers [flexible warehousing options](https://ware2go.co/your-network/) while offering delivery services without a long-term contract. Most importantly, Ware2Go offers the two-day ground footprint of UPS—a national system for shipping and delivery minus the cost of an airplane. “It’s an on-demand model,” says Gallagher. “You’re signing up for as little or as much space as you want, and you can flex up or flex down, no minimums.” A need for new capabilities Ware2Go’s homegrown warehouse management system (WMS) served its original needs, but, says Gallagher, “We got to a point where we needed a new version that was going to help us achieve scale and growth.”The company was looking for a way to support a larger quantity and variety of 3PL warehousing partners. Feature development was taking too long because the team was having to custom-build capabilities that were already commercially available via Softeon, a company that provides software solutions for supply chain management. “We were building wheels that already existed,” says Gallagher. “Ware2Go needed a platform with scalability, performance, and an enterprise-level OMS [order management system] with WMS capabilities that are standard,” says Susan Scarce, Slalom director. Brian Gallagher Now we build, test, and deploy multiple times per week and can do so during the day with zero downtime. An integrated partnership The timeline for the project was ambitious, which meant Ware2Go needed a partner to help meet those ambitions. “We wanted to work with a global firm that had a local presence, because we knew we had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” says Gallagher. Slalom’s reputation for success with businesses of all sizes sealed the relationship. “We wanted a firm that had a long history of working with medium- or large-size customers, but wasn’t too big, and would be able to move fast enough with us to achieve our goals quickly.” Our partnership faced a major test almost immediately. We kicked off the project in March 2020, and despite quickly pivoting to remote work, our collaboration was as close as ever. With everyone working from the same digital platform, Gallagher watched as the two crews quickly merged into one. “It was a true partnership and collaboration,” says Gallagher. “I really appreciated that the Slalom team was so invested in the project being successful, and we never had to push a date or reduce scope. I’m proud of the fact that we were able to deliver on time, and with such high quality.” New platform, new possibilities Working together, Slalom and Ware2Go built a robust solution on [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/google-cloud) that provides first-party software and an entirely new integration service layer that easily connects to a wide variety of 3PL warehousing programs. We also gave the merchant interface a fresh redesign. The new platform enables Ware2Go to expand its client network and services in a way that wasn’t possible on the last platform. And, as Scarce observes, this is central to its future growth: “Now Ware2Go is able to scale. Now it can increase its business, onboard more merchants, and onboard more warehouses.” By moving to Google Cloud, Ware2Go is reducing spend by 75 percent—while doing twice the business. It’s the technology behind the scenes that excites Gallagher most as he looks to the future. The platform was built as a foundation—with the need for future capabilities in mind. “The thing I’m most proud of is the continuous delivery model we now have,” he says. “On the old platform, we were able to build, test, and deploy once every three weeks. Now we build, test, and deploy multiple times per week and can do so during the day with zero downtime.” --- title: West Bend Insurance Company url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/west-bend-insurance-data-modernization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/west-bend-insurance-data-modernization locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # West Bend Insurance Company - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/west-bend-insurance-data-modernization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/west-bend-insurance-data-modernization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Learn how West Bend modernized its data technology stack to generate accurate pricing, drive operational efficiencies, and reduce friction with customers. ## Body West Bend Insurance Company Setting a new standard for insurance with tech-driven solutions Learn how West Bend modernized its data technology stack to generate accurate pricing, drive operational efficiencies, and reduce friction with customers. Setting a new standard for insurance West Bend INSURANCE COMPANY Share story At a glance West Bend Insurance Company needed to better leverage a modern data ecosystem to make more data-driven decisions, so it called in Slalom to help modernize its data technology stack. Impact Now, thanks to Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Azure and Power BI, West Bend has the data ecosystem to generate accurate pricing, drive operational efficiencies, and reduce friction for its customers. Key Services Cloud Industry Insurance Key Technologies / Platforms - Databricks - Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Power BI - Snowflake - Collibra Who do you trust when the unexpected occurs? For the policyholders at [West Bend Insurance Company](https://www.thesilverlining.com/), that’s an easy question to answer. For more than 130 years, West Bend has provided insurance for homes, autos, and businesses through its strong agency relationships, building trust with policyholders through fast, fair claim service and ethical underwriting. More than just a data consultancy Using available data to set premium rates is central to the work of insuring. But without the technology to process that data, actuaries are left making educated guesses. Recognizing that, West Bend set out to leverage its data to deliver the most accurate, up-to-date estimates to its policyholders. To do so, the company needed to step up its tech stack, migrating from on-premises data and end-of-life programs to a cutting-edge cloud ecosystem. West Bend’s IT team called in a vendor to assist in the migration but faced culture-fit problems. The vendor insisted on a waterfall approach and did not embed its consultants in West Bend, resulting in friction and turmoil. West Bend had no choice but to end the relationship and seek out a different kind of consultancy. That’s when it called Slalom. Moving on to a new partnership with Slalom was simple enough. But arriving in the wake of the previous troubled partnership meant the Slalom team needed to demonstrate our people-first approach right away. “West Bend is a relationship company,” says Dan Gallegos, West Bend’s assistant vice president of information technology. “Everything we do starts with an agent selling our policies. We take that relationship culture, and we extend it to our associates, our customers, as well as our vendors. I felt that Slalom presented itself as an organization that wanted a long-term relationship, not just a short-term contractual win.” So what did it look like to build trust with West Bend? “Actually being there on the ground, being with them day-to-day, working alongside their engineers, upskilling them and also ourselves really made that trust grow, to the point that we have become real strategic partners,” says Vamsi Kurakula, Slalom senior consultant. “We really had to earn that trust.” Adds Matthew Byun, Slalom senior consultant, “We work with their teams every day. And as we’re doing this, we build ownership within the individual teams that we work with and upskill those team members that are part of the process. Our teams stay in close contact through every step of the engagement, and together, we’re co-creating solutions through an integrated Agile delivery approach.” “The Slalom team are hard workers,” says Tyler Lewis, an IT director focused on data at West Bend. “They have good ideas and industry perspective. They challenge us appropriately. They coach us on technology, trends, and best practices. I would say it’s been a very, very good partnership.” Calculating risk, together To process complex actuarial datasets and produce reliably precise predictions, a partnership of compatible technologies was required. “It’s taking those existing data processes using Databricks for ingestion, loading that into a data lake on Microsoft Azure storage, transforming that data in Snowflake, and then visualizing it in Power BI,” explains Byun. “West Bend now has a modern tech stack that’s able to scale insights to the needs of its business.” “We were looking to get five years’ worth of general liability rate-making quality data at 99.99% financial accuracy ingested into Snowflake, for all of our actuarial and product management needs,” Gallegos explains. “And that’s what we did.” Slalom presented itself as an organization that wanted a long-term relationship, not just a short-term contractual win. Dan Gallegos Assistant Vice President of Information Technology, West Bend Insurance Company Extending the benefits of accurate data The result? Accurate risk data that benefits policyholders, both in the event of an emergency and as owners of the business. “We are a mutual company—we are owned by our customers,” says Lewis. “And we are in the business of helping those customers. The worst brings out our best. I love that we’re able to help people. To accurately price risk is core to our insurance operations, to keeping our promise to help all our customers.” Up next, West Bend is bringing this increased level of accuracy in ratemaking to more policyholders, starting with commercial property insurance, which has more complex datasets. Meanwhile, West Bend and Slalom continue to deepen the partnership, finding new ways for Slalom to support the insurer. “We’ve had Slalom present three times at our internal IT conferences in the last three years,” says Gallegos. “One time on how to have a product mindset to really help our product owners and business analysts and engineering. Then on design thinking and how to change the way we do engineering projects. And third on how to grow our AI platform. Vendor partners need to focus on business development, but I need them to do things just because it’s the right thing to do. Slalom does that all the time.” --- title: Will Solutions: A Canadian climate leader levels up for hypergrowth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/will-solutions-climate-hypergrowth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/will-solutions-climate-hypergrowth locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Will Solutions: A Canadian climate leader levels up for hypergrowth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/will-solutions-climate-hypergrowth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/will-solutions-climate-hypergrowth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a Canadian carbon and climate action expert move to Salesforce Net Zero Cloud on its journey to global expansion. ## Body Will Solutions: A Canadian climate leader levels up for hypergrowth We helped a Canadian carbon and climate action expert move to Salesforce Net Zero Cloud on its journey to global expansion. Will Solutions | Canadian Climate Leader | Slalom A climate leader levels up for hypergrowth A Canadian climate leader levels up for hypergrowth Share story At a glance Impact Will Solutions is now able to scale to its member expansion goals, deliver a more efficient, standardized service, and create a new global market with its hypergrowth and international-expansion goals. Key Services Industry Environmental services Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Net Zero Cloud - Salesforce Sales Cloud - Salesforce Experience Cloud Seeking efficiencies With climate change on the rise, consumers and companies are wondering what they can do about it. For smaller companies that want to make a change and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and gain carbon credits for their efforts, it can be difficult due to resources, cost, and competition with larger organizations that are more equipped in these areas. Enter [Will Solutions](https://solutionswill.com/en/). Founded in 1997 in Montreal, Quebec, this privately owned Canadian company is active in the voluntary carbon markets, helping its clients—small and midsize businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations—carry out their carbon footprint reduction goals and take measurable, voluntary and innovative (beyond standard practices) decarbonization actions through the [Sustainable Community project](https://solutionswill.com/en/our-community/#:~:text=Will%20Solutions%20Sustainable%20Community%20is%20a%20business%20model%2C,carbon%20reductions%20by%20Canadian%20SMEs%2C%20organizations%20and%20communities.). With Will Solutions’ assistance, the clients, or members, then get carbon credits back at the end of the process. To date, $3.8M Canadian dollars have been paid to these smaller companies that reduce their carbon emissions. François Beaubien, chief technology officer at Will Solutions, explains how the system works: “Let’s say you have a 10-story building, and you want to reduce your carbon emissions, so you develop a project to change your oil furnace to a geothermic heat pump. Over the next years, you gain thousands of carbon credits that we sell to the market to finance the implementation and operation of the project. At the end of the process, a percentage of that money goes back to you.” Today, Will Solutions has approximately 150 members and its reduction volume is about a million tons, or a million credits per year. For these projects, Will Solutions’ team members were completing critical business processes such as calculating carbon emissions in Microsoft Excel (often punctuated with phone calls and emails). But they needed to find a solution that would scale with the company’s aggressive goal to move to global expansion and to meet an immense growth target based on a 2022 investment: 100-fold growth of clients in the near future. Constructing a seamless sustainability strategy Slalom answered the call, performed an on-site workshop, and delivered an innovative solution that married [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) Net Zero Cloud with Experience Cloud and Sales Cloud. This solution allows Will Solutions to calculate carbon baselines and reductions and aggregate that data into a portfolio of projects for disclosure reporting for carbon credit creation. The Net Zero Cloud solution automates critical processes such as emission factors (the amount of emissions produced per unit of energy/fuel used), leaving little need for manual calculations. We need to grow from five people to a thousand within 10 years. To do that, a cloud solution like Salesforce is the only way to go. François Beaubien Chief Technology Officer, Will Solutions Members can view self-service updates on their carbon reductions in a Salesforce Experience Cloud portal that provides real-time data dashboards. Will Solutions’ sales team is also reaping the rewards of the Salesforce solution, using Salesforce Sales Cloud to sell the inventory of credits to the market. The partnership was next-level, with trust at the forefront and a focus on knowledge transfer. Slalom’s deep expertise in sustainability and Salesforce augmented Will Solutions’ development team and helped with the advancement of a cross-cloud solution. “Slalom is a Salesforce expert, especially with Net Zero Cloud; there are only a few companies that can implement that,” Beaubien says. “We can sense the people working at Slalom are dedicated—they understand our needs and anticipate any problems we may encounter.” Change management was also a critical part of the solution. The team started with a communication plan, impact assessment, and persona definition to understand the needs and readiness of each team. All this work led to creating a training plan with multiple learning paths for Will Solutions’ teams. Enabling hypergrowth With aggressive growth and global expansion goals, scalability was necessary for Will Solutions to sustain its upcoming client load. “We need to grow from five people to a thousand within 10 years,“ Beaubien says. “To do that, a cloud solution like Salesforce is the only way to go.“ Beaubien adds that Slalom’s understanding of the hypergrowth goal and the help building a solution has allowed maximum flexibility for the company and enabled the scale Will Solutions needs to achieve its goal. “For me, one of the reasons I chose a cloud platform from Salesforce was the go-to-market, or rapid implementation. Slalom was able to deliver that with us.” In addition to increasing its employees from five to 1,000, Will Solutions is looking to go from 100 members to more than 10,000—and from one million to 150 million tons of carbon credits sold. Enhanced client experience and standardization Today, Will Solutions’ clients can log in to an experience (member) portal (BETA version) and see all their projects and messages in a single place, a solution that is exponentially more efficient than sending and receiving numerous emails or phone calls. While the portal is still in development, the ability for clients to see their emissions and other data in one consolidated dashboard is critical to Will Solutions’ success as it evolves. “With the new portal, we now have the ability to have a constant conversation with our members,” Beaubien says. With the standardized process and Net Zero Cloud’s proven calculation and methodology, clients can count on consistent quantification. The Net Zero Cloud solution enables a single source of truth. Beyond these advantages, and thanks to its automated, scalable, and transparent nature, the portal is also a platform for demonstrating application of the [Core Carbon Principles of the ICVCM](https://icvcm.org/the-core-carbon-principles/) (Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market) and therefore complying with the industry’s most demanding quality and traceability standards. And the time savings? They’re undeniable on both sides—for the members and Will Solutions. Creating a new global market Thanks to the forward thinking of Will Solutions, there’s now a new market for smaller and midsize companies that couldn’t otherwise do carbon credit reductions on their own. “Our plan is to have a consolidated volume of 50 million tons by 2030—that’s an important date in the world of carbon emissions and this is an aggressive goal. We’ll need Slalom to do other projects with us; we’ll never be able to hire enough employees to meet our goals if we don’t automate and use generative AI and other modern tools to help us get there.” As the first Net Zero Cloud client for Slalom in Canada, Will Solutions is profoundly changing the future of carbon reductions with a next-generation model that will soon be making an impact across the globe. Two workers in a warehouse looking at a tablet --- title: Xero: Opening new ways to meet customers where they are url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Xero: Opening new ways to meet customers where they are - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary With a Salesforce Einstein-enhanced GenAI assistant to help customers on Facebook Messenger, Xero frees its teams to provide more value to customers. ## Body Xero: Opening new ways to meet customers where they are With a Salesforce Einstein-enhanced GenAI assistant to help customers on Facebook Messenger, Xero frees its teams to provide more value to customers. Opening new ways to meet customers where they are Share story At a glance An Einstein-enhanced GenAI assistant provides Xero with a natural way to interact with new or existing customers by quickly answering their questions and giving them information on Facebook Messenger. Impact While still new, the GenAI assistant has been able to resolve half of all sessions automatically, freeing up Xero’s team to focus on adding more value to customers through proactive engagement. Key Services Industry Software Key Technologies / Platforms - Salesforce Service Cloud - Salesforce Digital Engagement - Einstein - Coveo A fresh approach to the day-to-day As a leading global cloud accounting platform for small businesses, [Xero](https://www.xero.com) has made a name for itself by making businesses “beautiful.” Xero’s vision is to be the most insightful and trusted small business platform, and the company does this by making it easier for small businesses to manage their finances and complete important jobs, giving them more time to focus on what they love to do. Launched in New Zealand in 2006, Xero grew quickly, challenging established platforms and providers with fully cloud-based accounting software, an open platform, and an ecosystem focused on enabling both accountants and bookkeepers, as well as small businesses. Xero now serves 4.2 million subscribers worldwide through a [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) support platform that provides accurate, fast answers to questions and support requests. Many of Xero’s products use artificial intelligence to streamline tasks, deliver insights, and help customers get the answers they need. The introduction of a new GenAI customer support assistant into their Facebook Messenger channel aims to raise the bar even higher, providing contextual, personalised answers to support queries quickly in the places they need them most. Nigel Piper GenAI provides a new lever for us to think about customer service and experience that will benefit our 4.2 million subscribers today—and those that will come in the future. Friendly, intuitive efficiency Xero strives to make life better for small businesses and is committed to continuing to innovate across its platform and create ongoing value for customers. The business is always looking for ways to unlock long-term efficiency, scalability, and productivity. At the same time, a consistent customer experience across all channels is paramount to the Xero strategy and vision to deliver world-class experiences to its customers. In an effort to enhance its service channels, leverage an extensive knowledge base, and extend self-service functionality to social media, Xero partnered with Slalom to create a GenAI assistant that could engage conversationally with customers and provide answers quickly, accurately, and with links off to more content if desired. First up, the Xero Facebook Messenger support channel. Earning a big thumbs-up on social To create a unified experience, the solution was designed to integrate into the company’s sophisticated Salesforce Service Cloud platform. A key challenge was selecting the ideal LLM technology before moving ahead. At the forefront of customer service technology since its inception, Xero was already using several commercial off-the-shelf and custom-built LLMs to deliver generative service responses. Extensive evaluation and prototype testing revealed that Coveo GenAI LLM offered the full suite of capabilities required. GenAI gives our customers a powerful experience, but it doesn’t replace human expertise, and it definitely doesn’t impact how we think about customer experience—it complements our goal of developing world-class experiences for our customers. Nigel Piper Xero Executive General Manager, Customer Experience In addition, Salesforce Digital Engagement messaging channel functionality and Einstein enhanced bot were utilized to provide customers with immediate answers to their queries. The flexibility of the Salesforce Einstein bot framework made it a natural choice for Xero. Native Einstein natural language processing (NLP) was deployed to manage the conversation flow in a natural manner, and the Einstein bot’s integration capability allowed for callouts to Facebook for contextual user information and to Coveo for Xero-specific answers. The Coveo GenAI LLM, managed by Xero, is used to provide intelligent responses, drawing upon knowledge articles and rich website content. The solution utilizes existing support processes, with Service Cloud creating customer support cases directly from bot conversations to address specific customer requests. From concept to operational in just 10 weeks Together, the Xero and Slalom team were able to deliver a fully operational GenAI implementation connected to Facebook Messenger within the existing Salesforce production environment within 10 weeks. A detailed analysis of historical responses and tangible results taken from the prototype build phase indicated that the new chatbot is expected to reduce issues requiring specialist support by 50%. Ultimately, it’s expected that this will free up time spent monitoring the Facebook Messenger channel to focus on the more urgent or complex queries that need support from Xero’s customer experience team, many of whom have a degree-level accounting background. “We worked very closely to understand the possibilities of generative AI, and how we could safely and ethically explore its potential,” noted Xero’s executive general manager of customer experience, Nigel Piper. “GenAI gives our customers a powerful experience, but it doesn’t replace human expertise, and it definitely doesn’t impact how we think about customer experience—it complements our goal of developing world-class experiences for our customers.” Xero and Slalom continue to work together to fulfill this commitment. By leveraging technology, the Xero team can spend more time solving complex customer problems. Together, we’re evolving the customer support experience for Xero’s customers by delivering faster and more accurate responses, allowing small businesses to focus less on accounting tasks and more on running their business. --- title: Youth Justice Network: Reducing inequity with Power Apps url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/youth-justice-network source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/youth-justice-network locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Youth Justice Network: Reducing inequity with Power Apps - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/customer-stories/youth-justice-network - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/youth-justice-network - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary We helped a nonprofit develop a low-code Microsoft Power App to speed public attorneys' contact with and connection to their clients. ## Body Youth Justice Network: Reducing inequity with Power Apps We helped a nonprofit develop a low-code Microsoft Power App to speed public attorneys' contact with and connection to their clients. Reducing inequity with Power Apps Youth Justice Network Share story At a glance As a solution partner for the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative Catalyst Grant Program, we helped Youth Justice Network develop a mobile Microsoft Power App for public attorneys. Impact By speeding public attorney’s contact with and connection to their clients, the new app could mean more equitable representation for young people in the legal system. Key Services Industry Nonprofit philanthropy Key Technologies / Platforms - Microsoft Power Apps - UX design - Azure credits strategy - Public and social impact - Low-code app The right to counsel Founded on the school floor of a New York City jail, [Youth Justice Network](https://youthjustice.org/) (YJN) is a 33-year-old nonprofit that serves young people involved in the justice system. YJN participants are young people of color, who are vastly and disproportionately overrepresented in the city’s jails. The organization offers supports inside and outside custody, and helps when young people are charged with crimes, have pending cases, and can’t make bail. Low-income youth are often stuck in detention waiting to meet their attorneys—and may not even know if an attorney has been assigned to represent them. In New York City, indigent defense spans five boroughs, and representation is offered through a combination of public defender organizations and individually assigned counsel, known as 18B attorneys. Public defender organizations have in-house social workers and other resources more readily available. In contrast, 18B attorneys are often representing complex, felony charge cases on their own, against the backdrop of a bureaucratic system of assignment and access that depends on web-based communication, phone calls, emails, and mail. YJN applied for funds from the [Catalyst Grant Program](https://web.archive.org/web/20230120071701/https://www.urban.org/projects/catalyst-grant-program) with a vision of using technology to help facilitate and accelerate communication in the critical early stages of the case process for young detained defendants. Tech for social good The Catalyst Grant comes from a collaboration between the [Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/justice-reform-initiative) and the [Urban Institute](https://www.urban.org/), in an effort to support projects that use data and tech to address racial injustice and create a more equitable justice system. The team at YJN was ecstatic at the news their organization was chosen as the grant money recipient. “Honestly, we didn’t expect it because it was a national competition,” says Chris Pahigian, executive director of YJN. Shoba Nair, director of research and evaluation at YJN at that time, spearheaded the effort. “We formed a core stakeholder group, which was crucial to the process,” she says. This group of practitioners focused on identifying key points of communication in the case process that could be improved with a mobile app. As their work progressed, Slalom joined the effort and helped guide the group. The attorneys saw the potential of how easy it would be to communicate through the app … They felt a tangible difference in how it can help. Shoba Nair Director of Research and Evaluation, Youth Justice Network A clickable app for 18B attorneys Slalom is proud to be a [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) solution partner for the Catalyst Grant Program. Nonprofit grantees are under no obligation to use Microsoft solutions—or lean on partners like us for technical expertise. YJN, however, took advantage of all available resources through the grant. With the idea for the app cemented, a small user group that included Nair and a few attorneys worked to create a bare-bones prototype. Initially, they started down a path toward a traditional, code-heavy mobile app with a YJN volunteer developer, but with Slalom asking questions about YJN’s needs and providing guidance, the nonprofit decided that Power Apps was the most logical tool. Gautham Sripathi, a Slalom solution architect, worked with Nair and the developer to teach them how to use to Power Apps, a low-code, no-code solution. Armed with this knowledge, YJN built a new version in Power Apps on its own. The Slalom UX team then created wireframes for a more refined, clickable prototype. “The app has two parts,” says Sripathi. “One part is for the attorneys to request resources, and the second is for the city government side managers who review the requests and approve them.” Our consultants also helped YJN leverage Azure credits to use the app. Chris Pahigian There are many places that can really benefit from this app. Ultimately maybe even the whole world of public defense can benefit. Pilot potential The 18B attorneys in YJN’s pilot group found the clickable prototype “very easy and intuitive to use,” says Nair. “They immediately saw the potential of how easy it would be to communicate through the app, and we were bombarded with questions about other features they want to add. They feel a tangible difference in how it can help.” The public defenders enthusiastically mentioned features that would avoid paper—such as using the app to fill out forms and take pictures. There are many places that can really benefit from this app. Ultimately maybe even the whole world of public defense can benefit. Chris Pahigian Executive Director, Youth Justice Network Everyone agrees the app has a lot of potential to speed case-processing time. Complexity in the New York City jurisdiction led to challenges in adoption, but it has also sparked valuable discussions on finding common ground. “The fact that the app has catalyzed and caused forward movement and excitement has been a real ROI,” says Pahigian. YJN is now eager to partner with other nonprofits and jurisdictions to bring the power of this technology to public defender communities. Indigent defense systems across the United States face [profound challenges](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/fair-fight), including staff shortages, unsustainable workloads, and disparate federal funding—and young people of color continue to experience the most disparate case outcomes. “There are many jurisdictions with far fewer resources than New York City has,” says Pahigian. “There are places that can really benefit from this app. Ultimately maybe even the whole world of public defense can benefit.” Radical change, one attorney at a time YJN has every reason to be optimistic. After all, it has a demonstrated history of influencing positive long-term change through its “one youth at a time” approach. Just one low-code app could be the beginning of something big. --- title: Financial Services Consulting Experts | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/financial-services locale: us/en content_type: Tier 2 --- # Financial Services Consulting Experts | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/financial-services - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services - Locale: us/en - Content type: Tier 2 ## Summary Slalom’s expert financial services consulting helps organizations navigate industry challenges and deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions. ## Body Financial Services Consulting Experts | Slalom Slalom’s expert consultants help financial services organizations navigate industry challenges and deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions. Slalom’s expert financial services consulting helps organizations navigate industry challenges and deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions. Financial services The financial sector faces many challenges, including increasing pressure to provide exceptional customer experiences. We can help your business transform amidst uncertainty. We’ll listen first, then apply our deep industry expertise to help you innovate ahead of disruption, win your most critical competitive battles, and deliver integrated, future-focused services. A woman pays for her order Financial services industry trends Read story We partner with market leaders and emerging players as they navigate uncertainty and strive for growth. Kurpal Sandhu Pacific Life logo They’re some of the best professionals that we’ve worked with. Absolute first-class … and they’ve always been helpful to bring more people in to educate the team or clarify questions and issues that we run into. François Côté Fairstone Financial logo We now have access to highly skilled resources who give us the ability to react to sudden changes in the marketplace. This approach has helped us increase velocity without compromising the quality of our work. Robbie Baskin FrontYa logo The Slalom team and I were able to translate our novel business ideas into a seamless customer experience while educating us on the platform along the way. Laura Agharkar Nasdaq logo Throughout the process, we had to pivot, change directions, and appeal to audiences multiple times. But I had 100 percent confidence in Slalom. William Fitzgerald We’re doing things here, at Amica and Slalom, that aren’t being done in any other organization. Our financial services expertise Banking For customers, nothing differentiates your business like a compelling digital experience. At Slalom, we can help modernize your technologies and set your capabilities apart from the competition. Together, we’ll empower your business with data, insights, and efficiencies to better serve clients and accelerate growth. Capital markets Whether you’re working with a prospective customer or a long-standing client, the future of that relationship is built on trust. Our experts will develop and implement a customized digital strategy to reshape your buy-side or sell-side capabilities and help your firm create the secure, seamless experience your customers expect. Insurance Insurance choices are direct reflections of a person’s priorities—no two are exactly alike. We take the same individualized approach to our solutions. With decades of industry experience and strong partnerships with the world’s top technology companies, we’ll customize and implement strategies to help deliver bespoke solutions for your clients. Payments Our payments experts help our clients navigate the disruption being experienced across the payments landscape. We work with customers to create new opportunities to leverage emerging financial technologies to move money. An industry-focused capability team is necessary to combine industry expertise with our strategic capabilities embracing digital, driving growth and maximizing operational efficiencies. Real estate We know that in real estate, certain challenges—inflation, infrastructure, sustainability, supply, and more—are always in play. To help your business rise above a dynamic market, we'll leverage our technology partnerships and broad industry experience to generate insights that drive efficiencies. Wealth & asset management Trust, security, and performance—for high-net-worth customers looking to grow their wealth, these qualities are non-negotiable. At Slalom, we can help you build next-generation platforms and experiences for financial advisors, helping your firm enable client-centric processes and strengthen relationships. You may also like slalom databricks partner award Slalom Awarded Two Databricks Partner of the Year Awards At Data + AI Summit 2026, Slalom won Insurance Partner of the Year and Data + AI Platform Partner of the Year See announcement Insurance 360 by Slalom and Databricks Optimize policy and claims operations with the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Solution details Customer support team in modern office Powering Financial Services Contact Centers Reimagine financial services contact centers with AI, agent enablement, and strategic CX—built for trust, compliance, and long-term value. Read article Risk management in the climate change era Navigating pricing, capacity, and new technologies for the future of the insurance industry Three Principles for Future-Proofing Financial Services Organizations Discover the guiding principles that top banking, insurance, and investment leaders live by to help navigate economic turbulence. Buy Now, Pay Later: The Generational Goldmine That’s Up for Grabs Who wins and who loses in the battle to reach a key demographic that’s rewriting all the rules? Richard Winston Slalom employee Richard Winston. Richard leads our financial services industry team where he has the opportunity to work with clients, markets, and alliance partners across banking, insurance, and capital markets. Connect with Richard Araya Solomon Araya Solomon headshot Araya brings over 23 years of expertise in management and technology consulting, specializing in the banking, capital markets, and asset management sectors. Connect with Araya M. Hans Delly Hans Delly headshot Hans is a senior business and technology leader with over three decades of experience defining the vision and driving the strategy and execution of innovation at the forefront of shaping the future of payments. Connect with Hans Partner of the Year Awards at 2026 Data + AI Summit databricks partner slalom insurance 2026 Snowflake Industry Competency - Financial Services Icon of award. AWS Financial Services Consulting Competency See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Healthcare Consulting Experts | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare-life-sciences source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/healthcare-life-sciences locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Healthcare Consulting Experts | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/healthcare-life-sciences - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare-life-sciences - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s healthcare consulting experts bring tested methodologies and a collaborative approach to help you keep patients first and deliver what’s next. ## Body Healthcare Consulting Experts | Slalom Slalom’s healthcare consulting experts bring tested methodologies and a collaborative approach to help you keep patients first and deliver what’s next. Healthcare & life sciences Healthcare Healthcare life sciences consulting The next era of healthcare and life sciences will be defined by organizations that can move innovation into everyday impact. Whether advancing research, navigating regulatory change, or improving care and consumer experiences, Slalom helps organizations use trusted data, AI, and technology to embed intelligence into everyday work and achieve measurable results. Doctor providing care to a child Renown Health: Simplifying access for over one million patients Read story We help healthcare and life sciences organizations turn trusted data, AI, and technology into measurable business and patient outcomes. Faezah M. Rad Our collaboration with Slalom felt like a true partnership. It was evident Slalom matched our level of investment for the success of our AI capability enhancement project. Rick Bennett Our teams were really embedded with Slalom’s teams, and it felt like one team most of the time. Ashutosh Tiwary You should be incredibly proud of all the work that you did. Hopefully someday you can see an oncologist using a piece of software and say, ‘I helped that patient get better.’ And that will be powerful. Kevin Herde I greatly appreciated teaming with Slalom and was impressed with their understanding of our businesses and processes and unbiased approach to delivering us the best end solution. Chelsea Lockhart At the core of Ochsner is a spirit of innovation ... Slalom clearly valued that innovative spirit. The team’s ability to see our challenges and provide custom solutions to fit our system was evident from day one. Our consulting expertise Consumer health & wellness Consumers expect health experiences that are personalized, connected, and accessible. From wellness and preventive care to digital health and consumer engagement, we help organizations design and deliver AI-enabled experiences, products, and services that empower healthier lives and stronger communities. Healthcare payer The shift to value-based care is reshaping how health plans serve members, providers, and partners. We help payers improve efficiency, modernize technology, and harness trusted data and responsible AI to enhance member experiences, improve health outcomes, control costs, and navigate regulatory change. Healthcare provider Healthcare providers are balancing workforce challenges, financial pressures, and rising expectations for personalized care. We partner with health systems, hospitals, and care organizations to improve patient and clinician experiences, reduce administrative burden, optimize operations, modernize technology, and harness trusted data and AI to deliver better outcomes at scale. MedTech & services Medical device and health technology organizations are transforming care through connected products, intelligent platforms, and data-driven insights. We help MedTech companies modernize operations, develop digital products, strengthen manufacturing and supply chains, and create seamless experiences for providers and patients. Pharmaceutical, biotech & biopharma Bringing innovative therapies to market has never been more complex. From AI-enabled drug discovery and clinical development to commercialization and patient engagement, we help pharmaceutical and biopharma organizations accelerate innovation, navigate regulatory complexity, reduce risk, and improve outcomes across the product lifecycle. AI transformation AI is reshaping care delivery, research, operations, and patient experiences. The organizations creating the greatest impact are not simply deploying AI tools—they’re building trusted data foundations, embedding intelligence into everyday workflows, and measuring what matters. Slalom helps organizations scale AI with governance, trust, and human impact at the center. Jacque Myers Leader Placeholder Jacque creates solutions for healthcare’s toughest challenges. She’s worked with some of the largest healthcare systems in the nation, with a focus on using technology to improve healthcare experience and outcomes. Connect with Jacque Frank Farach frank farach slalom Frank works with healthcare and life sciences organizations to modernize data ecosystems, scale responsible AI, and build evidence platforms that support better decisions, stronger partnerships, and measurable outcomes. Connect with Frank Andrew Stevenson Drawing on 30 years in life sciences, including 15 in executive roles, Andrew delivers growth and value via innovation in MedTech, biotech, and digital health. He is passionate about transforming healthcare for patients and providers. Connect with Andrew Sharmila Bristol sharmila bristol Sharmila is a seasoned technology strategist who believes the most impactful transformations happen when innovation is paired with empathy. She works side by side with healthcare and life sciences organizations to harness data, AI, and emerging technologies in a fiercely human way—creating solutions that improve experiences, strengthen outcomes, and deliver sustainable value. Connect with Sharmila Ronald Carnemolla Ron brings 25+ years’ experience (e.g., CEO, board leader via consulting private equity) from scientific and clinical development through commercial strategy and operations (e.g., launches, market access, patient and HCP engagement). He translates strategy into action, catalyzing growth, outcomes and optimized experiences. Connect with Ron Kim Rojek kim rojek slalom With almost three decades of consulting experience, Kim partners with healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotech organizations to drive transformation and accelerate therapies to patients. Kimberly is known for leading complex global initiatives and fostering innovation across the value chain. Connect with Kim Jeff Pierce Leadership For 25+ years, Jeff has helped clients get the best from their people and technology. From accelerating science through data to aligning commercialization teams, Jeff feels blessed to improve patient health through his clients. Connect with Jeff Sylvia Doane Stephenson Sylvia helps healthcare and life sciences organizations drive sustainable growth and transformation through people-first strategy, technology, and AI. With 20 years of experience, she connects purpose to business outcomes and helps build more adaptive, resilient organizations. Connect with Sylvia Data + AI Platform C&SI Partner of the Year 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year Icon of award. Partner Innovation Award 2024 Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year AWS SI Partner of the Year logo Snowflake Industry Competency – Healthcare and Life Sciences AWS Industry Competency – Healthcare and Life Sciences See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 Frequently asked questions --- title: Manufacturing Consulting Experts | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/manufacturing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/manufacturing locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Manufacturing Consulting Experts | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/manufacturing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/manufacturing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s manufacturing consulting and technology experts help companies reach their goals, from supply chain optimization to digital factories. ## Body Manufacturing Consulting Experts | Slalom Slalom’s expert consultants and technologists help manufacturing and mobility companies reach their goals, from supply chain optimization to digital factories. Slalom’s manufacturing consulting and technology experts help companies reach their goals, from supply chain optimization to digital factories. Manufacturing Manufacturing, distribution, logistics Manufacturers win when they bake customer obsession into everything they do. At Slalom, we understand what it takes to build an end-to-end ecosystem that drives extraordinary experiences. From supply chain optimization to digital factories, we help global and emerging companies create intelligent, real-time, connected solutions to reach their goals. Cargo ship on the sea Manufacturing industry trends Read story We work with companies of all sizes to help them deliver for customers and take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Edgar Seiden We asked ourselves: Would we have a partner that would stay with us and work through the problems? And Slalom didn’t walk away. Brian Henderson Initiatives that were once impossible or out of reach for Greenfield are suddenly practical. Now, we have a set of tools that transform our aspirational goals into attainable outcomes. Matt Woodrow Slalom came highly recommended to our business from a trusted board advisor, and they did not disappoint. Brian Gallagher It was a true partnership and collaboration. I really appreciated that the Slalom team was so invested in the project being successful, and we never had to push a date or reduce scope. Our Manufacturing, distribution, & logistics expertise Distribution & logistics Distribution and logistics organizations face growing pressure for speed, visibility, and cost efficiency. We enable end-to-end transformation across warehousing, transportation, and fulfillment through automation, advanced analytics, and real-time insights to build more agile, resilient supply chains. Chemicals & materials To operate in an ever-changing environment, chemicals and materials companies must navigate shifting regulations, supply chain complexity, and evolving customer demands. We help organizations optimize operations, enhance product innovation, and build resilient, efficient value chains to drive performance and growth. Construction & engineering The construction and engineering industry is going through a rapid digital transformation across digital operations, digital engineering, modular construction, and strategic sourcing. We can support by designing complex engineering projects to building multiyear transformations of bridges, buildings, and everything in between. Industrials & electronics Industrial companies are navigating supply chain volatility, rising costs, and increasing demand for connected, intelligent products. We help modernize operations through digital manufacturing, smart factory enablement, and data-driven decision-making to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability. Mobility Individual mobility has always been part of human nature. Along with technological breakthroughs, innovation, and disruption, we support the definition and execution of new business models as well as their technological foundations. The future of factories [Hitachi America](https://www.hitachi.us/rd/customer-cocreation/), [Ericsson](https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2024/6/smart-factory-inspections-with-private-5g), and Slalom collaborated on a proof of concept to develop an automated quality inspection solution at Hitachi Rail’s Maryland facility leveraging SPOT, a robotic dog from [Boston Dynamics](https://bostondynamics.com/). Using the latest robot technologies to inspect train car production, this proof of concept demonstrates the power of smart factories to increase efficiency, consistency, worker safety, and traceability—while capturing large amounts of data to further improve the flow of operations on the factory floor. Watch the video Don Rogers Don Rogers is a managing director with more than 15 years of experience leading digital transformation in the manufacturing sector. He partners with clients to increase profitability, reduce risk, and unlock new growth opportunities through modern technology. Outside of work, Don is a certified private pilot and passionate about aviation. Connect with Don Stephan Theis Leadership Stephan has spent more than 20 years in German industry with organizations ranging from an automotive OEM to an Industry 4.0 startup. Data is the glue of his professional career, while three kids keep him healthy at home. Connect with Stephan Mark Cumm Mark is a Senior Director with 30+ years of experience across OEMs, integrators, manufacturing, and consulting. As Slalom’s Global Aerospace leader, he drives technology strategy to help clients accelerate transformation, optimize operations, and unlock value. He played Division I and international lacrosse and now coaches in Seattle. Connect with Mark --- title: Media Consulting and Communications Consulting Experts url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/media-communications source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/media-communications locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Media Consulting and Communications Consulting Experts - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/media-communications - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/media-communications - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s deep experience in media consulting & communications consulting services help companies keep pace with the industry’s rapid evolution. ## Body Media Consulting and Communications Consulting Experts Slalom’s deep experience and personalized consulting services help media and communications companies keep pace with the industry’s rapid evolution. Slalom’s deep experience in media consulting & communications consulting services help companies keep pace with the industry’s rapid evolution. Media & communications Media communications We help you redefine what's possible and drive lasting change amid ongoing disruption. From global brands to ambitious startups, studios to streamers, and live sports to gaming, we understand our customers’ teams, culture, and unique challenges—so we can help you deliver the outcomes you want and need most. People playing video games together Media industry trends Read story Fortune 500 companies, AAA gaming studios, and emerging players count on us to help them enact lasting change. Stacy Shaffer PMGSC’s work with Slalom serves as a model for the 300+ other PBS member stations as we navigate the future of public television and sustain our cultural importance. Tom Perry Slalom works with us to help us be successful, rather than just selling services. That builds up a proper trusted relationship, where it’s not just transactional. Bev Kite We’ve all worked together for nine or ten years at this point, so there is a sense of trust. I have confidence that the Slalom team will always express their opinions and be a challenger. VP of Demand Generation and International Marketing What Slalom has done for LiveRamp is on the extreme cutting-edge of what can be done from an analytics perspective. And I don’t think anyone else could have done it for us. Our media communications expertise Communications From network transformation to data-driven customer experiences, we help communications leaders put the latest technology and thinking to work for their customers, employees, and organizations. Gaming From publishers and streaming platforms to PC and console manufacturers, we work with leading gaming companies around the globe to lead high-impact change together. In driving player engagement, accelerating media and sponsorship sales, and more, we believe in doing things differently. Marketing & advertising The industry faces unprecedented disruption: cookie deprecation, new privacy laws, and machine-learning breakthroughs. We partner with leading brands to navigate this shifting landscape and meet customers where they are. From building audience targeting solutions to leveraging data science, Slalom has the proven expertise to meet advertisers' unique business needs. Media & entertainment The media and entertainment industry is rapidly evolving through digital transformation. Companies are transforming content creation and distribution while rethinking the customer experience. We partner with the world’s leading streaming, broadcast, music, and publishing companies to differentiate and drive profitable growth amid turbulence. Sports & live entertainment Within live entertainment and sports, fan experience continues to take center stage. Slalom partners with top sports leagues, teams, venues, and technology providers to deliver best-in-class fan experiences, leveraging the latest industry solutions and technologies such as frictionless retail, personalization, next-generation security, and interconnected stadiums. Anthony Marquardt Leader Placeholder Anthony leads Slalom’s Global Industry organization and serves as the media and communications lead. He has 20+ years of strategic and operational planning experience, managing transformational projects for major telecom and media organizations. Connect with Anthony Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year 2024 Databricks Communications, Media, and Entertainment Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2022 Snowflake Industry Competency - Media & Entertainment Salesforce Media Consulting Industry Solution Award AWS SI Partner of the Year logo 2023 AWS Media & Entertainment Services Competency AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Services Competency See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Public Sector Consulting and Social Impact Consulting url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Public Sector Consulting and Social Impact Consulting - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's public sector consulting & social impact consulting amplifies our government, education, and nonprofit customers’ missions. ## Body Public Sector Consulting and Social Impact Consulting Slalom amplifies our government, education, and nonprofit customers’ missions and connects communities by providing impactful experiences and outcomes. Slalom's public sector consulting & social impact consulting amplifies our government, education, and nonprofit customers’ missions. Public & social impact Public social impact We’re committed to solving the most critical and high-priority challenges facing our communities. Slalom brings extensive experience across government, education, and nonprofit sectors. Our practical end-to-end solutions help you navigate your digital transformation journey, optimize internal operations, and enhance service delivery. Anchored in our purpose of building better tomorrows for all, we partner to drive lasting impact. Volunteers looking at a sheet of paper Government industry trends Read story We partner with government, education, and nonprofit organizations to meet the needs of the communities where we live, work, and play. Our mission At Slalom public and social impact, we amplify the missions of our government, education, nonprofit, and philanthropy clients through innovative solutions, driving positive systemic change in the public and private sectors. As residents, neighbors, and end users of community systems, we have a vested interest in making every project a success. Accountable to the communities we serve, Slalom brings more than solutions: we bring a commitment to making a difference, with passion and relentless drive to create a better future. As a catalyst, we drive systemic impact through bridging technical silos across jurisdictional and geographic regions enhancing cooperation, interoperability, agility, transparency, and accountability among all stakeholders and the communities we serve. Through our insights, resources, and collective expertise, Slalom public social impact empowers our customers to sustain and scale their impact, building better tomorrows for all. US Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS logo white Slalom’s team is experienced and extremely knowledgeable in all technical disciplines. They partner with USCIS [teams] to understand issues and provide the government with logical, technical solutions. Slalom genuinely cares … and wants to help the government operate efficiently and effectively. Atlanta Public Schools Logo In our quickly changing world, the need to innovate is just as critical in academia as it is in the corporate sector. We’re creating the digital university of the future. Mel Culpepper Good things will happen because we have the systems in place … I feel fortunate to have been in a partnership with Slalom. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and this is the best consulting project I’ve ever worked on. Our public and social impact expertise Education Slalom helps our education customers meet the challenges of today and establish a strong foundation for tomorrow. We partner with colleges and universities, school districts, and other organizations that develop knowledge and deliver learning, bringing our expertise to improve the experiences of their students, teachers, and leaders. Federal government Decades of consulting have taught us that people and processes are just as important as the right technology. We combine commercial best practices with federal expertise and collaborate with you to customize solutions that steward taxpayer dollars responsibly while delivering results. Nonprofit & philanthropy Our nonprofit practitioners and field experts are passionate about positively impacting the communities where we live, work, and play. Nonprofit organizations across the globe partner with us to adapt to and prepare for trends shaped by evolving digital technologies, dynamic stakeholder preferences, and community needs. State & local government Government plays a key role in solving the urgent challenges of our time, from digital equity and police transparency to the overhaul of legacy health and human service, transportation, and employment systems that serve millions of residents. We help you reach solutions others will not and then deliver at scale. Federal Expertise Joe Kuntner Joe Kutner headshot A seasoned consulting leader with 25+ years’ experience, Joe has a strong record of guiding strategic business initiatives for healthcare, education, and government organizations. Connect with Joe Jennie Wong, Ph.D. jennie wong slalom A seasoned consulting leader, award-winning social science researcher, and former adjunct faculty at the University of Southern California. Jennie leads Slalom's Education industry, including data and AI implementations that support student success and mission outcomes. Connect with Jennie Andrea Danes Andrea partners with state and local health and human services agencies to modernize Medicaid, eligibility, and integrated service delivery systems. She brings deep experience translating complex policy, funding, and operational challenges into practical, human‑centered solutions that improve outcomes for the communities they serve. Connect with Andrea Ainslie Hancock ainslie hancock slalom Ainslie partners with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to drive transformation that strengthens operations, deepens constituent engagement, and improves community outcomes. She helps organizations navigate complex challenges through people, process, and technology, delivering scalable, people-centered solutions with measurable impact. Connect with Ainslie Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Winner x2 2024 Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Winner x2 | Slalom 2024 Google Public Sector Partner Expertise Badge for AI and ML 2025 Google Public Sector Partner Expertise Badge for AI and ML 2025 Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector 2022 AWS Education Consulting Competency AWS SI Partner of the Year logo AWS Government Consulting Competency AWS Public Sector Partner AWS Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Partner of the Year – North America 2023 See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 Contract vehicles How to do business with us Government agencies, education, and nonprofit organizations can access Slalom’s services through agreements and contract vehicles, including GSA Multiple Award Schedule, NASA SEWP, Texas DBITS, and more. Explore Federal contract vehicles Explore State, Local, & Education contract vehicles (SLED) --- title: Federal Government Consulting & Social Impact Consulting url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Federal Government Consulting & Social Impact Consulting - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom helps US federal agencies harness AI and digital innovation to modernize services, build trust, and achieve lasting mission impact. ## Body Federal Government Consulting & Social Impact Consulting Slalom amplifies our government, education, and nonprofit customers’ missions and connects communities by providing impactful experiences and outcomes. Slalom helps US federal agencies harness AI and digital innovation to modernize services, build trust, and achieve lasting mission impact. Commercial-forged, government-ready Empowering government missions with lasting momentum. We combine commercial best practices with federal expertise to help agencies modernize, steward taxpayer dollars responsibly, and deliver measurable mission outcomes. Our teams work side by side with yours to build practical, enduring solutions—teaching and empowering you to sustain momentum long after our work is done. Government professional female Open AI: Slalom Partners with OpenAI to Enable AI Offerings for the US Government Read story We work alongside government agencies and technology partners to navigate uncertainty, drive modernization, and achieve mission success: AI empowers US Federal agencies to achieve mission impact faster and smarter. Slalom helps agencies harness AI responsibly to enhance decision-making, strengthen public trust, and deliver better services. By applying innovation to national priorities, we create measurable societal outcomes that improve lives and safeguard the future. USCIS logo white Slalom's technical performance is setting the bar across the USCIS Verification program. Their staff is experienced and extremely knowledgeable in all technical disciplines. They have positioned themselves as thought-leaders and trusted advisors to the government. They genuinely care about the success of the Verification program and want to help the government operate efficiently and effectively. Our federal expertise AI and data management We partner with federal agencies to modernize data ecosystems and responsibly deploy AI solutions that enhance mission delivery. Our expertise in ethical AI, intelligent automation, and secure data platforms supports faster decision-making and better citizen outcomes—while ensuring compliance with federal governance standards. Digital transformation Through agile digital transformation, we help government agencies meet evolving mandates and citizen expectations. By modernizing mission-critical systems with data-driven automation and commercial best practices, we help agencies improve service delivery and foster public trust. Cloud migration and transformation We help federal agencies to migrate legacy systems and mission workloads to secure cloud platforms. Our scalable architectures and compliance-ready strategies improve operational resilience and ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Product innovation We empower federal agencies to co-create mission-aligned digital products through agile innovation and human-centered design. From concept to deployment, we deliver secure, compliant solutions that accelerate modernization and enhance citizen services. Technology strategy Through strategic planning and enterprise architecture, we help federal agencies align technology investments with mission outcomes. By reducing technical debt and leveraging cloud, AI, and data platforms, we accelerate transformation across complex government environments. Enterprise business applications We modernize enterprise applications for federal agencies to streamline operations and improve data accessibility. We integrate core business functions using platforms like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday—enabling agile, user-centric, and compliant transformation. Organizational change In times of transformation, we support federal agencies with adaptive change strategies rooted in behavioral insights and agile coaching. This builds trust, aligns stakeholders, and fosters workforce resilience to ensure mission continuity and measurable impact. Kory Kimball Kory has a 30-year track record of enabling teams to improve customer experience, boost operational efficiencies, and enhance business performance. Building strong partnerships with clients and partners is foundational to his approach. Connect with Kory CJ Donnelly Joe Kutner headshot CJ leads Slalom’s US federal market, combining 20 years of federal experience with deep expertise in AI, analytics, and emerging technologies to drive innovation, transformation, and mission success. Connect with CJ April Fordyce april_fordyce_slalom April brings deep expertise in homeland security, law enforcement, and defense to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that address mission-critical challenges and advance impactful outcomes for government clients. Connect with April Jim Igoe jim_igoe_slalom With 24 years of federal consulting experience, Jim builds strategic partnerships to drive innovative solutions and growth across Slalom's emerging federal accounts. Connect with Jim Claire Walsh claire_walsh_slalom Claire is a respected industry leader with 30 years of experience, known for her technical expertise, practical innovation, and ability to translate emerging technology trends into relevant, impactful solutions. Connect with Claire See all awards AI Partner for the Year for Public Sector slalom google cloud partner award 2025 SLED Partner of the Year Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year snowflake partner slalom GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year AWS GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year – Global - 2024 2024 #1 Partner in North America for AI AWS Public Sector Partner Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal/sewp source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal/sewp locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal/sewp - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact/federal/sewp - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom announces Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026, a solution for forward-deployed teams that turn high-priority ideas into measurable outcomes faster. ## Body Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 SEWP VI Slalom is a contract holder under NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement VI Government-Wide Acquisition Contract, commonly known as SEWP VI. Slalom announces Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026, a solution for forward-deployed teams that turn high-priority ideas into measurable outcomes faster. Slalom is a contract holder under NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement VI Government-Wide Acquisition Contract, commonly known as SEWP VI. Slalom was awarded a contract in Category B , which supports enterprise-wide information technology, communications, and audiovisual service solutions for eligible federal agencies. SEWP VI Contract Overview The NASA SEWP (Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement), pronounced soup , provides the latest Information Technology, Communication, and Audio-Visual (ITC/AV) solutions and services for all Federal Agencies and their approved contractors. Federal agencies may use SEWP VI to conduct market research, request quotes, compete requirements, and issue task orders through SEWP's established ordering process. SEWP VI Contract Information - SEWP VI Contract Number: 80TECH26D1862 - Category: Category B — Enterprise-Wide ITC/AV Service Solutions - PoP: Nov 2026 to Oct 2036 - SEWP Surcharge : 0.34% - Slalom UEI: D975PL76FFK7 - Slalom Program Contacts: Program Manager CJ Donnelly: cj.donnelly@slalom.com Deputy Program Manager Claire Walsh: claire.walsh@slalom.com Slalom Ordering Guide Need a Quote? - Confirm your requirement aligns with SEWP VI Category B. - Submit your RFQ through the SEWP Quote Request Tool. - Include Slalom as an eligible contract holder. - Our SEWP Program Office will coordinate your response. Orders are accepted and administered in accordance with NASA SEWP VI ordering procedures and applicable ordering agency requirements. Slalom is committed to performing all work in accordance with the NASA SEWP VI contract, applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements, and ordering agency requirements. How to contact SEWP SEWP PMO Hours: Mon-Fri, 7:30 AM – 6 PM (ET) Email: help@sewp.nasa.gov Customer Help Desk: (301) 286-1478 Website: www.sewp.nasa.gov Slalom Capabilities Slalom delivers enterprise-wide technology solutions that help federal agencies modernize operations, improve mission outcomes, and accelerate digital transformation. Our multidisciplinary teams combine business consulting, technology delivery, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, data and AI, customer experience, and organizational change management to deliver scalable solutions tailored to each agency's mission. Enterprise Technology Services - Enterprise architecture and technology strategy - IT modernization and digital transformation - Technology roadmaps and implementation planning - Enterprise platform implementation and integration - Application modernization and software engineering - Agile delivery and DevSecOps - IT governance and portfolio management Cloud Infrastructure Services - Cloud strategy and migration - Cloud engineering and operations - Hybrid and multi-cloud solutions - Infrastructure modernization - Platform engineering - Cloud optimization and cost management - Managed cloud services - Cybersecurity Digital Trust - Cybersecurity strategy and governance - Identity and access management - Security architecture - Risk and compliance - Security operations enablement - Zero Trust implementation support - Cyber resilience and incident readiness Data, Analytics Artificial Intelligence - Data strategy and governance - Data engineering and modernization - Business intelligence and visualization - Advanced analytics - Artificial intelligence and machine learning - Intelligent automation - Data platform implementation Customer Experience Digital Services - Customer experience strategy - Human-centered design - Digital service design - Service modernization - Collaboration and workplace solutions - Content and knowledge management - Change management and user adoption Enterprise Program Delivery Management - Enterprise program management - PMO establishment and operations - Portfolio governance - Risk and issue management - Quality management - Organizational change management - Training and knowledge transfer --- title: Resources Industry Consulting Experts | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/resources source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/resources locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Resources Industry Consulting Experts | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/resources - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/resources - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s resource industry experts support future-focused innovation across energy and the environment, including agriculture and natural resources. ## Body Resources Industry Consulting Experts | Slalom Slalom’s experts support future-focused innovation across the industries that touch energy and the environment, including agriculture and natural resources. Slalom’s resource industry experts support future-focused innovation across energy and the environment, including agriculture and natural resources. Resources Energy natural resources Now, more than ever, it’s vital that our natural resources are responsibly and efficiently managed. Our experts have supported global leaders in agriculture, energy, environmental services, utilities and much more—connecting teams around the world and attracting top talent for future-focused innovation. Featured Story Placeholder California Water Services Group: Customer journeys that encourage understanding and participation Read story Our global customers include innovators of all sizes, including eight of the top 10 power utilities in the US. Our energy natural resource expertise Agriculture New reports showing the surge in agricultural input prices are raising concerns about global food security. The industry shifting focus to reducing food waste and loss while still fighting supply issues means investing in technology and infrastructure. We’re here to help tackle these ambitious projects and enable long-term success. Energy & utilities The global power and utilities sector faces historic transformation as decarbonization accelerates, electrification drives demand; and AI pressures the grid. Slalom partners with energy leaders using a people-centric, data and outcomes-driven approach, aligning vision with analytics, cloud, and AI to unlock value while balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability. We put both customers and employees at the heart of the energy transition. Environmental services We have a responsibility and opportunity to do good in the world, including bringing critical awareness to how organizations impact both people and the planet. We consciously consider the entire business footprint to guide sustainable growth and build resilience, driving change that will positively impact communities for generations. Natural resources In today’s changing environment, natural resource companies face immense pressure to prioritize the greater good. With workplace transformation, transitions to new technologies, and new regulations to consider, we can help navigate change, improve operations, and drive efficiency on a global scale. The Power Up Podcast The Power Up Podcast The Power Up Podcast is a show where we shine a light on the people, trends, and technology transforming the power and utilities industry. Hosted by longtime energy consultant Tim Stafford and self-proclaimed “New Kid on the Grid” Sara Tupac, the show explores what’s powering the future, from clean energy to digital transformation and AI innovation. Spotify Apple podcasts Tim Stafford Tim Stafford headshot An energy industry leader for 20+ years, Tim unlocks value for customers by harnessing the power of people and technology to solve complex issues. On the weekends, he enjoys time with his family around the San Diego area. Connect with Tim Kevin Duggan Kevin Duggan headshot Kevin partners with energy and manufacturing organizations to tackle complex operational challenges and deliver meaningful transformation through technology, data, and collaboration. Connect with Kevin Sara Tupac Through her work at Slalom, and as co-host of the Power Up Podcast, Sara engages industry leaders on the growing challenge of wildfire mitigation and the innovations utilities are using to better prepare for and respond to wildfire risk. Connect with Sara AWS Energy Consulting Competency Icon of award. See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Consumer Goods Industry and Retail Consulting url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/retail-consumer source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/retail-consumer locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Consumer Goods Industry and Retail Consulting - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/retail-consumer - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/retail-consumer - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s consumer goods industry experts and retail consultants work side by side with you to deliver seamless, scalable, solutions and experiences. ## Body Consumer Goods Industry and Retail Consulting Slalom’s seasoned retail and consumer goods experts work side by side with you to deliver seamless, scalable, omnichannel solutions and experiences. Slalom’s consumer goods industry experts and retail consultants work side by side with you to deliver seamless, scalable, solutions and experiences. Retail & consumer goods Retail consumer goods As everyday consumers, we can simply be satisfied with a product or captivated by a brand experience. Customer expectations continue to evolve and today’s customers expect meaningful interactions wherever they shop or engage with a brand. That’s why Slalom’s retail experts work side by side with you to deliver seamless, scalable, customer-centric, omnichannel experiences. Child in space helmet with LEGO DUPLO robot suit Retail industry trends We partner with Fortune 500 leaders and emerging players as they transform and thrive in a changing marketplace. Julio Torres Slalom has felt like an extension of our team every step of the way, and we’re genuinely excited to grow with even more confidence in our business. Pieter Jordaan We moved away from a very waterfall, project-driven approach for delivering change to delivering business change on demand, at speed and at scale. Cam Heightland In terms of technical expertise, they’re probably the best developers I’ve worked with in my career. I can’t say enough about how much I learned. Our retail consumer goods expertise Consumer packaged goods We help CPG brands unify demand, supply, and commercial planning including RGM (e.g., assortments, pricing, trade spend and promotional investments) using modern data and analytics. We build Agentic Commerce readiness by improving AI visibility (SEO‑to‑GEO), confirming product and checkout data/feed readiness with retail partners, and enabling ACP/UCP/ACS protocols so shoppers can discover and buy anywhere. Quick serve & fast casual dining (QSR) Slalom helps restaurant and dining brands improve digital ordering, kitchen and labor operations, and supply and menu planning while adapting to inflation and workforce volatility. Using modern platforms and data-driven decisioning, we drive throughput, guest satisfaction, menu and operational innovation, and profitable unit growth. Retail The retail industry sets the pace for innovation and customer experience. Slalom brings deep knowledge and hands-on experience to modernize commerce and store operations; elevate digital and in-store experiences; and use data and AI to optimize assortments, pricing, promotions, and inventory. The result is faster merchandising decisions, stronger loyalty, and resilient omnichannel growth. Travel We help travel brands modernize offer-order commerce, post-booking servicing, and traveler engagement across digital and human channels. We deliver self-service experiences, GenAI trip planners, and agent-assist copilots that reduce contact-center demand, improve service, and accelerate conversion and loyalty. Hospitality Hospitality brands modernize guest engagement, booking, and service operations across properties and channels, delivering improved experiences and greater efficiency. Slalom delivers AI-powered guest experiences, self-service capabilities, and agent-assist copilots that improve personalization, operational efficiency, guest satisfaction, and revenue. Ken Dickman A consulting leader for over 20 years, Ken is known for developing effective solutions to strategic and operational challenges. He’s passionate about creating organic growth strategies and programs that deliver tangible volume, revenue, and profit contributions. Connect with Ken Peter Hammer Nicole Cunningham Peter is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of driving multi-billion-dollar growth across airlines, cruise lines, consulting, and related sectors. He specializes in strategy, digital and enterprise transformation, customer experience, revenue generation, and organizational leadership. Adept at building high-performing teams, he consistently delivers strong results for stakeholders. Connect with Peter 2026 databricks award slalom Industry Partner of the Year – Retail – North America Industry Partner of the Year - Travel and Hospitality – North America Snowflake Industry Competency - Retail and CPG retail snowflake AWS Industry partner of the year - Travel and Hospitality - Global 2023 AWS Travel & Hospitality Consulting Competency AWS SI Partner of the Year logo Snowflake Industry Competency - Travel and Hospitality See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Technology Consulting Experts | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/technology source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/technology locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Technology Consulting Experts | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/industries/technology - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/technology - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Slalom helps technology companies shape the future with extensive technology consulting experience and end-to-end services. ## Body Technology Consulting Experts | Slalom Slalom helps hardware, software, and professional services companies shape the future with extensive technology consulting experience and end-to-end services. Slalom helps technology companies shape the future with extensive technology consulting experience and end-to-end services. Technology Every company is a technology company. Slalom technology consulting experts have earned the trust of the top hardware, software, and professional services companies that advance technology at every turn. Together, we design, develop, test, build, and manage solutions that help shape the future of … everything. Technology Consulting | Slalom LogRhythm: Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity Read story We partner with established players and adventurous startups, everywhere from Silicon Valley to Seoul. Abhishek Lal On day one, Slalom provided people that worked well with each other, were very, very skilled, and were ready to start building. Rex Young I knew Slalom wouldn’t miss a deadline, they’d be under budget, and they’d provide a realistic view of how we could attack the problem. Hiroshi Koiwai Working with Slalom Build has given us the latest technology and an understanding of the importance of organizational culture, customer relationship building, and team collaboration for product development. Our technology consulting expertise Hardware From home entertainment to mobile handset manufacturing, we help hardware companies understand customers and meet their needs in an ever-changing landscape. Software We work with software companies of all sizes to drive innovation and prepare for growth by harnessing new technologies that help them excel in a rapidly evolving industry. Semiconductor In an increasingly connected world, the role of semiconductor companies is more critical than ever. We offer insights, services, and solutions to help our customers navigate uncertainty and capitalize on emerging technologies such as AI and IoT. Professional services Our teams help professional services organizations drive ROI as they innovate and adapt to better serve their customers. Snowflake Industry Competency - Technology Icon of award technology snowflake See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: 10 practices for acquired employee onboarding in M&A url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 10 practices for acquired employee onboarding in M&A - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn the 10 practices we recommend for acquired companies to counter attrition and drive engagement during the onboarding process. ## Body 10 practices for acquired employee onboarding in M&A Learn the 10 practices we recommend for acquired companies to counter attrition and drive engagement during the onboarding process. Share insight man shaking hands Acquired company employee turnover results in poor deal value realization. A tangible example of this is Okta’s loss in market capitalization of about 30% after [announcing](https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/09/14/3-big-reasons-oktas-stock-recently-imploded/) higher than the anticipated turnover in the Sales organization of a recent acquisition amongst other reasons. In this article, we’re examining the role [sense of belonging](https://go.slalom.com/managing-uncertainty-thought-guide) plays in both turnover and engagement. Read on to learn the 10 practices we recommend for acquired companies to counter attrition and drive engagement during the onboarding process. Attrition, retention, and the need to belong [A 2019 study by the MIT Sloan School](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/your-acquired-hires-are-leaving-heres-why) puts the average attrition during the first year of acquired company employees at 34% and of hired employees at only 12%. One can argue that if 34% of employees leave, an equal number are looking for another job and are not fully engaged. With these turnover and engagement challenges in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that most deals struggle to achieve the intended deal objectives. In fact, [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-big-idea-the-new-ma-playbook) puts the failure rate of mergers and acquisitions (M A) between 70% and 90%. Another interesting insight this study provides is the gap in retention between acquired and hired company employees in year one. Following year one, retention rates align between these two groups. This suggests that something is happening in year one that causes acquired company employees to attrit at much higher rates than hired employees. Retained employees regular hires This blog explains the importance of a “sense of belonging” to the acquiring company and how to structure the onboarding process for acquired company employees to drive retention and engagement. Baumeister Leary articulated the [“belongingness theory”](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-29052-001) and call the “need to belong” the most fundamental human motivation. This desire is so universal that the need to belong is found across all cultures and different types of people. This is true for both hired and acquired company employees. When comparing the average turnover of hired company employees (12%) with acquired company employees (34%), it appears that acquired company employees struggle the most to create a sense of belonging to the new parent company in year one. This is no surprise, as many acquired company employees struggle to transition their sense of belonging from the acquired to the acquiring company. This transition period is called the “liminal space” — it defines the period where an employee’s association with the acquired company is declining without yet developing a strong sense of belonging to the acquiring company. During this timeframe, an employee is especially vulnerable to exploring outside opportunities and responding to headhunter calls. Headhunters are also known to be eager consumers of M A news, which signal fertile hunting grounds. sense of belonging Because “belonging” is an abstract internal psychological state and we can’t see, touch, or measure it, we can only infer belonging from human behavior. Most of us are probably familiar with [Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs](https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/), which articulates a motivational theory in psychology. According to Maslow, love and belongingness are key needs that must be satisfied before we can progress on to meet higher-level growth needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs All this points to the importance of the onboarding process of acquired company employees. But before we dive into best practices for onboarding, it’s important to note that there are three structural differences between acquired and hired employee onboarding: - Choice — Acquired company employees generally didn’t interview at the acquiring company and therefore didn’t experience the exciting “got the job” moment. - Workload — Acquired company employees must perform their daily tasks related to their legacy organization to “keep the lights on” while simultaneously attending onboarding training and events. Many are also called upon to support integration activities, which can easily lead to burnout. - Environment — Hired employees are usually surrounded by teams with tenure at the organization, enabling them to receive informal support and encouragement. Acquired company employees, however, often transition into the acquiring company as a team and are thereby surrounded by colleagues who are also new to the organization. Most companies use the new-hire onboarding process for acquired company employees with a few modifications. As the [data from MIT Sloan School indicates](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/your-acquired-hires-are-leaving-heres-why), this is insufficient, as it doesn’t address sense of belonging as a key driver for retention and engagement. Best practices for acquired employee onboarding 1. Cascade onboarding Ensure that there’s a structured onboarding process across all levels of the organization. Most companies do a good job of onboarding employees at the company level, including introductions to company values, HR benefits, compliance training, end-user computing, and productivity tools. However, onboarding at the functional and team levels is less structured since it primarily relies on on-the-job training. 2. Integration roadmap Develop a detailed integration roadmap, which spells out when functions and teams are coming together. Not all functions are integrated at the same time—often general and administrative (G A) functions are integrated first, followed by Go-to-Market (GTM) functions and engineering functions. Having a clear roadmap enables acquired company employees to understand how they’re being integrated into the organization and puts their onboarding experience into context. 3. Employee experience Use Design Thinking principles to create “Moments of Truth”, which define the onboarding experience of acquired company employees. The onboarding process is a unique opportunity to introduce acquired company employees to the culture and values of the organization. For example, if customer centricity is a key value of the organization, the onboarding experience should reflect that and highlight how the acquiring company is creating “customer delight” with everything they do. 4. Change overload Create an integrated change impact roadmap and ensure integration workstreams driving change in a consistent and coordinated fashion. Without creating visibility across integration tracks of all the changes, it’s easy to arrive at a state of overload. Best-in-class acquirers create impact heatmaps that show which employee group is being stretched and devise strategies and communications to mitigate risk. This includes hiring temporary employees to lessen the burden and giving impacted stakeholder groups notice about upcoming changes. 5. Leadership participation The role of acquired company leaders as catalysts for change and stewards to create a sense of belonging cannot be understated. In general, the ability to contribute is often mentioned as one of the biggest drivers to creating a sense of belonging. A common mistake is not sufficiently including acquired company leaders in integration planning and execution. Change is most likely to be successful when it is done with them and not to them. However, it’s important to strike a fine balance and not overload acquired company leaders, since they’ll be going through the liminal space themselves. 6. Onboarding playbooks Most companies that are growing through acquisitions have M A playbooks. These playbooks should also include a detailed outline of the onboarding process both at company and functional levels. The documentation of high-level processes for each function is important not just for process integration, but also serves as an enabler for functional onboarding. 7. “Long-boarding” Think of onboarding not as an event, but as a journey. Therefore, acquired company employee onboarding can be referred to as “long-boarding.” Many organizations create onboarding plans that cover three to six months. To create a sense of belonging at all levels, a more reasonable timeframe is at least 100 days after day one. 8. Onboarding workstream Onboarding is a cross-functional activity driven by the Integration Management Office (IMO), which includes every integration workstream. The onboarding workstream focuses on creating a consistent onboarding experience and functions as the control center, ensuring that the desired employee experience is delivered. 9. Listening posts In M A, things move quickly and there is little time to react. An increase in turnover suggests that things have been going in the wrong direction for a while. Therefore, it’s imperative to create “listening posts” that enable the IMO and integration leadership team to understand the sentiment of acquired company employees. Listening posts include 30/60/90-day surveys and other mechanisms, such as change agent networks, number of calls to the support center, sick leave, customer satisfaction metrics, and more. 10. Support Create a support hotline for acquired company employees. The most obvious need for support is to help them learn the acquired company systems. These hotlines should be cross-staffed with the acquired company’s IT staff since they know the legacy systems and can easily put the new in the context of the old. Additional hotlines can then be created by function, such as sales enablement. Conclusion Creating a positive experience during onboarding for acquired company employees is not just a nice-to-have—it’s critical to deal value realization. It also provides a template for leaders to estimate their capacity for onboarding an acquired organization. After all, improving the onboarding process of acquired company employees will also improve the onboarding experience of hired employees, ultimately reducing turnover and driving a sense of belonging across the organization. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a-4c47717af3e). Two Workers Shaking Hands --- title: accelerated modernization eliminates legacy barriers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerated-modernization-eliminates-legacy-barriers source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerated-modernization-eliminates-legacy-barriers locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # accelerated modernization eliminates legacy barriers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerated-modernization-eliminates-legacy-barriers - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerated-modernization-eliminates-legacy-barriers - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Explore how accelerated modernization delivers speed, scalability, and innovation—without the cost and risk of traditional approaches. ## Body accelerated modernization eliminates legacy barriers Explore how accelerated modernization delivers speed, scalability, and innovation—without the cost and risk of traditional approaches. The future won’t wait for your legacy systems The future won't wait for your legacy systems Accelerated modernization delivers agility, innovation, and growth Yesterday’s essentials are today’s technical debt and transformation roadblocks. Mounting technical debt continues to challenge agility, productivity, and innovation. While these legacy systems often carry critical business logic and have earned their place through reliability, they now demand significant time and resources to maintain. Nearly 80% of IT teams report spending up to 25 hours per week just updating and patching aging systems—and nearly a third of those platforms can’t support modern workloads, according to [a 2024 survey](https://www.ciodive.com/news/legacy-technology-technical-debt-costs-enterprise-data-AI/721885/) reported by CIO Dive. The result: reduced flexibility, rising operational costs, and real limitations on AI adoption and digital acceleration. But the landscape has changed. Together [cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud) and [AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) have made high-effort transformation feasible and scalable. And today’s tech leaders are expected to do more than just keep the lights on—they’re out there building what’s next. Modernization is no longer a moonshot. It’s a strategic move forward. In fact, 95% of IT decision-makers and developers say it’s essential to their organization’s success, according to the [2024 Red Hat Application Modernization Report.](https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/app-modernization-report) The question now is how to do it—faster, with less risk, and in ways your business can sustain. Why now is the time to modernize For years, modernization meant high costs, long timelines, and unacceptable risk. Replatforming or rehosting efforts often left companies stuck with outdated functionality running on newer infrastructure. And rewriting monoliths from scratch? Too complex, too costly, too slow. But conditions have changed. And this time, it’s in your favor. Four major shifts are redefining what’s possible—and practical—in modernization: - Cloud maturity has finally caught up with ambition. Ten years ago, moving to the cloud meant experimentation. Today, it’s the foundation. According to O’Reilly’s 2024 Tech Trends report, 90% of companies have adopted cloud technology. With better tooling, architecture patterns, and operational models, organizations now have the foundation to support modern, scalable platforms. - AI is no longer experimental—it’s transformational. While AI has been a part of modernizations for over two decades, generative AI is a game changer. Large language models and AI agents are now powerful accelerators - helping teams analyze legacy code, map dependencies, generate tests, and even assist with refactoring. But modernization is still complex. These tools support the work - they don’t replace the need for expertise, sound judgment, and careful orchestration. The result when automation and expertise work in sync? Reduced risk, faster outcomes, and less reliance on limited internal expertise. In fact, [78% of organizations](https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/app-modernization-report) now expect AI to help facilitate their modernization efforts. - Operational risk is rising fast. Legacy systems have powered businesses for decades - and many still deliver unmatched performance and reliability. But integrating them with today’s evolving business demands can create friction. As customer expectations, regulatory pressures, and AI-driven capabilities accelerate, the limitations of older platforms become more visible. Compliance updates grow more complex. Upgrades take longer. And as experienced specialists retire, continuity becomes harder to maintain. These systems aren't broken - but without adaptation, they can become bottlenecks to speed, flexibility, and innovation. - Innovation has become a moving target. In today’s market, speed alone isn’t the strategy - responsiveness is. Customers expect personalized, seamless, always-on experiences, and businesses need the agility to deliver. That responsiveness can’t stop at the front end. It requires flexible, integrated systems that support faster decision-making and shorter product cycles. But legacy platforms can create barriers - slowing development, complicating integration, and stalling the feedback loops that drive continuous improvement. The same challenges that once made modernization feel risky—scale, complexity, interdependencies—are now the very pressures driving change. What used to be deferred is becoming untenable. Fortunately, the enablers have evolved: AI makes high-effort transformation more achievable. Cloud architectures unlock scalability. And the business demands for speed, resilience, and innovation? They’re only growing. That’s where accelerated modernization comes in. It’s a smarter, faster, AI-powered way to transform outdated systems into scalable, cloud-native platforms - without the cost, risk, or time of traditional rebuilds. What is accelerated modernization? Accelerated modernization is an AI-powered way to rebuild and future-proof legacy systems—faster, safer and with less complexity than traditional approaches. At its core, this is about evolving how modernization gets done. Proven strategies like phased replatforming and modular design still play a critical role. But now they’re supported by generative AI and agentic workflows—tools that help teams better understand complexity, move with greater precision, and unlock functionality faster. The outcome isn’t just modernized code—it’s a more sustainable, scalable architecture that improves integration, performance, and long-term adaptability. How it works Accelerated modernization blends automation, AI-powered insight, and human expertise to streamline every phase of the process - without compromising continuity or quality. Here’s how: - AI-powered code understanding. We use intelligent tools to analyze legacy codebases—COBOL, PL/I, or others—and surface functionality, dependencies, and embedded business logic. Slalom experts validate the results to ensure accuracy and preserve what matters most. - AI-powered documentation . Our tools scan and document the existing system in full—from dependencies and architecture to embedded business logic—creating a living knowledge base for teams. - Intelligent code generation . AI agents assist in generating modular, scalable code—but always with human guidance. While these tools accelerate analysis and drafting, expert input is critical to ensure the code aligns with architecture goals and preserves the business logic at the core of your operations. - Parallelized workflows. Automation in testing and code review enables more frequent development cycles—accelerating progress without skipping critical steps. Teams can move faster while staying aligned to established SDLC processes and maintaining full control. - Scalable solutions. Modernized systems are built to grow with your business. We design future-ready architectures—modular, cloud-native, and adaptable to whatever comes next. Our accelerated modernization solution isn’t tied to one AI stack. It’s fully decoupled from a specific toolset or LLM, so you can use the tools of today (and tomorrow) interchangeably. We help you integrate your preferred tools or build a custom agentic layer to match your architecture, teams, and goals. And with strong partnerships across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud, and others, we accelerate implementation without locking you in. Why it's different Slalom’s accelerated modernization delivers speed without sacrifice. Unlike traditional replatforming or rewrite projects, it balances innovation, scale, and continuity—on your terms. - Accelerated impact: Automation removes bottlenecks helping teams deliver in weeks what used to take months. - Reduced risk: Phased rollouts and human-in-the-loop validation reduce failure points. We combine generative AI with deterministic tools to analyze complex codebases—especially when documentation is missing or institutional knowledge has faded—giving teams a multi-lens baseline to modernize safely. - Scalable expertise: Augmenting internal teams with AI agents helps stretch scarce legacy expertise and accelerate delivery without increasing headcount. - Future-ready: Systems are rebuilt using modular, cloud-native patterns—grounded in your real architecture, not a vendor’s ideal. Our approach blends proven design with automation and AI-readiness, so you can extend capabilities, integrate faster, and evolve without starting over. Modernization isn’t a tech refresh—it’s a strategic shift. One that helps you build systems aligned to growth, change, and long-term value. Guiding principles True modernization lasts beyond go-live. It means building the confidence and capability to adapt, grow, and lead long after the project ends. That’s why every accelerated modernization engagement Slalom is involved with is shaped by a few core principles: - Upskilling as we deliver. We don’t just modernize your systems—we modernize your teams. Your engineers work side by side with ours, gaining hands-on experience with modern tools, cloud-native architectures, and AI-driven workflows. - Conscientious human-in-the-loop delivery. AI plays a critical role in accelerating modernization, but people stay in the driver’s seat. Our approach integrates human oversight at every step—ensuring quality, knowledge transfer, and better outcomes. - Adapted to your teams, not the other way around. We meet you where you are. Whether you’re just beginning a mainframe migration or scaling modern platforms, we tailor our frameworks and delivery models to fit your organization—not force a one-size-fits-all approach. - Designed for sustainability. Our accelerated modernization solution avoids creating tomorrow’s legacy. It’s built using repeatable patterns, reusable components, and clean documentation so teams can build forward faster, without locking themselves into new monoliths. Questions to answer: - What is my business case for modernization? - What’s the scope of the technology I’d be modernizing? - What’s been holding our company back? Why Slalom Modernization doesn’t have to mean starting over. You don’t need a massive rebuild team waiting in the wings. You need a partner who works with you—combining AI, engineering, and business insight to unlock real outcomes. At [Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/us/en), we modernize with your teams. That means faster progress, lower risk, and stronger internal capability. With our accelerated modernization solution, your organization can finally move past outdated systems—and toward a future that’s more agile, scalable, and ready for what’s next. Talk to a modernization expert Let’s talk Share story --- title: Accelerating Business Model Innovation with Generative AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerating-business-model-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerating-business-model-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Accelerating Business Model Innovation with Generative AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerating-business-model-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerating-business-model-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Utilizing artificial intelligence, businesses are transforming their traditional innovation methods, paving the way for accelerated invention. ## Body Accelerating Business Model Innovation with Generative AI Accelerating Business Model Innovation | Gen AI | Slalom Utilizing artificial intelligence, businesses are transforming their traditional innovation methods, paving the way for accelerated invention. Accelerating business model innovation with GenAI Share insight Revolutionizing innovation and augmenting human capabilities Innovation has always been the cornerstone of real progress in business. As industries become increasingly competitive and fast-paced, organizations seek ways to improve their innovation pipeline, value, and speed to market. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a powerful tool in this pursuit, revolutionizing how companies can approach market research, ideation, problem-solving, and product launches. In this blog post, we will explore [the transformative potential of generative AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) across Slalom’s stages of the innovation journey, from idea generation to market fit and beyond. GenAI is especially helpful at several specific times along the innovation journey. It is exceptionally adept at augmenting customer feedback and extrapolating market trends. It can identify patterns and make predictions by analyzing vast amounts of data, providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making. In doing so, GenAI accelerates the speed to market and speed to value by reducing processes that might have taken months to days or even hours. However, there are areas where GenAI is best used [in conjunction with human interaction](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations). For instance, it is not a real customer and can’t replace human feedback or insights gained from direct interactions. While it can provide valuable data-driven feedback, it lacks the nuanced understanding from firsthand customer experiences. Additionally, evaluating a solution’s fit within a specific company’s unique portfolio and strategy requires a human touch. AI alone can’t fully grasp each organization’s culture, resources, and goals. And with the current acceleration of GenAI being fueled by several factors, booms and busts in GenAI startups have become more frequent, with some companies solving problems so rapidly that they negate their own startup value within a year. The cycles in the AI industry are becoming quicker, demanding that almost all companies invest in continuous adaptation and innovation. However, it’s essential to remember that GenAI should augment and accelerate human capabilities, not replace them. 82% of executives plan to increase their AI investments in 2025—up from 70% in 2023. Slalom’s test-and-learn pathways, from insight to innovation At Slalom, our Innovation Pipeline Activation embodies our dedication to foresight and systematic research. Designed for a dynamic business landscape, our approach proactively anticipates and mitigates risks. More than just stages, our pipeline reflects our commitment to agile and open innovation. With a foundation in rigorous experimentation, our test-and-learn methodology ensures adaptability in every strategy. Looking into the future, generative AI supercharges our innovative capabilities, redefining the blueprint of business model innovation. A “show, don’t tell” approach to generative AI At Slalom, we go beyond merely discussing the transformative power of GenAI; we’re keen on showcasing its tangible impact. Using our approach, we’ll guide you through the myriad applications of GenAI across various stages of business model innovation. Among the options presented, we’ve highlighted and brought to life a few key areas: from market exploration and assumption modeling to design prototyping and partner strategy design. Witness firsthand how GenAI seamlessly integrates, enhancing each step. Through this illustrative journey, we move beyond theoretical concepts, underscoring our commitment to practical, transformative GenAI applications that are actively reshaping the innovation landscape. Market research and the unleashed power of data Market research stands as the bedrock for trailblazing innovation in our methodology. Drawing from vast pools of data, spanning diverse sources and often proprietary internal datasets, we unearth pivotal insights into customer behavior, market shifts, and nascent opportunities. Through rigorous analysis, we enable organizations to pinpoint gaps in their current offerings and recognize untapped potential, equipping them to make judicious decisions and embark on strategic business model innovation initiatives. Demo: Market and trend exploration with GenAI This is a recorded screen-flow demo of the generative output… There is no audio (it’s not your speakers). The demo delves deep into the details of industry-specific markets and trends using AIPRM, a Chrome plug-in for ChatGPT that provides users with custom-curated prompts. For those eager to experience Slalom’s AIPRM prompt firsthand, [we’ve provided a link for you here](https://app.aiprm.com/prompts/1856386506668363776). This isn’t just a glimpse into the future of market and trend exploration — it’s our gift to you. Dive in, explore, and witness the power of GenAI for this crucial strategic step for yourselves. Assumption modeling and the quest for overturning uncertainty At the heart of our approach lies the Business Model Canvas, a strategic tool that meticulously maps out vital business model components, from unique value propositions to key customer segments. But a canvas, no matter how detailed, remains a static representation unless it’s put to the test. This is where our assumption modeling steps in. Central to our methodology, we constantly challenge and validate each canvas element, driving clarity and innovation. Whether it’s gauging the intricacies of “customer behaviors” or reenvisioning channels of value delivery, our assumption modeling provides a systematic, iterative process to refine each section. In our hands, the canvas isn’t just a static blueprint; it’s a dynamic landscape where business hypotheses are continuously explored, validated, and evolved. Demo: Business model assumptions for testing The demo delves deep into the intricacies of assumption modeling by business model components using AIPRM, a Chrome plug-in for ChatGPT that provides users with custom-curated prompts. For enthusiasts wanting a hands-on experience, we’re offering [direct access to the prompt](https://app.aiprm.com/prompts/1856402245559267328). Beyond being a mere window into advanced assumption modeling, this is an invitation from us. Engage, investigate, and personally grasp the significance of this critical innovation phase. Design prototypes convey the boundless potential of the future Delving deeper into our innovative approach, we encounter the pivotal role of design prototypes. These tangible representations of future visions are not merely illustrative but interactive explorations of what’s to come. Our approach to designing prototypes transcends mere visualization — it’s about tangible interaction and iterative refinement. At every stage, we emphasize functionality, user experience, and adaptability. While many see prototypes as the end product of a design process, we view them as living entities, evolving with each feedback loop and insight gathered. Through our method, design prototypes don’t just predict the future; they actively shape it, ensuring that the final product isn’t just functional, visionary, and innovative. Demo: Generative design prototypes This one has some amazing audio, so turn up the volume to hear from Evelyn. Partnership strategy for joint business model activation In most modern strategies, collaboration is crucial. Understanding the power of collective effort, we emphasize partnership synergy. Instead of working on business models separately, our approach promotes co-creation, pooling strengths, and tackling challenges together. This method allows us to combine resources and insights, breaking conventional limits. Partnerships are more than simple alliances; they’re about joining forces to innovate effectively and produce robust, forward-thinking business models. Demo: Partner model strategy design The demo delves deep into the intricacies of partner model strategies, again using AIPRM, a Chrome plug-in for ChatGPT that provides users with custom-curated prompts. Those with a zest for exploring new frontiers can [delve directly through our provided prompt link](https://app.aiprm.com/prompts/1856435496122314752). Rather than just showcasing the depth of partner strategy design, this is our call to action for you. Dive deep, understand, and truly appreciate the essence of this strategic unlock. --- title: Accelerating risk modernization for regulated financial systems url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerating-risk-modernization-for-regulated-financial-systems source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerating-risk-modernization-for-regulated-financial-systems locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Accelerating risk modernization for regulated financial systems - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/accelerating-risk-modernization-for-regulated-financial-systems - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerating-risk-modernization-for-regulated-financial-systems - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Discover how modernizing liquidity risk management with Snowflake and Slalom drives real-time insights and sets the foundation for broader risk transformation. ## Body Accelerating risk modernization for regulated financial systems With “risk and reg” dominating 2025 priorities, see how Snowflake and Slalom modernize liquidity risk and drive broader transformation. Discover how modernizing liquidity risk management with Snowflake and Slalom drives real-time insights and sets the foundation for broader risk transformation. Share Purpose-built tools are out; enterprise systems are in. Financial institutions depend on high-quality data for everything from client servicing to risk assessment. This reliance is especially critical in managing risk, including liquidity, market, and credit risk, where precise, real-time insights allow institutions to track available funds, predict cash flows, and ensure they can meet both current obligations and future demands. However, achieving this level of speed and precision is a persistent challenge for much of the industry. Many institutions continue to operate on legacy technology platforms not designed to handle the demands of today’s real-time data environments. These outdated systems make it difficult to gain a unified view of risk, integrate data effectively, or respond quickly to market changes. Modernizing these platforms requires more than just a technological upgrade—it demands a fundamental rethinking of how data is unified, governed, and processed across the organization. As market volatility and trading velocity continue to soar, the need for real-time, dynamic risk management has never been greater. Legacy, purpose-built risk applications are no longer sufficient for institutions that require up-to-the-minute insights to manage positions, hedge exposures, and proactively mitigate risks. By adopting modern risk management systems, financial institutions can unlock new efficiencies, reduce operational complexity, and strengthen their resilience in an increasingly dynamic and regulated financial landscape. Championing change in a highly regulated industry Financial institutions depend on a complex network of interconnected players and systems that produce vast amounts of data in different formats and at varying speeds. Externally, data flows from trading platforms, clearinghouses, and market participants, while internally, fragmented systems and siloed infrastructures often limit the ability to integrate data effectively. These inefficiencies not only delay critical risk calculations but also expose firms to greater regulatory and reputational liabilities. While some leading institutions have successfully transitioned to cloud-based, real-time systems, a significant portion of the industry still relies on decades-old platforms for critical functions like transaction clearing and risk calculations. Resource constraints, driven by the demands of regulatory reviews, audits, and compliance requirements, leave little bandwidth for large-scale modernization efforts. Years of custom development tailored to specific business and regulatory needs have created significant technical debt, making migration both resource-intensive and overwhelming. These factors, coupled with the need to carefully phase changes to avoid operational disruptions, create high barriers to modernization. In the face of these adversities, modernization offers the promise of improved efficiency, cost reduction, and the ability to meet growing market and regulatory expectations for real-time capabilities—benefits that some institutions are already reaping. Building resilient risk systems with the Snowflake AI Data Cloud Modern data platforms like [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) are transforming the industry by enabling real-time data processing, unifying fragmented systems, and providing the scalability needed to adapt to evolving market demands. By centralizing data into a secure, governed environment, Snowflake enables faster, more accurate risk calculations and real-time insights—essential in today’s fast-paced market. With its ability to ensure transparency, traceability, and regulatory compliance, Snowflake helps institutions reduce complexity and costs, improve operational efficiency, and build trust. These capabilities empower teams to shift focus from manual processes to strategic decision-making, creating a strong foundation for tackling today’s challenges and adapting to future demands. An impactful example of Snowflake's transformative role in finance is the story of one systemically important financial market utility (SIMFU). Leveraging the Snowflake AI Data Cloud and [Amazon Web Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) (AWS), this organization revolutionized its risk management operations, enabling its liquidity risk team to focus on strategic, value-driven initiatives while building a foundation for organization-wide modernization. Burdened by legacy technology, the institution faced all too familiar challenges in meeting stringent regulatory requirements and handling ad hoc data and reporting demands. To modernize in such a highly regulated, risk-averse environment, the organization teamed up with Slalom, a trusted partner since 2017, to develop a strategy and roadmap for transitioning to a modern cloud-based platform., Amazon Web Services. Using Slalom's modernization methodology, the team defined a clear vision and multiyear roadmap aligned with IT and business objectives to ensure cohesive progress. The solution established a robust technical foundation using Snowflake’s advanced tools—such as Snowpark for in-database computations, Horizon for data quality measurement, and Snowpark Container Services for custom user experiences. Slalom and Snowflake joined up for a webinar focused on how modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increase productivity and improves accuracy. Watch the webinar Blueprint for success Modernizing risk systems often begins with a specific pain point, such as liquidity risk, but the benefits extend far beyond, serving as a foundation for unified processes across finance, treasury, and risk disciplines. When approached strategically, addressing these specific risks creates a ripple effect—enhancing consistency, simplifying complexity, and aligning quantitative practices across the business. For financial institutions still reliant on legacy systems that struggle to keep pace with evolving regulatory demands and dynamic market conditions, the SIMFU success story provides a blueprint, demonstrating the power of strategic, incremental change. By breaking down the modernization journey into clear, actionable steps, organizations can achieve meaningful progress without disrupting critical operations. This measured approach delivers immediate value while simultaneously building the foundation for broader transformation. The result is a pragmatic pathway that allows financial institutions to modernize at a sustainable pace while maintaining operational stability. Key elements of this approach include: - Identify key pain points and prioritize for ROI: Start by pinpointing the areas causing the greatest inefficiencies or challenges. Prioritize solutions that deliver the most significant value quickly to generate early wins, build momentum, and demonstrate measurable return on investment (ROI). - Evaluate technology gaps and solve with innovative solutions: Assess legacy systems, processes, and workflows to identify inefficiencies. Partner with trusted technology providers to implement leading-edge solutions that address immediate needs while positioning the organization for sustainable, long-term growth. - Ensure robust governance of the modernization program: Establish clear governance frameworks to oversee the execution of modernization efforts. Focus on aligning decisions with strategic priorities, maintaining accountability, and ensuring solutions are implemented effectively across targeted areas like liquidity risk. - Develop scalable frameworks for broader application: Once a solution is successfully implemented, build reusable frameworks and processes to accelerate future efforts. By standardizing technology choices and proving patterns of success, you can streamline modernization across additional areas, such as other types of risk management, saving time and resources. - Adopt a holistic approach to people, processes, and technology: Align tools and technologies with user needs and organizational objectives. Consider the broader ecosystem—encompassing people, workflows, and cultural readiness—to ensure successful adoption and long-term transformation. By adopting a multi-step, customer-centric approach focused on iterative value delivery and scalability, organizations can modernize efficiently, achieve early results, and establish a foundation for long-term innovation. Slalom’s [Risk Platform Accelerator](https://go.slalom.com/snowflake-risk-platform) leverages this methodology to deliver fast, cost-effective, event-driven risk applications on Snowflake, with capabilities for system health tracking and scalability across market, credit, liquidity, and operational risks. Modernize with confidence Whether it's retail banking, investment management, or capital markets, reliable data from a single source saves time, reduces costs, and enables better decision-making. Centralizing financial data into secure, unified systems ensures accuracy, timeliness, and traceability, empowering institutions to confidently assess risks, manage liquidity, and optimize transactions. The shift from fragmented, purpose-built tools to integrated data platforms creates operational efficiencies, enhances governance, and delivers scalable solutions. By addressing specific challenges, such as liquidity risk, financial institutions set themselves up to unlock broader benefits—streamlined processes, tighter controls, and stronger business outcomes—empowering them to make precise and timely decisions with confidence. Share this article --- title: The adaptive era: Making long-term moves in short-term cycles url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The adaptive era: Making long-term moves in short-term cycles - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Explore how today’s leaders are building future-ready orgs with short cycles, smarter metrics, stronger data, and hands-on leadership. ## Body The adaptive era: Making long-term moves in short-term cycles Explore how today’s leaders are building future-ready orgs with short cycles, smarter metrics, stronger data, and hands-on leadership. The adaptive era | Slalom Explore how today’s leaders are building future-ready organizations with short-cycle planning, smarter metrics, stronger data, and hands-on leadership. Blured peopole walking in office Every era brings its challenges. The conditions may vary, but the underlying questions stay the same: How do we grow and optimize? And then what do we do with those gains? Today, [AI acceleration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-hold-the-hype), compressed business cycles, and erratic market signals are creating new pressures on planning not just for what’s next but for what might change tomorrow. Of the executives we polled across our recent [Exec Connects](https://go.slalom.com/2025ExecConnects), 85% said they’re actively shaping cultures that treat change as a constant and/or planning for multiple scenarios—not just one forecast—while 82% are prioritizing investments in platforms and/or resource models that flex and scale across different futures.https://go.slalom.com/2025ExecConnects This mindset shift is also reshaping how we define competitive advantage itself. Where agility and vision used to be key differentiators, [adaptability](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) has become the only enduring edge. Indeed, 95% of leaders told us they’re designing operations that can pivot quickly and/or developing talent that learns and adapts faster. In other words, the advantage isn’t what you build, it’s how quickly you can evolve what you build next. Today’s leaders are designing their organizations for movement, not certainty. Across our quarterly executive forums and conversations with Slalom’s own strategy and technology leaders, we identified four key themes shaping the executive playbook of tomorrow. Today’s executives are designing for movement, not certainty. blured people walking through hallway 1. From fast to focused : Speed still matters, just differently. Speed arguably matters more than ever. But today’s top-performing organizations aren’t just faster, they’re more selective. As market signals get harder to read and the pace of disruption accelerates, [long-term plans are becoming outdated](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled) before they’re even in motion. In response, many leaders are shifting to shorter, three- to six-month planning cycles, placing smaller bets more often to improve the odds. One operations executive described how her team shifted from multiyear projects to rapid, “no excuses” initiatives: short cycles tied to clear, non-optional priorities. “It’s not a nice-to-have. You can’t not do it,” she explained. These rapid loops are valuable for their pace but also for how they help organizations learn faster, align quicker, and build toward future advantage. The key is reinvesting those gains into reskilling talent, redesigning how work gets done, and evolving [operating models that scale more intelligently](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models) across functions. But agility comes with a trade-off: what you build today might be obsolete tomorrow. As Amalia Goodwin, Slalom managing director and global outcome lead of adaptive organizations, put it: “We often talk about continuous reinvention as a positive. But the other side of that coin is planned obsolescence.” Leaders must increasingly embrace the idea that some investments may be intentionally short-term: designed to solve a problem quickly, deliver value now, and then be retired or replaced. For example, a team might implement an AI coding assistant to speed development in the near term, knowing it may be overtaken by better capabilities next quarter. Speed follows clarity. High-performing teams are using short-cycle planning, OKRs, and heatmaps to zero in on what really matters. It’s a different kind of discipline: one that treats speed not as the goal but as a mechanism for momentum and strategic reset. Key insight from Coos, CPOs, and Strategy executives Speed is a mechanism, not a goal. - Prioritize : Short, focused cycles tied to nonnegotiable outcomes. - Act : Build fast feedback loops and empower teams to pivot without penalty. Audit to see if your annual and multiyear plans are helping your organization or hindering it to make the changes needed in this era. - Watch for : Cultural inertia. Retire what no longer serves and reinvest momentum. 2. Siloed innovation doesn’t scale. Speed is only as powerful as your ability to synchronize people, priorities, and processes. Today’s most resilient organizations [are redesigning around full value chains](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy), not just individual channels or functions. From customer experience to service to talent, [integration across systems](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems) is what enables adaptability, not just alignment. In one of our recent conversations with 250+ executives, a VP of business transformation shared how her team moved from siloed KPIs to shared enterprise metrics anchored in customer and operational value. They achieved this by reorganizing from project-based delivery to product-centric squads, each led by a product owner embedded in the business. These product owners joined staff meetings, engaged regularly with business leads, and owned a shared backlog tied to enterprise value, not just departmental output. THE NEW METRICS OF VALUE Function From: Traditional, siloed KPIs To: Shared enterprise metrics Function Technology Data From: Traditional, siloed KPIs - System uptime - IT ticket resolution - On-time, on-budget delivery To: Shared enterprise metrics - Time-to-value for new capabilities - Faster business decisions and throughput - Downtime impact (CX disruption, revenue loss) Function Product Experience From: Traditional, siloed KPIs - Features released - Agile velocity - Roadmap milestones met To: Shared enterprise metrics - Customer adoption - Feature adoption value realized - Impact per release (NPS change, behavior shift) Function Operations From: Traditional, siloed KPIs - Unit cost reduction - Operational efficiency (claims/hour) - SLA adherence To: Shared enterprise metrics - End-to-end flow (order-to-cash, quote-to-close) - Experience quality (internal + customer feedback) - Speed of delivery on priorities Innovation that scales is rarely owned—it’s orchestrated. For leaders aiming to move beyond pilot purgatory and isolated improvements into sustained enterprise value, the next step is operational coherence: adopting integrated intake models, aligning KPIs to shared outcomes across functions, and building the systems and processes to move seamlessly from data to insight to action. Organizations that succeed are rethinking how they prioritize work, not by department, but by the impact they want to create. The result is a different kind of scale—less about size, more about cohesion. These organizations aren’t reacting to change on a case-by-case basis. They’re building the capacity to evolve continuously because their systems are designed to work as one. 3. Decision intelligence is the new competitive edge. With new systems in place, many leaders are discovering a more fundamental constraint: You can’t scale what you can’t support. And in AI, that starts with data. As Mark Waks, Slalom senior managing director of customer experience, observed, “The current moment isn’t about chasing what’s new. It’s about doing the less glamorous, foundational work of rethinking data strategy, building a more durable architecture, and mapping the end-to-end experience in order to enable the highest value AI investments.” Key insight from CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and innovation & sustainability leaders Focus on engineering decision readiness. - Prioritize : Clean data, aligned architecture, and end-to-end visibility. - Act : Pilot real workflows with cross-functional teams and shared outcomes in mind. - Watch for : Siloed data or disconnected systems. When information doesn’t flow, decision quality suffers. That big-picture work isn’t a return to long, linear planning. Instead, leaders must design for movement, not permanence. A strong data foundation—structured to guide, adapt, and improve decisions in real time—is the prerequisite for intelligent decision-making. Without it, even the best tools will underdeliver. But your data foundation is just that—a foundation. True decision intelligence comes from how leaders leverage that foundation to reason through uncertainty. In today’s data-rich world, instinct isn’t enough. As Matt Kiesling, Slalom managing director of sales, service, and loyalty solutions, put it: “The executives who rise to the top will be the ones who can predict what’s going to happen next—and show how they got there.” The advantage now comes not from being right every time but from making reasoned bets, adapting quickly, and aligning teams around a shared decision-making model. 4. AI runs on data . Progress runs on leadership . If data is the foundation, [leadership is the engine](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations). While the predictive edge is increasingly enabled by AI, this era demands more from leaders—not less. The companies moving the needle aren’t delegating AI to the innovation lab. They’re led by executives who get directly involved: piloting new workflows, pressure-testing use cases, and working across silos to move from exploration to enterprise value. As Gilbert Wong, Slalom general manager of strategy, noted, “Executives can’t sit above the change.“ Increasingly, leaders are orchestrating a “tribrid” workforce: humans, digital assistants and autonomous agents, and, increasingly, AI-enabled robotics all working in sync. As intelligent systems take on more decisions, leadership isn’t about calling every shot; it’s about designing systems and cultures that support faster, smarter execution, knowing when to trust the system, when to intervene, and how to keep optionality open until the last responsible moment. If you’re not sure where to begin, ask: Is your data trustworthy? Accessible? Are your teams using it to make smarter—not just faster—decisions? In this new environment, reliability isn’t about being right every time. It’s about creating the conditions for better decisions—continuously, and at scale. Key insight from CHROs, CMOs, CXOs, and transformation leaders Invest in continuous, contextual learning. - Prioritize : Role-level augmentation and adaptive capability building. - Act : Create peer networks and safe environments for experimentation. - Watch for : Skill lag. Design for learning in motion, not static training plans. Flexibility is now foundational. If the questions are: How do we grow and optimize? And then what? —the answers today lie in how you reinvest gains, reset priorities, and reorient teams toward adaptability over certainty. Long-term competitiveness is now the result of systems designed to evolve, not static plans or fixed roles. To lead in this era, executives must: - Run in shorter, more focused cycles. Treat speed as a tool for learning, not just delivery. - Invest in integrated systems and cross-functional goals that scale beyond individual wins. - Elevate data as infrastructure —clean, connected, and ready to support intelligent action. - Lead from within , not above—testing, engaging, and modeling curiosity at every level. As Ali Minnick, Slalom general manager of global outcomes and innovation, put it: “The miles you want to take your company forward will only be possible by the minutes you’re actually in these new technologies.” In a world that doesn’t pause, resilience is the new efficiency. Focus is the new speed. And adaptability is the edge that endures. Amalia Goodwin Connect with Amalia Gilbert Wong Connect with Gilbert Mark Waks Connect with Mark Matt Kiesling Connect with Matt Ali Minick Connect with Ali --- title: Adaptive organizations: A practical approach to AI-enabled operating models url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Adaptive organizations: A practical approach to AI-enabled operating models - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The promise of AI is enormous. Delivering on that promise is hard, human work, but Slalom has you covered. ## Body Adaptive organizations: A practical approach to AI-enabled operating models The promise of AI is enormous. Delivering on that promise is hard, human work, but Slalom has you covered. Practical Approach to AI-enabled Operating Models | Slalom Share AI is changing everything, right? For most of us, that change has been slower than anticipated. For some, glacial. The promise of AI is enormous, but delivering on that promise is hard, human work. It may sound counterintuitive, but the best way to face a complex challenge like incorporating AI into your operating model is to go back to basics and ask the simple questions of why, what, and when. The hype, the hope, and the why In April of 2023, OpenAI made its GPT-3.5 model publicly available, and the world changed overnight, right? Venture capitalists and tech juggernauts started investing billions; the hype cycle was cycling, and the brave new world was upon us. Or was it? At Slalom, we’ve spent years working with hundreds of organizations that all want to [get the most out of AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Though there are steps they all can take—from fostering [adaptability](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) and [continuous learning](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-the-new-renaissance--leadership-in-the-age-of-ai) in their workforces to ensuring [leadership](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences) is also best positioned for the changes ahead—there is no simple panacea for everyone when it comes to AI. Organizations can therefore be forgiven for not knowing where to go with AI—who knows what the future holds? Why do anything, especially now? In our experience, our clients’ catalyst to act now and (re)start their AI journey typically comes down to four themes that may sound familiar to you: - FOMO (fear of missing out): Competitors are already using AI to move faster, reduce costs, and deliver better client experiences. If you’re not using AI, you’ll fall behind, right? - More glow-up, less grow-up: Even in periods of sustained growth, companies are pressured to scale revenue while keeping hiring to a minimum. AI turns scaling challenges into opportunities, helping organizations achieve more without growing their footprint. Can your team glow big while growing only a little? - Lean in … to AI: In the [opening keynote](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YiB2OvK6sY) of the 2024 Microsoft Ignite conference, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella stated, “What Lean did for manufacturing, AI will do for knowledge workers.” In Lean, value means doing the things that customers will pay for, while waste is doing anything else. In our professional lives, we are often required to do things that are actually waste. Can we give these necessary but non-value-adding activities to the machines? - AI hangovers: AI has been the shiny object in the room for years, but many organizations have overindulged—too much, too quickly. The result? Underwhelming deployments that delivered little beyond inflated expectations. The lesson? AI licenses do not an adaptive organization make. In fact, they can often [make things worse](https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-are-drowning-in-too-much-ai-1c27c003?st=VtVYMv reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink). The cure for an AI hangover? Detox: Stop binging, reset based on your real business goals, and scale from there. Building an adaptive organization When we talk about adaptive organizations and AI-enabled operating models, what it really comes down to is gaining the flexibility your organization needs to succeed with AI through the right combinations of humans, processes, and machines. Gone are the days of the “one step at a time” approach where you’d 1) develop a strategy, 2) design the operating model, and 3) deploy and manage change. These are now perpetually concurrent activities in an adaptive organization, and they take thoughtful planning, iterative experimentation, and a willingness to learn as you go. Perhaps the most daunting part: your job is never done. In our experience, however, we’ve found the following principles can help: - Define value, and prioritize: “So what?” should be the first thought when testing AI. Align your efforts with areas where AI can deliver the most measurable impact—whether it’s boosting revenue, cutting costs, reducing risk, or improving operations. - Start small, think big: Focus on small, practical wins that demonstrate value quickly, but always keep an eye on the bigger transformation. What’s one simple but ubiquitous process you could improve with AI right now? - Test and learn: AI works best when it’s treated as an evolving tool, not a one-and-done solution. Develop a process for testing ideas, scaling the ones that work, and throwing the ones that don’t in the recycling bin (you might use them later). Get specific on “value” Just to be clear, this is not what we mean by being specific when defining the value you want to achieve from your AI program: Through integrated delivery and proactive value engineering, we will implement a sustainable architecture that amplifies the entire value chain and ensures end-to-end value realization to not only drive value-oriented optimization but also redefine our competitive edge by aligning every process with measurable, stakeholder-driven outcomes. Specific is simple and to the point: “We value activities that …” - Grow revenue - Reduce costs - Mitigate risks That’s it. If an AI use case doesn’t help do one or more of those things or isn’t a precursor to them, you need to ask yourself if you should pursue it. Granted, grace should be shown during experimentation as you fill your funnel of AI use case opportunities, but be judicious about what use cases take your finite resources. Say NO to low- or no-value things so you can say YES to the right ones. The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. Michael Porter Harvard Business School Source: [What is Strategy](https://hbr.org/1996/11/what-is-strategy?giftToken=6123721201737396284633), Harvard Business Review Align AI efforts to strategy; what is your organization doing to realize its why? How does a given AI use case support that what? For an organization’s AI decision-makers, it’s imperative that they’re able to articulate what their strategy is and connect AI to value-adding processes. Scaling AI the right way Deploying AI to build an adaptive, AI-enabled operating model is not a decision of “will I?” or “won’t I?” You will, because you have to. How your humans, processes, and machines come together in an effective manner is the biggest question you will face. There are many ways to be effective at these intersections; think of your AI deployment options as a spectrum: - Assist: AI helps the human with simple tasks. - Augment: AI enhances the human’s decision-making. - Anticipate: AI predicts trends and risks and makes humans aware. - Associate: AI provides recommendations for complex problems. - Automate: AI takes over repetitive, low- and no-value activities. - Agentize: AI operates independently of the human in specialized roles. This spectrum isn’t always a maturity curve, but it can help frame your thinking early in your AI journey. Remember Start small, think big? Start with finding ways to assist and augment humans and their processes. Then, consider what it might mean to automate those processes. Posit what it might mean to agentize parts of humans’ work. Value correlates with how far toward the right on the spectrum you go, but so do cost and risk, and aren’t we trying to reduce them? Test and learn. The hype will be realized: Now what? There’s no escaping the fact that building an adaptive, AI-enabled organization is hard, messy, and requires leaders who are willing to experiment, learn from failure, and adapt as they go. History shows us that transformative technologies tend to realize their promise, often in ways and at a pace that are impossible to predict. AI is no different. The question isn’t if it will reshape the way we work, but how and when. While we can’t foresee every turn, one thing is certain: the organizations that take thoughtful, deliberate steps now will be the ones poised to lead the way. At Slalom, we’ve been in the trenches with our clients, helping them navigate this journey. We’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what it takes to [get it right](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). So, what’s your next step? Share insight --- title: Adapt or get left behind: The case for adaptive strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Adapt or get left behind: The case for adaptive strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary In today's business landscape, we must embrace a more durable principle of adaptability: the ability to proactively shape our strategies to thrive amidst constant change. ## Body Adapt or get left behind: The case for adaptive strategy In today's business landscape, we must embrace a more durable principle of adaptability: the ability to proactively shape our strategies to thrive amidst constant change. Share Regardless of your familiarity with the term VUCA, you can probably relate to the challenges of operating in an era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Coined in 1989 and popularized in the early 2000s, the descriptor has only become more apt. If today truly represents the slowest pace of change organizations and the world will experience, how can we expect yesterday’s business strategies to suffice? Traditional approaches, effective in yesterday’s more stable environments, falter in the face of today’s challenges. This dynamic business landscape demands more than mere, momentary agility. Rather, we must embrace the more [durable principle of adaptability](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai): the ability to proactively shape our strategies to thrive amid constant change. Strategic planning in a rapidly changing world Classic business strategies rely on historical data and linear projections. In a VUCA world, [strategic foresight](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-proactive-leadership) empowers organizations to stay ahead of the curve, identify emerging opportunities, and mitigate risks. Scenario planning, a key tool in strategic foresight, helps organizations envision multiple future landscapes by exploring different combinations of key drivers and uncertainties. This approach allows businesses to prepare for various outcomes and develop resilient strategies. Technological advances in AI and advanced analytics enable organizations to harness the vast amounts of data available today to uncover hidden patterns to drive informed decision-making. Pairing these capabilities with strategic foresight amplifies their impact, allowing businesses to anticipate disruptions, recognize emerging opportunities, and create robust strategies. This paves the way for sustained success and resilience in an ever-evolving landscape. As the processes that have served us so well over the past two decades become obsolete, the time has come to [adopt new methods](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations). Enter adaptive strategy: an approach to business planning that leverages data, AI, and strategic foresight to effectively respond to rapid change and complexity. It harnesses data-driven insights to enhance decision-making, balances agility with a long-term vision, and ensures organizations remain relevant and competitive in dynamic environments. AI’s role in making adaptive strategy a reality The [integration of AI into strategic planning](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d) enables a clearer understanding of the business landscape. This approach empowers organizations to scan markets with precision and predict performance outcomes more effectively. By adopting AI-driven tools, businesses can not only adapt swiftly to market changes but also implement prescriptive adjustments that align with long-term goals. This results in a strategic planning process that is not only reactive to current trends but proactive in shaping future opportunities. Adaptive strategy, therefore, serves as a vital bridge between traditional methods and the demands of a rapidly evolving market, offering a robust framework for sustained competitiveness. AI enhances this framework by processing vast amounts of data, synthesizing massive datasets into actionable insights, and filling gaps in our understanding. It drives scenario development and targeted simulations, allowing organizations to craft sophisticated strategies that anticipate and mitigate future uncertainties. AI also supports algorithmic decision-making, providing a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to responding to rapid changes and complexities. Moreover, AI-infused strategic planning infers insights between the lines, offering a richer storytelling and alignment within the organization. It not only streamlines data analysis but also enhances communication and understanding across departments. As a result, businesses equipped with AI capabilities can [align their strategies with data-driven insights](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi), ensuring organizational actions are backed by robust evaluation and are attuned to the dynamic market environment. Beyond planning: How strategy goes from episodic to real time Building on the enhanced capabilities provided by AI-infused strategic planning, it is imperative for organizations to move away from traditional, lengthy, and costly annual strategic reviews. Instead, they must embrace a continuous and dynamic strategy driven by AI and advanced analytics. This real-time model enables constant monitoring of performance and market conditions, providing immediate insights that inform strategic decisions. By adopting this proactive approach, organizations can swiftly respond to changing market dynamics, ensuring their strategies remain aligned with both current realities and future opportunities. In this continuous process, strategies and resource allocations are regularly updated, ensuring they remain relevant throughout the year. AI facilitates proactive adjustments, enabling organizations to quickly detect trends and shifts and adapt their strategies dynamically to maintain a competitive edge. This monitoring supports a more agile and responsive organization, where strategic decisions are consistently based on the latest information. Internally, even the best-laid plans often encounter obstacles such as organizational debt, incomplete planning, or talent challenges that affect execution. By leveraging AI, organizations can monitor these internal performance issues, predict potential problems, and shift resources toward higher probability outcomes. This approach ensures that strategic plans are well-informed and adaptable to real-world execution challenges. Businesses embrace a more fluid and adaptive approach by moving beyond annual planning cycles. This shift enhances agility and ensures sustained success in an ever-evolving market. Continuous strategy allows for the dynamic reallocation of resources and constant refinement of plans, effectively addressing both external market conditions and internal performance hurdles. Making it real: How do you get started? To actualize this shift, it’s crucial to understand and implement concrete steps that facilitate transformation. Below are some initial actions organizations can undertake to get started. Assessment and analysis Begin by assessing current strategic planning processes, performance, and potential improvement areas. Identify where adaptive strategies, like data analysis and scenario modeling, can have the most significant impact. Challenges: Resource constraints and data accessibility/quality issues can limit the depth and scope of assessments. Inner core evaluation Focus on enhancing core strategic planning processes with AI and adaptive strategies. Close feedback loops to enable faster adjustments and learning. Challenges: Integrating AI with existing processes can be complex and requires overcoming technical and skill gaps. Develop AI prompts and libraries Create AI prompts and libraries tailored to strategic planning needs to streamline workflows and improve decision-making. Challenges: Requires technical knowledge and strategic understanding. Initial investments may be significant, with a learning curve for new tools. Autonomous strategy Automate repetitive, rule-based tasks to increase efficiency. Ensure robust data governance and quality control measures. Challenges: Maintaining strategic insight while automating processes is challenging and requires strong data governance. Continuous improvement Treat AI integration as an iterative process. Continuously monitor, evaluate, and refine strategies. Foster a [culture of learning and adaptation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning). Challenges: Requires ongoing investment and commitment to long-term returns over immediate gains. Change management Implement a change management strategy to ensure smooth adoption of AI tools and processes. Engage stakeholders and communicate effectively to overcome resistance. Challenges: Resistance to change and effective communication can be major barriers without a clear strategy and dedicated resources. Despite the challenges such as resource constraints, data quality issues, and the need for cultural shifts, integrating AI into strategic planning offers transformative benefits. By systematically addressing these hurdles, organizations can enhance their strategic processes to be more agile, informed, and resilient. This robust foundation prepares organizations to leverage advanced AI tools like Slalom’s “fleet of analysts,“ driving greater precision and adaptability in navigating today's dynamic market environment. Fleet of analysts: Adaptive strategy in action The integration of AI into strategic planning not only clarifies the business landscape but also empowers organizations to predict and adapt to market dynamics with unprecedented precision. By leveraging AI-driven tools like Slalom’s “fleet of analysts,“ businesses can swiftly adapt to market changes and align their strategies with long-term goals. This strategic planning process becomes both reactive to current trends and proactive in shaping future opportunities, ensuring sustained competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market. The “fleet of analysts“ exemplifies adaptive strategy in action by simplifying complex data into actionable insights, accelerating decision-making, and empowering businesses to navigate market challenges effectively. Integrating diverse data sources, this AI-driven tool improves decision-making in areas like pricing, competitive analysis, and operations. Its scalable design ensures businesses can maintain a competitive edge as they grow. Moreover, deploying such AI solutions shifts organizations from traditional data processing to a dynamic, AI-enhanced approach, where strategic insights are rapidly and efficiently generated. This transition, supported by comprehensive analytics, anticipates market trends and optimizes operational performance, enhancing strategic decision-making across various functions. Beyond the hype Adaptive strategy is not just a buzzword; it is necessary in today’s fast-paced, data-rich, and unpredictable business environment. By leveraging AI and advanced analytics, organizations can move beyond traditional strategic planning methods and adopt a more flexible, responsive approach. This shift will enable businesses to not only survive but thrive amid constant change. Embracing adaptive strategies is the key to unlocking future opportunities and achieving long-term success. Share insight --- title: From human velocity to AI velocity: Accelerated engineering in financial services url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-accelerated-engineering-in-financial-services source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-accelerated-engineering-in-financial-services locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # From human velocity to AI velocity: Accelerated engineering in financial services - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-accelerated-engineering-in-financial-services - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-accelerated-engineering-in-financial-services - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Discover how financial institutions are using AI-accelerated engineering to modernize faster, embed compliance, and scale smarter software delivery. ## Body From human velocity to AI velocity: Accelerated engineering in financial services Discover how financial institutions are using AI-accelerated engineering to modernize faster, embed compliance, and scale smarter software delivery. Share The first wave of enterprise AI was tactical: chatbots, fraud detection, workflow automation. Useful, yes. Transformational, no. What’s emerging now is something deeper: a structural opportunity to reimagine how software is built. Not by adding AI to existing processes, but by architecting for AI-native velocity from the ground up. This isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about compound impact. And in financial services—where seconds matter and trust is non-negotiable—that shift is especially urgent. Accelerated engineering is that shift Rather than layering AI onto legacy workflows, [accelerated engineering](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering) embeds it across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), turning software delivery into a continuous, intelligence-driven loop. Human insight sets the direction. AI agents drive execution. Together, they create teams that learn faster, ship faster, and adapt in real time. For institutions still relying on risk-averse, manually intensive delivery models, that shift is profound—and increasingly necessary. It means: - Embedding AI tools across every phase of the SDLC - Redesigning pipelines for closed-loop learning and observability - Training teams to think like AI orchestrators, not just coders Accelerated engineering reframes the SDLC into an AI-native loop from vision to real-time value. In this model, humans steer vision, ethics, and design, while AI handles speed, scale, and synthesis. Accelerated engineering isn’t just about building software faster. It’s a redefinition of how value is created across the SDLC. By embedding AI into the core of planning, building, and scaling, it turns fragmented workflows into coordinated loops. The result: more adaptive teams, higher-quality releases, and real-time alignment between business ambition and technical execution. Rethinking productivity Financial software productivity used to mean writing more code to support new account types, shipping more onboarding features, or building bespoke tools for evolving regulations. Today, it’s about delivering value with speed and precision. Success is no longer measured by output, but by [adaptability](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy)—how quickly teams can respond to change, scale capabilities, and improve continuously. Like compound interest, AI enables velocity that builds on itself. AI tools help developers create smarter systems that, in turn, improve the tools. Each improvement compounds the last. The result is a cycle of acceleration that reshapes what’s possible. Consider an insurance provider deploying generative AI models. Rather than just accelerating claims processing, the organization begins to transform the entire customer experience. AI agents synthesize customer data (e.g., policy details, risk exposure, and engagement history) to recommend personalized coverage options and highlight potential gaps before a claim is ever filed. Instead of reacting to incidents, the system proactively engages customers at key life or seasonal moments, such as policy renewals, severe weather alerts, or changes in driving patterns. The result isn’t just faster claims—it’s smarter engagement, stronger retention, and better risk alignment across the customer lifecycle. Compliance as Code In regulated environments, compliance has long been seen as a bottleneck. With accelerated engineering, compliance becomes embedded and dynamic. Imagine a capital markets firm where AI agents monitor trades in real time, cross-checking activity against evolving regulations like MiFID II or Dodd-Frank. When a new rule is introduced, the system flags impacted code paths and suggests compliant adjustments for human review. This closed-loop model reduces manual oversight, mitigates systemic risk, and keeps regulators continuously informed. This shift turns compliance from a delivery constraint into a design advantage. With AI helping teams build compliance into every phase of development, regulatory adherence becomes faster, more precise, and far less manual than traditional approaches. Revolutionizing cost-to-serve As margins tighten and expectations rise, an AI native delivery model helps financial firms reduce service costs by embedding intelligence deeply into systems and workflows. Rather than coding each interaction, AI powered systems anticipate and meet customer needs. For example, a major mortgage servicer used Slalom’s accelerated engineering approach to modernize outdated platforms, enhancing compliance, accelerating digital workflows, and establishing a scalable foundation for next-gen servicing. More than an IT upgrade, it was a foundational shift in how the organization builds and delivers software. The result: improved regulatory alignment, greater agility, and a faster, more intuitive customer experience. These gains go beyond operational efficiency. By embedding intelligence across the stack, firms can deliver personalized, high-touch experiences to broader customer segments, serving the mass affluent with the same precision once reserved for ultra-high-net-worth clients, without increasing overhead. Elevating developer experience In this new human-AI paradigm, developers shift from builders to curators. They guide product strategy, ethical frameworks, and architectural decisions, while AI handles the implementation details: generating test plans, summarizing sprint artifacts, and tracking dependencies. At a global payment services provider, teams piloting AI assistants like GitHub Copilot saw measurable improvements in code quality, developer satisfaction, and delivery speed—unlocking the blueprint to scale generative AI adoption with confidence. By offloading repetitive tasks, teams focused more on design quality, velocity, and innovation, making developer roles both more efficient and more fulfilling. Headlines about AI replacing jobs reflect real concerns, but history tells a different story. With every wave of technology, roles evolve. Today is no different: AI isn’t replacing developers, it’s helping them become more strategic. By handling repetitive tasks, AI gives teams more space to do what humans do best: set business direction, navigate regulatory tradeoffs, and design financial experiences that build trust. Toward agentic financial ecosystems Agentic AI pushes financial platforms beyond static applications toward self-optimizing systems that learn, adapt, and act with minimal human intervention. Instead of software that simply processes transactions, imagine infrastructure that senses emerging risks, recommends responses, and even executes changes autonomously. A payments firm, for example, might deploy autonomous agents trained to detect fraud signals using real-time sentiment analysis, regulatory news feeds, and cross-border transaction anomalies. These agents don’t just flag issues—they trigger countermeasures, adapt fraud models on the fly, and log activity for transparent auditability. This shift signals a broader transformation: from software as a tool to software as an ecosystem—responsive, intelligent, and increasingly self-governing. And it's not theoretical. Slalom clients are already embedding large language model (LLM) workflows into modernization programs, achieving up to 60% reductions in refactoring time for legacy codebases. When agentic infrastructure underpins these efforts, improvements compound, accelerating delivery, enhancing reliability, and enabling scale without sacrificing control. The strategic shift Adopting accelerated engineering requires a shift leadership mindset. Tactically deploying AI for chatbot support or fraud detection is no longer sufficient. The real opportunity lies in architecting your engineering organization for compounding, AI-native velocity. This includes: - Embedding AI tools across all SDLC phases - Redesigning pipelines for closed-loop learning and observability - Training teams to think like AI orchestrators, not just coders Instead of How can we use AI to improve our current processes? leaders should be asking: How can we rebuild our engineering capabilities to take advantage of compound AI effects? Conclusion: Building at AI speed We’re in an era where accelerated engineering is redefining how financial institutions build. By changing the how, they’re unlocking new possibilities for what can be built—and how fast. But this shift isn’t just about speed. It’s about enabling banks, insurers, and capital markets teams to move with precision in response to real-time expectations, shifting regulations, and rising complexity. When developers are free from manual overhead, they can focus on resilient architecture, risk-aware innovation, and experiences that adapt to customers in real time. In a market where milliseconds matter, accelerated engineering helps institutions not just keep up—but lead. --- title: AI agents: From experimentation to value creation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI agents: From experimentation to value creation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Practical steps for business leaders to drive real value with agents today ## Body AI agents: From experimentation to value creation Practical steps for business leaders to drive real value with agents today The shift to AI agents The agent era of AI is upon us. But agents are not a new concept. The idea of machines that can perceive, reason and act on their environment covers a lot of history, from the Rand Corporation’s General Problem Solver (GPS) in the ‘50s to antiviruses starting in the ‘70s to the chess-playing Deep Blue in the ‘90s to the ubiquitous Siri (2011) and Alexa (2014) voice assistants. The difference now is that the reasoning part of the equation is readily available to everyone. In other words, the cost prohibitive barrier to success at scale has been eliminated. That said, the emergence of AI agents as practical business tools isn't the result of a single technological advancement—it’s the convergence of several critical factors, including advanced language models with sophisticated reasoning capabilities, improved APIs that make it easier to connect agents with existing systems, and maturing digital and data infrastructures that provide the framework for deriving value. This convergence has made it both feasible and affordable for every organization to incorporate AI agents into their business strategy, opening up windows of opportunity that weren’t available even a few years ago. What exactly is an AI agent? There are blurred lines between how people discuss basic generative AI solutions, LLM workflow patterns, and agentic systems. There is no “right” or “wrong” to these variations, but to add clarity to this discussion, we distinguish agents from other AI solutions based on the existence of five core components: - Autonomy AI agents dynamically plan and execute multiple steps, selecting tools or making decisions without explicit human prompts at every turn. - Use of tools AI agents can leverage tools to do research, test theories, perceive the world around them and complete tasks (e.g., integrating with CRM software or using APIs). - Complex reasoning AI agents can make logical assumptions based on a variety of inputs, going well beyond rules-based decision-making. - Adaptability Agents respond to evolving conditions—retrieving information, interpreting instructions, and adjusting their approach to learn and improve over time. - Modularity Think of agents as experts, not generalists. Agents are designed for specific tasks and have the related expertise, tools, and intelligence for that task. Teams of agents may combine their expertise to complete even more complex tasks. While conventional AI excels at specific tasks—like image recognition or text generation—AI agents operate with a degree of autonomy that fundamentally changes how work gets done. These agents can maintain ongoing operations, adapt to changing conditions, and handle complex sequences of decisions that previously required human oversight at every step. When well-designed, agents can handle tasks a simple workflow can’t. Where we’re seeing value today The AI agent market is rapidly evolving with both large and small platform vendors emerging almost weekly. We tend to divide vendors and custom solutions into two categories: horizontal and vertical agents. Horizontal focuses on broad intelligence that can provide outcomes across many general topics, such as the broad enterprise solutions from Anthropic and OpenAI. Vertical solutions are trained to provide deep expertise in a focused area like an industry solution or specific role. Below are a few areas where our clients are seeing immediate value from agents. Internal operations Agentic systems shine in complex, back-office scenarios where the path forward isn’t always predictable. Instead of strictly scripted automations, an agent can dynamically decide which processes or data sources to invoke based on the current input. Coding agents are a prime example. In some development teams, a central “orchestrator“ agent manages high-level objectives—such as improving system performance—by delegating specific tasks to worker agents, each focusing on a particular aspect of the project. This approach is especially effective when the scope of work is unpredictable, such as varying numbers of files or the extent of required updates. However, for routine, well-defined tasks like transferring data between systems, simpler automation solutions may suffice. Companies that do adopt agentic systems in internal operations often see lower error rates and time savings. Agents self-monitor their progress, escalating exceptions only when human approval is necessary. This way, employees can focus on high-level strategy while routine tasks happen seamlessly behind the scenes. Customer experience In customer interactions, generative AI is becoming a cornerstone of CX innovation. In 2024, customer service chatbots emerged as a top priority, with [53% of enterprises identifying them as their primary generative AI use case](https://www.crn.com/news/ai/2024/genai-market-report-10-huge-roi-top-use-cases-ai-costs-and-benefits-results?page=2). When we consider that the broader AI landscape saw an astonishing [sixfold surge in overall investment](https://menlovc.com/2024-the-state-of-generative-ai-in-the-enterprise/) over the previous year, it's clear that organizations see distinct value in bringing AI to their customer service operations. Agentic systems are evolving chatbots to handle multi-part questions, dynamically retrieve information from multiple systems, and act to resolve issues. [Jaja Finance’s “Airi,”](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai) developed in partnership with Slalom, has dramatically transformed Jaja's customer service by automating routine inquiries, cutting response times by 90%, and freeing up 30-40% more time for service teams to focus on complex, high-value tasks. By relieving human representatives of repetitive tasks, Airi enables them to concentrate on nuanced issues that require empathy, critical thinking, and deep problem-solving skills. When plans change, adaptability matters When flights are disrupted, every decision affects the traveler experience. United Airlines partnered with Slalom to use an AI agent that adjusts messaging in real time, factoring in weather, staffing, and aircraft location. The result is more relevant communication when it matters most, without adding complexity for frontline teams. Read story Complex decision-making When it comes to high-impact decisions, agentic systems can pull from diverse data sources, weigh pros and cons, and refine recommendations over time. This is particularly critical in dynamic environments where every situation requires a tailored approach. At Slalom, we use a coordinated approach called Fleet of Analysts (FoA), where multiple specialized agents work together. Each agent focuses on a specific area of expertise, analyzing large volumes of data, identifying actionable insights, and supporting strategic decision-making. These agents can operate independently or collaboratively with human oversight, ensuring both precision and adaptability. For example, one customer leveraged FoA to scale their ability to dynamically price products globally across 80+ countries. This helped them monitor dozens of internal and external sources of information that might influence pricing, analyze that against historical pricing strategies and current economic environments, and create automated pricing decisions. Another customer applied this approach to enhance their enterprise architecture capability. Teams submitting new project proposals were able to rely on an intelligent agent to conduct architecture reviews. The agent coordinated research across internal guidelines, external regulations, security requirements, and industry best practices to deliver detailed assessments and improvement recommendations. This significantly reduced the workload for enterprise architects, allowing them to focus on higher-value strategic initiatives. In both cases, the AI agents provided much-needed scalability to expert roles that traditionally spend an inordinate amount of time manually grinding out complex decisions, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities. Making agents work for your organization Identifying the right opportunities A successful approach begins by identifying high-value opportunities and evaluating whether simpler solutions—like basic workflows or direct LLM calls—might suffice. Autonomous systems shine in complex, dynamic workflows requiring decision-making and adaptation, but unnecessary complexity can lead to wasted resources. For example, coding agents can automate tasks like code generation and testing, [boosting developer productivity up to 2.5x](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat) by eliminating repetitive work without sacrificing quality. Meanwhile, support agents handle unpredictable customer requests seamlessly, while simpler FAQ bots may be more appropriate for routine queries. The key is aligning the tool to the task to maximize ROI. Defining clear metrics—such as error rates, handling time, or user satisfaction—is crucial. Consider metrics tied to strategic outcomes like cost savings or retention to guide your decisions. Tools like our AI-powered accelerator, [enhanceIQ](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq), help identify areas where agent-driven systems can deliver the greatest impact. Understand how AI supports different roles EnhanceIQ helps teams explore where AI and automation can improve work across roles, giving leaders clearer insight into where to focus and how to build workforce adaptability. See how it works Essential building blocks Deploying agentic systems calls for more than just a good LLM—it requires structure in five critical areas: - Business and customer value: Identify real-world outcomes for the agent. Does it cut costs, speed up resolutions, or enable new user experiences? - Strategy alignment and orchestration: Ensure stakeholders understand how an agent’s autonomy aligns with broader goals. Cross-functional teams are crucial to unify efforts. - Security, ethics, and governance: Agents can amplify both good and bad outputs. Implement robust guardrails such as iteration limits and human checkpoints to maintain oversight and avoid negative consequences. - Technology and data: Agents rely on up-to-date knowledge. Solid data engineering, real-time APIs, and logging infrastructure keep them accurate and auditable. - Organization and workforce: Employee readiness matters. Provide training on how to collaborate with an AI agent and clarify roles so staff know when to step in and override the system. When these elements work in tandem, agentic solutions can transition from pilot to full production smoothly. If any link is weak—like data quality or unclear governance—you’ll struggle to access the agents’ full potential. A practical approach to getting started Start with a focused pilot project to automate a specific process, such as a support agent for a product line with complex inquiries or a coding agent targeting known vulnerabilities in select repositories. Early wins demonstrate value, build momentum, and lay the groundwork for broader adoption while managing risk. Key criteria for selecting pilot projects include … - Clear production outcomes: Go beyond the lab. Focus on delivering tangible value, not just experimental results. - Manageable complexity: Add complexity only when it demonstrably improves outcomes. Simplify or iterate as needed to ensure ROI. - Alignment with systems and processes: Design pilots that integrate with existing systems. Building something that’s both [robust and repeatable](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/aiops-holistic-approach-to-operationalizing-ai) allows you to scale. - Human integration: Define the role of human oversight and ensure your team has the skills to collaborate effectively with agents. - Visible impact: Prioritize projects that build organizational confidence by engaging sponsors and stakeholders early, establishing governance and long-term support. When you start seeing positive outcomes, scale thoughtfully. For example, a coding agent could evolve into a full orchestrator-worker model for broader system updates, or a support assistant could expand to handle billing and dynamic routing. Lastly, make sure to manage expectations and allocate resources appropriately. Communicate with executives leading agent initiatives to set expectations regarding both timelines and results. Ensure sufficient scope for system and team integration while helping the rest of the organization understand that piloting new technologies may take longer than established methods. This approach positions your organization to unlock AI’s full potential while maintaining focus on measurable success. Take the first step AI agents represent a significant opportunity for business transformation, but success requires an approach that carefully balances practical value creation with managing complexity and risk. By starting with well-defined use cases and building systematic capabilities, you can capture value from AI agents today while positioning your organization for broader transformation tomorrow. Don't leave AI value on the table. Build a strategy that delivers results today and scales for tomorrow. Talk to an expert Share insight --- title: Laying a strong foundation for AI with Data Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-data-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-data-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Laying a strong foundation for AI with Data Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-data-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-data-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The data foundation underpinning Salesforce’s AI capabilities—including Einstein 1, Copilot, and GPT—is Salesforce Data Cloud. ## Body Laying a strong foundation for AI with Data Cloud Salesforce Data Cloud | Slalom The data foundation underpinning Salesforce’s AI capabilities—including Einstein 1, Copilot, and GPT—is Salesforce Data Cloud. Share insight Dreamforce was back and better than ever in 2023. Not only was it the most sustainable Dreamforce since its inception in 2003, but Salesforce continued to up the ante this year with extensive product innovations, new platforms, and features. It was no surprise that this year’s Dreamforce was all about AI, with big announcements around Einstein Copilot (a new conversational assistant powered by generative AI), and the Einstein 1 platform. While many users will experience generative AI within the Salesforce platform through using Einstein 1, Copilot, and GPT, the data foundation underpinning all of these new capabilities is Salesforce Data Cloud. Data Cloud overview Data Cloud — Salesforce’s proprietary enterprise data platform — has expanded rapidly since its debut as Salesforce Customer 360 in 2020. From the Salesforce CDP to Genie, and now Salesforce Data Cloud, this platform has exploded with net-new features, functionality, and use cases over the past year. Salesforce Data Cloud enables users to ingest data from various sources (CRMs, marketing tools, data warehouses, mobile applications, ecommerce data, websites, and more), unify individuals sourced from those ingestion points to create a single, consolidated view of that persona, and transform profile, event, and other data points into personalized, actionable data streams. End users are then able to segment that consolidated data, combined with the best unified view of their end customers, and activate those segments within other systems to drive sophisticated omnichannel sales, marketing, or analytics strategies. Data Cloud helps organizations automate their activations and target customers with the right personalized content at the right time. Data Cloud has quickly evolved to include use cases across industries and business functions and expanded beyond the marketing use cases associated with its CDP origins. Data Cloud can now enable use cases for sales and service — such as alerting a salesperson to interactions their customer just had on the company website that indicate a buying signal, or by providing a service agent with a deeper understanding of customer activity that may indicate a customer needs special care or is at a high risk for churn. Of the key announcements to hone in on, a couple stood out with great potential to move your business forward related to Data Cloud. Getting started is easier than ever with Data Cloud $0 SKU One of the largest announcements from Dreamforce was the Salesforce general availability (GA) $0 SKU for Data Cloud for customers with Enterprise Edition licenses and above. If you’ve been hesitant to get started with Data Cloud, this is the perfect opportunity to build an MVP use case for the platform, test the functionality that you think will drive value for your business, and build a case to utilize Data Cloud at scale. What’s included in this offering? - Data Cloud Provisioning includes 250,000 Data Services credits, 1 TB of data storage, 1 Data Cloud admin, 100 internal Data Cloud identity users, 1,000 Data Cloud PSL, and five integration users. Unlimited Plus Edition customers will get access to 2,500,000 Data Service credits. - The two Tableau Creator licenses are a separate line item and can be quoted by your account executive. Who is the target audience for this offering? If you have a narrow MVP use case, this offering is a great way to demonstrate how the unification and reconciliation of your data can be a powerful driver for better actions and insights within your sales/service or analytics organization. Visualizing unified profile data in Tableau to better understand trends and patterns in your customer data is a great place to start. Note, it is not meant for marketing use cases as-is because segmentation and activation credits are not included, but they can be added on. Data share at lightning speed: Zero Copy with Snowflake and other providers Another standout innovation announced was the Zero Copy functionality from Data Cloud with the Snowflake data platform, which will allow users to access Data Cloud data from Snowflake, and vice versa without having to copy the data. This could unlock a variety of use cases such as leveraging ERP data from Snowflake for segmentation or incorporating Snowflake Marketplace data for deeper customer profiles. Salesforce announced plans to implement similar features for Databricks and Amazon Redshift in the near future. Zero copy is a fundamental principle in modern data processing and analytics systems. It ensures that data processing operations can be performed efficiently without unnecessary data replication, which can be resource-intensive and slow. Instead, the data remains in its original location, and the processing engine accesses and operates on it directly. This is an incredible move forward, enabling customers to access their data and process information without unnecessary data duplication or movement across major data platforms. Reducing the overhead associated with copying data between different systems or stages of processing is critical in a period when data residency restrictions are increasing, and will reduce data governance concerns, while simultaneously driving speed to value for Data Cloud adopters. The GA functionality available today includes read-only access to Data Cloud data spaces in Snowflake via Iceberg data tables. Future enhancements to make the zero-copy connection bidirectional are on the roadmap. This is a trend toward an emphasis on data management at scale and a major opportunity for individuals who are looking to leverage Salesforce Data Cloud within their broader technology stack. Key takeaways There are a number of exciting platform announcements around AI and the capabilities of Salesforce Data Cloud coming out of Dreamforce. In order to unlock the power of AI, a strong data foundation is key. With the advancements announced at Dreamforce, Data Cloud can be that driver to connect your data across siloes, take action on it without difficult integrations you need to maintain. If you’re energized by the potential of these platforms, but feeling blocked by your own data, you are not alone. Slalom has been a driving technical thought leader for Salesforce Data Cloud throughout the platform’s exciting journey, actively serving on the Partner Advisory Board and the Technical Advisory Board for Data Cloud, and delivering some of the largest Data Cloud implementations to date. You can learn more about our Data Cloud specific offerings and accelerators [here](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-technology/dreamforce-2023-laying-a-strong-foundation-for-ai-with-data-cloud-ffa36ba15bbb). An event session from Dreamforce with full audience listening to speaker talk about AI --- title: Why is AI still so hard to get right in 2025? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Why is AI still so hard to get right in 2025? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Let’s face it: AI hasn’t lived up to the hype. Guide your AI journey to success with Slalom's insights into common AI adoption challenges—and how to overcome them. ## Body Why is AI still so hard to get right in 2025? Make AI actually work with our in-depth look at how to overcome six common barriers to AI adoption for a more successful AI journey. Let’s face it: AI hasn’t lived up to the hype. Guide your AI journey to success with Slalom's insights into common AI adoption challenges—and how to overcome them. Share It’s time to face six common barriers in the AI journey and then trade your compass for a GPS. Almost twice as many people used artificial intelligence (AI) for work every week in 2024 compared to 2023. If you’re a business or IT leader, you may be just as focused on a different AI trend that started in 2024: adoption at the organizational level has been slowing down. Slalom’s [survey of 200 C-suite executives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024) found that 69% of organizations are still in the early stages of AI adoption, focused on pilot projects and productivity gains. We’ve talked about this with a lot of leaders over the past couple of years, listening to them explain how the promise of exponential value creation with AI is “stuck.” It’s often trapped behind some combination of old systems, overwhelmed teams, and unclear business cases—challenges that are only surmountable if you acknowledge they exist. As Albert Einstein once said, “If I had only one hour to save the world, I would spend fifty-five minutes defining the problem, and only five minutes finding the solution.” There are barriers to AI adoption that are more obvious, as well as those that lie below the surface. These more hidden barriers can be harder to find and potentially more damaging. We think you have more than an hour (or 55 minutes) to examine these barriers and then change your business and the world for the better with AI. But we also hear the “tick-tock” of the AI adoption clock getting louder as many companies’ AI journeys start to slow or stall. Here’s a deep dive into today’s AI barriers, and how to overcome them to make AI actually work (hint: your AI journey needs a GPS). Surface-level execution barriers: What most are learning Security, privacy, and ethical concerns were the first hurdle A 2024 report from the Wharton School titled [“Growing Up: Gen AI’s Early Years”](https://ai.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AI-Report_Full-Report.pdf) found that 12 months after it originally surveyed senior decision makers at enterprise organizations, fewer reported caution and skepticism associated with generative AI (GenAI), and more reported positive emotions, such as “optimistic, excited, and appreciation.” While security was still reported to be a “top factor for consideration of GenAI” and customer data privacy was still seen as a “top concern,” overall perception of security challenges with GenAI generally seemed to be trending more positive. The world has had some time to wrap its head—and guardrails—around GenAI, with many global bodies having published best practices around security, privacy, and intellectual property (IP) in 2024, if not earlier. For some organizations, security is even becoming more of a reason to use GenAI than a challenge of it. As an example, we worked with payment services company [Sionic](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection) to help its teams develop and release advanced, AI-powered fraud detection supported by training and inference pipelines, synthetic data, and a rules engine. “Slalom’s team gave us a good, solid baseline and foundation that Sionic can now grow on and scale out as we move into a production footprint,” said Sionic’s CTO. What to do about it: Don’t yet have [a strategy for responsible AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/responsible-ai-value) in place? Take advantage of the body of research and proven best practices around security, privacy, and ethics to inform yours. You can’t scale AI on shaky data and siloed systems In an [IDC research report](https://www.cio.com/article/3850763/88-of-ai-pilots-fail-to-reach-production-but-thats-not-all-on-it.html) that found 88% of AI pilots fail to reach production, the authors asserted that the rate “indicates the low level of organizational readiness in terms of data, processes and IT infrastructure.” AI adoption continues to stall not because of model limitations but because most organizations aren’t ready—operationally or architecturally. Integration, accuracy, and privacy challenges stem less from GenAI itself and more from poor data management and access governance. The recent surge in investment in data access governance reflects a growing respect for the fact that success with AI depends on the strength of your organization’s data foundation. What to do about it: If you’re struggling to scale AI, don’t skimp on your data foundation. Even if AI isn’t on your immediate roadmap, investing in your data layer will help ensure that more of your pilots make it to production when the time comes. That could mean bringing more data processing in-house, like [CRISP Shared Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/crisp-shared-services) (CSS) did with our help, allowing it to process over 1.7 million messages daily to drive better health outcomes across 10 states and counting. Surface-level vs. deeper AI barriers Organizations face multiple barriers to AI execution, from surface-level challenges around security and data to deeper barriers involving leadership, workforce, and value creation that emerge as implementation progresses. Deeper execution barriers: What many are discovering It’s not as if the following challenges are entirely unfamiliar to organizations. But their strategic nature means that they can remain “hidden”—or at least appear less urgent—for longer into the AI journey than operational barriers. These barriers are more about people and business results, and they require looking at not just the tech that people are using but also the mindsets they have, the business payoffs of a given POC, and the long-term vision for continuous value creation. AI won’t get organizations far if leadership can’t agree where to go Too often, AI efforts are driven in silos, with IT, business units, and executives pulling in different directions. A revealing [2025 survey from Writer](https://go.writer.com/enterprise-ai-adoption-survey) shows that 42% of C-suite excutives believe AI adoption is actively creating organizational rifts. The disconnect seen in Writer’s research runs deep: 71% of executives report AI applications being created in silos and 68% note AI-induced tension between IT teams and other business units. This fragmentation hampers the potential benefits of AI, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. The real challenge is leadership alignment: Who’s in control of AI strategy, who’s being left out of the process, and where do different functions’ seemingly competing visions for AI actually overlap? What to do about it: When you create [cross-functional leadership to drive AI transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations), you go places. We’re seeing organizations start to realize that successful AI implementation requires a more collaborative approach than other technology integrations, as evidenced by our research showing that organization-wide AI initiatives led by cross-functional teams jumped from 5% in 2023 to 52% in 2024. People’s skills—and not just “AI skills”—are more important than their job titles In its [Future of Jobs Report 2025](https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/), the World Economic Forum (WEF) projects that 39% of existing skill sets will transform or become outdated by 2030. This fundamental reshaping of work—largely spurred by advancements in AI—demands both technical and nontechnical capabilities. Workers will almost certainly need different technical skills in five years, but one not-so-technical skill will never get old: critical thinking. Critical and/or analytical thinking has become the cornerstone of success. The WEF finds that seven out of 10 companies consider analytical thinking essential in 2025, while our year-over-year AI research shows it’s growing even more indispensable, with critical thinking and learning agility now outranking pure technical skills in executives’ priorities. Without critical thinking and learning agility, workers can’t be as easily reskilled and redeployed when AI inevitably disrupts traditional organizational charts and job titles. What to do about it: Organizations are responding to the demand for both technical and nontechnical skills with unprecedented investment in training. Is your company one of them? Slalom’s success stories put the return on this investment into context, demonstrating what’s possible when organizations develop a [people- and skills-centered approach to AI adoption](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai). - A major media company made 15%-40% productivity gains after achieving 95% GitHub Copilot adoption co-facilitated with Slalom. - [Takeda Pharmaceuticals](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals-) achieved 91% higher AI proficiency levels and identified 75% more daily use cases for AI with our people-centered [AI consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). There’s (way) more than one way to measure value from AI Nearly all (97%) of 600 data leaders [surveyed by Informatica](https://www.informatica.com/about-us/news/news-releases/2025/01/20250128-global-data-leaders-seek-to-harness-the-power-of-genai-for-ai-driven-success.html) reported difficulty demonstrating GenAI’s business value. This challenge is compounded by the rush to show ROI, which is creating its own set of problems. As IDC’s Ashish Nadkarni [noted to CIO.com](https://www.cio.com/article/3850763/88-of-ai-pilots-fail-to-reach-production-but-thats-not-all-on-it.html), “Alarm bells are going off and people are willing to bend the rules on what ROI means.” This pressure to quickly prove ROI can lead to short-sighted decisions and misaligned priorities, ultimately undermining the true potential of AI. What to do about it: Instead of panicking to show ROI, opt for an [AI success scorecard that transcends traditional ROI metrics](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi), including revenue as well as measurements like: - Speed: The [Florida Division of Emergency Management](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief) uses AI to aid first responders 90% faster, helping get lifesaving resources to communities sooner. - Experience: [United Airlines](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai) uses AI to customize 35% more flight updates for travelers and resolve inquiries faster, driving higher customer satisfaction. - Efficiency: [Jaja Finance](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai) uses AI to free up 30% to 40% more time for customer service teams, who can reinvest that time in addressing complex queries. AI value fades fast if you don’t redeploy it The data on AI-assisted productivity shows remarkable consistency. [Goldman Sachs research](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-is-showing-very-positive-signs-of-boosting-gdp) gauges a 25% average productivity increase from AI use. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis [calculates](https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2025/feb/impact-generative-ai-work-productivity) 33% gains per hour of GenAI use. Our experience corroborates improvements in this range. As productivity gains from using AI get more predictable, the focus of leaders—especially those responsible for AI adoption—needs to shift from short-term savings to strategic reinvestment of time and resources for sustainable growth. Organizations don’t need to stop what they’re doing to transform; they can do it continuously by reinvesting back in their plans. What to do about it: Our [forum with more than 300 executives in early 2025](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs) identified three critical horizons for a balanced innovation portfolio: the first of immediate efficiency gains, the second of disruptive growth opportunities, and the third of long-term transformation capabilities. Ali Minnick The technology movements of the past have required a compass—like go East or go West. With AI, it is much more of a GPS system. Recalculating route: Your AI journey needs a GPS, not a compass The three horizons of short-term gains, disruptive growth, and long-term transformation resemble the progression many organizations follow in their AI journeys. Early on, it’s perfectly fine to focus on targeted experiments to validate AI’s potential. But as companies mature their capabilities, they must expand toward enhanced operations and enterprise-wide transformation to realize AI’s full promise. Failing to adapt to these changes results in a loss of competitiveness, growth, and customer trust, risking obsolescence in a rapidly evolving landscape. Stages of the AI journey Organizations progress through distinct phases in their AI journey, from targeted experiments to comprehensive transformation of their business, with each stage showing increasing gains in efficiency, innovation, and value creation. AI success requires precise navigation through both familiar and emerging challenges. Understanding these barriers—from surface-level security and data integration to deeper challenges of leadership alignment, workforce development, and value measurement—gives organizations the clarity needed to overcome them. With this understanding, companies can shape their path forward with confidence. Much like a GPS system recalculating based on real-time conditions, organizations must continuously adjust their approach. Each recalibration strengthens their capacity to learn, adapt, and advance toward transformative impact. “The technology movements of the past have required a compass—like go East or go West,” says Ali Minnick, general manager of Customer Outcomes Solution Innovation at Slalom. “With AI, it is much more of a GPS system, where we have to navigate a pretty dynamic journey to the future with our clients and take their employees along this incredible ride in an engaging way.” 1 Jeremy Korst, Stefano Puntoni, and Mary Purk. Growing Up: Navigating Generative AI’s Early Years – AI Adoption Report. (Wharton Human-AI Research, October 21, 2024), [https://ai.wharton.upenn.edu/focus-areas/human-technology-interaction/2024-ai-adoption-report/](https://ai.wharton.upenn.edu/focus-areas/human-technology-interaction/2024-ai-adoption-report/). Go from barriers to breakthroughs Let’s talk Share insight Woman looks straight ahead and smiles. In the background is a cartoon "sparkle" typically associated with AI. --- title: AI Goes “Public”: Navigating the New Era of Access and Awareness in 2024 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-goes-public-navigating-the-new-era-of-access-and-awareness source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-goes-public-navigating-the-new-era-of-access-and-awareness locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI Goes “Public”: Navigating the New Era of Access and Awareness in 2024 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-goes-public-navigating-the-new-era-of-access-and-awareness - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-goes-public-navigating-the-new-era-of-access-and-awareness - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The widespread access to AI has thrust it into the public domain, engaging a broader demographic with newfound stakes for AI’s success. Learn how to close the gap between bold AI aspirations and an understanding of its capabilities. ## Body AI Goes “Public”: Navigating the New Era of Access and Awareness in 2024 The widespread access to AI has thrust it into the public domain, engaging a broader demographic with newfound stakes for AI’s success. Learn how to close the gap between bold AI aspirations and an understanding of its capabilities. AI Investment | Navigating Public Access & Expectations AI goes “public”: Navigating the new era of access and awareness in 2024 Share insight Imagine: it’s Q4 2024 and, as the accountable executive for AI, you’re preparing to present to the board on [the company’s AI initiatives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office). But there’s an issue: while you have robust, forward-looking ROI projections, nothing has been monetized yet. As you prepare for the meeting, you feel the pressure to deliver a compelling narrative that inspires the board’s confidence, laying the groundwork for continued funding for meaningful AI advancements in the coming years. This year has the potential to be a landmark in the field of artificial intelligence. Unlike 2023, where AI investments were largely [experimental](https://www.reuters.com/technology/reuters-next-generative-ai-still-mostly-experimental-say-executives-2023-11-09/), 2024 sees deliberate and [substantial investments](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/02/techs-new-ai-game-plan-spend-money-to-make-money.html). Much like a groundbreaking initial public offering (IPO), the democratization and widespread access to AI — catalyzed by OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT in late 2022 — has thrust AI into the public domain, engaging a broader demographic with newfound stakes for AI’s success. With AI predicted to become a [$200 billion global industry by 2025](https://informationmatters.net/ai-market-size-impact-forecasts/), we see levels of investment emulating the serious financial commitments post-IPO in the business world. Drawing on [Gartner’s Hype Cycle](https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle), this new faction of AI stakeholders has skyrocketed to the “peak of inflated expectations,” eager to unlock the most promising potential of this breakthrough technology. However, as we’ve seen from AI’s past, the greater the gap between popular expectations and understanding of this technology, the deeper the letdown as early experiments and implementations fail to live up to the grand visions. This disillusionment can lead to widespread disengagement, jeopardizing technological advancement. With AI at such an exciting precipice, the imperative for 2024 is to [close the gap](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation) between the bold aspirations for this technology and popular understanding of AI’s current capabilities, sustaining engagement through cycles of experimentation and improvement necessary to propel AI to true mainstream adoption. AI’s metaphorical IPO — a shift in awareness and access Prior to 2023, AI was the purview of a small percentage of the population who endured the AI hype cycles, persisting through the multi-decade “AI winters” that bookended the 1980s (more on this later). Today, much like a wildly successful IPO, AI’s recent emergence into the popular sphere has created a paradigm shift where nearly everyone is now an AI stakeholder. Slalom has seen firsthand the uptick in organizations carving out significant portions of their 2024 operating budgets for AI investments. From $30 million at a well-known charitable trust to $40 million at a midwestern insurance company, these substantial investments stand in sharp contrast to 2023, where organizations were primarily using discretionary funds to experiment with AI. [With 70% of executive leaders increasing AI investments this year](https://go.slalom.com/l/209772/2023-10-10/3ks3yj/209772/1696956327Cr1K6RSy/Slalom___The_AI_Enigma_Research_Report___2023.pdf), the tangible interest and investment underscores a pivotal moment in AI’s trajectory, reflecting market demand for its transformative potential. However, sustaining this momentum will be key to propelling AI innovations toward their full realization and broader societal impact. Just as going public opens a company up to heightened scrutiny and shareholder expectations, the plethora of new and substantial investments has increased the pressure on accountable executives to deliver equally significant returns. In the open market, investors who are dissatisfied with the performance of their stock may choose to sell their shares, which, at worst, can result in IPO failure. Similarly, AI’s stakeholders need to see returns on their investments or they will disengage. This gap between the expectations of new stakeholders for transformational outcomes and their understanding of the technology poses a serious threat to sustained engagement, a threat that has the potential to bring on another AI winter and delay the inspiring and investible advancements in our world. Echoes of the past — lessons from AI’s history While generative AI (GenAI) has recently taken the world by storm, the broader field of AI has had a much longer and more varied trajectory. Popular hype surrounding AI has [crested and fallen repeatedly](https://www.historyofdatascience.com/ai-winter-the-highs-and-lows-of-artificial-intelligence/) since its inception in the 1950s. During phases of heightened AI activity, or AI summers, there’s a notable surge in innovation and investment as early successes drum up popular hype around the promises of AI. Conversely, during the lows, interest and funding take a downturn as early systems struggle to achieve mainstream adoption. These low periods, or AI winters, significantly set back technological progress as investors pull back on funding necessary to ensure AI’s success. Following the early golden years of the 1950s and 1960s, AI experienced its first winter when, in the 1970s, interest and investments substantially waned as the pace of technological progress slowed and AI failed to deliver on its early promises. In the 1980s, research projects focused on autonomous vehicle technology (like [Carnegie Mellon’s Navlab](https://www.mobileye.com/blog/history-autonomous-vehicles-renaissance-to-reality/) and [Mercedes-Benz’s Eureka PROMETHEUS Project](https://www.autonomousvehicleinternational.com/features/the-prometheus-project.html)) thrust AI back into the spotlight, leading to renewed interest. However, these early-stage developments didn’t reach the scale or public use that was projected, leading to the notion of a widespread “failure.” Once again, technology hype outpaced reality, and AI experienced its second winter. While interest in AI started to pick up again in some circles starting in the early 1990s and has continued steadily throughout the 2000s, the recent and unprecedented spike has put AI in the spotlight like never before. Tracing back to the AI winters surrounding the 1980s, we see that hype without substantial progress can lead to disillusionment, which has material impacts on the progress and adoption of AI. This historical perspective underscores the importance of managing expectations in this new era of AI’s “public offering.” Parallel narratives — IPO successes and AI’s potential Whether it’s a company offering its shares to the public for the first time or a cutting-edge technology dominating the public’s attention, there are certain characteristics that make a debut venture successful. Clear vision and value proposition: A clear and well-understood vision and value proposition not only provide direction and differentiation but also are critical for stakeholder confidence and buy-in. We saw this at Google in 2004, where, despite a rocky start, the company’s ultimate public success was largely due to its clear business model and the undeniable utility of its search engine. To succeed in this new era of accessibility, AI must demonstrate clear value and practical applications, and AI initiatives must be grounded in realistic expectations. WeWork’s failed IPO, driven largely by unrealistic valuations and an unsustainable business model, serves as a cautionary tale of how misaligned expectations can lead to disengagement. Market readiness and stability: Product confidence is key to securing investment in any new venture, and investors are more likely to sustain engagement if they believe the market will remain relatively steady over time. In 2004, Facebook initially struggled with issues around its offering price and market stability. Similarly, AI is currently facing an uphill battle for stakeholder understanding. While users generally expect precise and predictable results from technology, the reality is that most products and services, including GenAI, have a standard degree of error tolerance. To fully realize the value of GenAI solutions, we must demonstrate and educate to ensure market readiness. Seeing AI solutions in action provides stakeholders with a concrete understanding of what the technology can accomplish, clarifying abstract concepts and showcasing the potential impact of the solutions. Global reach and scalability: The ability to appeal to a global audience and potential for expansion are essential for any venture vying for market dominance. Alibaba’s record-breaking IPO highlighted its dominance in the global e-commerce market due, in part, to its scalable business model, which enabled it to serve customers across different regions and countries. Drawing a parallel, AI must be similarly scalable and universally applicable to tap into its full potential. And we’re seeing this trend play out in real time: as AI technology continues to improve, new techniques including [hyperparameter optimization](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/hyperparameter-optimization-techniques-machine-learning/) have significantly reduced the cost of fine-tuning and training models as well as key components of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures. In addition, Pinecone’s vector database boasts [cost improvements of up to 50x](https://www.pinecone.io/blog/serverless-architecture/), while Groq’s language processing units (LPUs) have shown [notable progress in reducing latency](https://www.kavout.com/blog/groq-lpu-chip-a-game-changer-in-the-high-performance-ai-chip-market-challenging-nvda-amd-intel/) for enterprise usability. These technological advancements reduce the barrier to custom models that can be leveraged for beyond-intuition-based use cases (e.g., How do I attain my goals?) to achieve accuracy-based use cases (e.g., What should my target goals be?). While these advancements are promising, AI must continue to make gains to sustain current levels of funding as well as increase experimentation and adoption among smaller players. Innovation and market demand: The ability to create new and unique products or services that meet [the changing needs and preferences of consumers](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service) is what truly differentiates the leaders from the pack. Snowflake’s immediate market success, driven by its innovative cloud-based data warehousing, underscores the importance of meeting specific market demands. While many of AI’s new stakeholders are currently at the peak of inflated expectations, to maintain sustained engagement, AI must align to real-world needs by delivering innovative solutions to today’s challenges. Simultaneously, one of AI’s key challenges in 2024 will be keeping up with market demand as use cases continue to explode. Once the viability and feasibility of a use case—such as customer service copilots, email/document assistants, and claims processing (e.g. healthcare/insurance)—are proved, dozens of use cases with varying degrees of complexity can be sourced to keep AI teams busy for six to 12 months. Without a mechanism to regulate the rate at which work is processed, stakeholders may become disengaged or dissatisfied due to delays in delivering AI solutions. Therefore, ensuring efficient throughput is essential to keep stakeholders engaged and satisfied with the AI development process. Pace of technological advancement: Throughout AI’s history it’s clear how closely the pace of technological advancement for innovation is tied to levels of interest and engagement. Recently, we’ve seen how quickly OpenAI captured the public’s attention and mindshare, reaching 100 million users and achieving $2 billion in revenue just 14 months after its initial release. Even as the company achieves this milestone they are continuing to innovate, expanding modalities beyond text to include image and video. As technologies like OpenAI rapidly advance and capture public interest, it becomes increasingly important to make these technologies more accessible and user-friendly. The complexity of technology can sometimes act as a barrier to broader adoption and engagement. By simplifying technology, it becomes more inclusive and easier for individuals to understand and use, ultimately fostering greater innovation and participation in technological advancements. Velocity of incumbents: With every new product release or new start-up company we will see hundreds of companies become irrelevant and, at the same time, thousands of new companies spawn. DeepMind cofounder and author Mustafa Suleyman predicts [“the coming wave of technologies threatens to fail faster and on a wider scale than anything witnessed before.”](https://www.forbes.com/sites/randybean/2023/10/24/artificial-general-intelligence-agi-and-the-coming-wave/?sh=658556423cb8) This proliferation of AI advancements will increase the risk for executive leaders of falling into analysis paralysis. To adapt and succeed in this new era of rapid AI innovation, it is imperative for organizations to focus on three key outcomes: (1) redefining relationships with their customers, (2) redefining their relationships with their employees, and (3) redefining their industry. For those following the market, it can often feel as though there are more IPO disappointments than successes as initial launches fall short of expectations, given the hype. In examining high-profile IPOs over the past two decades we see the importance of clear value, market readiness, scalability, realistic expectations, pace of innovation, and velocity of incumbents in determining the success of any new venture. With AI currently making its metaphorical market debut, we can apply these insights to take advantage of AI’s current trajectory and make plans to mitigate any impact on progress, successfully avoiding another AI winter. Bridging the gap — the mandate for 2024 The key to AI’s success in this new era is to align the excitement of “going public” with the practicalities of AI’s current capabilities. This involves educating AI’s new stakeholders, setting realistic expectations, and focusing on [responsible AI growth](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/people-ais-most-powerful-prompt/page/1). The substantial AI investments in 2024 mean executives will be accountable for showing a return on these investments. To help our customers navigate these challenges, Slalom has built an AI business value calculator to help organizations focus on high-value AI investment cases while leveraging intelligence to compare business case ideas across industry and function. Returning to the opening predicament of our AI executive eager to show tangible results and secure continued funding and engagement, the goal is to help executives allocate their budgets to realize the maximum potential of AI investments. Now, as you walk into the boardroom, equipped with the right tools and secure in the knowledge that your stakeholders are educated on the realities of AI’s current capabilities, you confidently make your pitch and secure funding to sustain the innovation required to redefine your organization’s relationship with your employees, your customers, and your industry. As AI enters 2024, the balance between technology innovation and realistic expectations is more crucial than ever. This year has the potential to mark a significant leap in AI’s journey, provided we heed the lessons of AI’s history. AI Goes Public: Navigating the new era of access and awareness in 2024 --- title: AI and healthcare: Overcoming common challenges url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-healthcare-overcoming-common-challenges source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-healthcare-overcoming-common-challenges locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI and healthcare: Overcoming common challenges - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-healthcare-overcoming-common-challenges - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-healthcare-overcoming-common-challenges - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Applying AI/ML in the healthcare and life sciences industry is uniquely challenging. Luckily, the brightest minds are creating solutions.. ## Body AI and healthcare: Overcoming common challenges Applying AI/ML in the healthcare and life sciences industry is uniquely challenging. Luckily, the brightest minds are creating solutions.. Share insight Healthcare practitioner in blue scrubs is holding a clipboard, smiling at patient The intersection of AI and healthcare It’s a safe bet that you’ve interacted with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in some way today, whether you’ve seen a personalized ad or asked your smart assistant for the weather forecast. Even though AI is all around us, the most impactful and human-centric industry being revolutionized by AI is healthcare and life sciences (HCLS). The underlying AI/ML tools, technologies, and methodologies used by HCLS and other industries are generally the same. While ecommerce has personalized ads, HCLS has personalized medicine. While the finance industry uses anomaly detection to identify fraud cases, doctors and physicians leverage similar methods for diagnosing early-stage cancer. The commonalities shared across these applications begin with the mathematical models that learn the relationships in data used to train them, followed by the computational architecture (i.e., the “the cloud”) that powers the models, and end with the software written to bridge the gap between the two. This consistency offers myriad advantages, but perhaps most importantly it paves the way for novel AI/ML applications outside of research institutions and giant technology corporations. One shining example is Riya Bhatia’s research on real-time detection of fibromyalgia. Riya, a high school senior and participant in [AI4ALL’s Changemakers in AI program](https://ai-4-all.org/changemakers/), uses machine learning and computer vision techniques to identify facial expressions while concurrently measuring the stiffness of a patient’s skin via a special glove to predict a fibromyalgia diagnosis. This novel approach to non-invasively diagnosing a pain disorder—a particularly difficult task given the complexity of measuring the intensity of pain and its subjective nature—highlights the opportunities for AI/ML to enact real, positive change. Regulatory barriers The HCLS industry faces unique challenges compared to other industries, especially with the many regulations that surround sensitive healthcare data. Inspiring examples like Riya’s tend to obfuscate these issues. Accessing data—a prerequisite for building AI/ML applications—is often the most difficult and time-consuming step of the development process. Additionally, all systems must maintain various levels of heightened security when interacting with the data. While healthcare data regulations are necessary and undoubtedly a reliable mechanism to prevent the misuse of sensitive data, adhering to them takes time, effort, and money. Even more work is required to sufficiently anonymize data to make it publicly available for the benefit of the entire HCLS community. HCLS data complexity Taking the regulatory aspects out of the equation, healthcare data also differs in complexity compared to other industries. You’ve likely had to perform the somewhat-annoying exercise presented by CAPTCHAs to verify that you’re a human (aside: a testament to how advanced AI solutions have become). Identifying “which picture contains a bridge” is a simple task for anyone with relatively good eyesight, but if the activity were changed to something healthcare-related, like identifying “which MRI depicts a malignant tumor,” those of us without medical degrees and years of experience specializing in cancer diagnosis would fail the test and be wrongfully flagged as bots. This example illustrates how complex the data tends to be in the healthcare space compared to other industries. Self-driving cars can reliably use the millions of accurately labeled bridge images to enhance the AI systems that support them, but in stark contrast HCLS relies on a handful of subject matter experts to generate high-quality data labels, such as “malignant” and “benign” MRI or CT scans. These labels are particularly important because they dictate what the machine learning model will predict. After all, an AI’s intelligence stems from the data it’s trained on. It’s important to note that even when an AI doesn’t intervene in life-and-death scenarios, it can still both directly and indirectly affect people’s health and well-being, especially over time. Creative solutions to data scarcity The effects of strict regulations and the inability to generate accurate data labels at scale manifest as “data scarcity,” or a deficit of high-quality data (i.e., accurately and reliably labeled) suitable for AI/ML purposes. Downstream, this translates into additional hurdles faced by researchers and developers like Riya. Ideally, facial expressions of fibromyalgia pain coupled with skin stiffness measurements and patient-reported pain scores would comprise the data foundation for her solution. Unfortunately, an accurately labeled dataset with these components simply doesn’t exist (at least not publicly), and she was forced to take matters into her own hands. Riya took components from various datasets and collected anonymous data, and with a little creativity and engineering, trained her ML model. Similarly, researchers and industry leaders in HCLS tend to rely on open-source, public data that somewhat—but almost never perfectly—aligns with their existing data to act as a supplementary source of information for their AI/ML applications. In fact, there are several initiatives and organizations, such as the Cancer Genome Atlas, that are committed to fighting data scarcity in this space by publicly hosting anonymized medical data. Representation for all Unfortunately, historically marginalized communities tend to take the brunt of the “data scarcity” phenomenon. They’re routinely underrepresented in datasets, which dampens the effectiveness of these AI/ML solutions on their communities. In some cases, this translates into biased AI systems, through no fault of the ML models powering them. In practice, this looks like lopsided survival rates of breast cancer in women of color, inaccuracies in identifying genome substitutions or deletions between different DNA sequences, as well as the inability to detect different body types or skin colors—to name a few examples. Riya went to great lengths to create data herself to supplement the underrepresented skin tones in her publicly sourced data for her fibromyalgia AI/ML solution. This issue is prevalent not only in HCLS but across industries, datasets, and institutions, sometimes with devastating consequences. It’s important to note that even when an AI solution doesn’t intervene in life-and-death scenarios, it can still both directly and indirectly affect people’s health and well-being, especially over time. Regardless of industry, organization, or use case, bolstering the representation of these communities in datasets used to power AI can and should be at the top of every AI practitioner’s mind. AI truly is a technology for all, and our data should reflect that. Challenges in data size Suspending the “data scarcity” issue for a moment, let’s imagine Riya had all the CT scans, digitized biopsies, MRIs, and electronic medical records that she could hope for and that it was all accurately labeled. The individual data “points” themselves still present a problem that tends to be unique to HCLS: their size. Consider a digital image of a tumor biopsy. These images are typically tens of gigabytes each. High levels of detail are necessary for effective analysis. In the physical world, a physician would study the biopsy under a powerful microscope. In the digital world, this translates into massive file sizes. To put this in perspective, one biopsy image is roughly three times larger than an hour-long TV show in HD. When taking into consideration the scale of data points typically required to train a reliable AI/ML model to predict an outcome, the sheer storage size becomes staggering. As if that wasn’t enough, transporting and processing such large data further compounds the computing power, time, and effort required to generate these AI/ML solutions. Accounting for massive file sizes AI/ML practitioners combat this through creative approaches to data pre-preprocessing, modeling, and computing architecture. For example, large images are routinely broken into numerous smaller images in a process called “tiling.” This reduces the computational strain downstream while providing the opportunity to filter out non-informative regions of images. On the modeling side of things, semi-supervised learning, a machine learning paradigm that uses “incomplete” data labels (as opposed to the standard supervised learning where each data point has its own label), works well in tandem with the tiling strategy. This approach also helps counteract the data scarcity phenomenon. When considering the engineering difficulties of such a strategy, distributed computing with graphics processing units (GPUs) helps decrease the amount of time it takes to train a model by parceling out data to additional machines that undergo the training procedure in parallel, ultimately communicating what they “learned” back to the machine that generates predictions (and orchestrates the distributed training process) at the end of the day. Creating a healthier tomorrow By leveraging open-source data; ensuring accurate, inclusive representation in training data; utilizing novel data-manipulation strategies; and harnessing the cloud’s power of parallelization on GPUs, future leaders like Riya can continue creating solutions to critical, complex problems to help create a healthier tomorrow. This blog post was originally published [here.](https://medium.com/the-slowdown/rediscovering-personal-history-4ec67f35c514?source=friends_link sk=52a4f670cd48e891b657716e78fc8790) --- title: AI in pharma: Tech titan or hype train? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-in-pharma source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-in-pharma locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI in pharma: Tech titan or hype train? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-in-pharma - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-in-pharma - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how GenAI is poised to transform the cell and gene therapy industry. ## Body AI in pharma: Tech titan or hype train? AI in pharma | Slalom Learn how GenAI is poised to transform the cell and gene therapy industry. Share article Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies have undergone significant transformations driven by more progressive regulations due to advancements in manufacturing control processes and automation technology. This shift has led to increased efforts in innovation and investment in new technologies within the pharmaceutical industry. The primary goal behind this transformation is to ensure a more consistent quality of products, ultimately enhancing patient safety. Interestingly, the traditional pharmaceutical giants are not at the forefront of this change. Instead, the emerging field of cell and gene therapies (CGT) is leading the charge. The processes involved in CGT are incredibly complex and dynamic, requiring a heavy reliance on automation and digitization to meet the desired quality and performance attributes of drug products. This shift toward automation and digitization has been fueled by therapeutic demand and a technological revolution within the industry. Emergence of generative AI Generative AI (GenAI) has garnered significant attention within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, GenAI has dominated headlines, sparking intense competition among businesses wanting to harness its potential value. [GenAI holds promise in various areas of the CGT industry](https://medium.com/the-slalom-daily-dose/introduction-to-generative-ai-in-life-sciences-79903a4dcb8c), from accelerating drug discovery to enabling personalized treatments, optimizing clinical trials, and enhancing bioprocessing, among others. However, the pharmaceutical industry is no stranger to buzzwords and tech-driven promises—remember blockchain? Comparing the hype: Blockchain vs. GenAI Drawing parallels between the blockchain hype cycle and the excitement surrounding GenAI is not unwarranted. Blockchain, which initially disrupted the financial world with promises of decentralization, transparency, data storage, and traceability, eventually faced challenges during its implementation across various industries. As the dust settled and pharmaceutical companies came to realize the full integration of blockchain into existing systems, updating processes to support adaption efforts while adhering to stringent regulatory requirements [demanded a level of maturity](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35634106/) that most were not ready for. Similarly, GenAI is currently surrounded by high expectations, and skeptics are not too far-fetched to question its lasting value, considering its true application is still a mystery to many. As GenAI emerges as a disruptive force, stakeholders must heed the lessons learned from blockchain as valuable insights. For example, blockchain was slated to revolutionize data management and collaboration, but many drug development use cases pushed the technology’s limitations. Despite its appeal and claims of data integrity and security, blockchain stumbled over [issues like scalability, interoperability, and data privacy](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9137953/), and it fell short when it came to enabling teamwork and knowledge sharing. Blockchain promised transparency, supply chain efficiency, and quality control for manufacturing. However, manufacturers quickly learned that integrating blockchain into their operations [demanded careful planning, hefty investment, and adaptability](https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-big-pharma-is-betting-on-blockchain). Compliance also emerged as a significant challenge during the integration of blockchain technology. The decentralized nature of blockchain brought a whole new set of regulatory headaches, leaving manufacturers questioning how to adopt the technology. Early attempts to navigate compliance issues underscored the importance of [establishing clear regulatory frameworks and standards](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9137953/) tailored to blockchain applications. While blockchain and GenAI share similarities in disruptive potential, they also have fundamental distinctions essential to understanding their implications. A report from Mastercard states, “Unlike other technologies that have seen hype cycles, generative AI exhibits clear use cases, has led to the creation of robust solutions, and is developing swiftly.” The report also contends that GenAI is poised to be transformative across nearly every sector. However, skeptics of GenAI [raise valid concerns](https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/a8d820bd-en/1/3/4/index.html?itemId=%2Fcontent%2Fpublication%2Fa8d820bd-en _csp_=be7a6e5e377bf806fc0a37f89d460d76 itemIGO=oecd itemContentType=book). Current GenAI platforms lack a deep understanding of the intricate biological systems involved in CGT research and manufacturing. While proficient at data processing and pattern recognition, GenAI struggles with interpreting the subtleties of biological processes. Scientific research is highly unpredictable, requiring constant adaptations and creative solutions—areas where GenAI falls short. CGT operates within a complex ethical and regulatory framework, necessitating human judgment and moral considerations. Developing true GenAI capable of overcoming these challenges is a monumental task that may take years to accomplish. As we await the next technological evolution, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the blockchain hype that can guide our approach to GenAI. Both blockchain and GenAI are versatile digital technologies with a [wide range of potential applications](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8528719/). It is crucial to thoroughly assess their features and apply them when they are the most suitable solution for a specific problem. This assessment should also compare GenAI to alternative technologies to determine its best fit. Integration of GenAI into the CGT industry To effectively integrate GenAI into the healthcare sector, especially within CGT, it must be viewed as a [complementary addition to existing systems and technologies](https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/a8d820bd-en/1/3/3/index.html?itemId=%2Fcontent%2Fpublication%2Fa8d820bd-en _csp_=be7a6e5e377bf806fc0a37f89d460d76 itemIGO=oecd itemContentType=book). CGT companies should encourage a gradual, controlled integration of GenAI that enhances and complements the current healthcare ecosystem. Incremental testing and evaluation are essential steps to mitigate potential risks associated with its implementation. Moreover, educating stakeholders, including patients and the public, about GenAI’s capabilities and implications for data ownership, access, and privacy is crucial. GenAI applications should prioritize user-centric design principles to ensure they are user-friendly and meet the needs of both healthcare providers and patients. A critical challenge of integrating AI and GenAI is data dependency. Curating high-quality datasets enhances the reliability and accuracy of AI-generated insights. Organizations should ensure ethical AI implementation through robust frameworks that consider the complex ethical and regulatory framework within which CGT operates. Given the unique features of GenAI, compliance with existing laws, regulations, and data governance frameworks is paramount. Recently, the FDA published two documents—one on the [use of AI and machine learning in medical devices](https://www.fda.gov/media/145022/download) and another on the [development of drug and biological products](https://www.fda.gov/media/167973/download) — indicating their increasing openness to AI-driven technologies in healthcare and recognizing the potential to transform the industry. The [Digital Health Innovation Action Plan](https://www.fda.gov/media/106331/download) highlights the FDA’s commitment to modernizing regulatory pathways for digital health tools, such as IoT, blockchain, and AI applications. In the grand scheme of things, blockchain and GenAI are distinct phenomena, each with its own [challenges and opportunities](https://www.ospi.es/export/sites/ospi/documents/documentos/OECD_Opportunities-and-Challenges-of-Blockchain-Technologies-in-Health-Care.pdf). Recognizing their strengths, limitations, and tangible merits is essential to determining their value proposition within their respective domains. While GenAI holds great promise for the future of healthcare and pharmaceuticals, it must be approached with caution, acknowledging its current limitations and the need for human expertise. Partnering for success in the future of medicine Engaging a partner with regulatory and quality expertise can guide companies through the total product life cycle to promote an industry best-in-practice approach to compliance and accelerate the marketing authorization approval processes. In this evolving landscape, Slalom can offer a transformative tool kit for gene therapy manufacturing. We leverage digital strategy, analytics, and innovation to optimize processes, adapt to the dynamic challenges in the gene therapy field, and unlock the full potential of GenAI—leading to groundbreaking therapies, improved patient outcomes, and revolutionized healthcare. Our data scientists and AI experts develop interpretability frameworks that bridge the gap between complex AI-generated outcomes and actionable insights. These frameworks enable researchers and clinicians to make informed decisions based on AI insights, translating them into understandable and usable information. As the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries evolve, strategic partnerships with organizations like Slalom can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of medicine and patient care. --- title: Slalom's 2026 AI Research Report url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Slalom's 2026 AI Research Report - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Slalom’s 2025 AI research reveals the widening gap between AI ambition and execution, with insights from 2,000 leaders on strategy, data, risk, workforce, and value. ## Body Slalom's 2026 AI Research Report AI research report: The ambition–execution gap is widening Slalom’s 2025 AI research reveals the widening gap between AI ambition and execution, with insights from 2,000 leaders on strategy, data, risk, workforce, and value. AI research Dive into new research on how leaders are progressing with AI—and the shifts required to turn momentum into meaningful results. AI has moved beyond the proof of concept—it’s now the proof of imagination. The next phase isn’t about smarter models; it’s about smarter organizations that can evolve as fast as the technology does. Ali Minnick Senior Managing Director, Solutions and Innovation, Slalom LinkedIn Across every dimension of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, there’s a gap between what leaders say and what organizations actually do. From Fortune 100 innovators and global health systems to universities, utilities, and consumer brands, executives are confident, budgets are rising, and strategies are being refreshed at speed. And yet, day-to-day reality is uneven adoption, shallow integration, and fragmented security and governance foundations. To understand how AI transformation is unfolding worldwide, we surveyed 2,000 business and technology leaders and practitioners in five geographies across every major industry. Over half (56%) are financial decision makers responsible for shaping AI investments. The findings reveal six interconnected domains—strategy, data, security, process, people, and value—and how progress in one area depends on maturity in the others. Together, they explain why AI progress feels both inevitable and stalled, and why the next phase of transformation will depend on translating overconfidence into capability. Item 1 Leaders have already embraced [shorter planning cycles](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles), but our research shows that many are now updating their AI strategies faster than their systems, funding models, and governance structures can support. Nearly half (48%) of executives update their AI strategies continuously, but of those, only 51% update metrics to match. Funding models haven’t caught up either: 87% still rely on traditional investment models—often tied to annual planning cycles—limiting the agility needed to match AI’s pace. These rapid strategy cycles without matched execution capacity lead to governance lag, where plans move faster than people, processes, or platforms can keep up. With fragmented metrics and accountability, organizations risk mistaking activity for progress. “If you’re continuously updating your AI strategy, you probably don’t have one,” says Joe Berg, senior managing director of data and AI at Slalom. “What we’re seeing is a lot of tactical reaction to new tools rather than a clear vision for business impact.” Much of this imbalance stems from a dual pressure to prove and pioneer: the need to demonstrate value quickly drives incremental wins and pilot proliferation, while the mandate to innovate demands investment in capabilities that take longer to mature. This tension leaves many organizations with ambitions that outpace their ability to deliver. Maturity diverges sharply by sector. Public and mission-driven entities often have formal AI strategies but limited scale, while technology and energy leaders are more likely to link enterprise-wide mandates to measurable outcomes. Public and social impact organizations are furthest behind in scaling AI—only 2% report enterprise-level use cases, compared to 21% overall. “Most organizations still treat AI as a technology strategy, not as business transformation,” says Tamarah Usher, senior director of AI strategy and innovation at Slalom. “The priority now is to connect AI to strategy, governance, and culture to close the gap between ambition and impact.” Item 2 As strategy accelerates, modernization is the breaking point between momentum and stagnation. It’s widely seen as a “safe” investment—leaders know they need to [modernize](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy)—but as Berg notes, many efforts “focus on migration, not value.” Too often, data is moved into modern platforms without asking which data will truly drive differentiation. Nearly 8 in 10 companies (77%) are investing in modernization, but the depth of those efforts varies. Only 34% have an enterprise-wide mandate to fully replatform, and 42% admit their roadmaps are only partial—efforts that move the needle but don’t go far enough to transform how the business works. More than half of organizations still run most core applications on legacy systems, and even among those with active modernization programs, only 42% say they have the robust data foundations required for meaningful impact. Together, these signals show how incomplete modernization is one of the main forces quietly limiting AI’s potential. These gaps reveal a fundamental challenge: true modernization isn’t just technical—it’s about making data usable, connected, and aligned to business purpose. That level of change demands both clarity of direction and disciplined execution, and many companies still struggle to balance the two. “Everything we dream of doing with AI is grounded in data,” says Amalia Goodwin, managing director of adaptive organizations at Slalom. “You can’t make confident decisions or create real impact if your data isn’t trusted, accessible, and tied to your strategy.” Energy and natural resources leaders stand out for treating modernization as a management system rather than a project, with 48% linking enterprise-wide mandates to measurable planning and performance outcomes. Mid-market companies are outpacing large enterprises (41% versus 32%) by moving faster and aligning strategy more tightly with data, showing that scale itself can be a barrier. Until modernization is fully funded, outcome-driven, and scaled across the enterprise, companies will remain locked in tactical gains, automating processes without transforming how they work. AI’s potential depends as much on trust as on technology. Modernization may give companies a sturdier data foundation—but without security, transparency, and ethical oversight, that foundation is still vulnerable to risk. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in critical workflows—95% of leaders say they’re comfortable relying on copilots for strategic work—governance and trust aren’t keeping pace. Only half of companies have formal audit or ethics boards to oversee AI. Most focus on technical safeguards, like real-time monitoring or AI-tuned cyber-threat detection (45% ), while fewer (42%) have built model and data controls that include bias, drift, or lineage monitoring. The rest rely on fragmented oversight: 29% at the business-unit level, 9% with vendors, and nearly 1 in 10 still have no AI risk controls at all. Without clear accountability, responsibility falls through the cracks—and when failures happen, it’s people, not systems, who pay the price. Risk maturity varies widely across sectors. Financial services leads with 58% managing AI risk centrally and 50% using AI for fraud or anomaly detection, reflecting the industry’s long regulatory history. Energy follows with broad use of AI for operational and scenario-risk forecasting, while public and social impact respondents report the lowest use of model and data controls (28%) and the highest share of individuals who say risk management isn’t part of their role (14%)—nearly three times the average. Across regions, external regulation appears more influential than internal readiness in shaping AI risk maturity. Canada leads on real-time monitoring and cyber defense (64%), while European markets—particularly Germany, the UK, and Ireland—show stronger adoption of governance and model controls. These findings suggest that markets with stricter regulatory environments are setting the pace for enterprise-level oversight. Even where controls exist, they focus narrowly on compliance rather than ethical foresight or stakeholder engagement. Only 38% of respondents say they engage external stakeholders in risk governance. This limited oversight reflects a familiar growing pain of early maturity: some are still building the capacity for responsible oversight while others assume existing controls are enough. Usher describes this phenomenon as a kind of “human hallucination”—an overconfidence in people’s ability to self-police risk without the necessary systems in place. Many assume responsibility ends with compliance, she notes, when it should extend to continuous, transparent oversight. “You can’t delegate trust to the system,” says Goodwin. “Leaders have to own it—across data, decisions, and the people who use them.” Without stronger safeguards and shared accountability, companies gamble with safety as they scale AI adoption. Building securely has never been just about compliance; it’s about giving employees and customers confidence that the systems shaping our world are safe because they’re built to be. If security builds confidence in AI, experience builds connection. Both depend on the same foundation: systems and processes designed for people, not just performance. Layering new strategies onto old workflows may deliver short-term efficiency, but it rarely unlocks new forms of value. More than half of companies (56%) are redesigning workflows to automate or hand off tasks to AI with tangible gains: 62% report less manual work, 41% faster decisions, and 38% higher-quality outputs. Yet impact remains limited: just 21% of use cases scale enterprise-wide, and only 39% have achieved orchestrated multi-agent workflows across end-to-end processes. In most cases, automation is still applied to isolated tasks rather than full value chains—producing quick wins in productivity but little transformation in decision-making, collaboration, or customer experience. AI integration maturity remains uneven, shaping how effectively organizations translate process redesign into better employee and customer experiences. Technology (66%) and media (59%) lead in redesigning workflows to scale AI, while retail (40%) and public and social impact (41%) lag behind. Yet even among the most advanced sectors, few have achieved enterprise-wide AI adoption. Ownership is often the missing link. Cross-functional leadership for AI has expanded sharply—63% report shared ownership, up from just 5% in 2023—but accountability remains diffuse. Thirty-eight percent delegate risk decisions to business units and 18% outsource them entirely. When responsibility for integrating AI into daily workflows is unclear, process redesign stalls, and experimentation rarely matures into execution. “To truly transform, you have to stop automating yesterday’s work,” says Goodwin. “Redesigning how decisions get made, where humans add value, and how teams interact with AI—that’s where scale happens.” The bottom line: Real transformation will require radically reimagining processes, not retrofitting AI into existing ones. AI is reshaping the social architecture of work. Many leaders feel prepared, but few are investing effectively in the skills, coaching, and organizational models needed to sustain change. Two-thirds of leaders and employees (68%) believe their organization is keeping pace with AI, yet nearly all (93%) report workforce barriers—from skill gaps and limited time to inadequate training and tools—that limit progress. Over half (55%) identify workforce skills as the top obstacle to realizing AI’s value. While 69% say AI has played some role in reskilling efforts, only one in five describe those initiatives as very effective. And even when programs exist, few scale through sustained support: just 39% of mid-level leaders feel equipped to coach or mentor their teams, and only 9% of employees report receiving such coaching. The result is training without traction: programs that raise awareness but rarely build lasting capability. Confidence and capability diverge sharply across roles. CEOs and tech leaders are furthest ahead, with about one in three rating their company’s reskilling efforts as very effective. Supply chain leaders lag behind, reporting the lowest training coverage and limited time for hands-on learning, with only 8% confident their workforce is very well prepared for AI. CHROs lead on long-term planning but remain constrained by enablement gaps—only 10% rate AI upskilling as very effective and continue to face high levels of distrust and workload strain. The result is a widening divide between those driving AI innovation and those preparing people to work with it. As AI reshapes work, the definition of “critical skills” is shifting too. Half of leaders now prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving, while fewer cite communication (22%) or empathy (19%) as essential—signaling a pivot from interpersonal to analytical capabilities. The workforce is already being reconfigured around this shift. Forty-five percent of companies are creating new AI-related roles, and 36% are consolidating existing ones. Yet only about one in four (23%) report that net workforce reductions are already happening or expected within the next 12 months—evidence of reorganization, not replacement. As roles evolve, companies must move just as quickly to redefine how people learn, adapt, and stay effective in the flow of change. “The companies that build learning into how they work—not just what they teach—will be the ones that adapt the fastest,” says Usher. Strategy, data, security, process, and people are essential—but business value is the outcome they’re all designed to achieve. And expectations are high. Ninety percent of companies plan to increase AI investment in 2026, up from 81% in 2025 and 70% in 2024—a 20-point rise in just two years. Only 1% expect to invest less, suggesting that AI budgets remain resilient even as scrutiny on returns grows. When engaging external partners, value still drives decisions: 70% prioritize cost efficiency and clear ROI, followed by speed to value (63%), access to advanced technology (49%), and risk mitigation (46%). Yet few are equipped to prove that value. Only 39% have clear metrics and ROI tracking for AI performance, even as 68% expect returns within two years. Compressed timelines and limited measurement create pressure for quick wins and make longer-term impact harder to prove. Most leaders still frame AI in terms of efficiency (76%), while fewer see it as a catalyst for reinvention (48%) or evolving customer strategy (30%). Only 38% say AI is delivering higher-quality, more consistent outputs—a sign that productivity gains have yet to translate into distinctive performance or tangible customer impact. By focusing on internal efficiency, many companies risk missing where disruption is actually forming—among emerging players building AI-first strategies from the ground up. Even sectors known for innovation remain locked in incremental improvement. In manufacturing and mobility, 73% view AI primarily as a tool for internal productivity, while only 50% see it driving new products or experiences. In retail and consumer goods, 75% focus on targeted operational updates, compared with just 19% actively evolving customer strategy. “Everyoneʼs looking at the same incumbents when the real disruption is still in stealth mode,” says Goodwin. “We will likely start to see the next wave of AI-native competitors emerge in 2026-2027.” The takeaway? AI’s short-term value story is about productivity; its long-term potential lies in reinvention. The leaders who measure both will be the ones who convert efficiency into enduring differentiation and customer relevance. Ready to deliver real results with AI? Join the hundreds of companies that have worked with Slalom to close the gap and turn AI momentum into measurable business value. Connect now Closing the gap: From dissonance to disruption Leaders are bullish about AI—spending more, moving faster—but outcomes aren’t keeping pace. Real progress takes more than pilots and proof of productivity. It requires turning ambition into action that can scale. The data points to four key shifts that separate those still experimenting with AI from those delivering results: - Turn confidence into capability. Confidence in AI is growing, but many teams lack the skills and systems to make it real. [Reskilling at scale](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/its-not-the-tech-its-your-people) is the only way to close the talent divide. - Modernize without compromise. Legacy systems are holding back adoption. Until companies [modernize](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy), the most ambitious AI strategies will remain stuck in pilot mode. - Redesign, don’t retrofit. Tacking AI onto outdated processes delivers diminishing returns. Real transformation comes from [rethinking](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled) how work gets done from the ground up. - Go beyond efficiency to excel. Efficiency keeps you afloat; differentiation buys time. Competitive advantage comes from using it to drive [reinvention](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi), not just optimization. “AI has become a test of leadership as much as technology,” says Minnick. “Disruption now depends on execution—on leaders willing to bridge the distance between vision and reality, building systems as adaptive as their ambitions.” Closing that gap is how progress happens: when vision aligns with structure, ambition drives action, and innovation leads to impact. Methodology The data in this report was gathered from an online survey of 2,000 business and technology leaders and practitioners conducted in August 2025. Respondents were based across five geographies—the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ireland—and represented organizations in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing and mobility, media and communications, public and social impact, retail and consumer goods, and technology and professional services. Participating companies reported annual revenues ranging from $500 million to more than $10 billion, with nearly half (49%) between $1 billion and $5 billion. Contributors Turn research into action Connect with a Slalom expert to explore how we can help accelerate AI impact for your business—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 research Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: AI Research Webinar 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-webinar-2026-form source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-research-webinar-2026-form locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # AI Research Webinar 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-research-webinar-2026-form - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-webinar-2026-form - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary From AI strategy to execution: how leading organizations scale AI, measure ROI, and embed AI into core workflows. ## Body AI Research Webinar 2026 AI ambition is high. Execution is lagging. Learn how leading organizations are closing the gap. From AI strategy to execution: how leading organizations scale AI, measure ROI, and embed AI into core workflows. AI research webinar: Turn AI ambition into execution On-demand webcast: Turn AI ambition into execution 91% of executives plan to increase spending in 2026, yet only 39% track ROI (Slalom, Global AI Insights Survey). Leaders are confident, but transformation is stalling. The gap isn’t about tools or budget. It’s about integration. Based on survey results from more than 2,000 leaders and practitioners, this webinar unpacks why AI ambition is outpacing operational reality — and what leading organizations are doing differently. You’ll learn how to move beyond scattered pilots and incremental productivity gains to enterprise-wide transformation that delivers measurable business value. What you’ll learn: - Why the real AI challenge isn’t technology — it’s governance, measurement, and integration - How to close the ambition–execution gap before it widens further - What separates organizations scaling AI enterprise-wide from those stuck in perpetual pilots - The five capabilities required to turn AI investment into sustained competitive advantage --- title: AI success has a new scorecard—and it’s not just about ROI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI success has a new scorecard—and it’s not just about ROI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary From pilot projects to portfolio thinking, find out how to operationalize your AI with the metrics that matter most now. ## Body AI success has a new scorecard—and it’s not just about ROI From pilot projects to portfolio thinking, find out how to operationalize your AI with the metrics that matter most now. Share Most organizations have now experimented with AI, from deploying off-the-shelf solutions to releasing proof of concepts (PoCs). It’s no longer about whether to invest—it’s about delivering real business value while managing risk. As a result, leaders are redefining how AI is assessed by moving beyond experimentation to focus on execution. Success now depends [on prioritizing the right investments](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi), measuring impact beyond traditional ROI, and ensuring productivity gains translate into real outcomes. Here’s what’s shaping the [AI-to-ROI journey](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) for organizations right now: 1. Factoring risk into AI prioritization Leaders are discovering that [not all AI use cases are created equal](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator/direct-download). Beyond technical feasibility and ROI projections, things like compliance exposure, ethical considerations, and workforce impact are major [risk factors](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security) in prioritization decisions. It’s time for leaders to move away from a purely opportunistic approach and embrace a risk-adjusted AI portfolio strategy, ensuring AI investments align with both business ambitions and risk tolerance. Actions for leaders to take: - Align on key risk factors: Define clear risk categories—such as ethical, reputational, operational, legal—and assign a “score” based on business impact. - Integrate risk assessment: Establish a risk evaluation framework as a formal part of AI use case prioritization. - Involve governance, risk, and compliance early: Make sure AI projects align with regulatory requirements and internal compliance standards before scaling. - Develop AI risk mitigation playbooks: Define proactive measures for high-risk AI initiatives, such as bias audits, explainability requirements, and fallback mechanisms. 2. Adopting a portfolio approach to AI investments AI success isn’t about a single moon shot—it’s about managing a balanced portfolio. Leading companies invest in big bets for long-term impact while [unlocking quick wins](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation) from low-effort, high-value use cases. This ensures early ROI funds future innovation, keeping momentum and buy-in strong. Disciplined AI investments deliver both near-term gains and lasting competitive advantages. Actions for leaders to take: - Categorize AI investments into tiers: Define a balanced AI portfolio with… - Quick wins: Low-cost, high-impact use cases that drive near-term ROI. - Scalable initiatives: Midterm projects with measurable business outcomes. - Big bets: Transformational AI programs requiring multiyear investment. - Implement an AI investment allocation model: Dedicate a fixed percentage of AI budget to each category to maintain a balanced approach. - Leverage quick wins to fund long-term initiatives: Reinvest efficiency-driven savings into high-impact AI innovation. - Monitor ROI across the portfolio: Continuously assess financial and operational impact across all AI investment. 3. Better utilizing productivity gains [Most leaders understand](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs) that AI drives efficiency, but turning that into tangible business value is another story. [According to our research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024), 79% of organizations are still running pilot AI initiatives, while 68% have already seen productivity gains. Whether it’s recalibrating hiring plans or scaling their agentic workforce, companies are still figuring out how to operationalize this new value. It’s no longer just about saving time—it’s about doing more without adding more. Without a clear strategy to [embed and measure AI-driven productivity into operating models,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models) these gains remain elusive and are centered around cost avoidance. Actions for leaders to take: - Adopt a persona- and workflow-based AI rollout: Map AI solutions to specific job roles and tasks to measure direct impact. - Embed AI-driven efficiency into workforce planning: Reallocate productivity gains (e.g., reducing manual tasks) to higher-value work rather than just focusing on cost savings. - Create AI productivity benchmarks: Track efficiency improvements by measuring work output per employee before and after AI adoption. - Redefine performance metrics: Shift KPIs from “time saved” to “value created” (e.g., increase in customer satisfaction, reduction in errors, speed to decision-making). 4. Measuring the value of AI agents As more companies deploy [AI agents](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation), they’ll need to continue to track core financial metrics while also expanding how they measure agent performance. By establishing a structured performance framework that includes tracking task completion rates, accuracy, responsiveness to dynamic conditions, and team integration, organizations can ensure that AI agents are driving sustained value. Actions for leaders to take: - Develop a comprehensive AI agent performance measurement framework that balances… - Business value contribution: Customer impact, process efficiency, and cost reduction. - AI operational performance: Task accuracy, relevance, error rates, and run completion. - Adoption and effectiveness: Automation success rate, human override rate, and user engagement. - Set AI governance thresholds: Define acceptable accuracy and reliability benchmarks that allow AI agents to maintain trust and performance. - Use A/B testing for AI-driven decisions: Quantify incremental value by comparing AI-assisted processes to unassisted processes. From hype to execution and from experimentation to value realization, the AI conversation has greatly evolved. The companies seeing real returns aren’t just piloting AI; they’re strategically embedding it into their operations, measuring [success beyond ROI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi), and balancing quick wins with bold investments. The AI front-runners won’t be those who experiment the most, but those who execute with clarity, scale with purpose, and integrate AI where it truly moves the needle. Complex decision-making When it comes to high-impact decisions, agentic systems can pull from diverse data sources, weigh pros and cons, and refine recommendations over time. This is particularly critical in dynamic environments where every situation requires a tailored approach. At Slalom, we use a coordinated approach called Fleet of Analysts (FoA), where multiple specialized agents work together. Each agent focuses on a specific area of expertise, analyzing large volumes of data, identifying actionable insights, and supporting strategic decision-making. These agents can operate independently or collaboratively with human oversight, ensuring both precision and adaptability. For example, one customer leveraged FoA to scale their ability to dynamically price products globally across 80+ countries. This helped them monitor dozens of internal and external sources of information that might influence pricing, analyze that against historical pricing strategies and current economic environments, and create automated pricing decisions. Another customer applied this approach to enhance their enterprise architecture capability. Teams submitting new project proposals were able to rely on an intelligent agent to conduct architecture reviews. The agent coordinated research across internal guidelines, external regulations, security requirements, and industry best practices to deliver detailed assessments and improvement recommendations. This significantly reduced the workload for enterprise architects, allowing them to focus on higher-value strategic initiatives. In both cases, the AI agents provided much-needed scalability to expert roles that traditionally spend an inordinate amount of time manually grinding out complex decisions, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities. Slalom's AI-powered accelerator, [enhanceIQ](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq), shows how different roles can benefit from AI solutions. By uncovering the ways AI and automation can benefit work across teams, you’re empowered to make data-driven decisions that help you build a more adaptable workforce. Essential building blocks Deploying agentic systems calls for more than just a good LLM—it requires structure in five critical areas: - Business and customer value: Identify real-world outcomes for the agent. Does it cut costs, speed up resolutions, or enable new user experiences? - Strategy alignment and orchestration: Ensure stakeholders understand how an agent’s autonomy aligns with broader goals. Cross-functional teams are crucial to unify efforts. - Security, ethics, and governance: Agents can amplify both good and bad outputs. Implement robust guardrails such as iteration limits and human checkpoints to maintain oversight and avoid negative consequences. - Technology and data: Agents rely on up-to-date knowledge. Solid data engineering, real-time APIs, and logging infrastructure keep them accurate and auditable. - Organization and workforce: Employee readiness matters. Provide training on how to collaborate with an AI agent and clarify roles so staff know when to step in and override the system. Share this article --- title: The AI transformation blueprint: 6 focus areas for communications companies url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-transformation-blueprint-communications-companies source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-transformation-blueprint-communications-companies locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The AI transformation blueprint: 6 focus areas for communications companies - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/ai-transformation-blueprint-communications-companies - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-transformation-blueprint-communications-companies - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI is reshaping the communications industry, from internal operations to customer interactions. Learn six strategic focus areas for AI integration. ## Body The AI transformation blueprint: 6 focus areas for communications companies 6 focus areas for communications companies | Media & Communications | Slalom AI is reshaping the communications industry, from internal operations to customer interactions. Learn six strategic focus areas for AI integration. The AI transformation blueprint: Six focus areas for communications companies Share insight As we navigate through one of the most transformative eras in technology, the journey of communications companies into the world of generative AI (GenAI) has been marked by strategic experimentation and significant learning. Initially, these companies started with a narrow focus on specific use cases, which allowed them to gauge the real-world applicability of AI technologies while developing robust controls for broader usage. Today, the scene is dramatically different. AI isn’t just an experimental venture; it has become a core strategic asset that’s reshaping every facet of the industry—from internal operations to customer interactions. This evolution mirrors other pivotal technological shifts like cloud adoption, providing a contemporary roadmap rich with actionable insights. To stand out as a leader in the field and adapt to the changing landscape in the communications industry brought on by AI, there are six focus areas to consider. With thoughtful attention here, companies can embrace AI holistically and avoid pitfalls experienced in cloud adoption. Six strategic focus areas for AI integration 1. Data as a strategic asset Recognizing data as a cornerstone of technological innovation, communications companies have a unique advantage due to their vast stores of first-party data. Leveraging this data effectively requires overcoming challenges such as outdated architectures and organizational silos. During the shift to the cloud, organizations were unable to fully realize the benefits of the technology without reimagining the architecture and team structures surrounding and supporting it; implementing AI into existing systems requires a similar strategy. For instance, a regional telco provider wanted to personalize service offerings and better anticipate customer needs. By revamping its data architecture to leverage customer interaction data effectively, it was able to integrate AI-driven insights into its customer service processes, leading to increased loyalty and reduced churn. A comprehensive data strategy that focuses on long-term benefits, alignment with organizational goals, and modernization is critical. This strategy should also tackle technical debts and prepare the company for future scalability and agility. It’s important to consider the dynamic nature of this transformation as the technology, capabilities, and regulations continue to evolve. 2. Building and sustaining a skilled workforce The demand for AI skills is creating a competitive job market where companies must attract and retain top talent, pitting communications companies against innovative startups and leading technology organizations in the fight for talent. This dynamic has necessitated a shift in talent management strategies, with an increased focus on training and upskilling. As AI technologies evolve, so too does the need for a workforce that is adaptable and technically proficient. Organizations now need a workforce with blending and overlapping capabilities where business leaders have technical knowledge and technical leaders have business knowledge. One global communications giant recently launched an AI academy for its employees, offering courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels. This initiative improved their workforce’s AI capabilities and boosted employee engagement and innovation. To achieve a sustainable workforce in the AI era, strategic HR involvement is essential to design organizational structures that support continuous learning and resilience against rapid technological changes. 3. Governance framework for precision and safety Similar to when cloud technology was in its infancy, AI transformation poses challenges for security, legal, and data privacy. Effective governance in AI initiatives is paramount to ensure that advancements are innovative, secure, and compliant with legal standards. Concurrently, it is also paramount to move at a pace to avoid losing competitive edge. The stakes are high, as missteps can lead to significant reputational damage. An effective, aligned governance model can address the risk while guiding the transformation at the quickest, safely executed pace. This governance framework should include risk management, legal, and security teams so that companies can pursue AI innovations confidently and responsibly. Solutions that incorporate human oversight and robust protections are critical, such as AI-enhanced customer support tools. These agent-assisting tools provide comprehensive data security and access strategies while leading to greater customer satisfaction and opportunities for upselling. 4. Prioritizing high-impact AI applications Given the vast potential applications of AI, identifying and prioritizing the most impactful ones is crucial for strategic alignment and resource allocation. This process requires clear communication from leadership and a centralized effort to support prioritized initiatives, ensuring that they contribute significantly to the organization’s goals and deliver measurable benefits. An international telco faced several areas of implementing AI capabilities but ultimately began its AI journey in streamlining supply chain operations. The company used predictive analytics to anticipate equipment failures and optimize inventory levels, leading to high impact with substantial cost savings and improved service reliability. As AI is enabled across organizations, prioritize the use cases that will be most beneficial, as this will drive key metrics and build momentum for further use cases. 5. Managing costs and investments Cost management is a critical concern as companies scale AI capabilities. Lessons from early cloud adoption highlight the importance of anticipating and managing costs proactively. Unexpected large bills can be avoided by differentiating use cases needing immediate answers from those requiring a longer timeline. Teams should also consider solving questions in-house as tens of thousands of dollars can be incurred for solutions that are available through simple online searches. Cost-to-value strategies include clear budgeting, spending rules, and cost allocation methods tailored to different use cases, ensuring that AI investments are effective and economical. To capitalize fully on AI investments, companies must have mechanisms in place to measure outcomes and reallocate resources effectively. This means maintaining accountability to original business cases and reinvesting the savings into strategic areas that will maximize future returns and enhance overall business performance. For example, if an AI use case results in significant cost savings in one department, create an aligned process to allocate those funds back into the same department or other priority areas so that the savings are being reinvested as they are realized. 6. Leveraging the right technologies and partnerships The rapidly evolving AI market presents a plethora of technology options, from established platforms to emerging innovations. Making informed technology selections requires continuous assessment of the market and internal needs. Partnering with a broad spectrum of vendors and experts can help companies stay on the cutting edge while aligning their technology choices with long-term strategic goals. Forming strategic partnerships can significantly enhance a company’s capacity to implement and benefit from AI technologies. These partnerships should focus on building internal capabilities and delivering quick wins that can provide competitive advantages, all while ensuring the workforce is equipped to manage and advance these technologies internally. --- title: AIOps: A holistic approach to operationalizing AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/aiops-holistic-approach-to-operationalizing-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/aiops-holistic-approach-to-operationalizing-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AIOps: A holistic approach to operationalizing AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/aiops-holistic-approach-to-operationalizing-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/aiops-holistic-approach-to-operationalizing-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Discover how AIOps enables seamless AI integration, driving business value from proof of concept to full-scale production through a holistic, human-centered approach. ## Body AIOps: A holistic approach to operationalizing AI Discover how AIOps enables seamless AI integration, driving business value from proof of concept to full-scale production through a holistic, human-centered approach. Share AIOps Value Driven Chart In recent years, [AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) has moved from the fringes of innovation to the heart of business strategy. The explosion of generative AI (GenAI) in 2023 marked a turning point, where businesses began to see AI not just as a tool for experimentation, but as a transformative technology capable of driving significant business value. This ongoing shift is reflected in our research, [with most organizations—82%—planning on increasing their AI spending in 2025](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) . However, despite the enthusiasm and investment, many organizations struggle to transition from proof of concept (POC) to full-scale production. Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of research firm Everest Group, [projects that 90% of AI POC pilots won’t reach production in the near term, with some never making that leap](https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterbendorsamuel/2024/01/08/reasons-why-generative-ai-pilots-fail-to-move-into-production/). As AI has advanced, so have the operational frameworks needed to support it. Artificial intelligence operations (AIOps) enables businesses to systematically integrate AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities across their operations. Achieving this integration efficiently and effectively requires more than just deploying technology; it demands a holistic, human-centered approach. As businesses continue to integrate AI into their products and operations, it’s essential to manage the complexities, establish a strong foundation, and maintain discipline to ensure AI initiatives deliver real value. Getting stuck: Why AI falls short of its potential Despite the transformative potential of AI, many organizations still face significant challenges in operationalizing it effectively, particularly when moving from experimentation to scalable, real-world applications. One of the most common issues is the lack of connection between AI-generated insights and a meaningful, user-centric experience that turns those insights into actionable outcomes. Without an intuitive, impactful experience, even the most powerful AI solutions may struggle to drive real-world change. Common barriers that prevent AI from delivering its full potential include: - Risk aversion: Many organizations hesitate to experiment with AI due to real concerns about navigating regulatory, security, and ethical challenges. In turn, they often struggle to turn this risk aversion into actionable, statistically sound testing frameworks and automated feedback mechanisms that could help mitigate these risks. Without these tools, organizations remain cautious, limiting AI’s potential to drive innovation. - The POC trap: Many businesses are unable to transition from POC to production. This results in wasted resources and missed opportunities as AI initiatives fail to scale or integrate into broader business strategies. - Scalability challenges: Managing and deploying multiple AI models at scale requires careful planning. Systems not designed with scalability in mind struggle to integrate, maintain, or adapt to growing demands, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs. Collectively these challenges hinder organizations from fully operationalizing AI. This is where a unified AIOps framework becomes key, addressing these issues head-on by ensuring seamless model deployment, ongoing monitoring, and rapid scalability. Moving forward with AIOps AIOps is the critical practice of AI engineering focused on operationalizing the full lifecycle of AI-powered systems and assets. It ensures that AI models move seamlessly from development to production, emphasizing testing and statistical validation, deployment, monitoring, and continuous optimization. AIOps builds on the foundations of machine learning operations (MLOps), offering the flexibility to operationalize all AI assets responsibly and efficiently. AIOps requires a set of tools, or architecture patterns, that work together to address various operational challenges. While many of these tools share a common foundation—using the same data—different use cases require different approaches. Some situations can be handled with the same core tools, while others demand a broader or more specialized set of solutions. Over time, as the AIOps platform evolves, it becomes more versatile and capable of supporting a wider range of use cases. Depending on the complexity of their operations, companies may need anywhere from two to 10 tools or architecture patterns to meet their specific needs. AIOps evolves, building on previous iterations and forming a solid foundation for future use cases AIOps addresses three key aspects of AI product management, all of which are central to maintaining and optimizing AI systems over time: - Testing and validation, deployment, and continuous optimization: Before AI systems are deployed, rigorous testing and statistical validation ensure that models are reliable, accurate, and aligned with business objectives. This phase includes defining success measures, validating models against real-world data, and conducting controlled experiments to assess performance. Once deployed, AIOps facilitates continuous optimization, iterating on models and adapting them to fit evolving business goals and requirements. Continuous optimization is essential for maintaining AI relevance and performance in dynamic business environments. - Monitoring and risk management: AIOps introduces continuous monitoring to validate AI performance and proactively identify areas for improvement. Monitoring includes capturing and storing user interactions with AI outputs, enforcing predefined guardrails, and tracking key performance metrics. Effective monitoring ensures that AI models continue to perform as expected while minimizing risks associated with drift or misalignment with business goals. - Seamless promotion: AIOps also facilitates the seamless promotion of new AI models and versions into production environments. This ensures that new iterations of AI systems are integrated with minimal disruption, allowing teams to deploy updates quickly. The promotion phase includes making the latest AI artifacts and data available for testing and ensuring that user-facing interfaces are updated appropriately. Integrating these elements with AIOps allows organizations to shift from isolated, siloed AI experimentation to a cohesive, collaborative process that is both faster and more strategic. By focusing on business-oriented ideation, AIOps aligns technical teams and business stakeholders to create solutions that are technically sound and deliver tangible business value. As AIOps matures, it continues to form the solid foundation necessary for future use cases, enabling organizations to address challenges proactively and drive digital transformation. The downside of delaying AIOps Without a unified AIOps framework, a familiar pattern emerges: deployment cycles stall, maintenance efforts become unsustainable, and AI experiments either fail to progress beyond the experimental stage or become obsolete by the time they reach production. This rapid obsolescence is increasingly a major issue for companies, as AI models tend to become outdated much faster once in production, creating significant risk. A lack of coordination between teams results in siloed AI experimentation, with little visibility into resource allocation across projects. Limited monitoring hinders the ability to identify issues or make necessary enhancements, while manual or ad hoc deployments of AI models create inefficiencies and inconsistent outcomes. Furthermore, many organizations rely on siloed research and analytics operating models, which hamper collaboration and prevent a cohesive, integrated approach to AI deployment and optimization. Collectively, these barriers impede AI’s full potential, reducing its business impact and the return on AI investments. To fully realize the AI lifecycle, organizations need a strategic, proactive approach to implementation. This means embracing calculated risks and developing a scalable AIOps framework that transitions AI solutions from experimentation to production while evolving alongside organizational needs. By holistically addressing challenges, this approach accelerates the AI lifecycle, enabling faster deployment and iteration. The resulting speed translates to quicker realization of business value, [maximizing ROI on AI investments](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi). This faster, more efficient approach not only helps organizations stay ahead of the competition but also ensures that AI solutions deliver meaningful, lasting impact. Our approach At Slalom, we believe that success in AIOps is not just about deploying the right tools but about fostering a holistic, integrated approach that seamlessly fits within existing business operations. Our AIOps framework establishes a solid technology and architecture foundation, guiding organizations from concept to fully tested, reliable technology implementation. This approach ensures alignment across all systems and stakeholders, enabling seamless integration and scalability. To ensure AI/ML operations are successful, we focus on the following key best practices, each of which delivers clear benefits for organizations aiming to maximize their AI capabilities: - Holistic integration of AI/ML: Successful AI/ML adoption requires seamless integration with existing systems and processes. By aligning AI/ML capabilities with governance and security frameworks from the outset, organizations can accelerate implementation, reduce complexity and risk, and improve time to market for AI solutions. This approach ensures that AI models are deployed efficiently and aligned with business goals, enabling faster speed to market. - Prioritizing user experience: The ultimate value of AI/ML models lies in their adoption by end users. Involving UI/UX experts early in the process ensures that AI solutions are not only accurate but also intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with business needs. By prioritizing user experience, organizations can increase adoption rates and overall project success, which directly enhances customer satisfaction through personalization and boosts business outcomes. - Efficient AI operations: Efficiency throughout the AI lifecycle—from data preparation to deployment, monitoring, and ongoing validation—is critical to achieving faster time to value. Streamlining operations through automation and process optimization reduces costs while delivering better outcomes. By leveraging automation and architectural best practices, we ensure that AI/ML models are efficiently deployed and optimized, minimizing errors and maximizing performance. Automating key processes like model deployment and monitoring allows businesses to quickly transition from experimentation to production, accelerating the realization of measurable ROI. - Designing for scalability: AI/ML systems must be designed with scalability in mind to meet evolving organizational needs. Scalable solutions that operate across platforms and environments ensure that businesses continue to derive value as their requirements expand. This flexibility enables organizations to adapt to market demands and maintain operational agility, ensuring long-term success through efficient collaboration and seamless integration of AI systems. By embedding these principles within a holistic AIOps framework, organizations can accelerate time to market, enhance collaboration between teams, and ensure AI systems scale seamlessly. As a result, businesses can drive more meaningful transformation, unlock continuous innovation, and achieve lasting benefits such as improved efficiency, reduced costs, and greater return on investment. Building for the future As AI solidifies its position as a cornerstone technology, AIOps is more critical than ever. Organizations must transition from viewing AI as departmental experiments to treating it as a core business competency. This shift demands moving beyond ad hoc methods to embrace operational best practices, ensuring efficient and systematic AI investments. A holistic, human-centered approach to operationalizing AI/ML helps organizations navigate the complexities of the AI lifecycle. This strategy ensures AI initiatives are not only successful but also sustainable in delivering long-term business value. AIOps plays a crucial role in this transition, helping businesses accelerate their AI journey from POC to full-scale production. By adopting AIOps, organizations can maximize both short-term wins and long-term success, moving decisively beyond experimentation to achieving real-world success. --- title: On demand webcast: From pilots to business outcomes on AWS url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/aws-ai-transformation-form source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/aws-ai-transformation-form locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # On demand webcast: From pilots to business outcomes on AWS - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/aws-ai-transformation-form - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/aws-ai-transformation-form - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary The next AI breakthrough isn’t another pilot. It’s knowing what to scale. ## Body On demand webcast: From pilots to business outcomes on AWS The next AI breakthrough isn’t another pilot. It’s knowing what to scale. The next AI breakthrough isn’t another pilot. It’s knowing what to scale. Building AI has become easier, but turning it into sustained business value remains a challenge. In this on-demand webinar, Slalom leaders explore how organizations can move beyond isolated proofs of concept to make AI a durable business capability—connecting technology with the people, workflows, decisions, and operating models that bring it to life. Discover how Amazon Web Services (AWS) capabilities like Amazon Bedrock, Bedrock AgentCore, and Amazon Quick make it easier to build with AI—and how Slalom helps organizations focus that potential on what’s worth building and why. What you’ll learn - How to identify high-value AI opportunities before committing significant time and investment - Why adoption, stakeholder alignment, and faster decision-making are critical to scaling AI - How AWS makes sophisticated AI capabilities more accessible, so teams can focus on business problems instead of technology complexity - How Slalom’s Forward Deployed Expertise brings engineering, product strategy, and customer experience together to accelerate real-world outcomes - Why ROI, total cost of ownership, governance, and ongoing measurement need to be considered from the start - What it takes to embed AI into your operating model and create repeatable value across the enterprise --- title: Belonging: An immigrant’s view url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/belonging--an-immigrant-s-view- source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/belonging--an-immigrant-s-view- locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Belonging: An immigrant’s view - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/belonging--an-immigrant-s-view- - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/belonging--an-immigrant-s-view- - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Immigrants too often shoulder the dual burden of learning a new culture while educating others on their identity. What if we could meet in the middle instead? ## Body Belonging: An immigrant’s view Immigrants too often shoulder the dual burden of learning a new culture while educating others on their identity. What if we could meet in the middle instead? Share insight When you work hard for years to fit in … then realize you shouldn’t have to. I came to Chicago back in 2012, starry-eyed and ready to take over the corporate landscape, bringing my experiences of working in India managing global client teams along with a whole lot of love and a head full of memories from my homeland. I have since met many wonderful people throughout the course of my career, and I’ve had the luxury and opportunity to travel to almost all the major cities across this country. There have been some life-changing experiences along the way, from living alone in Chicago, building new friendships, and finding love to moving to Boston and now having a tiny little human that has transformed my life for the better! Yet, throughout my journey, I have had a constant feeling of something missing from my life and only recently, while listening to [Brené Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o ab_channel=TED), I realized I was struggling with the idea of belonging and fitting in. As I started researching these concepts, I saw a pattern in my struggles and those of others with similar trajectories — it came down to being part of a community while being an immigrant. I saw a pattern in my struggles and those of others with similar trajectories — it came down to being part of a community while being an immigrant. People consider immigration as a transaction; you get the visa and start living in a new place. It’s even considered as a metric for happiness. “You’ve got your visa; you must be happy!” Well, sure I am. I’m glad I get to live in and explore a new continent, and work for an amazing organization that values my efforts and skills and tries its best to align that work with my goals and expectations. But happiness is not just measured by success and promotion at work, or by how many people know and acknowledge your contributions. Those factors help make Slalom a great place to work, for sure, but they’re not everything. Happiness is a combination of satisfaction, joy, and belonging in both work and personal life. And since we spend a minimum of eight hours at work (maybe even more without realizing it, since we’re working at home/living at work these days), work life contributes highly to our happiness index. There are many ideas out there around how an organization can help improve an employee’s sense of belonging or help them assimilate. And there’s a lot of effort and investment right now in diversity, inclusion, and belonging (or [DIBs as Pat Wadors calls it](https://hbr.org/2016/08/diversity-efforts-fall-short-unless-employees-feel-that-they-belong)). It’s of great importance that DIBs be a continuous focus for organizations as a higher-up change is the only way to create an environment where we can all — including those of us who are immigrants — feel safe and welcome. But here’s the catch. While we are all being invited to more I D or DIBs events, and everyone’s making an effort to learn how to improve company cultures, I believe we’re all missing out on the basic and inherent need to be able to find the kind of common ground that enables us to start connecting with each other. My experiences make me who I am, but they also equally and easily distinguish me from American life. I love my job. My coworkers genuinely ask me all the time how I’m doing, if I had a good weekend, if I have plans for the weekend, or how I’m going to spend my time on a week off. I love those questions because they help me have a dialogue with them about what my life really looks like and learn about theirs. However, on many occasions, I’ve noticed that my responses are not what they’re expecting to hear. Sometimes, their well-intentioned replies even make me rethink my life choices. Bear with me as I walk through this. As an immigrant living in the US, both my rights and opinions are vastly different from those who have lived here their whole lives, and even from those who have immigrated from other parts of the world. I have different tastes in clothing, food, and flavors (spice is life!). My preferences and habits are completely different from others, and my knowledge in each of those areas is completely different. And while, yes, we’re all unique individuals with our very own tastes, people living and growing up in similar environments will tend to have larger overlaps in their choices compared to those who have either lived elsewhere or have lived differently. For example, my knowledge of politics until a few years ago was all about India, with some global insights. My knowledge of music was all Bollywood. Now I might know Taylor Swift and listen to her (don’t come at me, she’s good!), but my love for [Rafi](https://open.spotify.com/album/4q3dkH6hdxDNykzVxHlrcl?si=U_SdMUsOR3iKgC0tWY2zZw nd=1), [Kishore Kumar](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1jz1hBxw2DTnIEEFmeiOsn?si=HQUlq7WUTIOrH2xKByn01w nd=1), and [Sonu Nigam](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3OEhRbBbFtFT8GdMqGHFw7?si=z9UBK1DLRSq_ICfYGol02w nd=1) isn’t going anywhere either! Not only that but my choices, if I’m being bold about it, are completely different from US folks, and that’s by virtue of my experiences before my life in the US started. Once, I was at dinner with some of my American colleagues and we were playing this fun conversation game: “If you had all the resources in the world, what would be the one thing you would do?” When it came to me, I said, “I’d go to Paris!” to which there was a lot of sighing and surprise from the group. They tried to grapple with my answer and understand why would I or anyone not be able to do this already? It’s easy! Just hop on a plane! I would have loved to explain at the time but going into my life story would’ve shifted the conversation from being lighthearted to grave, and I wasn’t ready for it. Here’s the truth: As an immigrant, my life is governed by different constraints, whether it’s traveling cross-country to visit family with limited PTO, or work arrangements, or government bureaucracy. Visiting Paris isn’t as simple for me as it is for my colleagues. Without understanding that, it’s difficult to imagine why something as simple as traveling to Europe is on my bucket list rather than my to-do list. Another good example is when a conversation turns to plans for the summer and everyone is surprised that I don’t want to be on a boat or drinking chilled beer in a bar, because those are basic summer must-dos. Don’t get me wrong, a boat sounds adventurous and fun, really it does, but I’ve never lived that life. I grew up near a desert, so my only summer escapes were either going to the mountains far east where it was cooler or going on a small pedal duck boat for 15 minutes once in a while. On most days we just played in the gully, and at nights we’d gather under the stars in our open terrace and play antakshari — i.e., Indian karaoke without any backing music/devices. Those were the best days of my life. (See, I can channel my inner Bryan Adams too!) When people make assumptions or use stereotypes during a conversation, it doesn’t help build a connection. My experiences make me who I am, but they also equally and easily distinguish me from American life. This is why I (or we, if I can brazenly expand the scope to other immigrants) tend to find assimilation and belonging difficult. We end up looking for people “like us” to hang out or communicate with. It’s easier since we don’t have to spell out or explain ourselves in a way that causes emotional and mental strain. Assimilation means a larger effort on our end to understand American life and culture, but we often get little in regards of understanding or knowledge from the American world. A while ago someone said to me, “You come from the land of snake charmers, right?” I’m sure the intent was to generate a discussion, but my reaction was to shut the conversation down because it was outright disrespectful. When people make assumptions or use stereotypes during a conversation, it doesn’t help build a connection. In this case, it dissuaded me from pursuing what might have been a great relationship in the making. That relationship and others like it take a lot more effort from an immigrant’s end; we teach others what is and isn’t a right thing to say or do, and we constantly deal with a lack of interest. Being curious without judgment, asking questions with empathy and compassion, and truly wanting to learn will take us much further than being afraid of each other and avoiding a discussion. So where does that leave us? Let’s try this: We meet in the middle. We try for equal investment from all involved, and we try to learn a bit more. I’ll keep learning more about American culture every day, exploring how people live their lives and what excites them so I can join in the fun. Alongside that, we immigrants ask you to be equally interested in our past experiences, our cultures, and the many celebrations we enjoy. You might be surprised by how exciting our side of the world is as well. And it’s easier than having a one-sided conversation where the onus is on immigrants to continuously learn. We’re all here to learn and grow together. We could all do a bit more to open our minds and grow as individuals. Being curious without judgment, asking questions with empathy and compassion, and truly wanting to learn rather than making assumptions or attaching stereotypes will take us much further than being afraid of each other and avoiding a discussion. My intent here is not to make you tiptoe around immigrants, far from it really. I want to build a space where we don’t feel like outsiders or have to explain ourselves if we don’t match the stereotypes attached to our color or country of origin. And you never know, one simple open-ended question from you could brighten someone’s day and bring that micro-moment of belonging into their lives — and into yours! This blog post was originally published [here.](https://medium.com/the-slowdown/belonging-an-immigrants-view-e02cf15e4db1?source=friends_link sk=9a2423f61e9ef6624dacdf02d27cbbc6) --- title: Beyond the buzz: 5 steps to kick-start your government’s AI journey url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/beyond-the-buzz-government source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/beyond-the-buzz-government locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Beyond the buzz: 5 steps to kick-start your government’s AI journey - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/beyond-the-buzz-government - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/beyond-the-buzz-government - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how government leaders can reduce fear and doubt surrounding AI, transform operations, and enhance public services. ## Body Beyond the buzz: 5 steps to kick-start your government’s AI journey Learn how government leaders can reduce fear and doubt surrounding AI, transform operations, and enhance public services. Share As a former government leader who started in the early 1990s, I have seen my share of tech transformations, from using desktop computers to adopting the internet and cloud computing. With the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology advancements, the public sector industry is poised to transform operations, boost efficiency, and improve the constituent experience. Yet many government leaders remain apprehensive about [exploring AI’s full potential](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) due to data privacy, ethical considerations, and other known and unknown risks. Consider these five steps to kick-start your government’s AI journey: 1. Educate and build awareness The first step to overcoming any basic fear and doubt is education. AI is often misunderstood, and myths surrounding the technology can lead to miscommunication and resistance to adoption. It is crucial to provide clarity and transparency to ensure that stakeholders, whether they are government officials, employees, or members of the public, are fully informed about what AI truly is and how the administration plans to use it. This includes making the distinction between [AI/ML and GenAI use cases.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi) One way to build this understanding is by hosting workshops or webinars that feature AI experts who can break down complex concepts and highlight the technology’s practical advantages. Focus on [real-world examples](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/uscis) of AI successfully implemented in the public sector. By using public sector examples rather than private sector case studies, you help stakeholders relate to and see the relevance of AI in their environment. 2. Develop a clear vision and strategy As anyone in government knows, a comprehensive strategy is critical to a successful and sustainable transformation, and the same applies to any AI deployment. Most government leaders begin their AI journey by creating policies that outline the technology’s permitted and prohibited uses. Policies alone, however, are not enough. Without a clear vision to guide the implementation of AI projects, leaders risk wasting time and resources and missing opportunities for meaningful impact. [Having a strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/beyond-the-hype) provides direction for selecting the right AI tools, developing partnerships, and ensuring AI integration aligns with the government’s broader objectives. Additionally, by creating a comprehensive vision and strategy, government leaders can successfully implement AI systems that [drive innovation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai), improve public services, and enhance overall governance. In the end, combining a solid policy framework and a forward-thinking strategy enables governments to unlock AI’s full potential and make meaningful, lasting improvements in the public sector. 3. Start small and scale gradually One of the most effective ways to begin any digital transformation is to start with small, short, and manageable projects. Focusing on pilot programs can offer valuable insights without significant investment or risk, allowing users to learn and adapt without feeling confused and overwhelmed. Projects should be easy to deploy and measured to provide [valuable learning opportunities](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning) for a broader AI implementation. Another critical step is establishing an AI working group or committee. This group can serve as a hub for sharing experiences, discussing challenges, and brainstorming future use cases for AI. This open forum can also help reluctant government employees and leaders recognize that AI is not a fad but a sustainable tool to address specific needs. 4. Ensure transparency, security, and ethical standards Transparency and ethics are critical components of any AI policy and strategy, particularly in the public sector. To build trust and alleviate fear, leaders should be transparent about how AI systems operate and the decision-making processes behind implementation. Most government leaders start their AI journey by developing policies that outline the technology’s permitted and prohibited uses. However, creating guidelines that address bias, fairness, and accountability and align with national and best-in-class standards should be considered. To help government leaders with this phase, the [National Association of Counties’ AI Exploratory Committee released a report](https://www.naco.org/resource/ai-county-compass-comprehensive-toolkit-local-governance-and-implementation-artificial) on integrating artificial intelligence. 5. Invest in AI skills and talent development Successful AI implementation requires more than procuring the right technology. Government leaders should prioritize [upskilling their employees](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) to ensure they have the technical know-how to navigate the complexities of AI-driven processes. By investing in the education and training of employees, governments can reduce the fear surrounding AI, build confidence in the workforce, and foster [a culture of innovation and continuous improvement](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy). If resources are constrained, consider partnering with AI specialists from universities or private sector companies to augment staff and design training programs, conduct workshops, or offer hands-on mentorship, allowing employees to gain practical experience in a guided environment. Providing AI training will not only help reduce fear but also [build a workforce capable and enthusiastic](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) about using AI to drive innovation and ensure that AI technologies are deployed in ways that truly benefit the community. Getting started: secure buy-in from stakeholders The public sector is on the brink of a significant transformation with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Despite the potential to revolutionize operations, enhance efficiency, and improve the constituent experience, many government leaders remain hesitant due to concerns about data privacy, ethical considerations, and other risks. To address these concerns and successfully implement AI, a structured approach is essential. First, educating and building awareness among stakeholders is crucial to dispel myths and foster understanding. Developing a clear vision and strategy ensures that AI initiatives align with broader government objectives and are implemented effectively. Starting with small, manageable projects allows for valuable learning experiences without significant risk. Ensuring transparency, security, and ethical standards builds trust and addresses potential biases and fairness issues. Finally, investing in AI skills and talent development empowers the workforce and fosters a culture of innovation. By following these steps, government leaders can reduce fear and doubt surrounding AI, transform operations, and enhance public services. The next steps involve continuing to educate stakeholders, refining strategies, and gradually scaling AI initiatives while maintaining transparency and ethical standards. This approach will unlock AI’s full potential, leading to meaningful and lasting improvements in the public sector. Share insight --- title: Beyond the hype: AI at the core of your business strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/beyond-the-hype source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/beyond-the-hype locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Beyond the hype: AI at the core of your business strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/beyond-the-hype - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/beyond-the-hype - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how to integrate AI into your business strategy to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth at a pace that was previously unimaginable. ## Body Beyond the hype: AI at the core of your business strategy Learn how to integrate AI into your business strategy to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth at a pace that was previously unimaginable. Share AI strategy as a catalyst for business transformation We stand on the brink of a paradigm shift, where the [integration of AI into business strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d) is not merely an enhancement but a fundamental transformation. Just as ecommerce revolutionized retail and mobile technology redefined communication, AI is poised to have an even more profound impact on business models across every industry. Imagine the seismic shift when computers became ubiquitous on every desk—AI is set to surpass even that level of transformation. AI is no longer an optional add-on; it is the driving force propelling businesses into the future. As strategists, the time has come to move beyond the hype and seize this unprecedented opportunity to revolutionize your firm’s potential. To start we must align your AI strategy with your business goals, driving innovation, efficiency, and growth. In reality, this can be done at a pace previously unimaginable. We must bring the mindset that this is not just an evolution but a revolution in how businesses operate and compete. Those who integrate AI deeply into their strategy will leap forward, creating new value and capturing the market in ways that were once the realm of science fiction. Extension of the “Playing to Win” framework by Roger Martin Vision-driven leadership: Pioneering the AI revolution In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, a strong AI strategy is anchored in [a bold, visionary approach from the organization’s leadership](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations). This vision must be enterprise-wide, illustrating how AI will serve as a cornerstone for driving competitive advantage and fostering unprecedented growth. It should cascade through all business units, ensuring cohesive alignment with strategic goals and fostering the identification of high-impact use cases. However, embracing AI requires a fundamental shift in mindset. This isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s an [exponential transition](https://medium.com/slalom-business/adapting-to-acceleration-charting-the-course-of-exponential-transitions-7170cc46f43d). Leaders must challenge themselves and their teams to think differently about AI’s role in their business. Moving beyond traditional paradigms and exploring how AI can fundamentally revolutionize business operations and reshape industry landscapes is essential. We offer a [Journey Navigator assessment](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/slalom-ai-dimensions-assessment) to assist in this transformation. This quick online assessment helps organizations gauge their AI journey. By taking it, you can identify your current level and the steps needed to harness the full power of AI. Slalom’s AI Maturity Model: From experimentation to evolution in business strategy Building a visionary roadmap: Execution is key Vision sets the destination, but execution determines the journey’s success. A bold roadmap, while needing to be directionally correct, must be firmly guided by unwavering leadership commitment. It’s about setting a clear direction that aligns with the overarching vision while remaining flexible enough to navigate the complexities and rapid changes in the AI landscape. Agility in strategy execution is more critical than ever. Traditional, static annual strategic plans are no longer sufficient. Leaders today must embrace [adaptive and dynamic strategies](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) driven by real-time data and AI insights. This approach enables organizations to anticipate shifts, detect performance entropy, and regularly calibrate to stay on course. A dynamic AI-driven strategy involves continuous monitoring and refinement based on performance data and evolving business needs. This ongoing experimentation, deployment, and optimization cycle ensures that AI initiatives remain relevant and impactful. [Leveraging AI to drive strategic agility](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) allows organizations to maintain a competitive edge, rapidly respond to new opportunities, and sustain long-term growth. Visionary roadmaps provide direction, but it is the commitment to agile and informed execution that transforms vision into reality. Embrace a strategy that is not only bold and directionally sound but also agile and adaptable, ensuring your organization can thrive in the ever-changing AI landscape. Extension of the be radical 5/28 update, “Your Superpower to Navigate Ambiguity and Uncertainty” Driving continuous value and agile innovation Continuous evaluation and agile adaptation are essential to unlocking the full potential of AI initiatives. Measuring value realization should be an ongoing practice, allowing organizations to continuously identify efficiencies and optimize processes. Rather than being held back by technical debt, AI offers the opportunity to leapfrog data challenges and drive transformation at every level. Transformation should reach the edges, with all teams involved in creating, adopting, and [measuring AI’s value](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi). This collaborative approach ensures that AI’s benefits permeate the entire organization, turning every corner into a source of innovation and efficiency. As a general-purpose technology, AI can deliver significant outcomes through basic technical enablement and robust work transformation. An ongoing cycle of experimentation, deployment, and optimization is crucial. This dynamic process allows organizations to remain agile, quickly iterating on AI strategies to respond to new insights and evolving business needs. Businesses can continuously refine AI solutions based on performance data. AI-driven agility transforms organizations into adaptive, forward-thinking entities capable of rapid innovation. Companies can maintain a competitive edge and achieve sustained growth by focusing on value realization and leveraging AI to overcome data challenges. Let AI drive your strategic agility, fostering an environment where transformation is constant and success is continually redefined. The future awaits AI-driven agility transforms organizations into adaptive, forward-thinking entities capable of rapid innovation. By focusing on value realization and leveraging AI to overcome data challenges, your company can maintain a competitive edge and achieve sustained growth. Let AI drive your strategic agility, fostering an environment where transformation is constant and success is continually redefined. Embrace this AI revolution and lead your organization into a future of limitless possibilities. The time to act is now. Share insight --- title: Bold blueprints: Rethinking 2024’s strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bold-blueprints--rethinking-2024-s-strategy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/bold-blueprints--rethinking-2024-s-strategy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Bold blueprints: Rethinking 2024’s strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/bold-blueprints--rethinking-2024-s-strategy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bold-blueprints--rethinking-2024-s-strategy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary We have begun to see GenAI not simply as a mere tool but also as a strategic partner. ## Body Bold blueprints: Rethinking 2024’s strategy We have begun to see GenAI not simply as a mere tool but also as a strategic partner. Share insight Why 2024’s strategic planning must embrace generative AI As we reflect on the trajectory of artificial intelligence—especially the transformative power of generative AI (GenAI) in 2023—it’s clear that the past year has been nothing short of a revelation. It wasn’t just about technological advancements but also a shift in the very nature of business strategy execution. Organizations of all sizes have begun to see GenAI not simply as a mere tool but also as a strategic partner. No longer just a tool for automating tasks, GenAI has become integral to strategic planning processes, offering a depth of analysis and insight that was previously unattainable. It has facilitated a more nuanced understanding of market dynamics, consumer behavior, and operational efficiencies, helping businesses navigate an increasingly complex landscape with agility and foresight. A true strategic revolution As we approach 2024, the question isn’t about whether to adopt GenAI but how and where to strategically integrate it. The landscape of business is rapidly evolving, and we firmly believe that to stay ahead, AI insights must be at the heart of any forward-thinking strategy. It’s a transition from reactive adaptations to proactive innovations. In numerous boardrooms and corporate meetings, “AI” has been discussed, debated, and deliberated. Such conversations have clarified the imperative to transition from bespoke implementations and experimentation to an AI-first approach. In our conversations with senior leaders, we emphasize a pivotal distinction: Is your organization confining itself to foundational AI explorations, or is it deeply committed to realizing AI’s full potential? The difference is profound and can define a company’s future viability and trajectory. As we step into 2024, integrating AI for strategic planning becomes essential to enhance and expedite our decision-making processes. Concurrently, by channeling AI through strategic planning, we bolster our investments, doubling down on its transformative potential and ensuring we’re not just part of the future but shaping it. Generative AI’s unbiased lens for 2023’s allocations In the boardrooms of leading corporations, decisions often teeter between influential leadership opinions and raw data. The challenge? Ensuring that influential voices don’t eclipse data-driven insights. The solution? Enter AI. AI serves as an invaluable consultant, analyzing past fund allocations with speed and precision. Its true strength lies in its objectivity, stripping away biases and presenting a clear, data-centric view of past decisions. This swift and unbiased analysis offers businesses a competitive edge, enabling them to project forward investments with both accuracy and momentum. While leadership influence has its merits—especially in shaping organizational culture and vision—relying solely on human inputs and experiences in the absence of data can skew strategic direction. AI balances this equation, ensuring data isn’t overshadowed but stands as an equal counterpart to influence. Generative AI as strategic consultant and researcher In the realm of strategic planning, generative AI has emerged as a game changer, adeptly navigating and optimizing specific processes that drive transformative business outcomes. We’ve found great success in including generative AI in the following analytical activities. - Trend forecasting: Using AI to anticipate market shifts, informing the initial planning phase where businesses set their strategic direction for the upcoming year. - Scenario modeling: Applying AI to create diverse business scenarios during the formulation stage, enabling the crafting of flexible budgetary and operational plans. - Innovation ideation: Leveraging AI to brainstorm during the ideation phase, ensuring innovative strategic solutions are budgeted for and prioritized. - Risk assessment: Utilizing AI during the risk evaluation phase of planning ensures potential pitfalls are budgeted for and allows for strategic contingency funds. - Resource allocation: Deploying AI during the budget allocation stage, suggesting optimal distribution of funds across strategic and operational initiatives. - Decision analysis: Integrating AI insights during decision-making, offering clarity when finalizing the budget and ensuring the best ROI for strategic investments. - Operational efficiency: Harnessing AI to refine strategies during the operational planning phase, ensuring maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the finalized annual budget. Harmonizing GenAI with strategic mandates A truism has surfaced through our extensive engagements with corporations: Your AI strategy is fundamentally inseparable from your overarching business strategy. It’s not a mere accessory; it’s integral. As we move toward 2024, corporations must internalize that truth to effectuate the AI acceleration business objectives. It is now paramount to infuse AI capabilities directly into the core of your operations and strategies, starting with the annual strategic plan. This is not about replacing traditional mechanisms of growth—via other forms of technology, human talent, or reimagined processes—but about harnessing AI to amplify the potential across all these domains. The question for decision makers is clear: Will you allow AI to merely complement or to redefine your strategic horizons? The unfamiliar terrain of GenAI’s capabilities While we’ve long been strong advocates for the transformative power of AI, we are also acutely aware of the areas that are still being unearthed. We’re at a stage where the capabilities of AI are expansive, yet some aspects remain nebulous. Recognizing this, we’ve pioneered an innovative approach to uncover true risks to the investment in AI, ensuring that organizations can leverage its benefits with confidence and clarity while developing strategies to work past its current shortcomings. In light of the expansive—yet sometimes elusive—nature of GenAI’s capabilities, it’s crucial to strike a balance in your strategic investments. In fact, we advocate for allocating a significant portion of such investments to core capability development, where the benefits of AI are tangible and certain to provide immediate acceleration and enhancement. This bedrock of fundamental competencies ensures a strong foundation for your current strategic aims. While we expend energies on foundational strategic investments, the future beckons with opportunities that may seem peripheral or speculative. This is where future-proofing comes into play: diversify by also earmarking funds for innovative AI opportunities that may reshape industries or create entirely new avenues of value. These investments are not just about returns; they are crucibles for learning and evolution, essential for driving innovation in subsequent strategic cycles. By thoughtfully distributing funds between the established and the experimental, you secure present-day objectives and position your organization at the forefront of tomorrow’s breakthroughs. AI integration at every stage of strategic planning Our recent Slalom survey provides compelling evidence to support the momentum of AI investment and adoption that we’ve observed with our own clients: a significant 70% of company respondents have already recognized the value, signaling their intent to increase resource and budget allocation toward AI initiatives in 2024. As leaders find themselves at various junctures in their strategic planning processes, it’s imperative to understand how to integrate this emerging technology adeptly. Whether your organization is just beginning, in the throes of planning, or in the execution phase, AI is the linchpin for forward-thinking strategies. Those yet to embark: Begin with an AI-first lens Consider this an opportune moment if you’re on the precipice of initiating your strategic planning process. Start with an “AI-first” perspective. Before diving deep into traditional methods, familiarize yourself and your team with the capabilities of AI. Engage with AI experts and consider tailored workshops to understand how AI and generative AI can best serve your specific industry and business model. Beginning with AI at the forefront ensures it’s interwoven seamlessly into every facet of your strategy rather than retrofitting it later. In the thick of planning: Pivot and integrate For leaders currently immersed in the strategic planning process, it’s not too late to harness the power of AI. Recognize the areas of your strategy that could benefit from data-driven insights or automation and seek ways to weave AI capabilities into those segments. Collaboration is key here: bring in AI specialists to work alongside your strategy teams, ensuring the integration is smooth and enhancing the planning already in process. It’s a pivot that can dramatically amplify the efficacy of your strategic outcomes. Post-planning: Augmenting execution with AI For those who have completed the planning phase and are now in the implementation trenches with their business units, AI is still your ally. While you might have a strategy locked in, the execution can be made more efficient, responsive, and agile with the inclusion of AI. Engage with AI consultants to identify areas of your execution plan that can be optimized. Whether it’s for predictive analytics to better forecast outcomes, automation to expedite processes, or AI-driven tools to improve stakeholder engagement and feedback loops, the technology can be a powerful adjunct to ensure the realization of your strategic vision. In every stage of strategic planning, the inclusion of AI is not just a recommendation—it’s a competitive imperative. Regardless of where you stand currently, the future is undeniably intertwined with AI, and embracing it today can be the differentiator for leaders and their organizations tomorrow. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/bold-blueprints-rethinking-2024s-strategy-8cc488a36d51). --- title: Bridging the gap: Maximizing developer productivity with generative AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Bridging the gap: Maximizing developer productivity with generative AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Generative AI can significantly reduce software delivery time, but requires strong cultural adoption across the software development lifecycle. ## Body Bridging the gap: Maximizing developer productivity with generative AI Maximizing developer productivity with generative AI | Slalom Generative AI can significantly reduce software delivery time, but requires strong cultural adoption across the software development lifecycle. AI for Developers: Boosting Productivity with Generative AI Tools Share article Generative AI (GenAI) promises to revolutionize the future of business, including software development. Experts say GenAI advancements will drive developer productivity by up to 56%, and executives are taking notice. Bloomberg Intelligence finds that rising demand for generative AI products, including copilots that accelerate coding, [could result in $280 billion of new software revenue by 2032](https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/generative-ai-to-become-a-1-3-trillion-market-by-2032-research-finds/). However, GenAI isn’t a fix-all for optimizing processes and boosting revenue. As with any technology, GenAI is an applied skill, requiring training and enablement for people and organizations to reach new levels of productivity and innovation. Business leaders must proceed with the right GenAI enablement to avoid adverse effects that can come with this next technological wave. Navigating the complexities of GenAI to unlock developer productivity GenAI enables new ways to drive value through productivity, differentiation, and disruption. However, effectively implementing GenAI into your business isn’t as simple as just buying an enterprise software subscription or encouraging individual usage of one of the widely available generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) solutions that exist today. You need the right tools, the right training, consistent implementation across the development lifecycle, and executive buy-in to realize the true productivity uplift that GenAI can provide. At Slalom, we started experimenting with GenAI in late 2022 to understand the possibilities, limitations, and best practices of this technology. Throughout 2023 we ran several internal initiatives to enable everyone across the organization with GenAI, including baseline training for all employees, a pilot program enabling technologists with GitHub Copilot, and Project 1k — an initiative to build and share 1,000 GenAI demos in 100 days. Culturally, these initiatives provided excitement and encouragement across teams. It also fostered collaboration across different areas of the business as strategists, designers, developers, and sales teams worked together to build, rapidly test, share, and iterate on GenAI solutions in real time. Focusing in on developer productivity, we gained valuable insights into how GenAI is helping developers work better, faster, and more efficiently, as well as identified a set of actions needed to truly deliver value at scale. While initial development gains were impressive, we found that productivity fluctuates throughout the development lifecycle, both within sprints and across the development process from intake to testing. For example, initial experiments showed impressive gains in early development sprints. According to Danny Weldon, director of software engineering at Slalom, in some cases we saw teams double sprint goals week over week. However, within sprints themselves we observed large fluctuations in commit history activity in GenAI usage. This prompted further research into the factors responsible for this phenomenon. Looking across the development lifecycle more broadly, gains in one portion of the development lifecycle don’t necessarily translate to gains across the whole lifecycle, and in some cases may even create bottlenecks, slowing down the production engine. For example, if the engineering output skyrockets, exceeding testing capacity, then the testing phase becomes a bottleneck. Additionally, when new features are developed swiftly but the backlog is not adequately stocked, the development engine runs out of fuel, halting further advancements. Furthermore, if the pipelines—crucial to the efficient movement of features through the development lifecycle—fall behind, it impedes the deployment of features to the production environment. This interconnectedness underscores the need for a balanced and synchronized approach to GenAI deployment in software development, where each component supports and feeds into the other for optimal outcomes. In addition to variability across the development lifecycle, GenAI productivity gains also vary by individual. While some engineers see large gains with the help of GenAI coding assistants, others see more modest increases, and some are even slowed down as they onboard to this new technology. Prompt engineering is a skill. Crafting clear, concise, and specific prompts enables the AI to generate more accurate and relevant code suggestions, ultimately enhancing productivity and code quality. Teams must therefore be trained and proficient in how they are using GenAI. Understanding these fluctuations in productivity can be tricky but understanding is ultimately key to unlocking productivity gains with GenAI. As we’ve discussed, simply increasing in lines of code per engineer per day with the assistance of GenAI doesn’t guarantee an increase in story points completed. This can be due to bottlenecks created by speeding up only one part of the production cycle, or issues with the AI-generated code itself due to poor prompting leading to unproductive returns or code that doesn’t adhere to enterprise development and security standards. Operationalizing [DevOps Research and Assessments (DORA) metrics](https://dora.dev/) before implementing GenAI can help teams benchmark productivity to better understand the impacts of GenAI, including how much faster code is deployed, how much more efficient the development process becomes, how quickly they can resolve issues, and how code quality improves, all of which can contribute to overall productivity gains. By embracing experimentation and exploring areas of difficulty, Slalom has gained valuable insights into unlocking developer productivity that have shaped our strategy for helping teams harness GenAI. Boosting developer productivity and job satisfaction for a health insurance provider We recently helped a leading health insurance provider enhance engineering productivity and developer experience through the implementation of GenAI coding assistants. By conducting a thorough evaluation and pilot program, including identifying use cases for pilot evaluation, upskilling developers on how to effectively use GenAI code generation tools, assessing developer productivity and code quality, and evaluating sentiments with key use cases and developer workflow with GenAI tools, we observed significant uplift across the development lifecycle. The pilot found an increase in productivity, standardization, and code quality across numerous coding tasks, particularly generating code and creating unit tests. Specific benefits included … - Accelerated engineering: The overall results showed a 2.5x increase in code created, without a decrease in quality or adherence to standards. - High efficiency and flow: 75% of developers reported increased efficiency and flow owing to less context switching and mental effort on non-value-add tasks. - Improved quality: We saw a 34% increase in unit tests written and 83% of developers reported improved quality when performing quality checks. - Faster modernization: 73% faster migration to modern programming languages and 3x faster migration to AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK). - Excellent career growth opportunities: Participants loved the skill enhancement components and hands-on support, leading to higher job satisfaction. These successes have paved the way for broader implementation of GenAI tools across the organization, demonstrating the potential of these cutting-edge technologies to drive productivity and innovation. Enabling your organization with GenAI As more and more organizations make investments in GenAI, it’s important to focus on the factors that will enable you to realize the greatest returns on your investment. Here’s a checklist to consider as you embark on your GenAI journey to help set your developers, teams, and business up for success: 1. Business analysis - Identify ROI potential: Begin by researching tools and projected gains to estimate the potential time savings, increased productivity, or quality improvements GenAI can offer. Use this as a baseline to calculate the financial impact and justify the investment. - Identify use cases: Find tasks that are repetitive, time-consuming, or where automation would reduce workloads for team members across the development lifecycle. Be sure to consider the full development lifecycle and consider up- and downstream impacts. - Align with strategic goals: While it can feel like an imperative to start experimenting with AI, GenAI is ultimately an investment. If you cannot align your AI objectives with your strategic goals, revisit your objectives to determine initiatives that will drive operational efficiencies, enhance customer experiences, improve decision-making, and ultimately deliver measurable business value. 2. Feasibility - Tool evaluation: Research available GenAI coding assistant tools. Consider popular products including Amazon CodeWhisperer, GitHub Copilot, Code Llama, and Google Gemini. Assess factors like cost, existing skill sets, and customizations that may be required for your organization. - Integration complexity: Determine how and where you will be integrating tools into your development workflow. Will you be able to do this within your team, or will you need external expertise to design and set up the right workflows? 3. Readiness - Team and organization: Adopting GenAI is a cultural shift requiring buy-in and enablement at every level. Leaders need to champion AI initiatives and provide the necessary resources and guidance. At the same time, teams must be excited and willing to adopt the technology. Connect them with other developers outside your organization to learn more about how these tools are making an impact. - Governance and security: Define who will be able to access GenAI tools and implement ways to monitor access. Make sure you have a plan to address the security aspects of GenAI and that you are not training external models on proprietary code. 4. Investment - Budget: Estimate the cost for the GenAI tools, integration of the tools, potential infrastructure upgrades, training, and standard maintenance of new technology. - Training: Even, and in some cases especially, for the most experienced developer, the computing adage “garbage in, garbage out” applies to GenAI tools. As AI continues to advance, we will need to provide teams with additional training to make sure they are leveraging the best the technology has to offer. - Pilot: GenAI use cases are best to start in a carefully planned pilot. You want to control the environment, measure impact, and iterate on your approach. Here’s where DORA metrics can be especially helpful in measuring productivity gains. - Pilot exit strategy: Develop a plan to roll it out more broadly across the organization once the pilot is complete or decide that GenAI did not provide the intended results to achieve long-term goals and reevaluate your use cases. Successful GenAI transformation requires cultural adoption and organization-wide orchestration. Each position needs to know how to use it properly to be effective. Improving developer productivity requires equipping an entire team with the tools to allow everyone to move faster. Without positional training, GenAI can have adverse productivity effects, as improper searches and unclear prompts can derail even the most experienced developer. In addition, our ways of working will need to shift to accommodate how this new technology affects the development lifecycle. According to Weldon, even “the way we work in Agile may need to be adjusted over time,” reevaluating sprint lengths to take advantage of developer productivity. In conversation, Slalom senior director Miheer Munjal posed the question, “You don’t have to use GenAI to get to the solution, but if it helps you get there faster, why wouldn’t you?” We know the competition is fierce, and in today’s world companies that move faster continue to gain market share over those that move slow. --- title: Building an adaptive organization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Building an adaptive organization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI is a catalyst for continuous change. Today's leaders need to build an adaptive organization that can both respond to and anticipate ongoing shifts. ## Body Building an adaptive organization AI is a catalyst for continuous change. Today's leaders need to build an adaptive organization that can both respond to and anticipate ongoing shifts. Ready for the future: Building an adaptive organization Share article Employees working together to build an adaptive organization AI as a catalyst for ongoing change is real. It has created a ripple effect across the workplace, influencing everything from [employee skills](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) and career planning to talent shortages. According to [our 2024 research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024), 38% of executives have begun redesigning roles to better integrate AI into their operations. This demonstrates how some leaders are starting to adapt to AI and anticipate ongoing shifts. “When it comes to the future of work, the only expectation we should have is continuous change,” says Ali Minnick, general manager of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “Leaders need to move away from solely considering how their organization should be using AI and instead focus on uncovering the next big change AI will facilitate.” An adaptive foundation “Adaptive” refers to the ability to change or evolve over time in response to changing circumstances. It’s the difference between adapting to change coming your way and consistently responding to continuous change. With advanced AI models already in development, it’s nearly impossible to predict the speed and impact of changes to come. The result is a series of continuous transitions for leaders to decide how, when, and where to best use technology. This [exponential transition](https://medium.com/slalom-business/adapting-to-acceleration-charting-the-course-of-exponential-transitions-7170cc46f43d) means that what has worked for your organization in the past isn’t what will pave the way for future success. Instead, you must build an adaptive organization that can succeed in a future of dramatic and continuous change. In the rest of this article, we’ll introduce the adaptive organization and help you identify steps to enable your organization’s ongoing evolution and success. Key characteristics of adaptive organizations There are seven characteristics that distinguish adaptive organizations from their more traditional, rigid counterparts: - Future-focused leadership: Leaders are forward-thinking, develop adaptive strategies, consistently leverage insights, and are open to changing course based on new information. They make decisions quickly to seize opportunities and mitigate risks. - Resilience to adversity: Amid continuous change and challenging circumstances, adaptive organizations maintain their core purpose and integrity. - A culture of continuous learning: In environments where learning and skill development are prioritized, employees take ownership of their development and better adapt to new roles and technologies as they emerge. - Decentralized decision-making: These organizations empower their teams to make decisions that foster agility and faster response times. - Integrated and responsive systems: Adaptive organizations develop systems and structures that can easily be reconfigured in response to changes in the environment. They actively use insights to generate, test, and refine new initiatives and operating models. - Balance of innovation and risk: These organizations implement bold ideas both sustainably and effectively by maintaining a careful balance between innovation and risk management. - Flexible and able to respond quickly: Adaptive organizations anticipate changes in their markets. They leverage data and insights to embrace new opportunities. Shifting to a new mental model The evolution to become an adaptive organization demands a dramatic shift in ways of thinking. In practice, that shift translates to profound changes in leadership, communication, change management, talent development, organizational structure, and learning approaches. These shifts include: Adaptive culture From: organizational cultures focused on established protocols and set structures that have allowed them to perform. In a “that is not how we do it here” culture, innovation and responsiveness are out of reach. To: a resilient organization that keenly senses and swiftly responds to emerging needs. It fosters a growth mindset, champions continuous learning, and embraces iterative approaches. By prioritizing design of the future over past successes, organizations are empowered to pivot quickly in response to both external changes and internal insights. This can be measured and planned with Slalom’s adaptability quotient, or [“SHIFT AQ.”](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai) Courageous and visionary leadership From: senior experts who carefully architect the future, leading change from the top down with high controls for managing work. This hierarchical approach often results in rigid structures that can be slow to adapt to new challenges. To: leaders articulate a clear vision for the future, champion experimentation, and embrace uncertainty. They model behaviors that foster innovation and adaptability. They coach more than control, and they empower their teams to explore and experiment as the means to continuously adapt and disrupt. Leaders can start by utilizing [Slalom’s Adaptive Strategy Framework](https://medium.com/slalom-business/beyond-the-hype-ai-at-the-core-of-your-business-strategy-32e347419744) to help chart the course for the future. With an insights-first approach, they’re able to act swiftly when the market changes. Transparent and intentional communication From: formal communication driven from the top, planned and cascaded to employees. While thoughtful, this approach can lead to misalignment “on the ground” and slow dissemination of crucial updates. To: dynamic methods for continuous sharing and increased candor about the opportunities and the expectations of the workforce. Messages set clear expectations, encourage learning and curiosity, and provide guardrails for direction around emerging technology and business risks. By encouraging open and frequent communication and setting a tone that welcomes change, the organization can quickly respond to emerging issues and shift its focus to meet new demands. Dynamic change orchestration From: change management focused on designing plans to increase adoption of disruptive technologies and reduce resistance to organizational changes. Plans can be rigid, driven from the top, and are slow to implement. To: accelerated change methods that quickly adapt to new technologies and operating models. With a more flexible approach to change orchestration, responsive plans are augmented by social network analysis to identify where knowledge and influence can most effectively drive change efforts. Feedback mechanisms deliver real-time adjustments for evolving circumstances. The focus is on the employee journey. A future-ready talent network From: traditional workforce planning built with robust, annualized strategies to optimize the mix of talent, strategic partners, and contingent workers that builds the organization and fills needed roles. However, this often leads to a static view of job functions. To: a more dynamic review of the extended workforce ecosystem and a continuous evaluation of options for [“intelligent collaboration” between humans and machines](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations). With an increased focus on tasks and skills—as well as the emergence of [brand-new job categories](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era)—the organization stays agile and can leverage the best available talent to optimize performance. Grandfather and granddaughter Chicago Cubs fans. Evolving into the future with AI-powered pricing A global leader in endpoint security needed to quickly adjust prices in more than 55 countries to capture revenue, especially in smaller markets. Slalom deployed AI-driven “experts“ to analyze complex data such as economic indicators and historical pricing. These AI agents provided actionable insights, creating a seamless transition from current capabilities to future potential, allowing decision makers to identify and act on opportunities efficiently. By adopting AI agents, a very small team was able to expand its impact and explore revenue capture in places they wouldn’t have been able to before. Through this approach, the company has strategically positioned itself to capitalize on future advancements, transforming into an adaptive organization that can tackle future challenges with agility and intelligence. A responsive organizational ecosystem From: organizational structures and systems that are realigned as part of a large-scale transformation initiative, a new business model innovation, or new leadership direction. It’s typically a slow yet thorough process. To: an organization that reimagines its structures and operating models to enable faster responses to different scenarios, including how AI influences ways of working. Combined with more flexible processes, this revamped organizational design allows for experimentation and adjustments as teams learn. A greater focus on agility, regular review of AI impacts on the organization’s operating model, and willingness to adjust based on learnings open the door for greater innovation and responsiveness. Continuous learning and skilling From: annual development planning and enterprise-driven learning that often results in a lag between emerging skill needs and the availability of people trained with those new skills. To: a culture of dynamic and self-driven learning throughout the entire organization, with opportunities for employees to develop new skills and adapt to evolving roles. This includes both enterprise-driven learning and self-driven skill development, where employees are encouraged to build new skills as they emerge. Lean learning and learning coaches, such as [AI coaches,](https://medium.com/slalom-business/genai-coaches-pioneers-of-intelligent-work-integration-5baff7b06a2e) help employees quickly develop and apply new skills as technology changes. A new path forward To truly become adaptive, leaders must embrace change and uncertainty across multiple dimensions. Leaders are the critical players in forging a new kind of transformation, setting examples, and creating a culture of continuous learning and open communication. At Slalom, we help leaders adapt their organizations to an uncertain future and empower their people in the face of change. We know that being adaptive isn’t just about new AI tools or redesigning workflows; it’s about building a mindset that handles uncertainty and navigates complexity. By focusing on building this adaptive muscle and being flexible in navigating the change journey, organizations can keep pace with technology and market demands to better meet their customers’ evolving needs. This shift makes organizations more resilient, innovative, and able to achieve long-term success in a constantly changing world. Learn more Office workers building an adaptive organization --- title: Building the Bridge to Agentic AI: A Practical Path to Smarter Service url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-bridge-agentic-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-bridge-agentic-ai locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Building the Bridge to Agentic AI: A Practical Path to Smarter Service - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-bridge-agentic-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-bridge-agentic-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary This grounded, insight-rich webinar is designed to demystify Agentic AI and help service leaders understand where they are—and where they’re headed—on the path to intelligent transformation. ## Body Building the Bridge to Agentic AI: A Practical Path to Smarter Service Learn how Agentic AI transforms service delivery, elevates agent roles, and drives transformation with expert insights and real-world examples. This grounded, insight-rich webinar is designed to demystify Agentic AI and help service leaders understand where they are—and where they’re headed—on the path to intelligent transformation. Building the bridge to agentic AI: A practical path to smarter service | Slalom Building the bridge to agentic AI: A practical path to smarter service Share Modernizing service with agentic AI webinar This grounded, insight-rich webinar is designed to demystify agentic AI and help service leaders understand where they are—and where they’re headed—on the path to intelligent transformation. We’ll kick things off with a brief, practical look at what agentic AI is and why it matters, followed by real-world examples of how clients are applying AI today. From there, we’ll explore how AI is reshaping service—highlighting the evolution of the agent role from task executor to connection creator, and what it takes to move from pilots to scalable, impactful solutions. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the importance of foundational elements needed for AI success and the unexpected value of “boring AI” as a stepping stone to breakthrough change and a sense of what Salesforce’s Agentforce and Amazon Web Services' Amazon Connect are making possible with their AI capabilities. Watch the on-demand webinar now wistia-player[media-id='faq88c2cjo']:not(:defined) { background: center / contain no-repeat url('https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/faq88c2cjo/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); padding-top:56.25%; } tuds697paq Jessica Cash Slalom employee Richard Winston. Connect with Jessica Guillermo Chapellin Araya Solomon headshot Connect with Guillermo Christopher Hale Slalom employee Titus Bocseri. Connect with Chris Hunter Reh Connect with Hunter Ready to reimagine service with AI? Let's talk --- title: Building a Sustainable AI Office for Long-Term Organizational Success url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Building a Sustainable AI Office for Long-Term Organizational Success - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary You need a dedicated team to harmonize human intelligence with AI capabilities, guiding ethical integration and fostering innovation. ## Body Building a Sustainable AI Office for Long-Term Organizational Success Building a Sustainable AI Office | Slalom You need a dedicated team to harmonize human intelligence with AI capabilities, guiding ethical integration and fostering innovation. AI Governance: Building a Sustainable AI Office for Success Building a sustainable AI office for long-term organizational success Share article A new era of possibility AI technologies—particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning—are evolving rapidly, leading to significant breakthroughs. This fast pace of development requires businesses to adapt quickly for effective integration into their operations. AI diverges from traditional digital transformations in that it is more exploratory in nature. This necessitates a strategic approach not only to its use and application but, more importantly, to its management. In this article, we explore how the evolving relationship between humans, machines, and work is complicating business operations, and propose the establishment of an AI Office, detailing its structure, implementation, and integration into businesses using a hub-and-spoke model. The challenge of human-machine synergy [Unlike previous digital transformations](https://medium.com/slalom-business/adapting-to-acceleration-charting-the-course-of-exponential-transitions-7170cc46f43d), which were more linear and technology-focused (like cloud computing or data warehouses), today’s AI integration involves a dynamic interplay between human creativity and machine intelligence. The biggest challenge we face is in synergizing human capabilities with the efficiency and speed of machines. This involves using AI and technology to augment, rather than replace, human potential. AI excels at processing and analyzing large volumes of data rapidly, but it lacks the creative and emotional intelligence inherent to humans. These human qualities are indispensable for interpreting complex data, making nuanced decisions, and driving innovation. To fully leverage AI’s capabilities, leaders must move beyond traditional command-and-control models, fostering a culture of adaptability, empowerment, and proactive change management. It’s essential to recognize and leverage the distinct strengths of both humans and machines, ensuring they complement each other effectively in the workplace. [As our AI research report shows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024), leaders face significant hurdles fostering a culture of change within the workplace for adopting AI. Approximately 42% of leaders cite inadequate workforce skills and training as a key barrier to AI productivity, while 37% point to employee resistance to change as another significant challenge. As organizations seek to capitalize on AI’s potential, it’s crucial to cultivate a culture of engagement and knowledge among employees, ensuring they understand and commit to integrating AI effectively in their work. With AI’s constant evolution, a collaborative approach is necessary to avoid isolation of knowledge and efforts. An AI Office can proactively tackle these challenges, enabling organizations to fully harness AI’s capabilities and stay ahead in the technological race, while strategically determining the most beneficial applications of AI. Introducing the AI Office Blueprint Drawing from our insights and client conversations, we introduce the AI Office Blueprint — a strategic framework for seamless AI integration across the enterprise, bringing together cutting-edge technology and visionary experts in strategy and innovation. This dedicated team not only guides your AI journey but also emphasizes ethical considerations. In essence, it orchestrates AI execution in alignment with your organization’s objectives. Our blueprint adapts to your current AI journey stage, starting with a holistic assessment to pinpoint gaps and guiding you in selecting critical components for creating your AI Office, charting a clear path to achieve your AI vision. Slalom’s AI Office mirrors the rapid evolution of AI, designed to continuously meet your AI needs for years to come, empowering you to harness its transformative power and drive innovation. Building blocks for an empowered AI Office - Strategic and technical guidance: Establish key teams like an Executive Sponsorship team and an Ethics Steering Committee for overseeing AI strategy and ethics. - Invest in work management: Implement robust work management systems for AI project execution, fostering innovation and success. - Integrate the “Impossible Factory” (innovation hub) block for the swift and efficient development of AI solutions that align with the organization’s vision of innovative and practical delivery, keeping pace with the rapid evolution of AI in terms of performance and capabilities. - Establish a set of metrics for evaluating AI projects, management, and work delivered for impact, success, and accountability. Key strategies for a collaborative and educated AI ecosystem - [Demystify AI for business:](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era) Ensure business leaders understand AI’s power, fostering collaboration across disciplines. - AI coaches: Integrating AI coaches from various disciplines is key. They not only educate but also guide business and functional units toward continuous progress and major transformation. Placing these coaches in key workstreams ensures informed leadership and a commitment to ongoing improvement and success. - AI citizen development: Encourage and govern the rise of no-code and low-code AI solutions, supporting a transformation in AI application across your organization to prevent siloed departments from forming. To effectively implement your AI strategy, we recommend adopting a hub spoke model for AI Office execution. This model supports the adoption of innovative working practices: - Leadership and governance: Establish strong leadership within the AI Office, complemented by robust governance structures. These should ensure responsible AI usage, align AI initiatives with business objectives, and manage risks associated with AI deployments, all while being adaptable to specific functional needs. - Continuous learning and development: The AI Office should facilitate continuous education and skill development, ensuring the team remains up-to-date with the latest AI advancements and methodologies. - User-centric design: Focus on designing AI solutions that are intuitive and directly address end-user needs, which is key to achieving higher adoption rates and more effective results. - Change management: Effectively manage organizational change to ensure smooth integration of AI technologies and reduce resistance within the organization. Final thoughts As we conclude, our research vividly highlights the imperative for a dynamic and specialized approach to the creation of an AI Office. Given AI’s brisk pace of advancement, it’s clear that agile, industry-tailored strategies are essential. Moving beyond the limitations of one-size-fits-all models, AI necessitates a harmonious blend of technical acumen and ethical mindfulness, placing a premium on the synergy between humans and AI. As you navigate the intricacies of this journey, the cornerstone of success lies in your adaptability—to the unique ethos of your organization, the relentless evolution of technology, and the fluid demands of the market. We suggest that it should be a permanent, deeply integrated part of the organizational framework to promote widespread AI adoption attributed to its continuous evolving nature. Keep an eye out for our forthcoming series, where we will delve deeply into the nuances of establishing and running an effective AI Office in your organization, equipping you with the insights and tools needed to thrive in this AI-augmented era. --- title: Buy or build: Key considerations for investing in AI/ML url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/buy-or-build source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/buy-or-build locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Buy or build: Key considerations for investing in AI/ML - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/buy-or-build - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/buy-or-build - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Can we trust that purchasing pre-built AI solutions can achieve meaningful results? Or are we better off building them ourselves? ## Body Buy or build: Key considerations for investing in AI/ML Can we trust that purchasing pre-built AI solutions can achieve meaningful results? Or are we better off building them ourselves? Share New tech platforms promise time savings and business value. They boast improved experiences that make menial tasks a breeze and increase productivity. And while some of these products provide no-brainer solutions for organizing a sales process or facilitating team communication, it’s not always a clear-cut decision to invest in a new tech platform. When it comes to platforms that support [artificial intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) and machine learning (AI/ML), the choice is made even more difficult by the costs and complexities these solutions present. Can we trust that pre-built solutions can be purchased and achieve meaningful results? Or are we better off building them ourselves? As a global business and technology consulting firm, we know that different organizations require different solutions. Buying solutions that automate and improve universal business practices makes sense. Supporting a company’s core and differentiated business value likely requires a custom-built solution. Additionally, there are many cases where platforms support building, customizing, and integrating solutions into a broader AI ecosystem. Slalom’s work with a large commercial airline demonstrates how custom-built AI/ML solutions empower organizations to meet their core and differentiated business requirements. In this case, the solution brought value by optimizing operations across gates, terminals, and airports. Off-the-shelf AI solutions fail to capture the nuances and specifications of airline logistics. The implemented custom solution caters to specific outcomes that changed the game for an airline company. AI/ML solutions have a place across business and [industries](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries); there is likely a combination of resources that is right for you and your business. There are usually trade-offs to building or buying an AI/ML solution, but clear goals and agreed-upon timelines that support the business strategy are always imperative. Before deciding where to make commitments on how to invest in buying or building, consider and evaluate your team, timeline, and goals. Team In-house talent makes built solutions a possibility but requires that your organization is already invested in data scientists, analysts, and engineers. Many of the top AI/ML platforms fall short in catering to niche business strategies that apply to specific industries with unique use cases. If applying a GenAI solution to a unique, industry-specific use case is required and the talent is in place, building in-house may be the right choice. There are also considerations about deploying, monitoring, and supporting the CI/CD process around custom-built solutions, so leaders should think through the lifecycle of custom products as they weigh their options relative to their talent and in-house capabilities. Organizations that have not or cannot invest in highly trained technical teams still have options, specifically through out-of-the-box AI/ML solutions. AutoML and citizen data science products enable the deployment of data science solutions to common cross-industry problems such as churn modeling and forecasting. However, if your application requires a level of industry expertise that is not preprogrammed into the solution, you run the risk of deploying a poor-performing model and losing out on the promised business and efficiency gains. Timeline Buying AI/ML platforms can [bring faster results](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation), especially for standard business processes. If speed is a priority, buying a packaged solution often makes sense, but its limitations might mean waiting for industry-specific solutions. Building an AI/ML solution yourself usually provides a more customized tool set, but generally includes defining, designing, developing, and deploying a solution. And while buying can yield a solution very quickly, any failure to solve unique business cases for a specific industry can create a longer roadmap. Goals Define realistic outcomes. Understand how AI/ML can reasonably contribute to your organization’s unique value proposition as well as standard business processes. If necessary, seek out industry experts to help calibrate expectations. Making appropriate investments in AI/ML involves setting realistic expectations about the impact these technologies have on the business and within what time frame. Churn modeling is a good example. Business leaders should not expect these models to produce fully accurate outcomes all the time. Instead, business stakeholders should work with technical teams to establish precision or recall thresholds that are acceptable to productively inform the business. More specifically, the team should tackle specific questions together. Is it more harmful to incorrectly flag a customer as likely to churn who was not in danger of churning? Or is it worse to classify a churner as a non-churner? Setting expectations about these business scenarios is central to setting goals and ensuring model outputs contribute to them. Whether buying AI/ML solutions or building them, defined goals are central to ensuring AI/ML capabilities are aligned with the organization’s strategy. Standing up AI/ML capabilities that are chasing after the latest trend and not aligned to core business goals is costly because it can lead to misaligned talent acquisition and muddles the relationships between people, processes, and technology. Conclusions As with technological advancements of the past, we can expect a growing number of options for buying AI/ML platforms. Building these solutions in-house may also become increasingly feasible as organizations mature and the broader market learns to engage with this technology. Slalom experts suggest buying AI/ML solutions that don’t address niche, industry-specific use cases. If a desired outcome is specific to differentiated business value, building becomes more compelling because it generally brings more performant solutions that are worth the investment. When it comes to AI, it’s worth doing your homework. Keep your team in mind, understand your timeline, and set realistic goals based on research and field expertise. Intentional, ongoing study of these emerging technologies will pay dividends, because although this new tech landscape can feel daunting and complex, it’s likely here to stay. Share insight --- title: Can generative AI solve its own sustainability problem url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/can-generative-ai-solve-its-own-sustainability-problem source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/can-generative-ai-solve-its-own-sustainability-problem locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Can generative AI solve its own sustainability problem - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/can-generative-ai-solve-its-own-sustainability-problem - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/can-generative-ai-solve-its-own-sustainability-problem - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary A deep dive into what technology companies are doing to make AI more sustainable. ## Body Can generative AI solve its own sustainability problem Can generative AI solve its own sustainability problem? A deep dive into what technology companies are doing to make AI more sustainable. Share Microsoft steps up to GenAI’s challenges Artificial intelligence (AI) has long been the subject of suspicion, mistrust, and even fear, but lately its reputation is suffering from [reports](https://www.wired.com/story/ai-energy-demands-water-impact-internet-hyper-consumption-era/) about the negative impact it can have on the environment, from the amount of energy and water it uses to the harmful emissions it creates. Our teams at Slalom, however, believe there are ways to mitigate these negative effects. We recently published [a discussion](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability) on the oddly contradictory idea that generative AI (GenAI) may hold the key to its own redemption (in terms of environmental impact, at least). But we felt it would also help to dig deeper into what the tech companies themselves are doing, both to make AI more sustainable and to help their customers operate more sustainably. Microsoft—a market leader in GenAI—provides a great example of how to address this complex problem. An energy- and water-hungry, emissions-heavy technology Generative AI requires tremendous amounts of energy, both for the tech companies to develop and host the foundation models that form the basis of GenAI computations and for users who run GenAI workloads. [Goldman Sachs reports](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand), for example, that a single ChatGPT query requires roughly 10 times the energy of a Google search. The data centers that process these workloads also consume vast amounts of water—an [estimated](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/28/how-the-massive-power-draw-of-generative-ai-is-overtaxing-our-grid.html#:~:text=Generative%20AI%20data%20centers%20will%20also%20require%204.2%20billion%20to%206.6%20billion%20cubic%20meters%20of%20water%20withdrawal%20by%202027%20to%20stay%20cool%2C%20according%20to%20Ren%E2%80%99s%20research.%20That%E2%80%99s%20more%20than%20the%20total%20annual%20water%20withdrawal%20of%20half%20of%20the%20U.K.) 4.2 billion to 6.6 billion cubic meters by 2027—to run cooling systems. Harmful emissions are the other side of the coin. Microsoft [reported](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/15/microsofts-carbon-emissions-have-risen-30percent-since-2020-due-to-data-center-expansion.html) that its carbon emissions have increased by 30% since 2020, largely from the construction of data centers to support generative AI. The recognition that this trajectory is unsustainable has led Microsoft to adapt in a couple of different ways: - Using cleaner, more renewable energy and water sources: Growing the availability of renewable energy, both for itself and for the regions in which it operates, is a priority according to [Melanie Nakagawa](https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-wrestles-with-rising-emissions-from-ai-ahead-of-its-2030-net-zero-goal-b53d4cf4), Microsoft's chief sustainability officer. The company is prioritizing a mix of net new, clean power sources and renewable energy credits while also exploring investments in [nuclear](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/microsoft-targets-nuclear-to-power-ai-operations-e10ff798?mod=article_inline). It’s also working on ways to [put energy back into local grids](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/04/02/sustainable-by-design-advancing-the-sustainability-of-ai/?ocid=eml_pg435375_gdc_comm_dt mkt_tok=MTU3LUdRRS0zODIAAAGTHKm9Ttr1z1db8xpmNjqLgJ1SHAupCa-YBF-2NmQrGaZrB_BWHyYWu6mT6QW-CUle4F95QbSUKskvSW4Qb2L2gdUOWQ_xCPmrZebVntU7CJs5uW3s-gVaEjSl#:~:text=We%E2%80%99re%20also%20working,local%20electric%20grids.) from its data centers, for example by capturing surplus wind energy production in Ireland and directing excess heat from data centers to local homes in Denmark. [Harvesting rainwater](https://news.microsoft.com/source/emea/features/how-microsofts-new-datacenter-region-in-sweden-incorporates-the-companys-sustainability-commitments/#:~:text=the%20right%20temperature.-,Rainwater%20harvesting,-The%20Swedish%20datacenter), reclaiming water from utilities, and using adaptive ventilation systems to cool data centers are a few ways Microsoft is minimizing its reliance on freshwater consumption. - Making the technology itself more sustainable: It’s not enough to simply use cleaner energy. The amount of energy and natural resources consumed must also be reduced. This is why Microsoft has been launching small language models, or SLMs, such as its [Phi series](https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/23/24137534/microsoft-phi-3-launch-small-ai-language-model), which have met or exceeded the performance of much larger and more [energy-intensive models](https://www.cio.com/article/2123605/3-things-cios-can-do-to-make-gen-ai-synch-with-sustainability.html#:~:text=Smaller%20models%20require%20less%20electricity%20not%20only%20during%20the%20training%20phase%2C%20but%20also%20for%20inference.%20Ultimately%20enterprises%20will%20have%20to%20measure%20energy%20consumption%20%E2%80%94%20and%20that%20might%20be%20on%20a%20per%2Dquery%20basis%2C%20where%20the%20smaller%20models%20do%20much%20better.). In [partnership](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/quantum/2024/01/09/unlocking-a-new-era-for-scientific-discovery-with-ai-how-microsofts-ai-screened-over-32-million-candidates-to-find-a-better-battery/) with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Microsoft is also helping to identify new, more-sustainable battery material. Using [Azure Quantum Elements](https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum-elements/product-overview)—a product designed to accelerate scientific discovery—Microsoft and PNNL screened over 32 million materials and identified over 500,000 stable candidates with a process that took weeks, rather than years. GenAI’s contribution to the sustainability effort What’s clear from the example above is that GenAI can be a formidable ally in the effort to operate more sustainably. At a digital event held in early 2024, aptly called This Is AI … for Sustainability , Microsoft executives explained how AI can help organizations achieve their energy and emissions goals by making it easier for them to: - Measure, predict, and optimize systems that are far too complex for traditional computational systems - Accelerate the discovery and development of sustainability solutions, such as low-carbon materials, renewable energy production and storage, and climate-resilient crops - Empower the sustainability workforce by digesting huge volumes of data to help leaders make better-informed decisions AI’s ability to process vast amounts of information from multiple sources is a game changer for a data-intensive field like sustainability. During the digital event, Satish Thomas, corporate VP for Microsoft Industry Clouds, explained that organizations must first harmonize their data in a centralized data estate. By doing this, all sustainability data — for [scope 1, 2, and 3](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability#:~:text=Though%20it%20may,goods%20(supply%20chain)) emissions — can be combined with other enterprise data and analyzed together to achieve more insightful and actionable analyses. With [Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/cloud) (including [Microsoft Sustainability Manager](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/microsoft-sustainability-manager?tsapp=sustainability)) and [Microsoft Fabric](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric) working together, you have a powerful solution for all data analytics needs. This pairing creates a single place for you to gather, store, analyze, and visualize sustainability data, regardless of the source. Once your data is in order, it’s time to unleash the power of GenAI to get at those vital insights. Using [Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/blog/sustainability/2024/03/28/use-natural-language-and-generative-ai-to-create-calculation-models-streamline-data-collection-and-improve-reporting/), you can upload additional sustainability-related documents, such as [the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Scope 3 Calculation Guidance](https://ghgprotocol.org/scope-3-calculation-guidance-2), combine them with your internal sustainability data, and ask questions of the data in natural language—so you don’t need to be an experienced data scientist or expert in mathematical modeling. The copilot can also create reports, build calculation models, and summarize or answer questions on large amounts of unstructured data. This is a much faster and easier way to identify outliers, trends, and correlations in the data. You can also explore what-if scenarios to go beyond historical data analysis to more predictive scenario modeling. Staying ahead of the sustainability curve Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager, notes [Mandar Zope](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandarzope/), Slalom senior principle, Microsoft Business Applications, “can help save a lot of time and resources, because now you can actually ask the data things like ‘What am I missing?’ or ‘What am I doing wrong?’ rather than having humans conduct the tedious analysis.” What’s more, Zope adds, is that “Microsoft also provides all the different Azure resources your company might be using embedded in that tool,” so you can work with the most comprehensive data set possible when conducting analyses and formulating an action plan. As more and more [regional, national, and global regulations](https://sustainabilitymag.com/esg/esg-policy-and-regulation-what-to-prepare-for-in-2024) governing energy, emissions, and sustainable practices are enacted, organizations will have to respond by updating processes, improving — or perhaps instituting — reporting capabilities, or even completely overhauling their business models to fall in line with new guidelines. With the leading perspective on Microsoft Fabric and generative AI, Slalom can help you create a unified analytics solution across every aspect of the Microsoft data platform — including sustainability data. --- title: ChatGPT-4: How product leaders avoid panic and pitfalls url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/chatgpt-4-leaders source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/chatgpt-4-leaders locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # ChatGPT-4: How product leaders avoid panic and pitfalls - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/chatgpt-4-leaders - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/chatgpt-4-leaders - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how to go further and faster with the latest generative AI release. ## Body ChatGPT-4: How product leaders avoid panic and pitfalls Learn how to go further and faster with the latest generative AI release. Share insight One million. That’s the number of users ChatGPT acquired in just five days of its release—a feat that took Netflix 3.5 years to achieve. The accelerated advancement of digital platforms and the global pandemic catalyzed the development and adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT. The platform signals the ability to help product leaders do more with less in product design, development, and sales. Here’s how to act on the potential of ChatGPT while sidestepping the pitfalls. What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT—or generative pre-trained transformer—is an extensive language model developed by OpenAI. The platform trains on massive amounts of text data and generates humanlike text in various formats, including natural language and code. Deep learning algorithms create new content based on prompted inputs. As a Microsoft-backed tool, ChatGPT forecasts $1 billion in revenue by the end of 2024. Efficiency gains with ChatGPT ChatGPT brings the potential for product leaders to achieve actionable product improvements while expediting manual processes. By automating time-consuming tasks, product leaders pivot to focus on complex jobs requiring human expertise. Value proposition statements Writing product value statements is resource intensive. When paired with WriteMyPRD.com, ChatGPT cuts down on time spent staring at a blinking cursor on a blank page. Here’s an example of how to create a value proposition statement using WriteMyPRD: - Input your prompt to inform the generative tool - Identify the intended audience - Insert technological dependencies - Experiment with various prompt formats to yield multiple - Review a variety to get a running start Low-fidelity wireframe generation Smart product teams leverage low-fidelity wireframes to explore product concepts, and gain stakeholder buy-in, before risky capital investment. OpenAI’s DALL·E 2, a new AI system creating realistic images based on a natural language description, assists in product ideation. The platform generates a design approach based on brief and vague prompts. Of course, a more descriptive and direct input yields better outcomes. Product teams may leverage DALL·E 2 artifacts as a springboard in the Sprint 0 product lifecycle phase. Customer success ChatGPT shows the potential to provide fast and accurate responses as algorithms tackle complex questions and provide real-time guidance to customers. In this example, let’s say you have a customer that has reached out with a desire to churn off your product. While customer success managers should handle these situations with sensitivity and precision to detail, they can use ChatGPT to build the framework of our message. In contrast, the customer success manager can spend more time digging up impactful information to provide to the customer. Sales leads ChatGPT can help product teams identify sales leads by analyzing customer product interest trends to better meet the target audience’s needs. - Sales scripts: Create personalized and engaging sales-prospecting scripts. By inputting product or service information, ChatGPT generates scripts designed for audience appeal. - Answer FAQs : Field common sales questions, address prospect objections, and help sales teams close deals. What are potential ChatGPT pitfalls? ChatGPT is a boon and bain ripe with pitfalls for product leaders considerate of customized user experiences requiring human intervention. Before adopting the platform, consider the following: - Accuracy —One of the sticky limitations of ChatGPT is its potential to generate incorrect or biased information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted in a tweet that ChatGPT needs to enhance its robustness and information accuracy. - Cybersecurity —Generative AI frameworks create privacy and security concerns. Cybercriminals can leverage bots to manipulate users into divulging sensitive information, then use it for fraud. - Expense and time consumption —Generative AI isn’t a “plug-and-play” solution offering rapid implementation—yet. The technological approach requires specialized hardware, software, and subject matter experts to strategize infrastructure, implement, and maintain quality. The near-term outlook for ChatGPT It’s challenging to predict generative AI’s future; the innovations exhibit the potential to scale development and meet user needs. Product leaders can help teams go faster and faster without strategic consideration by integrating generative AI platforms into existing workflows and tech stacks. Make the most of this powerful technology with a strategy inclusive of high-quality data cleanliness, explainable AI capability, ethical considerations, and product scalability. Otherwise, bold visions fall short when raging with the machine. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/chatgpt-4-how-product-leaders-avoid-panic-and-pitfalls-2c21779f7146?source=friends_link sk=94d87e49511834aec0eda0f26f423d9d). --- title: Cloud travelers, explore the business benefits of the cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cloud-travelers-explore-business-benefits-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cloud-travelers-explore-business-benefits-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Cloud travelers, explore the business benefits of the cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cloud-travelers-explore-business-benefits-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cloud-travelers-explore-business-benefits-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn best practices and proven patterns to optimize your organization's cloud environment, leading to business value. ## Body Cloud travelers, explore the business benefits of the cloud Learn best practices and proven patterns to optimize your organization's cloud environment, leading to business value. Share insight Discover pathways in the cloud that lead to business value There’s something to be said for moving to the cloud and optimizing your organization’s cloud environment at a time when best practices are well established. Major cloud providers now have their own robust adoption frameworks. The [Cloud Native Computing Foundation](https://www.cncf.io/) has been around for over five years, since 2015. And, more recent years have offered up evidence that specific practices can help organizations accelerate their journey to cloud value. Examples of this kind of value include improvements in [cloud spend forecast accuracy, cost measurement, and cost optimization](https://pages.awscloud.com/rs/112-TZM-766/images/Cloud-Financial-Management-Maximizes-Business-Value-on-Amazon-Web-Services.pdf), as well as [improved overall business position](https://pages.awscloud.com/rs/112-TZM-766/images/ESG%20AWS%20Cloud%20Migration%20Best%20Practices%20Study%20Final%20Aug2019.pdf). Don’t get us wrong: We love uncharted territory. Part of the appeal of being in the cloud is being able to go places few others have gone before—especially not your competitors. But even innovation in the cloud has its own [set of proven patterns](https://pages.awscloud.com/rs/112-TZM-766/images/HBR_FINAL.PDF). Whether you are migrating to the cloud or already settled there, keep using best practices to find the right path. Research and our own experience with clients indicate that the best of these best practices revolve around two areas: business and people. Our insiders’ guides to cloud travel are meant to help you focus on business and people at two pivotal phases of the cloud journey. Check them out below! Cloud on a path Building cloud momentum So much about a successful cloud journey lies in how you start it off. Some say, “go slow to go fast.” If you’re at the beginning of your cloud journey, we think it’s more apt to say, “start strategic to gain speed.” Here’s how to do that, as well as how to bring your people with you to the cloud and enable them to thrive there. Get the guide Cloud on path Becoming a cloud local From learning how to continuously optimize your cloud costs to arriving at the cloud’s more transformational benefits—agility, velocity, and innovation—getting to greater business value in the cloud requires getting more immersed in it. This is how to use modern technology, models, and mindsets to become a cloud local. Download now Two people working with a laptop in an office. --- title: The CMO mandate: 5 focus areas for navigating complexity url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cmo-focus-areas-for-growth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cmo-focus-areas-for-growth locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # The CMO mandate: 5 focus areas for navigating complexity - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cmo-focus-areas-for-growth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cmo-focus-areas-for-growth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Slalom’s CMO shares five focus areas shaping the future of marketing and the shifts leaders need to make to drive growth through complexity. ## Body The CMO mandate: 5 focus areas for navigating complexity Slalom’s chief marketing officer shares five focus areas shaping the future of marketing and the evolving role of the CMO. Slalom’s CMO shares five focus areas shaping the future of marketing and the shifts leaders need to make to drive growth through complexity. Share TL;DR (the part your CMO will read) - Growth doesn’t come from more tools; it comes from connected systems. - AI may accelerate the work, but it can also scale the mess. - Speed without clarity only creates more noise. - As attribution remains murky, ROI ownership becomes cross-functional. - Change is no longer adjacent to the CMO role; it is the role. It’s 7:42 a.m. and your calendar already looks like a Tetris board. By 8:30 a.m., you’re reviewing messaging for a new campaign. At 10:00 a.m., your CFO asks for a breakdown of Q1 marketing pipeline. By 11:30 a.m., IT wants a decision on a new customer data platform. You grab a quick lunch, only for your CEO to ask how AI can reduce production costs by 20% next quarter. None of this is unreasonable. All of it is urgent. And all of it is connected … even if your organization isn’t. Today’s CMOs aren’t short on tools or ideas. They’re constrained by fragmentation. You’re being asked to [drive measurable growth](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine) while your data lives in silos, your tech is underused, and your teams are trying to turn strategy into something actionable. The result is a gap between what you’re being asked to deliver and what your organization is equipped to support. Today, marketing isn’t just about building a brand or generating leads. It’s about staying true to customer needs while operating at the intersection of product, sales, and technology. Below are five critical shifts shaping the future of marketing, and how CMOs can act on them now. Today’s CMOs aren’t short on tools or ideas. They’re constrained by fragmentation. 1. Connected systems are the foundation for growth. Marketing has quietly become as much a systems discipline as a creative one, and most systems aren’t working. Despite [expanding technology investments](https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/topics/marketing-technology), many organizations still struggle to extract value. Data lives across disconnected platforms, customer signals are incomplete, and the systems meant to support execution fall short. The result is a familiar pattern: more tools, more data, and more activity, but less clarity on what’s actually driving growth. Great ideas still matter—they just don’t go very far on their own. The important questions are often the most uncomfortable ones: Is your data clean and comprehensive? Do your platforms enable action, or just reporting? Can teams access and use the data across the business? If those answers are shaky, everything built on top of them will be too. What to do: - Start by connecting the systems you already have. Fix integration gaps before investing in new tools. - Make sure your data is clean, comprehensive, and accessible. - Reassess skills on your team and invest in the data and platform expertise you need to drive growth. 2. AI accelerates, but your gaps set the speed limit. [According to our research,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) 76% of CMOs say their organization currently views AI as a way to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. AI is speeding things up across content, planning, and execution. It’s also making your problems easier to see. That’s because AI inherits the strengths and weaknesses of the system around it. [Bad data](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai) is revealed sooner, disconnected systems break more quickly, and unclear ownership becomes painfully obvious. In that sense, AI isn’t solving fragmentation—it’s exposing it. Which helps explain why so many AI ambitions stall at the point of scale. The problem is that leadership enthusiasm often outpaces operational reality. Most teams aren’t equipped to scale what they’re experimenting with, and the barriers are rarely just technical. In our research, 57% of CMOs cite workforce skill gaps as a top barrier to realizing AI value. Add matrixed structures, siloed teams, and misaligned goals, and [scaling AI across the organization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop) becomes far more difficult than it first appears. That’s why AI adoption is an adaptability challenge as much as a technology one. - Build AI capability and organizational capability in parallel. Upskill teams while evolving the structures that support them. - Establish deeper connections across functions to drive alignment and coordinated action. Accelarated Engineering Image Future of Marketing When backed by connected data, technology, AI, and operating models, growth becomes something repeatable—not reactive. We help marketing leaders cut through complexity to meet their customers where it matters most. Read story 3. Agility starts with clarity. In a world that won’t sit still, agility sounds obvious … until you realize how few marketing organizations are actually built for it. Speed without clarity only creates more noise. Real agility means being able to shift direction without losing focus on your vision. It means killing things that aren’t working—even if you just launched them—and [building teams and systems that can adapt](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) without needing a full reset every time priorities shift. That’s the tension: most marketing organizations are built for stability, not change. Campaigns still take months to plan and execute. Processes are optimized for predictability, not flexibility. Teams are structured around channels, not adaptability. In this environment, the advantage doesn’t go to the team with the best plan. It goes to the one that can [evolve the fastest without breaking alignment.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority) True agility isn’t just a mindset tweak; it’s an operating model shift. - Identify 3–5 areas where agility will have the greatest business impact—not just where it feels the most intuitive. - Assess whether your team’s skills and structure are built to adapt in near real time, and how you might evolve that structure for agility. 4. ROI requires shared ownership. We all wish we had a straight line from marketing activity to revenue. Sadly, that’s not the case. That’s because growth doesn’t happen in one moment or one function. It’s the result of a series of handoffs in a complex relay: marketing creates awareness and consideration, sales converts, delivery teams fulfill, and customer experience expands. Somewhere along that chain, the signal gets blurry. And yet, measurable ROI expectations have only increased. Marketing is closer to revenue than ever before, but it still doesn’t control all the variables. Proving impact requires connecting dots across systems, teams, and timelines that weren’t designed to connect in the first place. That’s why [the conversation is shifting.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization) The most effective CMOs aren’t trying to force perfect attribution. They’re focusing on tying marketing to business outcomes in a language the rest of the C-suite understands. While ROI may never be perfectly clean, results matter. The trust and credibility you build with the C-suite is critical to moving the conversation forward. - Invest in relationships with leaders across the organization to better understand their priorities and how marketing can help meet them. - Measure everything you can, but don’t create attribution or causation where there is none. Speed without clarity only creates more noise. Real agility means being able to shift direction without losing focus on your vision. 5. Marketers are now change drivers. The CMO role isn’t just evolving—it’s expanding in every direction. More responsibility, more visibility, and more pressure to lead change, not just manage it. And much of that change doesn’t come easy. Because what marketing is often trying to do hasn’t been done before. This creates friction, challenges old ways of working, and raises hard questions about ownership. That’s not a side effect of the job. It is the job. CMOs today aren’t just operators; they’re change drivers. They push the organization forward, even when it’s uncomfortable. At the same time, teams need stability. The CMO must anchor teams to a clear vision that gives them direction, even as priorities shift. Because when people understand where they’re going and why, it’s much easier to align around how to get there. - Set a clear, aspirational vision—and repeat it until it sticks. - Push for change with conviction and establish allies who can adapt with you. The mandate for future CMOs For decades, marketing has been asked to do more with less. Today, CMOs are being asked to do more with everything: more data, more AI, more accountability, and more pressure to prove results. But the real shift isn’t just the volume of work. It’s the number of systems, teams, and expectations marketing now has to connect. That’s the modern CMO mandate: not to manage every channel, campaign, or tool, but to create clarity through complexity—to align data, technology, and teams around shared outcomes and turn fragmentation into something the organization can actually act on. Because growth today isn’t driven by any single function or initiative. It’s driven by how well the system and teams work as a whole. Sangeeta Prasad Chief Marketing Officer, Slalom LinkedIn Ready to activate growth, not just plan for it? Let’s talk marketing Share insight --- title: Combining technologies to realize your unique vision url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/combining-technologies-to-realize-your-unique-vision source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/combining-technologies-to-realize-your-unique-vision locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Combining technologies to realize your unique vision - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/combining-technologies-to-realize-your-unique-vision - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/combining-technologies-to-realize-your-unique-vision - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Technology decisions are complex, and we’re here to help you discover, design, and build the best solutions for you. Often that means bringing together multiple technologies. Get inspired by some of our multi-partner customer success stories. ## Body Combining technologies to realize your unique vision Technology decisions are complex, and we’re here to help you discover, design, and build the best solutions for you. Often that means bringing together multiple technologies. Get inspired by some of our multi-partner customer success stories. Share insight At Slalom, we help you discover, design, and build tailored solutions for your organization’s challenges and goals. Often, the best answer combines multiple technologies from our 700+ partners. In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses must adapt to technological advancements to stay competitive. But with so many new technologies emerging, it can be difficult for business leaders to know where to focus their investments. You need to consider what’s best for each specific project—goals, budget, technical requirements, etc.—but also what’s best for your organization, now and in the future. When making key tech choices, that means taking into account: - Existing technology investments and integrations - Long-term strategy and growth plans - Skillsets and capacity to manage and maintain solution(s) Finally, you’ll want to weigh what’s trending in your space and how can you stay ahead of disruptions like the rise of [AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence), [data mesh](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture), multicloud, and so much more. We’re currently experiencing the [third wave of digital transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era), powered by innovations like the Internet of Things, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. At Slalom, we can help you strategically integrate these advancements into business operations. So you can be a future-forward leader in your industry—and enjoy the success that comes with it. We have hundreds of partners and thriving relationships with leading providers like [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), and [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce)—as well as new, emerging technology companies. We work with our customers to understand their needs and identify the right solutions for them, which often involves more than one technology partner. Multi-partner customer success stories Feeding America Transforming the fight against hunger Feeding America and Slalom are partnering on a multiyear effort to transform how the non-profit uses data and technology in its national office and across the network of member food banks. New ways of working and modernized tools from partners including Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and Tableau will enable closer connections, mindful growth, and more support for people in need Read story BROADBAND LEADER Building a modern culture of data to empower employees By connecting 30 disparate data silos, adopting a new lightweight governance process, and embracing a balance of data certification and self-service, Slalom helped a Fortune 100 broadband company make the most of its data. We leveraged solutions from Snowflake, dbt, Alation, and Airflow to empower hundreds of employees to make stronger, more data-based decisions. CRICO Protecting patients and partners with data We helped a medical professional liability and patient safety organization modernize its data solution with AWS, Microsoft, and Snowflake. Now CRICO’s clients can use and analyze their data in new ways to provide insightful information to risk managers, save money on storage, and reap the rewards of greater scalability. Patients are safer due to better insights and reduced risk. CAR RENTAL COMPANY Modernizing the car rental experience for millions globally We helped a global rental car company execute a digital transformation—enabling it to be an industry disruptor (and leader). With the help of Salesforce and AWS , Slalom partnered with this 100-year-old brand to transform its legacy technology and provide richer customer experiences, serving the mobility needs and expectations of riders and driving into the future. NEXT-GEN NEIGHBORHOOD APP Making data work harder to help inform and connect neighbors A company with a hyperlocal social networking app knew the importance of providing relevant information to the people and organizations it served. To make that undertaking easier and less costly, Slalom helped tailor a solution that leveraged AWS and Databricks SQL technologies to upgrade its aging big data platform to a modern solution that provides rich insights, faster. Learn more about [Slalom technology partners](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners). Workers in casual setting --- title: Consumer-led integration and control: The rise of residential microgrids url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/consumer-led-integration-and-control-the-rise-of-residential-microgrids source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/consumer-led-integration-and-control-the-rise-of-residential-microgrids locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Consumer-led integration and control: The rise of residential microgrids - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/consumer-led-integration-and-control-the-rise-of-residential-microgrids - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/consumer-led-integration-and-control-the-rise-of-residential-microgrids - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Many households are already equipped with technology and appliances that consume and generate power in coordination with the broader electric grid. Explore the future of microgrids. ## Body Consumer-led integration and control: The rise of residential microgrids The Rise of Residential Microgrids | Slalom Many households are already equipped with technology and appliances that consume and generate power in coordination with the broader electric grid. Explore the future of microgrids. Many households are already equipped with technology and appliances that consume and generate power in coordination with the broader electric grid — in other words, a true microgrid. Share insight In 1976, Los Alamos National Laboratory took delivery of the first Cray 1 supercomputer. Cray Research sold more than 80 of these at a cost of about $8mm each, or about $35 million in 2022 dollars. The Cray 1 performed 160 million floating point operations per second (MFLOPS), consumed 115,000 watts, had a total storage capacity of 303 megabytes (MB), and weighed 5.5 tons, including its freon cooling system. By comparison, the iPhone 13 sells for about $1,000. It fits in your pocket, has up to 512GB of storage, consumes 6.9 watts, and its A15 Bionic processor performs up to 249 billion floating point operations per second (GFLOPS). Apple sold more than 239 million iPhones in 2021 and over two billion iPhones since its introduction in 2007. Existing smartphone capabilities form microgrid technology backbone The breathtaking progression from Cray to iPhone is, on one level, an expression of Moore’s Law—the doubling of transistors on a microchip every two years or so. Equally significant is the array of sensors and communication modules manufactured at scale to meet iPhone (and other smartphone) demand, including: - 12-megapixel photographic chip that also enables facial recognition - Miniature microphones and speakers that enable voice interaction - 5G cellular, GPS satellite, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi communication modules - Accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, proximity, ambient light, and digital compass sensors Both the computing power and the broad range of sensors and communication modules on display in the iPhone are prerequisites to consumer-led integration and control of their in-home “microgrid.” That is not to say that operating a residential microgrid demands massive computing capability—it does not. But enabling homeowners with no training or technical expertise to program and manage such a microgrid using verbal commands does. From the perspective of the utility or Independent System Operator (ISO), the prospect of balancing a regional grid that has thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of microgrids “on the edge” is daunting. Nonetheless, the opportunity for more granular load management (think house-specific demand response programs) is enticing, particularly given the potential significant load growth resulting from EV charging and the electrification of home appliances: - Level 2 EV chargers can draw up to 80 amps at 240 volts. This would be by far the largest circuit in nearly all homes in the US. Even at 40 amps, the increased load would be equivalent to that of a double wall oven. It takes about 10 hours to charge a Tesla S from 20% to 100% on a 40-amp level 2 charger. - As homeowners look to decarbonize and fossil fuels become less widely available, home heating, cooking, and hot water systems will shift from using natural gas, propane, or heating oil to electricity. This could triple a home’s peak electrical load, and that’s before considering if there is an EV in the garage. To meet this challenge, utilities will need either to increase supply (generation, transmission, and distribution system capacity) or manage demand by applying technologies such as microgrids on the edge of the grid. Residential large loads already equipped to communicate With sensor and communication module costs driven down by smartphone-required scale manufacturing, many large household electrical loads are already fitted with cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth-enabled modules that allow them to communicate with the internet. Examples include: - Central HVAC systems are typically the largest single electrical load in US homes, especially those with electric heat. The [US EPA estimated](http://www.energystar.gov) that by the end of 2021, nearly 40% of residential HVAC systems were controlled by a smart thermostat. - Popular EV Level 2 chargers, like JuiceBox and NeoCharge, are Wi-Fi enabled, and it is likely that all future models of EV chargers will have Wi-Fi and/or cellular network capability. - Major home appliance manufacturers, such as LG and Samsung, [offer Wi-Fi connectivity](http://www.AJMadison.com) across a wide range of appliances, including refrigerators/freezers, washers/dryers, cooktops, ovens, microwaves, window-mounted air conditioners, and so on. Even smaller kitchen appliances are routinely fitted with Wi-Fi capability, including a microwave that responds to voice commands via a built-in Alexa smart speaker—cost: $75. - Larger custom homes are frequently equipped with home automation systems that, at a minimum, allow for centralized control of built-in interior lighting devices and exterior landscape/security lighting. Potential sources of household generation So that sums up the usual residential loads. What about sources of generation? These may include: - Charged EVs connected to their chargers. For example, a fully charged Tesla S is effectively a 100kWh battery on wheels - Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), such as the Tesla Wall unit - On-site solar panels - Diesel, natural gas, or propane-fueled backup generators, which have become standard equipment in larger custom homes in cities, like Houston, that have suffered extended grid outages in recent years All these sources could be monitored, managed, coordinated, and synchronized with utility grid-supplied power to achieve objectives specifically defined by the homeowner, such as: - Maximize resilience to ensure that in the event of a grid outage, specific circuits/appliances are prioritized to receive backup power - Minimize grid load, perhaps to comply with a utility or Retail Electricity Provider (REP) demand response program - Maximize sale of excess on-site generation to utility Our vision for how a home microgrid would work Many residential electricity customers have individual apps on their smartphones to control their smart thermostat, their EV charger, and an appliance or two. It reminds us of a collection of remote controls piled on the sofa in front of the television. Our vision is simple: a single app that acts as the central brain controlling the ecosystem of home appliances that both consume and generate power in coordination with the broader electric grid—in other words, a true microgrid. - Consolidate the apps that control individual household loads and sources of generation into a single app with an intuitive dashboard. - Incorporate customized electricity pricing plans (such as “Time of Use”) and any load deferring arrangements (such as demand response programs) into the operating logic in the app. - Enable smart-speaker voice control of loads and sources according to the homeowner’s preferences. For instance: “Alexa, minimize the cost of charging my EV tonight, ensuring I have a 50% charge by 6:30 in the morning.” A more complex example: “Alexa, until I say otherwise, use my EV battery to provide backup power to the refrigerator and primary bedroom air conditioner, but never let my EV battery go below 25%.” This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/consumer-led-integration-and-control-the-rise-of-residential-microgrids-c5bb248e61e0). --- title: What happens when you stop treating the contact center like a cost center? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/contact-center-vs-cost-center source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/contact-center-vs-cost-center locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # What happens when you stop treating the contact center like a cost center? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/contact-center-vs-cost-center - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/contact-center-vs-cost-center - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how leading organizations are transforming contact centers from cost burdens into strategic engines of trust, value, and customer connection. ## Body What happens when you stop treating the contact center like a cost center? From quick fixes to long-term value—see what happens when contact centers are built for connection, not containment. Learn how leading organizations are transforming contact centers from cost burdens into strategic engines of trust, value, and customer connection. Share Value isn’t found in the margins—it’s built through connection. There’s a part of your business that talks to more customers than marketing, collects more data than analytics, and sees more pain points than your product team. And in most organizations, it’s still considered a cost to control—not a growth lever. “When you prioritize and equip your contact center as a cost center, your customers feel it—and so do your agents,” says Jessica Cash, global service transformation lead at Slalom. “What should be a moment of connection and loyalty improvement turns into a missed opportunity. And after a while, those missed moments start to add up.” The contact center is an untapped asset for your business growth and your customer relationships. And the smartest companies are already treating it like one. What’s standing between you and better service ? Explore how aligned systems, people, and tech unlock stronger customer and agent experiences. Our approach How connected data creates real connection For many organizations, the contact center is still treated as a break-fix function—reactive and disconnected from the broader customer journey. But as service and experience become more integrated, it transforms into a loyalty lever, decision accelerator, and brand differentiator, turning routine interactions into moments that matter. This is especially true in high-consideration industries like travel, where the journey is long, the stakes are both personal and expensive, and every point of friction risks more than just convenience. “You’re often talking about multi-thousand-dollar trips and emotionally charged decisions,” says Frank Klensch, senior director of enterprise technical delivery at Slalom. “That’s why the contact center isn’t just about handling demand—it’s about building relationships and brand affinity.” That kind of relationship building becomes nearly impossible when service agents are working with fragmented systems, legacy infrastructure, and limited visibility across the customer journey. Without a unified CRM—and with critical booking data disappearing within 24 hours—one of the world’s largest cruise lines was struggling to deliver the kind of seamless, high-quality experiences that their guests had come to expect. They needed a way to close the gap between service systems and customer expectations. By implementing a Salesforce CRM solution, we helped create a 360-degree view of the customer, integrating booking data, excursion history, and preference models into a single, accessible, and enduring source of truth. AI-driven recommendations—supported by tools like Agentforce and a newly launched travel agent portal—allowed agents to anticipate needs, personalize support, and close sales faster. Quality and connection became the new hallmark of customer interactions. “What started with Agentforce kicked off a broader transformation—one that connected data, empowered agents, and created a foundation for a much better customer experience,” says Klensch. The result of approaching the contact center as a driver for value creation instead of merely a cost center: shorter calls, improved loyalty, accelerated revenue, and a dramatically improved experience for both agents and travelers. Jessica Cash When you prioritize and equip your contact center as a cost center, your customers feel it—and so do your agents. Cost-center thinking is costing you growth Most organizations aren’t overspending on service—they’re underinvesting in what it could be. When service is treated as a cost to contain rather than a driver of growth, long-term impact is often far greater than realized short-term savings. A prominent regional bank serving over 100 markets in the Midwest and South was facing this exact challenge. As it aimed to expand and modernize, the contact center’s legacy model was limiting scale, delaying customer experience improvements, and eroding confidence in future growth. The bank’s leaders wanted outside perspective and guidance to help them plan and operate differently—with an eye toward growth over cost containment. Our growth-focused approach started by moving beyond short-term fixes and cost-first thinking. We quickly identified key capability gaps and translated them into a scalable five-year roadmap—spanning near- and long-term improvements from chat and self-service to a more integrated CRM and data ecosystem. We also conducted a multi-vendor contact center as a service (CCaaS) evaluation to lay the groundwork for smarter, more strategic tech investments. In parallel, we delivered 15+ quick wins that generated immediate ROI and unlocked capital for future growth. The bank gained more than just a collection of short-term wins. It gained a plan, platform, and the momentum for growth—one that supports better service, smarter investments, and a clearer path to long-term impact. How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations Find out how Avetta scaled GenAI to elevate support experiences and boost agent efficiency. Read story Inside-out beats surface-deep Too often, contact center change starts and ends with front-line fixes: update scripts, add a chatbot, improve average handle time. But real transformation doesn’t happen at the surface. Real, results-oriented change happens when you align operations, technology, and experience across the entire service ecosystem. Service is where every disconnect across the business shows up first: legacy workflows, siloed systems, inconsistent processes, and misaligned teams. If your technology is modern but your operating model isn’t, both your customers and your agents will feel it. That’s why the most impactful transformations start from the inside out. Take one of the largest retail healthcare companies in the US. After acquiring a major health insurance provider, the organization faced a complex challenge: more than 60,000 agents operating in silos, unable to deliver consistent experiences or predictable outcomes. This led to fragmented member journeys and rising operational costs. What began as a straightforward engagement to reduce operating expenses and simplify a complex technology footprint quickly expanded into a full-landscape modernization effort. While moving to the cloud and selecting a CCaaS platform were critical first steps, the real transformation came through rethinking how service worked at every level. We came in as an experienced, agnostic guide for vendor selection—but as the work evolved, so did the scope. Together, we integrated strategy, people, process, and technology to improve customer experiences, drive business results, and optimize service spend. Through deep collaboration and business alignment, we helped the organization: - Redesign agent workflows to reflect business priorities, not legacy constraints - Standardize the operating model, including performance metrics and coaching structures - Integrate systems across a changing landscape of business process outsourcers (BPOs), unifying how their agents worked across business lines - Implement real-time performance tools and reduce custom complexity, reducing the number of unique agent skill combinations by 65% - Save over $16M in ACD spend in year one, without sacrificing service Another benefit beyond modernizing the contact center? IT became a business enabler, shifting from reactive support to a strategic partner. In reimagining what the contact center could be, IT and business leaders developed deeper understanding and empathy for each other’s roles—aligning their strengths to drive growth. It marked a clear break from past models centered on break-fixes and point solutions. The contact center isn’t just about handling demand—it’s about building relationships and brand affinity. Frank Klensch Senior Director of Enterprise Technical Delivery Where your brand keeps its promises Every day, your contact center handles the defining moments that shape the perceptions—publicly and privately held—of your brand, your customer relationships, and your future growth. It’s not just where problems are solved. It’s where reputations are built, loyalty is earned, and insights are surfaced. Most of us have felt service models under strain: being transferred repeatedly to dispute a charge or making multiple calls just to book a quick, 15-minute follow-up with your doctor. These high-friction experiences are often the result of systems built to compress cost instead of create value, and they put loyalty at risk. Organizations pulling ahead are the ones that see service for what it can be: a place to differentiate, delight customers, and drive the business forward. “When organizations start prioritizing outcomes and impact, looking beyond efficiency gains, they realize something greater and more sustainable than merely cost savings,” says Matt Kiesling, managing director of service, sales, and loyalty transformation at Slalom. “They unlock trust, loyalty, and scale, which are the foundation for market growth, customer and employee retention, and long-term business optimization.” That’s not overhead. That’s value. Ready to reimagine your contact center? Let’s connect Share this article Leader Placeholder Connect with Jessica Matt Kiesling Connect with Matt Frank Klensch Simon Strudwick Connect with Frank --- title: Crafting Deep Experiences: How GenAI Powers Personalization and Escapism url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Crafting Deep Experiences: How GenAI Powers Personalization and Escapism - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Gain insights from our global research study on how to create unforgettable brand experiences. ## Body Crafting Deep Experiences: How GenAI Powers Personalization and Escapism How GenAI Powers Personalization and Escapism | Slalom Gain insights from our global research study on how to create unforgettable brand experiences. Crafting deep experiences: How GenAI powers personalization and escapism Share Think about the last time you had an unforgettable experience interacting with one of your favorite brands. Such moments can stop you in your tracks and make you take notice. Perhaps it was a well-designed theme park experience. Or a meal that you’ll never forget. A mobile shopping experience that exceeded your expectations. Or did a customer service rep solve your concern effortlessly and exactly how you wanted? What made the experience stand out in your mind? What was the wow factor? And more importantly, how can we learn from that experience and make more of those moments happen? At Slalom we’re curious about these experiences and how we can help our clients build more of these moments for their customers and employees. To help answer some of these questions and apply them to real world scenarios, we undertook a global research effort we’re calling the Future of Experience. In this study, Slalom surveyed over 14,000 people across 15 countries to understand their core motivations driving preferences in both work and leisure settings. Drawing on these findings, discussions with our clients and partners in [Slalom’s Element lab212](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy/element) in New York, and looking through the lens of generative AI, we invite you to explore some actionable approaches to empower businesses and leverage generative AI in ways that exceed users’ expectations. Reinventing you: Becoming yourself (or not) online A now infamous 1993 cartoon from The New Yorker declared, “[On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet%2C_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog)” In the thirty intervening years we’ve seen individuals experiment with a variety of platforms for self-expression that have allowed for a range of anonymity options. In our study, we explored how closely people across the globe wanted their offline and digital personas to match. Our findings show that two out of three people want to look and behave the same in their digital and physical worlds; the other third prefer their digital and hybrid experiences to be distinct from real life. Generative AI tooling such as voice cloning technology can be applied to empower individuals with [avatars that look and sound just like them](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t52Bi-ZUZjA) and provide that overlap. Other readily available tools create distinct [digital experiences unlike their real-world personas](https://readyplayer.me/players). From [realistic representations to stylized expressions](https://www.wired.com/story/augmented-reality-beauty-filter-tiktok-instagram/), individuals can craft digital personas that align with their desired level of overlap with their physical selves. This flexibility allows for self-expression and empowers users to navigate the digital world on their own terms. As we explore the creation of new digital experiences, there are innumerable ways for using generative AI to give users the creative freedom once only possible at the highest levels of Hollywood or Silicon Valley. Tailoring your experience: The balancing act of personalization and privacy Personalization is one route to creating unique and memorable experiences. While businesses are alreadytailoring experiences to their customers’ preferences, we believe generative AI can add exponential value. Personalized experiences and customer data gathering necessarily go hand in hand. However, with growing sensitivity and consumer awareness, gathering personal data has become more complex. Our global Future of Experience study results show that while 88% of people want control over their data, 84% desire experiences that cater to their unique needs. In other words, people want tailored experiences, but they also want control over how their data is collected and used. By empowering consumers with decision points, transparent practices, and clear value-add communication, organizations can foster trust and increase the likelihood users will consent to data collection. Our studyfound a 16% increase in data sharing for personalized experiences when the bonus was clear. Communicating that personal data will be used to help shape specifically tailored experiences gives individuals a tangible reason to share their personal data. At Slalom Element lab212 we’ve seen this play out in real life. One of our lab experiences allows visitors to see surprisingly accurate, individualized personality assessments of fellow guests. For this experience to work, they have to opt into sharing their data and allowing us to process their biometrics. Visitors who initially opt out of the experience frequently change their minds after witnessing others enjoying the experience. The FOMO is real, and once they fully understand how the experience works, they’re significantly more willing to consent to the data collection. We’re careful not to share any personally identifiable information with third-party services, and we work in accordance with Slalom’s fiercely human ethos, respecting the consent and privacy choices of our visitors. Level up: Boost your physical and digital game When it comes to shopping for clothes, providing healthcare information, and providing financial information, our study found that most people — around 66% — want the option to use both physical and digital experiences. People value the convenience and efficiency offered by digital channels while still enjoying the tangible experiences offered with physical environments. We believe generative AI can be used to enhance both physical and digital interactions. Customer service through intelligent virtual assistants and actually chatty chatbots powered by a well-trained generative AI system level up the digital. A high quality, thoughtfully trained virtual assistant can provide personalized recommendations, answer queries, and offer support, providing seamless customer experiences, and improving operational efficiency. This isn’t just science fiction: Slalom is helping organizations today [forge powerful consumer connections](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages) by seamlessly integrating real-time, generative AI-enabled experiences to amplify and complement in-person engagements. For in-person experiences, we’ve seen visitors to Slalom Element lab212 engage with generative AI tools to enrich communication. Marrying generative AI prompts with augmented reality, we’re able to give visitors a glimpse into the not-too-distant future. A future where, being prompted with conversation starters, follow-up questions and interesting topics to discuss appear before your eyes almost magically. With an eye towards building better tomorrows for all, we have facilitate discussions on how we can apply these technologies to their our client’s specific use cases. Organizations can meet people’s needs by providing digital platforms for convenience and personalization, while simultaneously tailoring in-person experiences to foster authentic connections and trust. Virtual villages: Amplifying community and collaboration Our global research study found that people are 10% more open to interacting to large groups of people when online, compared to in person. Enabling and fostering large communities online has traditionally been a time- and labor-intensive exercise. We believe generative AI platforms will facilitate community and build loyalty by providing collaborative spaces to foster shared interests and experiences. For example, we’re starting to see the emergence of AI-powered, fully digital influencers and digital representations of actual celebrities. A public figure’s digital persona, such as Soul Machine’s implementation of [Mark Tuan, Carmelo Anthony, and Jack Nicklaus](https://www.soulmachines.com/celebrity-partners/), can enable highly personalized interactions with fans in ways that the actual human could never dream of. Specifically, being “present” at multiple simultaneous events in different physical locations and speaking languages the celebrity can’t actually speak, are two concrete examples of how generative AI can scale their human capacity. Imagine the digital twin of a beloved pop star performing simultaneously at events across the globe! Leveraging such technologies, celebrities will be able to grow their online communities and collaborate with them in new ways, satisfying people’s desire to interact with larger communities while online, or even in person. Soul Machines is leveraging generative AI to power digital celebrities who engage their community of fans in a scalable way. Reality X.0: Where escapism meets novelty in AI-powered experiences Our study found that around 50% of people prefer immersive experiences that promote escapism while the other half chase novelty. When designing new products and services, remember that people are seeking both to escape into an experience and discover or learn new things from it. At Slalom Element lab212 we’ve been exploring how organizations can design captivating immersive experiences and transport individuals to unexplored realms that remain fresh, novel, and exciting. Imagine virtual worlds created on the fly, tailored specifically to the user’s interests and powered by generative AI technologies that make them nearly infinitely scalable! Entertainment and gaming industries should explore this technology to create personalized storylines, interactive narratives, and virtual environments that offer innumerable experiences. By adapting content based on individual preferences and seeking to surprise and delight users, generative AI can satisfy the desire to escape and keep users coming back again and again by keeping the experiences novel. Next best actions With an eye towards building better futures for all, we’d also like to leave you with some concrete steps to begin exploring the “Future of Experience”and ways to approach tools such as generative AI in your work, life, and future. Where should you go next? Get out there and sample the newest immersive experiences in a city near you. Really and truly engage in the content and storyline. Try to turn off the rational — how did they do this? — at least for a little while. You’ll have plenty of time to reflect on the experience afterwards and unpack their techniques. Now is the time: go explore, solo or with others, and share your experiences with friends, family, and co-workers! As we were building Slalom Element lab212 our team took a few “field trips” to experience the sights and sounds of New York City, Chicago, Sydney, and Seattle. Here are a few places we visited, to get you started on your adventure (no affiliation or endorsement implied): · [Artechouse](https://www.artechouse.com/) — New York, Washington D.C, and Miami Beach · [Hyde Park Barracks Museum](https://www.sydneypoint.com.au/attractions/hyde-park-barracks-museum/) — Sydney, Australia · [Starbucks Reserve Roastery](https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us) — Seattle, Chicago, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Milan If, then, else If: Consider how these experiences compare to your daily routine at work or in your personal life. How are they incorporating elements of personalization, community, self, escapism, and novelty? Then: How might these experiences inspire you to change your day at work or at play? Do you interact with customers directly or have sway over your customer experience? What might it look like if a Generative AI tool were applied to certain situations? Else: Too far removed from your daily activities? Perhaps dream a little bigger, consider the world of tomorrow and discuss these concepts with younger generations. Slalom Element lab212 regularly hosts students from local New York schools, as part of our Dream Bigger program, to encourage them to explore emerging technologies early and often. You may be amazed, as we have been, at the insights and perspectives students have towards these concepts. Now what? Our Future of Experience study and the insights we’re gathering from visitors at Slalom Element lab212 in New York City have taught us a lot about people’s motivations for engaging in reflections of self, personalization, community building, escapism, and novelty seeking. We’ve only scratched the surface here, and we’ll continue to apply these learnings to the most challenging problems our clients are facing. --- title: theCube Interview with Mukesh Kumar and Amy Kodl url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cube-interview-mukesh-kumar-amy-kodl source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cube-interview-mukesh-kumar-amy-kodl locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # theCube Interview with Mukesh Kumar and Amy Kodl - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/cube-interview-mukesh-kumar-amy-kodl - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/cube-interview-mukesh-kumar-amy-kodl - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Body theCube Interview with Mukesh Kumar and Amy Kodl Share interview Discover the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence, where Snowflake Inc. and Slalom are leading the charge with customer-centric innovation. These industry pioneers are redefining AI integration to deliver significant value and competitive advantages to businesses worldwide. Mukesh Kumar, President of Global Technology at Slalom, underscores their focus on modern solutions over legacy systems. Through strategic partnerships with companies like Snowflake, they ensure clients receive the most advanced AI solutions available. In a conversation with theCUBE’s Rebecca Knight and Dave Vellante, Kumar and Amy Hirst-Kodl, Head of GSI and Americas Alliances at Snowflake, discuss how AI is transforming business. Snowflake AI integration enables companies to leverage data as a powerful platform, emphasizing ROI, security, and governance. The collaboration between Snowflake and Slalom empowers clients to navigate AI adoption seamlessly. Snowflake’s platform is trusted for its ease, efficiency, and security, providing a reliable foundation for innovation. Explore how Snowflake and Slalom are shaping the future of AI, setting new industry standards, and delivering real business value. a86ybo490m Slalom’s experts can help you use the Data Cloud to accelerate business decisions and improve customer experiences. [Learn more about our partnership.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) --- title: Culture, biases, and artificial intelligence url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/culture-biases-and-artificial-intelligence source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/culture-biases-and-artificial-intelligence locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Culture, biases, and artificial intelligence - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/culture-biases-and-artificial-intelligence - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/culture-biases-and-artificial-intelligence - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How does AI influence our decision-making? Learn how bias in data, algorithms, and testing can lead to negative outcomes. ## Body Culture, biases, and artificial intelligence How does AI influence our decision-making? Learn how bias in data, algorithms, and testing can lead to negative outcomes. Share insight A couple in my (Karl’s) family were planning their wedding. While going over the proposed guest list, one partner asked their mother for the address of their childhood neighbors. “You’re going to invite your neighbors to our wedding?” asked the other partner, surprised as their family didn’t even know these neighbors. Further down the list, the second partner asked their mother, “What are Aunt Maria’s kids’ names?” “Wait,” the first partner asked, “you’re going to invite people to our wedding whose names you don’t even know?” “They’re family!” the second partner stated firmly, assuring everyone there was no more conversation to be had on the topic. Many of us can relate to similar family experiences—common clash points as we identify those we consider key members of our lives as we prepare for milestone life events. And this extends beyond just those events — we all have preferences, or biases, that affect how we show up in almost every aspect of our lives. Uncovering the source of these biases helps us to identify our own values and know each other better. But how is wedding planning related to artificial intelligence? The connection between this anecdote of a couple planning their wedding guest list and artificial intelligence (AI) lies in how our biases influence what we include or exclude in our decision-making. Like wedding planning, AI depends on human input (who’s using AI tools) and human output (who’s building AI tools), both being influenced by our inherent biases, assumptions, values, and experiences. With the popularity, praise, and potential impacts of AI taking a prominent place in politics and economic pursuits, many have called for a pause, or at least a slowing, of AI’s trajectory until we can better control its output. And for good reason. While many consider AI to be aconsolidator of facts and inherently neutral, human biases actually have a huge impact on AI, from how models are trained to the prompts we provide. Consider where bias can exist in AI … - In data: How we choose to label data or what datasets we include/omit dictates what data is available. - In algorithms: These are built on human logic. An example is the algorithm built to [expedite judicial processes in Colombia by identifying “the relevant case law applicable to the particular legal problem,” or the one in Argentina](https://croft.olemiss.edu/images/AST2133445566.pdf) that proposes which tutelas will be reviewed by the Constitutional Court, using the criteria set by the judge. - In testing: This depends on our test parameters. Nikon released a camera that warned users when someone blinked in the photo, but it [couldn’t account for the biological nuances of Asian facial characteristics](https://eticasfoundation.org/nikons-face-detection-bias/#:~:text=In%202010%2C%20a%20Taiwanese%2DAmerican,broken%20(Rose%2C%202010).). Bias in AI can have negative outcomes on scope, product satisfaction, legal justice, and more. Therefore, most would agree that bias is something we should consciously mitigate in AI. However, unless you’re employed to compile datasets or develop and test algorithms, this bias can feel like it lives out there in [the cloud](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/O1xQmWeDkJg) or some large computer—external to us and beyond our control. The reality is we inject our cultural values by making assumptions about what AI could and should be able to do. As such we, the average AI users, are also the bias in AI. Clarissa Koszarek Who codes matters, how we code matters, why we code matters, and who uses our code also matters For instance, prompting AI to “Give me an elevator pitch to recruit someone to my organization” may seem like a simple and appropriate way to prepare for meeting someone at a conference. The purpose of this prompt is to convey that your company will benefit from their presence, and they’d enjoy working there. An elevator pitch makes sense if you come from a business culture that values directness, informality, and expediency. Contrast that with cultures where an effective proposal depends on full context and elegance in the words selected. An elevator pitch might not be understood and may even create a negative impression. The person being approached may wonder, “That’s really all they have to say about their company?” or “Why are they being so abrupt and aggressive?” While you could improve your AI prompt—“Give me an employment pitch for someone who comes from X culture”—the premise still assumes the start of such a relationship journey would be with words, directness, and brevity which, as our colleague Justin Zamarripa shared, doesn’t translate well to every culture. Our hypothetical recruiting attempt also warrants additional consideration of the data used to train the AI model. AI needs large datasets to train models, but what if the absence of data is the data itself? In the US, our focus on hyper-individualism draws us to speak out, say it loud, and if you see something, say something. As a white, male US citizen, and consultant in business and technology, I (Karl) come from a culture that emphasizes the written word, hence this article for Medium . When AI thrives on data, how do we account for scenarios where the data doesn’t exist, or exists in a different medium due to distinct cultural values and experiences? For example: Oral versus written In some post-Soviet countries, possible misuse of written meeting documentation against a participant has resulted in a preference for a verbal understanding of what was discussed. The impact on AI: there may not be electronic data on attendees, inputs, or decisions. Silence versus spoken When gauging reaction to a business decision or government policy, an instinct may be to gather responses from social media. However, many cultures agree with Plato that “an empty vessel makes the loudest sound.” [The absence of an employee’s or citizen’s response is communicating something important](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58VhB4R-4XY t=91s) that our AI algorithms aren’t programmed to capture. Relationships In the example of our betrothed couple from the beginning of this article, the priorities for the guest list are influenced by culture. The first partner’s family is of European American descent from the Midwest, a very kind and neighborly culture where knowing people on your block is the norm. The second partner’s family are recent immigrants from Latin America with a focus on blood relations. Growing up in a large extended family, they didn’t have time to know their neighbors. There were already enough cousins for connection and community. Their values were just in opposition. If either partner used AI for their guest list, wedding vows, or honeymoon ideas, you could imagine the possible culture misses. Given the imminent future of AI, we must include [cultural intelligence](https://culturalq.com/), or CQ, as part of our tool set to mitigate human bias in our technical solutions. It will require people with different experiences, values, and perspectives who can then translate that diversity into nuanced data-gathering, coding, testing, and prompting of AI tools. We also need leadership that understands how thoughtfulness and intentionality are critical in our hiring, team composition, goals, and safeguards for those using AI. We would do well to consider when an AI tool is insufficient for our needs, and to recognize we may bring even our well-intended biases and assumptions to the prompting table. Slalom data scientist Clarissa Koszarek reminds us that “who codes matters, how we code matters, and why we code matters.” I would expand upon that to add who uses our code also matters. We need cultural awareness in place to (1) build bias-free tools, (2) recognize when our tools are insufficient, and (3) educate ourselves and others on how to mitigate our own bias and the tool bias through education and prompt engineering. --- title: Customer experience? Let’s start with your business fundamentals url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/customer-experience-business-fundamentals source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/customer-experience-business-fundamentals locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Customer experience? Let’s start with your business fundamentals - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/customer-experience-business-fundamentals - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/customer-experience-business-fundamentals - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Data, technology, processes, and people can make or break a great customer experience. ## Body Customer experience? Let’s start with your business fundamentals Customer Experience | Slalom Data, technology, processes, and people can make or break a great customer experience. Share I’ve written a few blogs about great (and not-so-great) customer experiences. Over the years I’ve found that clients often have similar problems inhibiting better customer experiences, regardless of their different goals, products, services, and customers. Innovative experiences are built on strong fundamentals Data, technology, processes, and people can make or break a great customer experience. These are the types of customer experience challenges we commonly see: Data isn’t sufficiently connected When you have vast amounts of customer data that isn’t connected through a master customer ID, both you and the customer suffer. This varies business to business—sometimes it’s as basic as the bank teller knowing you have a checking account, credit card, and home loan. Other times it’s as advanced as tying complex behavioral web data to your next email communication. If you’re facing challenges determining the best investments to connect data, you’re not alone. Technical debt is holding you back from new technologies “Technical debt.” Two of the most demoralizing words. Many clients are excited about the latest cloud-based technology and applications, but must tackle a large backlog of technical debt first if they’re going to keep basic operational and customer systems going. These clients struggle to turn their attention toward the right technologies for the future. In the era of cloud applications, we also see business groups moving forward with technologies independent of IT. More and more, we’re helping our clients determine how to best align the business and IT toward the same goals and working better together. Processes aren’t documented or followed We see many companies struggle with processes supporting the customer experience. For example, my son was recently in a minor car accident while skateboarding without a helmet. The lesson learned? Avoid accidents because the insurance and medical processes are more excruciating than the accident itself. One rep says we owe $X, another says we owe $Y; one says call this number, another says email this address. The lack of cohesion and inconsistency has left us both completely baffled and frustrated. As medical and insurance customers, we’re not impressed. People aren’t always working as a cohesive team Misaligned executives, siloed teams, and unskilled employees will hinder you from improving customer experiences. People are the lifeblood of business; they’re the ones coming up with ideas and doing the work. Finding top tier talent, managing culture change, and training workers is hard in today’s fast-paced world. Getting people to work together to deliver great customer experiences is critical to success—especially now. So, what’s the solution? How do we solve these issues and create the wow moments our customers crave? Five ways to get to wow: Here are ways to combat some of those challenges and improve your customer experience: 1: Get your crew First and foremost, align your company’s leaders. Find your visionaries (the big idea people) and your action heroes (the ones who can really land things). Work together to create your ideal customer experience, and get the wrong people off the bus. I’ve worked with clients that have had to remove executives who were the right people in the past, but not right for the future. If your gut tells you someone isn’t going to help drive your company forward, listen to it. You need to start with a team of leaders who are prepared to make the right investments and prioritizations. 2: See the Mona Lisa A client recently shared that he and a few other leaders from his company took a trip to Europe to visit other companies and understand their digital transformations. I loved that. Get out and do the same. Take a tour of your customer and employee experiences, take a tour of your competitors’ experiences, and visit other leaders and industries for inspiration. This will help you clearly define your differentiated brand strategy and solidify a future vision with your leadership crew. Look for moments of truth and wow moments. Think about what really matters to the customer, then take it a step further. We invited some client executives out to dinner a few weeks ago and demonstrated our customer obsession by perfecting all the details from location, to service, to food. Our “wow moment” was when we provided Pike Place flower bouquets for our clients to take home to their spouses. 3: Be ruthless Stick to your guns. Say yes and no. Think, “What are the experiences we really need to get this right?” From there, prioritize and roadmap data, technology, process, and people needs to make sure your time is well spent and meaningful. If you’re not saying no, you’re taking on too much. Prioritization is one of the biggest challenges in moving from where you are today to where you want to be. Get a plan, stick to it, and periodically readjust. Your aligned leadership team will be crucial to making these tough decisions. 4: Get sprightly Focus on culture and people. Culture is what creates cohesion; it’s what makes your frontline people smile at your customers. Extend your crew to the rest of the company and focus on building a culture focused on spirit, vitality, innovation, and experimentation. Processes are important, but processes without culture will fall short. 5: Stop and smell the roses Appreciate, celebrate, measure, adjust, and repeat. You will make progress, so recognize it. Know that growth takes time, and don’t let where you want to be take you away from how far you’ve come. With that in mind, measure often as you travel down the path. Tracking things like your experiences, sales, and visitors, will enable you to make changes and optimize. Appreciate what you’ve done but ask yourself, “How can I make this even better?” Incredible customer experiences take work. Aligning executives, setting a common vision, and infusing the right culture are just a few of the fundamentals to get on—and progress down—the right path. Share insight --- title: Data Cloud Now with Anthony Marquardt and Ryan Green url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-cloud-now-interview-ryan-green-anthony-marquardt source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-cloud-now-interview-ryan-green-anthony-marquardt locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Data Cloud Now with Anthony Marquardt and Ryan Green - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-cloud-now-interview-ryan-green-anthony-marquardt - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-cloud-now-interview-ryan-green-anthony-marquardt - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Body Data Cloud Now with Anthony Marquardt and Ryan Green Data Cloud Now with Anthony Marquardt Share interview bzmr6v35ya Slalom’s experts can help you use the Data Cloud to accelerate business decisions and improve customer experiences. [Learn more about our partnership.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake) --- title: Use the cloud to cut through the noise of your data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-driven-cloud-journey source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-driven-cloud-journey locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Use the cloud to cut through the noise of your data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-driven-cloud-journey - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-driven-cloud-journey - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary To be truly valuable, data needs to be securely accessed, arranged, and analyzed more quickly than ever. ## Body Use the cloud to cut through the noise of your data Cut through the noise of your data | Slalom To be truly valuable, data needs to be securely accessed, arranged, and analyzed more quickly than ever. Cut through the noise of your data with the cloud Share Why does today’s data make more sense in the cloud? First, let’s look at the data. vkaau3v9wr Each day, more of our people begin working with organizations on their data-driven cloud journeys. Most often, we’re working with clients on the three key factors discussed in the video above. - Creating modern data architecture - Implementing advanced analytics - Improving data guardianship The cloud is a powerful instrument for addressing each of these factors. But even the best instruments require skilled and experienced musicians. Like a symphony is not just a collection of sounds, data alone is not insight—and cloud services alone won’t automatically lead to the outcomes you want. That’s why we’re here. We’ve learned a lot about working with data in the cloud because we’ve done a lot of it, and we aren’t afraid to share our methods and knowledge. Download our ebook for a deeper dive into all three factors above, check out our industry viewpoints (coming soon), or reach out to us now if you want to talk. Get the ebook today A rock-inspired guide full of research, case studies, and links to learn more. Download now Share insight --- title: data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary A tech-agnostic framework for higher education to align strategic goals, fuel AI with trustworthy data, and deliver impact. ## Body data-strategy-for-higher-education-fuel-for-the-ai-engine Data strategy for higher education: Fuel for the AI engine A tech-agnostic framework for higher education to align strategic goals, fuel AI with trustworthy data, and deliver impact. Share “What is our data and AI strategy?” That’s the question being asked in boardrooms around the world, and higher education is no exception. And given disruptions in education funding, answering this question has never been more urgent, with postsecondary institutions grappling with how to maintain service levels to students, faculty, and staff. Higher education leaders must come together across technology and mission areas to mount an effective response by: - Grounding in strategic value for higher education - Understanding how to harness the power of AI - Aligning the institution to a high-performing data strategy While Slalom is an experienced implementer for a range of [cloud, data, and AI platforms,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners) this data and AI strategy approach is tech-agnostic by design. In a fast-changing landscape of tools and solutions, the goal of this article is to provide you with a durable North Star. Strategic value in higher education To borrow the words of Simon Sinek, Let’s start with why. When it comes to data and AI strategy for higher education, let’s start with the “strategy” part. By starting with “why,” you can avoid getting lost in the details of “how.” And your fundamental reasons for investing in data and AI all come down to strategic value. At the highest level, strategic value in higher education is of two types. - Type 1 strategic value is achieved by enhancing the inflow of resources into the institution, including both monetary and nonmonetary resources. Major categories of resource inflows include public funding, tuition and fees, grants, gifts, and partnerships of all kinds. - Type 2 strategic value is achieved by enhancing the positive impact when those resources are expended. Examples include improvements to mission areas of student recruitment and success, faculty experience and research, administrative and business functions, and engagement with alumni and local/global communities. Type 1: Enhancing resource inflows - Public/government funding - Student tuition and fees - Research grants - Donations and gifts - Partnerships Type 2: Enhancing the impact of resource outflows - Student recruitment and success - Alumni engagement - Faculty experience - Research and innovation - Risk and compliance - Operational efficiency - Social impact Examples of strategic value in higher education Collectively, Type 1 and Type 2 strategic values give us a map of all the desirable destinations for our data and AI journey. And this map helps to align our teams to ultimate outcomes, which range from boosting alumni fundraising to reducing dropout rates. Which leads to the next question: How can data and AI get us to these destinations? Harnessing the AI engine for education AI and related technologies represent a powerful engine for creating strategic value. And you can expect a lot from a good engine. You can expect it to be efficient, to perform, and to do so reliably. But if you want to travel from point A to point B, that engine will need to be connected to a steering wheel, some tires, and a gas pump! In this analogy, functional expertise is the steering wheel, integrations to your systems of execution are where the rubber meets the road, and the necessary fuel is high-performing data . Based on Slalom’s experience in demonstrating the strategic value of AI solutions, we strongly recommend bringing these components together to optimize your odds of success. - Examples of functional expertise include mission areas such as enrollment management, academic advising, student success, and career services, as well as administrative areas such as IT, finance, and HR - Examples of systems of execution include student information systems, learning management systems, and service platforms - Examples of data that can be made more high-performing include information about campaigns, applicants, students, faculty and staff, alumni and fans, and partners Keep in mind that these holistic requirements for ensuring your data and AI investments yield the desired outcomes apply equally to machine learning, expert systems, generative AI, and the coming wave of AI agents. Now that we’ve defined the key components needed to harness the engine, let’s turn to the vital question that data strategy answers: How to put your data to work in service of strategic value? A framework for high-performing data No doubt, your institution is already getting value from your data. And there is an opportunity to create even greater value by leveraging data to solve the problems that were intractable just yesterday. That process begins with data strategy. We define “data strategy” as the starting point for a process that includes execution and enablement . Data strategy is where you establish vision and goals, develop a plan with engagement from key stakeholders (including priority use cases), and analyze current state gaps to create a roadmap to the future state. Executing that data strategy may involve implementing new technology, or maybe you just need to get more out of the tools you already have. And this technical execution should be run in coordination with supporting people and process enablement. This strategy/execution/enablement process is iterative, not a single journey . You don’t define a data strategy, then execute and enable it one time. Data strategy is an iterative process that includes technical execution and enablement through people and process. Your institution likely already has data strategy at both an enterprise level and various departmental and campus-unit levels. However, few colleges and universities have solved the larger puzzle of how to bring data together across domains to connect the dots and unleash the full potential of AI solutions. And this type of ambitious vision is necessary to provide a consistent (and competitive) experience to applicants, students, faculty, researchers, and other key constituents. So how can you align technologists, data practitioners, academics, and outcome owners to a holistic data strategy that will drive the next wave of innovation? Once again, start with why. Even for full-time data and AI professionals, it can be a challenge to keep up with the new products and features being launched all the time. Which is why we developed the Slalom Framework for High-Performing Data . Think of this framework as a ladder with five rungs, where each rung represents a durable goal, regardless of what specific solutions are used to achieve them. Slalom Framework for High-Performing Data Traditional data strategy is rightly focused on the foundational layer of trust . This is where people, process, and technology are deployed to ensure that your data is available, scalable, and governed for the purposes of security, privacy, and compliance. This is the rung of the ladder where you identify your data sources, understand where that data is stored, and manage how that data is accessed. This trust layer is concerned with how to make data available at scale in a modern architecture, avoiding unnecessary migrations and preventing adverse impacts to performance. It is in this trust layer that we ask: Do you have appropriate identity and access control, encryption, and privacy management? And do you have the people and process enablement needed for your future state, including robust policies and change management? Next is insight . This is the layer that connects your data to human understanding and includes business intelligence and analytics tools. Human understanding is supported on this rung by machine learning, predictive algorithms, and generative AI. Any combination of people, process, and technology that assists in transforming raw information into knowledge, trends, patterns, and hypotheses can be mapped to this portion of the framework. This includes use cases that feature AI-assistance in simplifying complex information environments into human-friendly summaries, answers, and recommendations. From insight, you ascend to the next layer of decision and action . On this rung, data and AI-driven outputs are leveraged to support human action and/or the new breed of agentic AI that can take independent action. We predict that in the coming months data-driven decisions and actions will be parsed along a continuum of risk and repetition, where AI agents will be used with increasing frequency to execute simple and routine actions. This evolution will reclaim human time for thinking through strategic decisions, being proactive, handling complex escalations, and making human connections. After decision and action, you get to the final boss levels of accountability and strategic values , which are all about measuring, managing, and ultimately achieving Type 1 and Type 2 strategic value. These layers involve test design, examining leading and lagging indicators, comparing relative benefits at the portfolio level, and making adjustments as needed. Taken together, this model for high-performing data provides a framework for mapping a myriad of specific data and AI solutions to a ladder of goals, with each tier building on the next. Finally, here are three key points to remember about data and AI strategy for higher education: - First, start with why. The “how” of data and AI is changing by the day, but the strategic goals for AI and the framework for high-performing data give you a durable North Star as you navigate a sea of acronyms, providers, and tools. - Second, data is the fuel for the AI engine . AI is an engine that needs functional expertise to guide it, systems of execution to create impact, and trusted data that can power your organization’s journey to strategic value. - Third, don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress. Moving iteratively from data strategy through execution and enablement requires a pragmatic approach. Use the data that you already have, even as more data and better data become available, knowing that your data estate will never be fully complete. No matter. Keep going. The good news is data strategy does not mean making your data flawless. Your imperfect data, which is basically all data, can be made more high-performing. The data that you have can be used to create a trusted foundation that supports insight and enables action. These data-driven decisions and actions can, in turn, provide measurable results that ultimately create strategic value. If you’d like to discuss your institution’s AI or data strategy, please reach out to jennie.wong@slalom.com or kris.karaikudi@slalom.com to schedule a call. --- title: Digital people: From gaming to insight url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/digital-people-from-gaming-to-global source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/digital-people-from-gaming-to-global locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Digital people: From gaming to insight - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/digital-people-from-gaming-to-global - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/digital-people-from-gaming-to-global - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The evolution of digital people has been an intriguing journey that spans decades, reflecting our fascination with virtual representation and interaction. Explore critical questions raised by the advances in digital people technologies. ## Body Digital people: From gaming to insight Don’t let first impressions keep you from using technology to build better tomorrows for all. Digital People Technologies | Slalom The evolution of digital people has been an intriguing journey that spans decades, reflecting our fascination with virtual representation and interaction. Explore critical questions raised by the advances in digital people technologies. Digital people: From gaming to global Share insight Exploring critical questions raised by the advances in digital people technologies The evolution of digital people has been an intriguing journey that spans decades, reflecting our fascination with virtual representation and interaction. In the early days of computer science and gaming, avatars and non-player characters (NPCs) were the first attempts at incorporating digital representations into the virtual realm. Back in the ’80s, these simple characters barely scratched the surface of human likeness, offering limited interaction and customization. Yet, they paved the way for a future where the boundaries between virtual and physical realities would blur. Fast forward to today and we find ourselves in an era where digital people are lifelike representations of us. Supported by some technological trickery, they can converse, learn, and perhaps even empathize. These digital people not only hold the promise of transforming customer service in industries such as healthcare, financial services, and entertainment by augmenting humans in the workforce, but also raise critical questions about our relationship with technology and the ethical implications of creating these digital beings. From the rudimentary avatars and NPCs of the past to the digital people of the present, we have in some sense witnessed the convergence of our desire for connection and the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, computer graphics, and natural language processing. The technological trickery From a consumer’s perspective, they simply get to interact with an extremely lifelike chatbot. It looks fairly human-like, speaks like a human and makes movements a human would, like blinking and gesturing to information on screen. When skillfully executed, these interactions belie the intense amount of work required. The creation of a digital-person experience involves both front-end and back-end components, which work together to generate images, speech, and animation. These include voice and camera capture, the rendering of the digital person in the cloud using a 3D engine, browser-based video streaming, and both speech-to-text (STT) and text-to-speech (TTS) translation. Computer vision is used to determine emotional sentiment, and natural language processing (NLP) is employed to analyze intent and respond accordingly. The non-character players There are a few key players in this game, including tech giants like Nvidia, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. These companies have invested significant resources into developing many of the cloud services used to enable a digital person experience. While the cloud services remain invisible to the end user, they create the foundation on which the experience is built. If the big tech firms build the digital person foundation, digital person software providers such as Uneeq, Synesthesia, and Slalom partner Soul Machines construct the façade. They—along with advanced research institutions—are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with digital person technology, each iteration more humanlike than the last. Partnering to prioritize accessibility By combining models of physiology, cognition, and emotion, Soul Machines has created a new form of biologically inspired AI. And what is a façade or foundation without a building? The creation of an impactful digital person experience requires expertise in conversational design, experience design, data and insights, privacy, systems architecture, and quality assurance. The absence of any one of these elements can turn a compelling customer experience into a disaster, or worse: mediocrity. Digital people at large Recent adoption of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney by the public have sparked an impressively wide range of innovative use cases. As industries explore opportunities to integrate digital person technology into their business, we see a similar trend taking shape—the ways in which digital people can intersect with our lives are extensive, limited only by our own creativity, and with much more territory yet to be explored. Soon, simply improving the customer experience won’t cut it—we’re on the precipice of a step-change in customer expectations. As the top leaders in tech and design begin to place AI at the center of their digital offerings, the bar of customer expectations will undoubtedly rise in turn. Customers will gravitate towards the brands that offer simple, innovative, and engaging ways to interact, allowing them to transact and get things done in a more human-centric way than ever before. Visitors engaging with Soul Machine’s digital people at Slalom’s Manchester, UK Connect event. Today, digital people are helping customers realize unmet needs in clever and unexpected ways. For example, a digital skincare consultant in Asia is a popular choice for customers, with many reporting feeling more comfortable speaking with the digital consultant about blemishes and skincare routines than an actual human, driving a significant uptick in sales. In the DFW airport, you can easily locate the nearest burger joint via a quick chat with Iris, a digital concierge. And within financial services, digital people are being explored to augment (not replace) traditional human interactions, such as coaching customers on how to get the most out of an upcoming consultation with a financial advisor. The evolution of human-centered tech Driven by the proliferation of human-centered design philosophy in tech, our day-to-day digital interactions have become progressively more natural for quite some time. A prime example is the evolution of user interface (UI) navigation. Just over twenty years ago, the iPod click wheel reimagined the UI experience into something natural and intuitive, immediately outpacing existing MP3 players that demanded a clunky sequence of precisely pressed buttons. Soon after, this evolved into touchscreens, voice commands and even hand gestures, significantly shortening the learning and adoption curve. Today, UI navigation by physical button can feel burdensome and archaic. We’re seeing this evolve into NLP, where these interactions are becoming as convenient—albeit unsettling—as holding a conversation with another human. Layering in a visual personification of the machine into those conversations is the next logical step along this trendline, and it’s happening right now. As with many new technologies, workers worry about being replaced and consumers worry about privacy and ethics. Where, then, does Slalom’s fiercely human ethos fit into the potential widespread adoption of digital people? We believe that digital person technology should augment the human workload, and that the replacement of jobs or processes creates an opportunity upskilling and growth. Digital people can even provide relief to those in high-pressure or emotionally draining jobs. For example, Slalom is working with a loan servicing company to launch digital people in the collections space. Whereas a human may experience burnout or even trauma in such jobs, a digital person has an endless supply of empathy. As in the skin care example, the individual on the other end of the phone may feel more comfortable speaking with someone who does not have capacity for negative judgment. Now what? While information has its own value, we’d also like to leave you with some concrete steps to begin exploring digital people and incorporate them into your work, life, and future. Next best actions - Seek out a digital person interaction, such as on the Soul Machines, Synesthesia, or Uneeq websites. - Review your tech stack to discern digital person readiness. If, then, else - If: Consider use cases in your personal and professional workflows - Then: How might you modify your research, creative, or engineering workflows to include digital people as a step in the process? What would be the value add from a camera- and microphone-on, human-like interaction? - Else: How else would you use digital people? How might they be used to augment the individuals in your workforce, or even provide relief in high-stress customer interactions? For example, Slalom is working with our customers to use digital people in financial services to provide gamified education to potential investors. Check your bias What are the fears you have about this technology? AI-enabled digital people taking over, loss of jobs or privacy? (All fair game.) What information are you consuming? What are the objective facts, and what is confirming your beliefs or fueling your fears? In summary, don’t let first impressions keep you from using technology to build better tomorrows for all. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/digital-people-from-gaming-to-global-82f66344e0e1). --- title: Driving contact center transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Driving contact center transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The modern service experience isn’t about choosing between people or technology—it’s about designing smarter systems where both work better together. ## Body Driving contact center transformation Driving contact center transformation | Slalom The modern service experience isn’t about choosing between people or technology—it’s about designing smarter systems where both work better together. infographic mobile Driving contact center transformation The modern service experience isn’t about choosing between people or technology—it’s about designing smarter systems where both work better together. Woman gently smiling, wearing an illustrated headset and surrounded by illustrated speech bubbles. Connection is the new KPI Today’s contact centers weren’t built for today’s customers. What started as a table-stakes solution to manage inbound inquiries has gradually evolved into a tangle of quick fixes, disconnected tools, and one-off solutions. The result? An experience that may function on the surface—but underneath, agents are overwhelmed, insights are buried, and customers are left frustrated. We’re at a turning point in customer service. Expectations have risen, channels are multiplying, and the pressure to deliver frictionless, customer-centered experiences is only intensifying. Yet for many organizations, the contact center hasn’t kept up. Jessica Cash The organizations that tie service to the full customer experience—and back it with the right talent and technology—are the ones pulling ahead. No longer just a place where issues get resolved, the modern contact center is evolving into a strategic hub for customer insight, brand loyalty, and business value. While it’s still the most critical human touchpoint in the omnichannel journey, it’s now driven by data, supported by AI, and deeply connected to the broader service experience. “Contact centers used to be all about efficiency—how fast and cheaply you could handle transactions,” says Jessica Cash, global service transformation lead at Slalom. “Now, it’s about connection. The organizations that tie service to the full customer experience—and back it with the right talent and technology—are the ones pulling ahead.” There’s an opportunity now to shift from a fragmented system to a thriving ecosystem—one rooted in the right technology, empowered people, and connected processes. One that blends human empathy with intelligent automation, integrates seamlessly with digital tools, and transforms every interaction from a simple point of contact into an opportunity for deeper engagement. It’s not just about managing conversations—it’s about reimagining the contact center as a connection center , where service becomes a strategic driver of loyalty, insight, and long-term value. Talk to one of our contact center experts Not sure where to begin? We’ll help you cut through the noise and build a smarter, more connected contact center. Let's talk Building the foundation for better service When you think of a self-sustaining, integrated ecosystem, think of a forest. Every change—whether it’s altering operational metrics, introducing AI-supported chatbots, or evolving your service delivery model to capture new revenue streams—affects the entire ecosystem. If customer and agent experience make up the visible canopy, then technology, data, and processes are the root network—feeding, supporting, and connecting everything above. Get the foundation right, and the whole system thrives. c0dos9whip There are three pillars to consider in any contact center transformation: - Customer experience: Creating personalized, high-impact service experiences for your customers - Agent experience: Simplifying service delivery without sacrificing quality or productivity to empower agents to connect - Tooling: Implementing the proper tools and technology to drive ongoing people and process improvement By investing in these key pillars, you’re laying the groundwork for a more connected, resilient, and high-performing contact center. Where people, processes, and technology intersect At Slalom, we don’t see the contact center as a silo—we see it as a powerful ecosystem where people, processes, and technology come together to drive smarter, more responsive service. When it comes to prioritizing improvements and investments, we look at what to eliminate, automate, and optimize (EAO) . Our flexible EAO framework helps organizations cut through complexity, focus their efforts, and find the best entry points for transformation—delivering real impact across customer experience, agent experience, and tooling. “We’re seeing major momentum in two areas: modernizing customer-facing contact centers to strengthen loyalty and relationships, and transforming internal service desks to reduce cost and elevate the employee experience,” says Matt Kiesling, managing director of service, sales, and loyalty transformation at Slalom. “What sets us apart is how we pair AI solutions with deep expertise in organizational change, ensuring your technology works for your people.” Share insight Let’s build a modern service experience together Let's connect Protected Data and AI --- title: Embracing the AI-Powered Telco Shift url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-ai-telco-shift source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/embracing-ai-telco-shift locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Embracing the AI-Powered Telco Shift - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/embracing-ai-telco-shift - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-ai-telco-shift - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how AI is influencing the future of telecommunications, from network efficiency to customer experience. ## Body Embracing the AI-Powered Telco Shift Embracing the AI-powered telco shift Learn how AI is influencing the future of telecommunications, from network efficiency to customer experience. Share An industry at the forefront of technology advancements Telecommunications (telco) was born from technology, and advancements in technology over time have enabled telco to evolve. From the invention of the telegraph and telephone in the 1800s to the development of cable and satellite TV systems in the mid-1900s, to the first mobile networks in the late 1900s, and the development of 5G in the last decade, telco companies have been at the forefront of some of the largest technological advancements of the last two centuries. So, it should come as no surprise that telco companies are already actively investing in AI technologies, including generative AI (GenAI), in an effort to continually advance their services and operations. Adoption of AI in telco As in any industry, one of the strongest use cases for AI in telco is to enhance efficiency and productivity internally. Telcos are known for being capital-intensive businesses, especially in recent years, as the demand for fiber-to-the-home and mobile 5G networks continues to keep capital expenditure high while driving top-line growth. With increasing investments in their networks, telcos are searching for ways to optimize network performance and maximize return on investment (ROI). Investments in GenAI are particularly impactful if they lead to stronger network performance and broader coverage. Other use cases for AI that telcos are testing are ways to tap into the velocity of incoming data to drive product and service innovations and to automate internal processes once considered manual and time-consuming. Improving network performance Historically, telcos have relied on customer-initiated feedback to learn when the speed, quality, and reliability of their service are not performing as expected. In 2018, Verizon sought to build an infrastructure of predictive analytics and made investments in AI and machine learning technologies to monitor network performance. By monitoring 3GB of data every second running across its millions of network interfaces, Verizon is able to make sense of data across customers’ routers, sensors that gather weather data, and software that listens to operational data, such as billing records. According to [an article published in Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/06/22/the-amazing-ways-verizon-uses-ai-and-machine-learning-to-improve-performance/?sh=c45ee4d7638a), the result of this platform was that the company was able “to predict 200 customer impacting events before they happened and take steps to prevent them from occurring.” Evolving this technology has become increasingly important as Verizon seeks to protect and optimize investment in its 5G network. Additionally, telcos are investing heavily in 5G network infrastructure and spectrum rollouts in a race to provide faster and more reliable services to their customers. [With the help of AI modeling, Verizon is finding the best locations to place thousands of 5G wireless transmitters](https://www.wsj.com/articles/verizon-enlists-ai-in-5g-network-build-out-11628103712) for optimal performance of midband spectrum. Maximizing coverage with the least number of transmitters helps telcos be conservative in how they invest their capital and leverage midband spectrum, which has efficiencies when it comes to speed and coverage range. AI is modeling data from spatial and geographic elements, scanning bridges, trees, and building heights to find the best spot for its transmitters. It will also analyze the density of cities to ensure they offer quality services to more customers. This will maximize the build’s ROI by minimizing costs and optimizing revenue and subscriber opportunities. Bringing representatives closer to customers Telcos are constantly trying to find new and innovative ways to get in front of customer challenges. While customer care is a common use case for AI across many industries, telcos and internet service providers have historically had some [of the lowest NPS](https://success.qualtrics.com/rs/542-FMF-412/images/XMI_DS_NPS2018-2022.pdf) and [customer satisfaction](https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2018/10/16/top-5-most-hated-industries-by-customers/?sh=28a6fd5e90b5) scores despite being able to acquire a significant amount of data related to their customer base. There has been a barrier in harnessing this data to its full potential, but T-Mobile is attempting to utilize AI to bring its representatives a 360-degree view of customers. [CIO reports,](https://www.cio.com/article/193571/at-t-mobile-ai-plays-supporting-role-for-customer-service-reps.html) “When T-Mobile customers contact the company through phone or online chat channels, they trigger AI software that pre-populates information about the customer. This includes what the customer is reaching out for, as well as billing history and other pertinent details.” Instead of investing in AI to power chatbots or other intercepts to handle patient requests, T-Mobile is leveraging AI to help make their customer service representatives more effective and give them the tools to resolve complex customer problems. Reimagining the telco customer experience When the iPhone emerged in 2007, it vastly changed consumer expectations about their interactions with organizations. Similar to the emergence of the iPhone, AI technology (and especially GenAI) will have a resounding effect on consumer expectations. As consumers experiment with public GenAI tools and become more familiar with what the technology can enable, they will expect that businesses will intelligently and respectfully use the data and information at their disposal to provide frictionless, delightful experiences. Failure to do so when technology exists to enable a better experience may feel like negligence. What consumers will expect of telco providers Let’s use the LBGUPS (learn, buy, get, use, pay, support) customer-experience model to break down potential customer expectations at each stage of the experience in an AI-enabled business world. Learn - Understand the customer’s needs and proactively direct their experience to the proper channels and resources. - Provide service or sales representatives information about the customer and what products/services they are interested in. Buy - Know their purchase history from the company, acknowledge their loyalty, and offer eligible promotions. - Gather information about the consumer relevant to the product/service they are considering to suggest other products/services. Get - Use predictive insights to narrow the expected arrival window of installation field techs and shorten the waiting period for the customer. - Assess all available insights about the telco infrastructure and service quality to determine if any additional troubleshooting is needed to enable a smooth experience for the new customer. Use - Know when the service is not performing and proactively alert customers. - Analyze product/service usage and provide suggestions for cost savings, service optimization, or upgrades needed. Pay - Identify payment or nonpayment behavior patterns and offer to set up due-date reminder alerts or suggest payment-assistance options (payment plans, promotions, etc.). - Identify when a customer is paying for a service they are not using or are underutilizing, and proactively offer discounts or incentives to retain the customer. Support - Analyze all information available about a consumer to understand what support they are looking for and which channels are best to direct them to for assistance. - Identify the customer’s tone and respond accordingly to assuage any frustration or concerns. Failure to embrace technology creates a gap in the market What happens when emerging technology enables a better experience for customers, but a company fails to embrace the new technology quickly? This creates an opening in the market for new entrants or intermediaries who can better meet the needs of consumers. In the last decade alone, telecom carriers have met challenges from technology companies that are quick to adopt new innovations. For example, when Google came to town with Google Fiber in 2010 promising gigabit speeds to customers, traditional service providers accelerated their own infrastructure investments by several years to respond to the competitive threat. More recently, SpaceX’s Starlink is breaking into telecommunications, seeking to use new satellite technology to bring broadband service to all, especially in rural communities currently lacking high-speed internet infrastructure. Starlink is also seeking to provide a more seamless, no-hassle customer experience. They offer four simple service plans, an app-based guided installation experience and service analytics to help customers understand when services are not performing optimally. SpaceX is signaling that it wants to expand into the wireless services market, with a partnership it announced with T-Mobile last year. What will happen when tech companies known for moving fast and being disruptors harness AI? Unlikely partnerships will form, customer expectations will change rapidly, and those that don’t adapt quickly will be left behind. A day in the life AI’s ability to continuously improve with more data places telcos in a unique position to both enable and deliver more integrated experiences. Customers will expect greater network coverage and reliability at higher speeds powered by GenAI. To illustrate what this could look like in practice, here are some examples of how GenAI could be applied in telco. The true-to-life story of Ferris and Sloane: The value and impact of GenAI on network management Ferris and Sloane are two people who have never met, but they have a significant impact on one another. Ferris, a network services engineer for a major telco provider, makes decisions that affect the quality and reliability of Sloane’s wireless network. Sloane, a regional healthcare manager, spends a lot of time traveling to meet clients and provide demonstrations of her company’s virtual reality products, which aid surgeons in predicting better patient outcomes. Sloane depends on a great 5G network to deliver product demonstrations and keep her connected to customers and her family while she’s on the road. As a network services engineer, Ferris is responsible for monitoring network performance, identifying bottlenecks or issues, and recommending proactive measures to optimize performance. To accomplish this, Ferris leverages a variety of tools to monitor health, traffic, and performance and gathers data from network devices. From there, he goes through a process of manually comparing historical data analysis to identify trends and seasonal variations in network usage and forecast demand. He’s then responsible for recommending solutions for improving network quality and valuing these solutions with finance, product, local markets, and network infrastructure and build stakeholders. The cycle time from data gathering to solution recommendation is time-consuming, sometimes taking months to resolve. In the meantime, Sloane suffers from poor quality of service, experiencing sporadic connectivity during her demos, dropped or garbled calls, and delayed responses to her customers. In turn, Sloane calls customer care to understand how she can resolve these issues, but they don’t have access to the data needed to resolve these issues and instead offer discounted service, which only satisfies Sloane temporarily. After months of trying to resolve her problems with numerous calls and transfers to get the right agent to work with her, Sloane faces finding a new provider. In a world of AI-enabled telco, Ferris could leverage a tool that ingests an unprecedented amount of data across customer care, network, finance, and marketing, trained to look for anomalies both past and present, building forecasting predictions and offering cost-effective solutions in days. In this scenario, AI would save time, make investments in the network more effective and efficient, and improve Sloane’s network reliability faster, removing friction in the customer experience. Additionally, Ferris’s company would receive fewer calls, lower average handle time, and offer discounts to customers less often. Most importantly, Sloane is more productive at work and stays connected to her family while traveling. The true-to-life story of Ali and Jamie: Advancing customer care and empowering representatives with GenAI Ali is a new customer who just switched from his previous carrier. He purchased the latest iPhone and got a new customer promotion to boot! However, when Ali sees his first bill, he’s confused about the billing representation; it is higher than expected, the promo charges are confusing, and his new wireless plan doesn’t show the advertised price. Ali calls into customer care, hoping to resolve this issue quickly. Jamie is a customer service rep who has been on back-to-back calls all day. By the time customers get to her, they’ve usually been through a lot of prompts in the interactive voice response and are starting to get impatient. Jamie answers Ali’s call, asks him to explain his issue, then puts him on hold to investigate the billing problem. While Ali is on hold, Jamie quickly searches across multiple systems to determine why the bill isn’t meeting Ali’s expectations. Jamie attempts to balance the wait time against conducting thorough research to tackle all of Ali’s questions. Eventually, Jamie determines that the charges are not in error and now must synthesize the information across different systems to formulate an explanation in terms that Ali will understand in a matter of minutes. Despite Jamie’s attempts, Ali still has difficulty understanding his bill and leaves the call feeling confused and frustrated with his carrier. Jamie feels this was just another complicated billing call and tries to shake it off before her next call. In a world of GenAI, there are multiple innovations that would advance customer care in this scenario. First, with the application of a natural language processing GenAI software in the customer care system, Jamie would have Ali’s voice directly query the application, and the model could analyze data across multiple service systems, determine the issue, and provide a customer-friendly response to Jamie in a matter of seconds. Moreover, a well-trained system with advanced predictive capabilities could even offer responses to common follow-up questions that customers ask in this scenario, which would empower Jamie to give a thorough explanation, alleviating customer concerns and building brand trust and loyalty. This predictive AI would also increase customer care consistency as representatives will answer customer queries the same, regardless of the representative’s tenure. Embracing AI for success The telecommunications industry is constantly evolving with new technologies, and in the era of AI, telcos are making significant progress in advancing their services and experiences. AI has several practical use cases for telcos, and companies that are leading the way are leveraging AI to optimize network performance, predict and prevent issues, and strategically build infrastructure. Moreover, AI has the potential to create highly personalized customer experiences that meet and exceed evolving customer expectations. The future of telco is being defined by these innovation applications of AI. Telco leaders should identify the gaps in their organizations where innovative AI-based solutions will help them stand out in the industry. By embracing this technology, telcos can advance their strategy, stay ahead of the competition, and provide exceptional services to their customers. Share insight --- title: Embracing a skills-centric workforce in the AI era url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Embracing a skills-centric workforce in the AI era - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary A skills-centric workforce unlocks the potential for a brighter, more adaptable future. Shift your focus from rigid job roles to the vast potential of your employees’ skills and unlock a future of endless possibilities. ## Body Embracing a skills-centric workforce in the AI era Is my organization ready to embrace the future? | Slalom A skills-centric workforce unlocks the potential for a brighter, more adaptable future. Shift your focus from rigid job roles to the vast potential of your employees’ skills and unlock a future of endless possibilities. Share Picture the typical office of yesteryear: employees confined to strict roles, hiring decisions based on résumés filled with credentials, and career ladders that only go up or down. This approach stifles creativity, limits adaptability, and leaves organizations ill-prepared for rapid technological changes. Now imagine a bustling workplace where roles are as fluid as the conversations. A software engineer might take on a project management role one week while a marketing specialist contributes to product development the next. This is the reality of a skills-centric organization. As we navigate an era increasingly dominated by AI, traditional job-centric models with rigid role definitions and ladder-like career progressions are becoming relics of the past. According to [our 2024 AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), 57% of leaders are redesigning roles to free employees of repetitive tasks through automation, allowing them to focus on higher-value work. It's vital for today's organizations to become adaptive by cultivating a future-ready talent network that prioritizes skills. The shift from job-centric to skills-centric In the traditional job-centric model—where roles are strictly defined, job descriptions rarely change, and employees are hired and promoted based on prior experience rather than their skills (or potential to learn new ones)—organizations risk suppressing innovation, hindering flexibility, and creating inefficiencies as roles fail to evolve with the pace of technological change. [Organizations that haven’t yet adapted](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) will find themselves in a never-ending state of talent flushing: removing talent to meet budgetary requirements and then hiring new talent with the skills needed to keep up with the competition. Not only is this an incredibly expensive way to manage talent, but it can also negatively impact team cohesion, team productivity, and organizational culture. In contrast, a skills-centric model emphasizes employees’ skills and capabilities over specific job titles or past experiences, allowing for greater flexibility and fluid movement across projects based on both skills and the evolving needs of the organization. This approach fosters continuous learning and adaptability, ensuring that the workforce can quickly respond to emerging challenges and opportunities. As capability leaders within a large CPG organization recently noted, “Our move to a skills-based organization is driven by our desire to offer more growth opportunities for our employees that extend well beyond their existing team, department, or organization.” They view this shift as essential to creating a global talent marketplace enabling greater flexibility and adaptability in the face of accelerating technological change. [Adaptive organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) thrive by continuously evolving their workforce and leveraging AI to drive efficiency and innovation. These organizations optimize human capabilities, streamline workflows, and build a resilient, innovative workforce. Transitioning to an adaptive model requires aligning the organization’s strategy with a comprehensive approach to skill development, job redesign, and leveraging automation. Why adaptation is vital Think back to the last time you upgraded your smartphone. Remember the excitement of exploring new features and capabilities? Now, imagine if you had refused to upgrade and stuck with your old device. You’d quickly fall behind, missing out on advancements and opportunities. The same principle applies to organizations: clinging to old methods is a surefire way to become obsolete. Embracing a skills-centric model is like upgrading to the latest technology—it’s about unleashing hidden talents and creating new pathways for growth and success. The modern business environment demands flexibility, rapid learning capabilities, and a workforce that can adeptly navigate changing technological landscapes. Organizations that continue to cling to outdated structures risk significant disadvantages in innovation, responsiveness, and market position. The future belongs to those who can adapt and [reinvent themselves continuously](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning). It’s time to break free from the confines of job boxes and unleash the full potential of your talent. Creating a modern workforce While we can’t predict the future with certainty, we can make informed predictions based on labor market and workforce trends as well as our observations of the companies and organizations we engage with regularly. - Future-stable skills: The future workforce is set to undergo significant transformations driven by technological advancements, requiring a blend of digital literacy, social creativity, emotional intelligence, and an increasing importance of soft skills. As automation and AI become more prevalent, critical thinking and problem-solving will be vital, alongside a commitment to continuous learning and professional development. - Culture of continuous learning: Building a modern workforce requires not only hiring new talent but also investing in existing talent to develop the skills needed for tomorrow. Organizations must implement strategic workforce planning that emphasizes skill development, broad exposure to emerging technologies, a culture of innovation, and creative employee growth strategies. These measures will ensure that the workforce remains engaged as well as competitive and prepared for the challenges of the future job market. - Workforce resiliency: To build business resiliency, companies must cultivate a diverse workforce capable of quickly adapting to and overcoming challenges, setbacks, and obstacles. A highly resilient workforce leads to greater employee engagement and retention, stabilizing expertise and reducing turnover costs. Ultimately, investing in workforce resilience enables a company to thrive in both the present and the future, maintaining relevance and competitiveness. - Job evolution: We’re seeing the deployment of AI tools replace or erode many jobs, especially entry-level and manual-routine roles. While job obsolescence may be an ongoing pattern, AI will necessitate the creation of new roles across data science, data product management, AI governance, and beyond. Continuous skilling, paired with intelligent human-AI collaboration, will be essential for building a future-ready talent network that enhances efficiency without resorting to downsizing. Maintaining a focus on emerging skills will be crucial for optimizing efficiency and utilization as AI reshapes jobs. - Modernized HR tech stack: The HR technology landscape is also rapidly changing as AI is integrated into existing systems and new software emerges with AI as its backbone. Leaders should be considering where skills are housed, how they’re maintained, and how their organization can evolve into a highly dynamic and interactive talent marketplace. Reevaluating your existing technology landscape and making the strategic investments that align to your modern workforce strategy are key to building a foundation that can evolve with your organization. Bringing the vision to life Embracing a skills-centric workforce may seem daunting, but it offers an exciting opportunity for growth and innovation. We suggest starting by examining your talent lifecycle to identify where and how skills can be introduced, as well as opportunities to modernize approaches and ways of working. By integrating your people strategy with business strategy, you will mobilize talent more effectively to achieve business outcomes and create a dynamic and adaptable workforce prepared for the future. Slalom’s approach provides the roadmap and tools necessary to build a skills-centric and adaptive organization, guiding you every step of the way. Conclusion Organizations that adopt a skills-centric approach—prioritizing future-proof skills, skills-based hiring, dynamic talent redeployment, and fostering a culture of continuous learning—will be better equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern business environment and ensure sustained innovation and competitiveness in the years to come. Becoming an adaptive organization with a future-ready talent network isn’t just a strategy for success—it’s essential for survival in the AI era. Just as an upgraded smartphone opens new possibilities, a skills-centric workforce unlocks the potential for a brighter, more adaptable future. Shift your focus from rigid job roles to the vast potential of your employees’ skills and unlock a future of endless possibilities. So, ask yourself: Is my organization ready to embrace the future? Share insight --- title: Empowering youth innovation to solve New York City challenges url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/empowering-youth-innovation-nyc source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/empowering-youth-innovation-nyc locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Empowering youth innovation to solve New York City challenges - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/empowering-youth-innovation-nyc - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/empowering-youth-innovation-nyc - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Read about the Youth Innovation Quest, a STEM-focused competition where students used technology like artificial intelligence to enhance public safety in New York City. ## Body Empowering youth innovation to solve New York City challenges Read about the Youth Innovation Quest, a STEM-focused competition where students stepped into Element Lab212 to enhance public safety. Read about the Youth Innovation Quest, a STEM-focused competition where students used technology like artificial intelligence to enhance public safety in New York City. Share Slalom’s Element Lab212 recently partnered with First Responders Children’s Foundation and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to host the Youth Innovation Quest. This program harnessed the power of technology and embraced the innovative spirit of young minds to address real-world challenges affecting the lives of everyday New Yorkers. 6qw9af5it8 Helping those who help us [First Responders Children’s Foundation](https://1strcf.org/) (FRCF) was founded over 20 years ago, after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, when 800 children lost a first responder parent. Since then, the organization has grown into a national nonprofit with the mission to support the children of first responders across the country, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, corrections officers, and 911 dispatchers. Jillian Crane, president and CEO of FRCF, explains, “First responders are running into danger to take care of our communities, and our program focuses on taking care of their children.” FRCF supports these children through scholarships and financial assistance, natural disaster relief, mental health resiliency, bereavement assistance, and community engagement programs—like the Youth Innovation Quest. Bringing youth into a new realm of technology The Youth Innovation Quest was a STEM-focused competition that featured four teams of high school students from New York City public schools. These students were mentored by Slalom experts and NYPD officers to explore the boundaries of technology and unlock groundbreaking solutions that address the unique challenges of the city in which they live. Inside [Element Lab212](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy/element), Slalom’s innovation laboratory, students engaged in hands-on experiences with cutting-edge tools such as [artificial intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence), augmented reality, robotics, digital humans, and 5G. The students were then taught how to evolve their projects from ideation to prototype, using storyboarding and data analysis techniques to leverage these technologies and bring their visions to life. From bright ideas to meaningful innovation Over the course of 11 weeks, students narrowed down 20+ ideas into four critical projects, each designed to address specific challenges, contribute to the ongoing efforts of the NYPD, and enhance public safety and community well-being in New York City. These projects centered on: - Homelessness: Many people experiencing homelessness in New York City are eligible for free phones through assistance programs. One student group focused on building an application for these phones that would give these individuals tools to improve their circumstances, providing easy access to information on shelters, food resources, government assistance programs, and more. - Language support: [New York City is home to 3.1 million immigrants.](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/immigrants/downloads/pdf/MOIA-Annual-Report-2023_Final.pdf) Students proposed a language support application so immigrants with language barriers can more easily communicate, access public goods, and navigate the school system. - Subway safety: [Over 3.6 million people commute on New York City’s subway system every day.](https://www.mta.info/agency/new-york-city-transit/subway-bus-ridership-2023) To help commuters feel safer, one student project involved using camera technology to detect and combat the dangers of subway surfing, the rise of fair evasions, and overall crime in subway stations. - Citizen awareness: In a city of over eight million people, the NYPD’s ability to respond quickly to crimes is imperative. The final group of students proposed a citizen awareness application that would allow individuals to record crimes on their cell phones and send these videos directly to first responders. This type of “buddy cam” application would allow police officers to identify crimes faster and more easily. “All of these problems were passion projects for these students, and technology was used in a really positive way,” says John Tomik, managing director of Slalom’s Element Lab212. “This isn’t tech for tech. This is tech for good.” Moving beyond the competition: Embracing a better future The Youth Innovation Quest concluded with students showcasing their projects to a panel of judges, who determined the most innovative solution. And every student participant walked away from their presentations with invaluable experience. Ultimately, the Youth Innovation Quest gave students the opportunity to foster deeper collaboration, expand their educational and career horizons, and drive positive, lasting change. By tackling urban challenges with technology-centric solutions, these students have actively contributed to a better future—both for themselves and their community. As Officer Justin Rodriguez of the NYPD puts it, “I believe with the students, in partnership with the police officers and the mentors at Slalom, we can help make the world and the city a better place.” Go from barriers to breakthroughs Let’s talk Share insight Woman looks straight ahead and smiles. In the background is a cartoon "sparkle" typically associated with AI. --- title: Enterprise innovation doesn’t have to be an oxymoron url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/enterprise-innovation-not-oxymoron source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/enterprise-innovation-not-oxymoron locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Enterprise innovation doesn’t have to be an oxymoron - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/enterprise-innovation-not-oxymoron - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/enterprise-innovation-not-oxymoron - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Leverage the benefits of scale to innovate with the B.E.S.T. framework. ## Body Enterprise innovation doesn’t have to be an oxymoron Leverage the benefits of scale to innovate with the B.E.S.T. framework. Share There is a natural inverse relationship between scale and innovation. This primarily stems from opportunity cost differences between startups and enterprises. Here’s why: Standard startup equity agreements give founders and early employees multiyear vested stock options, making decisions focused on long-term payoffs with near-term flexibility in how to get there. Startups also have less short-term pressure to get innovations right the first time because—without a preexisting profitable line of business—they don’t have the opportunity cost of pulling people off profitable work to explore new ideas. Enterprises, in contrast, have a very quantifiable and immediate opportunity cost from directing resources away from the profitable current business model to work on something new. Enterprises also have the near-term opportunity cost of reputation risk from trying something new that doesn’t work instead of preserving the current proven business model. Essentially, the more successful a company becomes—the more it scales and optimizes its profitability on the current business model—the more expensive the opportunity cost becomes to focus on anything other than what is currently making money. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just math. Having led both startup and enterprise innovation teams, I’ve experienced different constraints across both organizational environments when it comes to innovation. For example, enterprises will never be able to pivot as quickly as startups, but startups will never be able to access as many enterprise customers as quickly as a preexisting enterprise. The following framework isn’t designed to help enterprises be more like startups. Rather, the B.E.S.T. framework is meant to help inform enterprises’ innovation strategies by leveraging the benefits—and mitigating the challenges—of scale. Here’s how: B.E.S.T. framework - Bureaucratic sponsorship - Engagement with customers - Staffing model for permanent innovation team members - Tool set to engage the whole organization in innovation Let’s explore each component. 1. Bureaucratic sponsorship It’s easy to vilify the corporate layers of approval that seemingly hinder innovation, but they exist for a good reason. An enterprise has built a valuable brand worth protecting, and a single significant failure could cost millions in lost customer and investor brand confidence. Corporate challenge to avoid: Unchecked, bureaucracy considers anything new a danger to the current business model without considering that everything it currently protects was once an insurgent new idea disrupting the old way of operating. While a bureaucratic layer of oversight often isn’t present within startups, it’s not realistic to completely separate a corporation from its bureaucracy. However, having an executive sponsor who can help streamline approvals and remove blockers from those who define different as bad is critical for enterprise innovation. Startups can focus 100% of their time on building a great product, and figure out legal, staffing, finance, HR, IT, enterprise architecture, et cetera, as they go. For enterprise teams to operate at startup levels of innovation and productivity, they need someone else with the authority and capacity to manage bureaucratic pushback and enforce collaboration with corporate protectionist teams. The sponsor doesn’t need to be part of the daily operations, but regular progress updates support their representation of whatever new initiative is underway. Corporate benefit to leverage: Bureaucracy provides institutional, pre-negotiated deals in a variety of fields that a startup doesn’t have access to. If the bureaucracy is aligned to support a new innovation through the influence of an executive sponsor, corporate innovators can unlock access to enterprise pricing, early releases of new technology, and security infrastructure. Startups likely don’t have the time, connections, or scale to establish such enterprise partnerships and architecture, which are critical components for winning enterprise customers. 2. Engagement with customers From a financial perspective, innovation is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. So talking with potential customers early and often during the development of innovation can help ensure what is built aligns with what will be bought. Corporate challenge to avoid: A common enterprise pitfall preventing early and frequent engagement with customers is fear of tainting its image as an established and trusted brand by sharing an incomplete idea or the humble beginnings of a new product. The vulnerability to admit something is still a work in progress is not a natural conversation for many corporate sellers, and many will default to only bringing concepts to clients that are already proved from multiple stories of past successes with other clients. However, framing is everything when introducing new concepts to enterprise contacts. Every corporation struggles to innovate, so an invitation to co-create new things can be mutually beneficial. Plus, sharing cutting-edge innovations not yet available with clients can build trust, establish credibility as an innovative partner, and lead to conversations around innovations the client is working on. If every client conversation is around selling a solution, the relationship becomes transactional. If client relationship leaders intersperse innovation conversations with business development discussions, the relationship can elevate to a true partnership. Corporate benefit to leverage: One of the—if not the —greatest advantages an enterprise has over a startup is existing relationships with enterprise clients. While a startup founder may send hundreds of LinkedIn messages and cold emails trying to get a meeting with an enterprise buyer, enterprises have long-standing relationships and credibility with enterprise buyers who will answer the phone when they call. Access is a superpower, and what enterprises lack in startup speed and flexibility, they have the potential to make up for in connections and existing enterprise client insights. And not just client insights … corporations can and should leverage their relationships with cross-company peers, vendors, and internal stakeholders to get feedback on innovative ideas and even co-create new solutions before scaling them publicly. While startups can much more quickly build a variety of ideas to see what enterprise clients will resonate with, enterprises can much more easily understand what will resonate with their peers (both through connections and through introspection as an enterprise) before putting forth the effort to build something. 3. Staffing model for permanent innovation team members Venture capitalists don’t invest in startups whose founders are building their business in the evenings and weekends; they expect full commitment. This is because a startup idea is like a baby. Ideas require an outsized amount of time at their earliest stages—specifically from their founders. As both ideas and children develop, they can be entrusted to others for more part-time and specialized investment (teachers or coaches for kids, product teams for ideas). But successfully nurturing a nascent idea requires full focus. Also like raising children, developing an innovation from its initial founding stage until it matures requires a heavy, sustained focus over not just weeks but likely years. Corporate challenge to avoid: Since corporations have already achieved success at generating profit, they subsequently have staffing models, KPIs, performance reviews, and annual budgets around directly driving that profitable thing—as they should. Therefore, investing in team members to build something new, something not directly tied to the familiar path toward monetization, requires different measures of success. This is more than just the aforementioned bureaucratic sponsorship to let a few people fly under the radar of standard measurement temporarily; it requires an institutional and long-term amendment to how success is measured for those working on driving innovation. Of course, innovation projects still must have a revenue generation responsibility, but revenue can take the form of cost savings or new revenue models, not just helping to accelerate the legacy business model, and it will likely take multiple quarters to reach a critical mass of value to monetize. Without an institutional investment of full-time innovation-focused individuals unrestrained by the standard business model, enterprising team members may still try to build new things off the side of their desks. But innovation is incredibly difficult, and doing it part-time isn’t a long-term competitive strategy on par with hungry startups solely focused on creating a single innovation. Corporations have more money than startups to invest, and they know startups are working to disrupt them, but many still don’t make the budget investment for full-time innovation teams. Corporate benefit to leverage: Once budgets are allocated for a corporate innovation team, the full-time team members can scale their impact and unlock the innovative potential of their organization by galvanizing a large and wide-ranging network of experts likely willing to support innovation initiatives as good corporate citizens. Without funding to pay salaries, startups struggle to recruit quality talent even part-time, and startups require their early team members to wear a variety of hats they’re likely not qualified for. Full-time corporate innovation teams can create opportunities for temporary, part-time, or at least advisory colleagues to contribute to innovation without having to haggle about payment or equity as startups must often do. As a startup cofounder, I invested over a third of my time trying to get in front of the right target audience for candid user interviews. As an enterprise product owner, I have sent out a single invite for user interviews via a large internal communication chat and had interviews lined up for a week. The enterprise’s opportunity, then, is making colleagues aware that they can be part of enterprise innovation efforts and making it easy for them to do so, which is our next topic … 4. Tool set to engage the whole organization in innovation At scale, it’s easiest to hire people for specific roles and incentivize them to stay in their lane. Besides, not everyone can focus full-time on creating the next big thing; the business needs people to keep the current operating model afloat. Despite having a full-time team in place to run with the most promising innovations, everyone can and should be an innovation contributor. Corporate challenge to avoid: With a full-time innovation team in place, it’s natural to place the impetus for innovation solely on those measured against it. While innovation teams are accountable for the hard work of testing and scaling new concepts, every team member is responsible for identifying and supporting innovation opportunities within their unique area of expertise. The best ideas come from people experiencing problems, and innovation team members cannot experience firsthand every problem across the organization. If a corporation lacks a culture that champions innovation, employees with specialized skills to navigate existing problems or inefficiencies may view those issues as a form of job security. As a result, they are unlikely to voice problems as potential opportunities for innovative solutions. Even if only a small percentage of enterprise team members contribute new ideas, in a large enough organization employee ideas can still result in tens of thousands of concepts to review. When a team member shares an important problem worth solving based on their view of the organization, and the idea isn’t acted upon, the experience can be deflating and limit the future innovation contributions from that individual and those in their sphere of influence. To create an enterprise-wide culture of innovation, the innovation team must democratize access to identify, curate, and test new ideas. Here are examples of enterprise tools to do so: - Identify ideas: The [Brainstorm](https://go.slalom.com/brainstorm) software combines facilitating techniques with generative AI prompts to unlock 40% more creative ideas from teams. - Curate ideas: Idea management systems like [Brightidea](https://www.brightidea.com/) help organize, prioritize, and manage a workflow for large datasets of ideas. - Test ideas: [ARC Labs](https://go.slalom.com/arc) helps corporate teams conduct rapid prototyping of new ideas with minimal risk. Of course, simply providing tools without context rarely creates change. Innovation teams must train (and even certify) colleagues across their organization to participate in the innovation process and recognize those who do. Corporate benefit to leverage: When innovation teams create a cross-functional culture of innovation, economies of scale unavailable to startups can be leveraged to drive efficiencies. Scale reveals trends in data, helping to avoid the recency bias and the universal attribution error (more on those concepts [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/group-brainstorms-are-stifling-your-teams-creativity-3ce9660ee344)) to inform better decision-making. Building a database of internal innovation ideas helps to not only prioritize the most frequently presented concepts, but a large and maintained idea database can also identify synergy opportunities from complementary innovations. For example, understanding common customer call center complaints, paired with why major recent sales deals are lost, and taking into consideration the type of companies talent is leaving to go work for can help inform what and how to build next. An enterprise commitment to innovation across business functions also [improves employee retention](https://miro.com/blog/innovation-improves-employee-retention/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20according%20to%20our,say%20it%20can%20reduce%20churn.), improving upon the enterprise average employee churn of [9.9%](https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/industries-with-the-highest-turnover-rates#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20small%20and%20midsized,lower%20turnover%20rate%20of%209.9%25.). In contrast, pursuing innovation at a high-growth startup is much more likely to lead to burnout, as evidenced by startups’ [25%](https://thecircle.founderscircle.com/high-startup-turnover-rate/) average churn rate. The stability of an enterprise to incubate new ideas, paired with the passion and excitement derived from creating something new, seems to be a formula for employee engagement. Summary Neither startups nor corporations should pretend to be each other. Each has unique strengths to capitalize on and leverage in competing with each other. For enterprises, remembering the B.E.S.T. framework will help unlock their innovative potential and avoid common blockers. When implementing B.E.S.T. principles, it can be tempting to give up if an initial innovation is not profitable—or not profitable quickly enough. Remember, though, that innovation often comes through iteration, not just initial inspiration, and corporate innovation must be a cornerstone of any organization’s long-term strategy to maintain relevance in an ever-changing business landscape. Share insight --- title: ESG: Commercial real estate’s next big investment url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/esg-commercial-real-estates-next-big-investment source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/esg-commercial-real-estates-next-big-investment locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # ESG: Commercial real estate’s next big investment - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/esg-commercial-real-estates-next-big-investment - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/esg-commercial-real-estates-next-big-investment - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary New ESG regulations will influence New York’s commercial real estate industry—and its customers. Find out how. ## Body ESG: Commercial real estate’s next big investment The shifting focus to ESG poses a unique opportunity for commercial real estate companies that act now. ESG Regulations | Commercial Real Estate | Slalom New ESG regulations will influence New York’s commercial real estate industry—and its customers. Find out how. ESG: Commercial real estate's next big investment Share insight How new ESG regulations will influence New York’s commercial real estate industry—and its customers The New York City skyline is one of the world’s most recognizable silhouettes — and for good reason. The iconic grandeur of the city’s skyscrapers and historic buildings represents one of the most rapidly changing commercial real estate markets in the world. From the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center and 30 Rock to the ever-growing number of high-rise apartment complexes, historical landmarks and new innovations decorate this city in the sky. Accordingly, the NYC market is also one of the most competitive, with commercial real estate stakeholders contending over finite space and a limited number of properties on just over 300 mi2 of land. In recent years, the commercial real estate market in NYC has been impacted by several headwinds. Most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerated shift to remote work have led to a decreased demand for office buildings. By some estimates, weekly office occupancy rates in NYC are down by 50 percent as compared to pre-pandemic levels, and despite a few outliers, many companies are adapting to hybrid work schedules. As the long leases that carried landlords through the pandemic come to an end, many companies are opting to decrease office space or opt out of physical offices altogether. In addition to contending with shifting ways of working, commercial real estate (CRE) companies are also keeping an eye on increasing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations. Government entities across the globe (e.g., [European Union](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20221107IPR49611/sustainable-economy-parliament-adopts-new-reporting-rules-for-multinationals), [UK](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1056085/mandatory-climate-related-financial-disclosures-publicly-quoted-private-cos-llps.pdf), and [New Zealand](https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/climate-change/mandatory-climate-related-financial-disclosures)) are already enhancing and standardizing ESG reporting requirements — and the proposed [SEC Climate Disclosures](https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-46), if enacted, would do just that for US companies too. This would require companies to disclose material climate risks, greenhouse gas emissions, emission reduction targets, and transition plans. Along with SEC regulations, the [UN Sustainable Development Goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals) have become a common framework in both domestic and international communities, used to gauge the societal impact of organizations against the universally adopted 2030 goals. Keeping customers at the forefront of ESG initiatives Along with these regulations, commercial real estate companies must take into consideration the ESG goals of the customer chain they’re serving. Pressure to reduce environmental impacts is mounting as institutional investors, investment managers, owner/operators, property managers, and tenants become more aware of the importance of sustainability and responsible business practices, demanding that commercial real estate properties support their organizational efforts. This has led to a growing need for energy-efficient properties, green technologies such as solar panels, and a reduced carbon footprint. If these needs are not taken seriously, commercial real estate companies run the risk of negatively affecting their customers’ sustainability and environmental scores too. Commercial real estate is a significant portion of every company’s footprint, with estimates that “[buildings account for 37% of today’s global CO2 emissions.”](https://sciencebasedtargets.org/sectors/buildings) As such, there’s a possibility that customers, in an effort to reduce their environmental footprint and carbon emissions, will look to downsize their office spaces in the future. To mitigate this risk and become a more attractive partner to customers, commercial real estate companies need to take sustainability seriously or risk losing tenants in an already shaky market. Focusing on new technologies and strategies to improve sustainability will be increasingly more important as the industry competes for a shrinking customer base. As an example, an office building in Seattle replaced its windows with smart glass, reducing its energy consumption by 18%. The real impact, however, was the [“improved tenant retention and attraction, which resulted from addressing occupant comfort”](https://americas.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/SustTransFull_UPDATED.pdf) and consumer desires for greener living and working environments. According to the Urban Land Institute, [“by providing improved thermal comfort, the owner was able to renew existing tenants and lease two empty floors for $5 per square foot more than before the window replacement.”](https://americas.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/SustTransFull_UPDATED.pdf) This situation shows how critical it is to collaborate with customers to understand their sustainability and hybrid workplace preferences, then accelerate the transformation required to meet their needs. As companies adapt to the “new normal,” commercial real estate businesses must learn to rethink the services, amenities, and strategies they offer to attract and retain customers. The road to sustainability is paved with data The time is now for commercial real estate companies to take initiative and position themselves for the proposed environmental regulations and shifting consumer preferences. Should the upcoming rules be finalized, large public companies will likely have to disclose climate information for the fiscal year 2023, filing in 2024, while smaller companies will likely have a longer grace period. A majority of companies have already begun to understand and assess their current ESG performances, identifying a baseline and areas of strength, weakness, and opportunities. At its core, this is a significant data collection challenge as organizations seek to source data from utility companies, fleet vehicles, procurement spend, business travel, etc. Many companies are now confronted with mass amounts of data stored in spreadsheets, making it difficult to audit and lacking the transparency needed to build a culture of sustainability across organizations. As companies develop and refine their ESG strategies, approach, and goals, it’s helpful to consider sustainability management software that can help standardize and visualize sustainability data. Salesforce Net Zero Cloud One consideration is Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud, which can help integrate a complete sustainability management solution seamlessly into your organization. Because of its streamlined integration with existing Salesforce ecosystems, Net Zero Cloud can be broadly implemented, giving employees the visibility needed to engage with the cause. In fact, when Slalom embarked on its own ESG initiatives, we used this very system to help manage and organize emissions tracking and progress against our environmental initiatives (you can read more about that [here](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/climate-conscious-net-zero-cloud)). Another benefit of the Net Zero Cloud solution is the ability to manage sustainability initiatives and align these efforts to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Slalom’s clients use the Net Zero Cloud platform to move beyond carbon accounting and take action. The accelerator helps centralize corporate ESG goals, helps guide employees on how to align their work to these goals, and captures performance metrics, making it easy to share best practices and confidently go to market with storytelling around key wins. Microsoft Cloud of Sustainability Another option is Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, which helps drive operational and cost efficiencies to allow organizations to meet their sustainability goals. Through data records and reporting insights, Microsoft’s Sustainability Manager helps organizations set goals and take action to reduce their emissions footprint and transform their business. Client-specific ESG solutions Even if Salesforce and Microsoft don’t fit the needs of your organization, Slalom has deep expertise and capabilities around building out customized ESG solutions. Regardless of the sustainability management solution chosen, it’s critical to ensure that commercial real estate firms can unlock siloed data and embed it into their processes to help drive a culture of sustainability and impact, both internally and for their customers. For ESG efforts to stick, leaders and change makers must have a holistic view of sustainability and continually integrate sustainability and impact thinking into core business strategy and organizational models that ultimately transform culture and behaviors within the company. Having data and measurement standards and practices in place helps organizations begin to build that culture internally, helping to ensure the long-term success of their ESG goals. Wherever you are in your ESG journey, Slalom’s ESG strategy team can help with: - Strategy delivery impact tracking - Sustainable products services - ESG digital transformation - Decarbonizing the value chain - Culture of sustainability impact - ESG risk governance The path forward The shifting focus to ESG poses a unique opportunity for commercial real estate companies that act now. In the NYC market specifically, the fast-paced, environmentally focused consumer base will respond increasingly well to real estate that’s positioned with a green strategy and data to back it up. While this will likely require some adaptation in the near term, commercial real estate’s cross-sectoral reach has the power to position the industry as a leading force in driving sustainability goals and improvements across New York, the country, and even the globe. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/esg-commercial-real-estates-next-big-investment-3005fc5f7ef4). --- title: The evolving role of the business technologist in the AI era url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # The evolving role of the business technologist in the AI era - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Learn why today's professionals must integrate tech and artificial intelligence (AI) into their roles to navigate the future. ## Body The evolving role of the business technologist in the AI era Learn why today's professionals must integrate tech and artificial intelligence (AI) into their roles to navigate the future. Share insight The changing professional landscape Technology and business strategy lines have blurred in today’s disruptive business landscape. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) transform companies’ operations and [deliver value](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi). Business leaders can no longer remain tech neophytes. While extensive technical expertise is not required, a foundational understanding of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and potential applications is vital for [effective leadership and strategic decision-making](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d). We are currently experiencing the third wave of digital transformation. It is powered by innovations like the Internet of Things, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. User-friendly generative AI democratizes technological capabilities, enabling even nontechnical professionals to generate instant data-driven insights, code to automate, creative assets, and much more. Early adopters of AI have already capitalized on its transformative potential to gain efficiency and disrupt their daily work. The lesson is clear: integrate AI strategically into business and operations or risk rapid obsolescence. The rise of the business technologist Dismissing AI as a passing fad or solely the domain of technical experts would be unwise. [The rise of hybrid business leaders](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai), including those without technical backgrounds, is imperative. While not expected to become AI experts or developers overnight, all leaders must familiarize themselves with emerging technologies and leverage their business acumen to apply them effectively. Thriving in the AI era demands a foundational understanding of technology and business. Success requires a commitment to [continuous learning](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning) and a harmonious partnership between business and technology leaders to enable streamlined AI integration. With the right approach, companies can minimize risks, optimize costs, and maximize the strategic value AI delivers. Business technologists play a crucial bridging role between business and technology. With competencies spanning both domains, they spearhead AI integration initiatives, shaping technology roadmaps aligned to business goals. Their versatile skill set and holistic perspective equip them to guide digital transformation powered by AI. How business technologists bridge the gap between tech and business For business leaders committed to continuous learning, the journey starts by exploring fundamental questions. What foundational knowledge about AI is essential? What business problems or processes can AI address most effectively? How can tools like robotic process automation immediately boost productivity? Mastery of AI is not confined to technical experts but does require concerted effort and commitment over time. Consider AI as a complementary tool that amplifies human intelligence and expertise, freeing up time for deeper analysis and strategic decision-making. The path of continuous learning in AI may seem intimidating at first, but take it step-by-step. Adopt an experimental mindset—don’t be afraid to try new AI applications and fail fast if they don’t work. Recognize where AI excels in augmenting productivity while acknowledging its limitations—approach AI as a collaborative partner that can push human potential and performance further. Follow a structured roadmap tailored to your leadership goals to maximize your AI learning journey. Identify priority knowledge gaps and motivations for upskilling. Focus on building competency in five fundamental dimensions of AI: data analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. Start with simple, low-risk pilot projects to get comfortable. Cultivating [an agile, growth-focused mindset](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) is key. Remain open to unlearning outdated notions and integrating new technological capabilities. Drive an organizational culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning. Lead by example in upskilling yourself and empowering teams with the latest AI tools and training. The future competitiveness of the organization depends on building our collective intelligence. Approach AI mastery as an ongoing odyssey rather than a onetime project. The rewards will be boundless. Mapping your personal roadmap to business technologist transformation Becoming an effective business technologist requires continuous learning across multiple dimensions. By taking a structured approach, you can successfully integrate AI capabilities into your leadership tool kit. Follow this personalized roadmap to accelerate your transformation into a tech-savvy leader prepared for the future. Strategy alignment and orchestration - Set clear goals for integrating AI into your role and align to business objectives - Create a timeline and roadmap for your AI education and application - Identify quick wins and longer-term priorities for AI adoption - Manage your time and resources to balance AI learning with core responsibilities effectively Business and customer value - Analyze your role to identify how AI could enhance value for customers - Research AI use cases in your industry that deliver tangible business value - Prioritize high-impact AI applications that align with business needs - Measure results and ROI of AI implementations Security, ethics, and governance - Learn key protocols for ethical AI system design - Understand regulations governing AI use in your industry - Adopt rigorous data governance and testing procedures - Embed AI ethics principles into all applications Technology and data - Master fundamentals of AI approaches like machine learning - Develop a working knowledge of AI development platforms - Strengthen core data analysis and engineering skills - Experiment hands-on with AI tool kits and sandbox environments Organization and workforce - Embrace a growth mindset and model continuous AI learning - Share knowledge and collaborate with technical teams on AI - Align your team structure and roles to support AI integration - Advocate for AI training and development organization-wide Committing to ongoing education across these five dimensions will equip you with the mindset, skills, and knowledge to thrive as a business technologist. View this as a lifelong journey rather than a onetime training program. Lean into the learning process and trust it will lead to enormous dividends for your career and organization. With a laser focus on delivering business value, you will transform into a pioneering leader of the new era. Continuous learning through immersive collaboration Business leaders must embrace continuous, immersive learning alongside technical experts to navigate the rapid pace of AI advancement. Research: Reading articles isn’t enough. Immerse yourself in the world of AI through firsthand observation and interaction. Shadow data scientists as they build models. Witness users interacting with AI systems. This ethnographic inquiry brings theoretical knowledge to life and nurtures empathy. Education: Expand beyond internal partners. Diversity of thought from cross-functional collaborations yields the richest insights. Immerse yourself in the daily work of technical and creative roles. Shadow product designers, data scientists, and UX researchers. Trust their on-the-ground expertise to guide your understanding. Pursue formal training through AI certifications, university partnerships, and other programs to complement experiential learning. Workshops: Interactive sessions can break down silos, but simply attending a workshop won’t cut it. Fully immerse yourself through hands-on, collaborative projects with cross-functional teams. Shed preconceived notions and approach with a beginner’s mindset, ready to learn. Allow yourself to be surprised and challenged. Blend your business expertise with openness and curiosity. True mastery requires vulnerability, concerted effort over time, and a passion for learning. But the payoff is immense. You will gain a more nuanced perspective of AI’s potential, fostering trust. And you’ll build connections vital for integrating AI across the business. As a leader in the era of AI, adopting this immersive learning mindset will be the key to staying ahead of disruption. Siloed perspectives have no place in guiding AI innovation. Lead with humility, embrace shared expertise, and commit to learning in the trenches. This will equip you to shape your organization’s AI-powered future confidently. The real magic happens when technologists and business leaders immerse themselves in each other’s worlds. Barriers crumble, integrated mindsets emerge, and you unlock AI’s immense potential. Take the plunge into continuous learning, and soon you’ll be guiding AI innovation like a true business technologist. Group working around a table --- title: Examining economic uncertainty url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/examining-economic-uncertainty source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/examining-economic-uncertainty locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Examining economic uncertainty - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/examining-economic-uncertainty - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/examining-economic-uncertainty - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Understand what’s driving inflation and economic uncertainty so your organization can map out business strategies with an informed approach. ## Body Examining economic uncertainty Build a playbook for addressing today’s uncertainty | Slalom Understand what’s driving inflation and economic uncertainty so your organization can map out business strategies with an informed approach. Share Follow the food Economic turbulence has been dominating headlines. While some experts suggest we’re currently in a recession, others are optimistically predicting a rebound, and there are plenty of opinions in between. As we wait to see what the future will hold, there are indicators from past recessions we can gather insights from, plus a new stability metric we can look at to demystify current conditions. A recession today could be best informed by evaluating the ratio between food-based inflation and personal earnings. In other words: Follow the food. Dive into this whitepaper to understand what’s driving inflation and a possible recession so your organization can map out business strategies with an informed approach. Build a playbook for addressing today’s uncertainty While “recession” can be a scary word, it's important to note that innovation has not stifled during past economic downturns. Think microprocessors of the 1970s Stagflation Recession and smartphones of the early 2000s Great Recession, for example. Even with economic uncertainty looming, business leaders can seize opportunities and mitigate risks. Check out this whitepaper to look into how we got here, what could be next, and how leaders can prepare for the future by considering key business elements. Get the whitepaper Share insight --- title: The executive agenda: Adaptability, ROI, and emerging tech url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-agenda-adapt-roi-tech source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-agenda-adapt-roi-tech locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The executive agenda: Adaptability, ROI, and emerging tech - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-agenda-adapt-roi-tech - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-agenda-adapt-roi-tech - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Today’s leaders need to develop adaptive strategies that prioritize innovation, empower their teams, and align to business needs. ## Body The executive agenda: Adaptability, ROI, and emerging tech Adaptability, ROI, and emerging tech | Slalom Today’s leaders need to develop adaptive strategies that prioritize innovation, empower their teams, and align to business needs. Adapting Emerging Technologies | ROI with Strategic Leadership Share Download Once upon a time, the business landscape was built on a foundation of exhaustive research, established use cases, and well-documented regulations. Every investment was given extensive consideration. The ROI was calculated and clear. Throw AI, regulatory compliance concerns, and other emerging technologies into the mix, and things have drastically changed. [In a recent survey of more than 700 senior leaders](https://content.ardoq.com/emerging-technology-adoption), 91% believe investments in emerging technologies would put them at the forefront of their market. However, 73% say the need to act quickly leads to investing before establishing a business case. “Now more than ever, leaders should be making strategic plans for their organizations, but things are moving too fast for leaders to spend months developing a single roadmap,” says Amalia Goodwin, managing director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “This means building adaptive plans that allow for varying roadmaps, helping businesses quickly adjust to external influences and make smaller bets that can scale quickly.” In our Q2 executive forums, we spoke with 100 leaders about how they’re establishing a foundation that allows their teams to stay proactive amid constant change. The old world was focused on doing a lot of research and then making big bets. But things move faster today, and we don’t always have time, money, or confidence for big bets. So how can we make more small bets to learn and succeed fast? 1. Building an adaptive organization From navigating economic headwinds to adopting new regulations and adjusting to [a shrinking workforce](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/07/three-factors-contributing-to-fewer-people-in-the-workforce/?sh=5e426e914ae4), today’s organizations need to be built to pivot and maintain resiliency during constant turbulence. CMOs may need to adjust their digital strategies to accommodate third-party cookie deprecation, while sustainability leaders must be conscious of intricate and evolving ESG regulations. While embracing both agility and resilience are key, leaders must also build an adaptive workforce that can thrive amid constant change. “An adaptive organization is one built on the foundation of continuous learning, effectively balancing ongoing innovation with risk management,” says Michelle Page-Rivera, PhD, managing director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “It requires decisive leaders who are also willing to quickly flex as new insights surface.” 2. Embedding innovation into the organization There’s no longer room for innovation to exist in silos—it must become a core capability within the business. For C-suite leaders, this means adopting innovation at scale to increase speed to market and drive continuous improvements. Today’s leaders can’t rely on external entities to bring new ideas to life; they must embed innovation across processes, products, and platforms. This includes empowering employees to be innovators by providing the necessary tools and resources. Building an [innovation lab](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy/element) that’s tightly linked to critical business operations is one of the best ways to guarantee innovation is happening both quickly and ubiquitously. 3. Aligning stakeholders with business needs With the onslaught of emerging technologies, many organizations have spent time and effort building proof-of-concepts (POCs) and then get stuck on how or what to drive forward. “POCs without a path to production are a clear path to pain,” says [Kevin McClelland](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcclelland/), general manager at Slalom. [Building clear ROI use cases](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi), closely aligning with stakeholders throughout the build process, and measuring value through experimentation will keep innovation momentum. Technology and business leaders need to partner to support both top-down directives and bottom-up initiatives, sourcing ideas from a cross-section of team members across the organization while also ensuring ideas are properly vetted and align with business goals. We need to connect people who don’t always get to work together. That’s where ideas come from. Key takeaways How are these trends influencing the way executives lead across functions? The leaders who will be successful in the future are those who can help their organizations embrace today’s rapid technological advancements and build resiliency when faced with uncertainty. Many organizations are beginning to deploy leadership programs specifically focused on building adaptive leadership capabilities, including: - Identifying systemic challenges that require innovative solutions - Providing support and guidance through significant changes - Empowering individuals to take initiative and devise unique solutions - Promoting and protecting diverse perspectives that enhance decision-making Slalom developed the Shift AQ assessment tool to measure adaptability and resilience in teams facing change. The tool identifies the adaptability at the individual, departmental, and organizational levels, enabling tailored cultural and leadership development interventions. From nurturing innovation to embedding AI in operations, chief information officers are focused on how to utilize AI as an enterprise capability. According to our survey, most CIOs believe data, privacy, and security should be the primary focus areas for a successful AI integration. These leaders also emphasized the importance of: - Developing a comprehensive strategy with involvement from legal, information security, IT, product, and engineering teams - Defining and leveraging a capability model for AI readiness, including determining where to invest - Engaging teams through regular training and office hours to increase AI adoption - Maintaining flexibility and continuously evolving based on external changes and shifting business priorities In 2024, the priorities of marketing leaders are spread across data, talent, infrastructure, and privacy practices. According to [Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1344811/marketing-concerns/) and [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/topics/marketing-budget), CMOs have an estimated budget of $2.5M to spend on privacy programs while also facing pressure to cut MarTech spending. To navigate the changing data and privacy landscape, marketing leaders are focusing their energy on building robust data strategies, prioritizing technology investments, adapting attribution models, and providing more personalized customer experiences. Today’s data leaders are most concerned with how to influence key stakeholders and quantify the value of their data transformation efforts. This starts with identifying key decision makers and engaging a small senior team to develop a roadmap that aligns with business priorities. When it comes to measuring ROI, CDOs need to become “capital savvy” to better speak to the value of data investments. By partnering cross-functionally with key decision makers and quantifying the value of prior initiatives, CDOs can make future data investments more tenable for CFOs and finance leaders. This quarter’s roundtable discussion among product leaders solidified the importance of building team skills and capabilities to more effectively integrate AI. The group also emphasized the importance of: - Alignment between technology and business objectives - An outcome-driven focus with measurable success metrics - Integrating business and technology - A clear understanding of customer behavior and needs - Allocating time and resources for innovation - Developing a diverse skill set among product teams Across industries, CPOs agreed that adopting a customer-centric approach and leveraging data for decision-making will continue to be key success factors in the coming months. Today’s ESG and sustainability leaders are keeping an eye out for regulatory changes and challenges on the horizon. This includes identifying leaders across the organization who can serve as sustainability stewards by educating internal stakeholders, prioritizing quality governance, leveraging sustainability data management tools, and anticipating future ESG reporting requirements. In preparation for any future changes, these leaders continue to prioritize cross-functional collaboration, streamline technology efforts, and better utilize existing capabilities. From building a fleet of digital experts to identifying pricing opportunities and streamlining decision-making, COOs are exploring ways to drive scaled research and insights with generative AI. Like many other C-suite leaders, upskilling, investing in data infrastructure, and aligning investments to business objectives are top of mind. To create a future-forward workforce that keeps humans in the loop, COOs are also focused on: - Enhancing security measures through audits and assessments - Encouraging cross-functional collaboration between human teams and AI systems - Using AI to analyze market trends, customer behavior, and operational data - Regularly reviewing and updating AI policies, strategies, and use cases to reflect new insights and market conditions In our CTO forum, technology leaders discussed how to leverage AI in product development as well as how they’re measuring productivity and results. They also shared innovative ways for driving employee adoption, including regular feedback sessions and improved workflow integration. Key topics included: - Establishing AI as a core capability - Focusing on (and investing in) employee engagement - Ensuring robust security and privacy measures - Monitoring and managing AI-generated outputs - Balancing business value with continuous learning Through innovation labs and other strategic initiatives, today’s innovation leaders are establishing dedicated teams to test new ideas safely, without the impact of live environments. In our roundtable discussion, these leaders discussed overcoming legacy mindsets, cross-departmental acceptance, inspiring clients to push boundaries, and counteracting the creative bottleneck that resulted from COVID-19. To stand out in today’s market, organizations are investing in innovation by setting aside physical lab space, encouraging cultural adaptation, defining clear success metrics, and engaging with other business leaders. [Slalom Element](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy/element)—an innovation lab dedicated to pressure-testing concepts across augmented reality, robotics, and AI—is just one example of how organizations can make innovation more tangible. Interested in attending a future Executive Connect? Fill out the form to be added to our invite list. Join us Share insight x3nokp8397 9tkq7k9mgq npzrzxb78g ng5tfuphjt 42uhhx3jg4 ljddntdljs --- title: Exec Connect url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-future-proof-organizations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-future-proof-organizations locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Exec Connect - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-future-proof-organizations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-future-proof-organizations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary From applied AI to organizational readiness, where should today’s leaders be placing their bets? ## Body Exec Connect Future-proof your organization | Slalom From applied AI to organizational readiness, where should today’s leaders be placing their bets? Organizational Change Management | Future-Proofing with AI How executives can future-proof their organizations for 2024 and beyond Share Shifting from defense to offense, where should today’s leaders be placing their bets to prepare for tomorrow’s world? Today’s executives have more information at their fingertips—and more on their plates—than ever before. In addition to constantly adapting to and implementing new technologies, they’re also responsible for visualizing and setting the course for the future they want to create. So in a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, how can leaders make technological advancement both simple and approachable? Throughout Q1, we connected with executives across the C-suite to delve into the most pressing topics in each of their respective functions and found a few common themes: 1. Navigating AI overload With the influx of emerging tools and technologies, the AI landscape is becoming more difficult to navigate. Do you invest in feature enhancements or place your faith in a new platform altogether? When should you build versus buy? And how do you make sure your teams are properly equipped? “In this crowded AI ecosystem, it’s becoming more and more confusing for business leaders to know where to place their bets,” says Michelle Page-Rivera, PhD, managing director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “They need clarity around solution feasibility and expected business outcomes so they can choose a direction and quickly prepare their organization for what’s ahead.” 2. Balancing a sense of urgency with smart investing In today’s world, everything needs a business case. This requires C-suite leaders to embrace an outcomes-driven approach, make sure their priorities align to ROI, and keep their sights set on the future instead of worrying about what their competitors are doing now. “Traditional benchmarks are dead,” says Amalia Goodwin, managing director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “We can’t worry about what others are doing if they haven’t even implemented it yet.” While we know at least 30% of today’s roles can be augmented with AI, she says, no one can predict the level of automation and augmentation in five or 10 years from now. “By waiting for others to create new benchmarks, you’ll simply miss out on market share and put your business at risk of being obsolete.” 3. Preparing for the change ahead While we’re living amid constant change, C-suite leaders should recognize that the most critical shifts are the ones on the horizon, and preparing for that change needs to happen now. “The challenge isn’t what AI can do; it’s what humans are willing to let go,” says Slalom CMO Sangeeta Prasad. For example, while 86% of chief human resources officers (CHROs) shared that they plan on investing in skill development, it wasn’t considered a top priority by other C-suite leaders. This disconnect regarding how best to prepare for the future—and what it specifically means for the workforce—will continue to be a challenge in the coming year. By waiting for others to create new benchmarks, you’ll simply miss out on market share and put your business at risk of being obsolete. Given the widespread interest in emerging technologies across functional areas, there’s an opportunity to move toward more holistic, cross-functional digital initiatives that break down silos, fostering an integrated approach to innovation. For product and marketing leaders, this could involve evaluating how your customers are interacting with the latest technology, while ESG leaders are likely exploring how emerging AI solutions can accelerate their decarbonization goals. CHROs, on the other hand, might use an AI tool or accelerator like Slalom’s enhanceIQ to evaluate which tasks should be automated or augmented. Explore our key learnings in the function-specific breakdowns below to learn more about how these trends are influencing the C-suite. What C-suite leaders are telling us Tab 1 Chief operating officer The COOs’ focus on market growth and product development, combined with the interest in digital transformation, suggests a surprising approach to expansion: leveraging digital tools and AI to explore new markets and innovate products more efficiently, thereby accelerating growth. Key takeaways: - COOs need to communicate clearly with employees, business partners, and customers about how human-machine interactions will reshape day-to-day operations. - There are three primary considerations for evolving operating models: new ways of working, deployment and governance, and people and culture. - Achieving accurate outcomes starts with evaluating the accuracy, accessibility, and fidelity of your data—including which groups might be under- or overrepresented. Watch session highlight Tab 2 Chief product officer Today’s CPOs are allocating resources toward creating unique customer experiences, aligning leadership, entering adjacent markets, building new products, and modernizing core technologies. This requires an outcomes-based approach that drives alignment and informs the priorities of product teams. Key takeaways: - Future-proofing your organization requires a mindset shift from focusing on building a set of features to building around a desired outcome. - Implementing a framework for defining and measuring outcomes is essential for teams to track and validate assumptions. Innovation leaders The alignment toward digital transformation, paralleled with the interest in process improvement, indicates that the pursuit of efficiency is likely to drive innovation within organizations. This means that the next big breakthroughs will be focused on making existing processes better as opposed to creating new products or services. Key takeaways: - Today’s products and services need to appeal not only to human sensibilities but also to algorithmic decision makers. - Gesture control, immersive experiences, and the proliferation of personal robotics are some of the trends guiding innovation leaders. - Virtual interactions are becoming more meaningful and influential as advanced VR and AI technologies blur the line between physical and digital realms. Chief marketing officer While CMOs are focused on enhancing customer experiences, the overall interest in process improvement suggests a move toward using operational efficiencies and digital tools to refine customer engagement models, making them more responsive and personalized. Key takeaways: - Consumers are becoming less loyal to brands while being exposed to increasing volumes of content, leading to content saturation and fatigue. - Focusing on strategic marketing initiatives (instead of manual processes and low-value activities) can combat the limited resources, skill gaps, and time constraints that often impede marketing. Chief human resources officer The focus of CHROs on building skills and new ways of working, when seen alongside the general interest in efficiency and digital transformation, highlights how HR departments could be pivotal in driving digital literacy and tech-enabled efficiency across the organization. Key takeaways: - Transitioning to a skills-based talent strategy requires​ a well-defined and consistently applied skill taxonomy and job architecture. - Growing transferable skills and supporting nonlinear careers are crucial to evolving your talent strategy and reducing the growing anxiety around AI. - Learning to evaluate which tasks are “machine-ready” and which require human input allows your workforce to become more agile. Sustainability leaders The high priority CSOs placed on operational efficiencies—coupled with the broader interest in AI and digital transformation—suggests that sustainability initiatives might increasingly become intertwined with technological innovation, leveraging AI to optimize resource use and reduce waste. Key takeaways: - Balancing short- and long-term sustainability objectives helps demonstrate progress through quick wins, building trust and buy-in across the organization. - More than 50% of leaders say they rely on a centralized model, meaning authority and sustainability expertise are spread across the organization. - Strong alliances with financial leaders are crucial to evaluating risk, aligning goals with ROI, and engaging investors and regulators. x3nokp8397 9tkq7k9mgq npzrzxb78g ng5tfuphjt 42uhhx3jg4 ljddntdljs --- title: The paradox of proactive leadership url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-proactive-leadership source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-proactive-leadership locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The paradox of proactive leadership - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-proactive-leadership - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-proactive-leadership - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How can executives stay ahead of technological advancements while aligning with long-term strategy? Discover how to reinvent your organization for future success. ## Body The paradox of proactive leadership Find out how c-suite leaders are learning from past technology implementations and reinventing their organizations for the future. How can executives stay ahead of technological advancements while aligning with long-term strategy? Discover how to reinvent your organization for future success. The paradox of proactive leadership | Slalom Don’t be blinded by the short game. Learn how C-suite leaders are learning from past technology implementations and reinventing their organizations for the future. Where were you the day the World Wide Web was invented? While you might not remember exactly, there are a few things we know for sure: you weren’t scouring Facebook Marketplace, sending Slack messages to your colleagues, or pulling up your new favorite series on Netflix. Much like the growing dot-com bubble of the late '90s, we’re experiencing a unique period of technological growth that will influence human behavior, jobs, and society as a whole, testing the ability of organizations to adapt. Companies like Microsoft and Amazon have embraced both rapid innovation and continuous change, allowing them to still be relevant and thriving. [Today’s executives are facing a similar dilemma](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d): How do you keep up with the constant introduction of technological advancements while remaining focused and aligned to long-term strategy? “We’re at that ‘internet just started’ moment, but already expecting quarterly returns,” says Slalom Managing Director Amalia Goodwin. “What is your organization going to be selling in three to five years? Because ‘long term’ is now five years instead of 10. So we have to think about what it really means to ‘move faster.’” In our Q3 executive forums, we heard from 100+ senior leaders about how they’re navigating this paradox and building a future-proof enterprise. In these discussions, three key themes emerged: Set AI in motion across your business Explore how Slalom helps organizations build the foundations and operating models that turn AI into measurable business outcomes. See solutions 1. Making the most of digital transformation investments Most leaders have already completed a digital transformation in some form. But the challenge ahead is how to make the most of these multiyear technology investments. How are you leveraging data and technology to enhance your customer experience across channels? Are you introducing new capabilities to differentiate your business? What are new revenue streams that can be introduced? “Once your digital infrastructure is in place, meaningful business transformation can begin,” says Slalom Managing Director Michelle Page-Rivera, PhD. “Investing in digital technology simply lays a foundation and puts companies at the starting line. What these organizations actually do with that investment is what creates value and market differentiation.” Taking digital transformations to the next level—and maximizing those investments—requires foresight, digital fluency, and rapid decision-making. It’s about using data to proactively predict buying behaviors and pave tailored pathways for customers through hyperfocus and hyper-personalization. The next step? AI agents that can analyze data, answer queries, and perform repetitive tasks. “We haven’t quite ‘productionized’ the new world of AI, workflow automation, and agents yet,” says Goodwin. “It’s still on the cusp, but it’s going to be the next stage of your digital transformation.” 2. Finding and communicating value in an AI-driven world In spite of the hype, many organizations are [struggling to translate AI into financial returns.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/18/ai-bubble-hype-dying-money/) Approximately 85% of leaders surveyed agree that there are still areas of their organization that aren’t yet prepared to integrate with AI. To avoid getting caught in the proof-of-concept loop, or with too much flowing into an innovation pipeline, organizations need to start moving beyond experimentation to [measuring tangible value](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi). And—most importantly—how is that value being communicated to key stakeholders? “Boards are starting to push their senior leaders on their AI roadmaps and differentiation,” says Slalom Chief Customer Officer Amy Loftus. “While last year it was more about what leaders are exploring and piloting, this year it’s about specifics. What are the levels of investment? Where is the return going to come from? And when?” It’s not just about the [ROI with AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi), but continuously uncovering new areas to invest in and translating that value to decision makers across the organization so the right ideas can move to production quickly. This requires much tighter alignment between AI innovation, business strategy, and key stakeholders. Grandfather and granddaughter Chicago Cubs fans. It’s a joint task force among business, technology, and product teams. This enables the organization to better move as one. —CPO session participant 3. Arming and enabling your enterprise for the future In 1995—before kick-starting the popularization of online retail—Amazon was simply an online bookseller. Today, the company spans ecommerce, cloud computing, and digital streaming—and is considered one of the world’s most valuable brands. The organizations of tomorrow will look vastly different from organizations today. And while the specifics are impossible to predict, it’s important for leaders to consider how their businesses may change to accommodate shifting consumer and internal talent needs—and [adapt accordingly.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) “To build your enterprise for the future, you have to lay a foundation of ongoing learning and skilling,” says Goodwin. Leaders need to be able to balance [adaptive strategies](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) with effective governance and long-term planning, she says. “Your teams are going to have to work with agents and other digital entities. You’re going to have to have cross-functional governance and a speed of decision-making you’ve never had before.” With these rapid changes, there’s a need to go beyond AI technology and revisit your organization’s design: what work needs to be done, how that work gets done, and who does the work—digital or human. “Shifting your strategy to incorporate AI also means shifting your ways of working,” says Page-Rivera. “We’re going see a wave of AI-first organizations built on an entirely new digital and human infrastructure, leaving behind companies mired by legacy technology and overengineered operating models.” Today’s leaders have the opportunity to retool their workforce and take full advantage of emerging technologies, including AI and automation. AI is generating buzz. However, pushing back on vendors can ensure the focus is right and the value is there. Key takeaways How can functional leaders balance adaptive strategies with effective governance and long-term planning? Our [2023 research suggested](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/people-ais-most-powerful-prompt/page/4/1) 87% of executives encounter significant hurdles when trying to implement AI—an issue that’s still pervasive among senior leaders today. Some common barriers that still slow or prevent AI adoption include: - Ensuring the long-term impact justifies such a significant spend - Investing in change initiatives so workforces understand what’s coming - Accounting for new privacy, IP protection, and ethical usage policies - Implementing new “rules of the road” for software development lifecycle processes - Defining successes or new processes for adopting emerging technologies Today’s CTOs are focused on building and maintaining AI-enabled product engineering teams, mitigating risk, and [using a strategic framework for measuring ROI.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi) [Gartner predicts](https://www.gartner.com/en/topics/generative-ai) that more than 100 million people will engage with AI colleagues every day by 2026. Innovation leaders are thinking ahead to generative AI’s growing autonomy, including how it can help inform strategies, execute processes, and further empower human talent. As these autonomous technologies start to develop humanlike processing capabilities, leaders will need to embrace [adaptive mindsets](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) and implement strategic plans that [keep humans and technology operating in lockstep](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two). This includes: - Making the mindset shift from linear to exponential thinking - Including employees in key conversations to promote buy-in - Understanding and experimenting with use cases for agentic AI We can’t afford to overlook the environmental and societal impacts of AI . The global demand for AI energy is [projected to multiply by 10 by 2026](https://hbr.org/2024/07/the-uneven-distribution-of-ais-environmental-impacts), underlining the need for more efficient distribution networks and transitions to renewables. Without transparency and accountability, AI can worsen climate issues and put decarbonization goals at risk. As data and IT experts partner within organizations to ideate and design AI tools, AI adoption for sustainability is maturing. Industries are also expanding their AI use to support sustainability initiatives, including sustainability data processing, energy generation forecasting, and AI-guided lifecycle assessments. By partnering with AI solution providers, organizations can leverage AI to improve supply chain logistics and support nonprofit fundraising efforts by using AI as a tool to identify potential donors. Today’s COOs are exploring the emotional stages of the generative AI “hype cycle” and determining how to convey the value of [AI-powered operations](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/04/25/operationalizing-ai-5-steps-to-maximize-the-impact-of-ai-investments/) to other senior leaders. Varying levels of optimism, frustration, and confusion surrounding AI experimentation and adoption make it a complex issue to address. While leader buy-in may vary, there are a few commonly shared operational goals: increase revenue, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. Operational leaders continue to discuss how organizations can identify and make business cases for the right AI investments, including: - Making a shift toward purpose-driven, cost-effective AI models - Adopting a structured, “factory-based” approach to AI implementation - Improving customer interactions by using AI to manage supply chain challenges - Integrating AI into product development, particularly for healthcare - Leveraging the organization’s existing tools before investing in new ones - Considering use cases from an end-to-end lifecycle perspective Senior product leaders are focused on the critical role governance plays in building trust and excellence within product organizations. This includes finding the balance between structured governance and maintaining agility, ensuring that governance frameworks support strategic alignment without stifling innovation. Today’s CPOs offer various perspectives on how governance should be defined in the product space, including solutions for effectively integrating this function throughout the organization: - Provide the structure and guardrails for capacity- and value-based product funding - Ensure that the work and process are properly aligned to strategic outcomes - Account for compliance requirements within regulated industries - Create a decision-making framework that includes subsequent reporting and documentation - Provide teams with guidance versus mandating strict rules - Develop checks and balances throughout the product lifecycle AI is creating a ripple effect across the workplace, influencing everything from employee skills and career planning to talent shortages. The CHROs in attendance shared three key priorities for their organizations: · [Dynamic skilling](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) and ongoing learning · Learning to do more with less · Creating a distributed global workforce To build a truly [adaptive workforce](https://go.slalom.com/AdaptiveOrganizations), human resources leaders need to anticipate the shifts that come with AI. Future-focused leadership, decentralized decision-making, and a culture of continuous learning are just a few of the characteristics that set [adaptive organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) apart from their more rigid counterparts. Determining the real value of an organization’s data can be daunting for today’s CDOs, especially in the burgeoning world of AI initiatives. As part of the leadership team, the CDO can: - Help address talent gaps - Assess AI vendors, tools, and capabilities - Differentiate between hype and innovative solutions - Drive efficiency and measure productivity - Address new AI regulations and/or concerns Developing sustainable AI initiatives requires reliable data, tangible success measures, and structured guardrails. The CDO’s involvement and influence in business decisions continues to expand and, in some instances, requires centralizing authority to help the organization achieve ROI. Today’s information and technology leaders are focused on the expanding role of AI in business success, including monetizing data, making AI part of their “core curriculum,” and implementing structural changes that support employees. This includes: - Approaching AI like any other technology implementation - Shifting from a project- to product-centric mindset - Leveraging enterprise data to drive operational efficiencies and generate revenue - Evolving the IT operating model CIOs need to find the balance between focusing on KPIs and mitigating risk, bringing strategic ideas for increasing adoption and engagement to the table while also collaborating with other business units to break down silos. A major shift in generational wealth is underway, making it necessary for companies to understand what’s driving purchasing decisions in this digital age. Millennials are currently in their prime earning and spending years, and their financial influence will continue to increase as they progress in their careers. [An estimated 84% of millennials](https://go.meetmarigold.com/hubfs/Marigold/CTI_US_V4.pdf) are influenced by their favorite brand beyond the products or services it provides. [According to Nielsen IQ](https://nielseniq.com/global/en/landing-page/spend-z/), the combined purchasing power of millennials and Gen Z is currently 39.6% of global spend. However, by 2031, Gen Z’s spending power is expected to outpace millennials by 400%. Brands are now moving beyond just selling products to selling entire lifestyles. To succeed tomorrow, brands will need to create emotional connections and fulfill unique needs through networked ecosystems, omnichannel branding, and hyper-personalization. Share insight x3nokp8397 --- title: Scaling breakthroughs: An executive guide to action url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Scaling breakthroughs: An executive guide to action - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-connects-scaling-breakthroughs - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI isn’t the story anymore—what you do with it is ## Body Scaling breakthroughs: An executive guide to action AI isn’t the story anymore—what you do with it is Share Starting with “The conversation around AI has evolved” would be like trying to hook you with “Water is wet.” Already, your eyes are probably scanning this page, tallying how many times “AI” appears. But here’s the thing—AI isn’t really the point. “Today, AI is assumed,” says Michelle Page-Rivera, PhD, managing director at Slalom. A year ago, organizations were focused on its disruptive potential—evaluating ROI, building business cases, and convincing leadership to take action. Now, AI adoption is no longer a question of if but how . “Every company is going to go through this transformation,“ says Page-Rivera. “And now we’re getting to the nuts and bolts: How do you re-architect an organization where AI is foundational to how you operate?“ The focus has shifted from frontline automation to enterprise-wide reinvention. In our recent conversations with 300+ executives, 68% of those surveyed told us that their 2025 focus is to either become a data- and AI-driven enterprise or create an adaptive organization that accelerates change. AI conversations may begin with technology, but they inevitably center on people. Executive roles like chief marketing officer (CMO), chief experience officer (CXO), and chief operating officer (COO) are being redefined, forcing leaders to adapt to new AI-driven responsibilities. Even technical leaders must grapple with the human impact: When AI agents augment or replace human analysts, what happens next? Are employees retooled or reassigned? And how do businesses manage AI-generated outputs while maintaining quality, oversight, and trust? Michelle Page-Rivera, PhD Every company is going to go through this transformation. And now we’re getting to the nuts and bolts: How do you re-architect an organization where AI is foundational to how you operate? Executives feel a growing urgency to move quickly on AI, fearing they’re falling behind. Yet, as Slalom’s [AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024) highlights, most organizations are still in the early stages. The key is to start small, move fast, and scale AI initiatives for maximum impact. With over a year of real-world AI experimentation across industries, companies now have examples—successes and stumbles—to learn from. Those who get it right understand that AI transformation isn’t just about deploying new tools—it requires rethinking organizational structures, workflows, skills, and cultural impact to avoid inefficiencies, disengaged employees, and disrupted customer experiences. Indeed, 69% of executives we spoke with are either actively executing or building a strategy to upskill and reskill. The key is keeping AI grounded in measurable value—focusing on where it drives meaningful outcomes rather than applying it as a catch-all solution. In the words of one senior executive: “Our success is not measured by technology but by the value we create.” Today marks a subtle but fundamental shift: AI is no longer the headline—it’s the quiet force reshaping how businesses operate. “AI is no longer an opt-in proposition,” says Page-Rivera. “It’s now embedded into nearly every productivity tool that employees regularly access.” The companies that thrive won’t just react to AI—they’ll harness it to reimagine work, roles, and long-term strategy, using this inevitable shift to build stronger, highly efficient, and more resilient businesses. Grandfather and granddaughter Chicago Cubs fans. Our success is not measured by technology but by the value we create. —Session participant Key takeaways Proactive strategies for functional leaders to shift from reacting to AI to driving transformation, measurable impact, and scale. As strategy and transformation leaders know, true business transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about reshaping how companies operate to deliver sustained value. That means aligning digital investments with customer needs and empowering employees to drive meaningful change. Without engaged teams, even the most ambitious efforts risk falling short. And without clear customer impact, transformation becomes an exercise in efficiency rather than progress. One of the biggest challenges leaders face is ensuring transformation efforts don’t become isolated projects. Organization-wide change requires a mindset shift, embedding customer-centricity at every level and rethinking how teams collaborate, make decisions, and leverage technology to deliver value. And that starts with people. Lasting transformation depends on employees embracing change. Hiring for adaptability is critical, but it doesn’t stop there—in today’s dynamic environment, [the ability to learn and evolve is often more valuable than technical skills](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai). Some leaders even prioritize candidates who may not have deep expertise in a specific role but demonstrate curiosity, resilience, and the agility to navigate new challenges. Hiring adaptable talent is one piece—sustaining it is another. The rapid pace of AI-driven change can create uncertainty and resistance. Leaders must reskill their workforce to overcome the “fear factor” and help employees reframe how they approach work in an AI-enabled world. Confidence in new ways of working matters more than the technology itself. This requires genuine empathy—experiencing frontline challenges, practicing active listening, and co-creating solutions that address real needs. Leaders must also embrace a learner mindset. Reverse mentorship, where leaders learn from the next generation, is a powerful way to bridge experience with fresh perspectives. When organizations encourage bidirectional learning, they create a culture where employees at every level feel valued, engaged, and empowered to drive transformation. However, proving the value of these efforts remains a challenge. Many organizations fall into the trap of measuring success solely through operational efficiency. While important, these metrics don’t always reflect whether transformation efforts are driving real customer value. Forward-thinking leaders focus on how well their companies meet evolving customer needs. Empowered employees—those who are engaged, adaptable, and attuned to customer challenges—are the ones who drive meaningful business outcomes. As one executive put it: “We have a responsibility to ensure that every single dollar we invest delivers tangible value for our customers and stakeholders.“ The key takeaway? Transformation is an ongoing process powered by people, for people. To start or accelerate this journey, consider: - Are your employees empowered to solve real customer challenges? - Do your transformation efforts align with evolving customer needs? - How well does your organization integrate and act on customer feedback? - Can your workforce quickly adapt to change without losing focus on customer value? By embedding customer-centricity, investing in employee empowerment, and measuring success beyond efficiency, companies can turn transformation from an abstract goal into a lived reality—one that delivers real impact for both employees and customers alike. CDOs are navigating a complex AI adoption landscape, balancing speed, security, and business impact while managing the pressures of delivering measurable value. The question today isn’t whether AI will be transformative—that’s long been clear. The real challenge is: How can CDOs move from AI experimentation to execution and scale? Too often, companies fall into one of three AI traps: - Paralysis —unsure where to begin amid AI hype - Endless experimentation —stuck in pilots with no clear path to scale - Overengineering —waiting for AI to be perfect instead of “good enough“ to drive impact For many leaders, hesitation stems from broader concerns around AI governance, security, and risk. AI is only as good as the data that fuels it, and CDOs must ensure that their AI strategies align with strong data foundations, compliance, and measurable business impact. One global travel and hospitality company broke the mold when rethinking how customers search and discover offerings. Rather than waiting for AI to reach full maturity, they launched an autonomous AI agent designed to provide real-time answers across web, mobile, and kiosks. Their approach? Rapid validation over perfection: - A proof of concept (POC) in just three weeks to demonstrate value - Early investment secured based on measurable impact - Immediate business results, including higher conversion rates and order values This success reinforces a critical AI adoption principle: quick, iterative progress beats long, uncertain roadmaps. To move from AI theory to execution, CDOs should focus on three key strategies: - Move fast, but stay precise. AI initiatives must balance speed with governance. The most effective organizations prove AI value in weeks—not months—while ensuring accuracy, security, and compliance. - Find the “good enough” use cases . [AI agents](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation) will never be flawless, but that shouldn’t stop adoption. Identify high-confidence, low-risk applications that deliver immediate impact, such as customer service automation, internal knowledge management, and data-driven decision support. - Treat AI as a capability, not a one-off tool . AI isn’t a stand-alone initiative—it’s a long-term business enabler. The most successful companies embed AI into broader data and technology strategies, ensuring seamless integration with data infrastructure and governance, workforce transformation, and operational processes and business intelligence. The bottom line: AI success isn’t about perfection—it’s about starting. As one CDO put it, “Just go and start experimenting with AI, even without a fully defined plan. The path will evolve, the innovations will emerge along the way.” The companies that succeed with AI won’t be the ones waiting for perfect models or fully mature solutions. They’ll be the ones that start small, iterate fast, and scale responsibly. As continuous transformation becomes the norm, CHROs are retooling their workforce to keep pace with rapid changes—not just in AI but across the evolving technology landscape. Forward-thinking leaders are embedding adaptability, critical thinking, and cross-functional collaboration into workforce development strategies to ensure employees can thrive amid constant change. Yet many organizations grapple with how to structure upskilling programs effectively—balancing standardization with job-specific learning, integrating training into daily workflows, and measuring real-world impact. Our recent CHRO executive forum focused on workforce transformation across three core areas: - Setting the vision and enrolling key stakeholders: Successful workforce transformation begins with clear project vision, well-defined scope, and strong stakeholder engagement. Survey results revealed that 91% of participants are either building an upskilling strategy or have it on their roadmap, while only 9% are actively executing it. Leaders emphasized that while upskilling is a priority, it must be balanced with other talent development initiatives—requiring careful prioritization and the ability to run concurrent programs without overwhelming teams or slowing progress. - Building structured and flexible skilling opportunities: As leaders continue to navigate the pace of change, organizations must take a structured approach to skill development—blending standardized curricula with job-specific applications to ensure employees can effectively integrate new technologies into their work. One executive highlighted that while companies have access to vast online learning resources, the real challenge is applying those learnings effectively in the workplace. Effective upskilling goes beyond AI training—it requires coaching, tailored learning paths, and a focus on applying new skills in real-world scenarios. Leaders are also using upskilling as a way to support succession planning, ensuring employees are prepared for future roles as business needs evolve. - Developing structured support for measurable outcomes: The success of upskilling programs depends on structured guidelines, early leadership involvement, and a well-planned rollout strategy. Organizations that engage leaders early in the planning process see stronger adoption and smoother integration of upskilling into long-term workforce strategies. For companies with limited learning and development resources, cross-functional roles have been key to scaling efforts effectively. Success is measured not just by participation but by skill validation to ensure employees can apply new knowledge in real-world scenarios. Additionally, many organizations are still refining their approach to compensation, seeking ways to align evolving skill sets with market demand. While AI remains a key driver, forward-thinking CHROs are prioritizing [workforce adaptability as a whole](https://go.slalom.com/AdaptiveOrganizations). As transformation accelerates, organizations must build training frameworks that not only address immediate skill gaps but also create a culture of continuous learning and internal mobility to support long-term agility. For organizations looking to future-proof their workforce, today’s CHROs should ask themselves: What workforce capabilities will be most critical for my organization in the next three years, and how are am I preparing for them? Success isn’t just about keeping up with AI—it’s about ensuring that people and technology evolve together. By embedding upskilling into business strategy, organizations can create a workforce that’s not only prepared for change but thrives in it. Marketing leaders today are redefining their role in the C-suite, moving beyond traditional brand ownership to drive measurable business impact. The loosely defined boundaries between CMO, CXO, and CCO are increasingly blurred, making cross-functional collaboration essential. This shift reflects broader [industry trends](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2025) that demand a more integrated and strategic approach to marketing, including a focus on delivering hyper-personalized customer experiences. Beyond titles, the real challenge is proving marketing’s value. CMOs today face intense scrutiny and pressure to justify every investment, from ROI to technology spend, while balancing broader business expectations. But they can’t tackle this alone. Success depends on collaborating with sales, product, and service teams to align marketing with measurable business outcomes. Without clear ownership of customer experience (CX) and alignment on success metrics, marketing risks being seen as a cost center rather than a growth driver—especially when internal metrics don’t reflect real customer expectations. Many organizations struggle with this disconnect, leading to misalignment and missed opportunities. As one marketing executive put it, “If customer experience is everybody’s job, it’s nobody’s job.“ So what’s next for marketing leaders? - Marketing is shifting from function-based to outcome-based leadership. To drive real business value, marketing must be tied to revenue growth, customer retention, and lifetime value—not just awareness and engagement. This requires collaborating closely with sales, product, and customer success to influence the entire customer journey. - Customer experience must be owned and clearly defined. Organizations need a shared definition of great CX to prevent internal misalignment. This means establishing cross-functional governance where marketing, sales, and service agree on key experience metrics and accountability. - Marketing leaders must take the lead in proving their business value. The pressure to justify marketing investments is greater than ever, and leaders who fail to connect marketing strategies to measurable outcomes risk being seen as a cost center. Those who embed marketing into business strategy, align with revenue-driving teams, and prioritize customer value will redefine the role’s influence. The bottom line? Marketing leadership in 2025 is about business impact, cross-functional alignment, and delivering tangible customer value. The leaders who establish clear ownership of customer experience, redefine success metrics, and drive collaboration across teams will be the ones transforming marketing from a support function into a true driver of business growth. As a COO, your role is to drive operational excellence and efficiency by ensuring that processes, resources, and technology are optimized for scalability, agility, and measurable impact. Yet many COOs are operating with an incomplete picture of how their business actually runs. Process mining offers end-to-end operational visibility, revealing inefficiencies and bottlenecks with data-driven precision. Process mining solutions like [Celonis](https://www.celonis.com/gallery/) can quickly uncover discrepancies between designed workflows, perceived workflows, and actual execution—the so-called spaghetti diagram that shocks many operational leaders. The insights surfaced typically reveal immediate opportunities to drive tangible financial impact, such as identifying missed revenue. According to research from [APQC](https://www.apqc.org/resource-library/resource-listing/automate-elevate-unlocking-value-potential-ai-powered-process), “Organizations using process mining over traditional process discovery achieve 25%+ better results in identifying, measuring, and solving business problems.“ This means COOs can identify and unlock measurable cost savings within weeks rather than months or years. One company used process mining to spot two common, costly mistakes: delivering goods in specific instances without invoicing and payment cycle misalignment that led to working capital leakage. Addressing these saved them £140 million annually in working capital, plus millions more from recovered unbilled revenue. Forward-thinking COOs and their teams are leveraging process mining solutions to: - Uncover deviations: Gain transparency into exceptions, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies that slow operations. - Prioritize high-impact areas: Focus on the most valuable improvements rather than low-value optimizations. - Drive evidence-based decision-making: Move beyond intuition to quantifiable process improvements. The best approach? Start small and expand strategically. Rather than overhauling operations overnight, successful leaders focus on high-value use cases, achieving quick wins, and using the value realized to scale improvements over time. This includes: - Embedding process mining into daily decision-making through ongoing monitoring and operational control towers to ensure continuous improvement. - Fostering collaboration and accountability by increasing transparency between teams and aligning process owners, business sponsors, and value engineers through a “three in the box“ approach. - Addressing multisystem complexity by supplementing process mining with task mining, capturing manual steps and fragmented workflows across different systems. By treating process mining as a capability, not a onetime initiative, COOs can continuously refine operations, recover lost revenue, and drive long-term efficiencies—ultimately transforming into a data-driven organization that makes decisions with precision and confidence. CPOs today face a growing challenge: how to empower their teams while ensuring alignment with strategic business goals. At the heart of modern product leadership lies a series of delicate balancing acts—navigating between autonomy and oversight, structure and flexibility, and process and value creation. In our recent CPO forum, attendees reflected on two key questions that highlight these dynamics: - Empowered teams naturally align with strategic goals if those goals are clearly communicated. - Process is the enemy of value creation—if your teams need too many frameworks to make decisions, you’ve already lost. On the first point, leaders were nearly unanimous—100% of participants agreed or leaned toward agreement. But while clear communication is essential, discussion revealed that alignment doesn’t happen automatically. Teams need more than just a well-articulated vision—they need ongoing reinforcement, a shared understanding of business impact, and the autonomy to make informed decisions. Middle management plays a crucial role in reinforcing strategy, bridging the gap between vision and execution to ensure teams stay focused, remove roadblocks, and make informed decisions. The second question revealed a divide: 44% leaned agree, 44% leaned disagree, and 13% outright disagreed. The phrase “too many frameworks” in particular sparked debate—while excessive process can slow teams down, many leaders argued that the right level of structure is critical to maintaining alignment, especially as companies scale. Smaller, fast-moving teams may thrive with minimal process, while larger organizations often require more structured decision-making to prevent chaos. This debate underscores the critical balancing act for CPOs. Too much structure, and teams lose agility. Too little, and they risk misalignment. In an era where organizations demand both speed and measurable business impact, today’s product leaders must rethink traditional leadership models, moving beyond feature delivery to driving real outcomes. To ensure teams create genuine strategic value, CPOs must focus on: - Aligning teams to strategy with continuous reinforcement. Clear goals alone aren’t enough—leaders must create mechanisms for alignment that go beyond communication. This means ensuring teams understand the why behind their work, connecting execution to business objectives, and reinforcing these connections through ongoing discussions, metrics, and cross-functional collaboration. - Empowering teams with the right level of autonomy and decision-making guardrails. While high performers often advance to leadership, the real challenge is shifting from decision maker to enabler. Effective leaders take responsibility for building environments with clear context and boundaries that allow teams to own outcomes and move quickly without unnecessary approval bottlenecks. - Navigating uncertainty by creating an environment where experimentation is not just permitted but expected. Cultivating this mindset means actively encouraging teams to take small, low-risk bets rather than requiring complete solutions up front. Celebrating learning from failures—not just successes—builds confidence, reduces organizational risk, and fuels genuine innovation. - Measuring success by outcomes, not just delivery. Traditional product metrics focus on what gets shipped, but outcome-driven leadership means tying team success to business impact. Whether through customer value, revenue growth, or operational efficiency, leaders must shift performance evaluation to reflect meaningful contributions rather than task completion. While traditional product leadership prioritized delivery and efficiency, outcome-driven leadership focuses on customer value, strategic alignment, and continuous learning. Embracing this shift starts with self-reflection—where can you step back, provide clearer strategic reinforcement, or create space for experimentation? Small changes in how you lead today can empower teams to drive real impact. For years, technology leaders have struggled to balance speed, cost, and quality. “Triangulation is normal,” says Sean Everhart, managing director at Slalom. “We typically have to choose two at the expense of the third.” But AI is shifting that dynamic—replacing traditional trade-offs with new possibilities. In the past, many companies turned to offshore models primarily for cost savings, often separating where products were built from where they were maintained. Today, [AI is enabling a more integrated approach](https://medium.com/slalom-business/harnessing-genai-and-human-ingenuity-for-success-in-tech-delivery-ed2fb64b167d)—blending highly skilled global talent with automation to drive efficiency, scalability, and speed simultaneously. “The old model was to build in-house and offshore to run it,” Everhart explains. “Now, the question is: How do we create teams that leverage AI at every stage—integrating automation and global talent from the start?” Chema Ruíz, general manager at Slalom Mexico, reinforced this shift, highlighting how AI is accelerating onboarding, reducing operational friction, and mechanizing tasks that previously required large teams. “Where you may have needed 500 people before, now 50 highly skilled workers leveraging AI and agents can deliver the same impact,” he noted. CTOs we spoke with echoed this transformation, pointing to AI’s role in global team integration, legacy code modernization, and even cultural adaptation. One technology leader shared the challenge of navigating cultural differences in distributed teams: “AI is not just helping with productivity—it’s helping people work better together.” Another emphasized AI’s growing role in modernizing legacy systems: “AI is changing how we manage older systems, making it easier to transition and consolidate.” AI is transforming how CTOs think about technology in three key areas: - Global workforce models. Traditional offshore strategies focused on low-cost labor are giving way to AI-augmented, highly skilled global teams. To adopt AI effectively, CTOs must rethink workforce planning, integrating automation into hiring, team structures, and operational models to drive efficiency at scale. - AI-driven onboarding and knowledge transfer. AI-powered tools streamline onboarding and reduce knowledge loss, particularly for complex or legacy environments. CTOs should embed AI into their software development life cycle by leveraging automation for documentation, code explanation, and training—reducing ramp-up times and improving team efficiency. - Cultural and operational alignment. While AI enhances collaboration in global teams, human oversight remains essential. CTOs should prioritize change management strategies that integrate AI tools for translation, communication, and onboarding while ensuring teams remain aligned across different regions and working styles. AI isn’t just optimizing processes—it’s reshaping how technology organizations are structured, how teams operate, and how software development lifecycles evolve. CTOs who embrace AI-driven workforce strategies can empower global talent, shifting offshore teams from remedial work to AI-enabled contributors who drive efficiency, innovation, and scalability. [CES 2025](https://www.ces.tech/) showcased groundbreaking advancements in AI, robotics, quantum computing, health tech, sustainable materials, and more. At our recent innovation executive forum, leaders reflected on how these emerging technologies are reshaping industries. The key challenge for today’s innovation leaders is balancing immediate value creation with long-term disruption readiness. Their focus is on strategic experimentation, cross-industry learning, and change management to drive adoption and competitive advantage. As one leader put it, “We’re a needs-first organization, NOT technology-first. But the speed of AI advancement means that if you don’t adopt, you won’t identify the needs fast enough.” This tension—whether to wait for a clear business case or embrace emerging tech early—is shaping how companies plan for the future. At the same time, traditional industry boundaries are fading. Leaders across sectors like utilities, healthcare, and finance noted that disruptive technologies are breaking down silos, revealing shared challenges and opportunities. This shift reinforces the value of cross-industry collaboration, where organizations can learn from innovation models outside their own sector. Yet adopting new technology isn’t just about investment—it’s about people, process, and execution. Across industries, leaders are grappling with how to manage change, educate stakeholders, and ensure that innovation efforts translate into real-world impact. The key takeaways for innovation leaders? - Cross-industry collaboration is more valuable than ever. Shared challenges and opportunities mean that organizations can learn from innovation models beyond their own sector. - Scenario planning helps bridge today’s capabilities with future opportunities. Emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and next-gen mobility require phased adoption, starting with today’s practical applications. - AI adoption requires more than just investment—it requires change management. Leaders must address stakeholder education, workforce upskilling, and risk management to integrate AI effectively. - A balanced innovation portfolio is critical. Organizations must allocate resources across short-term efficiency gains (Horizon 1), disruptive growth (Horizon 2), and long-term transformation (Horizon 3) to stay competitive. Leaders know that innovation is only as successful as its adoption. Effective implementation requires more than just investment; it demands change management, education, and alignment. As industry barriers continue to blur, leaders must look beyond their own sectors for insights while staying grounded in their unique business needs and customer expectations. Balancing external inspiration with internal execution will be critical in turning innovation into lasting impact. The data confirms what sustainability leaders already know: Sustainability isn’t just a responsibility—it’s a strategic profitability driver. Despite economic headwinds and regulatory shifts, the long-term trajectory is clear: Sustainability integration is a business imperative. A December [survey of 500+ global CFOs](https://www.kearney.com/service/sustainability/article/staying-the-course-chief-financial-officers-and-the-green-transition) revealed strong momentum, with 92% planning to increase sustainability investments, over half indicating significant increases, and 93% seeing a clear business case. Many expect higher ROI from sustainability initiatives than conventional investments. However, in our recent sustainability executive forum, 77% of attendees cited competing priorities or misalignment as barriers to integrating sustainability into core business strategy. Many leaders struggle to secure the data necessary to quantify ROI, yet those who do find sustainability investments to be more profitable. Like CMOs advocating for marketing’s role in revenue growth, sustainability leaders must continuously build influence to shift sustainability from a compliance function to a strategic priority. Another growing concern is whether sustainability teams should focus on regulatory compliance or business growth. Some companies push sustainability into legal teams, treating it as a cost center, but this approach risks missing its full strategic potential. Companies are increasingly leveraging [techno-economic analyses](https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/techno-economic.html) to assess the broader ROI of sustainability measures. Rather than viewing compliance solely as a cost burden, many are quantifying the financial benefits of carbon reduction initiatives, balancing the cost of implementation with potential penalties to demonstrate cost savings and long-term value. Amid this shifting regulatory and economic landscape, sustainability leaders must focus on building influence across the organization. Without strategic alignment with finance, operations, and product teams, sustainability efforts risk being siloed, limiting their impact on broader business decisions. Leaders who successfully integrate sustainability into core business functions are better positioned to: - Embed sustainability into financial decision-making. By working closely with CFOs, sustainability teams can ensure investments are tracked alongside traditional business metrics, strengthening the financial case for sustainability. - Translate sustainability into business value. Moving beyond high-level commitments requires quantifying sustainability’s direct impact on revenue growth, operational efficiency, and risk mitigation. - Position sustainability as a revenue driver. Companies that advocate for sustainability investments as pathways to innovation and competitive differentiation—not just cost control—unlock new market opportunities. Looking ahead, leaders who move beyond compliance and embed sustainability into decision-making at every level will be the ones to unlock meaningful impact—delivering both financial returns and long-term competitive advantage. Slalom Exec Connects is an exclusive community for senior executives to explore industry trends, share insights, and network. Interested in attending a future session? Complete this form with your interest in one of the functional forums. Join us Share insight x3nokp8397 --- title: 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Financial Services url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Financial Services - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Explore our top financial services industry trends for 2025. How will you stay agile and build customer trust? Explore our top financial services industry trends for 2025. How will you stay agile and build customer trust? ## Body 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Financial Services Explore our top financial services industry trends for 2025. How will you stay agile and build customer trust? Explore our top financial services industry trends for 2025. How will you stay agile and build customer trust? 2025 industry outlook: Financial services trends 2025 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Financial services In 2025, agile financial services leaders will continue to recalibrate frequently, at speed, through complex challenges—while forging ahead on customer-centricity. Amid macroeconomic headwinds, rapid regulatory changes, and record levels of fraud, customer expectations continue to rise. Large institutions have held the advantage due to the massive investments required to stay responsive to evolving rates, risks, and regulations. However, many leaders in the US anticipate a reversion to historical regulatory norms in 2025, freeing up capital for strategic initiatives. Thanks to era-defining advancements in AI, unprecedented operational efficiencies and hyper-personalized customer experiences are now within reach—and innovation can come from anywhere. Author Get a free recap to share with colleagues Get the PDF recap Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an industry expert Top trends in financial services Item 1 Financial services firms, like many others, face significant challenges in adapting their operations, strategies, and technology stacks to truly center on the customer. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of customer experience, only a small fraction of companies across industries have successfully embedded customer-centricity into their leadership and operations. Recent trends show a downturn in customer satisfaction scores across the U.S., reaching the lowest average point since the mid-2010s, following a temporary high in 2021. Financial services companies, in particular, have struggled to keep pace. While a few continue to outperform their peers in delivering high-quality experiences, many others have seen stagnation or decline. Industry studies and expert analyses have shown that organizations with strong customer experience practices see significantly better business outcomes. Companies that lead in customer-centricity often report faster revenue and profit growth, and greater customer retention, underscoring the tangible benefits of making CX a strategic priority. Richard Winston The most expensive customer is one that walks in the door, signs up with you, and then walks out the door six months later because they didn’t get the service they were expecting. Hyper-personalization is the gold standard of CX. Unlike traditional personalization or persona-based offerings, which focus on broad customer segments, hyper-personalization leverages real-time data and AI to anticipate customer needs and deliver relevant interactions. For banks, insurers, and wealth management firms, that means knowing customers across all touchpoints and offering solutions without repetitive steps. Even incremental CX improvements can significantly improve trust, retention, and business growth—especially because the [upside of making a happy customer even happier](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/improving-cx-can-drive-more-than-1-billion-dollars-in-revenue-2023/) is higher than that of placating an unhappy customer. For many organizations, data is the sticking point. It’s not easy to break down business silos, modernize technology platforms, and make data truly accessible with all the necessary safeguards in place—but it’s easier than it’s ever been. Most of our financial services customers are working to bring data from legacy and core systems into a unified “middle layer,” where it can be easily leveraged. Then they can implement integrated hyper-personalization solutions like [Lightflow from Slalom and AWS](https://go.slalom.com/lightflow) to achieve impressive results, such as (for one banking customer) a 7% increase in lifetime customer value, equivalent to $130.7M. More CX insights - [The future of CX is inclusive](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-customer-experience-inclusive) - [Crafting deep experiences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai) - [How AI is leveling the CX playing field](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service) Item 2 The financial services industry is on the front lines of rising fraud. Modern fraudsters can easily create synthetic identities to exploit digital systems. With increasingly lifelike deepfakes, they can also [fool people over the phone](https://www.wsj.com/articles/deepfakes-are-coming-for-the-financial-sector-0c72d1e5) or [even on a video call](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html). And if you think fraud is perpetrated only by opportunistic bad actors looking for short-term financial gain, think again. An increasing number of skilled, educated [professionals are choosing fraud](https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366572552/Cash-strapped-cyber-pros-go-rogue-on-the-dark-web) as a lucrative full-time career. The cost of inaction is significant. Financial institutions that fail to act quickly when fraud is detected can face severe penalties, including hefty fines and reputational damage. Even small, isolated incidents of fraud can drain profits by triggering months of expensive reporting and remediation efforts. Many companies are still dreaming of the perfect “mousetrap,” a product they can plug into their systems to find and stop fraud in its tracks. We’ve worked with many customers to select, integrate, and activate third-party fraud prevention products—and this approach can certainly have a big impact. But a product can only respond to what’s happened in the past, and fraud is ever-changing. To truly turn the tide, companies need to address both technology and human behavior. They need to be able to leverage AI to quickly understand what’s happening and why, so they can continue to adapt. We believe financial services companies can reduce fraud 50%–90% over a three-year horizon, with additional lift and reduced false positives, by implementing [holistic, adaptive systems](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/a-new-era-in-fraud-detection-superior-solution-with-ai-ml-genai-llm-c47121208dda?source=friends_link sk=06c0bc8c1ad04bcd1e4d5ed7446c7c0b) that combine machine learning to flag potential fraud with LLM-based assistants that expedite decision-making and action. Explainability is a key focus, and synthetic data adds additional leverage to refining models. Sian Lewis Innovative financial services leaders build toward—not against—fraud. They look to not just the transactions but the human behavior behind them and build for the future. Securing digital payments with AI-powered fraud detection Most expect 2025 to bring some relief to the regulatory pressure on financial institutions, which has risen precipitously since the Silicon Valley Bank failure of early 2023. At the same time, the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) brings the biggest sell-side regulatory change in over two decades, a complete overhaul of the framework for market risks, with implementation by country continuing throughout 2025 and into 2026. Regulatory priorities extend far beyond disclosed mandates such as FRTB and Basel. Financial leaders face an evolving array of scrutiny in every area, from consumer protection and cybersecurity to liquidity, credit, and third-party risk management. Data privacy, information security, cloud controls, and end-user computing are also focus areas for the Fed, OCC, and Office of Financial Stability—and are reflected in FFIEC audits. Each new change or challenge carries with it an urgent demand for specific action, just to stay in business, but savvy leaders are thinking holistically to build modernization programs that drive efficiency across all their risk types. In fact, many companies are in the middle of multiyear modernization roadmaps. If regulations do begin to ease in 2025, these firms will be eager to wrap up early so they can invest elsewhere. [Powerful accelerators](https://go.slalom.com/snowflake-risk-platform) are here to help. The compelling opportunity for modernization is to simplify applications and infrastructure, while centralizing data. Purpose-built applications, such as GRC and AML platforms, are being replaced. Instead, their use cases are being integrated into enterprise tools. Shedding applications reduces licensing expenses, complexity, redundant copies of the banking book, and exposure points that drive excessive controls. Edward Grau The top priority should be to standardize position, product, party, price, and portfolio information within an enterprise data model. Consolidating down to singular core banking, trading, GL, risk, and treasury systems that consume from a singular data lake exponentially reduces the number of exposure and control points required for compliance. This has the added benefit of cost reduction and increased enterprise analytics capability. In NVIDIA’s 2024 report on the [state of AI in financial services](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-in-financial-services-survey-2024/), 86% of financial services leaders reported a positive impact on revenue from AI, while 82% noted a reduction in costs. More than half agreed AI would be important to their company’s future success, a 76% increase from 2023. Slalom’s own [AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=2024-financial-services-outlook), surveying C-suite executives across industries, found that 94% of leaders believe AI will positively impact their industry, with 82% planning to increase AI investments in 2025—up 70% from the previous year. With the power of AI, especially generative AI, financial services organizations can quickly achieve massive efficiency gains by automating time-consuming tasks like documentation review, onboarding, offboarding, and new account opening. Operational complexity is no longer an excuse for moving slowly. David Deitch What we’re seeing is an influx of operational excellence, automation, and expectation—all converging around a singular set of technologies. It’s about leveraging data and AI automation to make people’s jobs faster and more efficient, while also accelerating positive customer experiences. More tips on realizing AI’s potential - [Embracing a skills-centric workforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) - [Connecting AI to ROI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi) - [Six critical success factors](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential) - [Adaptive strategies](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) A strong, AI-enabled operational backbone enhances the overall customer experience, creating a more agile and responsive organization. This could eventually lead to AI-enabled call centers evolving into proactive sales centers, significantly changing the way financial services institutions interact with customers. Financial services firms will continue accruing AI-powered operational wins in 2025—from [supporting financial advisors with GenAI](https://go.slalom.com/gc-genai-advisor) to modern trading solutions that deliver sophisticated analytics capabilities up to 60 times faster while reducing total cost of ownership. As confidence in AI systems grows, attention turns to new customer-facing use cases, such as providing tailored, real-time advice and services. Accelerated digital currency adoption will fuel the potential of agentic AI solutions, embedding a seamless digital transaction capability into a range of AI-driven applications. With digital currencies integrated into AI-powered agents, transactions can be automated and optimized in real time across sectors, from finance to customer service and beyond. AI agents could autonomously manage payments, process settlements, and handle complex digital transactions, creating a dynamic ecosystem that enables more personalized, data-driven interactions. This evolution would drive significant efficiencies and unlock new revenue streams, as AI agents with transactional abilities will seamlessly bridge the gap between digital assets and traditional financial services, enhancing the utility and impact of both technologies. AI will continue to be a hot topic throughout 2025, but organizations must remain mindful of the bigger picture. Gradual adoption, careful testing, and change management are vital to overcoming customer skepticism and employee fears about job displacement. One Gartner survey found that [64% of customers](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-07-09-gartner-survey-finds-64-percent-of-customers-would-prefer-that-companies-didnt-use-ai-for-customer-service) would prefer that companies not use AI for customer service—primarily because they worry it will become more difficult to reach a person when they need it. Leaders can counteract concerns by focusing on enhanced human decision-making and maintaining a strong governance framework. At its core, the fusion of financial services with other industries is about integrating the management of finances with the daily activities and needs of consumers. Big tech companies are gaining ground with digital wallets—now the preferred payment method around the world, accounting for [more than 50% of global e-commerce](https://www.forbes.com/sites/colinluce/2024/09/16/the-digital-wallet-wars-big-tech-vs-little-tech/)—as well as credit and investment services. Meanwhile, financial service providers are getting into tech by turning their in-house IP into digital products, like these examples from [CapitalOne](https://www.capitalone.com/software/solutions/) and [DTCC](https://www.dtcc.com/digital-assets/solutions). They’re also creating new revenue streams by embedding themselves into the operational flow of broader service ecosystems to simplify and automate the movement of money across platforms. For example, banks are working with healthcare payers to facilitate reimbursements to patients, automating thousands of daily transactions. Payment systems are particularly vulnerable to inefficiencies that go unnoticed until they start to impact the bottom line. Slalom has provided payments lifecycle health checks for many types of organizations, typically leading to 10 to 100x ROI and often expanding into new opportunities. Leveraging their massive investments in technology infrastructure and regulatory compliance, financial institutions can become critical enablers of complex financial supply chains in any industry. But there are also significant risks when industry boundaries blur. To expand into sectors like healthcare, firms must navigate complex regulatory environments and ensure robust compliance mechanisms. The potential for regulatory breaches, especially when handling sensitive financial data and moving large sums of money across borders or entities, is high. And failures anywhere in the system—like the widely publicized [Synapse failure](https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-synapse-bankruptcy-has-the-fintech-world-on-edge-f83cbe6d)—can expose organizations to legal risk and reputational damage. Leaders must strategically assess how and where to extend their business models beyond traditional service offerings. The real differentiator will be how institutions balance innovation with risk. Those that succeed will likely have invested heavily in technology, regulatory compliance, and cross-industry partnerships, while maintaining a customer-centric approach that prioritizes trust and security. The Federal Reserve and other central banks worldwide have entered a period of recalibration following the rapid hikes seen in 2022 and 2023. In September 2024, the Federal Reserve cut rates for the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most predictions suggest further cuts in 2025, but unexpected volatility remains well within the scope of possibilities as central banks manage economic recovery alongside potential political and global market pressure. Global interest rate policies and geopolitical factors, such as international trade tensions, will also influence capital markets and investor confidence. Historically, lower interest rates lead to an uptick in lending activity, particularly in consumer credit and mortgages. This is good news for banks, as it provides an opportunity to increase business activity, improve liquidity, and reduce pressure on balance sheets. The real challenge is how rapidly rates may change. Those that can quickly adjust lending strategies, pricing models, and product offerings will be better positioned to weather ongoing shifts. Insurance companies, on the other hand, will face challenges on the investment side as long-term interest rates decline. Insurers, who traditionally benefit from high yields on long-term treasury bonds, may need to look further afield for returns. This could push them into riskier asset classes as they seek to maintain profitability and ensure adequate returns for policyholders. Rebalancing portfolios and managing duration risk will be top priorities in 2025. For investors, the lower borrowing costs created by rate reductions will likely spark a surge in initial public offerings (IPOs) and new deals as companies look to take advantage of cheaper capital. This represents a shift from the more conservative stance of recent years, when high rates stifled borrowing and investment. For the payments industry, rates are not likely to get high or low enough to have a major impact on core business, but rate reductions do tend to correlate with an overall shift in mindset and strategy from “wait and see” to “where is our next growth opportunity?” In 2025 and beyond, agility will remain critical, as will maintaining and enhancing customer trust by delivering exceptional experiences. Organizations that have invested in technology and employee enablement to effectively leverage data and AI will be far better positioned to adapt to ongoing change. Many will also need to diversify or reimagine their business models to keep profits flowing. The trends above are far from comprehensive. For example, surcharging is a big opportunity in the payments industry—if organizations can navigate the complexity. Surcharges make merchants far less price sensitive. That means payment providers can effectively charge 30% to 40% more by transferring some of the costs to customers. The challenge is that rules and regulations vary widely by location and are often contradictory. With an experienced partner to help them implement surcharging in a compliant and customer-friendly way, many payment companies could boost overall revenue by 3% before the end of 2025. One thing we know for sure: Shaping the future of financial services will require ongoing collaboration across business functions. It’s all connected. Customer satisfaction and employee retention, data maturity and AI innovation, business strategy and tech strategy … the list goes on. Here at Slalom, we’re proud to combine a fiercely human approach with deep technology expertise to help our customers break down silos and deliver amazing outcomes. Reach out today to discuss your next [financial services consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services) project! Contributors: David Deitch, M. Hans Delly, Steve Donnelly, Soumya Ghosh, James Gimourginas, Edward Grau, John C. Head, Sian Lewis, Erwin Lopez, Swarup Roy, Araya Solomon, Richard Winston Don't forget to download or share with your colleagues and help your organization navigate these trends. Download a PDF recap Share 2025 trends Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! --- title: Financial Services Industry Trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Financial Services Industry Trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary AI, data, and Gen Z are reshaping finance. Discover 2026’s top trends and how leaders are building adaptive, anticipatory ecosystems. ## Body Financial Services Industry Trends 2026 AI, data, and Gen Z are reshaping finance. Discover 2026’s top trends and how leaders are building adaptive, anticipatory ecosystems. Financial services Look ahead to 2026’s financial services transformation—from legacy tech to composable, AI-powered, customer-first ecosystems that drive revenue and loyalty. Financial firms must transform from static institutions into adaptive ecosystems. Leaders with the tools to predict change, productize infrastructure, run a measurable AI value engine, and treat interoperability as a profit center will pull ahead—and stay there. In 2025, consumer spending and financial market performance remained steadier than expected. Amid regulatory complexity, real-time payments acceleration, and shifting customer loyalty, firms also experienced the first big impacts from scaling generative and agentic AI beyond pilots. In 2026, pilots and POCs aren’t enough. Boards expect measurable outcomes in cost savings, customer experience, and new revenue. So execution that creates new value across boundaries is the name of the game. Modernizing legacy systems and building connective capabilities—where data, intelligence, and purpose flow seamlessly—will give financial services leaders the insights, power, and time they need to recognize change levers, adapt instantly, and create value well beyond the traditional product set. If you rewind 30 years, banking systems have always been static. You’d put in a core, and it’d be your core for decades. You’d put in infrastructure, train your people, and they'd use those same policy manuals for years at a time. Now all of that is changing. Fast. And it keeps changing fast. Because it needs to. Open, modern platforms with adaptivity are the key. Richard Winston Global Industry Lead, Financial Services, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 Over the next 20 years, we’ll see [$84T](https://www.cerulli.com/press-releases/cerulli-anticipates-84-trillion-in-wealth-transfers-through-2045) in wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to their descendants. This shift isn’t just about assets changing hands. It’s also a shift that will reset customer expectations, trust, and financial distribution models. From Gen X to Gen Z, customers expect connected, omnichannel journeys that start mobile and stay digital. Yet according to [J.D. Power](https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/bizwire-2025-5-29-bank-and-credit-card-apps-and-websites-struggle-to-stand-out-jd-power-finds) ... - Most digital natives find banking apps and websites to be “indistinguishable.” - Overall satisfaction with US national banking apps is 669/1000. - Overall satisfaction with credit cards is 659/1000. Without meaningful differentiation that delights customers, the next generation will move their inherited wealth—and loyalty—to institutions that offer smarter, more adaptive, more personal experiences. Meanwhile, as the youngest Gen Z consumers (born in 2012) come into their own debts and income, they’re already leaning into AI tools: [61%](https://www.investopedia.com/gen-z-is-relying-on-ai-to-make-financial-decisions-8685357) of Gen Z say they already use AI to manage finances, from learning and budgeting to investing and planning. For Zoomers, AI isn’t an add-on. It’s the customer journey and the brand, product, and service interface of choice. Richard Winston AI will make service journeys adaptive—sensing what a customer needs next, surfacing insights in real time, and shortening the path from ask to outcome. As digital, real-time, and agentic AI interactions become the norm, financial services firms must be ready for customer expectations—and the revenue opportunities—that come from frictionless interactions that collapse the distance between data, insights, and action. Outdated systems slow down product development, hinder data analytics, and make it harder to personalize services. So, modernize your core. Your essential operations need to change to meet the demands and expectations for Gens X, Y, and Z. For them, it’s less “show me the money” and more “show me the meaning.” Item 2 As Baby Boomers continue to retire, and as [AI transforms entry-level roles](https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryenglish/2025/08/12/ai-and-the-vanishing-entry-level-job-the-changing-future-of-work/), task-based work is disappearing. Human-AI collaboration is redefining where human influence and judgment matter most. [Slalom’s research](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) reveals that, by 2028: - 15% of routine decisions in the financial services workforce will be automated. - 70% of task execution functions will run through AI systems supervised by humans. Meanwhile, over the next decade, [more than one-third](https://www.cerulli.com/press-releases/ria-acquisition-opportunities-remain-fertile-as-succession-looms-large) of financial advisors, who control about 40% of industry assets, are expected to exit the industry or retire. This exit will make way for more human-AI collaboration as a new generation of advisors operates with more comfort, engagement, and skill using AI tools. [Slalom’s research](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) found that financial services leaders are more comfortable with human-AI collaboration than many of their peers in other industries. Where is human-AI collaboration surfacing? Banking: Banks are testing virtual assistants and copilots for employees and customers. Customers are AI-curious, but ROI-impatient. Employee adoption varies. Payments: Intelligent systems are starting to act on customers’ behalf by anticipating needs, automating tasks, and simplifying decisions. Insurance: Carriers are testing AI as a core capability (not a bolt-on tool) in underwriting, claims, and service (policy owners and advisors). Capital markets: Capital markets desks are shifting from execution to strategy and oversight. Research analysts work with AI to process data, then use their human creativity and experience to focus on insights and relationships. The race to optimize human-AI performance is on. Firms that blend human creativity with machine intelligence will outperform competitors who rely on traditional methods and firms that stop at automation alone. While climate intelligence is already mission-critical for insurers and large banks, many financial services leaders still see it as an emerging priority—or one they’re not ready to address due to data model constraints, organizational silos, and regulatory uncertainty. But climate intelligence isn’t an ESG branding term. It’s an analytical edge that helps you mitigate risk against stranded assets and uninsurable or unpredictable exposures. Climate is becoming a priced factor, not a CSR footnote. It’s moving out of sustainability reports and into P L impact. Winners will embed climate data into PD/LGD, pricing, and capital allocation models before everyone else does. Forward-looking banks and insurers are using granular climate data to capture outsized returns via “climate alpha” first-mover advantages. With the power to price climate risk earlier and more precisely than the competition, these brands are outperforming peers through dynamic risk-adjusted pricing, predictive underwriting, and climate-aligned capital allocation. The most performant, profitable, and adaptable firms are moving climate intelligence from emerging technology into a core capability. Insurers are moving beyond payout to prevention, offering incentives for resilience investments and using parametric triggers to settle claims instantly. Laggards will still treat climate intelligence as a compliance checkbox or ESG exercise that leaves them exposed on a spectrum from shrinking margins to catastrophic loss. Without liquid, interoperable yet governed data, AI outcomes are unreliable. Nor can customer-facing innovation scale. Anticipatory enterprises are shifting from static data stores to interoperable, productized, consented data flows that move securely across institutions and partners. How are they pulling it off? Leading firms are operationalizing clean data contracts, standardized APIs, and shared services that fuel real-time and autonomous AI, personalization, and fraud/treasury visibility. In September 2025, the FedNow instant payment network (operated by the Federal Reserve) already had [1,500](https://www.frbservices.org/financial-services/fednow/) participating institutions across all 50 states. This rapid expansion shows an example of how connected infrastructure is new core—raising the bar for fraud detection, treasury visibility, and collections. Networked intelligence is a new frontier in financial services. Banks that replace siloed, legacy systems with modern, interconnected, real-time data flows enable faster fraud detection and more valuable personalized experiences that scale. In capital markets, trades get faster and smarter because connected platforms and networks instantly share pricing, risk, and liquidity information across partners and desks. In insurance, claims and underwriting reduce loss and improve customer experience with proactive risk alerts and shorter cycle times thanks to links between internal data (e.g., policy, history) and external data feeds (weather reports, IoT data). Across the industry, the shift to networked intelligence starts with interoperability. This shift isn’t just technical. It’s strategic. Firms that embrace it will gain GTM speed and agility, customer trust, and a sustainable edge over competitors. Leaders will transform data into liquid, governed, productized services that power AI and real-time operations. Laggards will stay stuck with fragmented data and fragmented outcomes. The financial services business model is tilting. It’s not just about selling end products like accounts and policies. And it’s not about treating infrastructure as sunk costs. Leading institutions are taking what used to be cost centers—fraud checks, payment systems, and compliance tools—and turning them into revenue-generating assets. By packaging these capabilities with clear service guarantees and turning them into APIs or white-label offerings, firms are poised to unlock new partnership models and monetize the infrastructure behind everyday transactions. The composable, modular banking market is on the cusp of staggering growth, expanding from USD $3.7B in 2024 to $36.2 billion [by 2033](https://growthmarketreports.com/report/composable-banking-platform-market). How are banks measuring ROI on modernization efforts that decouple monoliths into composable services? Financial services firms that remain monolithic will lose to competitors (including fintechs, neobanks, and tech firms) building on composable rails. Laggards will grasp at shrinking margins, while leaders who productize infrastructure into reusable, modular, monetizable services with clean APIs and clear SLAs strengthen their strategic position. [Learn more about Slalom’s mainframe and application modernization.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy) The industry is moving beyond automation for efficiency and shifting toward autonomy that anticipates decision points and acts. [Just ask Amex](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/customer-stories/american-express-prevents-fraud-and-foils-cybercrime-with-nvidia-ai-solutions/). With AI agents, real-time data, and governance policies in place, systems can make self-directed adjustments—such as pricing, fraud detection, collections—while maintaining compliance. This creates notable cost-to-serve and speed-to-market advantages. But autonomy without guardrails runs the risk of reputation and compliance fallout as regulators require proof of control and explainability. So institutions will need to design Agent Control Planes—like policies, monitoring, and kill switches—to scale autonomy responsibly. What does autonomy look like across financial services? Autonomy is the new competitive frontier. Leaders that scale self-directing agents with strong governance will deliver speed and efficiency gains without sacrificing compliance or transparency with regulators. Laggards still stuck at automation will face widening cost gaps and erode their own market relevance. Ready to make a bold move? We can help. Find out why more than 800 financial services leaders trust Slalom when they need to adapt and evolve, including Amica, Nasdaq, and Securian. Connect now In 2026 and beyond, financial services are transforming from static, siloed solutions to living, adaptive ecosystems. Together, these trends form the foundation of a financial ecosystem that learns, adapts, and connects in real time. At Slalom, we help you operationalize these convergence points—not through isolated initiatives but by building the connective capabilities that make your organization work as one adaptive system. The results? You’re positioned to lead your industry no matter what’s trending. We bring together modern data foundations, AI-enabled operating models, and composable architectures to create the conditions for agility—where data flows freely, intelligence is embedded in every decision, and governance enables both speed and confidence. Reach out today to move beyond incremental change, overcome stalled modernization efforts, and become an autonomous, anticipatory enterprise. Contributors Additional Contributors: Kelly Addison, Titus Bosceri, Hans Delly, Steve Donnelly, Araya Solomon Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom financial services expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards Update: 12/11/25 --- title: Five AI questions every healthcare CIO should ask url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/five-ai-questions-every-healthcare-cio-should-ask source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/five-ai-questions-every-healthcare-cio-should-ask locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Five AI questions every healthcare CIO should ask - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/five-ai-questions-every-healthcare-cio-should-ask - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/five-ai-questions-every-healthcare-cio-should-ask - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary As the 35,000 HIMSS participants returned home to their daily responsibilities, one question was on everyone’s mind: What should we be doing with AI in healthcare? ## Body Five AI questions every healthcare CIO should ask As the 35,000 HIMSS participants returned home to their daily responsibilities, one question was on everyone’s mind: What should we be doing with AI in healthcare? Healthcare and AI | Slalom Share insight Leaders from Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, Virtue, and the World Economic Forum share perspectives on Responsible AI during the opening keynote of HIMSS23. Every few years, a new technology creates so much potential that it transcends the trend moniker to become a movement. Energy permeates the industry as innovators race to convert technical breakthroughs into new value, and leaders suddenly realize that there will be a tangible before and after this moment in our collective human experience. Generative AI is one of those technologies. Generative AI [dominated the conversation](https://www.modernhealthcare.com/technology/himss-2023-epic-microsoft-chatgpt-cleveland-clinic-amazon) at the 2023 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS23) conference. Health IT leaders shared stories of early successes, warned audiences of ethical risks, and explored the potential for a more intelligent, human-centered healthcare ecosystem. “We’re watching history take place,” said Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of Artificial Intelligence for the World Economic Forum. However, she advised healthcare leaders to proceed with caution. “We are hurdling into the future without taking a step back and designing it for ourselves,” she said, commenting on the open letter to [Pause Giant AI Experiments](https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/). “Make sure that everyone in your company knows something about AI, and don’t engage without some understanding of the responsible AI issue.” Getting started with AI in healthcare As the 35,000 HIMSS participants returned home to their daily responsibilities, one question was on everyone’s mind: What should we be doing with AI in healthcare? Here are five questions to start your healthcare AI journey. 1. Where are we using AI successfully today? While generative AI has unlocked incredible potential in healthcare, most health organizations have been using some form of artificial intelligence for decades. Take inventory of where you are using AI today, conduct a quick [SWOT analysis](https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/evaluation-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit/all-workflow-tools/swot-analysis) to identify risks and opportunities, and evaluate the potential to optimize and scale your existing operating model, infrastructure, and assets for expanded AI use cases. 2. What challenges or strategic priorities can be best addressed through AI? With AI dominating the industry news, health IT leaders are facing increasing pressure from C-suite executives and board members to share how they are using AI in their organizations. The allure of generative AI can be tempting, but HIMSS speakers urged leaders to think carefully before implementing point solutions. “This is the fourth or fifth gigantic hype cycle for AI,” said Deborah DiSanzo, President of Best Buy Health. “We can’t solve point solutions—we have to solve workflow, operations—we have to think about the entire solutions.” One way to avoid the ‘point solution trap’ is to conduct an Art of the Possible workshop to review strategic priorities, identify potential AI-enabled solutions, and prioritize high-impact/low-effort initiatives to gain quick but meaningful wins. This analysis should incorporate an understanding of all touchpoints with members/patients, consumers, and internal team members, taking a systems thinking approach to looking at the entire value chain both outwardly and inwardly to identify opportunities. More often than not, organizations gain the biggest ROI by focusing on reducing administrative burden and improving existing workflows vs. more disruptive clinical innovations. 3. Do we have the cloud and data infrastructure necessary to enable AI/ML solutions? A foundation of high-quality, extensible data is critical to revealing actionable and unbiased insights and enabling AI/ML at scale. However, many health organizations still lack robust and interoperable data platforms. “You can’t do anything with AI without good data,” said Firth-Butterfield. “The amount, quality, and origin of data are pernicious, ethical questions that we’re going to have to answer in the future.” If you haven’t already, take a critical look at your [Data Science Operating Model](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/data-science-operating-model-73bdeac81c35) and consider evolving toward a [data mesh](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/data-mesh-232e50f42e66) architecture to enable consumable data products. Depending on the size of your organization, your AI/ML strategy may also depend on integrating real-world data from outside sources to reach meaningful scale. 4. How do we jumpstart our AI engine—with an eye toward scaling for outcomes? Despite widespread calls for vigilance, the call to action for health IT leaders was clear: Start now. “Don’t wait for a small number of experts in Silicon Valley and Carnegie Melon to do this,” said Christopher Ross, Chief Information Officer at the Mayo Clinic. “Make sure you have people with the expertise to develop use cases and manage products.” David Higginson, Chief Innovation Officer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said to start with the end in mind. “Science projects that never make it out of the lab don’t save lives,” he said. “Once you have an idea, ask the operators what they would do and how they would do it.” Perhaps most importantly, establish the operating model to support continuous learning, discovery, development, and scale. “It only matters if we have the operating model to do something with the data,” said Tim Barry, CEO of VillageMD. “If you’re not thinking about people and where they are, you’re moving your business in the wrong way.” 5. How will we protect the integrity of our people and the dignity of our patients? In the opening keynote, speakers described the generative AI as mysterious, awe-inspiring, and frustrating. “There are still deep scientific issues that we’re just trying to come to grips with in addition to the ethical questions,” said Peter Lee, Corporate Vice President of Research and Incubation at Microsoft. “Generative AI is emerging in a way that is just ready for deployment, but it’s not simple.” Unlike traditional AI, generative AI is a “leapfrog” technology that allows individuals and organizations with no prior experience to get started immediately. This presents both tremendous opportunity and significant risks for healthcare organizations. As [Microsoft Bing](https://www.bing.com/search?form=MW00X7 pl=launch q=Bing+AI showconv=1) explains, “The rapid evolution of generative AI challenges the ability of corporate governance to understand the new technology and to take the steps that may be necessary to monitor the application of AI within the organization.” Some topics to consider include informed consent, customer preferences, data privacy and security, compliance, accountability, and equity. Embedding AI governance into existing forums or creating new forums to address the nuances of [responsible AI](https://www.slalom.com/aiforall) will be critical for every healthcare organization in our intelligent future. Health that connects + tech that cares Beyond the possibilities and perils of AI, HIMSS23 pulsated with a community of dreamers, designers, and developers who share a common mission to “reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.” Regardless of whether you choose to become an AI pioneer or fast follower, we all have a role in advancing fiercely human healthcare . “The technology we pick will have an impact on every member of the world and every one of our individual communities,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Together we can open up new horizons and realize the full health potential of every human, everywhere.” Contributors [John Poling](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-poling/) and [Ellie Rice](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-antrim-rice/) This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/the-slalom-daily-dose/five-ai-questions-every-healthcare-cio-should-ask-following-himss23-8b68a4f1429b). --- title: Food for thought: Serving up the truth about food access and health url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/food-access-health source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/food-access-health locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Food for thought: Serving up the truth about food access and health - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/food-access-health - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/food-access-health - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary When it comes to social determinants of health, access to healthy, affordable food is just as important as direct medical care. ## Body Food for thought: Serving up the truth about food access and health When it comes to social determinants of health, access to healthy, affordable food is just as important as direct medical care. Share As important as quality medical care is, it only contributes to a fraction of our health. [Nonmedical or social factors](https://www.cdc.gov/about/sdoh/index.html) such as economic and social conditions, employment, education, race, and gender are in fact responsible for about [80%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863696/) of our health outcomes. Despite the delayed downstream benefits of public health services and the challenges of understanding the impact these social services provide to their community, it is well established that prevention costs less than urgent or emergency care or treatment and can significantly decrease mortality. Food as a social determinant of health (SDOH) Food insecurity is a [strong predictor](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7518817/) of both physical and mental health outcomes, yet the prevalence of food insecurity is vast and worsening every year. According to the most recent [USDA report](https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=107702), 44 million people (including 13 million children) experienced food insecurity in the United States in 2022, accounting for the largest single-year increase in food insecurity (31% for adults and 44% for children) since 2008. The causes of food insecurity are complex, including low-income status, unemployment, [lack of affordable housing](https://medium.com/slalom-public-social-impact/social-determinants-of-health-sdoh-in-focus-addressing-our-nations-homelessness-crisis-3d689c97882a?sk=110e1ea278a5af9dd7d497210b50a37e), chronic health conditions, and lack of access to healthcare. Unsurprisingly, food insecurity disproportionately affects under-resourced communities and low-income populations, contributing to the health disparities seen in these populations. Even with secure employment, factors such as housing prices and increased cost of living can create income disparities that [affect a family’s ability](https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/USDA-food-security-report-2022) to purchase food. Other environmental factors include proximity to grocery stores, neighborhood conditions, lack of transportation, and varying food prices across neighborhoods. For example, [rural populations](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9785039/) have consistently higher poverty rates than urban areas [(16.1% vs. 12.6%)](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rural-poverty-well-being/) and experience increased food insecurity [(12.1% vs. 10.5%),](https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99282/err-275.pdf?v=9813.1) in part due to poorer access to healthy foods and lower incomes. Rising food prices and the end of pandemic-era relief efforts have also exacerbated food insecurity, with [65%](https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/latest-food-bank-survey-finds-majority-food-banks-reporting-increased-demand) of US food banks reporting an increase in demand. The effects of food insecurity are broad, affecting health outcomes, childhood development, and chronic disease management. Food insecurity has long been associated with higher rates of [diabetes, hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28591225/), [stroke, cancer, and asthma](https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235.pdf?v=9081.9). Even with the government-funded [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program) (SNAP), recipients have been found to have overall [poorer diet quality](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6258006/) than non-SNAP individuals due to SNAP placing less importance on providing healthy food. Food as medicine Food programs, such as the [Emergency Food Assistance Program](https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/emergency-food-assistance-program) (TEFAP), SNAP, and the [Women, Infants, and Children](https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic) (WIC) program, are essential but not sufficient in managing the food insecurity crisis. To further address food insecurity, other programs offer innovative solutions to food assistance. Researchers from University of Minnesota evaluated a [mobile grocery store](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/groceries/twin-cities-mobile-market/) bus, the Twin Cities Mobile Market, which accepts SNAP/EBT payment and travels through low-income and low-access neighborhoods providing fresh fruits and vegetables. A [qualitative study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212267220302008) conducted with shoppers found the Mobile Market decreases barriers and increases access to quality, affordable healthy foods. Findings also indicated that mobile market shopping could positively influence customer behaviors and health outcomes (e.g., dietary intake and management of weight, diabetes, blood pressure, and mental health). More recently, SNAP recipients have been able to order groceries for [delivery](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/online-purchasing-pilot) and [farmer’s markets](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/farmers-markets-accepting-snap-benefits) have begun accepting SNAP payments, reducing transportation disparities and lack of access to fresh produce. This also reduces the time burden associated with healthy food access, an often-overlooked factor in low-income households where family members sometimes work multiple jobs with little time for grocery shopping and meal preparation. The “food as medicine” movement has gained significant attention in recent years with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developing a Food is Medicine initiative in response to a [2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617). Although food therapy has long been a part of [Eastern traditional medicine,](https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0192415X16500889) the strategy has slowly gained momentum in Western medical practices with recent research finding a positive relationship with various health outcomes. Some approaches within Food is Medicine include [produce prescription](https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/state-and-local-strategies/priority-incentives-prescriptions.html) programs, where patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, receive stipends specifically for fresh fruits and vegetables or medically tailored meals. Moreover, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently expanded funding research for Food is Medicine services. This includes areas such as food insecurity, health outcome mechanisms, and community participatory research methods to increase community engagement and outreach. In taking both a population and individual level approach to these programs, the primary burden of food insecurity is shifted off the individual and onto the system that creates the disparities, targeting the root causes of food insecurity. While these programmatic advances have precipitated significant benefits, more progress must be made. While medically-tailored meal programs, prescription produce programs, and government nutrition security programs “treat” the outcomes of food insecurity, prevention of food insecurity lies in population-level healthy [food policies and programs.](https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20230216.926558/) Implementing [AI and machine learning (ML) solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) can also improve the efficiency of these types of programs. There is tremendous potential to implement AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities to further optimize the charitable food industry. Real work in the food insecurity space At Slalom, we work closely with our local communities and strive to invest in programs that enhance the health and lives of our neighbors. Since housing and food security are two key areas influencing our communities, we’re focusing on two foundational SDOH to support health equity and improve health outcomes within these communities. Since June 2019, [Slalom has partnered with Feeding America](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america) — the largest charitable food network in the US — to combat food insecurity. Composed of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries, Feeding America serves every county in the US. Their mission is to not only feed those in line but also end the line through innovative programming and partnerships, food bank capacity-building, and advocacy. In collaboration with Microsoft, Slalom is helping Feeding America achieve this bold aspiration through a multiyear digital transformation, helping the organization reduce waste, streamline its food donation process, and provide the appropriate foods to the communities it serves. Highlights of this transformation include: - Building a charitable food-sourcing platform, [MealConnect](https://mealconnect.org/), that streamlines the donation process by connecting large produce donors with the nearest food bank - Sourcing 300M+ pounds (and counting) of produce, translating to 217M nutritional meals - Keeping produce out of landfills and reducing CO2 emissions by over 164M+ pounds — the equivalent of removing 16,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year​ - Using data to serve over 1M community members, advance local and state advocacy efforts, and optimize food bank service areas - Connecting 10K+ community members with state and federal assistance programs - Saving food banks an estimated $150M to date, with the potential to save nearly $500M in services and fees Creating a better future While these solutions give us a better understanding of food supply and demand, there is tremendous potential to implement AI and ML capabilities to further optimize the charitable food industry. Imagine if a food bank could receive notifications for recently donated produce based on proximity, travel time, shelf life, and inventory levels. Or imagine helping food banks forecast patterns, allowing them to proactively source the products they need. These possibilities may soon become a reality through our continued partnership with Feeding America. Through a market-driven approach and transformative technology capabilities, Slalom is committed to fostering healthy, thriving communities by continuing to drive progress in addressing SDOH and their most foundational needs. With advancements in technology and innovative partnerships, the impact on food security can change the lives of millions of people in food-insecure households throughout the US. Share insight --- title: AI and innovation: Transform ideas into impact in weeks url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # AI and innovation: Transform ideas into impact in weeks - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-ai-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Embrace the opportunity to build a more viable future by bringing innovation into your day-to-day—for your business, customers, and employees. ## Body AI and innovation: Transform ideas into impact in weeks AI and innovation | Fortune | Slalom Embrace the opportunity to build a more viable future by bringing innovation into your day-to-day—for your business, customers, and employees. Accelerating Business Innovation with AI | Ideas to Impact Share article Since ChatGPT hit the open market over a year ago, how many ideas have your team members shared about leveraging generative AI? Over 100? 200? More importantly, how many of them were relevant or implemented? With the growing popularity of generative AI, a question looms large for business leaders: How can you harness this wave of technological potential to capture, prioritize, and execute ideas swiftly and effectively? It starts with bringing innovation from theory to reality. “Innovation is no longer managed by a siloed team nor is it a catchy term to throw out in meetings and presentations,“ says Ali Minnick, Slalom’s global head of business advisory services. “It should be a constant practice in every organization.“ Unquestionably, 2023 was the year of experimentation. As you settle into 2024 and start planning for 2025, your stakeholders will expect regular evidence that your ideas and experiments are generating results. A structured and measurable approach to innovation is now as critical to your company’s future as finance, marketing, sales, or IT. It s time to establish your organization’s approach to innovation that enables you to support and grow ideas while helping you measure the ROI. An approach that generates energizing results We recently partnered with a large renewable energy company that wanted to methodically test, measure, and build their most innovative ideas for AI. This company has an ambitious and incredibly important goal: a decarbonized future. By building a process to rapidly mobilize innovation, Slalom helped the organization begin driving impact to the areas that matter most: - Their business In eight weeks, they identified and prioritized 36 use cases, representing tens of millions of dollars in business value. They now have a process for rapidly scaling the right ideas across the organization and, most importantly, business cases for every idea moving into production. - Their customers Through the betterment of the world and a vision of a brighter future, this company’s goal affects all of us. By implementing an end-to-end innovation process, they can test and prioritize life-altering use cases to drive renewable energy growth more quickly. - Their people Your best ideas are fueled by your people. A large part of this effort was evolving their talent strategy and empowering their people to play a crucial role in generating ideas and bringing them to life. They now have a recruiting engine to help drive the culture and brand of their innovation hub and a clearer view of talent needs. The daily focus on innovation also helped existing team members develop new ways of working and thinking. Making it real [According to our research](https://go.slalom.com/l/209772/2023-10-10/3ks3yj/209772/1696956327Cr1K6RSy/Slalom___The_AI_Enigma_Research_Report___2023.pdf), roughly seven in 10 executives plan to increase investments in AI innovations in 2024. That said, Forbes estimates that [roughly 50% of innovation outcomes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriklarson/2023/10/25/five-reasons-why-innovation-decisions-succeed-25x-more-often-at-top-companies/?sh=52439cc45ec7) don’t live up to expectations. So how do you ensure that you’re investing in the right ideas from the outset? We call this proven approach to quickly realizing the value from innovation “The Impossible Factory.“ This method helps companies build the foundation for rapid prototyping, testing, and scaling of innovative ideas. By getting hands-on with strategy from the outset, businesses can measure the value generated from their innovation efforts at every step of the process. This approach focuses on five main objectives: - The ability to generate and refine ideas Every team in your organization should be generating ideas, especially those closest to your customer or end user. To encourage employees at all levels to contribute their insights and ideas for new use cases, you need a system that makes it easy to submit ideas and a process for scoping and refining them. - Alignment to strategic priorities Not all ideas are created equal, which is why it’s crucial to align and prioritize ideas based on your company and customer strategy. This ensures that you’re allocating resources efficiently and addressing the most valuable ideas first. This framework also validates and prioritizes milestones along the roadmap. - Clear line of sight into ROI Each idea should start with a value hypothesis. If this idea is brought to life, what will you unlock? What impact will it have? By clearly defining expected value up front and monitoring it at every milestone, you can keep a close eye on potential ROI. If something’s not performing as it should, it may be time to deprioritize and move on to another idea. - Rapid prototyping Assumptions and unknowns equate to risk. By rapidly testing ideas, you’re determining what to invest in and scale. It’s an iterative process that helps you quickly identify viable solutions without wasting time on concepts that don’t produce value. Focusing on lower-fidelity outputs during the testing process helps you get to a decision faster. - Enablement through governance and cross-functional teams By using governance to monitor and mitigate risks, you’re providing a safety net for experimentation. This gives your cross-functional team of designers, engineers, strategists, and domain experts the opportunity to refine, measure, design, and deliver ideas quickly while also iteratively improving your governance model. Your company’s approach should support these objectives to not only generate ideas but quickly move the best ones forward and accelerate your time to value. This focus will lead to a continuous, sustainable innovation model that allows you to anticipate the needs of your customers, offer products and services that grow your bottom line, and keep your best people engaged and involved in the process. Innovation isn’t optional There will be more innovations in the next year than we saw in the last decade. This surge in technological advancement gives leaders the opportunity to rethink what they want their company to look like in the future. Innovation can’t be a separate function that’s disconnected from day-to-day decision-making—it needs to become a core part of the business. Implementing a structured and sustainable innovation approach breaks down communication barriers across stakeholders, allowing for early alignment and faster decision-making. It allows you to design and deliver real, measurable value at a disruptive pace and lower cost. Embrace the opportunity to build a more viable future by bringing innovation into your day-to-day—for your business, customers, and employees. This article was written by Slalom in support of our partnership with Fortune. Visit the [Slalom-sponsored AI hub](https://fortune.com/topic/making-business-better/) spotlighting the companies using AI to change the world for the better and exploring how technology and innovation can address society’s biggest challenge. --- title: People don’t like customer service. Soon, they will love it. url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # People don’t like customer service. Soon, they will love it. - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-artificial-intelligence-customer-service - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary In a fast-paced world where AI will continue evolving and customers will seek more than just answers, human experiences are the linchpin to strengthening customer-company loyalty for years to come. ## Body People don’t like customer service. Soon, they will love it. In a fast-paced world where AI will continue evolving and customers will seek more than just answers, human experiences are the linchpin to strengthening customer-company loyalty for years to come. Fortune | Artificial Intelligence | Slalom AI Customer Service | Enhancing Experience with AI How AI is leveling the playing field for customer experience Share article AI serves as a catalyst for making business better by enabling elevated customer experiences. AI will level the playing field for customer experiences, which means the old ways of retaining customers and holding market share are over. Your new goal? Differentiation through human experience. You know the feeling of a horrendous customer experience. A canceled flight you can’t rebook in time to make an important event. A lost package that cannot be tracked. Disputing unexpected charges in your utility bill. Poor customer experience feels like an inevitable truth we as consumers need to accept and companies need to mitigate. At its core, your customer’s experience is based on relationships—with your product or offering, your brand, and the service you provide them. And nowhere is that customer service relationship more volatile—or primed for an overhaul—than in your contact center. There’s a lot of talk about how AI, particularly generative AI (Gen AI), has the power to fuel this contact center rebirth. These speculations focus mainly on use cases that lead to lower costs and increased simplicity for companies. But this perspective overlooks the real impact of AI, which is how it will fundamentally change the relationship between a consumer and your company. AI is about to level the playing field by giving all your customers a remarkable experience—presenting you with the risk of falling behind or the opportunity to differentiate. Your contact center is about to change In today’s world of contact centers, a fundamental truth about managing customer relationships determines how efficiently they’re served. The higher value a customer is deemed, the better the experience they receive through faster access to quality information, typically provided by more experienced agents. The lower the customer value, the lesser the experience—these customers are usually driven to self-service more aggressively. When they seek live support, they are often relegated to lengthier response times and channels such as email, often with a less experienced customer service agent. Today, most contact centers use access to information and knowledgeable employees to better service high-value customers. customer expected value loyalty For example, imagine you’re a retail executive trying to service your most valuable customers quickly and accurately. To do so, you connect them with the most experienced agents and accurate information that will efficiently solve their problems. This prioritization might mean you ensure they have increased support for finding a lost package and potentially an instant replacement—a better experience overall because of their value to your company. But what happens to your expected customer service when everyone can quickly access high-quality answers and service due to the inevitable automation through AI? AI: The leveler of experiences With AI becoming increasingly better at delivering answers, the traditional notion of ”knowledge is power” no longer holds the same weight it once did. A recent [study](https://go.slalom.com/AIResearch2023) by Slalom revealed that 70% of executives plan to boost their AI investments in 2024. We predict that a substantial amount—30%-40%—will focus on enhancing customer service through improved access to knowledge and information, emphasizing the urgency for companies to evolve. Success in customer service will soon be defined by the speed at which AI can deliver experiences for all customers. In your contact center, this means no difference for customers of differing value levels to reach the service they need. With AI enabling answers in seconds, there will be no knowledge or process gap in expertise between your most experienced agent and the new hire, no chatbot delay, and no lack of readily accessible answers on website FAQs. AI will swiftly find solutions from knowledge sources, tailor them to customer needs, and present them at an unprecedented speed, surpassing any current technology or agent. Soon, all customers will have access to knowledgeable resources and insights in a timely fashion, thanks to AI. Companies today are already leveraging AI to close the gap in experiences and services for their customers: - A global airline is leveraging generative AI to improve traveler communications, generating empathetic messages based on the traveler’s situation. - A global beauty and skin-care brand uses advanced consumer sentiment and feedback monitoring to deliver personalized content and product recommendations tailored to individual preferences and trends. - A leading electric vehicle manufacturer is using predictive analytics to identify mechanical issues before they become a problem—even ordering the necessary parts and shipping them to the service center on behalf of the owner, resolving a significant pain point of vehicle ownership. The days of navigating frustrating phone menus, confusing websites, and endless hold times are over. Once you train your AI on the right and wrong answers, your systems will produce only the correct answers for your customer service organizations, unlike when humans drive all interactions. The new normal will be swift, tailored assistance powered by AI across channels. As AI levels the field of knowledge across people and companies, what do you do when your old ways of connecting with loyal customers to retain share disappear? The answer is clear: to stand out in this AI-driven world, you must automate responsibly and focus on creating additional differentiation through the power of humans. Humans: The amplifier of experiences Behind every exceptional customer experience is an empowered workforce. With AI helping serve customers more effectively, employees can work on more purpose-filled functions that transform the customer-company relationship. The leveled experience landscape means you need a clear vision and definition of what value your customer service and contact center organizations deliver moving forward. While automation can improve customer service and the agent experience, it is a double-edged scenario: automating everything you can risks eliminating meaningful opportunities to connect with your customers personally. Automating everything you should focuses on automating responsibly: the high-frequency, repetitive customer issues—such as proactively communicating package updates or billing reminders. This focus enables agent time to be spent on more impactful problem-solving and connection. The impact of employees on customer experiences extends beyond their time allocation; it’s also about the quality of interactions. Consider two important life scenarios requiring customer service interactions. In the first, you experience a death in the family, causing you to cancel a flight. Upon calling the airline, you’re greeted by a human agent who listens, shares condolences for your loss, and quickly issues a refund. In another scenario, it’s your daughter’s 10th birthday, so you order a special present, which is delayed. A human representative sees the inquiry and not only ensures on-time delivery but adds an additional surprise gift. AI-powered automation can’t drive the empathy and decision-making that only human employees can provide you in these moments. From the employee’s perspective, they can use their time and empowerment to truly affect your life—making each interaction better and more meaningful. Grandfather and granddaughter Chicago Cubs fans. [Virgin Voyages](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages), for instance, recently launched ”Vivi”—one of the first Generative AI-powered chatbots. The cruise company recognized that most potential customers often spent hours sifting through FAQs or engaging with contact center chatbots to find answers to commonly asked questions. Through humanlike interactions, Vivi provides customers with a personalized, automated experience that significantly reduces their search time, allowing human agents to spend more time helping customers curate the perfect vacation experience. Read story This article was written by Slalom in support of our partnership with Fortune. Visit the [Slalom-sponsored AI hub](https://fortune.com/topic/making-business-better/) spotlighting the companies using AI to change the world for the better and exploring how technology and innovation can address society’s biggest challenge. The key to differentiation and creating unique brand loyalty will be defined by intangible assets we call ” customer love ” : - How do customer service representatives make people feel? - What access do they have to create unique experiences by adding extra perks or benefits? - What authority do they have to make decisions? Leveraging AI to improve how customer service employees work is a win-win scenario that initiates a virtuous cycle. A content and engaged workforce translates into improved customer experiences, ultimately driving increased customer loyalty and fostering long-term success. The result? Elevated employee confidence, expedited issue resolution, and satisfied and delighted customers. Infusing AI with a human touch through digital people Sometimes, a live person may not be needed, but the human element is enough. Digital humans, when implemented correctly, can offer deeply personalized, empathetic, and humanlike experiences, handling your various customer needs, from product recommendations to technical support. Digital humans are particularly valuable in sensitive areas like healthcare. They engage with patients for procedural aspects like screening, improving the patient experience, and reducing administrative burdens, allowing medical practitioners to focus on critical tasks. However, using digital humans comes with the same concerns often raised about AI. According to a Slalom study, this is especially relevant in secure industries such as personal banking, where 57% of people are hesitant to interact with a digital representative due to privacy concerns. However, the study also indicated that individuals are generally more likely to make privacy concessions where the value exchange is transparent. As trust in these technologies grows, opportunities to expand the scope of digital representatives within your company will emerge. You can currently off-load repetitive tasks onto digital people, striking the appropriate balance between the customer’s expectations to retain a secure yet empathetic interaction and the business objective to leverage AI to reduce operational costs. A world where customers are always surprised and delighted Customer service of the future would be nearly unrecognizable to you today. Customers will enjoy constant delight through personalized touchpoints, fast answers, and practical solutions to their problems. Consider the future of service your contact center provides a spectrum with different blends of human and technology combinations that can solve customer challenges. Differentiation won’t come exclusively through leveraging AI and automation; it will come from how you combine them with the power of humans—their creativity, decision-making, and empathy—making your organization stand out to your customers. As AI transforms the customer service landscape, you face the challenge of standing out in a world where exceptional service becomes the norm. To start: - Close the experience gap: Use AI to automate responsibly. Start by curating information into referenceable sources from which agents and bots can answer customer inquiries. Standardize the knowledge to be shared and establish governance to ensure up-to-date information meets your organization’s vision for the customer service experience. - Identify your differentiator for next-level experiences: When experience is leveled, how will your company stand out? What will you offer customers that no one else can? Where does the potential exist in your business to activate these principles currently, and how will you measure the effectiveness and impact of doing so? Consider the customer issue use cases and how each might be solved with different human and technology combinations and your company's approach to customer love . - Empower differentiation through human experiences: Lean into the employee experience, where it can be an engine for customer experience and exceptional service. Leverage your employees’ human decision-making and creativity to deliver authentic, meaningful experiences and ensure you empower and enable frontline brand representatives. Where appropriate – explore supplementing through digital people. In a fast-paced world where AI will continue evolving and customers will seek more than just answers, human experiences are the lynchpin to strengthening customer-company loyalty for years to come. Share insight --- title: The future of work Something AI can’t predict url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The future of work Something AI can’t predict - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary A future where humans aren’t replaced by AI, but overflowing inboxes and redundant meetings are replaced by more time to be strategic and enjoy that first cup of coffee. ## Body The future of work Something AI can’t predict Something AI can’t predict | Slalom Thriving organizations will need a workforce that acts with curiosity, embraces new experiences, and fosters a culture of experimentation. A future where humans aren’t replaced by AI, but overflowing inboxes and redundant meetings are replaced by more time to be strategic and enjoy that first cup of coffee. Artificial Intelligence in Business and Workforce Transformation The future of work: Something AI can’t predict (but you can create) Share Picture this: by the time you pour your morning cup of coffee and settle into your workday, AI systems have already analyzed global market trends and generated strategic recommendations tailored to you. Rather than having a personal assistant comb through emails, you receive an automated summary of messages received since you were last online, provided in order of urgency. A reminder for your first meeting pops up on your screen, along with the agenda, outstanding action items, and key decisions to be made. No, you’re not dreaming—this scenario is possible due to recent AI advancements. However, this new reality has sparked concerns among employees regarding job displacement and knowledge workers being rendered obsolete. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to understand—and share—one important distinction: AI isn’t coming for our jobs—it’s coming to our jobs. Much like how the introduction of computers and the internet revolutionized jobs in the past, some work will go away, some will be augmented, and types of work we never even considered will emerge. [The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports](https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/01/14/ai-will-transform-the-global-economy-lets-make-sure-it-benefits-humanity) that 60% of jobs are likely to be affected by AI, meaning every senior leader plays a role in evolving the workforce. But shaping the future of work is a tall task for any leader. And as much as you might want to buy the workplace of the future by investing in a new tool or off-the-shelf training (or, better yet, ask generative AI to create it for you), it needs to be cultivated by prioritizing skill development, building innovative talent strategies, and demonstrating courageous leadership. Cultivate organizational adaptability In our recent [survey](https://go.slalom.com/AIResearch2023) of C-suite executives, the more “human skills” of creativity and critical thinking ranked higher than technical skills for the AI-driven workforce. And with the growing accessibility of AI tools and products, more nontechnical workers are leveraging AI, leading to the emergence of what we call citizen developers.” Even without a formal engineering background, these citizen developers can use AI tools to assist in software development and other complex activities. The modern worker is a citizen developer who harnesses the power of AI to effortlessly tackle tech-heavy tasks with no IT background needed. So with AI at our fingertips, how do you empower teams to leverage their human skill sets while embracing this new technology? In our work equipping hundreds of organizations with AI, it all comes down to adaptability. Thriving organizations will need a workforce that acts with curiosity, embraces new experiences, and fosters a culture of experimentation. This ability to effortlessly adapt to new technologies directly influences your customers and business performance. While the metrics of intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ) are often used to gauge individual and team abilities, we use the adaptability quotient (AQ) to measure the ability to adapt. One way to do so is with Slalom’s “SHIFT” model—a lens to help focus, evaluate, and improve adaptability. Cultivating adaptability in your organization requires you to support and encourage different behaviors, modeled in Slalom’s SHIFT framework. As technology continues to evolve, you need to move your attention from traditional development to fostering adaptability in your people and teams. The SHIFT view can help you identify the behaviors you need to encourage in your teams and address any gaps. Rethink your talent strategy It’s not enough to pinpoint the skills required for the future of work—you also need to create the environment for these skills to grow and thrive. Our [survey](https://go.slalom.com/AIResearch2023) found that 41% of US executives see a lack of skilled personnel as a major hurdle in their AI transformations. It’s time to rethink how your talent development strategies equip your teams to learn new skills and tools. This evolution starts with: - Reconsidering your hiring focus. How are you hiring for adaptability? Do you have the tools and processes in place to recruit and hire for human skills such as critical thinking, scenario planning, and collaboration? Consider challenging historical norms such as degree requirements. As AI and learning opportunities expand, people are acquiring skills in novel ways, requiring a broader search for talent in unexpected places. And this shift in hiring focus goes both ways, with job seekers prioritizing positions that offer access to these new technologies. - Creating a culture of learning in your organization. If you wait for formalized AI learning programs, you’ll quickly fall behind. Adopt a continuous learning approach that integrates external education, technical certifications, on-the-job training, and formal in-house learning while encouraging employees to regularly engage and experiment. - Focused AI tool use. Determining the perfect human-AI pairings—as well as where people and machines work best on their own—can be daunting. Start by examining the daily tasks of your employees to determine the potential for AI augmentation, then prioritize tasks that can be automated and add value in your planning. A global CPG organization wanted to enable AI within their teams to improve their workflows but wasn’t sure which changes would provide the most value. Using Slalom’s EnhanceIQ methodology, we assessed 20 departments, 500 roles, and 10,000 tasks to determine which tasks should be automated, augmented, or substituted. The company now has a customized AI roadmap that provides clear prioritization of which tasks should be automated and clarity on how their employees’ roles will evolve in the future. A global CPG organization wanted to enable AI within their teams to improve their workflows but wasn’t sure which changes would provide the most value. Using Slalom’s EnhanceIQ methodology, we assessed 20+ departments, 500+ roles, and 10,000+ tasks to determine which tasks should be automated, augmented, or substituted. The company now has a customized AI roadmap that provides clear prioritization of which tasks should be automated and clarity on how their employees’ roles will evolve in the future. Through assessing thousands of tasks, we identified which should be augmented or substituted by AI, helping the organization determine how employee jobs should operate in the future. A global CPG organization wanted to enable AI within their teams to improve their workflows but wasn’t sure which changes would provide the most value. Using Slalom’s EnhanceIQ methodology, we assessed 20+ departments, 500+ roles, and 10,000+ tasks to determine which tasks should be automated or augmented. The company now has a customized AI roadmap that provides clear prioritization and clarity on how their employees’ roles will evolve in the future. Through assessing thousands of tasks, we identified which should be augmented or automated by AI, helping the organization determine how employee jobs should operate in the future. An AI-powered workforce requires an environment that prioritizes adaptable skills, enables flexible and efficient learning, and optimizes AI tool use while allowing employees the space to test, learn, and iterate. Creating the culture and psychological safety for this level of employee-driven experimentation starts with one group: leadership. Lead by example The cringeworthy refrain “That’s not how we do things here” is especially troubling when it comes to AI. Companies might have been able to drag their feet around investments such as cloud migration in the past, but AI has permeated every part of the workplace, calling for a reinvention of leadership behaviors. In practical terms, you must become a [business technologist](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era). These hybrid leaders embrace the role of AI, are curious and excited about emerging technologies, and can see how combining business acumen with these new tools will differentiate their organization. This shift requires a vulnerability if you don’t consider yourself a technologist. Start by being transparent about your own AI skill evolution. Create open learning sessions for teams to connect and grow together. Struggling with engineering prompts to get the output you envision? Share where you went wrong and ask for help. Curious about the different tools on the market? Explore free trials and test alongside your employees. As you begin to see productivity gains through using new tools, apply that time toward keeping updated on the latest AI advancements. By immersing yourself, you can develop your skills faster and establish the culture of learning and adaptability you’ll need to guide others in an AI-driven world. A stronger workforce and better outcomes We all share basic business aspirations: strong returns, consistent growth, and happy customers. Achieving these outcomes starts with your people—from the skills you cultivate to the learning environment you create—and the example leadership sets. As companies navigate this shift, the focus needs to be on fostering adaptability, updating your talent strategy, and revisiting how your leadership approaches AI. Thriving organizations are thinking beyond keeping pace with technological advances to embrace a future where AI and humans collaborate to better serve customers and differentiate their organizations. A future where humans aren’t replaced by AI, but overflowing inboxes and redundant meetings are replaced by more time to be strategic and enjoy that first cup of coffee. Share insight This article was written by Slalom in support of our partnership with Fortune. Visit the [Slalom-sponsored AI hub](https://fortune.com/topic/making-business-better/) spotlighting the companies using AI to change the world for the better and exploring how technology and innovation can address society’s biggest challenge. --- title: AI Research Webinar 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/foundation-ai-transformation-form source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/foundation-ai-transformation-form locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # AI Research Webinar 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/foundation-ai-transformation-form - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/foundation-ai-transformation-form - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary From AI strategy to execution: how leading organizations scale AI, measure ROI, and embed AI into core workflows. ## Body AI Research Webinar 2026 Built to evolve: the foundation for AI and what's next The foundation behind successful AI transformation—and why trusted data, modern platforms, and adaptability matter more than chasing the latest technology. From AI strategy to execution: how leading organizations scale AI, measure ROI, and embed AI into core workflows. Built to evolve: the foundation for AI and what's next A leadership conversation with CRISP Shared Services, Microsoft, Databricks, and Slalom. Hear how CRISP Shared Services (CSS) partnered with Microsoft, Databricks, and Slalom to build the trusted data foundation needed to adapt, innovate, and scale in an evolving technology landscape. Join this executive discussion to explore why strong foundations, modern platforms, and trusted data remain the key to unlocking future AI opportunities and long-term business value. What you'll learn - Why trusted data remains the foundation for successful AI transformation - How modern platforms help organizations move from experimentation to enterprise adoption - What it takes to build adaptable foundations that evolve as technology changes - How governance, trust, and human expertise support long-term AI success - Why organizations create the most value when AI is connected to decisions, operations, and business priorities --- title: Four myth—and several truths—about change management url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/four-myths-and-several-truths-about-change-management source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/four-myths-and-several-truths-about-change-management locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Four myth—and several truths—about change management - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/four-myths-and-several-truths-about-change-management - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/four-myths-and-several-truths-about-change-management - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The key to avoiding change frustration is making sure the business leaders driving the change have the right mindset. ## Body Four myth—and several truths—about change management The truth about change management | Slalom The key to avoiding change frustration is making sure the business leaders driving the change have the right mindset. Four myths—and several truths—about change management Share insight coworkers talking in a meeting beige suit jacket The outcome of any change initiative is predictable, based on the mindsets of organizational leaders. Success can only be achieved if they have the right beliefs. It’s well known that only 30% of large-scale organizational transformations succeed. This success rate was first uncovered in 1996 by [John Kotter](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6495), but current research continues to prove that this disappointing statistic remains true. So, what can business leaders do to avoid being among the other 70%? With over 12 years of experience consulting for business transformations, I’ve observed a common pattern: the leaders of companies whose transformation efforts fall into the 70% failure rate — even when they engage change management consultants — share several common misguided beliefs about change. In this article, I summarize my observations into four myths that get in the way of successful change adoption and result instead in “change frustration.” I also share the perspectives of workplace culture expert Ed Frauenheim on change management in flatter organizational structures. The four myths (and their corresponding truths) It won’t come as a surprise that the mindset of the leaders driving the change is the key ingredient to change success or change frustration. Everyone means well and wants to achieve a positive outcome for their organization and their career. But the wrong mindset can ruin good intentions. Falling victim to one or more of the following myths can trip up an otherwise well-designed change initiative. On the other hand, leaders who drive change successfully subscribe to a different set of truths from their frustrated peers. Myth #1 When announcing a change, receiving no questions means we did a great job communicating. Corresponding truth #1 No questions may mean that people probably are not feeling psychologically safe to ask them, or haven’t been given a safe space to do so. Silence isn’t always a sign of assent and understanding. Instead, it’s a prompt for leaders to learn more in individual and small-group settings. [Research](https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/who-killed-nokia-nokia-did) has shown that organizational fear has played a major role in some corporate downfalls of leading brands that failed to embrace change disruption. Temperamental leaders who aren’t open to listening to different perspectives will miss the opportunity to hear the truth of whether their strategies are as effective as they think. When organizational fear is present, nobody wants to be the one delivering bad news, leading to unproductive silence, filtered information, false optimism, or lies. When feedback doesn’t flow upward, top management is left in the dark about what is really going on on the ground. Whenever a change is announced, it’s important to create spaces to listen to genuine employee feedback, and it’s even better to listen to employees before the change occurs to make informed decisions including their perspectives. Myth #2 Sending a well-written, clear email, from the change sponsor explaining the changes is enough communication. Corresponding truth #2 Communication is more effective when it’s personal and humane. Leaders should prioritize in-person meetings, short videos, and online calls to communicate major changes. You can send supporting documents through email, but other methods are often more effective. In-person communication opens the channel to a two-way conversation, making it easier for employees to share their thoughts, whereas email communication does not provide respondents with an avenue to share their genuine reactions. One great example of a company that does this well is [CarMax](https://www.carmax.com/). They have successfully adapted to changing environments over the years, which is why there are numerous [case studies](https://www.cio.com/article/234852/why-carmax-s-shock-the-system-digital-strategy-is-working.html) in prestigious academic institutions and business magazines about their digital transformation approach. CarMax takes employee feedback to the next level with its product team model — small, empowered product teams of cross-functional and omnichannel associates. The product teams are self-sufficient and self-directed; they know their KPI goals and are accountable to senior leadership. The teams also operate with a high level of transparency. Every two weeks, there are open houses for employees, where someone from each group presents their accomplishments regarding their business objectives, with the senior leadership team regularly in attendance. CarMax is truly a bottom-up organization instead of a top-down one, and all employees are empowered to make change decisions with direct visibility to leadership. Myth #3 People will accept changes if they are communicated to the entire organization by a C-suite member. Corresponding truth #3 Announcements from C-suite members are a form of executive sponsorship, which is key for change adoption. In fact, executive sponsorship is one of the strongest predictors of successful transformations. However, people also receive change news better when it comes from people in closer proximity to them, such as their managers. People leaders who can articulate the initiative and field hard questions instill confidence in employees. People want to hear about changes directly from their people managers. Hearing things once in a staff meeting, or reading an email, is often not enough. Employees consistently report feeling more psychologically safe going through a change when their people manager is informed and able to answer their questions. Ultimately, it is better if change news can be delivered initially by people managers in an individual setting, prior to larger staff-meeting announcements. A best practice is to have a standing agenda to address news and reactions related to the change throughout team meetings, one-on-one touchpoints, and later staff meetings. Myth #4 Asking for additional clarity on decisions made by executives makes a leader look junior, especially if they are in the C-suite. Corresponding truth #4 Psychological safety at the C-suite level sets the tone for the risks people are willing to take for the sake of change. Executive teams with effective group dynamics, where changes can be respectfully discussed and constructive disagreements can inform better decisions, tend to have higher levels of cross-departmental collaboration during times of change. Even seasoned leaders may need help to understand a new initiative and how it affects their processes and their people. Leaders can’t support a change if they don’t fully understand how it will affect them and their team — and their people will feel it. They won’t get that clarity without asking difficult questions. Creating a strong sense of psychological safety at the C-suite level will have a ripple effect throughout the organization, as asking respectful questions will benefit the organization overall and increase its agility to adapt to changes. Some of the top US companies mandate trainings on psychological safety and failure tolerance where leaders [share their own stories of failure](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/psychological-safety-workplace). An alternative to command-and-control What I’ve described above are myths and truths about change management at traditional organizations that have a top-down hierarchical structure, where decisions are generally made by those at the top of an organizational pyramid. The truths I’ve outlined speak to the need to move away from command-and-control leadership to include employees more effectively. To get additional perspective on change management in flatter organizational structures, I reached out to Ed Frauenheim, who has written dozens of articles about the best workplaces for Fortune , and asked him to share his insights on what we can learn about managing change in teal organizations, which are less hierarchical than typical companies. According to Ed, teal organizations have three main principles: - First, they practice self-management, meaning they distribute decision-making power much more than in traditional businesses. - Second, they embrace holism, which means they invite people to show up to work as their whole selves — including emotions and intuitions they may be feeling. - Third, they have an evolving sense of purpose, meaning they’re constantly sensing how the organization is called to change in response to the world around it. Change management often looks very different at teal organizations compared to traditional organizations because change is just as likely to come from the front lines, or “bottom” of the organization as it is from senior leaders. In general, there’s an expectation that people who want to change something will consult with team members on how the initiative will affect all. With far fewer changes imposed on the organization by those at the top, there’s less resistance and faster adoption by people throughout the organization. If leaders don’t embrace a new mindset, their change efforts are likely to be more difficult. But if they do evolve toward a more inclusive, psychologically safe style, they’re likely to see their organizations in the successful 30% of transformations. https://medium.com/tag/change-management?source=post_page-----14beb37682fe---------------change_management----------------- --- title: From Luddite to Shoshin: Holding on to our creative spirits in the face of AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/from-luddite-to-shoshin--holding-on-to-our-creative-spirits-in-t source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/from-luddite-to-shoshin--holding-on-to-our-creative-spirits-in-t locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # From Luddite to Shoshin: Holding on to our creative spirits in the face of AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/from-luddite-to-shoshin--holding-on-to-our-creative-spirits-in-t - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/from-luddite-to-shoshin--holding-on-to-our-creative-spirits-in-t - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Yes, AI will take our jobs as we know them. But who said it will replace us? ## Body From Luddite to Shoshin: Holding on to our creative spirits in the face of AI Yes, AI will take our jobs as we know them. But who said it will replace us? Share insight If you were around during the famous [Garry Kasparov versus Deep Blue chess matches](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/05/kasparov-deep-blue-queens-gambit/) that catapulted AI into the spotlight in the 1990s, you’ll remember the anticipation the world felt as we watched the most exciting battle of man against machine since the Industrial Revolution. Considered the greatest chess player in history at the time, Kasparov won his 1996 match against IBM’s supercomputer 4–2. The world cheered. We had put our strongest human mind up against the strongest computer, and the human mind had won. But as we were gloating, the programmers at IBM kept working, and in 1997, Kasparov and Deep Blue matched wits again. Going into the sixth and final game of their rematch, the man and machine were tied 1:1 with three draws. Just 19 moves in, however, Kasparov shocked the world by resigning for the first time in his career. The chess community was confounded by his decision, pointing out that the position was still playable. Kasparov’s response was an inexplicable, “I lost my fighting spirit.” Society at large was disappointed, but we quickly reassured ourselves that chess is a very analytical game, and of course computers were bound to best us eventually. The world moved on. In the years since Kasparov’s resignation, the old-fashioned AI that powered Deep Blue has given way to “limited memory AI,” which uses deep learning algorithms and vast amounts of data to constantly improve its output. While today’s AI powers everything from social media to self-driving cars to the detection of disease, its rise has gone largely unquestioned — especially by creative professionals who have always believed that the cold logic of computers could never threaten our livelihoods. Even those who admit that the so-called general AI we see in movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Her could someday compete, most of us doubt such a breakthrough will happen in our lifetimes, if ever. However, the proliferation of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Bing, along with AI image generators, is finally challenging our stubborn belief that our careers — and creativity — are untouchable. I (Ronnie) had asked ChatGPT to write a nuanced story about some friends, and its output was so eerily real to me that it felt like a magic trick. But despite being impressed, I still felt that creative talent would always need to oversee AI-generated content. Amy, my coworker and collaborator, has closely followed the rise of computer-generated copy since Persado AI hit the scene in 2012. She argued that marketing would handle content oversight within five years and copywriters would be wise to consider their next moves. In the end, we agreed that AI will change the world in ways we can’t possibly imagine, and although it’s inevitable that the technology will soon absorb many of the tasks we currently consider integral to our disciplines, it’s equally inevitable that the creative mind is uniquely suited to survive — and thrive — in the new ecosystem. If creative professionals’ most stereotypical flaw is our oversized egos, perhaps it’s not surprising that even the most AI-aware among us take for granted that our disciplines will be the last to fall. When Amy admitted to a designer that she’d always thought UX design would go first, she was taken aback by his shock. It turns out that a copywriter’s vanity can’t help but assert that it’s only a few short steps from a 1990s-era chess computer to a complex series of algorithms that can iterate thousands of designs based on the best-performing sites on the entire internet, refine those designs against a brand’s strongest competitors, run mock user testing with dummy data, and output a handful of no-fail designs ready for immediate implementation … all within seconds. No — present-day AI isn’t yet capable of such a feat, but if this seems far-fetched, we need only to examine what ChatGPT is saying about itself. Marketer [Paras Surya recently posted on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7039221168670674945?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7039221168670674945%29) about an exchange he had with the LLM. When Surya entered, “How AI is making us not to be as creative,” ChatGPT’s output might as well have been a response to “Tell me you’re taking my job without telling me you’re taking my job.” According to ChatGPT, “AI has the potential to augment human creativity by providing new tools and resources to generate ideas, identify patterns, and test hypotheses.” In short, it precisely described the functions that underlie Amy’s futuristic UX generator. Even in its primitive state, AI is disrupting the creative industry. Whether we want to admit it or not, a significant portion of today’s LLM-generated content is good enough to work with, and any ROI-minded marketer will readily admit that it’s hard to justify paying for “great” content when “good enough” is free. The obvious conclusion is that it’s time to cede the grunt work — image searches, customer relationship management (CRM) creative, and certain UX elements, to name a few — to the bots and move into “big idea” territory. After all, limited memory AI, by its very nature, will never “think” like a human. While this is certainly true, we should keep in mind that if limited memory AI is already competent enough to take over just a small portion of creative duties, it’s only a matter of time before deep learning algorithms will crack the code on creativity itself. We may view our craft through a superstitious lens, but that doesn’t mean an AI application won’t find a method to our madness. Where there’s a pattern, AI will find it, and when it finds a pattern, AI will eventually replicate it. In the beginner’s mind there are many ideas; in the expert’s mind there are few. In the end, it matters very little whether general AI ever comes to pass, at least where our livelihoods are concerned. Limited memory AI is more than capable of faking it well enough to compete with the human mind, even when it comes to ideas. Years after his resignation to Deep Blue, Kasparov clarified that his position was only playable if the computer failed to play a perfect game, and he simply no longer believed it would make a suboptimal move. True as that may be, it’s a far cry from the deeply human emotion expressed in “I lost my fighting spirit.” As creative professionals facing similar odds, it’s tempting to indulge in the same maudlin mindset, or worse, to become “AI Luddites.” In fact, 21st-century copywriters have more in common with 19th-century knitters than most of us realize. “Luddite” may have become a modern moniker for anyone who eschews the use of technology, but the historical Luddites embraced all machines except one: the stocking frame. Oddly enough, stocking frames had quietly existed for two centuries before the Luddites started smashing them to bits, but nobody cared about the machines until textile manufacturers stopped paying artisans to operate them. Similarly, AI-generated copy has existed since 2012, with J.P. Morgan Chase [officially “hiring” Persado AI in 2019](https://www.persado.com/press-releases/jpmorgan-chase-announces-five-year-deal-with-persado-for-ai-powered-marketing-capabilities/). Most copywriters just didn’t notice until marketers could use the technology for free. Comparisons aside, the only useful wisdom we can glean from the Luddites is that the unwillingness to accept and embrace new technology doesn’t tend to age well. My first sense that I was falling into this trap occurred in 2009 when I asked a Rutgers user experience design (UXD) student whether he had concerns about how Google Glass might impact privacy. I was surprised when the student responded, “Gen Xers love to talk about privacy, but you don’t understand. We never had it, so we don’t value it the same way you do.” Although Google Glass now tops most lists of “bad tech,” the conversation should remind us that generational values are not necessarily static. College student Edward Tian speaks for many adults today when he says, “Humans deserve to know when something is written by a human or written by a machine.” But neither his ideals nor [the app he’s developing to combat the use of ChatGPT in academia](https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/01/17/1149206188/this-22-year-old-is-trying-to-save-us-from-chatgpt-before-it-changes-writing-for) are likely to stand the test of time. AI will continue its inexorable expansion — and future generations, inhabiting a world in which AI has always existed, are unlikely to care all that much. So, why are we so optimistic? Ignoring criticisms of creatives’ second-most-stereotypical flaw — pathological open-mindedness — it’s crucial to remember that longtime creatives have already adapted to tremendous change as an analog world became increasingly digital. When I started teaching the UXD course at Rutgers and Amy was just a few years into her copywriting career, smartphones were in their infancy, the iPad didn’t exist, and responsive design was wishful thinking. Testing a taxonomy was still done on index cards, one at a time. Solution Generative AI Impossible? That was yesterday By using generative AI to improve decision-making and efficiency, we create new opportunities for people to think creatively and innovate boldly. Read more How happy were we to hand over that painful task to online tools that can globally test thousands of users in seconds? In the last decade, countless manual duties that used to define creative careers have been eliminated by increasingly powerful software — or handed off to entirely new disciplines such as content design. From our perspective, the coming transition to AI-based tools is the natural next step in technology’s ongoing evolution, and new creative fields will continue to appear as the AI era takes shape. We’re not minimizing the massive upheaval the creative industry is about to experience, and we’re certainly not saying that we shouldn’t ever question AI. But ending the debate at “Will it take our jobs?” ignores the potential benefits of a powerful creative ally. Yes, AI will take our jobs as we know them, and the sooner we accept that, the happier we’ll be. But who said it will replace us? Returning to Paras Surya’s LinkedIn post, ChatGPT’s response also recommended that we should “view [AI] as an opportunity to expand the boundaries of human creativity and explore new possibilities.” As strange as it feels, we agree. It’s time to embrace AI, immerse ourselves in understanding it, and explore ways in which we can humanize it. Framing the perspective as one of openness versus dismissal, curiosity versus fear, and wonder versus discomfort will help us move into an uncertain future — and looking to the past may yet again illuminate our way. Long before Garry Kasparov lost his fighting spirit and the Luddites fought and lost, Zen philosophers were teaching the concept of Shoshin, which posits, “In the beginner’s mind there are many ideas; in the expert’s mind there are few.” For the creative professional, embracing Shoshin means letting go of being an “expert” writer or designer and instead contemplating what’s behind the words and images. The truth is that ideas are our true creative playground, regardless of how we choose to express them. Of course, it would be hubris to assume that AI will never compete with the human mind in the realm of the abstract, or that human ideas will always be better than those of a machine. But when AI inevitably catches up, it will find itself on an even playing field. After all, there is no “perfect game” in idea-land. Sometimes we’ll win and sometimes we’ll lose — but the matchup will always be exciting and the game will always be worth playing. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-customer-insight/from-luddite-to-shoshin-holding-on-to-our-creative-spirits-in-the-face-of-ai-cbe4df73e3eb?source=friends_link sk=940d0359572dfc06e2fc2e44670090c2). *Ronnie Battista is no longer at Slalom. --- title: The Future of Customer Experience Will Be Inclusive url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-customer-experience-inclusive source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-customer-experience-inclusive locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The Future of Customer Experience Will Be Inclusive - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-customer-experience-inclusive - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-customer-experience-inclusive - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how brands can adapt from an ethical, demographic, and economic standpoint; and how to get started on an inclusive CX journey. ## Body The Future of Customer Experience Will Be Inclusive Inclusive Customer Experience | Slalom Learn how brands can adapt from an ethical, demographic, and economic standpoint; and how to get started on an inclusive CX journey. The future customer experience will be inclusive Share insight The US has never been as diverse [as it is today](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/new-census-data-shows-the-nation-is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/). Forty-eight percent of Gen Z, the population born between 1997 and 2012, are non-white; one in four adults in America has a disability; and the LGBTQ+ community nears 8% of the US population. The stereotypical view of the “average American” needs to be expanded. Soon, inclusive customer experiences for brands will no longer be a nice-to-have, but an imperative. The notion of inclusiveness will become an inherent part of the experience. In this article, we explore the concept of inclusive customer experience (CX); why it’s imperative for brands to adapt from an ethical, demographic, and economic standpoint; and how to get started on an inclusive CX journey. What is inclusive customer experience? Building experiences with an inclusive first lens means that you deeply consider the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), customers with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community when researching, designing, and launching your product, service, or initiative. It also means that you assess and evaluate your decisions at every stage to determine who you are intentionally or unintentionally excluding. The goal is for customers of various backgrounds to feel welcomed, included, and respected. Your experience should feel like it is meant for these customer segments by acknowledging and reflecting their needs to them throughout their journey. If we agree with this definition, we should also agree that an inclusive customer experience should be the norm, not the exception. Several brands have already taken steps. Tommy Hilfiger created an accessible clothing line. Telfar has taken a gender-neutral approach to their clothing since its inception in 2005. Pinterest tools allow users to filter search results by skin-tone shade or hair-curl type. Sephora offers search parameters by personal characteristics when looking at reviews. Overall, an inclusive customer experience can yield long-term benefits for the company. For instance, Fenty Beauty [brought in $100 million](https://www.insider.com/rihanna-net-worth-how-she-makes-her-money-2022-8#shes-made-waves-in-the-beauty-industry-7) within the first 40 days of its launch in 2017 after being the first beauty brand to promote a shade-inclusive line. Forbes now estimates [Fenty Beauty to be worth $2.8 billion](https://www.insider.com/rihanna-net-worth-how-she-makes-her-money-2022-8#shes-made-waves-in-the-beauty-industry-7). The growing gap between customer experience and expectations However, the majority of brands are only at the onset of their journey. BIPOC, customers with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community still report feeling unwelcome, often disrespected, and deprioritized by brands and organizations. According to the Racial Bias in Retail study, two out of five shoppers report [experiencing discrimination based on their race or skin color](https://www.sephora.com/contentimages/belong/january2021/Sephora_RacialBias_eBook_DES_12-23-20_V12%20(1).pdf). This includes being followed by staff, ignored, denied discounts, and mistaken for sales associates. [Sixty-five percent of consumers with disabilities](https://www.sephora.com/contentimages/belong/january2021/Sephora_RacialBias_eBook_DES_12-23-20_V12%20(1).pdf) face limited choices due to various barriers when it comes to buying their daily needs. Most teams defining a customer, brand, or product strategy do not have a goal to intentionally exclude anyone from participating in their experience. But the outcome is still the same and the impact is often a substantial range of customers not feeling welcomed, a brand losing customer loyalty and trust, or the challenge of acquiring new customers. While change is a human-centered, inclusive imperative, a bad experience also has financial ramifications. What this means for brands Because customer experience and business outcomes are intertwined, the lack of an inclusive experience can have detrimental, long-term effects on the health of a business. This poses a problem today and will even more so tomorrow. Businesses miss opportunities to target populations with substantial purchasing power. In 2021, Nielsen reported LGTBQ+ households have amassed [$69.4B in buying power](https://nielseniq.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/05/Diverse-Voices_LGBT-Consumers.pdf). Similarly, Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native American consumers’ buying power has grown to [$2T, $1.3T, $1.6T, and $153B, respectively, as of 2021](https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/5-charts-understand-shopping-habits-of-us-hispanic-consumers). This pattern will accelerate soon since researchers predict Gen Z and millennials share of retail spend to grow to 48% by 2030. This is 16% more than today. The lack of inclusive experience also risks alienating a broader population. Gen Zers demonstrate a noticeable solidarity with communities experiencing discrimination. A 2020–21 study by Quantilope found that diversity and inclusion were important to [76% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials, compared to just 46% of boomers](https://www.quantilope.com/resources/insight-studies-consumers-expectations-around-diversity). Younger adults are more accepting of everyone’s unique identity. For instance, [65% of Gen Zers believe](https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/4000540/UNiDAYS%20FASHION%20PACK%202022-1.pdf) that brands should provide the option to search for gender-neutral clothing, according to the UNiDAYS Fashion Report of 2022. Not adapting to these trends means that brands will miss out on opportunities to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. Gen Zers have opened the door to a form of business where ethics prevail. Brands have no choice but to adapt. Seizing the day We celebrate this opportunity for change because inclusiveness is where customer trust, brand values, and ethical commerce meet. But where to start? Author Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term “intersectionality,” claims that if we build our efforts around people whose identities often sit at the margins and whose needs are frequently excluded, we will ultimately ensure more community members’ needs get met. If we apply similar thinking to customer experience, it gives us a lens to better consider whose needs we meet and serve within our experiences. Integrating this tenet into the way brands design their customer experience is a good starting point. The objective is not to re-create how a brand develops its customer strategy. Knowing customers through research and a continuous feedback loop, understanding where the business stands relative to internal and external factors as well as the competition, and having a strong vision and value proposition supported by a clear strategy and an actionable roadmap are all components that still apply. The notion of inclusion should permeate every step of that process and result in an inclusive customer journey. But you may want to question or challenge your customer experience approach: - Are there gaps in the experience between your existing personas and a customer with disability, a member of the BIPOC community, or someone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community? - Is inclusivity an integral part of the customer vision and strategy? - When building a product, are there any requirements that our team typically deprioritizes that would significantly improve the experience for these underserved groups? What inclusive CX feels like This intentional thinking is what helps customers feel welcomed by the brand experience because it embeds the signals they need to discover, identify, evaluate, and trust that the brand is meant for them. For example, it wasn’t until [TikToker Golloria George](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a44135537/golloria-george-shade-inclusivity/) tried Fenty Beauty that she felt “beautiful…[and] so seen” because not only had Fenty designed a foundation that matched her darker skin tone, but the entire makeup line had shades for her. When we evaluate Fenty for their inclusivity and explicit signals to customers that these products will work for them, we see the intentionality from the product shades to the range of models included in the marketing, and the ability to evaluate product reviews sorted by skin tone, age, and other characteristics. Signals need to be approached holistically, not just as journey touchpoints. Customers across BIPOC, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community care deeply about spending their money with brands that reflect their values. They are looking not only for signals that a brand can meet their needs, but also for brands to support their communities and causes. In a [2022 Edelman study on Gen Z brand trust](https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometer/special-report-new-cascade-of-influence/brand-trust-gravitational-force-gen-z), they reported that “when brands take a stand on human rights, climate, gender equity or racial justice, there is a 4-to-1 higher likelihood of purchase.” Focusing your CX strategy on inclusive customer experience is likely to improve brand perception, strengthen customer loyalty, and ultimately increase wallet share — all core performance metrics that brands track to measure success. Wrapping up This work isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. There’s no easy way out, but it’s the future. As you can see from the data and insights we have shared, future generations are looking for brands to reflect their values not only in marketing campaigns but within the products and services themselves. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how intrinsically interconnected these external inclusive experiences are to your company’s internal diversity and inclusion initiatives. An ability to hire and retain a diverse workforce helps prioritize the right cultural connections and avoid cultural missteps when engaging with customers. Slalom’s approach to customer strategy always begins with understanding our customers and their needs. While the approach to building inclusive customer experiences is no different, this work pushes us to look beyond our own worldviews and prioritize people’s needs that might look different from our own. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-customer-insight/the-future-of-customer-experience-will-be-inclusive-27074dc6d09c). Share story --- title: The future we dream: AI and design url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-dream-ai-design source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-dream-ai-design locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The future we dream: AI and design - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-dream-ai-design - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-dream-ai-design - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Human creativity is catalyzing the next wave of AI innovation ## Body The future we dream: AI and design Learn how human creativity is catalyzing the next wave of AI innovation. Human creativity is catalyzing the next wave of AI innovation Share The emergence of generative AI (GenAI) design software like Firefly, Dall-E, and a host of other applications has us barreling headlong into an era of perceived design democratization. Once largely thought to be the province of creatives with art degrees, anyone with access to the internet can now curate extraordinary, high-fidelity outputs, from hyperrealistic images and award-winning films to penned articles in the literary style of Hunter S. Thompson. This software is finding a rabid user base with business executives who are long on ideas but perhaps short on illustration skills, and can now play Walt Disney in boardrooms. In all corners of industry, AI is sourcing a stream of keywords into creative expressions and articulating compelling future visions that colleagues can believe in. But believability isn’t the measure of creativity. In other words, being able to visualize an idea does not in itself mean the idea is unique or progressive. Or even valuable. Albert Einstein once said, “Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” Rather than combining existing ideas into something interesting but familiar, the crafting of something truly different is foundational to breakthroughs. And this is where the tension between AI and design will spur change. As stated above, some say that AI precipitates the eventual and inevitable commoditization of design. That if algorithms can more cheaply and quickly articulate ideas, why would we keep expensive artists and writers? Why invest in long timelines for concepting, iterating, and refining if we can jump to the end and still conjure a serviceable output? The answer is simple: AI may be an extraordinary tool for aggregation and extrapolation, but it is not creative. The importance of avant-garde creativity through design in driving step-change innovation abounds in human history: from designing architectures for delivering electricity to designing semiconductors, from designing rotary devices to the interaction patterns of the iPhone, or from designing the first steam engine to the sustainable design of reusable space rockets. In each of these examples, creativity through design resulted in enormous leaps forward, manifested through art and science. In the case of AI, the science may be obvious (if not complex). But what of the art? Where does AI fit? AI and design Much is now known and plenty of words have been written about early possibilities with GenAI as it pertains to improving experiences: chatbots that sound like people but with faster, more precise answers; planners that consolidate large quantities of data to chart steps and record mundane tasks. But AI is still a predictive model, not a sentient being. It does not dream of new ideas without being queried or marvel spontaneously out of delight. Take, for example, modern service blueprint design. For many strategy endeavors, this is where we start: a human-centered approach to understanding how to make things better. Mapping every moment of a process, front and back of house, including the sentiment of the people involved, is how we uncover and prioritize opportunities for improvement. While AI might be able to quickly record notes and synthesize interviews, it will not marvel at and pull insights from sticky notes on the desk of an employee indicating work-arounds. It will not recognize inflections in the voice of an interviewee, indicating we could learn more if we reposition a question. AI might save us time, but it is still another tool. As is true with the emergence of the internet, the more AI can do in the future, the more we will be able to do, pushing AI further rather than being replaced by it . It is our human traits—curiosity, passion, and perspective—that provide the roadmap for AI and elevate more thoughtful experiences. The way forward Humans will lead. AI will help us go further. Chatbots are quickly becoming old news, so what’s next? Where will AI go from here once we cross the chasm of uncertainty and through the trough of disillusionment that is certainly coming after the hype cycle has faded? AI might never have invented Spanx, but it could have helped Sara Blakely secure her patent more quickly. It would not have written the solo in “Stairway to Heaven,” but it could have helped Jimmy Page transcribe the music. And it certainly would not have painted the Sistine Chapel, but perhaps it would have recommended a better way to preserve the plaster. Creativity from talented designers, strategists, and contrarian thinkers will illuminate the next tranche of use cases across healthcare, education, and myriad other industries. They are the artists who will use the science of AI as a canvas to further some of the biggest challenges we face: climate change, food scarcity, and a shrinking planet. It is thrilling. And it is incumbent on us to invest as heavily in those people who will take risks and venture into the unknown as the AI that will take us to the next chapter. Or, as Thompson wrote, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!’” Share insight Man sitting at a desk and drawing --- title: The future of experience: Real examples from CX leaders url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-experience-cx-leaders source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-experience-cx-leaders locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The future of experience: Real examples from CX leaders - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/future-experience-cx-leaders - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/future-experience-cx-leaders - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Advancements with generative AI and LLMs are reigniting focus on customer experience, ease, and satisfaction. ## Body The future of experience: Real examples from CX leaders Advancements with generative AI and LLMs are reigniting focus on customer experience, ease, and satisfaction. Experiences from CX Leaders | Slalom AI for Customer Experience: Enhancing Engagement with Data Share insight coworkers Market leaders recognize the power of putting the customer, and the customer’s experience, at the center of their business strategy to accelerate profit growth and capture market share. In fact, in their 10-Ks, Amazon ([#1](https://companiesmarketcap.com/e-commerce/largest-e-commerce-companies-by-market-cap/) in market segment), T-Mobile [(#3](https://companiesmarketcap.com/automakers/largest-automakers-by-market-cap/) in market segment), and Tesla ([#1](https://companiesmarketcap.com/automakers/largest-automakers-by-market-cap/) in market segment) directly state the impact of CX on their business strategy: [Amazon](https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2023/ar/Amazon-2022-Annual-Report.pdf): “To increase sales of products and services, we focus on improving all aspects of the customer experience […] and earning customer trust.” [T-Mobile](https://ir.tesla.com/_flysystem/s3/sec/000095017023001409/tsla-20221231-gen.pdf): “We have disrupted the wireless communications services industry by actively engaging with and listening to our customers and focusing on eliminating their existing pain points […] we are inspired by a relentless CX focus […] which drives our record-high customer satisfaction levels while enabling operational efficiencies.” [Tesla](https://s29.q4cdn.com/310188824/files/doc_financials/2022/ar/TMUS-2022-annual-report-final.pdf): “Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. We believe that this mission, along with our […] engineering expertise, vertically integrated […] business model and focus on user experience differentiate us from other companies.” In this final installment of our Future of Experience series, we bring CX behaviors to life by looking at case studies from industry-leading clients. CX leaders commit to six customer-centric behaviors, individually and collectively, to drive competitive advantage: - Invest in world-class research capabilities to capture, digest, and act on insights across multichannel interactions, inform customer desires, and protect against churn. - Commit to fostering cultures of community, flexibility, and trust across the organization with a customer vision and strategy that’s championed and driven by a curious, collaborative, and agile mindset. - Prioritize effectively to have a shared understanding of the highest-value customer segments to drive decision-making. - Champion test-and-learn by building nimble teams who commit to rapid prototyping approaches rooted in desirability, feasibility, and viability prioritization frameworks. - Drive decisions with data by committing to an analytical mindset and building data-driven behaviors to support customer decisions. - Build experience engines that drive predictive and personal touch points to create experiences and targeted outreach that is meaningful to the individual customer. How do CX leaders live these six key behaviors? 1. Invest in research CX leaders invest in tools and capabilities to capture, predict, and act on customer intent. They create capabilities to stitch together interactions across touchpoints to inform product, service, and experience strategies. We worked with a global cruise operator to shift sales from a traditional agent-booking experience into digital channels. To drive this strategy, our client needed to expand its customer research and insights capabilities to better understand its path to conversion. Doing so would drive tailored next-best-action recommendations and protect against moments of churn. The client aligned its customer insights strategy to critical moments in its customer journey for two prioritized brands and integrated capabilities across analytics, chat, reporting, and issue management to create a comprehensive customer insights platform. Next, they developed a training and change management program to activate the system cross-functionally. The outcome was an end-to-end operating system to inform decision-making across the enterprise. By combining primary research, data, and technology, the operator enabled effective visualization and action on customer insights in near real time. A global airplane manufacturer knew its B2B customers expected seamless customer experiences across service lines, influenced by B2C experiences. The manufacturer also knew successfully delivering these experiences would drive revenue growth through retention, product cross-sell and up-sell, and efficiency across its supply chain. However, the client was missing capabilities to track customer data across the journey and evaluate customer intent across channels. They knew this data was critical to informing the unique experiences required to drive revenue predictably and efficiently. The executive team invested in comprehensive customer research and reporting capabilities across multiple channels and businesses to enable meaningful customer data segmentation. This required mapping customer data inputs, improving data hygiene, developing dashboards, and operationalizing reporting across the organization to connect executive and business teams together under a unified vision. CX leaders should: - Execute research and customer data efforts across the full customer journey, with a focus on predicting customer intent - Operationalize customer insights into critical team workflows across the organization 2. Commit to fostering cultures of community, flexibility, and trust CX leaders know success is impossible without clear and aligned goals. They focus relentlessly on aligning teams across practices to a shared set of goals enabled by customer-centric, cross-functional operating cultures. A medical equipment company that anchors its business strategy and team mentality around customer-centricity was in a unique position when COVID-19 increased demand for its products while a leading competitor was undergoing a major recall. In response, they quickly aligned and prioritized customer-centric experience opportunities to drive value for their patients and providers. They found success in four ways: - They prioritized buy-in and alignment from stakeholders across levels of the business in collaborative workshops that enabled complex groups to co-create the vision for their customer experience. - They mobilized action plans, leveraging workshop outputs to develop operating model priorities to enable data-driven journeys. - They created a new customer experience leader position to drive strategy and coordinate CX across the company. This leader was empowered to drive goals vertically and horizontally throughout the business. - They empowered teams through clear governance and accountability over critical journeys. This focus and trust ensured the right teams were equipped and coordinated across the journey while maintaining a centralized ownership structure for success. CX leaders should: - Align cross-functional teams to unified objectives across the organization - Put the customer at the center of your business by integrating customer-centricity into the operating model 3. Prioritize customer segments and needs Market leaders prioritize customer segments based on data-driven analysis from multiple sources across the business. They socialize and drive alignment on priorities so all employees understand targets and goals. A global rental car company realized how little they understood their customer segments and what limited data was applied to targeting and revenue strategies. Segment archetypes were anecdotally defined. They differentiated segments based on singular variables. This client recognized the need for a data-driven approach to segmentation and prioritization. They sought primary research of 11,000 drivers to better understand customers and their needs to inform segment-specific strategies. We helped the client create 24 unique statistical models, which unveiled six segment categories. Data synthesis created a unified and compelling customer view for business leaders to rally around, informing new marketing and sales strategies in target markets. Precision and probability increased with clearer focus on the end targets. CX leaders should: - Prioritize segments by analyzing customer value potential; align teams to support the most important customer groups - Embrace multi-method customer data collection to enhance customer understanding and validate key findings to inform prioritization 4. Test and learn CX leaders commit to building [cultures of data](https://www.slalom.com/modern-culture-data). A global car rental company wanted to connect its fleet of 650K+ vehicles to the cloud to enable seamless self-service employee and customer experiences. To start, we helped the client build a vision for customer-centric data strategy. We then designed data-driven experiences to optimize rental lot logistics. One experience instructed employees where each car should be parked for maximum efficiency and customer value. We normalized reservation, rental, and fleet data for analysis and applied two ML algorithms to inform a new customer-centric rental process. The feedback loop of the algorithm informed continuous improvement and powered real-time dashboards. This approach brought data to the forefront of the employee mindset. It required carefully architected and managed data systems to execute effectively, which were enabled through a commitment to building data culture capabilities. 5. Drive decisions with data Market leaders move with speed. They create cultures in which moving fast with purpose is encouraged, energizing, and interactive. They understand the value of rapid prototyping and customer testing to go to market and to scale. A global tax technology company was mired in inefficient research processes: valuable resources spent hours reading emails and digesting information rather than driving strategic value. The organization had a vision for a future where resources researched and planned around complex legal updates rather than screen content for a myriad of tax changes. The client took a test-and-learn approach leveraging AI and advanced analytics to solve the problem. They started with a series of workshops to define their experience strategy. They focused on how processes, people, and technology should interact to deliver value to customers and internal researchers. The client prioritized pain points into a backlog of machine learning (ML) use cases, which they piloted to market with a continuous loop of customer and researcher input. The iterative approach created a hybrid cloud solution integrated across eight ML models. When complete, models drove predictions that helped reduce employee effort from hours to minutes. CX leaders should: - Foster a company culture where experimentation is celebrated and failure is accepted as part of the process - Develop operations that support teams’ ability to test, learn, iterate, and scale validated solutions - Empower teams with a unified vision of the CX to decentralize decision-making and remove operational bottlenecks 6. Build experience engines Recent investments in identity resolution, predictive and prescriptive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence have empowered CX leaders to begin developing in-the-moment, channel-agnostic, real-time experiences that are relevant, unique, and meaningful across mediums. Advancements in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI capabilities are heightening the opportunity footprint. However, building near-real-time experience relevancy requires a sophisticated set of capabilities. The future is in experience engines, but we recommend starting small and following a prescriptive, use-case-driven roadmap. The collections team at a large financial institution struggled bringing in past-due debts. The team had no formal program in place to engage with its customers and technology deficiencies created challenges with accepting payments from willing customers. The organization sought innovative ways to use technology to drive customer conversations, increase payments, build trust, and educate customers. The team began experimenting with digital solutions to engage with customers in real time, 24/7. The client tested a digital person concept to build empathy and consistency into customer conversations. The digital person connected into the client’s CRM and data architecture systems to inform a more complete view of real-time experiences, building a continuous loop of engagement and feedback. Customer testing by use case is ongoing but shows an opportunity to leverage data and next-gen technology to create more meaningful and personalized experiences to solve customer needs. CX leaders should: Leverage sophisticated data infrastructure to identify intent signals and deliver in-the-moment, personalized experiences across customer touchpoints Build experience roadmaps based on current and desired capabilities to scale with time Inform all product and service experience opportunities with customer research Parting thoughts CX is shifting to become more optimized, dynamic, and data-driven. We hope these leader behaviors will serve as a guide for businesses to capture market share by consistently delighting customers. Advancements with generative AI and LLMs are reigniting focus on customer experience, ease, and satisfaction. While use cases are accelerating and becoming more advanced, the foundational principles described throughout this series can serve as a blueprint for success. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-customer-insight/the-future-of-experience-real-examples-from-cx-leaders-1221d55625b3?source=friends_link sk=a3b85ce04307837d84d6c89bac9d90f6). --- title: Gen AI with AWS url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-aws locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Gen AI with AWS - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how you can use GenAI tools designed by AWS—together with your greatest assets, your people—to delight your customers and disrupt the status quo in your industry. ## Body Gen AI with AWS AWS | Gen AI | Slalom Learn how you can use GenAI tools designed by AWS—together with your greatest assets, your people—to delight your customers and disrupt the status quo in your industry. AI Use Cases with AWS | Innovation with Generative AI Solutions Generative AI with AWS proud to be AWS GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year: Global Share AWS + Slalom: The experts in generative AI Recognized for our role helping customers drive innovation, we’re proud to be named the [2024 AWS GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year—Global](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2024-aws-partner-of-the-year). From strategy to implementation, we’ve designed and deployed cutting-edge generative AI solutions that transform industries, accelerate innovation, and drive measurable business outcomes. Whether it’s creating humanlike virtual assistants or scaling enterprise AI, we’ve proved we’re the partner clients trust to build what’s next with AWS. Learn more about our partnership Turning AI ambitions into results Facilitate AI investment decisions: Align AI investments with business goals, maximize ROI, and reduce risk. Identify high-impact opportunities to leverage AI quickly and efficiently. Enable AI technology at scale: Drive efficiency, consistency, and innovation in AI implementation. Improve data quality, model performance, and overall AI readiness to unlock business value. Navigate AI governance, risk, and compliance: Support AI initiatives that are ethical, accountable, secure, and compliant. Build trust with customers and partners while mitigating risks from evolving regulatory requirements and threat actors. Let’s explore how AI can transform your business. Have questions? Ready to take the next step? Let’s discuss how our AI expertise can deliver measurable impact for your organization. Contact an AI expert View all thought leadership --- title: Gen AI with Databricks url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-databricks source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-databricks locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Gen AI with Databricks - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-databricks - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-databricks - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom and Databricks partnered to reimagine how enterprises can get started with machine learning right away—regardless of where they are on their data transformation journeys. ## Body Gen AI with Databricks Databricks | Gen AI | Slalom Slalom and Databricks partnered to reimagine how enterprises can get started with machine learning right away—regardless of where they are on their data transformation journeys. Generative AI with Databricks and Slalom Generative AI with Slalom and Databricks Unleash your team’s potential with Slalom and Azure Databricks AI overview Share insight Person standing in front of abstract lab in green jacket with purple shirt Impossible? That was yesterday. Generative AI has captured our imaginations and transformed the way we think about artificial intelligence. But what does it mean for your company and employees? At Slalom, we believe that when AI initiatives are thoughtfully designed to support human creativity and potential, they become catalysts for meaningful work and unprecedented opportunity for everyone. We’ve partnered with Databricks to reimagine how enterprises can get started with machine learning right away—regardless of where they are in their data transformation journeys. The new paradigm for enterprise data and AI As a business leader, you understand the transformative power of AI and its potential to revolutionize your enterprise. But where do you begin? The secret lies with the powerful data governance and sophisticated AI tooling in Azure Databricks and Slalom’s fiercely human approach to consulting. Download our whitepaper --- title: Gen AI with Google url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-google source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-google locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Gen AI with Google - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-google - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-google - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom and Google's combined expertise helps you create and deliver the solutions you need to safely and securely get generative AI into the hands of your workers. Find out how to get the most from your AI efforts. ## Body Gen AI with Google Google | Gen AI | Slalom Slalom and Google's combined expertise helps you create and deliver the solutions you need to safely and securely get generative AI into the hands of your workers. Find out how to get the most from your AI efforts. Google AI: Transforming Business with Generative AI Solutions Generative AI with Google Generative AI with Slalom and Google Cloud Together, we make generative AI work for everyone AI overview Share insight Person standing in front of abstract lab in green jacket with purple shirt Transformation in the age of GenAI Because generative AI is changing and evolving faster than we’ve ever seen before, businesses need to be even more agile when it comes to planning and executing their AI programs. Google and Slalom are on the forefront of creating and delivering the solutions you need to get generative AI into the hands of your workers—while doing so safely and securely. Our combined expertise will help you navigate the ever-changing landscape so you can be sure you’re getting the most from your generative AI efforts. Is your data ready for generative AI? GenAI is more of a marathon than a sprint. Healthy data will keep your GenAI initiatives running at their best. Learn more on HBR.org Three priorities for moving your GenAI program forward Slalom can help you move beyond the hype, the workshop, or the proof of concept to a place where GenAI delivers differentiation and disruption. Elevate your workforce with AI Boost productivity and creativity in your organization with enhanceIQ, Slalom’s data-driven approach to streamlining work, powered by Gemini for Google Cloud. Learn more Making artificial intelligence helpful for everyone Google Cloud and Slalom want to democratize GenAI so everyone can benefit from this groundbreaking technology. If you missed Google Cloud Next ’23 or just want to get the highlights, click below for Slalom’s recap. Read more Slalom partners with Google Cloud to launch a new Google Generative AI Center of Excellence The new CoE will help customers identify how to best leverage Google Cloud’s enterprise-ready generative AI capabilities to satisfy their unique needs. Boosting your business with generative AI Google Cloud’s approach to generative AI highlights both the practical applications of the technology that can deliver incredible productivity and efficiency gains for your organization as well as the features that will amaze and delight your customers. Great advice based on the best information GenAI can quickly put the most vital data at advisors’ fingertips. Find out how with our GenAI-Augmented Financial Advisor offering. Spot the robot dog at Google Next With GenAI and Google Cloud, the future starts now Next ‘24 showcased Google Cloud’s strengths in GenAI, from its AI Hypercomputer foundation to agents and applications infused with intelligence. Employees reviewing generative AI highlights on a tablet --- title: Gen AI with Microsoft url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-microsoft source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-microsoft locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Gen AI with Microsoft - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-microsoft - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-microsoft - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary With generative AI technology from Microsoft, you can remove many of the barriers that have held you back in the past. Let your ideas take flight. ## Body Gen AI with Microsoft Microsoft | Gen AI | Slalom With generative AI technology from Microsoft, you can remove many of the barriers that have held you back in the past. Let your ideas take flight. Unlock Innovation with Microsoft AI | Boost Productivity Generative AI with Microsoft Generative AI with Slalom and Microsoft Reach new heights with Slalom and Microsoft AI overview Share insight What if there were no more limitations? How many times have your much-needed initiatives gone unrealized due to time and budget constraints or a lack of the necessary skills? This doesn’t have to be the case anymore. With generative AI technology from Microsoft you can remove many of the barriers that have held you back in the past. Slalom can guide you through the ups and downs of this exciting new technology and steer you clear of turbulence. No matter the size or complexity of your transformation, we have the expertise to help you soar. Streamline how you work, collaborate, and automate Microsoft is embedding GenAI into all of its popular tools. Learn how Slalom can help you get the most out of Copilot s groundbreaking capabilities. Watch the video Don’t let generative AI catch you off balance A successful generative AI program is all about balance: between flexibility and control, agility and structure, innovation and planning. Slalom can help you achieve the equilibrium you need to get the most out of GenAI. Download the whitepaper Microsoft AI explained With all the new GenAI features and capabilities flooding the market, it can be hard to know what’s going to benefit your organization the most. Slalom’s guide to Microsoft AI technology will help you navigate the available options so you can make smarter decisions for your business. Read more Taking flight with generative AI By letting generative AI act as your copilot, you can free yourself to focus on the more thoughtful tasks that require human cognition. But even copilots need a capable crew to support them throughout the journey. Slalom Ground Control provides that added support layer for your GenAI projects. With generative AI it’s quality in, quality out GenAI can be challenging, but there are ways to overcome the challenges and risks. Being aware of how risk can creep into your GenAI outputs is just as important as being armed with best practices to keep it at bay. Slalom can help on both fronts. --- title: Gen AI with Salesforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-salesforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-salesforce locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Gen AI with Salesforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/gen-ai-salesforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-salesforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary With generative AI technology from Salesforce, you can remove many of the barriers that have held you back in the past. ## Body Gen AI with Salesforce Experience AI-Driven Success with Slalom and Salesforce With generative AI technology from Salesforce, you can remove many of the barriers that have held you back in the past. AI Innovation with Salesforce | Enhancing Customer Engagement Generative AI with Slalom and Salesforce AI overview Share insight Your AI Journey Starts Here At Slalom, we don’t just lead; we set the standard. As Salesforce's #1 AI-certified partner in North America, we've dedicated ourselves to exploring the potential of AI and developing cutting-edge solutions for seamless integration into your organization.​ With the highest number of live or pilot Salesforce GenAI implementations, our unparalleled experience ensures that your AI journey is in expert hands. Backed by our proven framework and customer success stories, including our groundbreaking collaborations with Virgin Voyages and Xero, Slalom has demonstrated the transformative power of AI and we're ready to guide you along your GenAI journey.​ Slalom Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Slalom Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Experience the transformative capabilities of combining Salesforce's Data Cloud and Agentforce to unlock deeper insights from your customer data, empowering you to deliver highly personalized experiences driven by predictive and generative AI insights.​ Discover more Empowering Decisions with Slalom’s AI Value Calculator​ Slalom AI to ROI Empowering Decisions with Slalom’s AI Value Calculator​ Our AI Value Calculator is more than just a tool—it’s your strategic advantage. By forecasting the total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI), it empowers you to make decisions that maximize your AI investments. Learn more Unmatched AI Framework Flexibility Unmatched AI Framework Flexibility Slalom’s AI framework is designed to seamlessly align your needs with product capabilities. Our innovative AI framework offers seamless integration with multiple leading technologies, including:​ Foundation Models - Einstein/Agentforce LLM Gateway, Amazon Bedrock – Anthropic, Microsoft Azure OpenAI, Google Vertex – Gemini, NVIDIA NIM - Llama, Mistral AI Grounding and RAG - Data Cloud, Pinecone, Open Search This flexibility guarantees that you receive the most advanced, tailored solutions for your unique needs.​ Explore more Our featured accelerators Slalom has done the heavy lifting so you can hit the ground running. From Contact Center agents to GenAI in field service and more, our pre-packaged solutions enable you to kickstart your AI journey. ​ [Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator powered by Amazon Bedrock](https://go.slalom.com/Salesforce_AmazonBedrock) Create insights grounded in Salesforce data by utilizing Amazon Bedrock + Salesforce.​ [Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator powered by NVIDIA NIM](https://go.slalom.com/Salesforce_NVIDIANIM) ​ Create insights grounded in Salesforce data by utilizing NVIDIA NIM + Salesforce. [Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator for Quote to Cash](https://go.slalom.com/AIAcceleratorforQTC) ​ Empowering sales teams to leverage AI-driven insights for upselling, cross-selling, and strategic account positioning. [Slalom's Streamlined Contract Creation Offering](https://go.slalom.com/StreamlinedContractCreation) ​ Integrating CLM with Slack and GenAI revolutionizes contract creation through automated workflows, enhanced collaboration, and insights for efficient deal closures. [Knowledge-Centered Service powered by Generative AI](https://www.slalom.com/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/partners/platinum-partners/salesforce/Knowledge-Centered-Service-Powered-by-GenerativeAI-OnePager.pdf) ​ Overcome the challenges of knowledge management and deliver exceptional customer experiences that drive success in today's digital era. [Slalom Salesforce AI Accelerator for Field Service](https://go.slalom.com/AIAcceleratorforFieldService) ​ Leveraging GenAI to boost productivity for Field Service teams with Salesforce. In this thought leadership article, you’ll discover an understanding of the terminology, importance, and practical applications of AI-powered agents. Demystifying the role of agens in Salesforce and beyond Demystifying the role of agents in Salesforce and beyond As a founding member of the Agentforce Partner Network, Slalom empowers rapid activation of data and AI use cases to transform customer experiences. Salesforce introduces agentforce Salesforce Introduces Agentforce Partner Network - The World's First Agent Ecosystem Learn about deploying AI in Salesforce at scale to gain targeted insights to your business. Slalom's AI accelerator connects to Einstein, NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices), AWS Bedrock, and more. Dreamforce 2024 Session: AI in Action on Salesforce Generative AI represents a seismic shift for marketing organizations, offering the promise of time savings and increased personalization. To keep up, marketers need to transform now, leveraging AI and data to create value for their customers, as well as their business. Marketing in the Era of Generative AI As the first strategic System Integrator partner for Salesforce Data Cloud and Einstein 1, Slalom will co-develop new solutions geared toward helping organizations activate data and AI use cases in Salesforce at speed. Slalom and Salesforce expand partnership to unleash the power of data for customers' AI transformation --- title: Generative AI: What we know and where it could go url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/generative-ai--what-we-know-and-where-it-could-go source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/generative-ai--what-we-know-and-where-it-could-go locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Generative AI: What we know and where it could go - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/generative-ai--what-we-know-and-where-it-could-go - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/generative-ai--what-we-know-and-where-it-could-go - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Unlocking the possibilities of human creativity and machine processing with generative AI ## Body Generative AI: What we know and where it could go Unlocking the possibilities of human creativity and machine processing with generative AI Share insights DALL-E. Midjourney. ChatGPT. Claude. Imagen. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has begun creeping into public awareness over the past few years, showing up in edgy venues like Art Basel and technocentric publications. However, ChatGPT exploded onto the scene this winter (2022)—and into popular awareness. Hot-take headlines sounded the alarm. Suddenly technology moved from the created to the creator, and the robot overlords of science fiction began to feel a bit more real. With all the media attention, it can be hard to cut through the hype and decide where to expend our energy in emerging technology like generative AI. What is it that differentiates generative AI from other types of artificial intelligence? What makes it at once deeply terrifying and thrillingly hopeful? What do I need to know about this emerging technology to position myself, my company positively, and my industry for the future? The world that produced generative AI Before we can begin exploring potential futures for generative AI, we must first understand the moment in the time surrounding its exponential growth. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked the need to innovate immediately: solve problems from inoculation to workplace communication, from education to socialization. Humans learned anew to value deep connections with one another and with the natural world. At the same time, the realities of climate change began to sink in, underscored by an increase in weather disasters and a growing need for truly sustainable resources. Widespread economic woes and recession fears served to magnify underlying societal disruptions. In this setting, the power of generative AI technologies began to increase exponentially. Rather than simply using artificial intelligence to perform discrete tasks as designated by a human, generative AI takes human direction and creates. It generates. It interacts. Some tools, like the current headline-darling ChatGPT, produce text. Others create images, videos, code, 3D renderings, or music. By now, the uses of generative AI are limited only by the user’s own imagination. The output quality is likewise limited—by the user’s skill and thoughtfulness. A generative AI demo in Slalom’s Element lab212. Client interactions with generative AI At Slalom Element lab212 in New York City, we’ve had the privilege of hosting hundreds of clients over the course of the past year. Throughout the tour, we invite clients to immerse themselves in curated scenes where they can experience current and potential realities enhanced through emerging technologies. In one section, visitors interact with a series of natural language generation, natural language processing, synthetic media generation, and digital human tools. We’ve noticed a pattern in which clients react to these emerging technologies. Awareness and understanding Most clients who have visited the lab are unaware of the latest advancements in natural language processing or natural language generation as it’s not something they encounter in their day-to-day work or personal life. For many of our visitors, this is the first time they’ve had an opportunity to interact with this technology and see what it is capable of doing. We start with simple demonstrations, prompting the AI to write basic emails or answer simple questions. We then go a little deeper into using a tool like this to pull structured data out of text or merge this text with external data sources. Throughout the experience, awareness builds, and a deeper understanding begins to dawn. Implications of generative AI Almost immediately, our visitors start to wonder how this technology will influence their personal and professional lives and the future of industries. They want to know the implications. Personal Most of us have had the daunting experience of staring down a blank page with a blank mind. Whether in a business or personal setting, it’s tempting to procrastinate and avoid sitting down to write for as long as possible. As clients witness OpenAI write a thank-you note or generate a marketing tagline, they can imagine using such a tool to kick-start their creative processes: almost like a personalized template. They can then refine and add their own personal touches to the text after the AI has given them a head start. Professional The revelation that this technology already exists and is available to anyone today brings up scary discussions of job security. Visitors want to know when or how these types of technologies might be able to replicate the work that they are currently doing. As of today, this technology is not coming for anybody’s jobs, nor do we think it should in the future. We find it much more meaningful to explore how tools like natural language generation can augment the capabilities of humans in the workforce, enrich our personal lives, and bring the best of human creativity and machine processing power together. Industry To that end, we frequently demonstrate how clients can use generative AI in their industries. For example, we might show retail clients how they can generate highly personalized follow-up emails to their customers: Begin by using natural language processing to generate the bulk of the text and then marry it with existing customer data. A human sales associate may enter the loop at this point to ensure a more meaningful customer interaction. Targeted scenarios, augmented by the expertise and human touch of our lab team and internal Slalom partners, allow clients to access emerging technologies in tangible ways. This exploration often sparks inspiration to start experimenting and incorporating this thinking into their larger design plans as they prepare for the future. Midjourney-generated art. (Prompt: Modern-day Luddite destroying computers in the style of Picasso) On the horizon Are you a modern-day Luddite? According to labor economists, automation decomposes skilled labor into easy tasks, weakening workers’ bargaining positions by making it easier for employers to replace them. As technology advances, parts of and whole jobs are increasingly automated or commoditized. This shift and diffusion of skills has continued since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Putting pressure on us to continuously learn and move to novel positions of bargaining power in an exponentially competitive world. The premium of valuable work is with those that can adapt the quickest. Human work advocates may call for a more cautious approach to integrating AI, suggesting that the technology should be developed and deployed to prioritize people’s needs and well-being over corporate profits and efficiency. Can we stop betting on scarcity? There is no question that leveling the playing field can increase innovation. When barriers to entry are lowered, more people can participate in creating and developing new ideas. This can lead to a greater diversity of perspectives and a wider range of solutions to problems. Additionally, leveling the playing field can allow for more experimentation and risk-taking, as people feel less constrained by traditional structures and expectations. This can create an environment more conducive to innovation, creativity, and progress. Anyone can create new products, services, and experiences with generative AI. This technology democratizes innovation, making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to be a creator. And when more people create, we see more competition, leading to healthier markets and more consumer choices. What the heck is “human” work? The answer lies in human strengths that machines cannot replicate. Creativity, empathy, and critical thinking are still very much needed in the future workforce. And while some jobs may disappear, others will be created in their place. For example, we will need people to design and oversee algorithms and those who can manage and interpret data. We will also need more people to care for an aging population and provide emotional support to those struggling with mental health issues. We will need to constantly develop new ideas and approaches to solve problems. Our ability to think creatively and adapt to change will be the key to success. Our work will also require us to be more collaborative, as we will need to share ideas and solve problems together. Luckily, all these new expressions of work allow for self-actualization and satisfaction in our work that is aligned with fulfilling our purpose over the exploitative nature of corporate productivity today. Midjourney-generated art. (Prompt: a computer from the future in the style of Picasso) Now what? While information has its own value, we’d also like to leave you with some concrete steps to begin exploring generative AI and incorporating it into your work, life, and future. Next best action Try one out for yourself. There are many to choose from, and they cover a variety of tasks and domains. Most come with trial periods or free betas. Now is the time: go experiment! If, then, else If: Consider use cases in your personal and professional workflows. Then: How might you modify your research, creative, or engineering workflows to include these tools as a step in the process? Would the efficiency gained allow you to push boundaries or spark creative innovation? Else: How else would you use the results from generative AI inquiries? How might they be used in collaborative settings? For example, Slalom is working with our customers to use generative AI in live innovation workshops to explore the future and tell stories of the possible. Check your bias What are the fears you have about this technology? Robots taking over, loss of jobs, dumbing down of the population—all fair game. What information are you consuming? What are the objective facts, and what confirms your beliefs (or fuels your fears)? Don’t let your first impressions keep you from using technology to build better tomorrows for all. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/generative-ai-what-we-know-and-where-it-could-go-58ecd75d5287?source=friends_link sk=1e8699c0b02a52bb7b4f874bb7485cb9). Share insight --- title: The Case for the Generative AI Business Case url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/generative-ai-business-case source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/generative-ai-business-case locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The Case for the Generative AI Business Case - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/generative-ai-business-case - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/generative-ai-business-case - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary For organizations planning to invest in generative AI, developing a comprehensive business case will help you set intention and achieve a competitive advantage. ## Body The Case for the Generative AI Business Case Generative AI Business Case | Slalom For organizations planning to invest in generative AI, developing a comprehensive business case will help you set intention and achieve a competitive advantage. The case for the generative AI business case Share insight According to analysis conducted by [Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/941137/ai-investment-and-funding-worldwide/), worldwide investment in generative artificial intelligence (AI) has almost doubled in just three years from $49B to $92B. Given the speed at which generative AI is advancing and gaining traction, it’s no wonder so many leaders are interested in diving into building solutions with generative AI technology as quickly as possible. In a survey of executives conducted by Slalom, only 7% had not yet begun considering their AI transformations.* In such a market, speed is important — but going fast without intention or established direction can result in more chaos than value. When speed is of the essence, how do you know when it makes sense to step back, assess generative AI use cases, and develop a comprehensive business case to establish direction and alignment before launching into solution development? And when would a brief assessment suffice? Should you develop a business case? First, consider the risk and financial posture of your company. How much time, effort, and budget will the proposed generative AI solution require to be developed and then sustained over time? How complex is the solution? How big is the impact of the solution? If you’re thinking about developing a simple generative AI solution that takes a team member just a few weeks to implement and will improve employee experience substantially, then cost and risk are low, and benefit is high. Most organizations will probably move forward with an initiative of this nature with just a few slides to explain the “why” behind the solution and the timeline to deliver it. As the complexity and potential impact of a solution go up, the costs and risk of the solution go up, and the financial and risk posture of your organization may warrant taking some time for a thorough review before committing to development. Given that an overwhelming 99% of the executives we surveyed identified operational and implementation hurdles as the biggest roadblocks in AI adoption, the ability to differentiate between a low-assessment solution and one that requires a substantial time investment is paramount. When navigating the journey with generative AI, ask yourself, “How likely is it that my organization is going to end up running a number of generative AI proofs of concept?” and “How likely is it that we will develop multiple generative AI-powered solutions within the next few years?” Given the speed of adoption and advancement of generative AI capabilities, the answer to these questions is probably “very likely” for many organizations. If your organization is planning to invest in generative AI, then, at minimum, consider a brief assessment effort and one-page business case for the solution you are seeking to develop. About 47% of executives surveyed by Slalom believe that the use of AI will help them gain a competitive advantage, but only 24% have a clear vision for their AI transformation. This gap in a clear plan to achieve a competitive advantage further emphasizes the importance of setting intention with a business case. How can an organization achieve a competitive advantage if they have not defined and strategically managed their desired outcomes and advantages? How detailed should the assessment and business case be? Next, consider what depth of assessment and business case might be appropriate. A full-scale assessment and business case can take a few months and may involve research and workshops to assess a need and potential solutions; prioritizing options; testing an idea or two via a proof of concept, prototype or pilot; and then developing a business case complete with elements such as a market scan, competitive assessment, financial model, and cost-benefit analysis. But not every generative AI use case requires this depth of assessment. Tailor your assessment to reflect the complexity and potential impact of the solution, as well as to influence those from whom you need to attain alignment, approval, and/or budget allocation. Research and workshops can take anywhere from hours to weeks, and a business case can be as simple as a one-page business canvas or as comprehensive as a 60-page slide deck. When it comes to assessing opportunities, we take a pragmatic approach. You don’t need to boil the ocean to adequately assess an opportunity. You need to have the right insights to feel ready and confident about getting started and to influence other stakeholders. Apply a fiercely human lens to assessing generative AI use cases As part of our holistic approach to building a business case, we believe in a fiercely human approach to assessing generative AI use cases. This means taking time to consider the impact that a generative AI solution will have on people such as customers, employees, or partners. We highly encourage testing generative AI solution ideas via a proof of concept, prototype, or pilot. Our clients frequently express a desire to build something to show progress as soon as possible, and a POC, prototype, or pilot can help fulfill the desire to see a solution in action and have tangible progress to report. Even more important, testing enables you to see how humans interact with a solution and understand how the solution will fit into their workflow or experience. There are often observations made by test participants or observers about the experience of working or interacting with a new technology solution that wouldn’t have been anticipated in a business case assessment. Furthermore, test participants often ask questions that reveal perspectives that may not have otherwise been considered; bringing a diverse set of stakeholders into a test environment is invaluable because their varying experiences and views will help you ensure no stone is left unturned. Questions about generative AI equity and ethics are often raised by test participants that had not previously been considered. What kind of approach should I take? Once an organization has a portfolio of generative AI solutions in motion, it starts to make sense to have a central person, team, or center of excellence tracking the overall management, governance, costs, and benefits of generative AI solutions. The costs of generative AI can quickly balloon depending on how it is being used in an organization, similar to how in the early days of cloud technology adoption costs ballooned at some companies as leaders in teams across companies started [swiping credit cards to stand up cloud environments](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/01/19/the-hidden-costs-of-cloud-and-where-to-find-overspending/) and take advantage of the ability to rapidly deploy new solutions with less red tape and wait time than ever before. Let’s learn from this. There needs to be a balance of quick action for generative AI and visibility into the effort and cost. A business case can establish the methods to manage an organization’s approach at its infancy, which will ultimately speed up its ability to scale and implement in the future. This can be done before solution development or iterated on in parallel with initial development, depending on an organization’s risk posture and timeline needs. A portfolio of generative AI solutions managed centrally can lead to better volume pricing with technology partners than if each project or program is quoted separately. Additionally, a central team or leader overseeing the impact of generative AI at your organization will seek to understand the objectives and measures of success for each solution to be able to track and determine whether a solution is delivering the intended outcomes and ROI. How organizations are navigating these decisions We find that productivity use cases often require just a few slides to outline the need, solution, timeline, budget, and success metrics for alignment and approval. With low implementation costs and risks, the potential productivity gains justify the time and budget for at least a proof of concept to evaluate the solutions. For example, one life sciences client is exploring the use of generative AI to identify changes in internal standards. Because the targeted users have expertise on the subject, they are equipped to detect inaccuracies and seek other sources when needed, which helps mitigate any risk. In another instance, a retail company is interested in using generative AI to help understand complex datasets. Again, users will have some familiarity with the data and its potential. Therefore, if the generative AI solution provides inaccurate insights, they will have the expertise to flag suspect data and the ability to inquire further. The AI becomes a productivity partner for the employees rather than a replacement. We find that generative AI use cases with the potential to transform your organization’s entire model or to raise significant ethical concerns tend to engender higher risk and/or cost. These complex use cases necessitate an equally complex and thorough business case assessment process. Information about a variety of internal and external factors can be gathered and assessed to produce a business case, which may include some (or all) of these areas of focus, depending on the level of detail needed. For example, an automotive organization is considering adopting Tesla’s ecommerce model for selling cars, integrating generative AI into the experience. This shift from dealerships to ecommerce could radically alter the organization’s operations, finances, and customer experience. Because of the profound implications, we’ve advised evaluating benefits, costs, risks, competition, buyer personas, opportunities to serve key segments, supporting capabilities, and organizational impacts. The risk of neglecting this assessment is significant, as large opportunities for gain often come with substantial risks of loss or failure. In another case, a healthcare provider is considering generative AI to predict claim denials, enabling proactive adjustments for quicker processing. However, known biases in insurance decisions, possibly linked to race or socioeconomic factors, create a substantial risk. These biases could inadvertently affect claim handling, making it crucial to evaluate risks, implement cross-checks, identify biases, and possibly refine generative AI models to ensure fairer outputs despite historical data biases. How will you start your journey with generative AI? We challenge you to start thinking about where generative AI could make sense in your company and the level of impact it could have on your organization. What level of assessment and business case might make sense for the kinds of ideas you are imagining? Our research found that 66% of executives do not have a clear understanding of the tasks AI can augment or automate in their organizations. With that in mind, no matter what person or organization you look to for guidance on your generative AI journey, find a partner that will work flexibly with you and meet you where you are. *Slalom conducted a survey of 200 C-suite-level executives on their AI transformations. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/the-case-for-the-generative-ai-business-case-2581c1afad87). --- title: Google Cloud infrastructure innovations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/google-cloud-infrastructure-innovations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/google-cloud-infrastructure-innovations locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Google Cloud infrastructure innovations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/google-cloud-infrastructure-innovations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/google-cloud-infrastructure-innovations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Google's continued focus on infrastructure and security are essential for migrating businesses to the cloud—especially for the most risk-averse industries. ## Body Google Cloud infrastructure innovations Google's continued focus on infrastructure and security are essential for migrating businesses to the cloud—especially for the most risk-averse industries. Google Cloud infrastructure innovations | Slalom Share insight Google has recently shown a continued focus on infrastructure, security, and other topics that, while not new, are essential for the continuing work of migrating businesses to the cloud—especially for the most risk-averse industries. Infrastructure is a topic that by nature is not given to flashy new features, and it’s not generally visible to the end user. (Example: Google commissions thousands of miles of subsea cable installation via robot that most people don’t give a second thought to.) But infrastructure is what makes everything else possible. The specific areas where we see continuing investment include privacy, governance, security, and resiliency. An opportunity in risk-averse sectors These investment areas will bring new opportunities, particularly in risk-averse sectors like government, healthcare, and financial services. Among other things, these investments will enhance the ability to facilitate cloud-based HIPAA and PCI compliance that’s crucial to these industries. Many large financial institutions still view it as a huge risk to move to the cloud, so they represent a huge opportunity in the coming year or so. The more resilient and secure the solution, the more likely institutions are to embrace the game-changing possibilities of moving services to the cloud. Healthcare and government are in the same boat. These are sectors that may have lagged behind in moving to the cloud because their security and resiliency concerns are so consequential. Any data breach is serious, but it’s on an entirely different magnitude when confidential financial or medical information is involved. It’s not that these sectors aren’t already “in the cloud” to some extent. Many have put their nonessential workloads in the cloud, but the trust simply isn’t all the way there yet when it comes to the most critical operations—at least not yet. And that is where the investments are happening: to beef up infrastructure to bridge that gap. For these sectors, there’s a central checklist to accomplish that, an aggregate of boxes to check. And it’s not just the security that immediately comes to mind—it’s also governance, logging, and monitoring the operations of the software as well. This infrastructure effort isn’t a single silver bullet. Google is improving the entire ecosystem. This includes allowing more granular security controls to be applied to data so you can more easily share it—precision spearfishing-style—with the exact person in the exact way. That granularity helps secure data the right way, and it’s increasingly available right out of the box. Google Next OnAir session The cloud is complex, but managing it shouldn't be. Transparency and control Part of Google’s recent infrastructure conversation has been focused on the ability of operators to better observe all the functionality and data being put in the cloud. As it was put at a Google Next session, “The cloud is complex, but managing it shouldn’t be.” This transparency is not directly related to security, but it’s connected to the big-picture goal of making enterprises comfortable with (and capable of) securely running their workloads in the cloud. This is not a static goal that you achieve once; it’s something that you continuously improve upon. Part of the continuous improvement is simplifying how we observe our cloud workloads running. You need to be able to easily see what’s going well and what’s not. This angle is another big bet Google is making. For instance, Google Cloud's operations suite (formerly known as Stackdriver) allows an unprecedented level of managed monitoring right on the platform, and that hooks into other managed products like Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Better and easier migrations Even for enterprises that can’t yet make the investment in fully native cloud solutions, Google and its partners continue to give us tools for easier, quicker, and more intelligent VM (virtual machine) migrations. So you’re not just putting up a carbon copy of what you had in your own data center. You’re actually thinking about what you really need with regard to storage, sizing, et cetera. Cost optimization is another priority for almost everyone. Slalom has completed many client engagements centered on how to monitor, analyze, and optimize cloud spend. So being able to do that as part of your migration makes a huge difference. There’s no getting around the fact that big migrations are going to involve some pain. But now we can offer clients new automated tools to make it less painful—many of them leveraging Google’s power in the AI and ML space. We can spin up VM migration factories that stream VMs out of on-premises systems and intelligently deploy them to the cloud. It’s never quite that easy, but the tools are getting so smart that they can take a look at what you have running in your data center and use AI to make recommendations for where and how workloads get deployed. It’s not just a standard “lift and shift”; now there’s intelligence in the middle. No big surprises but growing maturity Recent Google investments in infrastructure have reinforced everything that we expect from them. Over the last four years or so, they’ve gone from the newcomer on the cloud scene to a much more established, enterprise-focused player. What we’re seeing is a solid bedrock on which Google Cloud, its clients, and partners can build lasting success. --- title: 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Government url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Government - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom’s annual government outlook highlights the top government trends for 2025 and offers practical guidance to government leaders. ## Body 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Government Explore our top government trends for 2025. How will you improve services, harness technology, and strengthen resilience for future challenges? Slalom’s annual government outlook highlights the top government trends for 2025 and offers practical guidance to government leaders. 2025 industry outlook: Government trends government industry outlook 2025 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Government In 2025, all levels of government are accelerating efforts to provide seamless, outcome-oriented experiences—delivering services that are accessible, intuitive, and responsive to the needs of the communities they serve. By advancing data integration and sharing, agencies can address resident needs holistically, ensuring that every interaction strengthens trust across diverse populations. Governments are prioritizing how they deliver services to address evolving challenges and create lasting value, ultimately strengthening communities. To meet the rising community expectations, governments are deploying forward-thinking strategies and technologies to enhance services across critical mission areas. From financial management to public safety, these efforts are transforming service delivery, strengthening infrastructure, and building resilience for the challenges ahead. In public administration and public finance, for example, with tight budgets and growing demands, governments are turning to innovative and accountable approaches to financial management to do more with less while delivering for communities. In health and human services, advanced data integration tools supported by robust governance and security features are being used to combine siloed data for collaborative, proactive whole-person care and integrated eligibility. Streamlined eligibility and enrollment processes improve access to essential programs, creating a more integrated and efficient public health and social services support system. Responsible uses of AI are being used to identify fraud and poor service provider performance. Slalom Public Social Impact teams with leaders who expect more. So we bring more. [Discover our mission and the impact we're making.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact.html#mission) Authors Get a free recap to share with colleagues Get the PDF recap Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an industry expert Top trends in government Item 1 Agencies are rethinking how residents interact with public services across the entire journey to create community-centric, [digital-first experiences](https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2023/09/22/fact-sheet-building-digital-experiences-for-the-american-people/). Since the founding of the US Digital Service (USDS), 31 federal agencies have partnered with the USDS to [modernize and improve](https://www.usds.gov/impact-report/2024/) their digital services for over 100 programs, advancing their missions to improve accessibility and public engagement. Launched in 2023, the IRS’s [Direct File program](https://fedscoop.com/bio/irs-direct-file/) is helping the agency fulfill its core mission to simplify tax processes and increase accessibility for all taxpayers. In its inaugural year, the program processed nearly 141,000 returns, saving taxpayers an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. By offering a free, streamlined filing option, the IRS not only reduces financial barriers but also promotes greater tax compliance—ensuring that more residents can engage directly and confidently with a critical public service. While many agencies have improved their digital front ends, creating a seamless experience from start to finish remains essential. Guided by the principles in the [Customer Experience Executive Order (CX EO),](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/12/13/executive-order-on-transforming-federal-customer-experience-and-service-delivery-to-rebuild-trust-in-government/) agencies are focusing on designing interactions that are accessible, timely, and cohesive, ensuring they align with residents’ needs. The impact of these various modernization efforts is clear: [69.7% of citizens](https://theacsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/24nov_Federal-Government-STUDY_FINAL-REVISED.pdf) were satisfied with federal government services in 2024—a seven-year high. In public transportation, digital-first models are transforming how services are delivered, making them more accessible and responsive to community needs. For example, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has implemented the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) pathways extension to provide detailed information about accessible pathways within transit stations, helping people navigate their communities easier. Similarly, in workforce development, platforms such as Florida’s Reimagining Education and Career Help (REACH) Act have introduced unified customer portals that streamline access to job training and career resources, removing barriers for residents seeking employment opportunities. In justice and public safety, a digital-first strategy means [improving accessibility and communication](https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2023/09/how-to-make-case-information-more-available-and-improve-court-user-engagement) through court case management tools like digital notifications and online case status updates. These tools ensure residents have timely access to information, fostering transparency and trust in the justice system. AI-driven translation tools supporting multilingual communities further [improve accessibility](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3992201) by providing timely and easy-to-understand information when human interpreters are unavailable. In health and human services, streamlined digital portals are enabling integrated access to benefit programs to deliver essential support. By leveraging data orchestration layers with robust governance and security features, agencies are unifying siloed systems for collaborative, proactive whole-person care and integrated eligibility. These systems not only simplify the application process but also enhance oversight by identifying fraud and addressing poor service provider performance. Connecting a user’s information with eligible services across multiple agencies results in a higher probability of people applying for and receiving the right services at the right time across a network of providers and agencies. Initiatives such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s [Core Data Use Agreement](https://www.cdc.gov/data-interoperability/php/use-agreement/index.html) help by streamlining information-sharing across agencies, ensuring users experience seamless, coordinated support as they transition between services. Gretchen Peri Government has traditionally designed its services around how it operates. We’re seeing a movement toward putting the customer front and center and designing solutions around how people want to receive government services—in their language, location, and context. Securing digital payments with AI-powered fraud detection Item 2 Government is refining integrated services through ongoing investment in data sharing and governance. Examples such as the co-location of mental health professionals with 911 dispatchers and police officers demonstrate how shared resources improve outcomes. Further investment in real-time integration, unified records, and AI-driven analytics will strengthen coordination across agencies and organizations, enabling faster, more reliable access to critical services. To meet the evolving expectations of residents, government agencies are working to create an interconnected, cohesive service experience emphasizing convenience and efficiency. In health and human services, for example, agencies are working with the [Health and Human Services Data Council](https://aspe.hhs.gov/collaborations-committees-advisory-groups/hhs-data) to advance data-sharing agreements and initiatives to foster collaboration across programs while ensuring resident privacy and consent. A “master record” approach—where services like Medicare, SNAP, and TANF operate together as a unified system—helps streamline access to critical information and ensures people receive the benefits they’re eligible for. One such example is [New Jersey’s Integrated Population Health Data Project](https://iphd.rutgers.edu/), which facilitates data sharing among state agencies to improve access, public health, and well-being. Consolidating information across programs empowers people with quicker, coordinated access to essential programs, reinforcing public trust and fostering a cohesive experience. Justice and public safety agencies also recognize the critical importance of seamless data exchange across jurisdictions to improve efficiency and outcomes. While frameworks like the [National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)](https://bja.ojp.gov/program/it/national-initiatives/niem) have provided a foundation for interoperability, technology advancements are enabling local jurisdictions to implement NIEM for the first time. Modern data integration tools and cloud-based platforms are making it easier for smaller agencies to adopt these standards, ensuring real-time data sharing and coordination across systems. For example, integrated case management systems are now leveraging AI and advanced analytics to align protocols, reduce duplication, and deliver more timely support. As legacy systems are modernized and information-sharing protocols become standard, these agencies can more effectively coordinate cases and build public confidence through transparent, accessible, seamless interactions. In federal government, the persistent challenges of technical debt and outdated infrastructure pose risks to critical operations. While issues like fragmented data, [legacy systems](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106821), and inconsistent standards are not new, agencies are increasingly adopting strategies to mitigate their impact. Investments in modernization, such as transitioning to cloud-based platforms and implementing real-time data integration, are helping to address these barriers, enhancing the resilience and capabilities of government services. These efforts not only reduce risks but position agencies to respond more effectively to future challenges while delivering better outcomes for communities. As of 2024, the federal government has reported [over 700 AI applications](https://ai.gov/ai-use-cases/) in various stages of development or deployment across agencies. This widespread adoption reflects the growing recognition of AI’s potential to transform government services by automating repetitive processes, improving decision-making, and delivering better outcomes to communities. AI’s ability to boost efficiency and address workforce challenges holds significant promise for future implementation. Most states have implemented AI or machine learning: Source: [Government Technology Magazine](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/658772516/36/), November/December 2024 AI-driven automation in areas such as document and workflow processing, compliance monitoring, and revenue forecasting enables government employees to focus on impactful work that directly serves the public and drives meaningful change, especially in the face of staffing shortages and increased workloads. Tools like Slalom’s Intelligent Document Processing accelerator are helping reduce processing time by 50%–75%, enabling agencies to expedite work and respond to community needs more swiftly and effectively. Incorporating human-in-the-loop AI systems can further amplify these benefits by integrating human oversight and decision-making into AI processes. This collaborative approach enables agencies to meet growing demands more swiftly and accurately, while enhancing their overall effectiveness. In public utilities, AI is [strengthening energy system performance](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/AI%20EO%20Report%20Section%205.2g%28i%29_043024.pdf) by optimizing energy distribution and monitoring demand to prevent overloads. This innovation is crucial as extreme weather events increasingly strain infrastructure, but the technology’s own environmental impact must be considered. Within justice and public safety, AI is improving efficiency in areas like document/workflow processing and training, while also enabling advanced capabilities in robotics, drones, and biometrics. However, deploying these tools responsibly is essential to ensuring fair, transparent outcomes that align with civil rights protections. By committing to data governance, transparency, and responsible standards, government agencies across sectors can fully harness AI’s potential, advancing innovation while respecting privacy and workforce values. As the technology becomes further integrated into government operations, [a responsible and regulated approach](https://fedscoop.com/white-house-releases-final-guidance-for-2024-ai-use-case-inventories/) will ensure that AI advances innovation while reinforcing public trust and delivering meaningful benefits to communities. Governments face unprecedented pressure to address complex challenges such as public safety and energy resilience. Solving these issues is often beyond the reach of a single agency, making collaborative, cross-sector partnerships essential for progress. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and strategic vendor alliances enable government agencies to combine their missions with the private sector’s technology, innovation, and agility. However, vendor selection remains challenging as agencies seek partners aligned with their specific needs while avoiding costly, restrictive contracts. In public finance and administration, partnerships with managed service providers help public entities modernize outdated systems and explore innovative solutions. For example, [the Rhode Island Artificial Intelligence Task Force](https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-host-first-artificial-intelligence-task-force-meeting) is leveraging public-private partnerships to explore AI-driven solutions that enhance financial management and service delivery across agencies. In sectors like public utilities, climate-related challenges have prompted partnerships aimed at modernizing water infrastructure to ensure resilience against threats such as flooding, droughts, and aging systems. For instance, the US Army Corps of Engineers’ [Public-Private Partnerships (P3) pilot program](https://govmarketnews.com/corps-of-engineers-seeks-water-projects-for-public-private-partnership-program/) collaborates with private entities to expedite water infrastructure projects. These collaborations combine public oversight with private-sector technology, creating adaptable infrastructure that meets evolving demands. Transportation agencies, meanwhile, are collaborating with technology providers, telecommunications companies, academic and research institutions, and additional relevant contributors to support advancing digital infrastructure. In workforce development, collaboration across higher education, business, and government is addressing labor market challenges and preparing workers for evolving roles. These partnerships create “learner-to-worker” pathways that align educational programs with industry needs, fostering skill development and economic growth. For instance, integrated apprenticeship programs and certifications embedded within educational curricula are helping bridge gaps between education and employment, ensuring communities have access to timely, high-quality public services. Across all sectors, cross-sector partnerships help government agencies work smarter, deliver innovative solutions faster, and improve access to services—ultimately creating stronger outcomes for communities. 3 ways PPPs create impact: - Boost workforce skills: PPPs often include workforce training, creating a pipeline of skilled workers for both public needs and private sector goals. - Reduce financial risk and facilitate action: By sharing project risks, PPPs lower the burden on budgets and drive action by showing private sector commitment. - Enable data-driven policies: PPPs bring advanced data tools, allowing agencies to optimize decisions on public services and resources. For many government agencies, technical debt—the reliance on outdated systems and infrastructure—poses a significant barrier to achieving resilience. Left unaddressed, technical debt compounds over time, increasing vulnerabilities and limiting agencies’ ability to respond effectively to crises or meet evolving community needs. To address these challenges, agencies are adopting digital-first initiatives that prioritize greater resilience and citizen-centered service delivery. Chief experience officers are leading efforts to create seamless, accessible systems while updating outdated infrastructure to meet digital demands. By integrating real-time data and unified platforms, agencies are improving responsiveness and ensuring public services remain robust and adaptive for the future. In public safety, resilient infrastructure plays a vital role in safeguarding communities during disruptions. Investments in interoperable emergency response systems enable quicker, more coordinated responses to crises, ensuring that essential services remain accessible when people need them most. These systems can help address both physical threats, such as supply chain issues and extreme weather, and digital threats, like cyberattacks. By proactively strengthening infrastructure, governments are not only protecting lives and resources but also reinforcing public trust through reliable, community-centered service delivery. Gundeep Ahluwalia Technical debt can have a major impact on federal agencies. In our case, if departmental technology is ineffective, outdated, or poses a security risk, we can’t effectively deliver on our mission, and America’s workers could risk losing access to critical resources and protections. Source: [Reducing Technical Debt at the Department of Labor](https://blog.dol.gov/2022/09/08/reducing-technical-debt-at-the-department-of-labor?utm_source=chatgpt.com); Gundeep Ahluwalia With nearly [a third of federal employees eligible to retire in 2025](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-09-26/us-government-shutdown-will-hurt-efforts-to-replace-aging-workforce), federal agencies are under pressure to bridge the knowledge gap and transfer institutional expertise. Simultaneously, state and local governments are navigating workforce shortages and the growing need to adapt skill sets to emerging technologies. [The Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/reshaping/) has underscored the urgency of reskilling public employees, particularly in areas like intelligent automation and data governance. For example, agencies leveraging AI tools to streamline public health responses or manage financial systems are beginning to prioritize training programs that equip workers with both technical and leadership skills. These efforts aim to modernize skill sets, helping public employees use technology to better serve communities. In justice and public safety, workforce resilience and diverse recruitment have become critical in addressing staffing shortages and adapting to evolving security needs. Agencies are exploring ways to recruit from broader talent pools and to implement upskilling programs that provide personnel with physical and digital resilience competencies. One such example is the [30x30 initiative](https://30x30initiative.org/), a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations working to advance the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030. Such efforts help ensure continuity in public safety operations during disruptions, including those caused by climate-related incidents and cybersecurity threats. Joe Kuntner Government agencies are strengthening their infrastructure and partnering with education institutions, nonprofits, and commercial industries to provide alternative job and career pathways. By focusing on resilience and agility, they’re building a future where public services remain reliable and responsive, and communities and businesses have the talent they need to thrive. As governments face rising demands, leaders who embrace continuous improvement, adapt to growing community expectations, and pursue mission-focused innovation will build trust, foster resilience, and shape a future-ready government. Through 2025 and beyond, government leaders are tasked with navigating rising community expectations and evolving challenges, balancing immediate needs with long-term resilience. Continuous improvement will be key to ensuring that systems and workforces remain responsive to both daily demands and future disruptions. By aligning their core missions with evolving community needs, governments can drive measurable outcomes, deliver impactful services, and foster trust. Meeting these goals requires an integrated approach that leverages technology, builds cross-sector partnerships, and embraces innovation and bold leadership. Leaders should prioritize building robust digital and physical infrastructure to safeguard communities and ensure a seamless experience across all services, while cultivating workforce adaptability to address evolving public needs. As expectations for government services grow, the ability to implement AI-driven solutions, streamline data sharing, and strengthen cross-sector collaboration will enable agencies to achieve their missions more effectively. Slalom’s [public sector consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact) experts work with agencies globally to drive innovative approaches to service delivery, helping clients modernize infrastructure, leverage advanced analytics, and build capacity for long-term success—all with the aim of empowering communities and creating lasting impact. In the years ahead, successful leaders will embrace continuous improvement with a proactive, strategic mindset—taking bold steps today to build resilient systems, embrace innovation, and ensure government services stay seamlessly connected. At Slalom, we’re honored to help you serve your communities through every future challenge and opportunity. Contributors: Tia Brown, Andrea Danes, CJ Donnelly, Thomas Gros, Nate Higgins, Mike Kerr, Joe Kuntner, Eric Lohela, Rekha Madiraju, Kevin Magnan, Jamie Mangrum, Gretchen Peri, Sophia Rodriguez, Mike Quinn, Ginger Sampson, Brad Smith, Tim Stafford, Jim Stroiney, John Tomik, Claire Walsh, Stephen Walsh Don't forget to download or share with your colleagues and help your organization navigate these trends. Download a PDF recap Share 2025 trends Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! --- title: Government Services Trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Government Services Trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary 2026 Government Outlook for government leaders ready to reshape services with AI, modernization, cybersecurity and interoperability to better serve people ## Body Government Services Trends 2026 2026 Government Outlook for government leaders ready to reshape services with AI, modernization, cybersecurity and interoperability to better serve people Government In 2026, government leaders aren’t just responding to disruption—they’re reinventing how they operate to deliver services that are more efficient, effective, and people-centered. Government enters 2026 facing familiar pressures—shifts in federal funding, tax revenue, and rapid technology change. This year agencies are better equipped to respond. New C-suite roles focused on data, AI, and service experience, along with governance models and modern technology foundations, position government to move from reaction to reinvention. Across mission areas, agencies are reimagining how they deliver: streamlining access to benefits in health and human services, advancing data modernization in transportation, and modernizing court operations to improve access to justice. Across mission areas, the focus is on delivering services that are not just more efficient but more effective and easier to access for the people government serves. Together, these shifts point toward a more interoperable public sector. The trends that follow illustrate how leaders can turn this readiness into action. The disruption government experienced in 2025 is likely to continue. Government leaders can use this moment to simplify, clarify their mission, and connect people, policy, and technology, and they will come out of this period stronger. Joe Kuntner Managing Director, Public Sector, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 Shifting federal funding levels and tightening budgets are forcing agencies to make more focused choices, prioritizing investments that strengthen mission delivery, workforce capacity, and community outcomes. Fiscal discipline is becoming a strategic lever as states face declining tax revenues and significant budget gaps, along with the shift of federal responsibilities to state governments for assistance programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and education. Government leaders need to align resources more deliberately around the programs that will drive the most impact, while addressing urgent needs to invest in infrastructure and modernization goals. According to the [National Association of State Budget Officers’](https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASBO/9d2d2db1-c943-4f1b-b750-0fca152d64c2/UploadedImages/Issue%20Briefs%20/Enacted_Budget_Summaries_FY_2026_Update.pdf) (NASBO) analysis of enacted budgets for fiscal year 2026, states are facing slower revenues, rising costs, and uncertainty in federal funding flows to state governments. As a result, many states face hard budget decisions to fill gaps in: - Expanded Medicaid funding and provider reimbursement rate increases - Public safety staffing, recruitment and retention initiatives - K–12 and higher education, particularly where states are aiming to fill the gap in federal funding cuts - State support for major transportation and water infrastructure, along with disaster recovery and preparedness - Workforce and economic growth through training, apprenticeship programs, and community college investments Find your state revenue forecast on NASBO [here.](https://www.nasbo.org/resources/state-revenue-forecasts) Fiscal pressure is turning efficiency into a leadership strategy—one focused not solely on savings, but on building capacity, resilience, and adaptability. Leaders can use intelligent automation to reduce waste, prevent fraud, and create measurable gains in efficiency and service quality. For example, Vermont modernized its legacy contact center systems serving a wide range of needs from the DMV to child protective services in just six months—reducing technical disruptions, improving real-time reporting, and freeing agents to focus on supporting residents. The result: faster, more responsive, and more reliable service delivery that strengthens public trust. By showing how incremental modernization and efficiency gains reinforce one another, Vermont offers a model other states can adopt to build the fiscal and operational resilience needed to deliver on their missions. Looking ahead, agencies can navigate fiscal headwinds by finding automation opportunities and efficiency gains that align to mission-critical outcomes and modernization priorities. Item 2 A new class of public sector C-suite leaders is reshaping how government executes on its vision for a citizen-centric, digital-first government. Roles such as chief AI, data, customer experience, innovation, and workforce officers—created through recent laws and executive directives—are now in place across many jurisdictions. Their rise signals a major shift. These government leaders are responsible for executing a digital-first, citizen-centric vision and are shifting accountability from back-office IT functions to the front-stage experiences residents rely on every day. With this leadership capacity in place, government is positioned to be better equipped to drive modernization, accelerate AI adoption, and strengthen service quality. These new government C-suite leaders translate digital-first priorities into operational practice. Working across agencies, they guide the adoption of unified resident portals, AI-enabled virtual assistants, shared data platforms, and integrated service delivery models. By unifying technology, data, and design, these executives will help governments deliver services that are simpler, more interoperable, and more consistent across programs. Across the country, these executives are already reshaping how government services are designed and delivered. [The US Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Customer Experience](https://www.dhs.gov/cx) is demonstrating how CX leadership at the executive level can unify service design, policy, and technology to improve resident interactions at scale. According to the [NASCIO–Georgetown Beeck Center State Chief Data Officer (CDO) Survey](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NASCIO_The-Beeck-Center_CDO-Survey_2025_a11y.pdf), state CDOs are evolving from technical advisors to enterprise leaders—establishing data governance and shared platforms that enable more consistent, interoperable digital services. States and cities such as Arkansas, Nevada, Florida, Connecticut, New York City, and Denver are elevating chief workforce development officers to coordinate labor, education, and technology strategies. These leaders will strengthen the workforce-education ecosystem, enable talent mobility, and use AI to redesign jobs for more effective human-machine collaboration. The government C-suite will ground modernization in real mission needs—from aligning eligibility and case management systems within Health and Human Services (HHS), to redesigning licensing and permitting in transportation agencies, to using AI and linked data to connect residents with employment opportunities in real time. In 2026, the presence of these roles marks a turning point: government now has the leadership structure required to deliver on a truly digital-first, citizen-centric vision. After decades of expensive legacy system replacement projects that aimed for a “big-bang” launch but often failed to deliver results, governments in 2026 will shift toward incremental, modular, and AI-assisted modernization that delivers value earlier. Instead of replacing entire platforms at once, agencies will modernize in smaller waves using agentic workflows, automated code conversion, and cloud architectures to reduce technical debt and create more flexible, adaptable systems. Modernization in 2026 is set to be increasingly grounded in modular, AI-assisted approaches that reduce risk while increasing momentum. Agentic workflows, automated code conversion, and AI-enabled testing will help agencies refactor legacy code and modernize systems in manageable waves. These upgrades are not only technical—they strengthen the architecture needed to integrate data across programs, support shared service components, and deliver more intuitive digital experiences. As part of this move to modernize, states are preparing to use the April 2026 DOJ accessibility deadline to modify public-facing systems so that accessibility is built into new platforms from the start. Together, these capabilities can create the foundation for interoperability, secure data sharing, and responsible AI deployment. Where legacy ends and agility begins Zero Legacy represents a future where agencies are no longer constrained by outdated systems. Slalom helps governments modernize incrementally and safely using AI-driven tools to convert code, reduce technical debt, and deliver citizen-ready services faster. Agencies are already demonstrating how incremental, AI-assisted modernization can improve both mission delivery and resident experience. - At the federal level, [US Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/) is replacing legacy components through smaller, AI-enabled modernization waves that preserve mission continuity while building a more adaptable, secure foundation for future innovation. - HR1 requirements are catalyzing state Medicaid eligibility and workforce systems modernization, using modular components and automated code conversion to update decades-old platforms without risking service disruption. - Modernization efforts are also reshaping licensing and permitting systems in transportation and public safety agencies, where incremental upgrades and cloud-native architectures are reducing backlogs and creating more intuitive digital experiences for residents. Across all government sectors and missions, modernization delivered in waves can reduce technical debt, improve program performance, and create the architectural foundation needed for interoperability and AI at scale. US Citizenship and Immigration Services: Enhancing critical systems We helped the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) modernize its cloud-based systems, including verification systems that process millions of transactions every year. These gains will also free capacity for frontline staff and improve the digital experiences residents rely on across programs. In 2026, this shift marks a turning point: modernizing in modular waves will strengthen the technical and operational resilience needed to deliver mission-critical services more consistently. Modernized systems, stronger data governance, and cross-functional C-suite leadership will give governments the foundation to make interoperable services real. States and localities are using their modernized infrastructure to link data, applications, and workflows across agencies, supporting “no wrong door” service pathways that reduce administrative burden for residents and staff. Interoperability is the outcome of these efforts and becomes possible only when modernized systems, strong data governance, and empowered C-suite leaders come together to support seamless, “no wrong door” access to services. This shift—from siloed operations to integrated systems—enables governments to design services around people rather than processes. Unified resident portals, supported by shared data hubs and federated data management, will connect services behind the scenes while keeping navigation simple for residents. Integrating information across health, housing, workforce, and public safety programs will help governments respond earlier, make decisions with fuller context, and reduce the friction caused by disconnected systems. Interoperability gives frontline workers better visibility into resident needs and creates more connected, accessible digital experiences. Across the country, governments are demonstrating what it looks like to operate as one. - In Oregon, Multnomah County [modernized its data infrastructure](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/multnomah-county-data-mart) to better address homelessness and housing insecurity, replacing manual, siloed systems with an integrated data mart that provides timelier insight into who is experiencing homelessness and which interventions are most effective. - In Florida, the Division of Emergency Management [unified data across state agencies and volunteer networks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief) during disaster-relief efforts, creating a single source of truth for faster decision-making and quicker distribution of aid—reducing delays and trauma during crisis events. These examples show how integrated data and shared systems can support more coordinated, community-centered service delivery. Interoperability is becoming the next maturity milestone for modern government. As agencies adopt shared data governance frameworks, common identity and eligibility standards, and modular architectures, they can connect services across programs and jurisdictions without compromising security. State–local IT coordination will also strengthen interoperability as more states deliver shared IT services and data platforms that support local governments—reflecting priorities highlighted in the [2025 NASCIO State CIO Survey](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/The-2025-State-CIO-Survey_a11y.pdf). These capabilities are creating the conditions for responsible AI adoption, supporting more accurate eligibility determinations, coordinated casework, and proactive outreach based on cleaner, more complete data. In 2026, the opportunity is to bring modernization, data governance, and human-centered design together into a single roadmap for connected services. Governments that advance these priorities in tandem move closer to seamless, integrated experiences—delivering services that are coordinated, intuitive, and designed around the people they aim to serve. Cyber threats to government continue to rise in both volume and sophistication. State CIOs consistently rank cybersecurity as their top priority, and federal watchdogs report sustained attacks targeting critical infrastructure, from water systems to schools and hospitals. Cybersecurity is not only about preventing attacks but also about protecting the continuity of the services residents rely on most. To guard against cyberattacks and emerging AI-assisted threats, government is doubling down on perimeterless approaches that combine Zero Trust principles, data sovereignty, and modern architectures. Zero Trust is shaping how systems verify identity, restrict access, and segment networks. Meanwhile, data sovereignty helps clarify where sensitive information resides and who controls it across multicloud and multi-jurisdictional environments. Additionally, we’re seeing all levels of government move toward whole-of-government models. Governments now treat cybersecurity as a shared responsibility across agencies and levels of government. As nation-state threats intensify and the traditional network perimeter continues to erode, these approaches will converge to help governments maintain legal control of sensitive data and protect connected systems. Rising cyber risks facing government - [69% of state and local government organizations](https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2023/08/01/the-state-of-ransomware-in-state-and-local-government-2023/) reported they were hit by ransomware in 2023. - Federal agencies reported [30,659 information security incidents](https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-107231.pdf) to DHS’s US Computer Emergency Readiness Team in fiscal year 2022. - Critical infrastructure vulnerabilities are escalating with identified risks across [water systems,](https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-106744-highlights.pdf) [schools](https://statescoop.com/k12-cyberattacks-ransomware-bec/), and [public health networks](https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2025/a-large-northeastern-hospital-could-improve-certain-security-controls-for-preventing-and-detecting-cyberattacks/). - State CIOs continue to rank cybersecurity as the #1 priority in [NASCIO’s 2025 State CIO Survey](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NASCIO-2025-State-CIO-Top-10-Priorities.pdf). The federal government has already established policy frameworks to guide cybersecurity implementation. Agencies can align with models such as [NIST’s Zero Trust Architecture (SP 800-207)](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/207/final) and the [CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model](https://www.cisa.gov/zero-trust-maturity-model). [The White House’s AI-ISAC](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf) will strengthen threat-intelligence sharing and help detect AI-enabled attacks. State and local governments will continue to rely on the US Congress to reauthorize CISA’s [State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program](https://www.cisa.gov/cybergrants/slcgp) in 2026. States rely on these funds to implement the whole of government approach. To mitigate emerging risks from AI-assisted and future quantum-enabled attacks, public and private sector organizations are collaborating to combine Zero Trust architectures with post-quantum cryptography. These approaches can help agencies protect mission-critical systems even as threats grow more sophisticated. In 2026, cybersecurity will become a continuous capability, embedded in modernization efforts and aligned to mission outcomes to sustain public confidence in a more digital, interconnected government. Protecting trust at the speed of risk Find practical ways to strengthen program integrity and public confidence by modernizing security controls, embedding zero trust principles, and aligning technology investments to mission outcomes. Given the broad societal impact of governmental actions, many leaders have chosen wisely to first establish state-wide or government-wide AI policies before scaling. Those who have put these foundational elements in place are positioned to accelerate adoption of AI and embed it into operations at scale in the next year. They do so while keeping a human involved as the decision-maker to prevent bias or unjust outcomes that impact individual rights and erode public trust in government. Ginger Sampson The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how government operates is a promise that has taken time to realize, and for good reason. As government moves beyond task-driven AI to use self-managing teams of AI agents, success will be defined by how well we balance speed with risks related to safety, security, and public trust. Responsible use of AI in government requires humans at the helm, not just in the loop. The US federal government, along with a growing number of states, is leading the way by establishing chief AI officers to guide implementation of comprehensive frameworks along with investments to train employees on how to use AI tools in their jobs. A growing number of governors have also put partnerships in place with academia and private companies to create state-wide or government-wide pilots and employee training programs. Examples include the [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/oa/newsroom/under-governor-shapiro-s-leadership--pennsylvania-is-leading-the) partnership with OpenAI and [New Jersey’s AI Assistant](https://innovation.nj.gov/projects/ai-assistant/), which provides a generative AI platform with a secure “sandbox” environment that employees can use to test AI applications before scaling across government operations. At the federal level, agencies are advancing implementation under [the White House AI Executive Order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence/) and [OMB M-25-21 memorandum](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/M-25-21-Accelerating-Federal-Use-of-AI-through-Innovation-Governance-and-Public-Trust.pdf), while navigating an increasingly complex compliance environment driven by more than [94 AI-related government-wide requirements](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107933) tracked by the GAO. Top AI use cases in government - [Detecting fraud,](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108412) waste, and abuse in benefits, procurement, and tax systems - Automating eligibility workflows for Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefit programs - Powering virtual agents and chatbots for citizen-facing services and [contact centers](https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/why-government-contact-centers-are-embracing-ai-and-what-comes-next-computertalk/) - [Extracting and validating documents](https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2025/04/state-and-local-agencies-deploy-artificial-intelligence-document-processing) to streamline applications and verifications, and other applications of intelligent document processing As more parts of government adopt AI-driven agentic workflows at scale, chief AI officers must ensure that systems are monitored and cross-functional teams are aligned to scale responsible AI across operations. Government leaders remain cautious about scaling generative AI in frontline services. According to [NASCIO’s 2025 State CIO Survey](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/The-2025-State-CIO-Survey_a11y.pdf), nearly three-quarters of CIOs cite concerns around model accuracy, data security, and workforce readiness. Federal officials [echo similar risks](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107653), pointing to compliance requirements, limited technical resources, and budgets. Responsible AI will remain a central priority with risk mitigation strategies grounded in policies like NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework, guiding decisions about where and how models are deployed. AI adoption and readiness signals Nearly [75% of CIOs](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NASCIO_Accenture_Harnessing-GenAI_2025.pdf) report serious concerns about using GenAI in direct citizen services — citing accuracy, security, and workforce readiness. According to [The 2025 State CIO Survey](https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/the-2025-state-cio-survey/): - 82% of CIO organization employees now use GenAI tools in daily work (up from 53% last year). - 90% of states are running pilot projects and 86% are conducting proofs of concept. - 71% are training employees. - Only 25% of states have dedicated funding. As government realizes the promise of AI in 2026, success is unlikely to be defined by speed and cost-savings alone, but by how effectively leaders balance innovation with risks related to bias, safety, security, misinformation, and public trust. Even with stronger AI policies taking shape, the challenge ahead is preparing the workforce. Public employees are eager to use new tools, but many still need the right training and data skills to use them effectively and responsibly. Turning AI plans into real results means investing in people and developing teams who understand how to build, test, and manage AI systems as part of their everyday work. [NASCIO’s 2025 State CIO Survey](https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/The-2025-State-CIO-Survey_a11y.pdf) identified workforce skills as one of the top three barriers to modernization. To address this, agencies are launching targeted reskilling programs, integrating “Responsible-AI 101” into mandatory training, and partnering with universities to build public-sector AI academies—so every employee can apply AI responsibly, strengthen public trust, and accelerate mission results. Various federal government agencies have launched internal AI Workforce Resource Hubs focused on equipping employees with the knowledge on how to use AI responsibly and effectively. Similarly, at the state level, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies is creating an [AI Resources Hub](https://www.naswa.org/artificial-intelligence-resources) to help state workforce agencies train public employees. How federal agencies are preparing an AI-ready workforce As part of the US government’s [AI Action Plan](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf), federal agencies are equipping employees for responsible AI use. [The General Services Administration’s AI Training Series](https://coe.gsa.gov/communities/AITraining.html) supports this effort, helping staff at every level learn how to accelerate AI innovation, build American AI infrastructure, and lead in international AI diplomacy and security. This effort provides a blueprint for states and local governments to follow. An AI-literate workforce is essential for sustainable modernization, and in 2026, upskilling becomes integral to modernizing how government delivers public services. [enhanceIQ](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq), Slalom’s AI-powered accelerator, can help agencies uncover AI’s potential across a team’s roles and tasks, widening access so employees at every level—not just technologists—gain the literacy to use AI safely. Leaders can sustain that momentum by tying Responsible AI learning to promotion paths, performance metrics, and day-to-day project work. The new objective is to empower every worker to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively so modernization enhances public value rather than replaces it. Ready to make a bold move? We can help. Find out why hundreds of government organizations across the nation, from local to federal, have trusted Slalom with their most critical transformations. Connect now In the year ahead, government leaders are more prepared to transform disruption into opportunity, by applying these advancements with purpose. The trends in this Outlook reflect where government leaders are concentrating their efforts: strengthening data and security foundations, modernizing core systems, scaling responsible AI, improving interoperability, and building an AI-ready workforce. Slalom is excited about the opportunity to deliver on government’s mission through digital-first, human-centered experiences that residents desire. Contributors Additional contributors: Tia Brown, Stacie Butler, Andrea Danes, Jamie Mangrum, Chris Montgomery, Claire Walsh Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom government expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Healthcare url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Healthcare - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom’s 2025 healthcare industry outlook highlights top healthcare trends to help leaders balance risks and investments in a year of transformation. ## Body 2025 Slalom Industry Outlook Healthcare Are you ready to lead with courage? Explore our top healthcare trends for 2025 and get practical insights for a transformative year. Slalom’s 2025 healthcare industry outlook highlights top healthcare trends to help leaders balance risks and investments in a year of transformation. 2025 industry outlook: Healthcare trends 2025 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Healthcare Letter from our healthcare industry lead Letter from our healthcare industry lead In our 2024 outlook for the healthcare industry, Slalom shared our profound optimism in the path toward person-centered care. We [predicted](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/2024-healthcare-industry-outlook/page/1) a slow but steady workforce recovery, advancements in hybrid care delivery, and new value creation from large, local datasets, leveraging AI to solve complex problems in a way that has not been technologically available until now. We also challenged healthcare leaders “to systematically evaluate, and where appropriate, regenerate everything” from coverage policies to models of care. No one could have predicted the turmoil we experienced in 2024. The nation halted to refocus on what we already knew: The US healthcare “system” is broken. We have a profound and unprecedented opportunity to make healthcare work for everyone. Our 2025 outlook focuses on pragmatic opportunities to address barriers in our healthcare system—realistic solutions that can improve access to care, reduce burdens on the healthcare workforce, and create a more resilient and outcomes-driven healthcare industry. As we look forward, our new challenge to Slalom employees, customers, and partners is to lead with courage. Historian Yuval Noah Harari writes that “creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and then break them.” It takes courage to break long-standing patterns and drive systemic change. This is our tipping point. Let’s get started. Sincerely, Meera Kanhouwa, MD, MHA, FACEP Global Industry Lead, Healthcare Read less Item 1 In our 2024 outlook for the healthcare industry, Slalom shared our profound optimism in the path toward person-centered care. We [predicted](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/2024-healthcare-industry-outlook/page/1) a slow but steady workforce recovery, advancements in hybrid care delivery, and new value creation from large, local datasets, leveraging AI to solve complex problems in a way that has not been technologically available until now. We also challenged healthcare leaders “to systematically evaluate, and where appropriate, regenerate everything” from coverage policies to models of care. No one could have predicted the turmoil we experienced in 2024. The nation halted to refocus on what we already knew: The US healthcare “system” is broken. We have a profound and unprecedented opportunity to make healthcare work for everyone. Our 2025 outlook focuses on pragmatic opportunities to address barriers in our healthcare system—realistic solutions that can improve access to care, reduce burdens on the healthcare workforce, and create a more resilient and outcomes-driven healthcare industry. As we look forward, our new challenge to Slalom employees, customers, and partners is to lead with courage . Historian Yuval Noah Harari writes that “creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and then break them.” It takes courage to break long-standing patterns and drive systemic change. This is our tipping point. Let’s get started. Sincerely, Jacque Myers Senior Director, Healthcare In 2025, the healthcare industry will focus on person-centered and technology-enabled transformation. Leaders must balance investments in growth and innovation with essential action to maintain security and resilience. It is a testament to the passion and fortitude of healthcare leaders that they continue to prioritize long-term transformation, even as they respond with urgency to emerging risks. From cyberattacks and climate disasters to political and economic uncertainty, growing stressors threaten the sustainability of our healthcare system. Authors Get a free recap to share with colleagues Get the PDF recap Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an industry expert Top trends in healthcare What if a patient could receive personalized care based on their individual data and preferences? That’s the goal of hyper-personalization in healthcare—and it’s here now. In 2025, AI and data analytics can help drive this trend that empowers patients with detailed insights into their health and well-being. By transforming patient experiences from prenatal through end-of-life care, we can ensure that every aspect of an individual’s care pathway is personalized and optimized for better outcomes. Personalized medicine is also leaning on advancements in genomics, AI, and data integration to tailor care to the individual. These transformations could be critical in improving cancer treatment and patient outcomes. The National Institutes of Health is [investing $27 million over five years to establish a new network of genomics-enabled learning health systems](https://www.genomeweb.com/research-funding/nih-awards-27m-genomics-enabled-learning-health-system-network) to accelerate this integration. The trend doesn’t come without its share of challenges, however, from obtaining patient consent for data usage to increasing health disparities. To become a leader in this arena, you must integrate data from various sources to create a comprehensive patient view and demonstrate the tangible value of this hyper-personalized care. It’s not enough to prescribe personalized care; leaders today need to prove the value. Jake Harwood Personalization in its best form means that I can reach out to somebody about what their healthcare needs are proactively and encourage them to do something that is going to change their long-term outcomes. Innovative examples of hyper-personalization include an esteemed children’s hospital, which has mapped out patient decision drivers to tailor care strategies and is working on its digital front-door access for patients, and Ascension, [which uses clinical data for targeted health reminders,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ascension-empowering-patients-personalized-outreach) significantly improving care completion rates. As healthcare systems continue to transform and focus on personalized experiences, these efforts promise to yield more tailored, effective, and patient-centered care models, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and system efficiency. Item 2 Healthcare organizations face the complex task of combining multiple systems, a landscape exacerbated by a profusion of mergers and acquisitions, and the role of contact centers has never been more crucial. Patients crave a local touch, but they also demand a system that is seamless, coordinated, and efficient. The opportunity is to integrate these systems without losing the personal feel that patients value. Generative AI can be a major accelerator with its power to quickly provide “next best action” guidance, and we are already seeing better business outcomes and cost reductions for our clients who are leading the way. In 2025, the transformation of contact centers is set to revolutionize patient interactions. Using AI and advanced routing systems, calls will be directed to the right departments, optimizing call lengths and ensuring cost-effectiveness. AI-powered self-service options, such as chatbots, will handle routine tasks, freeing up human agents for more critical issues. Vibrant Emotional Health, for instance, used Salesforce to [unify communications for the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vibrant-emotional-health), demonstrating how streamlined processes can lead to better outcomes. While many organizations are having success with centralization, others are choosing to employ a hybrid approach as they consider patient satisfaction. The loss of a local touch can be a significant pain point, as patients miss the familiarity of speaking to recognizable staff. Yet the benefits of centralized, efficient systems must be considered. Effective contact centers are essential for patient satisfaction, which directly impacts net promoter and quality scores from the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS). Ultimately, the future of healthcare contact centers lies in balancing technology with a personal touch. By investing in AI and unified “single pane of glass” communication systems, you can enhance both operational efficiency and patient care, turning challenges into opportunities for better healthcare delivery. As healthcare behemoths grow in power and influence, the landscape is rife with both risks and benefits. Companies like Epic and UnitedHealthcare are under pressure as both single points of failure and industry change agents. This scrutiny is compounded by the fallout from ambitious ventures like [Oak Street Health,](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2023/05/02/cvs-bolsters-primary-care-with-completion-of-106-billion-oak-street-health-deal/) which has encountered significant operational losses. Despite these setbacks, the drive for M A and affiliations remains strong, particularly in the provider network space. For-profit health systems have [accelerated their pace of transactions](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/for-profit-m-a-26-hospital-deals-involving-hca-tenet-chs-uhs.html), and M A activity is further squeezing the margins of smaller, regional hospitals, making it increasingly difficult for them to stay afloat. In 2025, M A in the payer space is likely to accelerate, with payers buying up technology and services companies to wield greater influence and control over the end-to-end patient journey. The digital health investment landscape paints a similarly complex picture. Investment in digital health has struggled in recent years as investors grew cautious due to the risks and unfulfilled promises of past ventures. However, deals are still being made. While the trend toward verticalization may be slowing, strategic acquisitions and divestitures continue to reshape the industry. Healthcare organizations must adapt to these pressures by integrating disparate systems, ensuring robust data management, and leveraging innovative solutions like AI and advanced analytics. Companies can speed up lengthy processes with tools like Slalom’s Salesforce M A Accelerator, which focuses on strategically integrating customer relationship management (CRM) systems to optimize synergy realization, sales integration, and scalability. Overall, we’re seeing the transformative potential of strategic technology integration to enhance operational efficiency and patient and member care, proving that innovation can blend with consolidation. These cases also prove that investing in technology today can enhance valuation and make post-acquisition integration smoother tomorrow. The last two years have seen a surge in ransomware attacks. Major incidents, like the May 2024 attack on Ascension Health, have crippled hospital systems and shut down networks, exposing vulnerabilities. Despite the risks, many organizations remain unprepared, often lacking comprehensive disaster recovery plans and underestimating the importance of proactive measures like testing and updating the plans they already have. It’s a misconception that disaster recovery is exclusively an IT responsibility. In fact, effective disaster recovery requires a holistic approach that starts with business continuity planning and a thorough business impact analysis. Many firms, including some large organizations, skip these vital steps, assuming all disasters and failure modes to be the same, leaving them exposed to cyber threats from insiders and ransomware. The shared responsibility model in cloud services further complicates matters, as businesses often mistakenly believe that their cloud providers handle all disaster recovery aspects. In reality, cloud providers offer the tools, but it’s up to businesses to configure and manage them. To truly lead in cybersecurity and resiliency, organizations must invest in creating, testing, and updating their disaster recovery plans regularly. This involves understanding the difference between high availability and fault tolerance and recognizing your limitations in scenarios like ransomware attacks. By staying vigilant and continually refining your strategies, you can safeguard your operations and ensure you are prepared for any disaster that comes your way. Navigating the cybersecurity landscape in healthcare Read more Source: [The Global Wellness Institute,](https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/united-states-wellness-economy-now-valued-at-1-8-trillion-the-largest-wellness-market-in-the-world/) the leading nonprofit research organization for the global wellness industry Wellness programs, once peripheral, are now integral to healthcare plans and provider strategies, especially within value-based care models as part of a broader movement to advance “[health span](https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-lifespan-vs-healthspan/)” and longevity. Companies like Athletico are leading the way by [using physical therapy to avoid surgeries](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/athletico-physical-therapy-limber-health-121500260.html), showcasing the benefits of proactive health strategies. This evolution underscores a greater focus on keeping populations healthy rather than merely treating illnesses—a more costly and dangerous prescription. For example, programs like SilverSneakers for Medicare members help promote getting and staying active for seniors. Mental healthcare services are needed more than ever today, thanks to rising healthcare costs and the recognition of the importance of holistic health. In fact, several mental health startups received funding in 2024, from $88M for Grow Therapy to $33M for Brightside Health, and $14M for Limbic, according to a 2024 Axios Pro Health Care Sector Outlook. For healthcare organizations, embracing proactive health and lifestyle medicine has the potential to reduce risk and lower per-member costs. Payers can lower costs by preventing high-cost medical events, while providers can better allocate resources to higher acuity care. This approach also enhances patient convenience through telehealth and other accessible care options, meeting patients where they are and encouraging proactive health management. The consumerization of healthcare is driving this trend, as individuals take greater responsibility for their health, aided by user-friendly tools and resources. However, the path to proactive health is not without challenges. Implementing these strategies effectively requires a holistic approach that considers mental, dental, and vision health, recognizing their interdependence. Integrating various data sources—from electronic health records to geographic and lifestyle data—can create personalized wellness plans tailored to individual needs. Advanced AI and data analytics are crucial in this endeavor, offering the potential for highly customized health plans that consider genomic, environmental, and physical health data. Justifying spending is a challenge as well, with plans struggling to get the care management return on investment. With technology and a focus on holistic health, the future of healthcare is set to become more proactive, personalized, and patient-centered, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and reduced costs. World Health Organization Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Source: [Slalom’s AI Research Report: Executive Insights for 2025](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d) The time for AI and automation is here and now, modernizing healthcare by cutting out tedious administrative tasks and giving providers more time to focus on what truly matters—patient care. These technologies have already made waves in areas like claims management, fraud detection, and appeals processing, which typically gobble up a significant chunk of providers’ time. Imagine reducing 30% of time spent on admin work and redirecting it toward patient interactions. Or imagine “AI-powered medical scribes” that can help with taking notes and summarizing the information, and virtual nursing assistants who can schedule appointments and answer questions. Thanks to AI, these possibilities are now a reality. While regulations are vital for maintaining healthcare quality and safety, they often come with a mountain of paperwork. Measures like HEDIS, Medicare STARS, and NCQA requirements add layers of complexity, diverting precious resources from the bedside to the desk. The labyrinth of coding, claims, and appeals processes creates a gray zone where admin duties overshadow the core mission of patient care. For physicians, administrative burden is a leading cause of career dissatisfaction—in fact, [58% of physicians say it’s the top cause of burnout](https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2022/0700/adminisrative-tasks-made-easier.html). AI and automation can turn this scenario on its head. By automating routine tasks, these technologies streamline workflows and cut down on the time spent on administrative chores. This not only boosts operational efficiency but also elevates the quality of care, allowing providers to dedicate more attention to their patients. The ultimate aim for 2025 is clear: enhance the quality of care by reducing the administrative load on healthcare providers. AI and automation offer a game-changing solution, enabling healthcare organizations to prioritize patient needs over paperwork. As these technologies continue to advance, they promise to transform healthcare into a more efficient, effective, and patient-centered industry. $100M Government funding unlocked for a national healthcare payer by integrating an AI-powered “no-touch” ingestion capability Learn more about [transforming AI into ROI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) Innovative care models prioritize patients over procedures, but recent setbacks with CMS Medicare Advantage show the challenges of value-based care. While payers and providers have shared goals for a value-driven healthcare system, success will require agreements to move beyond shifting risk toward new models that drive quality and outcomes. Real-time data exchange between providers and health plans is crucial, ensuring that healthcare professionals have the information they need to improve patient care. To stay competitive, healthcare organizations must modernize their data systems and streamline administrative processes, enabling providers to focus more on delivering quality care. We’re also seeing an increased focus on provider experience to streamline payer operations and reduce provider friction. Almost [75% of payers](https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/payment-delivery-models/addressing-rising-cost-health-care-shift-value-based) believe that alternative payment models will continue to grow and are moving toward value-based care, but reducing administrative burdens on providers is critical to success. Jacque Myers We need to think about healthcare as a life journey—from optimizing health span by facilitating healthy behaviors, preventive care, and disease management to being thoughtful about aging with dignity and end-of-life care. The future of value-based care hinges on enhancing both provider and patient experiences. Providers need the right tools and support to navigate these new contracts effectively, while patients must be engaged in their care journeys. Using advanced data analytics and elevating patient experience, the healthcare industry can supercharge efficiency, enhance effectiveness, and deliver truly personalized care, lighting the way to a healthier tomorrow. Site of care continues to shift toward more convenient, lower-cost options, from telehealth visits to urgent care clinics and ambulatory surgery centers. Hospital systems are leaning into this continued trend, with leaders including Mass General Brigham and Johns Hopkins [showing evidence](https://www.aha.org/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2024-04-09-providers-betting-big-future-hospital-home) that the shift improves outcomes while introducing significant cost savings. The policies that enabled telehealth during COVID-19 continue to have widespread, bipartisan support, and the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home program demonstrated improvements in cost, quality, and experience of care. Margot Nesbitt There is need to bring services to the home to improve outcomes, expand access, and manage costs. If organizations can strike the balance of providing key services in a safe, quality manner—at a reasonable cost—there is notable market opportunity. However, successfully reimaging care pathways requires overcoming significant operational challenges, including the integration of clinical workflows that blend virtual and in-person care, and establishing funding and reimbursement mechanisms that support scalable operations without compromising quality and safety. The transformation requires strategic and operational planning. The idea is to bridge the gaps in the patient journey, provider experience, revenue cycles, and health equity. For instance, implementing a hub-and-spoke model that integrates in-person and virtual care can extend services to rural areas and offer providers more flexibility, potentially reducing their burden through virtual care days. Continuous improvement through piloting and institutionalizing new care models will be essential. Healthcare organizations that invest in determining appropriate services, staffing, and supporting reimbursement efforts will capture the growing market. The modern-day equivalent of a traveling doctor, enabled by advanced technology, is making a significant comeback and promises to revolutionize care delivery. Innovate boldly, solve holistically—and lead courageously. Healthcare industry leaders face profound challenges in 2025, but disruption can spark creativity. By anchoring to values and combining modern technology with person-centered care, we have the power to break down barriers to care, reduce administrative burdens, enhance resiliency, and create a healthcare system that works for everyone. At Slalom, our [healthcare consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare) experts deliver pragmatic, data-powered, and technology-enabled solutions that improve healthcare experience, outcomes, and value. We’re honored to help you embrace innovation to deliver exceptional care, streamline operations, and adapt through change. So let’s redefine healthcare, together. Contributors: Deepika Bhatia, Kyle Broyles, Jessica Cash, Brian Fuller, Jake Harwood, Jeff Kaiserman, Meera Kanhouwa, Becca McKay, Cabul Mehta, Brian Moy, Jacque Myers, Margot Nesbitt, Sarah Patchell, Taylor Pressler, Ellie Rice, Alex Torgerson, Brenda Yoo-Young Don't forget to download or share with your colleagues and help your organization navigate these trends. Download a PDF recap Share 2025 trends Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! --- title: 2026 Healthcare Industry Outlook url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # 2026 Healthcare Industry Outlook - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary In this 2026 healthcare industry outlook, see how AI, data, and adaptive care models are reshaping trust, access, and growth driven by new (and more) value. ## Body 2026 Healthcare Industry Outlook Healthcare Industry Trends 2026 How will intelligent reinvention and modern care models give organizations a competitive edge? In this 2026 healthcare industry outlook, see how AI, data, and adaptive care models are reshaping trust, access, and growth driven by new (and more) value. Healthcare In 2026, the healthcare industry is focused on intelligent reinvention. Uniquely adept at weathering disruption, the industry can now proactively shape what comes next. Competitive advantage depends on speed, adaptability, and patient trust. The healthcare industry is at a pivotal moment. While challenges like rising costs, accelerating consolidation, and pervasive risks feel familiar, this moment brings new momentum. Adaptive care models, AI-powered innovation, and new coverage frameworks are the breakthroughs reshaping how care is accessed, delivered, and financed. After years of relentless cost-cutting, workforce fatigue, and regulatory volatility, leaders recognize that survival mode isn’t good enough. Organizational advantage now depends on reinvention by rebuilding business models, modernizing operations with data and AI, and delivering care that is both technologically intelligent and fiercely human. True advantage in healthcare begins with a clear purpose and grows with intelligence. When organizations learn to reinvent—not just react—they earn the trust that moves people and systems forward. Jacque Myers Senior Director, Healthcare, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 In 2026, the question isn’t whether to use AI, but where and how to apply it to boost clinical trust and valuable outcomes. With [over half](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10035977/) of primary care practitioners experiencing sustained burnout, smart automation and human-AI collaboration are emerging to reduce administrative load and support care teams. From scheduling to research, agentic AI is already easing administrative workloads and clinician burnout. Early indications suggest the decrease in physical and psychological pressures is affording clinicians more stamina and more freedom to recharge away from call time. These early results are just the beginning of a much larger transformation. The benefits of agentic AI are about to compound: - The global healthcare market is expected to spend [$111B on AI in 2030,](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/06/04/3093732/28124/en/Artificial-Intelligence-AI-in-Healthcare-Research-Report-2025-Global-Forecast-to-2030-Key-Players-Expanding-their-Market-Share-Through-Product-Launches-and-Partnerships.html) soaring up from $22B in 2025. - [57%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) of US-based physicians say reducing administrative burden is their top AI use case. - [53%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) of healthcare organizations have adopted [agentic AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) or multi-agent workflows (e.g., coordinated AI tasks). - [64%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) of those organizations have discovered new ways of working and learning through agents. Jacque Myers Great leaps forward happen when human ingenuity and new tools reinforce each other. AI-powered health intelligence is the next chapter, where data finally becomes insight, and insight becomes impact. AI clinicians can trust Leaders are learning that sustainable AI adoption depends on designing use cases and implementation with clinicians and administrative leaders. This approach lends transparency and transforms adoption into AI fluency. The challenge is implementing “AI with guardrails,” especially now that regulation is catching up to innovation. Regulators like the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and US Food Drug Administration (FDA) are quickly shaping ethical AI use, and by extension, provider and patient trust in AI augmented care. Against this backdrop, many organizations are still building the foundations required for responsible AI. - [52%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) of healthcare organizations have centralized AI risk management. - [54%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) have set up governance and ethical frameworks for AI use. - [50%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) have compliance, audit, and resilience planning in place for AI. AI has moved beyond pilots into enterprise-scale transformation with use cases like ambient listening in exam rooms to predictive analytics, claims automation, and care-gap closure. However, [more than half](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook)of organizations still run the majority of their core systems on legacy technology. Even among those with active modernization programs, only [43%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) say they have the data foundations they need for responsible, scalable AI. Organizations that modernize and pair AI’s capabilities with human-first design will earn a lasting advantage. This is the foundation for building trust with clinicians, so they view AI as a trusted teammate that gives them more time, energy, and insights for driving better decisions and delivering more connected care. Hologic: AI-powered cervical cancer screening for all We helped Hologic develop AI that can screen for cervical cancer faster without losing any accuracy, so their providers can save more lives. Item 2 In 2026 and beyond, the opportunity is to reimagine “my data” as “our data.” Breakthroughs come from sharing data across disciplines, enterprises, and networks. No single organization can tackle healthcare’s toughest challenges alone. Innovators are adopting interoperability standards, [federated learning models](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform), and data product architectures that allow organizations to share insights without exposing raw or proprietary data. The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) is gaining traction, and organizations like the [Cancer AI Alliance](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform) (CAIA) are leading the way. Brenda Young Interoperability and data products aren’t just technical milestones—they’re how we turn scattered information into a living, learning network. When we unlock data across organizations, we unlock better decisions, faster discovery, and more effective care. The challenge is transforming fragmented data assets into governed, secure, and shareable intelligence. Building this future means investing in robust data foundations, smart governance, and technical infrastructure designed for secure collaboration. By linking cloud-scale platforms with privacy-first analytics and cross-organizational partnerships, organizations can unleash their data as an engine for discovery, care coordination, and true healthcare value—always with trust at the core. Shared but governed, high-quality data builds trust, drives insight and innovation, and scales for measurable impact. healthcare data collaboration flywheel slalom Patients want healthcare and wellness to meet them wherever they are, not just in traditional clinical settings. Fragmented access, long wait times, rising costs, and inflexible scheduling have fueled demand for virtual, home-based, and retail care options. Patients expect and increasingly have access to information that empowers them to take ownership of their care. When care moves smoothly across teams and settings, everyone wins—patients, clinicians, and the bottom line. Good coordination is just good business. To respond, health systems are reimagining clinical workflows, care management, and staffing for a distributed care landscape. Virtual command centers, unified scheduling, AI-powered navigation, and remote monitoring are emerging as essential infrastructure. This transformative model, from building-bound to intelligence-powered, is being proven out with providers like Mayo Clinic’s [Cancer Care Beyond Walls](https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/cancer/news/is-home-based-treatment-the-future-of-cancer-care/mac-20577724) and Perelman School of Medicine’s [ASCEND project.](https://www.med.upenn.edu/ascend/) The challenge is weaving these channels together so patient care feels coordinated, personalized, safe, and seamless rather than fragmented. By designing adaptive, hybrid ecosystems that connect operations, data, and workforce enablement, health systems can deliver high-quality care anywhere. Renown Health: Simplifying access for over one million patients Slalom partnered with Salesforce and AWS to help Renown Health increase new appointments by 35% and improve patient access through contact center transformation. Cracks in traditional access and pricing are expanding as social media and retail playbooks reset market standards for speed, choice, and trust in healthcare and self-care delivery. Patients are as likely to turn to #medtok as they are to primary care physicians for advice, care, and referrals. Convenience, DTC, and personalized experiences go a long way in building preference, if not trust—even in moments as simple as sharing medical history. Most patients now prefer [a personalized, hybrid approach](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/crafting-deep-experiences-ai) to healthcare, starting with intake. Consumerization is reshaping care As employers shift healthcare costs through Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA and QSEHRA, respectively), patients are taking more control over their healthcare spending and selections for plans, providers, and care experiences. This wave of consumerization is redrawing boundaries between payers and providers with platforms like [Amazon One Medical](https://health.amazon.com/onemedical) and [CVS HealthHUB](https://www.cvs.com/content/health-hub) blurring the line between a clinic and a convenience store. As new generations experiment with these models and these ecosystems expand, trust becomes the currency for loyalty. Data transparency, ethical AI, and rigorous privacy practices are now essential. At the same time, organizations are rethinking digital design to prevent new inequities, closing access gaps so every patient (not just the digitally savvy) can benefit from this era of connected care. Next-generation healthcare depends on inclusive, ethical, transparent, consumer-grade digital experiences designed with people at the center. DTC offerings like subscription care, cash-pay packages, virtual-first clinics, and at-home diagnostics meet customers on their terms. They deepen loyalty and create recurring value by delivering care that’s personal, convenient, and trusted. By 2028, the global wellness economy is expected to surge [from $6.3T to nearly $9T.](https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/2024-global-wellness-economy-monitor/) The shift in spending suggests patients don’t just want sick care that extends their lifespan. People also want holistic care, including mental health and self-care, that increases their healthspan. This is an opportunity to reimagine healthcare and use data to make products and services more valuable for patients—and more sustainable for organizations. Sources: 1) [Rock Health](https://rockhealth.com/rock-weekly/who-wears-wearables/) 2) [Statista Consumer Insights](https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2023/12/07/wearable-tech-europe/) 3) [Bonafide Research](https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/asia-pacific-wearable-technology-market) The rise of wellness and longevity is a significant growth lever for the healthcare industry. It’s also central to building trust and loyalty as patients come to think of healthcare as a lifestyle, not interventionist service. Employers are thinking differently about what healthcare means, now, too, with [coverage shifting upstream](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/weight-loss-drug-coverage-rises-among-largest-us-employers-mercer-survey-finds-2024-11-20/): - In 2024, 44% of US employers (500+ employees) covered weight-loss solutions, up from 41% in 2023. - 47% of US employers (500+ employees) increased fertility coverage, up from 43% in 2023. - New benefits like [menopause care](https://tech.co/news/companies-offering-menopausal-benefits) are emerging in employer healthcare plans. The opportunity for reducing friction, increasing impact, and driving value creation has never been greater. The rapid maturity of AI in healthcare is providing new possibilities for care coordination and management, while consumer sentiment toward holistic wellness and longevity are making people more likely to pay for premium healthcare services. Ecosystem design is key to this transformation: Linking care, data, and patient experience will turn wellness from a cost center into a true growth engine. The challenge lies in aligning payer, provider, and consumer incentives to achieve shared well-being outcomes that may or may not expand into preventative care. Either way, it’s a path to sustainable growth where the race to advantage will be won through adaptability and trust, not just speed. CRICO: Protecting patients and providers with data Slalom helped CRICO, owned by and serving the Harvard medical institutions, modernize its data solution. In partnership with AWS, Microsoft, and Snowflake, CRICO has united its medical and insurance communities to reduce medical errors, protect providers, and promote patient safety. In the face of insurance complexity, clinical backlogs, and a lack of clinical wellness products from traditional healthcare providers, healthy people and recovering patients are seeking more holistic healthcare and self-care. They’re looking for proactive, personalized products and services that extend beyond traditional sick care models (e.g., opting into subscription wellness programs, functional medicine and metabolic clinics, and employer benefits like high-deductible HSAs or FSAs). For healthcare organizations, growth will be unlocked by making proactive investments in wellness, prevention, mental health, and long-term healthcare planning—not just treating disease or acute events as they arise. People don’t just want to live longer—they want to live better. When health systems meet that demand with inclusive, personalized wellness and longevity services, they create lifelong relationships, deepen loyalty, and unlock new sources of sustainable revenue. Preventive services are still dramatically underused, though: - [70%](https://preventcancer.org/news/u-s-adults-are-still-behind-on-routine-cancer-screenings-but-reasons-why-vary-by-race/) of US-based adults are behind on at least one routine cancer screening. - [27%](https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/new-poll-shows-a-large-number-of-patients-are-not-getting-health-screenings) of Americans say they’re not up to date on screenings and immunizations. - In the EU, more [children](https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-europe-2024_b3704e14-en/full-report/component-5.html) are overweight and obese even though physical activity is flat. - For Europeans [age 65](https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/11/health-at-a-glance-europe-2024_bb301b77/full-report/component-8.html#chapter-d1e4544-8bb6821971), less than half of their remaining years can be expected to be disability or disease-free. To adapt to this trend, leading healthcare organizations are integrating precision prevention with lifestyle medicine and putting remote coaching into care portfolios. By connecting clinical expertise with personalized digital experiences and data-driven insights, organizations are launching branded, scalable wellness services that boost patient lifetime value, strengthen loyalty, and tap into a global wellness market with brand-building, first-mover advantages. Healthier patients are happier, more loyal customers who stay engaged with their care, and who offer promising referrals that spur growth, too. UCLA Health: The future of patient experience na We helped UCLA Health International Services integrate Salesforce and Epic for clinical excellence and better patient experiences. Between economic pressures, political debates, evolving consumer demands, and rapid regulatory shifts, healthcare leaders know to expect the unexpected. Likewise, with AI governance, data transparency, and value-based reimbursement emerging, a new challenge is clear: Healthcare organizations must shift from responsiveness and resilience to readiness. Readiness improves care and profitability while prioritizing both provider and patient wellness. Need to create more bed capacity for med-surg patients based on average length of stay and patient profiles? Want to anticipate ER workloads to better track and adjust provider stress levels in real time? How about developing patient-specific digital twins for specialized care in pediatric respiratory illness, diabetes management, or colon cancer treatment plans? The future is all about continuous scenario planning, so you can anticipate disruption and turn adversity into momentum—for patients’ well-being and for the health of your organization. By building agile operating models, running scenarios with digital twins, and future-proofing systems to thrive amid change, leaders can now look around corners and turn disruption into opportunity: - Globally, the digital twin healthcare market is projected to reach [$21.1B](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/07/06/2700102/0/en/Global-Digital-Twins-in-Healthcare-Research-Report-2023-Growing-Importance-of-Digital-Twins-in-Emerging-Economies-Increasing-Focus-on-Cutting-Edge-Real-Time-Data-Analytics-Presents.html) by 2028, rising from $1.6B in 2023, at a CAGR of 67%. - By 2030, [at least](https://healthpoint.com/data-and-information/how-are-digital-twins-transforming-healthcare-innovation/)50% of major hospitals and pharmaceutical research organizations, worldwide, will use digital twins as standard tools. - Applications like surgical planning and workflow optimization highlight the versatility of digital twins, as hospitals simulate patient flows and resource allocation to cut operational costs by an estimated [15%-25%](https://healthpoint.com/data-and-information/how-are-digital-twins-transforming-healthcare-innovation/). Enterprise risk has moved from a back-of-the-office checklist to a board-level priority that calls for daily discipline in operationalizing security, readiness, and trust as strategic imperatives. The most adaptive organizations are also blending foresight with empathy, building a culture of psychological safety so teams can act quickly and confidently—without burning out. To shift from resilience to readiness, ask your team: - Are we forecasting at a regular cadence in monthly scenario reviews, or just reacting too late with annual strategy cycles? - Are our data and compliance systems adaptive to new rules? - Can we see disruption before it hits—through analytics, simulation, or partnerships? - Do our people feel psychologically safe enough to speak up early and act fast without fear? Ready to make a bold move? We can help. See why more than 480 healthcare organizations trust Slalom, including the American Cancer Society, Ascension, Mass General Brigham, and Renown Health. Connect now Reinvent with modern and AI-driven intelligence, but lead with humanity. In 2026, rising costs, workforce strain, disruptive entrants, and policy volatility are still rewriting the rules of competition. And yet, this moment also brings extraordinary opportunities. Leaders who move beyond adaptation and embrace proactive reinvention will gain new advantages and reset the standard for the future of healthcare. At Slalom, we help healthcare organizations reinvent themselves to unlock new models of care, deepen trust, and expand healthcare far beyond the four walls of the hospital network. By modernizing operations, activating AI responsibly, extending care into homes and communities, and delivering seamless experiences that feel fiercely human, organizations can build solutions that scale across their organization and communities of care. From intelligent automation, hybrid care ecosystems, data foundations for AI, and wellness and DTC service lines, Slalom’s solutions meet patients and providers where they are. The next era of healthcare will belong to leaders who combine speed with empathy and intelligence with trust. The time to reinvent is now. Let’s build the next era of healthcare together. Contributors Jacque Myers Senior Director, Healthcare, Slalom LinkedIn Additional contributors: Johanna DeYoung, Blair Kerr, Brianna Fuller, Vanessa Sam, Benda Young Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom healthcare expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: Hidden value in data for nonprofits url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/hidden-value-in-data-for-nonprofits source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/hidden-value-in-data-for-nonprofits locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Hidden value in data for nonprofits - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/hidden-value-in-data-for-nonprofits - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/hidden-value-in-data-for-nonprofits - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how implementing a modern culture of data helps nonprofits scale their social impact ## Body Hidden value in data for nonprofits Learn how implementing a modern culture of data helps nonprofits scale their social impact Share insight When data is used effectively, it can transform a nonprofit organization—accelerating progress toward achieving (and even exceeding) its mission and helping it avoid unnecessary risks. Most of the time, you can work magic with the data that already exists in your organization. Rich insights can be drawn by pulling together and analyzing existing data you’ve already captured about those you’re serving, donors, volunteers, programs, and outcomes. [Research indicates](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/top-technology-trends-2025-gb-pd) that insights-driven businesses are growing at an average of more than 30% each year. Making your data useful translates to more effective programs, higher revenues, more efficient internal operations, better volunteer management, better data-driven strategic decisions, and more impactful stories. The opportunity to tap into the value of data is well known. A recent study revealed that 90% of nonprofits collect data; however, only 40% of nonprofit professionals use data to make decisions and only 6% of respondents said they felt they were effectively using the available data at their disposal. Building an organization where teams, especially front-line workers—case managers, volunteer coordinators, fundraising officers—are empowered with data to make informed decisions may seem overwhelming to nonprofit leaders. Many share a common misconception that the process will involve costly technology changes with low adoption rates. [Research shows](https://www.nten.org/publications/2020-data-empowerment-report), however, that the key to effective change isn’t necessarily cost-prohibitive technology investments. While the path to becoming a more data-centric nonprofit will look different for every organization, the easiest place to start successfully improving how data is used across your organization is by building a “modern culture of data.” A [modern culture of data](https://www.slalom.com/modern-culture-data) is a culture of experimentation and curiosity, where employees at all levels are empowered to use data effectively. It is an organizational mindset that encourages teams to use data in all their decision-making, helps them understand the value it brings, and incentivizes them to put that understanding into practice. Your nonprofit can have all the latest tech, perfectly designed processes, and the very best of intentions but if you don’t have the right culture, you cannot fully unlock the power of your data. Implementing a data culture A successful shift in how your organization uses data begins with a clear understanding of the why. Your teams really need to know why they should make the shift in how they think and operate. To help articulate the reason behind this change, leadership must work with their teams to formulate clear strategies and objectives and key results (OKRs) specifically aimed at advancing their organization’s mission. Those working or volunteering at your nonprofit are there because they believe in your mission; they want to be part of making a difference and effecting change. A clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve and why it is important to your nonprofit’s mission keeps everyone aligned as you work together to make it happen. Common strategies and objectives also help to lay out how your teams will be enabled to achieve them. This understanding sets the groundwork for the acceptance and adoption of a cultural shift, new technologies, and new ways of working. It makes it plain to the whole organization how using the right data can help teams realize and achieve the goals leaders have set. Creating a modern culture of data necessitates the involvement of nonprofit leaders at all levels, from the top down, sponsoring these key areas: - Data strategies: How to integrate data into ways of working across the organization to support your strategies and OKRs, and reinforce the modern culture of data. - Data management: The tools and practices that allow people to know what data exists and to engage with that data at the appropriate access level while ensuring compliance with the right data governance, ethics, privacy, and security policies. - Data literacy: Investing in education on how to best use data to uncover insights, ask the right questions, think critically, and challenge conclusions based on data and experimentation. Leaders help shape the culture and must be involved in managing the shift to becoming a data-driven organization. Reaching that next level of maturity After establishing the why and how, you should assess where your nonprofit is on your data journey to help focus your effort in making the culture shift. Based on our experience working with clients across various industries, we have categorized an organization’s data culture into four levels of maturity, shown below.​ Moving your organization to the next level of maturity does not have to be an overwhelming undertaking. Just start with one type of data and take an iterative approach to changing how it is used across your organization. The first step is to evaluate the data’s access and transparency—how is the data captured and validated? How is the data integrated (if at all) with your internal systems? What are the barriers to access? Is it user-friendly? Next, consider your data governance—what are the guidelines for security, privacy, compliance? Are there policies and training in place to maintain guardianship? Is ownership clearly defined? Then assess your organization’s level of data literacy: Does data literacy only exist with one or two SMEs? Are there dashboards or interactive charts providing real-time or near-real-time data? Is data being used to proactively make decisions or reactively to validate decisions? What ongoing training is in place to grow the depth of knowledge? Are there opportunities to use machine learning and embedded analytics to aid decision-making? When the United Way wanted to show the impact it was making during COVID, the data needed to tell this story was living in different places, including Microsoft Forms, Excel, and Access database. By centralizing the data in the cloud, it became easily accessible to pull into dashboards, that [live on their website](https://unitedwaysem.org/get-involved/give/covid-19-donation-page/covid-19-impact/). According to Dr. Darienne Hudson, United Way’s CEO, “the dashboard Slalom created helps us better visualize and communicate the needs that remain across the community. It also provides clarity, as we message our response and impact in front of various audiences.” Being able to visually see the data allowed them to make meaning out of the data and share it in a transparent way. Data accessibility and literacy enabled their teams to quickly identify potential gaps and where they needed help removing barriers to drive equity across the communities served. Remember to continually keep the human aspect in mind when building a culture around using data to make informed decisions. When your team successfully improves how one type of data is used across the organization, the lessons gleaned and benefits experienced will be powerful motivators to move your nonprofit to the next level of maturity. Becoming more data-driven and reaching the next level of maturity is a journey; it is not something that happens overnight. But the more ways you can unlock the power of your data and analytics, the more you will be able to use your resources effectively, avoid unnecessary risk, and better serve your community. This blog post is part of a knowledge series from Slalom, providing practical insights and provocative perspectives on strategies that enable nonprofits to be innovative. We’ll also discuss the value of innovation in the nonprofit sector, with its challenges and opportunities, and a set of unique recommendations. Meet the authors: Cari Lim is a seasoned client partner who collaborates closely with clients to identify their needs and develop business solutions that generate long-term sustainable revenue growth. With a proven track record, she has led multimillion-dollar integrated marketing and fundraising campaigns for numerous nonprofit organizations across North America. Cari co-leads Slalom’s Nonprofit Community of Practice and is committed to empowering nonprofits to increase their impact by leveraging data and technology. Steven Borowski is an accomplished global innovation and operations expert, adept at developing innovative strategies for mission-based organizations. He is highly skilled in successfully launching new products with tangible business value and specializes in building collaborative partnerships with C-level stakeholders to drive organizational transformation aimed at improving overall effectiveness. Steven is a consummate volunteer and board member and has an in-depth understanding of the unique characteristics of nonprofits. He co-leads Slalom’s Chicago Nonprofit Sector. --- title: How to get the skills your organization needs for the future url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-get-skills-your-organization-needs-future source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-get-skills-your-organization-needs-future locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # How to get the skills your organization needs for the future - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-get-skills-your-organization-needs-future - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-get-skills-your-organization-needs-future - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary If tools were paramount in the past, skills (technical, functional, portable, and adaptive) are the currency of the future. ## Body How to get the skills your organization needs for the future If tools were paramount in the past, skills (technical, functional, portable, and adaptive) are the currency of the future. Share insight It’s not an easy thing to accept that we live in a different world than we did just a few years previously. To wake up and realize that all the things we thought we knew and the skills we’ve accumulated over the past 50 years may not be as relevant anymore. But looked at in another way, it’s also very encouraging—according to [our AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), the role of human-centric skills is going to be more critical than ever. What the skills of the past tell us about the future Over hundreds of years, humans created new tools to build, transport, and manufacture. The technological revolution over the past 50+ years facilitated yet more evolution as computers opened up a world of information previously inaccessible. We had to learn the technology, understand its constraints, and intuit how to make it work for us. We developed new languages to interact with the computer and adapted processes to optimize its capabilities. We learned to type on keyboards to capture our thoughts and to swipe on a screen as we navigated multiple pieces of information. We adapted ourselves and the technology to help us find and analyze this information more quickly. We focused our skills on efficiency and standardization. In the last 20 years we have needed new skills for knowledge work to collect and manage the data created through technology. We designed interfaces to make the technology accessible no matter the user’s skill level. Then we moved all this great technology from our devices to the cloud, requiring us to live in a serverless world and secure our identities. This new world required a new kind of technological fluency. Businesses began hiring people fluent in digital technologies and created new roles and departments for them, distinguishing this type of work from traditional ways of operating. Companies shifted toward software-as-a-service, requiring employees to actively use technology for daily tasks. The focus was on training more people to utilize these new tools in ways that would improve efficiency and productivity. There was no hiding from technology and change. [Learning to use new applications](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning) was the only constant. We learned these skills through specialized classroom learning in formal education institutions and on-the-job training. In the past, we found ourselves needing to learn how to use technology as a tool to do our jobs. Our traditional learning systems were built to teach us how to utilize technology. But today, technology is no longer just a tool we must learn to operate. It is now a dynamic mechanism that is itself learning about us. Our future jobs will require us to leverage more of our innate human skills—using natural language, creativity, and intuition—to essentially “program” technology to work for us. The technology will need to be taught by us, using our human communication and ingenuity as the new programming language. Rather than solely learning how to use technology, we must now also teach technology, with the help of our uniquely human capabilities. So, what does that mean for the skills we need to develop today? The ways in which our brains naturally work as humans will become our greatest assets as we navigate a consistently evolving landscape of technology capabilities. A quartet of skills your workforce will need If tools were paramount in the past, [skills have emerged](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) as the currency of the future. While hard skills remain essential, their shelf life is becoming progressively shorter. Innovations arrive in the blink of an eye, often rendering yesterday’s expertise obsolete. In this accelerating treadmill of progress, how does one not only keep pace but also foresee and prepare for the skills of tomorrow? This anticipation of the future becomes even more pivotal when we recognize the impact of generative AI technologies and tools. Their emergence in the tech landscape isn’t just a testament to human ingenuity, but a challenge and opportunity to redefine how we work. AI, with its potential to autonomously generate solutions, designs, and ideas, demands a fresh approach to skill development. Navigating this intricate tapestry of the future workplace requires a deeper dive into the “quartet of skills” that will form the bedrock of professional efficacy. Beyond the traditional realms of technical know-how and functional expertise, the emphasis is shifting toward a more holistic approach to career development and talent architectures. It’s imperative to understand these four skill categories—technical, functional, portable, and adaptive—not in isolation, but as interconnected pillars that collectively uphold the edifice of a successful career in our evolving landscape. Let’s delve into each, unraveling their essence and the pivotal role they play in ensuring resilience, adaptability, and success in the modern workforce. Technical skills signify the knowledge required to interact with contemporary tools and technology. As our reliance on digital solutions deepens, the need for digital literacy becomes paramount. This goes beyond mere interaction; it’s about being able to design, troubleshoot, and innovate within the technological domain. Functional skills involve a nuanced understanding of specific processes or roles. In an age where data reigns supreme, it’s not sufficient to merely collect data; one must harness it. Deep expertise in data analytics and AI, for instance, is an increasingly sought-after functional skill. As businesses rely more on prompt engineering solutions, it’s evident that the workforce lacks the depth required in these domains. Portable skills are the universally applicable competencies that one can carry and adapt across roles, industries, and even life situations. Think of them as a multi-tool that equips you for various challenges; skills like digital proficiency, change leadership, multitasking, and customer-centricity are a few examples. For instance, an individual trained in one digital tool can easily transition to another due to their underlying understanding of digital platforms. Such portability is vital when industries merge, job roles evolve, or when entirely new roles emerge. Adaptive skills are often dubbed as “soft skills.” Adaptive skills are anything but soft in their impact. They encompass distinctly human qualities like empathy, critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and communication prowess. These are the bedrock skills that make collaboration, innovation, and leadership possible. In a world where AI and automation are increasingly prevalent, it’s these inherent human qualities that machines can’t replicate. Consider the career journey of a project manager in a tech firm. Initially, their technical knowledge of specific tools and methodologies (technical skills) and understanding of the project’s workflow (functional skills) might land them the job. However, as they navigate the intricacies of their role, it’s their portable skills like multitasking and digital tool adaptability that enable them to handle multiple projects efficiently. But the real game changer? Their adaptive skills. The ability to communicate with team members, empathize with clients, think critically and creatively solve unprecedented challenges, and adapt to changing project requirements or unexpected setbacks determines their success and growth in their career. As this project manager progresses further into the future of tech, they will inevitably encounter the burgeoning realm of generative AI technologies and tools. These sophisticated systems, capable of generating solutions, ideas, and even content autonomously, will introduce a new layer of complexity to their role. But here’s the silver lining: this AI won’t replace the project manager; instead, it will augment their capabilities. The manager’s portable skills will be tested and enriched as they integrate these new tools into their workflows, ensuring projects benefit from AI-generated efficiencies. Meanwhile, their adaptive skills will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between machine-generated solutions and human-centric needs. By fostering a deep understanding and synergy with generative AI, they can ensure that technology serves the project’s goals, all the while maintaining the human touch that’s integral to client relationships and team dynamics. In this AI-augmented landscape, the project manager’s combination of technical, functional, portable, and adaptive skills will solidify their position as an indispensable orchestrator of human and machine collaboration. Bridging skill-set gaps Technical and functional skills Organizations should focus on continuous learning and training. Investing in upskilling programs, workshops, and certifications can help employees stay updated. Encourage a culture of curiosity, where learning and questioning are prized. Portable skills Mentoring and job-shadow programs can be invaluable. By pairing less experienced individuals with seasoned professionals, one can gain insights into various aspects of the business, thus enhancing their adaptability. Moreover, rotating roles or responsibilities can expose employees to different facets of the business, cultivating a broader skill set. [Adaptive skills](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) These are best developed through experience and reflection. Workshops on communication, leadership, team dynamics, or problem-solving can provide foundational knowledge. However, real-life application, feedback sessions, and self-reflection are crucial for honing these skills. An environment that promotes open dialogue and feedback, celebrates diverse perspectives, and values emotional intelligence can catalyze the growth of these skills. Our journey through history reminds us that while tools and methods evolve, our intrinsic human skills remain consistently valuable. Today, as we find ourselves at the crossroads of human potential and AI’s prowess, it’s clear that the confluence of technical, functional, portable, and adaptive skills will chart our way forward. Organizations and individuals alike must embrace this quartet of competencies, ensuring a holistic, well-rounded approach to professional development. By understanding and addressing the gaps, and by harmoniously merging the timeless human attributes with cutting-edge technology, we set the stage for a future where [human-machine collaboration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations) doesn’t just coexist but helps us thrive, heralding an era of unprecedented innovation and success. Want to know more about how to get the skills you need for the future? Our next article in this three-part series will outline how to design the skills-based architecture your organization will need to succeed with human-machine collaboration. Woman talking with co-worker --- title: How to delight baseball fans—and your customers too url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-delight-baseball-fans-and-your-customers-too source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-delight-baseball-fans-and-your-customers-too locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # How to delight baseball fans—and your customers too - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-delight-baseball-fans-and-your-customers-too - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-delight-baseball-fans-and-your-customers-too - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Get inspired by a behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable day for Chicago Cubs fans. ## Body How to delight baseball fans—and your customers too Chicago Cubs | Slalom Get inspired by a behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable day for Chicago Cubs fans. Share insight How do you design a great customer experience? First, you put people at the center—their needs, their passions, their motivations. Then you apply the best of data and technology to deliver something exceptional. At their best, personalized experiences tap into deep emotions and create lasting memories. “The Cubs are a Chicago institution—we love our history, but we want to innovate too,” says Crane Kenney, head of business operations at the Chicago Cubs. “Slalom is helping us honor our past and innovate for the future.“ Slalom was honored to design, build, test, and execute such an experience for hundreds of the Chicago Cubs’ biggest fans. Through this partnership, over the course of four weeks, we demonstrated: - How data, design, and technology come together to create innovative, end-to-end experiences - How the growing accessibility of AI can power anything from complex business processes to a player’s walk-up song - How real-time data can be captured and shared in an experiential way to drive competition and fuel engagement 41ce58cll4 The “wow” factor Last year, the Chicago Cubs’ annual Batting Practice at Wrigley Field—an exclusive event for premier customers—knocked previous events out of the park with a whole new level of interactivity and engagement. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a series of baseball exercises where we measured their “stats.” They could strike their best game face with a custom walk-up song and compete against other fans using aggregated data projected on a scoreboard. At the end of the day, they left with personalized baseball cards to keep the memories alive. 2841v59tfi A people-centered approach to AI Among the unique experiences Slalom created was an AI application that predicted the perfect walk-up song for each player. Using sentiment analysis, the app analyzed each fan’s facial expression and played a corresponding song that fit their suggested “mood,” whether it be a happy and upbeat tune or an intense “pump-up” anthem. “Walk-up songs are such a unique part of baseball, and Slalom helped bring that experience to life for our fans in a way that we hadn’t seen before,” says Kenney. 8q47dmrwih Using data to fuel engagement By capturing fan stats and aggregating them into leaderboards throughout the ballpark, we showcased data in a way that was impactful and engaging for the attendees. Allowing fans to see their stats on the big screen in real time not only fueled competition, but ultimately created an extremely memorable experience. “Imagine stepping on the mound at Wrigley Field and seeing your name on the scoreboard,” says Kenney. “Slalom helped bring that experience to life.“ test Icon Baseball is just a window into what’s possible. AI can predict our moods and inspire us to [deal with challenges in new ways](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/united-nations-allocating-humanitarian-funds). Data can provide powerful information that drives engagement, and also [save lives](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/crisp-azure-data-platform). Each day, technology offers more opportunities to give your customers exceptional experiences—and maybe even change the way they see the world. --- title: How to navigate your cloud journey url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-navigate-your-cloud-journey source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-navigate-your-cloud-journey locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # How to navigate your cloud journey - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-navigate-your-cloud-journey - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-navigate-your-cloud-journey - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Get Slalom's guide to overcoming the not-so-technical challenges of cloud transformation. ## Body How to navigate your cloud journey Get Slalom's guide to overcoming the not-so-technical challenges of cloud transformation. Share insight Companies are starting to look at the cloud as more than a tool to “optimize” business as usual. That’s why what many might refer to as “cloud transformation,” Slalom considers to be business transformation, enabled by cloud. It is the journey beyond the technical and cost benefits of migration to using cloud as an engine for business innovation. The cloud allows companies in every industry to take advantage of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and augmented reality, empowering them to evolve core capabilities and open new revenue streams. But the cloud can only serve as an engine for business innovation if your organization knows how to leverage it. So, we invite you to download our whitepaper: [How to navigate your cloud journey](https://go.slalom.com/navigate-your-cloud-journey). Clouds in blue sky --- title: How to tell a compelling story url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # How to tell a compelling story - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary If you want to take the next step and learn how to create and tell more impactful stories, we can help. ## Body How to tell a compelling story If you want to take the next step and learn how to create and tell more impactful stories, we can help. Share article A good story can make or break your brand. Sure, you can let a story happen to you, like the story that happened when a family was kicked off a Delta flight because they wouldn’t give up a seat that they’d paid for. Or, you can create a story, like when Southwest Airlines turned a plane around for a passenger who’d just learned her son was in a coma. Both stories are compelling because they make you feel something. Think of great movies or TV shows you’ve seen. These stories were designed to hit a nerve. They find the relatable element of any situation, the thing that connects you with the characters. Even though they’re fictional, the movies and shows that stick with you have an emotional resonance that’s anything but fake. Now take a brand like Airbnb. Rather than telling the stories themselves, they let customers tell their own stories about how they experienced a place like a local rather than a tourist. These stories enhance the Airbnb brand in a way that’s both memorable and authentic. How companies are using storytelling Storytelling can be used for both internal and external brand building. We’ve seen a lot of companies use storytelling to solve some common business problems, including: - Needing to re-engage their employees around their vision and mission - IT and HR teams needing to build awareness of the value they bring to the organization and bolster adoption of new technology and processes - Getting buy-in from executive stakeholders for innovative initiatives - Being a challenger brand in a new market - Explaining how and why they’re broadening the scope of their mission - Hitting a major company milestone and wanting to refresh their brand in the market What makes a great story? At Slalom, we believe in storytelling because we’ve seen it connect companies to their employees and customers. To do that, stories need these key ingredients: - Relatability - Rather than making abstract points about products or services, great stories are about things the listener might actually experience. They connect with human emotions and situations that everyone can relate to, putting your brand at the center of those situations. - Emotion - Tickling the happy or sad chemicals in our brain is key to making your story memorable. [According to cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner](https://web.archive.org/web/20190328192409/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2015/01/20/a-good-presentation-is-about-data-and-story/#14cf91ff450f), we're 22 times more likely to remember a fact if it's presented in a story. - Authenticity - People can sniff out weak attempts at being “real,” and are in fact predisposed to think brands are trying to sell something. To connect with an audience, your stories need to feel true to who you really are. That last point is why good storytelling starts with a clear definition of your brand—the thing that makes you more valuable than your competitors. Your brand value is found at the intersection of three things: What you do well, what your customers want, and what you can own. Get personal Once you know this, you can bring your brand value to life through storytelling, making it emotionally resonant and authentic. - What’s going to get their attention? Attention spans are more fragmented than ever. You don’t have much time to pull people in before they’re off to the next micro-dose of content. So consider opening with something unexpected. Or set up the problem you’re going to solve. What is the relevant challenge your audience faces? How does it make them feel? Tap into that emotion and you’ll draw them in to hear the rest of the story. - What’s going to connect with them? We don’t connect with a product. We connect with how it makes us feel. But we need to see a human outcome to feel it. Human stories are best because they’re relatable and make people feel. And, when people feel, they act. - What’s going to transform their thinking? Great stories are usually about transformation. They take a problem and solve it, or identify a challenge and show how it was overcome. Make sure your stories paint a picture of the change your brand enables. When you have these elements, it’s time to create the story arc. Storytelling ingredients - The big idea - You want your audience to take away two things: your point of view and what’s at stake for them. Your point of view stems from your brand value, but you need to show why it matters to them. What are the missed opportunities they can expect from doing nothing? Example: The U.S. should lead in space achievement because this is the key to the Earth’s future. - The supporting points - Then think about all the reasons they should believe your big idea. The ones that will matter most to them. Not product features themselves, but how those product features will change their lives. Two to three key points that make them feel. Example: Our space program has advanced tenfold over the past 30 years, enabling more discovery and innovation. We’re looking beyond being first in space discoveries to finding solutions to climate change. - The happy ending - This is the solution to the problem. How your Big Idea will change the world—or at least your audience’s lives. Connect this to an emotion and you’ve got story gold. Make your audiences feel enough to want to take action. Example: By leading in space achievement, the U.S. will drive the innovation that will make our planet healthier for our children. Moral of the story? A compelling story can humanize your brand and create a connection with your audience—customers and employees alike. It can open the door to new audiences and differentiate your company in competitive markets. It can cut through the clutter and drive deeper engagement. But it has to start with an understanding of your brand and what you want your audiences to feel. That feeling, connected to your company's story, becomes your brand’s north star. It’s the feeling you become known for and what you want people to say about you. If you want to take the next step and learn how to create and tell more impactful stories, we can help. --- title: When AI can do everything, restraint becomes strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/intentional-marketing-in-an-ai-driven-world source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/intentional-marketing-in-an-ai-driven-world locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # When AI can do everything, restraint becomes strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/intentional-marketing-in-an-ai-driven-world - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/intentional-marketing-in-an-ai-driven-world - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary When AI can act everywhere instantly, the most personal thing your brand can do might be nothing. Why restraint is the new marketing strategy in 2026. ## Body When AI can do everything, restraint becomes strategy What if the most personal thing your brand could do is nothing? Why restraint becomes strategy when AI can act everywhere instantly. When AI can act everywhere instantly, the most personal thing your brand can do might be nothing. Why restraint is the new marketing strategy in 2026. TL;DR - Agentic AI is redefining how marketing work gets done. AI agents don’t just execute tasks—they make decisions across systems, shaping what customers see and how teams operate. - Automation is not the same as orchestration. Automation follows steps. Orchestration turns activity into judgment. It doesn’t just execute workflows—it determines whether and how to act. - Measurement is your biggest growth lever. Agents optimize what they’re told to optimize. The KPIs you set become the priorities your brand scales across your marketing growth strategy. - Restraint is the new personalization. To build trust in an AI-filtered world, marketing must prioritize relevance and governance over volume. - Intention is the edge. In an agent-driven world, the advantage belongs not to the fastest system, but to the most intentional one. What if the most personal thing your brand could do in 2026 is … nothing? Not another email, not another “just for you” offer, not another reminder that you looked at an SUV last week. Here’s why. Last week, you searched for an SUV. By the next morning, three emails, two display ads, and a push notification were waiting, each addressing you by name and insisting it knew exactly what you needed. This is marketing at machine speed: predictive, personalized, and always on. AI agents now act alongside humans as orchestrators, operators, and creators—optimizing bids in real time, generating tailored creative at scale, triggering actions the moment a signal appears, and actively shaping the decisions that determine what happens next. In theory, it’s the promise marketers have chased for years. And yet, the experience often feels less personal, not more. Why? Because the front door to customer experience is fundamentally shifting. Search, discovery, and consideration are increasingly mediated by AI—whether through chat-based interfaces, recommendations, or agents acting on behalf of the customer. What gets seen is no longer just ranked or targeted. It’s selected. And when AI can act everywhere instantly, the differentiator is no longer whether we can engage. It’s whether we should . That question—when to act and when not to—is one no agent can answer alone. It requires leaders who treat intention as a design principle from the start. The difference between doing and deciding Modern marketing systems are already running on AI. A product view triggers a purchase likelihood score and queues a follow-up. An agent reallocates media spend. Content is generated, decisions are routed, and actions are queued—all before anyone opens a dashboard. What once took weeks of coordination now happens in minutes. It’s a meaningful shift from automation, which executes predefined steps, to orchestration, which actively sequences and adapts work as conditions change in real time. That’s a powerful capability, especially for a function that has never had a stable way to measure its own impact. MARKETING ROLES AI IS STARTING TO PLAY Most business functions anchor to a stable set of measures—revenue, margin, cost. Marketing rarely gets that luxury. For years, it’s measured itself the way it’s organized—channel by channel, metric by metric—generating abundant customer data without a coherent way to connect it to enterprise value. As platforms multiplied, so did KPIs: click-through rates gave way to engagement scores, which gave way to attention metrics. The result is a function that struggles to articulate its own impact. In [Slalom’s 2026 AI research](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026), 75% of CMOs prioritize generative content and personalized journeys, yet only 40% say they’re updating metrics and process reviews to reflect AI-enhanced outcomes. The ambition to personalize at scale is clear. The systems required to measure and connect that personalization to enterprise value are still catching up. When measurement fragments, activity fills the void—more impressions, more touches, more dynamic content, and more moments like the one described above, where a single SUV search follows you across channels before breakfast. Each one “personalized” yet none of them feeling that way. When personalization becomes a lever to pull rather than a deliberate judgment about when and why to engage, output increases but impact goes down. Agentic orchestration compounds this. Execution gets faster, but clarity on what should happen—and why—doesn’t. That judgment remains human. That distinction matters, because many organizations are still treating AI as another martech tool: something that executes instructions rather than something that participates in decisions. The difference is consequential. “We really need to evaluate activity,” says Tamarah Usher, senior director of AI strategy and innovation at Slalom. “We’re so focused on creating output that we’re not necessarily asking what's actually driving performance in our value streams.” When AI is genuinely embedded as an operating capability, human judgment becomes the most meaningful input in the system. Someone has to decide which signals are worth acting on, how much personalization is appropriate, and when not reaching out is the right call. Someone has to review outputs before they reach customers and ask whether more and faster is actually better. This changes what [marketing growth strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine) and leadership look like. The function will increasingly fall into two distinct roles: those focused on optimizing and scaling what already works, and those focused on questioning whether what works is worth scaling. Agents are well suited to the former—they can identify patterns, automate sequences, and accelerate execution with a consistency humans can’t match. But they can only operate within the boundaries they’re given. Defining those boundaries—deciding what is worth doing at scale, what deserves a more considered touch, and what shouldn’t be automated at all—is where human judgment becomes most valuable. AI doesn’t eliminate that judgment. It raises the stakes for where it must live. When attention becomes a barrier As AI-generated output improves and the cost of acting approaches zero, the temptation for humans to step back increases—let the system run and trust the metrics. But when systems are designed to reward activity, they generate more of it, regardless of whether that activity is working. Consider what intentional orchestration could look like in the SUV scenario. The same signals were available: a product view, time spent on a specific item, no purchase. An intentional system might have waited forty-eight hours, suppressed the display ads, and sent a single, well-timed interaction—not “we noticed you were browsing,” but a buying guide for the category, timed to the weekend when purchase decisions are more likely. The same data, fewer touches, better timing. The difference is intention. pyaee4hjtw But, as we’ve seen, most systems aren’t designed for that kind of restraint. Engagement metrics—opens, clicks, conversions—are immediate and visible. Brand equity and long-term trust are not. When agents optimize for the former without guardrails on the latter, they drive activity at the expense of the relationship. That’s when personalization turns into noise. True personalization isn’t about frequency. It’s about timing. “Being quiet but showing up at the right moment—that shows more personalization than communicating all the time,” says Logan Patterson, head of marketing, advertising, and experience at Slalom. Yet too often, frequency becomes a stand-in for relevance. Teams mistake more touchpoints for better engagement. The result is faux personalization—an overflowing inbox that knows your name and nothing else—instead of fewer, well-timed, context-aware moments. When brands try to be present in every moment, they reveal that they don’t actually know which moments matter. Intentional systems don’t just optimize; they pause. That means building in deliberate friction: review checkpoints, escalation triggers, and guardrails that require human sign-off before volume scales. Because if brands don’t build that friction themselves, consumers will. Many already are. Increasingly, those decisions won’t be made by people alone. They’ll be made by agents acting on their behalf, filtering and prioritizing what gets through. Imagine a CMO reviewing campaign performance six months from now, wondering why open rates have plummeted. The answer: a significant portion of their audience is now managed by AI agents silently filtering brand communications before a human ever sees them. It sounds hypothetical, but the tools already exist. “In the future, I’ll have an agent managing my inbox,” Patterson says. “It will understand my needs and preferences, and only open the gate to communication at the right moment.” As brands deploy agentic systems to optimize attention, consumers are deploying their own to protect it. AI-powered filters, ad blockers, and personal agents increasingly decide what gets through, not to mention what gets discovered in the first place. That fundamentally changes the role of digital experience design: the [future of marketing strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing) is no longer about controlling contact—it’s about earning access. Trust and sustainable growth come from designing systems that act with intention, with brand expression, customer trust boundaries, and competitive positioning remaining firmly human decisions. Trust is the edge This moment didn’t arrive by accident. AI builds on years of marketing sophistication and now enables systems more capable than any that came before. But as consumers—and their agents—increasingly decide what gets through, speed stops being the differentiator. Intention does. AI’s job is to orchestrate actions. The marketer’s job is to orchestrate meaning. And the work ahead is designing systems that know when, why, and how to act—and just as importantly, when not to. That judgment is what will define the next era of marketing. Contributors Turn AI into intentional growth. Let's talk marketing Share insight --- title: Intermittency: The challenge of renewable generation and technology options url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/intermittency-the-challenge-of-renewable-generation-and-technology-options source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/intermittency-the-challenge-of-renewable-generation-and-technology-options locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Intermittency: The challenge of renewable generation and technology options - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/intermittency-the-challenge-of-renewable-generation-and-technology-options - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/intermittency-the-challenge-of-renewable-generation-and-technology-options - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Balancing intermittency plays a major role in the future of renewable energy. ## Body Intermittency: The challenge of renewable generation and technology options Balancing intermittency plays a major role in the future of renewable energy. Intermittency | Slalom Intermittency: The challenge of renewable generation Share insight Generation that relies on the sun and the wind is subject to variability, which can occur in an instant and persist for days. A portfolio of carbon-free generation technologies will be deployed to balance such intermittency, which will likely include hydrogen-fueled devices and new battery energy storage systems. Intermittency will also increase the likelihood of forced load reductions—such as rolling outages—and so it will be critical to take steps to mitigate and manage outage events. Market mechanisms and incentives to promote intermittency-balancing solutions lag. As a cloud passes over the 377MW Ivanpah solar thermal power system in the California desert, PG E is immediately faced with the loss of 155MW—[the electricity required to power about 58,000 homes](http://www.BrightSource.com). Later that evening, [all 14,000MW of California’s solar generation capacity](https://www.energy.ca.gov/) will fall to zero as the sun sets over the Pacific. The following morning in west Texas, the forecasted wind subsides early, leading to an unplanned wind turbine generation deficit of 1,265MW—about the equivalent of the output of a nuclear reactor at the South Texas Project, according to NRG. These are everyday examples of intermittency when mother nature’s variability impacts the supply of electricity from renewable sources. Because the integrity of the grid requires electricity supply and demand to remain precisely balanced in real time, intermittency presents significant technical challenges, even today, with just about 10% of the US grid supplied by solar and wind resources, according to the Energy Information Administration. What are the logical, utility-scale technology choices to balance intermittency? Because intermittency can occur in an instant, the start or ramp time of a balancing generation source is critical. As a result, batteries are a natural starting point. There is no spinning machinery to come up to speed—just an electro-chemical process that can make electrons available in a fraction of a second. Stacks of (typically lead-acid) batteries have been the basis of Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) at data centers for years. But there, the batteries’ mission has been to run just long enough for diesel generators to kick in—typically about 20 to 30 seconds. (And diesel reciprocating engines are not a welcome option in a de-carbonized world.) That gives rise to the second critical consideration: run time. What if the intermittency event is not measured in seconds, but hours, days, or even weeks? Even the most economic battery technology, Lithium-ion, is not viable for extended run times. Other battery types—such as flow batteries—are more technically suited to running for longer periods, but none of these has ever been widely deployed. Given extended run time considerations, the next logical option to balance intermittency would be natural gas turbines. These could be de-carbonized by blending or replacing the natural gas with hydrogen or by capturing and sequestering the carbon emitted. General Electric’s fastest-starting gas turbines—the models derived from GE aviation engines running in simple cycle mode—can ramp up at a rate of circa 50MW per minute, producing full output in about five minutes. With a reliable fuel supply, gas turbines will run efficiently for many weeks at a time. The wider availability of hydrogen is also a potential game changer for fuel cells, which convert hydrogen into electrons through a process much like a battery that never needs to be charged. Some fuel cells (such as HyAxiom) have the ability to ramp up and down to match load, or “load follow,” which would make them an emission-free option to balance renewables’ intermittency. However, like flow batteries, fuel cells have never been widely deployed, though they have been used in spacecraft since the Gemini program. Other fossil-fueled plants—including coal, fuel oil, and gas oil—typically take several hours or even days to ramp from a cold start to generating power for the grid. This, in combination with their carbon emissions, takes them off the table as viable options to counteract intermittency. Nuclear power plants, by their very nature, do not cycle up and down. Once a nuclear plant comes online, it is designed to run nonstop for months at or near 100% output before shutting down to be re-fueled. As a result, nukes are not viable options to balance intermittency. However—according to Nestor Sepulveda’s [thesis on the decarbonization of power systems](http://web.mit.edu/nse/news/spotlights/2019/nestor-sepulveda.html#:~:text=Nestor%20Sepulveda%3A%20Zeroing%20in%20on%20decarbonization%20To%20avoid,economic%20challenge%20%E2%80%94%20but%20not%20to%20Nestor%20Sepulveda.)—nuclear power has the potential to reduce significantly the need for batteries and other balancing power sources by providing non-intermittent, emission-free baseload power. Taking a holistic view, a portfolio of technologies—stacked by ramp time and run duration—emerges as a potential solution to balancing intermittency: batteries at the top of the stack, handing off to flow batteries, hydrogen gas turbines, and fuel cells should the intermittency persist, with 24/7/365 baseload nuclear power providing the emission-free foundation. The actual solutions that will emerge over the coming decades will almost certainly have many of these elements as well as other technologies not yet identified. Further, the control systems that will coordinate and balance such grid operations in real time will be equally sophisticated. Other issues in balancing intermittency Technology choices are not the only issue. Market mechanisms are required to provide the economic motivation for non-utility generators to invest in intermittency-balancing devices. In the competitive PJM (Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maryland) market, for instance, there is a capacity market that rewards power producers for maintaining excess generation capacity in a standby mode. This model, however, was not designed for real-time needs induced by renewables. There are also markets for ancillary services, which are focused on frequency and voltage regulation across the grid, but the current illiquidity in these markets prevents them from being useful in managing risk associated with long-term capital investment in intermittency-balancing generation. There are also questions as to who will own and operate these assets and where they would be best located. Likely owners include utilities and independent power producers (IPPs). But as new technologies emerge, so do new players who do not fit the traditional “old energy” mold. Regarding location, the US federal tax code offers investment tax credits (ITC) for energy storage systems only if they are sited near and charged directly by renewable energy sources. This has resulted in battery storage facilities being sited in areas where the price of property is very low—a critical factor for solar and wind arrays requiring hundreds or thousands of acres—typically very far from urban centers (load pockets) where energy storage systems would be most useful. What should utilities do? Utilities and generators will naturally focus on the hardware side of the intermittency problem, building portfolios of renewable and non-intermittent generation assets. Nonetheless, intermittency will increase the likelihood of forced load reductions, such as rolling outages. As a result, it is equally important to address customer-focused impacts and solutions, such as: 1. Proactively define, analyze, prioritize, verify, and frequently update all load data. This may be the most important lesson from the February 2021 deep freeze weather event in Houston, when more than 200 people died from hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning. Inaccurate, incomplete, and misunderstood customer load data led the utility to cut power to critical natural gas infrastructure (which led to even more power outages) while empty downtown office towers remained fully illuminated. Minimizing the impact and duration of these outages are critical elements of a utility’s license to operate. 2. Build and offer customized—even personalized—demand response programs. Armed with the complete data set defined above, create customer-specific demand response programs tailored to balancing intermittency. All customer types should be included—commercial, industrial, and residential. Keep in mind that a fully charged Tesla S is a 100kWh battery on wheels. 3. Keep your customers informed before, during, and after an outage. Experience with utilities managing wildfire risks and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) has shown the importance of engaging with customers and keeping them informed during outages. Customized apps—for business customers, residential customers, and critical infrastructure/first responders—are an efficient and elegant way to achieve this objective. In addition, customers could use the app to opt into and even customize their own demand response program within a defined range of options—a bit like building your own Dell computer. These three steps together form the foundation of a best-in-class outage prevention, mitigation, and resolution platform. They are useful for all outage types–not just those induced by renewable generation intermittency. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/intermittency-the-challenge-of-renewable-generation-and-technology-options-50d12f6ecd09). --- title: Is data mesh your next architecture url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Is data mesh your next architecture - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Data mesh is all the rage right now. Learn best practices for leveraging this powerful approach to maximize the value of your data. ## Body Is data mesh your next architecture Data Mesh | Governance | Slalom Data mesh is all the rage right now. Learn best practices for leveraging this powerful approach to maximize the value of your data. Is data mesh your next architecture? Share insight Colorful legos Data mesh is a relatively new concept in the field of data architecture that proposes a decentralized approach to data management in organizations. Instead of having a centralized data management team, data mesh advocates for a distributed data ownership model where domain-specific teams are responsible for the data products they create. Many different industries are adopting data mesh and seeing the corresponding benefits. This article discusses the implications of adopting data mesh by different industries and how it can revolutionize data management. What is data mesh? Data mesh is a distributed architecture for data management that enables organizations to move away from a centralized approach and instead treat data as a product. The data mesh approach involves breaking down data into smaller, self-contained domains or “meshes.” Each mesh has a dedicated team responsible for managing its data domain and lifecycle. This includes data ingestion, processing, quality, and distribution. These teams work autonomously, creating a federated data ecosystem that encourages collaboration and flexibility. Benefits of adopting data mesh Improved collaboration and agility Data mesh enables cross-functional teams to collaborate effectively, breaking down traditional barriers that have hindered productivity in the past. In manufacturing and consumer packaged goods (CPG), for example, teams can work collaboratively to gain insights into production and supply chain operations, reducing lead times and improving overall agility. Moreover, data mesh architecture enables teams to work more efficiently by reducing the time spent searching for data, enabling them to focus on analyzing the data and generating insights. Better data quality and governance With data mesh, each team is responsible for the data within their mesh, ensuring that the data is of high quality and well governed. This approach helps reduce data duplication, improve data accuracy, and ensure that data is being used ethically and in compliance with regulations. By promoting a culture of ownership and accountability, data mesh architecture can help organizations build trust in their data and make more informed decisions, in a more rapid time frame. Increased innovation and experimentation Data mesh can create an environment of innovation and experimentation by enabling teams to access data quickly and easily, without the need for centralized data management. This approach encourages teams to test new hypotheses and explore new opportunities without being constrained by a centralized data management model. Manufacturing, CPG, and other organizations can leverage data mesh to experiment with new products and processes, optimize supply chain operations, and drive innovation across the business. Improved customer insights Data mesh architecture can provide a better understanding of customer behavior and preferences, which is essential for many organizations. By breaking down data into smaller domains, teams can create a more complete view of customer data, enabling them to personalize marketing campaigns, optimize product portfolios, and develop new products that meet customer needs. Reduced costs and increased efficiency Data mesh can lead to reduced costs and increased efficiency by enabling teams to work more effectively with data. With autonomous teams managing data domains, the need for centralized IT teams and data management resources is reduced, lowering overall costs. Additionally, data mesh architecture can increase the speed of decision-making, reducing lead times and improving overall efficiency. Implications for industries Finance The finance industry is data-intensive, and adopting data mesh can help it handle its vast amounts of data more effectively and efficiently. With data mesh, finance firms can establish domain-specific teams that can create their own data products, making the data creation process more agile and responsive. Additionally, data mesh can improve data quality and governance, leading to better compliance with regulatory requirements. Healthcare The healthcare industry generates and uses a significant amount of data, including electronic health records, medical images, and patient-generated data. With data mesh, healthcare providers can improve data interoperability, leading to better patient outcomes. Moreover, a decentralized data ownership model can help healthcare organizations manage the privacy and security of patient data more effectively. Retail The retail industry is characterized by a vast amount of customer data generated through online and offline transactions. With data mesh, retail companies can create domain-specific teams that can work on specific data products, leading to better insights into customer behavior and preferences. This, in turn, can lead to more targeted marketing and increasingly effective sales strategies. Food and beverage The food and beverage industry relies heavily on supply chain management to ensure the quality and safety of products. By implementing a data mesh approach, different stakeholders within the supply chain, such as farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, can have ownership and control over their relevant data domains. This promotes transparency, real-time data sharing, and collaboration, leading to improved visibility and traceability throughout the supply chain. Food safety and quality are also critical concerns in the industry. With data mesh, each domain can define its own data-quality metrics, standards, and monitoring mechanisms. This enables data owners to proactively identify and address issues related to product quality, safety, and compliance. Additionally, real-time data sharing and analytics can help identify potential risks, such as foodborne illnesses or contamination, enabling rapid response and mitigation. Efficient inventory management is crucial to avoid wastage and ensure freshness in the food industry. Data mesh enables individual domains, such as distribution centers or retail outlets, to have ownership and control over their inventory data. This facilitates real-time inventory monitoring, demand forecasting, and efficient stock replenishment, minimizing waste and optimizing stock levels based on customer demand patterns. Manufacturing and CPG The manufacturing and CPG industries have always been data-driven, relying on vast amounts of data to optimize production, streamline supply chains, and better understand their customers. However, the traditional centralized approach to data management has led to numerous challenges, including data silos, slow decision-making, and limited collaboration across teams. The concept of data mesh offers a new approach to address these challenges. Transportation Data mesh can have significant implications for the transportation industry, which is heavily reliant on data to optimize routes, track vehicles, and ensure safety. By adopting data mesh, transportation companies can create a more decentralized approach to data management, with each team responsible for the quality and accuracy of their own data. This can lead to more efficient use of data nearer to real time, as teams can work independently to improve their own data rather than relying on a centralized data team. Agility can be increased, empowering teams to respond quickly to environmental concerns, customer needs, or market shifts. Agriculture The agriculture industry is transforming rapidly and becoming increasingly reliant on data to optimize crop yields, track weather patterns, and manage supply chains. By establishing and adopting a data mesh approach, agriculture companies can create a more decentralized approach to data management, with each team responsible for the quality and accuracy of their own data. This leads to more efficient use of data, as teams can work independently to improve their own data, rather than relying on a centralized data team. As these teams innovate, new ways to include and leverage data are analyzed, incorporated, and distributed. Construction The construction industry is increasingly relying on data to optimize building designs, track construction progress, and manage supply chains. By adopting a data mesh approach, construction companies can take advantage of a decentralized approach to data management, with each individual team responsible for the quality and accuracy of their own data. Efficiency gains are quickly realized as teams work independently and increase the quality of their data and decisions. This improvement in collaboration is facilitated by better data sharing and teams interacting more efficiently, sharing data more easily and partnering to optimize building designs and construction processes. Real estate The real estate industry has always been heavily reliant on data to track property values, manage rental properties, and optimize marketing campaigns. Adopting a data mesh approach can lead to more widespread use of data among the various teams. As these teams work independently to improve their own data, additional and deeper insights are often created. Additionally, this often leads to increased innovation, as teams experiment with new approaches to data management and analysis. Enabling data mesh within your organization Many industries and organizations are facing increasing pressure to become more data-driven and agile. As outline above, data mesh architecture offers a new approach to data management that can enable organizations to break down traditional silos and build a more collaborative and agile data ecosystem. By embracing data mesh and treating data as a product, each team is responsible for their own data, allowing these industries to achieve greater efficiency, agility, innovation, collaboration, and overall success. Ultimately, data mesh architecture can help organizations to become more data-driven and competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment. However, it is important to carefully plan and implement a data mesh approach, as it requires significant changes to organizational structure, processes, and culture. With careful planning and execution, the benefits of a data mesh approach can be significant and long-lasting. If your organization isn’t prepared to execute the entire process of moving to data mesh, a modular approach of implementing valuable and attainable steps offers sound foundational building blocks that will improve partnership and cooperation between IT and business units. Progress related to governance, data engineering, data quality, and documentation around data resources increases trust and partnership within the organization. Additionally, this closer partnership between IT and business units will help alleviate data silos, duplication of effort, and pain points with existing data stores or data lakes. As IT partners with the business units to progressively move forward, there are a few things to keep in mind. Business units have to be ready to own their data. Successful data mesh cannot be “pushed out” from IT. A data culture needs to be established in the business units, where they are equipped to own their data, improve agility, and take responsibility for data that they have not historically had to be responsible for. Decentralized development can be more expensive than a traditional operating model of centralized data engineering. Attention needs to be paid to business units that may now need to hire and support their own technical teams. While this leads to positive outcomes around increased agility and reduced time to delivery, it can create challenges as it relates to certain roles like testing. In addition, while agility and flexibility are desired outcomes of adopting data mesh, this can come at the expense of simplicity. These are additional reasons for putting in the effort to build a strong partnership between IT and the business units, including clear communication and agreement in priorities. In summary, data mesh is a great option for many organizations but not for all. After assessing your organization and industry, you may find that focusing on the fundamentals will lead to a future where your organization is more flexible and scalable, with data that is more accurate and contextually relevant to the business units that now own it. If you’re interested in diving deeper on how to tell if data mesh is the right approach for your specific business, along with best practices for implementation at every stage of maturity, check out [The Building Blocks of Success: Is Data Mesh Right for My Organization?](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/the-building-blocks-of-success-is-data-mesh-right-for-my-organization-f05931f029db) This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/is-data-mesh-your-next-architecture-18ea989905e). --- title: It's not the tech; it's your people url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/its-not-the-tech-its-your-people source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/its-not-the-tech-its-your-people locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # It's not the tech; it's your people - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/its-not-the-tech-its-your-people - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/its-not-the-tech-its-your-people - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Pivot toward your people to foster a resilient, AI-powered future ## Body It's not the tech; it's your people It’s not the tech; it’s your people Pivot toward your people to foster a resilient, AI-powered future Pivot toward your people to foster a resilient, AI-powered future Despite billions of dollars invested in AI tools and infrastructure, many organizations still aren’t seeing meaningful returns. Why? Because the human systems haven’t caught up. According to [recent research](https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf), employers expect to restructure nearly half their workforce by 2030 due to AI and automation. Meanwhile, demand for key skills—like AI fluency, big data, and cybersecurity—is expected to rise by over 60%. Yet most companies are still treating AI adoption as a technical project, not a human transformation. So it’s no wonder that many employees feel unsure, unsupported, or even afraid of what AI means for their future. The result? A powerful new set of tools sitting idle while leaders wonder why they aren’t getting the outcomes they expected. In her 2025 [Trends—Artificial Intelligence](https://ikala.ai/blog/ai-trends/mary-meekers-2025-ai-trends-report-an-augmented-analysis) report, Mary Meeker notes that ChatGPT reached 800 million global users in just 17 months, with 90% of adoption occurring outside North America. AI is no longer in test mode—it’s being used by the world, at scale, right now. And yet, even as organizations [race to invest](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/tech-giants-are-set-to-spend-200-billion-this-year-chasing-ai/articleshow/114860492.cms)—$200 billion in capital expenditures by top US tech firms in 2024 alone—many are finding themselves stuck. Not because the tools are broken, but because the people using them aren’t fully empowered, aligned, or engaged. Training on AI tools is an important first step for getting your people up and running and realizing some productivity gains. If you’re already doing this but find AI just isn’t sticking with your teams, it’s time to figure out why, because productivity is just the beginning. By disrupting traditional processes and structures and using AI to remove the barriers that keep humans from doing more value-added work, you can begin to move toward a more transformational phase of your AI journey and truly understand what all the AI hype is about. chart showing the benefits of best practices (screen reader accessible table below for data) Charting your future with AI At Slalom, we’ve been helping clients modernize and transform for years, including navigating AI challenges. But we see this moment and AI adoption as something very different—it’s a new opportunity, not to simply “transform, as in the case of previous technology-led transformations, but to become adaptive. [Adaptive organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models) are led by future-focused leaders who make continuous learning and skilling top priorities. They don’t just respond; they anticipate and continuously prepare for disruption. Leaders of adaptive orgs therefore need to ensure they’re providing ample support for their people to become proficient with AI tools while also cultivating an environment where everyone is aware of and on board with expectations around AI. Defining what your future with AI looks like, making sure all your leaders are aligned on your vision, and promoting that vision within their teams is important. But just as important is determining how your people are using AI now, as this could help you get to the bottom of why AI isn’t sticking. Many of your people are probably already using AI, but some may be reluctant to share their successes. If they demonstrate that AI is saving them time/effort/costs, some may fear this could result in budgets or resources being cut. At the same time, those who aren’t using AI may be equally fearful of the perception that they’re resistant to change or lacking in skills. Every organization will have its own unique vision for the future—and its own unique path to get there. The following actions can guide you to greater success with AI no matter which path you take. - Make learning an imperative While some workers are afraid to admit a lack of knowledge, others over- or underestimate their abilities, all of which can make it difficult for leadership to determine what type and amount of training and encouragement are necessary for staff tackling a new technology like AI. The key here is to create an environment where everyone is actively engaged in learning, no matter their existing skill/knowledge level. As quickly as AI technologies are evolving, learning has to be habitual and lasting, not merely a one-and-done exercise. With this continuous learning approach, you’ll be better able to see where your people’s strengths and skills lie and make adjustments to their roles to close any gaps and encourage your teams to pursue more value-adding uses of AI. The urgency is growing. The World Economic Forum [projects](https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf) that 44% of core worker skills will shift within the next five years. That means nearly half of what people do today will radically change by 2030. While most employers are investing in training, only a small fraction are [offering AI career pathways or incentives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024). This misalignment between upskilling and long-term workforce strategy could stall progress and create frustration on the ground. Research cited in Meeker’s report underscores this imperative: AI-adjacent roles now demand 37% higher cognitive skill levels and a 5% increase in social and collaborative skill use. Employers aren’t just looking for prompt engineering—they’re looking for adaptability, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving. Traditional training doesn’t always meet this moment. That’s why organizations must embrace continuous, community-based learning and invest in closing the real (not perceived) skills gaps. Offering a variety of options for learning can increase the chances that your people will find a method that works best for them. Some will respond well to self-service, self-paced training modules, but group learning activities could prove more engaging by allowing for experience sharing, rather than simply working as individuals on a course curriculum. Gamification, community-based learning, hackathons, and cohort-based learning are more nontraditional learning approaches that can work very well for teams needing to upskill on AI. At Slalom, we [help clients and consultants](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning) (and leaders in both) build AI literacy through AI Bingo Challenge cohorts that integrate learning into everyday work and help build confidence with tools in a safe, collaborative environment. It may also be beneficial to [create an AI learning lead](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential) role to help determine the best way to structure and incentivize your organization’s learning program, such as by recognizing those who take courses and participate in team-based learning and hackathons, making such activities part of employees’ development plans, and aligning incentives to learning objectives. Set AI in motion across your business Explore how Slalom helps organizations build the foundations and operating models that turn AI into measurable business outcomes. See solutions 2. Bring leaders into alignment Functional leaders and their teams may be hesitant to share the full extent of productivity gains achieved through AI due to concerns about potential budget or head-count cuts. The fear is that increased productivity, especially through automation, could be interpreted as a sign that fewer resources are needed to achieve the same or better output, rather than an indication that efficiency and intelligence are delivering the desired outcomes. This fear only serves to stifle momentum. Instead, incentives should be aligned so that leaders who are able to demonstrate productivity and incremental value are rewarded. When wins are recognized and celebrated throughout the organization, leaders can more easily foster a culture of adaptability, transparency, experimentation, and alignment, where people are encouraged to share their successes and failures and learn from both. In today’s AI economy, Meeker notes that organizations that attract top developer talent often win. And it’s not just about the coders—it’s about creating environments where innovators, analysts, and frontline users can all contribute to AI transformation. 3. Put a different lens on the future of work Productivity gains are only the beginning when it comes to what AI can deliver when teams are encouraged to innovate in truly disruptive ways. Leaders can reinvent how their people work differently. Changing the conversation around what’s possible can inspire people to see opportunities to reallocate time, to rethink and chart new courses. As cited earlier, AI and automation will reshape work dramatically over the next five years, with nearly half of global employers expected to restructure their workforce. But rather than eliminating jobs, organizations will be looking to reimagine them, which will bring about a shift in demand. Satisfying that demand will take more than just reskilling; it will require a complete rethinking of how value is created. Take for example a business that uses call center agents to field customer inquiries and complaints. Many organizations use AI in call centers with the intention of fielding more customer inquiries without having to hire more human agents. This satisfies the productivity gain end of the AI outcome spectrum. But what if these organizations were to use those AI gains to free up their teams for more thoughtful work? Instead of just responding to immediate pressures, agents could spend more time coming up with ways to increase connection and engagement to make the customer experience more positive and promote loyalty. This could strengthen brand reputation, which brings its own set of potential benefits, such as competitive advantage, the ability to attract higher-quality talent, and higher revenues. AI adoption within resilient organizations is not just about workforce transformation. It’s also about anticipating continuous uncertainty, adapting to what comes next, and evolving organizational DNA to not only be responsive to changes like AI but to [build the muscle for looking ahead](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai). Real resilience means making sure there’s a different lens on the future of work and business as we evolve. This ability to anticipate and therefore act faster and more effectively needs to be fostered at every level, and every level needs to be willing to participate and invest the effort to become an adaptive organization. Conclusion The true potential of AI isn’t in the tools—it’s in your people’s willingness to use them with confidence, creativity, and clarity. When you invest in curiosity, normalize continuous learning, and reward experimentation, you don’t just make AI adoption stick—you lay the foundation for a future where human ingenuity thrives alongside intelligent machines. In the race to AI maturity, your people aren’t just a risk to manage—they’re your greatest strategic asset. Are you investing in them like they are? Turn AI insight into action Connect with a Slalom expert to explore the capabilities that turn AI ambition into measurable impact—or share this article to keep the conversation going. Talk to an expert Share insight --- title: The right way to transition from a legacy platform to a modern application url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/legacy-to-modern source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/legacy-to-modern locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The right way to transition from a legacy platform to a modern application - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/legacy-to-modern - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/legacy-to-modern - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary To transition from legacy systems to modern applications, companies need to take a holistic approach to change, including modernizing governance, security, compliance, development operations, and automation. ## Body The right way to transition from a legacy platform to a modern application Legacy Platform to a Modern Application | Slalom To transition from legacy systems to modern applications, companies need to take a holistic approach to change, including modernizing governance, security, compliance, development operations, and automation. Share insight Executive summary The transformation from a legacy system to a modern application can be an overwhelming undertaking for any organization. Companies need to update more than just the infrastructure and architecture; they need to take a holistic approach to change, including modernizing governance, security, compliance, development operations, and automation. It would be easy for people, processes, and technology to adapt as they modernize these aspects in a perfect world, but often, it’s not. At Slalom, we recognize that application modernization is a complex, multifaceted journey that touches the whole enterprise. We realize that organizations need to overcome inertia and many other types of friction just to get started. Let’s look at a recent cloud transformation Slalom conducted for a multinational retailer who updated an enterprise platform built on a monolithic architecture. We helped them push through their fears and achieve a successful modernization by: - Assessing the current legacy platform’s capabilities - Implementing the modernization effort - Defining the future state, including a path to cloud Motivation to modernize The company wasn’t entirely new to the cloud—other business units had been running on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for several years. But the business unit involved in this engagement handled sensitive customer data and had some very specific objectives: - Put the business unit’s services on the same platform as the customer-facing application it serves (in this case, putting transaction processing services on the same platform as e-commerce to provide a seamless customer experience) - Improve availability and reliability of existing solutions - Address inefficiencies that existed because of their legacy systems - Create an online customer experience that mirrors the experience in store - Build an enterprise platform to support future growth and scale to multiple brands Breaking through the inertia Anyone working with a legacy platform will understand that one major barrier to modernization is the inertia created around the realization that documentation dwindles through decades. No one seems to understand a platform’s core capabilities fully. Since people only understand a specific area of their platform, they tend to worry about breaking something on a new system. Facing this apprehension is the key to starting a cloud transformation. Our first step was to do a platform assessment to figure out its capabilities, through: - interviews - diagnostics - software engineering tools - breaking down the logic of the architecture Mid-assessment, we faced the challenge of allocating time and resources between two priorities—running and improving the business. Another concern was pulling subject matter experts away from running the legacy system and risking an interruption in service. Our solution was to create a new team within the same business unit whose sole focus was to design a modern system. Once this was in place, we completed our assessment with them. We created documentation and shared our findings with the original team, helping them fully appreciate the legacy platform’s capabilities and making them feel comfortable enough to move forward with the modernization. What this means for the cloud The company regained lost information and retained siloed data important to its transition to a cloud-based system by thoroughly assessing the legacy asset. Goodbye, legacy systems Another significant barrier to modernization was the monolithic architecture on which the company’s legacy platform was built. They were working with technology that the organization had invested in for over 25 years, and part of the problem was outdated hardware and other elements. They didn’t have a way of syncing data across their on-premises platforms and the cloud, causing delays in transferring important information. During the project's implementation phase, we broke down the legacy monolith data flows. We rewrote them as a modern microservices stack that could run either on-premises or in the cloud, a core competency of GCP. Compliance and lowering risk were another challenge. Because the business unit deals with sensitive data, the company requires certain processes to be performed within a specific function in the legacy system. We helped them lower their risk by rearchitecting the flow of sensitive information to be processed by a trusted third-party financial institution; no sensitive data would ever touch their cloud. We also helped them automate security and compliance with different layers of security checks and established better role governance to ensure no one has unfettered access to private customer information. When the team proved that they could execute a sensitive transactional operation without touching private data, that was a huge eye-opener into what was possible with modern cloud applications. What this means for the cloud As part of the new microservices-driven architecture, we set up the cloud infrastructure to host the microservices. Getting set-up for the future A critical piece of this modernization was establishing an enterprise landing zone. This is a solution that helps the client more quickly set up a secure, multi-account cloud environment with a trusted cloud provider. The landing zone is a single point of entry to the cloud that facilitates security and compliance enforcement. The client wanted the ability to execute other cloud projects in the future. The landing zone helps onboard internal and external customers faster as the company moves toward multiple clouds. There was a strong sense of partnership between Slalom and the client for the project duration. Our architects worked alongside their architects, our engineers alongside their engineers. Because of this collaboration, there was a seamless transfer of knowledge, and decision-making happened jointly. To assist with the portion of the modernization involving people and processes, we conducted an Agile readiness assessment across teams and gave it to the client for documentation. A Slalom consultant’s goal is to work their way out of a job, and this project wasn’t any different. What this means for the cloud Whether an organization plans a multi-cloud strategy or goes from on-premises to cloud-ready to cloud-native, they’ll need new processes. It can be difficult to carve out the time to do targeted, deliberate proof of concept for how the new processes will work in the cloud versus on-premises. But if the organization is trying to rethink key aspects of its business and make the cultural shift required for a cloud transformation, it’s worth it to invest time in the preparation. Make a smooth transition to a modern application While there’s complexity in this type of transformation, this framework of assessment, implementation, and defining the future state helps you know what to consider when your organization plans an application modernization. At Slalom, we help our clients prepare for and execute cloud transformations intentionally and strategically to achieve their business goals. --- title: 2025 industry outlook: Life sciences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 2025 industry outlook: Life sciences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom’s 2025 life sciences industry outlook explores top life sciences trends and offers practical, expert guidance to help leaders navigate rapid change. ## Body 2025 industry outlook: Life sciences With AI and tech in the forefront, life sciences leaders are focused on transformation. Get expert insight on top trends for 2025. Slalom’s 2025 life sciences industry outlook explores top life sciences trends and offers practical, expert guidance to help leaders navigate rapid change. 2025 industry outlook: Life sciences trends 2025 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Life sciences Letter from our healthcare industry lead Letter from our healthcare industry lead In our 2024 outlook for the healthcare industry, Slalom shared our profound optimism in the path toward person-centered care. We [predicted](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/2024-healthcare-industry-outlook/page/1) a slow but steady workforce recovery, advancements in hybrid care delivery, and new value creation from large, local datasets, leveraging AI to solve complex problems in a way that has not been technologically available until now. We also challenged healthcare leaders “to systematically evaluate, and where appropriate, regenerate everything” from coverage policies to models of care. No one could have predicted the turmoil we experienced in 2024. The nation halted to refocus on what we already knew: The US healthcare “system” is broken. We have a profound and unprecedented opportunity to make healthcare work for everyone. Our 2025 outlook focuses on pragmatic opportunities to address barriers in our healthcare system—realistic solutions that can improve access to care, reduce burdens on the healthcare workforce, and create a more resilient and outcomes-driven healthcare industry. As we look forward, our new challenge to Slalom employees, customers, and partners is to lead with courage. Historian Yuval Noah Harari writes that “creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and then break them.” It takes courage to break long-standing patterns and drive systemic change. This is our tipping point. Let’s get started. Sincerely, Meera Kanhouwa, MD, MHA, FACEP Global Industry Lead, Healthcare Read less With AI and tech at the forefront, the life sciences industry is stepping into 2025 with a powerful focus on person-centered transformation. This is a pivotal moment in the industry and our careers—an opportunity to move beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approaches of the past and embrace a future poised to evolve more in the next five years than it has in the past century. AI is changing every aspect of the life sciences industry. This catalyzing technology is unveiling new pathways to value throughout the entire value chain, from accelerated discovery and streamlined operations to resilient supply chains and data-driven sales growth. Still, at its core, this work remains profoundly personal—it’s about improving, and often saving, lives. The focus on person-centered care is stronger than ever with the rise of precision medicine and the unanswered questions of how to scale personalized therapies and experiences that bring new hope to millions. Author Get a free recap to share with colleagues Get the PDF recap Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an industry expert Top trends in life sciences Item 1 AI is empowering life sciences companies to [improve productivity](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals-) and [accelerate R D](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all). The global market for AI in life sciences is expected to surge from [$2.14 billion in 2024 to $9.17B by 2032](https://www.precedenceresearch.com/artificial-intelligence-in-life-sciences-market), growing at an annual rate of almost 20%. Companies are eager to harness the strategic and financial benefits of AI but are often limited by fragmented implementation. While investing in AI for a singular use case can deliver short-term rewards, this approach misses the broader impact that comes from scaling AI across the entire business. The real opportunity and results lie in a holistic systems approach with a unified, customer-centered strategy across all AI implementations to maximize the return on investment. At Slalom, we believe that enabling AI at scale can result in 10x productivity and innovation for most life sciences enterprises. Many organizations are already seeing significant productivity gains with routine task automation, AI-accelerated engineering, and GenAI assistants—just to name a few examples. On the innovation side, paths to acceleration include AI-powered drug discovery and development, in silico clinical trials, and digital twins. In 2025, we will also see the rapid rise of agentic AI, in which an AI entity independently takes on a set of tasks and responsibilities based on given inputs. For example, an [AI-powered inventory agent](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/ai-for-life-sciences/) can keep sales reps informed of product shortages, proactively suggest solutions like transferring product from another rep’s inventory, and enable compliance with built-in guardrails and triggers to prevent prescription sampling beyond the regular allotment. Yi Zhou With a responsible, holistic approach to GenAI and agentic AI, we can unlock transformative breakthroughs in productivity and innovation across the entire healthcare and life sciences value chain—driving better outcomes for patients, providers, and everyone in between. But we cannot build AI skyscrapers on landfills. Scaling AI requires strong data management and governance practices, especially in the risk-averse environment of the life sciences industry, and a clear sense for ROI (beyond year one and into the future). Ensuring data system interoperability and reducing technology debt are both critical for applying AI across operations. Many organizations are optimizing their investments by pairing foundational enterprise data solutions with cutting-edge AI innovations to deliver better outcomes—and get closer to harnessing AI’s full potential across the value chain. The shift toward holistic and collaborative AI strategies - In 2023, 84% of AI transformation efforts were driven by a single leader, while just 5% involved cross-functional teams. - In 2024, single leaders for AI transformation decreased to 32%, while cross-functional team leadership surged to 52%. Learn more in [Slalom’s AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024). Item 2 The life sciences and healthcare industries will hold [36% of the world’s data in 2025](https://www.rbccm.com/en/gib/healthcare/episode/the_healthcare_data_explosion#:~:text=Today%2C%20approximately%2030%25%20of%20the,%25%20faster%20than%20media%20 %20entertainment.)—but few companies can easily translate their data into insights and personalization as it is largely fragmented and unstructured, making it inaccessible and underutilized. Though life sciences companies are traditionally slow to adopt advanced technology due to regulatory hurdles, that is changing quickly as many now turn to AI-supported sales tools, predictive analytics, automation, and the internet of things (IoT) to remain competitive. All of this relies on data to be compliantly integrated and accurate. Johanna DeYoung To fully harness the power of advanced tools and best support their HCP customers and patients, life science leaders must focus on strategic data management, improving data literacy and accessibility, and ensuring data governance as an offense, not a defense. Empowering data-driven commercial initiatives requires alignment across the “three Ps”—people, process, and product. It starts with equipping your people with the right skills and tools they need to work effectively with data, followed by establishing processes for data interaction across the organization, and finally, building a thoughtful tech stack that turns data into actionable insights. Organizations that break down the barriers to activating their troves of data can increase their customer- and patient-centricity and gain a competitive edge in the industry with the insights they need to succeed in a more data-driven and personalized environment. As life sciences organizations continue to transform their data and focus on personalized experiences, these efforts promise to yield more tailored, effective HCP interactions and person-centered care models, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and system efficiency. 3 steps to unlock the power of your data - Define your focus: What are you solving for? - Assess your current capabilities: Are your systems meeting your needs, or are they falling short? What questions can you not answer today given your current state of data? - Design your path forward: How will you evolve your systems, processes, and people to ensure data quality, accessibility, and actionable insights? How are you increasing the data literacy of your organization—especially within the business? Veeva’s CRM platform on Salesforce’s infrastructure has been used by the majority of pharmaceutical companies, including [47 of the top 50](https://www.industries.veeva.com/about). However, in the wake of Veeva and Salesforce’s split, organizations must decide between Veeva’s new Vault platform, Salesforce’s Life Sciences Cloud, or another CRM vendor. With a deadline of 2030 to be fully transitioned off the current CRM, there is a growing sense of urgency, and many companies are approaching this point of inflection with bold moves. Most organizations have relied on their current CRM for over five years, and it’s unlikely another viable alternative will enter the market in the next decade. Therefore, choosing a platform that can address today’s challenges and is equipped to support future technological advances is crucial. This decision represents a critical opportunity for pharma companies to build a CRM foundation that adapts to evolving industry demands, finally solves the “last mile” issue of having field teams equipped with the right insights to bring the maximum value to HCP interactions, enhances customer relationships, and drives sustainable growth. James Hemsley This isn’t just about switching platforms—it’s a unique chance to build the ideal, future-focused CRM. The right decision here could redefine how companies engage with customers and unlock new growth. Each path forward has its own advantages. Staying with Veeva offers a smooth migration plan with minimal disruptions, while Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud may offer fresh innovations with AI, data integrations, and the opportunity to reimagine dated processes. Because of the high cost of the forced migration, this decision requires a thoughtful assessment of the current and future CRM state and usage, bringing key users from across the enterprise into the conversation to identify gaps and opportunities. It’s also imperative to act quickly as this industry-wide change will require a substantial amount of human capital, and those who move first will secure the best teams and talent. This decision is significant, and the opportunity is clear—to move beyond the CRM use of today, focused on compliance and reporting, and into the future of a critical command center of insights. By improving data accessibility, forging regulatory partnerships, and embracing diverse data sources, life sciences organizations can leverage RWD to build a more patient-centric, equitable industry and demonstrate value earlier in clinical trials. Anh Duong Now more than ever, there is a push in the field for regulatory-grade real-world data to inform and transform care. The goal is to develop better evidence beyond the limits of traditional clinical trials—with the potential to gather evidence on new patients and subpopulations, comorbidities, social determinants of health, and other life circumstances that impact health outcomes. There is growing recognition of RWD’s ability to produce insights into how therapies perform in real-world settings. However, many organizations are limited by their ability to fully leverage insights because much of their data is fragmented, siloed, or inaccessible. To unlock RWD’s potential, leaders must think strategically about how to collect, organize, and activate the data more effectively to improve decision-making processes and patient outcomes. Collaboration with regulatory agencies is essential in effectively using RWD, and the relational role of these agencies for life sciences companies is evolving from gatekeepers to strategic partners. Engaging with regulators early in the trial design process can help organizations align on data standards, ensure compliance, and, ultimately, lead to more efficient and inclusive trials and quicker approvals. There is a strong focus on making data more inclusive. By going beyond traditional markers like ancestry and zip code to include social determinants of health—such as LGBTQIA considerations, socioeconomic status, and access to care—companies can drive health equity and align research with real-world experiences of diverse patient groups. To achieve this, companies must evaluate their data sources and integrate them into existing systems to reflect a more holistic view of patient realities. Melissa Davis, PhD Current data diversity is rooted in colonialism; we need to redefine diversity in a way that isn’t predicated on colonialism. The FDA must engage researchers early for data capture for better clinical trial design, and we should consider social determinants of health as a driver versus a consequence of ancestry. Many life sciences supply chain environments are fragmented and siloed across multiple systems. This setup can cause rippling challenges and extended time to recovery when external disruptions impact logistics. The pandemic amplified these issues, and many life sciences organizations are still experiencing a whiplash effect from the rapid production expansion and subsequent contraction, resulting in surpluses and inefficient operations. The post-pandemic reset has fundamentally changed supply chain management. Companies are recalibrating their supply-and-demand planning and strategically navigating the complexities of integrating newly acquired businesses and their supply chain systems as a value driver. This portfolio diversification is creating a stronger need for seamless supply chain integration and alignment. Building on the lessons learned from the pandemic—and other external disruptions such as labor strikes and natural disasters—the industry is shifting from the traditional reactive approach to a proactive approach. This change enables a forward-looking model that anticipates problems before they occur and allows organizations to navigate challenges seamlessly with real-time end-to-end visibility across the entire value chain—from “molecule to medicine” and then “plant to patient.” Vasista Avvaru When you’re looking to design a digitally enabled operating model, there are a lot of off-the-shelf solutions. At Slalom, one of the things our customers really appreciate is our nuanced perspective on how to make the right decision—build versus buy—for your company. Achieving this level of actionable insight and resilience requires a digitally enabled operating model. AI and machine learning can predict disruption and improve demand forecasting, while cloud-based platforms and IoT sensors enable continuous monitoring of the supply chain to detect issues in sourcing, production, and shipping before they escalate. Slalom’s supply chain control tower solution and advanced scenario modeling can further enable organizations to respond to disruptions swiftly, reducing delays and minimizing risks. The person-centric focus of the industry is also driving a need for greater agility in supply chains. Personalized therapies and treatments require deep operational changes, such as more localized and responsive production systems, tighter control over cold chain logistics, alignment with evolving regulatory standards, and integration with healthcare providers. This presents the opportunity for organizations to differentiate themselves by designing and deploying a responsive, scalable supply chain that prioritizes patient outcomes. Historically, precision treatments were limited to higher acuity facilities equipped to manage safety risks. As therapeutic safety profiles improve, more sites of care will be eligible to administer these treatments. New therapies like in vivo, where changes occur in the body, and allogeneic, which utilizes healthy donors in a make-to-stock model, underscore the importance of a scalable distribution model as a differentiating factor as the market grows. CAR T-cell therapy is one of the most exciting examples of precision medicine, offering tremendous promise for cancer treatment—as well as [key lessons to consider](https://medium.com/the-slalom-daily-dose/4-lessons-learned-in-launching-car-t-therapies-1be1c057bd13) for the future of precision medicine. [Six autologous CAR T therapies](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cells) have received FDA approval so far, and globally, the cell therapy market is estimated to reach [$7.3B in 2025—and over $20B by 2030](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/cell-therapy-market-size/global). Scaling precision medicine presents unique challenges that require innovative technological solutions. The “make-to-order” model of autologous and allogenic therapies is placing heavier demands on supply chains, requiring more robust traceability and chain-of-custody mechanisms. Organizations will need to explore automation to scale operations beyond manual processes and incorporate robotics and advanced software systems. AI can further support scaling efforts by streamlining data summarization for clinical trial protocols, offering insights from past studies to inform future trials, and optimizing development costs to improve the likelihood of delivering effective therapies to market. By refining workflows, optimizing supply chains, and focusing on automation where possible, companies can mitigate the high costs and complexities of personalized therapies for impactful breakthroughs in life sciences. Peter Krein, PhD Precision tools are not precise for smaller populations. To truly engage precision medicine data, we need to shift to an N-of-1 model. Initially driven by the need to right-size teams following over-hiring during COVID-19, the trend to “do more with less” has evolved beyond cost-cutting. Companies are now embracing a strategic, value-driven approach focused on optimizing their existing workforce by realigning talent, introducing advanced technology, and shifting efforts to high-impact areas that directly benefit HCPs and patients. To achieve this, many organizations are adopting a value operating model to redesign their workflows around specific value streams. By centering efforts on these core streams, companies can prioritize and accelerate tasks that generate the most value. Organizational design plays a crucial role, and life sciences organizations are carefully evaluating their current team structures (often highly siloed and vertical) and reconfiguring talent to focus on end-user value, making the best use of the people they already have. By aligning teams around shared goals, life sciences leaders can foster a mindset centered on outcomes. Intelligent automation and AI are central to this transformation, as they reduce administrative burdens and free employees to focus on more meaningful work. This enables employees to use their expertise on tasks requiring human judgment and creativity, making work more fulfilling and impactful. AI, when integrated thoughtfully, can be a powerful complement to the workforce rather than a replacement. It helps reduce cycle times, allowing employees to move from task initiation to completion much faster—and more compliantly and consistently, if well designed. As life sciences companies move forward with this technology, value, and person-centric approach, they are building a more resilient and flexible workforce. Organizations that fully embrace this transformation will foster higher customer satisfaction, operational resilience, and employee engagement. In an increasingly competitive market, those who realign their workforce strategies to embrace these tools and operating model will set themselves apart, ensuring they remain agile and innovative. With the vast range of therapies now becoming available, the task of staying up to date with current information is critical. In fact, there are [75% more assets available](https://themsljournal.com/article/seven-ways-to-measure-medicals-modern-strategic-value/) to HCPs and patients than 10 years ago, and [the volume of medical knowledge doubles every 72 days](https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/future-ai-medicine-and-what-it-means-physicians-and-practices-tom-lawry#:~:text=So%20a%20newly%20trained%20physician,them%20make%20the%20right%20decisions). As the complexity grows, medical affairs teams are being elevated to ensure that this information is accessible, actionable, and accurately disseminated. Once considered a secondary function, medical affairs personnel are now stepping into the spotlight to play a key part in linking research, innovation, and patient care holistically. AI and automation will be key tools for medical affairs teams as they are elevated within organizations. These technologies can scale the efforts of medical affairs teams to meet the increasing demand for clinical insights and evidence-based information. Generative AI can accelerate the process of producing publications and reports, reducing the time spent on manual tasks and allowing medical affairs teams to focus on more strategic, customer-facing work. By increasing productivity, AI ensures that HCPs and patients get the accurate, evidence-based information they need more quickly. When HCPs have faster access to easily digestible scientific data, they’re more likely to engage and prescribe based on that information—positioning your organization as a leader in delivering timely, impactful insights. In addition to the technology transformation, the culture change is required to establish medical affairs as a strategic pillar alongside R D and commercial operations. With the right tools and a supportive organizational structure, medical affairs can accelerate the flow of critical information and become the essential nervous system that keeps the industry moving forward, ensuring that everyone, from HCPs to patients, is empowered with the knowledge and experience they need and expect. The rise of medical affairs - 68% of pharma companies are relying more on medical affairs for clinical data insights. - AI use in medical affairs will grow 45% in the next five years. - Investment in medical affairs will increase by 30% in 2025. Source: [C-Suite Strategy](https://www.c-suite-strategy.com/blog/the-future-scope-of-medical-affairs-pioneering-patient-centered-healthcare) As the pace of scientific discovery picks up, traditional labs are struggling to keep pace with the demand for data-driven research and advanced drug and therapy discovery. By developing better methods for data organization and sharing (e.g., adopting principles of data [FAIRification](https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/fairification-process/)), labs can improve productivity and bring new therapies to market faster than ever before. AI and automation are core to this transformation. AI enables labs to streamline workflows, analyze large datasets, and generate insights with speed and accuracy. Automation, such as robotics and advanced instruments, is essential to improving the efficiency of routine tasks, freeing up human capital, and reducing risks related to human error or hazardous material. These technologies rely on high-quality, clean data that is structured for a purpose. Organizations need to break down silos and implement robust data management practices to build a strong foundation of consistent data quality and interoperable systems. But the shift to the lab of the future isn’t just about adopting new tech—it’s also about embracing a new way of working. Scientists must move beyond traditional wet lab roles and collaborate seamlessly with dry lab processes, creating a unified approach to scientific discovery. This requires thoughtful change management strategies that empower teams to embrace new technologies and adapt to data-driven workflows. Life sciences organizations must also address the cultural shift needed to fully integrate data as the central asset and support their teams as they adapt to new ways of working. With AI, high-throughput automation, and data management as central components, the life sciences labs of today can transform, unlocking high-impact scientific breakthroughs and better tomorrows for all. 3 key tools for labs of the future - AI machine learning: Advance in silico paradigm, streamline data analysis, and generate actionable insights - Robotics systems: Enhance accuracy, scale routine processes, reduce manual effort, and integrate workflows - Advanced bioinformatics, computational modeling, and imaging tools: Enable high-throughput experimentation at an unprecedented scale Joseph Kim Even as the world evolves to leveraging technology more than ever, tech is only a part of the equation for laboratory transformation. Helping scientific specialists adapt and adopt—even in small ways like moving from paper to electronic notebooks—is key to creating big impacts. As life sciences companies move into 2025, the challenges are real—but so are the opportunities to make a profound impact. Success in this quickly evolving landscape requires focus in several areas: leveraging AI and data to accelerate productivity and innovation, building resilient and person-centric supply chains, and scaling precision medicine. Unlocking the [full value of M A deals](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlocking-ma-deal-value), embracing real-world data, and evolving the role of medical affairs are also crucial in shaping a more connected, evidence-based industry. Looking ahead, leaders that invest in workforce transformation and smart automation will empower their teams to do more meaningful and impactful work. Choosing the right digital platforms—especially for CRM—will lay the foundation for scalable and efficient operations that can adapt as the industry continues to evolve. At Slalom, we’re proud to be a part of this journey. As leaders in [life sciences consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/life-sciences), we’re helping organizations tackle their biggest challenges—from accelerating drug discovery to modernizing enterprise data foundations, from digital transformations to enhancing customer engagement and patient services. With a commitment to innovation and a people-first mindset, we partner with leaders and their teams to translate bold ideas into real-world impact. As we stand on the brink of a new era, now is the time to turn possibilities into breakthroughs and lead the way in life sciences. Contributors: Vasista Avvaru, Collin Burdick, Ronald Carnemolla, Johanna DeYoung, Anh Duong, James Hemsley, Joseph Kim, Bharathram Lakshmivarahan, Munaz Muntasir, Bhavin Patel, Kim Rojek, Amber Sexton, Devon Snedden, Alex Torgerson, Danielle Tye, Colby Voorhees, Yi Zhou Don't forget to download or share with your colleagues and help your organization navigate these trends. Download a PDF recap Share 2025 trends Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! --- title: Slalom Industry Outlook Life Sciences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Slalom Industry Outlook Life Sciences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary In this 2026 Life sciences outlook, examine the forces reshaping the industry—from TechBio and AI fluency to retiring tech debt for adaptive operating models. ## Body Slalom Industry Outlook Life Sciences Life Sciences Industry Trends 2026 How will data, automation, and AI deliver new therapies, better experiences, and a stronger bottom line for more value and edge? In this 2026 Life sciences outlook, examine the forces reshaping the industry—from TechBio and AI fluency to retiring tech debt for adaptive operating models. Life Sciences Industry Trends Life sciences In 2026, life sciences must accelerate evolution and achieve more without adding more. This growth will be achieved by increasing impact and efficiency without adding more people, complexity, or costs. That means using data, automation, and AI to deliver new therapies, better provider and patient experiences, and a stronger bottom line—even in the face of policy, technology, and talent disruptions. In turn, leaders need to think of transformation as an adaptive operating model, not a series of milestones or as an end point. This year marks an inflection point. Scaling how we work now won’t get us where we need to go. Instead, we need to reimagine how to walk and run. This means reinvesting in data and innovation for predictive pathways, partnering in fluid and creative ways, and upskilling teams for an AI-augmented future. Johanna DeYoung Global Industry Lead, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Slalom LinkedIn 2025 brought unpredictable policy shifts and volatile trade. The Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause pricing and tariff volatility kept markets moving fast. At the same time, AI tools moved from pilots to scale. Yet organizations have struggled to turn their experiments (which have been overly focused on small gains in productivity) into impactful performance. They’ve also struggled to turn governance into trust and automation into measurable ROI. The strain is showing. Going forward, life sciences leaders need ways to shift from budget-driven bets to data- and insight-driven strategies, especially in the face of rising costs and even more complex risks. Consider the evolution from biotech to TechBio and the impact of moving wet labs into a digital workflow. Similarly, as AI and generational changes reshape the workforce, systems and structures will need to evolve just as much as the people working within them. The next breakthroughs will happen in adaptive, AI-enabled organizations where human insight and machine intelligence work in concert. But it’s not an AI-arms race. AI and innovation should augment every employee and stakeholder (including patients) to enrich humanity, embolden creativity, and deepen connectedness. Item 1 In 2026, new pricing and trade rules will reshape the industry: - Medicare drug price negotiations will be enacted in 2026, just as a new wave of negotiations begins under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). - MFN is expected to pressure US pharmaceutical prices downward, ending the era of offsetting global discounts with higher domestic pricing. - Pharma companies may push for higher prices (or delay launches) in Europe to avoid a new baseline that lowers US prices. - Countries with large export footprints to the US also face pressure as their national markets react to American and other global market trends. At the same time, tariff disputes, MFN, and evolving AI and device regulation are forcing companies to rethink how and where they operate. For example, in years past, [90%](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-u-s-pharmaceutical-drug-imports-from-china/) of all prescription drugs consumed in the US have been imported. But in just three years, the share of those imports from China fell from [23%](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-u-s-pharmaceutical-drug-imports-from-china/) (2021) to [8%](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-u-s-pharmaceutical-drug-imports-from-china/) (2024). Going forward, life sciences companies cannot separate operational design from geopolitical strategy. Location carries implications for pricing eligibility, regulatory scrutiny, and AI oversight—not just logistics or labor. Ronald Carnemolla Tariffs are now the price to play in emerging markets. Companies have to decide if the opportunity justifies the volatility. It’s a portfolio-level decision now. It’s not just pharmaceuticals. Life sciences companies across the value chain are being pushed to operate with greater agility—whether bringing capabilities in-house, shifting to DTC models, or navigating rapid market cycles. The organizations that succeed in 2026 will be those that can quickly adjust pricing strategies, respond to market signals, and realign commercial investments without losing momentum. In response, and to protect margins and control, life sciences manufacturers are piloting direct-to-consumer (DTC) models. Transformative leaders are assuming new responsibility for managing patient data once handled by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and distributors. This shift is supported by modernization efforts that deliver predictive analytics, policy modeling, and digital twins that can simulate pricing and trade scenarios across their global networks. The impact of volatility? Organizations will need to continue to build their agility and control what they can. This will look like operating with robust scenario planning capabilities. It will also mean taking more ownership of the commercial and data value chains, like in-housing functions (such as marketing and distribution) to move away from agencies and PBM intermediaries. How leaders can stay ahead - Invest in modernization programs that make transformation your operating model evergreen, not an end point. - Integrate financial, policy, and manufacturing data to simulate the impact of IRA ceilings, MFN compliance, tariffs, and IRP adjustments. - Build adaptive compliance systems that evolve with FDA, EMA, and local requirements. - Develop capabilities that can create ownership and control, such as insourcing scope of Agencies of Record (AoRs) and direct-to-consumer channels and services. 2026 is an opportunity to turn cost centers into strategic advantages. At Slalom, we help transformative leaders implement scenario modeling and forecasting into their core operations. Every model is built so it’s repeatable yet adaptable, governable, and insight-rich. Life sciences leaders can operate with foresight, make sound pricing and policy decisions, and turn bets into data-driven R D as well as commercial strategies that investors, providers, and patients trust. Item 2 Life sciences R D is entering a new phase. Biotech, focused on creating products based on incremental trial and error by manipulating biological and chemical systems in wet labs, is becoming TechBio—an entirely different R D organism. TechBio integrates high-performance computational technologies (like AI and data science) to accelerate research, clinical discoveries, and product development while protecting profitability, improving patient care, and elevating brand experience. As we move from “biology first” to “biology plus computing first” (the TechBio mindset), the lab footprint will shrink for first movers and fast followers digitizing discovery. These life sciences leaders benefit from unified data and human-AI collaboration that outpaces competitors tied to siloed or physical-first, purely empirical “try everything” R D models. The ability to process large volumes of data (e.g., omics, structural biology, chemical libraries) and to simulate many molecular interactions means exploring more options faster and at a lower cost than before. Johanna DeYoung ‘TechBio’ is fundamentally changing science and all sectors downstream. We’re going from a wet lab to dry lab, so data is where the first experiments happen and advancements are accelerating. Tools will continue to become more powerful and far more integrated. The implication? “Hard-to-drug” targets will be reached because of better molecular dynamics modeling, protein structure prediction, and multiomics integration. This will accelerate precision therapeutics and create new molecules for specific pathways or patient subgroups. It will also enable new modalities that combine novel chemistries with sophisticated computational design. Expect to gain momentum through innovation and AI at scale. These advances will reduce failed starts and provide a faster, clearer path from research to launch. When incentives, data, and infrastructure are aligned, federated learning can train models on siloed data. This alignment also enables centralized, secure updates and improves models collectively—without the data ever leaving the silos. This strategic shift turns competitors into collaborators while protecting privacy and intellectual property. Already, the shift is unlocking insights in discovery, generating previously hidden real-world evidence, sharpening cancer image detection, and accelerating rare disease research. While the promise is big, the hurdles are too. Data quality, model validation, integration of experiments, regulatory frameworks, and translation from in-silo to clinic aren’t low lifts. Cultural mindsets and skill sets also matter, as bridging biology, chemistry, data science, and engineering isn’t trivial. It’s no secret that AI and automation are redirecting spending from manual, repetitive, and siloed work toward next-generation science. But this shift isn’t about cost-cutting. It’s about refocusing talent and capital so life sciences leaders can produce breakthrough results and measurable returns with more speed and confidence. For instance, AI integration can shorten preclinical stages from [six to two and a half year](https://insightglobal.com/blog/top-trends-shaping-life-sciences/)[s](https://insightglobal.com/blog/top-trends-shaping-life-sciences/). AI-driven analytics are also making other types of guesswork outdated. Now, modernized organizations will link site performance, patient demographics, and investigator history to trial end points. As a result, these firms benefit from shorter cycle times thanks to cleaner data and actionable insights. They also move more submissions into regulatory review faster, giving them a competitive edge and the capacity to do more good for patients. TechBio isn’t just tech—it’s culture, skills, and ways of working: - Align biology teams, data science, platform engineering, and product owners while designing new governance structures like working groups, steering models, and partner ecosystems. - Plan for roles and competencies that don’t exist yet (e.g., scientific product managers, ML-native assay designers, data engineers with wet-lab literacy). - Implement AI for trial design and operations, reducing cycle time and improving site-patient alignment. - Design federated learning frameworks and precompetitive data-sharing models that allow joint learning without data leakage for faster target discovery. - Build nonnegotiable cloud-native, unified data ecosystems connecting ELNs, LIMS, omics, and real-world data to turn silos into cohesive AI-ready pipelines. The big unlock in TechBio means adopting a new stance, shifting mindsets and core technologies from silos to convergence and “my data” to “our data.” At Slalom, we help life sciences organizations treat data sharing and governance like a Good Practice (GxP) process. Everything can be tracked, verified, standardized, and continuously monitored. Organizations stay buttoned up even while developing breakthrough products that make a difference for providers and patients. In 2026, AI will move from a buzzword to the balance sheet. Now, the priority isn’t experimentation, nor is it productivity gains. It’s all about impact, value creation, and network effects. Life sciences leaders that scale human-AI collaboration and AI automation have a mandate to embed AI into everyday decision-making. That mandate includes establishing sound governance and measuring results that matter so every colleague can contribute at the top of their license. Organizations that focus on productivity without balancing differentiation and disruption will be outpaced. life sciences ai trends 2026 Still, the performance gap is real: - 92% of life sciences leaders plan to increase AI investment, but only 33% can quantify its value. Most are still talking about productivity and querying the corporate brain. - 62% still run more than half their core applications on legacy platforms, limiting interoperability and the ability to scale. - 56% cite workforce skill gaps as the top barrier to AI ROI. Andrew Stevenson Now that the novelty has worn off and pilots are in place, the biggest challenge is choosing what to scale first. It doesn’t have to be the Wild West, though. Leaders can close the gap between ambition and execution with AI solutions based on ranked use cases by scientific impact, cost to implement, and regulatory readiness. Step Zero is data modernization: AI maturity starts with a single source of truth, and it’s measured when you move AI from a cost center to a value center. In 2026, value breakthroughs will come with three key considerations: - Governance must be intentional and applied rigorously. Regulatory scrutiny of algorithmic decision-making is intensifying. Responsible-use frameworks must evolve from discussion to daily discipline: Ethical review boards, bias testing, and model-drift monitoring aren’t optional. When life sciences leaders create the systems and operations to govern AI, it becomes a resourced, ROI-conscious organizational strategy that builds trust. - AI adoption and skill gaps need to be addressed. Workforce readiness factors into AI maturity, in part because models are changing faster than people can. Continuous retraining—quarterly refreshers focused on prompting, interpretation, and validation—is essential for AI fluency, talent engagement, and safeguarding AI ROI. - Shift from accepting productivity and efficiency gains to a bigger aim. Organizations that focus only on productivity without balancing differentiation and disruption will be outpaced. Turn ambition into revolution where AI reshapes organizations entirely, delivering groundbreaking innovations and establishing distinctiveness. How leaders can stay ahead - Modernize your core and architecture so AI models can draw from a single source of truth across regulatory, R D, quality, and commercial data. - Pair transformation management with measurement dashboards that show ROI like cycle-time reduction, submission speed gains, and compliance cost reduction. - Implement end-to-end guardrails (e.g., data lineage, model validation, and auditability aligned to emerging FDA and European Union AI Act expectations) for responsible AI governance. Modernization is more than upgrading technology. It’s a business strategy with immediate and long-tail advantages. Start by creating a center of excellence (CoE) focused on human-AI collaboration. Use this foundation to raise workflow standards and apply domain-specific strategies to eliminate vampiric tasks (e.g., regulatory paperwork and clinical data cleanup), replacing them with AI-driven solutions. This isn’t a tech refresh for optimization. It’s reinvention that powers ROI through growth. 2026 is a year for pivoting from pilot to performance at scale. Slalom gives life sciences organizations the power and intelligence to scale AI initiatives that deliver measurable business and patient impact. With a focus on repeatable, insight-rich models, these efforts drive faster, smarter decision-making across the molecule-to-market journey, from R D acceleration to go-to-market precision. In 2026, adaptability becomes an operating advantage. Life sciences organizations that prioritize it (or build on it) are poised to pull ahead. In addition to the burdens of operating in siloed organizational charts, [62%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) of life sciences organizations are still anchored to legacy systems and outdated architecture. The remaining [38%](https://www.slalom.com/ai-research-outlook) are addressing outdated architecture, but most still haven’t fully solved it. As the workforce changes, leaders are losing the institutional knowledge needed to maintain old investments, just as opportunity costs are adding up. From standardizing trial conduct with good clinical practice (GCP) compliance workflows to automating adverse event reporting with human supervision, modernization unlocks the agility to align tools, talent, and processes with evolving market demands. Then, organizations can make the jump from static strategies to adaptive models built for speed, insight, and resilience. Alex Torgerson As M A activity stabilizes after last year’s slowdown, the shift toward growth through new markets, therapeutic areas, and direct-to-consumer models can only be powered by modern tech and adaptive models. Boards are focusing on investments that deliver near-term ROI, with data integration emerging as the lever for identifying and realizing value opportunities. What mindsets make adaptability possible going forward? Get modernization done. Replacing legacy systems with unified, data-driven architectures allows for faster, data-informed decisions. Open, continuous feedback loops create a shared-service infrastructure, so leaders can bring regulatory, quality, marketing, and distribution functions back in-house. It’s the difference between reactive quality checks to predictive quality assurance or the delta between making bets versus informed decisions on which drug candidates to shelve or advance based on real-time trial performance and market analytics. Shift from fixed to fluid planning. Five-year roadmaps are giving way to two- to three-year adaptive cycles, often with six-month reevaluation cycles baked in. Organizational focus isn’t only driven by budgets. It’s also driven by strategy, and execution must adjust as quickly as market conditions and therapy economics evolve. With connected architectures, supply chain leaders can make informed decisions about where to build redundancy, where automation or digital-twin modeling drives resilience, and which manufacturing or distribution processes should be repatriated based on tariff and risk exposure. Evolve head count, don’t evaporate it. Automation and human-AI collaboration will shift talent, so teams spend less time moving data and more time using their expertise. For example, clinical data workflows can be redesigned, moving from vampiric manual data entry and cleaning to AI-driven data harmonization with training and tools that automate reconciliation across electronic data capture (EDC), laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and clinical trial management systems (CTMS). How leaders can stay ahead - Put tech debt to bed: Modernize data and system architectures to enable cross-functional automation and faster pivots. - Build agile structures and decision frameworks that shorten response times and clarify accountability. - Use AI, automation, and process mining to drop redundant work and redirect the workforce, so capacity is focused on delivering higher-value intelligence. - Pair a modernization program with cultural transformation that’s always on, and embed continuous learning, experimentation, and resilience as performance drivers. Without the right approach, old habits can spill into new technology. Top performing leaders are shifting performance metrics to reward learning, iteration, and intelligent risk-taking with incentives. They’re recognizing experimentation, process improvements, and effective use of AI agents, not just output volume. This encourages life sciences teams to embrace change instead of calcifying old habits in new tools (or working around change). The shift from rigid to resilient starts with retiring legacy systems and retooling for intelligent adaptability. Slalom helps life sciences leaders trade technical debt for strategic agility. The result? Faster pivots, smarter execution, and resilient growth that keeps pace with science, policy, and provider/patient needs. In 2025, technology raced ahead of talent readiness. In 2026, life sciences leaders won’t win by buying more bots. The wins come from teaching people to manage the bots. That experience and judgment, together with observability and transparency, define fluency. Inconsistent adoption, limited ROI, and AI fatigue are curtailing fluency, though. This year, we’ll see a correction as human-AI collaboration takes on new urgency. Expect life sciences executives and frontline leaders to model curiosity, coach for effective use, and build both trust and engagement with AI. Open the door to reskilling late-career roles, upskilling mid-career roles, and developing new career paths for early-career roles, so innovative and efficiency advancements are coupled with accountability. Expect responsible technology use, including AI use, to move from policy binders to active practice: - Clinical trial design and operations: Clinicians and operations managers can use AI-generated insights to select better trial sites, recruit patients more effectively, and adjust protocols in real time. - Sourcing and supply chain management: Analysts and logistics planners can use digital twins to simulate manufacturing plants, shipping routes, and sourcing networks to test “what if” scenarios, then make proactive decisions to manage disruptions. - Regulatory and compliance: Specialists can guide and review AI-generated filings, saving time while ensuring accuracy and compliance. - Marketing and patient engagement: Strategists and marketers can design campaigns that personalize outreach to patients and providers, using AI to deliver the right message at the right time for more sales and deeper trust. - Talent development: HR and learning and development leaders can use AI to identify general workforce and team–specific skill gaps, then design, launch, and track success in adaptive training programs. How leaders can stay ahead - Partner with HR, learning, and business leaders to define emerging AI-related roles, redesign career paths, and recruit and reskill entry- and early-career talent for analytical and oversight work. - Roll out adaptive learning programs that refresh quarterly and focus on model interpretation, validation, and bias recognition. - Operationalize ethical use, governance, and human-machine teaming, so critical thinking, creativity, and responsible collaboration are at the heart of your culture and the jobs to be done. Use this year to move from AI adoption to competency, confidence, and fluency. At Slalom, we know that the most adaptive organizations operate where people and technology bring out the best in each other. As automation and AI change the nature of roles, not their necessity, growth will only happen when organizations pair technology maturity with human capability and judgment. After years of selling through intermediaries, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are moving closer to the patient. In 2026, the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model will expand and accelerate. This shift will be driven by pricing pressures, new digital channels, and the need for data transparency. It’s also driven by consumer expectations and generational change. With pricing compression spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act and the unfolding impact of the MFN executive order in the US, manufacturers are finding that going direct to patients (or caregivers) accomplishes three objectives: It preserves margin, it deepens market insights, and it creates opportunities to develop lasting trust. Eliminating intermediaries and shifting to DTC is redefining how life sciences leaders think about commercial strategy, data ownership, and brand trust. To many, it’s all upshot—more data, more revenue, and more control over the patient experience. With direct access to patient and provider data, there are new privacy and compliance risks to manage. For modernized organizations with adaptable, automated, and well-governed technology, control over data protection, privacy, consent, compliance, and continuity can reshape risks as potential rewards. For instance, Pfizer’s PfizerForAll™, Lilly’s LillyDirect ® , and Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare ® are testing DTC channels that let consumers bypass insurance and buy brand medications at discounted (cash-pay) prices. Consumers are responding well to this approach. Just as people engage with personalized recommendations in their Netflix queue or Starbucks app, patients are beginning to expect wellness and healthcare to offer the same level of personalization. For patients and their healthcare advocates, experience is everything. For life sciences brands, that experience is also equity. How leaders can stay ahead - Design, test, and launch pharm-to-patient models that integrate pricing, fulfillment, and support into a seamless digital platform. - Embed compliance and privacy frameworks to safeguard patient data while enabling personalization and insight. - Invest in service design to shift from transactional models to relational models, where even contact centers and service teams gather and share data that drives growth. DTC is a growth engine, giving life sciences brands the power to deepen patient relationships and capture higher margins. At Slalom, we help life sciences organizations modernize commercial models, unify data, and build compliant, patient-first platforms that drive profitability without sacrificing patient trust. Our solutions deepen that trust and help organizations deliver personalized experiences at scale. In 2026, tariff volatility, inflation, and logistical bottlenecks aren’t going away. They’ll just keep evolving. That’s why predictive modeling and precision at scale are taking on heightened focus and why digital twins are redefining control. Geopolitical pressure and trade tariffs are forcing companies to treat supply as a strategic function, not a back-office expense. Firms that can adapt manufacturing and distribution in real time will protect market access and margin as sourcing, packaging, and logistical shifts occur. Companies can now simulate disruptions, from tariff hikes to typhoons, before they hit. These tools offer foresight and full-chain agility across organizations. “Lights-out” manufacturing and smart-factory operations, where AI orchestrates production with minimal human intervention, are growing their footprints. In clinical settings, digital twins now model biological responses to testing protocols, drugs, and other interventions. The same technology capably validates Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), accelerating testing and approvals. Digital twins are also being used to model scenarios that test how to source ingredients, how medicine gets made, and how meds are delivered (or recalled) to patients. Kari Hale Your data should act like an early warning system with always-on automation to monitor environmental, financial, and operational risk and flag issues before they escalate. Real-time analytics replace quarterly planning, turning insight into a 24/7 control mechanism. Meanwhile, personalization is rewriting the logistics playbook. It’s shifting the model from bulk buys to small-batch, just-in-time manufacturing and cold chain precision for cell and gene therapy (CGT) and other individualized treatments, especially in oncology, cardiology, and psychiatry. But leaders strapped to legacy systems can’t stretch their organization into these new competitive edges without breaking. How leaders can stay ahead - Deploy AI-enabled control tower solutions that unify logistics, procurement, and manufacturing data for real-time visibility, coordination, and early risk detection. - Localize for resilience using analytics to guide nearshoring and diversification strategies that balance cost, compliance, and control. - Redesign for patient-centric logistics to support personalized therapies like cell and gene therapies through cold chain, just-in-time, and DTC delivery. Supply chain strategy is more than an advantage: It’s now a vital growth lever. Slalom helps the life sciences industry turn supply chains into living ecosystems, where cost and control stay balanced. With modern, intelligent, connected, and patient-centric supply chains, firms can sense and simulate disruption upstream and down. Then, machine learning and self-correction can happen in real time. Leaders can operate smarter, faster, and more resiliently in the face of emerging risks and market opportunities. Ready to make a bold move? We can help. Find out why life sciences innovators like Hologic and Takeda—more than 350 organizations in all—trust Slalom to help advance their transformational goals. Connect now Transformation isn’t a checkmark. It’s a living, breathing protocol for life sciences strategy and operations. After a wave of AI experiments layered on years of large-scale restructuring and one-off transformations, the challenge facing life sciences leaders isn’t vision. It’s velocity. Too many organizations still run critical functions on legacy systems, slowing innovation even when talent and ambition are strong. The opportunity now is to modernize with purpose and to connect data, decisions, and people in ways that create measurable impact across every stage of the molecule-to-market journey. Life sciences leaders now understand that the only lasting advantage is adaptability. As markets, policies, and patient needs continue to shift, progress depends on organizations that can learn and evolve as quickly as science itself. At Slalom, we help life sciences organizations build the connective tissue that unites insight, technology, and human ingenuity. Turn adaptability into your operating advantage, so transformation becomes more than a milestone. Contributors Additional contributors: Ronald Carnemolla, Anh Duong, Kari Hale, Andrew Stevenson, Alex Torgerson Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom life sciences expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Customer experience url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-cx source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-cx locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Customer experience - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-cx - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-cx - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary What happens when AI-powered sellers meet machine customers? ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Customer experience What happens when AI-powered sellers meet machine customers? Share Product and service providers have been applying AI in their interactions with customers for decades now. Some of the earliest uses focused on fielding basic queries and routing calls in automated voice systems. When customers moved online, so did the AI-powered assistants. Along the way, these assistants expanded and improved their conversational skills by incorporating machine learning (ML) capabilities and processing ever-growing volumes of data. The interactions, however, remained limited to specific scenarios the AI had been trained on, such as handling returns and refunds. Building on these innovations, generative-AI-powered assistants can tap into even larger data resources to deliver much more natural and effective communications. They provide an in-store-like experience by answering queries but also asking logical follow-up questions to better understand and serve shoppers’ needs. With these more sophisticated interactions, analyst firm Gartner [predicts](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/top-technology-trends-2025-gb-pd) that GenAI will be a valuable tool to help organizations provide faster and better service. Selling and buying with GenAI For sellers, the goal of using GenAI is clear—it’s engaging, ([largely](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/technology/shopping-ai-chatbots.html)) efficient, and very closely mimics person-to-person interactions, so it can appeal to the same [buyer motivations](https://www.sellingpower.com/8865/how-to-identify-the-six-basic-buying-motives) as a flesh-and-blood salesperson can. Tapping into those motivations is what drives brand loyalty. But not every consumer needs that type of high-touch treatment. Buyers looking to make their purchases with little or no discussion can also use GenAI—but in this case, to bypass the sales pitch and go straight to the purchase transaction. We’ve seen examples of this already in the smart technologies being used in appliances and automobiles that can detect when we’re running low on milk or need maintenance and proactively place orders or set appointments for us. These transactions are carried out by [machine customers](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/21/machine-customers-are-already-among-us-and-they-number-in-the-billions.html) and often require no intervention from the human receiving the goods and services. Subscriptions for often-used items such as vitamins, pet supplies, and cleaning products are a form of machine customer that greatly benefits brands by providing a relatively predictable purchase cadence. GenAI-enabled machine customers, however, can scrape the entire internet for the best deals, thereby freeing consumers from vendor lock-in. As the technology evolves, AI-driven buying will likely have less to do with brand loyalty and more to do with efficiency, value, convenience, and necessity. This raises some interesting questions. If sellers aim to use GenAI to provide a more personalized, humanlike experience for buyers while, at the same time, buyers are removing much of the human element by employing GenAI-powered machine customers, how will these seemingly contradictory efforts play out? How prevalent will GenAI machine customers be? Will they force sellers to rethink the ways they interact with buyers? “I’ll have my AI get back to your AI” Though machine customers are not new, using GenAI to improve their interactions is a very recent development. Over the next 10-12 years, analyst firm Gartner [predicts](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/machine-customers-will-decide-who-gets-their-trillion-dollar-business-is-it-you) a steady evolution in the way this technology will be applied to transactions: - Bound customer (today): The subscription-type purchases mentioned earlier, where humans make the decisions and machines carry out the transactions. - Adaptable customer (by 2026): Humans and machines working together to determine the most advantageous purchases from the pool of available options. - Autonomous customer (by 2036): Machines take the lead based on a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the humans they’re transacting for. So where does this leave sellers? According to [Rio Longacre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/riolongacre/), Slalom managing director of advertising and marketing transformation, “As practitioners, we’ve started to think more about the customer and designing experiences with the customer in mind rather than all the cool features we want to include. Because of this shift, user interfaces (UIs) and the general usability of products have gotten much better over the last 10-15 years.” This way of thinking has also prompted sellers to offer a variety of ways to engage with their brands—some fast and focused on convenience, others more experiential and high touch—so they can satisfy a wider range of customer motivations. Understanding the machine customer’s motivation is the first step to successfully serving this segment. As [Tamarah Usher](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarahusher/), Slalom senior director of AI innovation, [points out](https://www.slalom.com/gb/en/insights/your-future-customer-is-a-machine), “Unlike traditional consumers, machine customers are actively analyzing data, learning preferences, and making purchases that align with the needs and habits of their human counterparts, a stark contrast to the emotion-driven decisions of human buyers.” Capturing this data-driven customer segment requires a new channel for machine interaction. An [article](https://www.informationweek.com/machine-learning-ai/what-to-know-about-machine-customers-) in InformationWeek proposes “designing self-service interfaces that are not only user-friendly for machines but also align with the intricacies of autonomous negotiation and purchasing processes.” Though it may seem like a major adjustment for sellers, the cost of not adapting for machine customers could be significant. According again to [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/machine-customers-will-decide-who-gets-their-trillion-dollar-business-is-it-you), “By 2030, executives believe at least 25% of all consumer purchases and business replenishment requests will be substantially delegated to machines.” This, the analyst firm estimates, could total transactions in the range of trillions of US dollars. Usher echoes the urgency of taking action to prepare for machine customers sooner rather than later. “Organizations can’t afford to be shortsighted, especially at the exponential rate these things are moving. Brands need to anticipate these changes and act quickly to avoid being disrupted.” Targeting CX to both machine and human customers A [recent study](https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-centre/why-arent-customer-service-teams-ready-for-machine-customers/) conducted on 42 Finnish companies provides some insights as to where organizations should focus their efforts when building channels for machine customers. The study used a digital agent to interact with various customer service experiences to uncover potential difficulties when transacting with machines. The problem areas included: - Forms with fields that could be difficult for machine customers to recognize - Chatbots that may not be able to handle more complex input - Delayed responses by human agents, resulting in machine customer agents abandoning the interaction - Redirects to phone representatives, when digital agents may not be able to understand or respond to verbal communication Along with considerations like these, Slalom’s experts recommend evaluating a variety of areas within your operations to ensure you’re ready to efficiently transact with machine customers. Your blueprint for machine customer success should focus on: - Data analytics and AI mastery - Seamless Internet of Things (IoT) integration - Security and privacy - Product and service adaptability - Partnerships and ecosystem development - Data literacy and AI acumen - Supply chain agility Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts For serving your non-machine customers—specifically those who want more high-touch interactions—GenAI will prove extremely valuable. “Anyone who works in marketing will tell you that personalized experiences have always been the Holy Grail,” says Longacre. “The more personalized elements you put on the page, the better the experience and better your chances of getting conversions.” But this kind of personalization has traditionally been very difficult to scale—until GenAI came along. With the ability to access and learn from vast amounts of data, GenAI CX tools will be able to deliver the hyper-personalization sellers have long sought. GenAI can also be used to increase the efficiency of broader awareness campaigns. It can create “synthetic” audiences that marketing can use to test their content and outreach. “Think about using GenAI to identify clusters of traits and create audiences that we think will perform better,” explains Longacre “and then going to demand-side platforms and buying based on the results, for example. I believe we’re going to be seeing some interesting things that we were all hoping to have in previous tools but didn’t. But they will be possible soon with GenAI, which is very exciting.” The time to act is now Sellers are constantly monitoring buying trends to determine the best ways to reach their target audiences. There has never been a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to meeting customers where, when, and how they want to be met. Addressing the machine customer segment adds yet another prong to the already multipronged approach sellers must use to serve their customers. With new GenAI products and innovations rapidly coming to market, perhaps the most important advice when it comes to GenAI—whether using it to delight your customers or adapting to how your customers will use it—is to act now. “If you create this capability,” says Usher, “and bring it to your platform or site, you can be the one getting data from your customers around their preferences and sizes and needs, versus it being captured and provided back to you by a third party. You can choose to react to that when it happens and try to gain back the engagement with your customers, or you can be proactive. We all know it’s coming, and the ones who act quickly and are able to better serve their customers will have the advantage.” Want to learn more about AI in CX? Learn more about our AI [solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) and [services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Share insight --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Technology infrastructure url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-infrastructure source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-infrastructure locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Technology infrastructure - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-infrastructure - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-infrastructure - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How will GenAI both help and force companies to rethink their technology? ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Technology infrastructure GenAI and infrastructure | Slalom How will GenAI both help and force companies to rethink their technology? Share How will GenAI help companies to rethink their technology? Artificial intelligence (AI) may help organizations modernize their legacy technology—and it may contribute to an increase in technical debt. The AI revolution is in many ways a hardware revolution—and it has brought back ‘90s-era magnetic-tape storage. Cloud computing is more important than ever—and AI is changing the cloud as we know it. In the face of such contradictions, how should organizational leaders react? How do you implement AI when new AI tools and point solutions continue to be released, your organization is already dealing with technical debt, and machine learning (ML) systems present new opportunities to accrue more of it? Questions about AI infrastructure, what’s needed to implement it at scale, and its various challenges—and idiosyncrasies—are becoming more pressing as organizations transition from smaller-scale AI experiments to real-life solutions used by employees and customers. But questions are good, and leaders looking to optimize the “I” in “ROI” as they begin to implement and scale AI solutions at their companies should be ready to explore them. The CIO Paradox: When new AI apps meet old IT debts What’s the matter? In a [Canva survey conducted by Harris Poll](https://www.canva.com/resources/cio-report/), 71% of CIOs reported they expected to adopt as many as 60 new applications in 2024, up from as many as 40 apps in 2022. Technology leaders are being asked to facilitate the adoption of these new apps—many of which will have AI capabilities—while also mitigating IT sprawl and legacy technical debt. In its coverage of the Canva survey, technology publication Runtime coined this phenomenon [“the CIO Paradox.”](https://www.runtime.news/canva-sponsored-content-cio-paradox/) Slalom managing director of AI [David Frigeri](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfrigeri/) explains it this way: “It’s the need to remediate and pay for some legacy technology upgrades to be able to support AI while at the same time being able to make progress going into the future with AI. It’s not one or the other, but both. How do our clients do both?” Since [most engineering leaders are currently experiencing technical debt](https://www.gartner.com/peer-community/oneminuteinsights/technical-debt-xtb), the scenario Frigeri describes must be quite common. This may help explain why CIOs’ top three obstacles in AI transformation according to Slalom’s [2023 executive survey on AI transformation](https://go.slalom.com/AIResearch2023) are all quite technical in nature: data challenges, security concerns, and integration challenges. As if it wasn’t hard enough for organizations to reconcile AI implementation with existing technical challenges—from aging infrastructure to [outdated code](https://www.itpro.com/development/programming-languages/369499/move-away-from-memory-unsafe-languages-c)—a growing body of research shows that the ML systems enabling AI’s use can introduce new kinds of technical debt. According to one [research paper](https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2015/file/86df7dcfd896fcaf2674f757a2463eba-Paper.pdf), these new ML-specific types of technical debt include hidden feedback loops, undeclared consumers, data dependencies, configuration issues, and a variety of “system-level anti-patterns” such as “pipeline jungles.” What’s a leader to do? Technical debt is almost inevitable. “Our customers are always struggling with technical debt because that’s just the business that we’re in, especially if you’re talking about older manufacturing organizations,” says [Adam Limoges](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlimoges/), Slalom’s director of global partner development for data and AI. But it doesn’t need to be a struggle. Like financial debt can be a strategic tool for business growth, so can technical debt if organizations can manage it responsibly and accept it as a trade-off for speed. The goal shouldn’t be zero technical debt whatsoever; it should be zero unintentional technical debt. The first objective toward that goal is identification. Experts such as analyst firm [Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/peer-community/oneminuteinsights/technical-debt-xtb) already consider generative AI (GenAI) to be a viable technology for identifying technical debt. We agree that AI is getting good at helping organizations identify not only technical debt but all opportunities to optimize their tech stack. “It’ll be interesting to see how we can actually tune AI from the infrastructure perspective, to tune it to our environment to say, ‘Tell me what I’m missing in my environment. Tell me where I can actually get cost benefits from running that gateway,’” says [Rahul Grover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/groverrahul/), a director of platform engineering at Slalom. In terms of managing and “paying off” technical debt, [we recommend a variety of tactics](https://medium.com/slalom-build/managing-technical-debt-8594f03f1099), including dedicating 15% of each sprint to debt remediation and adjusting that amount based on delivery timelines, debt backlogs, and tolerance levels. Making time for technical debt management in every sprint embodies a “clean-as-you-go” mantra followed by true craftspeople in every walk of life. Soon, teams may also be able to resolve way more technical debt in their allotted sprint time, since there are already tools (powered by AI and GenAI) that can perform app upgrades and refactor functions. Even though these tools are still new and being refined, [Gartner predicts](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/gartner-s-top-strategic-predictions-for-2024-and-beyond) that their use will be “common” by 2027 and will help reduce technology modernization costs by up to 70%. When it comes to preventing and mitigating ML-related technical debt, [leaders in the ML community](https://wandb.ai/wandb_fc/gradient-dissent/reports/D-Sculley-Technical-Debt-Trade-offs-and-Kaggle--VmlldzozMDU3NDU0) advocate for practices like: - Extensive documentation, done and discussed by humans. This includes documenting every proposed model change for analysis and evaluation. - Consultation with domain experts during the model evaluation process, when there’s time to observe model behavior and recognize anomalies. - Mitigating lock-in to any one model provider by accessing pretrained models through managed cloud services based on application programming interfaces (APIs). Compute: Training, inference, and respecting what works We are in a new era of computing. Parallel processing, graphics processing units (GPUs), and other computing innovations have significantly enhanced AI workloads, specifically the workloads used to train AI models. This has helped give rise to GenAI. As incredible as these computing breakthroughs are, the cutting-edge chips used for training AI models are becoming less interesting to organizations as they graduate from training models (or selecting pretrained ones) to deploying them as parts of real-life solutions. More businesses are starting to focus their attention on the computing that happens after training: inference, the process of generating responses when an end user interacts with an AI model—a process that incurs ongoing computational costs. If inference costs go overlooked, organizations risk underestimating the cost necessary to scale proofs of concept (POCs) into generally available solutions. “We’ve seen sticker shock after a POC is rolled out, because the team wants to scale it out from the small test group they did and they realize if they release that to the whole company that it’s an OMG moment,” says Thomas Edmondson, a principal consultant in Slalom’s Microsoft Data and AI practice. Technology providers are starting to offer [new solutions](https://venturebeat.com/ai/whats-a-nim-nvidia-inference-manager-is-new-approach-to-gen-ai-model-deployment-that-could-change-the-industry/) to meet the computing demands of running AI-powered apps at scale. Describing NVIDIA’s solutions in this space, Edmondson says that “the implementers of AI can start using NVIDIA’s hardware more directly and start seeing a cost reduction versus the traditional methods of using infrastructure even in the cloud.” But the cloud and these offerings don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Case in point: NVIDIA is allowing its new “inference microservices” to be used on organizations’ infrastructure of their choice, [including the cloud platforms of the hyperscalers](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/generative-ai-microservices-for-developers). Even with the buzz about inference and new offerings like inference microservices, the future of computing won’t be wholly unfamiliar. That’s because the inference process resembles traditional computing much more than training. This means that traditional central processing units (CPUs) might work just fine for inference workloads. In this way, “legacy” technology may still have relevance in the AI technology stack, and how efficiently an organization uses AI will increasingly depend on whether it’s using the right models and computing resources for each specific use case and task, not necessarily the newest models and compute, or the most powerful. Another example of this is the [increase in demand for magnetic-tape storage](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/tape-shipments-increased-to-1529-exabytes-in-2023-pretty-lively-for-a-dead-storage-medium). This storage method was introduced in the 1990s and was rumored to be “dying” or “dead” for years. With the rise of AI and GenAI, it became a top-favored solution for storing AI training data due to its cost-effectiveness and reliability over long periods. All of this goes to show that to meet AI’s diverse infrastructure needs, leaders will need to be curious about sophisticated new technologies while still paying due respect to older-yet-practical methods. Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts Cloud computing: Essential and evolving AI services have long been offered by cloud providers. The rise of GenAI and the availability of pretrained models through cloud providers’ Model as a Service (MaaS) offerings have made the cloud feel even more important. As [one research paper on the industrialization of AI](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517241232630) describes, “Cloud platforms and their marketplaces play a central role in AI development and integration by offering infrastructure-as-a-service (e.g., compute capacity) and commodifying digital products (e.g., pre-trained models or software packages).” But AI is also changing the cloud as we know it. [Forrester’s analysis on the future of cloud technology](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/think-ai-has-reshaped-cloud-wait-until-you-see-whats-next/) highlights that “AI is transforming not only what services are available to cloud customers but how the cloud operates—and will ultimately transform what we mean by ‘cloud.’” Forrester describes a future-state cloud that is much more “abstracted, intelligent, and composable” because AI will be interwoven across cloud providers’ entire portfolios, not just cloud services for AI/ML. “AI can be used to make cloud smarter yet less complex for the user,” per the analysis. “This is the foundation that supports abstraction and better platform operations enablement.” Since AI is both supported by the cloud and making cloud use easier, organizations might benefit from thinking about cloud migration and modernization as part of their AI strategy. “If you have not done your cloud migration, now might be the time,” says Edmondson. While AI-enhanced cloud services could make migration easier and faster, cloud adoption will always require a degree of care. We agree with [CIO.com’s perspective](https://www.cio.com/article/1313757/how-cios-navigate-generative-ai-in-the-enterprise.html) that “CIOs shouldn’t jump headfirst [into AI] without the right cloud environment and strategy.” Cloud financial management and operations are key to having the right cloud environment and strategy for AI implementation. Unfortunately, the GenAI pricing model has arrived, bringing [more complexity](https://medium.com/slalom-business/defining-a-financial-strategy-for-ai-investments-454f50ce67c0) and more unpredictability in its nascency just as cloud financial operations (FinOps) have matured as a discipline. We think it’s safe to predict, however, that optimizing your AI investments—including those made through cloud services—will get easier as we collectively gain more experience doing so and as the pricing model itself gets hammered out across technology providers. On that note, [Jeff Kempiners](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-kempiners/), managing director of Slalom’s Amazon Center of Excellence (CoE), predicts the continued development and standardization of a tiered AI pricing structure. “Your simpler AI workloads aren’t going to cost as much as running it on sort of the providers’ top-tier stuff, and it’s logical to the way the rest of the cloud works,” says Kempiners. “You size according to your workload.” Designing AI solutions for people A lot remains unknown about the future, whether it’s the future of the cloud or our future with AI. While leaders should be interested in how AI influences infrastructure approaches and priorities, especially given infrastructure’s impact on cost, examining how AI influences people—and how we harness it to build better tomorrows—will always be at the top of our list. As Kempiners says, “The technology complexity is being solved more and more, but the people are complicated.” As a fiercely human business and technology consulting company, Slalom focuses on the people part of implementing emerging technology as much as the infrastructure part, and our customers fare better because of it. Learn more about our AI [solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) and [services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Thank you to the following Slalom experts who helped inform this piece: [Brent Adam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgadam/), [Ted Hunter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedbhunter/), [Sidney Harrison](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidneyharrison/), [Rob Koch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robkoch/), [Ernest Kugel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestkugel/), [Eric McElroy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmcelroy/), [Princess Palacios Reyes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-palacios-reyes-3b6951129/), [Geoff Parris](https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffparris/), [Ian Russell-Lanni](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-russell-lanni/), and [John Wright](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntwright). Thomas Edmondson and Geoff Parris are no longer with Slalom. Share insight --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Security url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Security - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Can GenAI help improve security around itself? ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Security GenAI and security | Slalom Can GenAI help improve security around itself? Share Mixed in with the excitement around generative AI are some questions about its risks. Evanta, a branch of the analyst firm Gartner, recently [surveyed C-suite executives](https://www.evanta.com/resources/cio/blog/cios-current-outlook-on-generative-ai) about their outlook for GenAI. The biggest concerns for these leaders—including CIOs—were data privacy and security. But the real challenges are often not what people think. “One of the common concerns we hear,” explains [Dirk Eden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-van-eeden/), senior principal at Slalom, “is the fear of sensitive data leakage and loss of intellectual property when using generative AI models. However, it’s important to understand the technology. Enterprise GenAI models typically reside within your own secure infrastructure and are isolated within your domain. In most cases, even the GenAI solution provider doesn’t have direct access to the model or its training data.” GenAI tools also come with extensive sets of guardrails and controls for things like securing your conversations, providing data signals so prompts can’t be manipulated, and other layers of data protection throughout the GenAI model lifecycle. So, if data leakage isn’t the real issue, what are GenAI’s security challenges, and how can organizations address them? Slalom’s experts call out two vital areas of focus to greatly improve the security of your GenAI program: - Understand your security baseline to ensure the parameters are suited to safely running GenAI. - Align IT and the business to adopt the right pace for your GenAI program. As we look at these areas in more depth, we’ll also explore how GenAI itself can aid your efforts to minimize security risk. Understand your security baseline Adding GenAI to your existing landscape is like adding any other tool or solution. It will be governed by the same security measures you already have in place for your other technologies. It’s therefore imperative you have a thorough understanding of that baseline to ensure it can meet GenAI’s requirements. This understanding starts with your data. “It’s critical that you [know your data](https://hbr.org/sponsored/2024/01/reliable-data-is-the-key-to-a-successful-genai-initiative),” says [John Brooke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-brooke-b35444/), Microsoft security principal at Slalom. “You need to know the sensitivity levels of the contents of your data, the identities, employees, and their devices—it’s not just people when we talk about identities; it’s people, devices, services, et cetera—and how those identities use the data.” This becomes even more important when a GenAI tool is being used by people from different departments and in different roles that require broader or narrower access to certain types of data. “Metadata needs to exist in all of the data that the model has access to,” Brooke points out, “so that when analysts ask questions, for example, the AI gives answers with data that’s appropriate to their access levels.” When both the data and the identities accessing it are classified according to sensitivity levels, you have the ingredients for a strong baseline, and it becomes much easier to apply that to GenAI and put up the necessary security guardrails. Establishing those guardrails requires clear protection policies regarding how GenAI tools can be used. When formulating those policies, Slalom recommends asking questions such as: - Is this tool contained within our security posture? - What data can and cannot be used in conjunction with the tool? - How do we either adapt our policies or adopt the right architectures to meet our current policies? Once policies and architectures are in place, the next step is testing how well your guardrails hold up to possible incursions. Conducting penetration testing and evaluating your models’ resilience against hijacking or jailbreaking attempts will provide an added level of insight into the effectiveness of your security efforts. With the staggering amount of data flowing in and out of organizations, however, keeping users and data safe and secure when using GenAI is no small feat. Traditional security analytics and security operations (SecOps) tools may no longer be the best options. According to a [recent S P Global article](https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/featured/special-editorial/ai-for-security-and-security-for-ai-two-aspects-of-a-pivotal-intersection), “Security analytics and SecOps tools are purpose-built to enable security teams to detect and respond to threats with greater agility, but the ability of generative AI to comb through such volumes of data, extract valuable insight, and present it in easily consumable human terms should help alleviate this load.” In this context, the article goes on to state, GenAI will help analysts “to spend less time on data collection, correlation and triage, and to focus instead where they can be most effective.” This sentiment is echoed by [Melissa Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissalsmith/), Microsoft security principal at Slalom. “Administration of the tools and the stacks is becoming more and more complex as we’re looking at threat detection and the different areas that need to be managed,” notes Smith. “When business users are generating content and data at increased speeds and volumes, we need to start thinking about AI-powered IT and AI-powered security groups.” Security professionals are recognizing the urgency around identity and access management as it relates to GenAI. “We’re at a security inflection point right now,” observes Smith, “where if there were shortcuts taken earlier with the idea of ‘Oh, we’ll get to that later,’ well … right now is later.” Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts Align IT and the business There’s also a human element to GenAI security. Gartner may have said it best when [it claimed](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/generative-ai-can-democratize-access-to-knowledge-and-skills) that generative AI has democratized access to knowledge and skills. Nontechnical people now have a direct path to information that was previously unavailable to them—or only available by going through IT gatekeepers. It’s understandable then that business leaders want to act quickly and get GenAI into the hands of as many users as possible. But this can create unnecessary risk. “A lot of times it’ll be the business that drives the need for a GenAI tool,” says Brooke, “and they’ll go down the path of trying to implement something without a full review by the IT organization.” And it’s no wonder. After seeing demos of what GenAI can do, businesses are clamoring for more. But the reality doesn’t always live up to the demo, which can result in problems for IT. “When reporting tools were first readily available,” says Smith, “you’d see these presentations that showed how you could present the data in beautiful charts. But when people tried to replicate that, their data looked nothing like what was presented. The same thing is happening with GenAI.” The issue with GenAI, however, is that when results don’t live up to expectations, a common reaction is to feed the model more data to increase the quality and accuracy of the output, which can result in increased risk, especially if you have issues with data and identity classification like those discussed earlier. “If your identities and information aren’t organized in such a way that you know how to protect it,” adds Smith, “you probably won’t get what you want out of the AI tools in general, and you might not be secure.” The challenge then for security teams is finding ways to keep the business secure while still moving forward at pace and remaining competitive. Addressing this issue, according to Brooke, involves a mindset shift. “Security professionals—by and large—don't like change because it introduces new risk. They also generally don’t like things they don’t understand. They want to understand in detail. One issue with AI is that it does things you don’t understand all the time, and that’s kind of how it’s designed.” Because of this, security-based AI tools have lagged behind business-based AI tools, which creates a sort of push and pull as the business propels forward while IT attempts to rein in risky behavior. “What happens today may be completely different from what happens tomorrow,” says Dirk Eden. “Once we can illustrate to people how fluid this is, the realization sets in—this is beyond what we can control manually. So how do we do it?” The answer is with GenAI tools. Whereas previously an individual would monitor a log, with GenAI you can pull typical user details such as IP addresses and locations and use them as access considerations. Instead of a reactive approach, where a human receives an alert and must then determine whether the activity is risky, with GenAI you can prevent such activities from happening in the first place. This solution gives the business the speed and agility it wants while also providing IT with the controls it needs. Sarah Ferrer-Nett Understanding your use case and what you want to accomplish at every step of the way with your GenAI application is important in helping you mitigate risk, whether it’s assessing the type of data being used, protecting that data, or managing how your employees and customers will interact with the data. We’ll help make the risk as transparent as possible so we can find the best solution for your needs. Learn more about our AI [solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) and [services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Share insight --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Energy and sustainability url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Energy and sustainability - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-sustainability - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Could energy-intensive GenAI be a solution to high energy use? ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Energy and sustainability GenAI and sustainability | Slalom Could energy-intensive GenAI be a solution to high energy use? Share When it comes to sustainability, technology can paradoxically be a contributing factor to the problems it’s trying to solve. For instance, we know electric vehicles (EVs) [produce far less CO 2](https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/are-electric-vehicles-definitely-better-climate-gas-powered-cars#:~:text=To%20illustrate%20how,gasoline%20vehicles.5) than gas-powered vehicles, but we’ve also seen that the mining of some of the minerals used in [EV batteries](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/electric-car-batteries-geography/) can have negative environmental and societal ramifications. Many consumers are also forced to power their EVs with electricity generated by fossil fuels (almost [two-thirds](https://www.statista.com/statistics/269811/world-electricity-production-by-energy-source/) of the world’s electricity comes from coal, natural gas, and other nonrenewables) when renewable sources aren’t available. As this example illustrates, there are often gray areas around the effort to achieve [net-zero](https://netzeroclimate.org/what-is-net-zero-2/). We’re seeing something similar in the field of generative AI. Though a relatively new technology, it’s already getting a lot of press for its [outsized use of energy and water](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00478-x) and the [amount of CO 2](https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/01/1084189/making-an-image-with-generative-ai-uses-as-much-energy-as-charging-your-phone/) it generates. As with EVs, there’s no net-zero solution for GenAI yet, but there are ways to lessen its harmful aspects. The responsibility for making GenAI more sustainable lies partly with the hyperscale cloud providers, including Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, which provide GenAI technologies such as AI models and even some of the chips that power these models. But GenAI itself can also be a powerful tool in organizations’ efforts to minimize energy consumption and carbon emissions. GenAI—energy-hungry, water-thirsty, and carbon-creating At present, GenAI is an incredibly energy- and resource-intensive technology. Training GenAI models requires vast amounts of computational power and about [10-15 times more energy](https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-to-make-generative-ai-greener) than traditional CPU-based computing. For some countries and regions, power demands at data centers—the sources of the computational power needed for GenAI—have resulted in spikes in overall energy usage. In [Ireland](https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/global-power-shortages-mean-data-centers-could-struggle-to-shoulder-the-burden-of-energy-intensive-generative-ai-demands-in-2024), for example, data centers are expected to be responsible for 30% of the country’s total energy consumption by 2028. In areas with older energy infrastructure, GenAI could strain the grid beyond the point of efficient function. And it’s not just energy use that’s causing GenAI to raise sustainability concerns. The machinery in data centers running GenAI must also be kept cool, which in most regions means using air-conditioning and [large quantities of water](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/06/water-why-a-thirsty-generative-ai-boom-poses-a-problem-for-big-tech.html). Couple this with the CO 2 generated when these models are prompted to create text and images at a rate of [“millions if not billions of times every single day,”](https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/01/1084189/making-an-image-with-generative-ai-uses-as-much-energy-as-charging-your-phone/) and it becomes clear that GenAI could have a detrimental impact on the environment similar to driving gas-powered cars or [taking transcontinental flights](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-computer-scientist-breaks-down-generative-ais-hefty-carbon-footprint/#:~:text=The%20exact%20energy,start%20using%20it.). But as we learned in the [introduction](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence), the GenAI market is expected to expand rapidly in the coming years. So, what needs to happen to keep GenAI from becoming a drain on our energy supplies and a burden on the environment? More renewables + more efficient technology One approach to making GenAI more sustainable is through regulation. Bills like the [Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024](https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-heinrich-eshoo-beyer-introduce-legislation-to-investigate-measure-environmental-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence) in the United States and the [European Union Artificial Intelligence Act](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20231206IPR15699/artificial-intelligence-act-deal-on-comprehensive-rules-for-trustworthy-ai) are setting the stage for more public-sector-driven controls. According to [Suleiman Mirzad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suleiman-mirzad-0558565a/), Northern California sustainability lead at Slalom Consulting, however, “It’s not just a matter of putting regulatory requirements in place. This is a truly holistic global problem. If GenAI requires 10-15 times more energy, that amount of additional consumption must be satisfied through renewable energy.” Many hyperscalers are addressing this need by pledging to run not only their data centers but their [entire operations](https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/products-services/the-cloud?energyType=true) on 100% renewable energy to achieve net-zero—[or even carbon-negative](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/)—emissions within the next 5-15 years. Most are also taking [similar steps](https://sustainability.google/operating-sustainably/water-stewardship/) when it comes to their water use. In addition to using fewer and cleaner resources for the data centers running GenAI, hyperscalers will also have to find ways to architect the technology so it’s not consuming as much energy, no matter the source. “One thing we’re noticing now,” says [Mandar Zope](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandarzope/), Slalom senior principle, Microsoft Business Applications, “is that every existing application, be it CRM or ERP, has a GenAI component, which means it’s producing more emissions. Whatever architectures we design in the future—especially ones with a GenAI component—will need to be much more efficient and designed in ways that don’t cause more problems from an emissions perspective.” If history is any indication of how this could play out, we need only to look at computing’s evolution over the past few decades. “Back in the 1980s and ‘90s, the 386 processor was a real power hog and was working on desktops,” states Mirzad. “But once we started to use our phones as our computers of choice, the chip manufacturers were forced to create more powerful chips using less and less energy. Now the chip can be hundreds of times faster at certain tasks and yet uses far less than 5% of the power used by the 1980s-era 386 chip to keep your phone going all day.” Whether it’s from regulation, market forces, or a sense of corporate responsibility, providers of GenAI technology will need to answer the call for much greater efficiency in architecture, software, hardware, and chips, both from the standpoint of energy use and when it comes to responsible recycling of the chips at end of life. How GenAI can help Though it may seem like fighting fire with fire, generative AI can be a valuable tool in the effort to operate more sustainably. Most organizations look at three different areas where emissions are produced, which the [Greenhouse Gas Protocol](https://ghgprotocol.org/) defines as follows: - Scope 1: direct emissions from operations, such as running machinery - Scope 2: indirect emissions, including the energy sources that power the business - Scope 3: value chain emissions, such as from disposal of products sold and from the purchase of goods (supply chain) Accessing information across all three scopes isn’t always a straightforward process. “It’s a matter of what gets measured gets managed,” says [Chris Neal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-neal-151a761/), Slalom senior director of Technology. “You may be working with a lot of manual data, which tends to be inaccurate. Imagine being pointed to bad data on your emissions and trying to react to that data and make decisions based on it. You’re probably not going to mitigate those emissions.” In this type of scenario, GenAI can help organizations automate much of their data collection and make sure that data is clean. With this clean, comprehensive, and well-organized data, GenAI can perform calculations to provide valuable insights, even in cases where the business’s organizational structure is more complex. “The goal for the GenAI tools is to ingest data, structure it, and make it helpful for you to calculate emissions so that you can create reports,” explains Zope. “But at the same time, let’s say a company has 20 different locations. It might have 20 different electricity providers that provide data in 20 different ways. GenAI helps you to structure the data and make those calculations so you can produce your analyses faster and with greater accuracy.” GenAI’s natural language interfaces can also be used to dig even deeper and ask more probing questions of your energy and emissions data, such as “What am I missing?” or “Where should I focus my improvement efforts?” And because GenAI doesn’t “think” like a human, it can render observations and recommendations which, on the surface, may seem counterintuitive but can turn out to deliver impressive results. “Look at the way IBM’s Deep Blue won the chess match against a world champion,” offers Mirzad. “It didn’t win the way a human wins, which would be to take the center of the board. It won in this weird, crazy, nonintuitive way because it’s doesn’t think like us.” Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts Solving a global problem holistically While the technology providers are largely responsible for minimizing GenAI’s carbon footprint, every organization—no matter what size—must take steps to operate more sustainably, and GenAI can help. Consider these statistics and observations from a [recent article](https://www.rit.edu/sustainabilityinstitute/blog/should-small-businesses-calculate-scope-3-emissions-yes-heres-why) by the Rochester Institute of Technology: - Roughly 75% of an organization’s emissions are of the Scope 3 type, meaning they aren’t owned or controlled by that organization. - Measuring Scope 3 emissions will require working with small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) up and down an organization’s value chain. - More than 90% of the world’s businesses are SMEs, meaning every large organization likely works with dozens if not hundreds of SMEs. Addressing a problem of this magnitude requires a holistic solution, and GenAI will prove its worth by providing the means for organizations to take action. Operating sustainably is truly a holistic challenge for which you need a holistic strategy and operating model, including legal, technology, change management, and adoption. Learn more about our AI [solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi) and [services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Share insight --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Developer workforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-workforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-workforce locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Developer workforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-workforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-workforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Is working (and coding) faster than ever a boon or a risk of GenAI? ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions: Developer workforce Is working (and coding) faster than ever a boon or a risk of GenAI? Share It has many names. Grunt work. Drudgery. [Undifferentiated heavy lifting](https://www.infoworld.com/article/3650033/think-you-can-out-cloud-the-cloud.html). It’s the type of work that slows employees down, tires them out, and wears away at their resolve to keep marching toward big goals that require many little steps. At our Slalom Speaks employee event in 2023, DevOps consultant [Andrew Marshall](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajmarshall2k/) referred to it as [toil](https://sre.google/sre-book/eliminating-toil/). Marshall was recounting his time at a company where engineers needed to shut down development for two straight days to push any software updates into production. “When I saw people who were willing to put up with really painful processes just to be able to do the smallest things that they found interesting, it really made me sad,” said Marshall. One of the promises of AI and especially GenAI is that it will help teams and organizations reduce or eliminate toil in many different areas, including software development. With a reported [95% of developers](https://venturebeat.com/ai/developers-embrace-ai-tools-but-face-big-code-challenges-survey-finds/) already using AI tools to write code, we’re starting to be able to tell whether that promise rings true. And the results are more nuanced than you might think. The reward of AI coding tools: Speed AI-powered developer assistant tools are helping organizations reduce development times by [50%](https://www.itpro.com/software/ai-coding-assistants-might-speed-up-software-development-but-are-they-actually-helping-produce-better-code). In a pilot Slalom facilitated with a healthcare customer, participants were able to create or delete an average of 156% more lines of code per minute using one such tool. We’ve been involved in other experiments with AI coding tools that have seen teams [double their sprint goals week over week](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/bridging-the-gap--maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generat). Our product engineering division, Slalom Build, has also integrated AI into its methodology, which has contributed to [a 30% increase in team velocity and a 20%-30% reduction in project cost](https://www.slalombuild.com/blueprint-articles/unlock-speed-and-innovation-with-ai-accelerated-engineering) for customers. Hearing feedback from customers that these tools can “do a lot of heavy lifting” brings to mind the term “infinite interns” that tech analyst Benedict Evans [first coined](https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2018/06/22/ways-to-think-about-machine-learning-8nefy) to describe AI and machine learning (ML). While the benefits for developers with infinite interns may seem self-explanatory, it’s important to connect the more obvious developer benefits to the business outcomes they enable. [The same article on Slalom Build’s blog](https://www.slalombuild.com/blueprint-articles/unlock-speed-and-innovation-with-ai-accelerated-engineering) that reports higher velocity and lower project costs with AI also outlines the following business outcomes from using these tools: - Accelerated time to market for new features and products - Quicker responses to market demands and opportunities - Enhanced agility and competitive edge - The potential for increased market share and revenue growth As exciting as these outcomes are, the only organizations capable of achieving them are those that are as prepared for the risks of speed as they are for the benefits. The risk of AI coding tools: Also speed How fast is too fast? A more pointed version of that question comes from [Joshua Gruber](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuagruber/), a senior technology leader at Slalom Build: “If I was sprinting before and now I’m double-sprinting, do I need more time to catch my breath?” The question is thought-provoking, and the answer isn’t immediately clear. What we do know, however, is that the sheer speed of developers with access to AI tools can create its own set of issues. [Risks](https://medium.com/slalom-technology/bridging-the-gap-maximizing-developer-productivity-with-generative-ai-02967e8f115a) that come with this level of speed include bottlenecks at the testing phase due to developers outpacing quality assurance (QA) teams. This reminds us why developer forum Stack Overflow banned users from posting AI-generated responses back in December 2022, a [“temporary”](https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/5/23493932/chatgpt-ai-generated-answers-temporarily-banned-stack-overflow-llms-dangers) ban (which [hasn’t yet changed](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/421831/policy-generative-ai-e-g-chatgpt-is-banned)) that was meant to alleviate pressure on its volunteer-based quality control infrastructure. Whereas a growing body of research seems to consistently correlate AI coding tools with speed, findings seem more mixed regarding quality: - A code review software company reports a correlation between the release of AI coding tools and [“downward pressure on code quality”](https://www.gitclear.com/coding_on_copilot_data_shows_ais_downward_pressure_on_code_quality) - The maker of an AI coding assistant tool reports [greater developer confidence in code quality](https://github.blog/2023-10-10-research-quantifying-github-copilots-impact-on-code-quality/) with the use of its tool - Academic research suggests [early evidence of a productivity increase](https://mit-genai.pubpub.org/pub/v5iixksv/release/2) among software engineers using AI coding tools, as measured by weekly pull requests completed—but not necessarily passing code review At Slalom, we’re eager for more research on the relationship between AI coding tools and code quality. We’re also discovering firsthand how quality depends on much more than a tool’s mere availability; it depends on factors including the guardrails that an organization puts in place for the tool’s use, the training delivered to developers, and the support provided to QA teams and quality engineers. These dependencies reinforce why Gruber [has written](https://medium.com/slalom-build/is-it-time-to-get-an-ai-assist-on-your-coding-85d8605f7ce0) that development teams need to take at least as much care with AI-generated code as most of them do with the “two pairs of eyes” rule for human-generated code. We may have “infinite interns,” but we shouldn’t leave them unattended. Jared Matfess, a senior director on Slalom’s global Microsoft team, made a different comparison to interns that speaks more directly to these limitations: “GenAI is going to be like the intern that’s super eager to please people, that’s going to create some solution that’s not really scalable, because it’s not going to have the experience and know-how to do that.” Navigating the nuance Similar to AI itself, it turns out that quicker coding is not inherently all good or all bad. Even though faster development can mean faster time to market and rapid responses to market dynamics, it can also mean bottlenecks in the overall software delivery lifecycle (SDLC), lower-quality code, and more security vulnerabilities. But we wouldn’t be integrating AI into our product engineering methodology if we didn’t think there was enough of an upside to outweigh the risks. The first step toward maximizing that upside is to set clear metrics that cover multiple dimensions, beginning with people and their satisfaction and well-being. Satisfaction is the first metric of the SPACE framework, a framework for measuring productivity that [experts assert should be applied to engineering](https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3454124). In keeping with the SPACE framework and its multidimensionality, we recommend tracking developer satisfaction alongside speed-related metrics, and tracking those metrics alongside quality-related metrics like bug count and code complexity. *Speed-to-market metric contingent on mitigating risks associated with AI coding tools and following best practices for adoption. Another way to maximize AI’s positive impact in engineering and beyond is to train teams to use AI effectively. This entails shifts in thinking, behavior, and organizational structure when working with AI overall, not just coding assistants. Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts From knowledge retrievers to thought partners AI chatbots are not search engines, yet many people treat them as such. One of Gruber’s favorite resources on this topic is [an episode of the podcast You Are Not So Smart](https://youarenotsosmart.com/2024/02/19/yanss-281-how-a-pernicious-cognitive-bias-limits-our-ability-to-use-chatbots-properly-and-to-overcome-it/) in which the guests discuss a cognitive bias called the [Einstellung effect](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/einstellung-how-psychologists-study-einstellung-effect-chess/), where people prefer to solve problems using the methods they know, even if those methods aren’t the most effective. More experienced developers tend to be more susceptible to the Einstellung effect due to the additional time they’ve had to become predisposed to certain ways of working, including searching the web for code snippets through interfaces that look deceptively like those of AI chatbots. So, when these developers start using chatbots, the Einstellung effect means they’re liable to use them like they’ve used search engines. But this conflation is nothing that proper training can’t address. Describing the shift in how we should perceive chatbots, Gruber says, “You get a lot more out of these tools if you’re treating chatbots like people—I feel odd saying that—by having an interaction with them and not just asking for them to do something.” A related skill that will benefit developers and other AI users is [prompt engineering](https://cloud.google.com/discover/what-is-prompt-engineering). Part art and part science, prompt engineering is the design and refinement of the inputs given to AI models with the goal of eliciting specific, high-quality outputs faster. We’re continuing to gain [firsthand experience with prompt engineering for development](https://medium.com/slalom-build/generative-ai-prompt-engineering-a-balancing-act-3c9b2847d14c), like when one of the 2023 Slalom Build hackathon teams built a browser extension that uses GenAI to simplify text for readers. From order takers to system makers—and managers AI-powered low- and no-code development tools are allowing more nontechnical employees to create software, giving rise to what we call [“citizen developers.”](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai) But if everyone can develop, then what does it mean to be a professional developer? According to one of our managing directors, [David Gregg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidxgregg/), it means thinking more about the big picture, or what he calls “systems thinking.” Now more than ever, organizations need employees capable of the higher-order thinking behind what software to build or code to write and of advising nontechnical employees with access to low- and no-code development tools. Adds Gruber, “I think that GenAI concentrates developers on the stuff that we want from them and that they need to be thinking about as they rise up, as they become architects and higher: the end user, how this is used, how this fits into the software.” From isolated experimentation to programmatic innovation As developers and nontechnical employees alike weave AI into their ways of working, organizations that make structural changes—such as forming [centralized teams dedicated to managing employees’ use of AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office)—stand to benefit the most and risk the least. Matfess astutely describes the why and how of this shift: “GenAI is not a new product or capability. It’s a transformation. It’s a new way of working, and in order for it to be successful within your organization, you have to treat it like a long-running program. You have to have people and support continually helping to reinforce the new ways of thinking about your work and adopting these new capabilities, coming up with new KPIs, just reimagining certain aspects, and that’s the sort of secret sauce.” Want to learn more about AI in engineering? Check out Slalom Build’s overview of [AI-Accelerated Engineering](https://www.slalombuild.com/ai-accelerated-engineering). Learn more about our overall AI services at [slalom.com/ai](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Jared Matfess is no longer with Slalom. Share insight --- title: Making sense of AI’s contradictions url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Making sense of AI’s contradictions - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary To find the ROI in AI, leaders first need to hone a uniquely human ability: cognitive dissonance. ## Body Making sense of AI’s contradictions Confronting the complexity of AI brings you closer to realizing the ROI To find the ROI in AI, leaders first need to hone a uniquely human ability: cognitive dissonance. Navigating Artificial Intelligence Controversy: Efficiency vs. Risks Share Confronting the complexity of AI brings you closer to realizing the ROI. Walt Whitman Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.) People are complex. Our standards vary, our beliefs can compete, and our firmly held opinions can evolve. In a 2015 New York Times opinion piece titled “[The Virtue of Contradicting Ourselves](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/opinion/sunday/the-virtue-of-contradicting-ourselves.html),“ organizational psychologist Adam Grant explains the science showing that most people resist the discomfort of holding two seemingly contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes at the same time—a feeling that social psychologist Leon Festinger coined [“cognitive dissonance”](https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=3850) back in 1957. When many people look at artificial intelligence (AI) and especially generative AI (GenAI), they balk at a level of complexity that rivals our own, craving a clear verdict that AI either brings good tidings or cause for concern. In a way, they’re trying to alleviate cognitive dissonance. Because just as we humans contradict ourselves, so too does AI—or at least our expectations for it do. On the one hand, AI promises unprecedented efficiency, innovation, and convenience. On the other hand, it raises profound questions that can’t be ignored. - What happens when AI simultaneously supports sellers in creating more personalized, human experiences while also powering “machine customers” acting in place of human buyers? - Is using AI to work faster than ever before a boon or a very real risk that employees and their employers should worry about? - Does AI’s power-hungry hardware diminish the positive impact of AI’s applications in sustainability initiatives? - In what ways does AI pose data security risks, and are there ways AI itself can be used to combat risk? - Will AI help organizations modernize their legacy technology— and contribute to an increase in technical debt? Have questions about your AI journey? Talk to one of our experts Implementing AI responsibly requires more than just technical expertise. It requires an awareness of the nuance in the potential outcomes. We confront that nuance in the following sections, each representing one or more contradictions in the conversation about AI with emphasis on contradictions that are relevant to today’s organizations. While we can’t neatly resolve all the gray areas in the discussion of AI so that they’re black and white, good and bad, we can—and do—help organizations navigate AI’s contradictions to both mitigate risk and capitalize on the immense economic opportunity that AI presents. And let there be no doubt that the economic opportunity is immense. - On a global scale, GenAI could raise global GDP by 7%—almost $7 trillion—according to [research by Goldman Sachs](https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/generative-ai-could-raise-global-gdp-by-7-percent.html). - At the industry level, insurance businesses worldwide could realize annual economic benefits worth $50 billion by using GenAI, which could boost their revenues by as much as 20% and cut their costs by up to 15%, according to [research from Bain Company](https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2024/$50-billion-opportunity-emerges-for-insurers-worldwide-from-generative-ais-potential-to-boost-revenues-and-take-out-costs/). - In the workforce, 10% of tasks across close to 80% of the jobs in the US economy could be done twice as fast with GenAI—with no loss in quality—according to [research published by Cornell University](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130). We understand that billion- and trillion-dollar promises of economic growth can be hard to process alongside present-day uncertainty about AI’s risks. But while the capabilities of AI may be new to us, the challenge of processing conflicting information is not. As Grant argued in his op-ed, the discomfort of cognitive dissonance can be a precursor to evolving and changing our minds for the better. “One person’s flip-flopping is another’s enlightenment,” he writes. So, by opening our minds to the different and sometimes opposing facets of AI and GenAI, perhaps people can become more comfortable with a technology that seems to be evolving with or without us. Let’s try it, shall we? Tab 1 Customer experience For sellers, the goal of using GenAI is clear—it’s engaging and (largely) efficient, and it very closely mimics person-to-person interactions, so it can appeal to the same buyer motivations as a flesh-and-blood salesperson can. But not every consumer needs a high-touch sales experience, which is why machine customers are expected to become more widely used. This AI-driven buying has less to do with brand loyalty and more to do with efficiency, value, convenience, and necessity. Will machine customers force sellers to rethink the ways they interact with buyers? Read article Tab 2 Developer workforce It has many names. Grunt work. Drudgery. Undifferentiated heavy lifting. It’s the type of work that slows employees down, tires them out, and wears away at their resolve to keep marching towards big goals that require many little steps. At Slalom, we’ve referred to it as “toil.” One of the promises of AI and especially GenAI is that it will help teams and organizations reduce or eliminate toil in many different areas, including software development. With a reported 95% of developers already using AI tools to write code, we’re starting to be able to tell whether that promise rings true. And the results are more nuanced than you might think. Sustainability When it comes to sustainability, technology can paradoxically be a contributing factor to the problems it’s trying to solve. This is certainly the case with GenAI. While it’s currently an incredibly energy- and resource-intensive technology, it can also be a valuable tool in organizations’ efforts to operate more sustainably. Using GenAI to analyze energy and emissions data can provide valuable insights across an organization’s operations, even ones with multiple locations and extensive value chains. But it takes a holistic strategy to address this increasingly complex issue. Security Mixed in with the excitement around generative AI are some questions about its risks. Many leaders are concerned about data privacy and security, but when we dig a bit deeper into these concerns, we learn that the real challenges are often not what people think. GenAI tools come with extensive sets of guardrails and controls to protect organizations’ data throughout the model lifecycle. So, if data leakage isn’t the issue, what is, and how can organizations be sure they're operating as securely as possible? Surprisingly, GenAI can be a powerful ally in the battle to keep data safe. Learn more Infrastructure How do you implement AI and GenAI when new tools and point solutions just keep getting released, your organization is already dealing with technical debt, and machine learning systems present new opportunities to accrue more of it? Questions about AI infrastructure, what’s needed to implement it at scale, and its various challenges—and idiosyncrasies—are getting much more pressing as organizations transition from smaller-scale AI experiments to real-life solutions. But questions are good, and leaders looking to optimize the “I” in “ROI” as they begin to implement and scale AI solutions at their companies should be ready to explore them. --- title: Manufacturers, make customers the center of your universe url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturers-customers-center-universe source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/manufacturers-customers-center-universe locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Manufacturers, make customers the center of your universe - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/manufacturers-customers-center-universe - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturers-customers-center-universe - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Plugging into the best technology is only part of the story. Here’s how to get there. ## Body Manufacturers, make customers the center of your universe Customers are the center of the manufacturing universe | Slalom Plugging into the best technology is only part of the story. Here’s how to get there. Share insight Aerial view of oil and gas industrial facility Manufacturers win when they bake customer obsession into the product development process from beginning to end. This obsession must go beyond any single process, and be baked into an end-to-end ecosystem connecting employees, partners, processes, machines, data, and customers. Plugging into the best technology is only part of the story. Here’s how to get there In my 20+ years with manufacturing and automotive clients, I’ve seen a fundamental shift in the industry. Ten years ago, the customer relationship was owned by partners. The focus for manufacturers was on building products. Today, the customer experience (CX) is just as important as the products you create, and needs to be built into how you do business from top to bottom. As manufacturers look to adapt to the changing landscape, they need to focus on improving business operations to drive a better customer experience—keeping that experience at the center, from product development to after-service support with value-add services. An estimated [86 percent of buyers](https://www.walkerinfo.com/docs/WALKER-Customers2020-ProgressReport.pdf) will pay more for a better customer experience and greater transparency. What does “customer experience” really mean for a manufacturer? Traditionally, many companies are organized by function, making it easy for them to perceive great customer experience as something off to the side, in a silo. But employees and teams in siloes can’t see the full picture from the customer perspective. Shifting the focus from siloes to customer journeys make it possible for manufacturers to spot and address customer pain points. The lack of a complete view of the cusomter across lines of business with resellers means a disjointed customer experience all the way from product configuration to pricing. The lack of proactive and real-time insights into quotes, orders, inventory, and supply chains. This also limits a manufacturer's ability to meet customer needs. A complicated after-service experience filled with manual workflows and forms for both customers and manufacturers. No visibility into customer needs and habits, making it a challenge to differentiate your products and establish brand loyalty. Manufacturers are modernizing their business processes and digitally transforming to solve these problems. This trend was already strong, and COVID is driving up the need for a better online experience even more urgently. Manufacturers are striving to better understand their customers and streamline their operations across sales and services. This necessitates a digital transformation that can be fairly radical, depending on your maturity level. Recently I heard a quote from a CPG (consumer packaged goods) manufacturer with the biggest bakery in North America, and the highest volume croissant producer in the world. They’ve had a revelation about the nature of their business: “We’re a technology company that bakes!” So how do you become a customer-centric tech company that happens to manufacture products? Digitally powered facturies Enabling a digitally powered factory to drive efficiencies across operations Unblocking the power of data-driven manufacturing Leveraging data across your organization to deliver insights and ongoing improvements to the business Customer 360 Breaking down the siloes across different functions to create unified customer journeys Supply chain optimization Optimizing a supply chain that drives value-add for customers and their entire partner ecosystem True customer-centric strategy requires your entire organization Look at your current strategy. With the changing landscape, manufacturers are looking to create new top-line revenue growth that extends beyond traditional models. Creating customer-centric journeys means nothing if not embraced by the entire organization. These journeys require buy-in from top-to-bottom and bottom-to-up. Building new ways to engage customers—and exceed their expectations—is not a task of one business function, but of the whole organization. Investing in technology likewise won’t be effective if done in siloes. Digitally powered factories Are your factories really digital? You can answer “yes” if you’re able to gain insights and optimize operational effectiveness via data—continuously and in an interconnected value chain—and if you’re using a pragmatic, technology-agnostic, business-oriented approach to improve your manufacturing structure—by focusing on capabilities with the greatest impact on tangible business value. Use cases in truly digital factories include digital twin (a collection of digital data representing a physical object), networks of sensors for predictive maintenance of machines and robots, cloud robotics, and remote quality inspection. Data is everywhere, from machines to the supply chain. According to BCG's recent study with heavy manufacturers, nearly three quarters (72%) of manufacturing executives consider data and advanced analytics to be more important now than they were three years ago. There’s a big shift happening, especially with the combination of data from different sources for a more complete picture. For manufacturers, data sources include physical assets, factories, sales, services, and supply chains—all being used to create a more data-driven culture across organizations and to unlock the collective gold mine buried in different systems. There is a use case around operations improvements, enhancing customer experience, and environmental and social impact. Many manufacturers are consolidating their sales and service interactions to provide a unified view of inventory—to both their channels and their customers. They’re digitizing what used to be institutional knowledge, moving from paper-and-pencil notes to centralized account management. Some innovative manufacturers are moving up the value chain and developing complex products with more favorable margins, while simultaneously offering new services built around these products to provide “products-as-a-service” (PaaS). Traditionally, supply chains are disconnected processes with no consolidation of data across the whole end-to-end supply chain. But the biggest driver for supply chain leaders is to reduce cost and gain efficiency. Spurred on by COVID, manufacturers and suppliers are taking the opportunity to build more resilient supply chain networks, as time consuming as it can be. Many manufacturers are also breaking down siloes—opening up their ecosystem to their suppliers, and leveraging technologies like cloud, IoT, ML/AI, and blockchain to move from a reactive to a more proactive mode of operations. Change management and culture transformation One of the biggest topics for manufacturing CEOs right now is driving change management internally to embrace the new way of doing things. Embracing a change in the manufacturing business and launching new PaaS offerings requires a significant change in your organization’s culture. Excellent proof-of-concept endeavors sometimes don’t move into production due to resistance to change. Agile change management and culture transformation is required across the organization to fully embrace a data-powered, customer-centric model. Taking that first step We know this is all a lot easier to say than to do! The journey to build a customer-centric organization takes place one step at a time. We have a lot of practical experience working with other manufacturers and are here to help. Let’s talk about how our partners allow us to do more together. --- title: Manufacturing Industry Trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Manufacturing Industry Trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary The challenge manufacturers face in 2026 isn’t merely digital; it’s systemic and cultural. Learn how AI, digital twins, and adaptive orgs will shape the future. ## Body Manufacturing Industry Trends 2026 Manufacturers can transform fragmented assets, siloed processes, and specialized knowledge into seamless, adaptive business ecosystems. The challenge manufacturers face in 2026 isn’t merely digital; it’s systemic and cultural. Learn how AI, digital twins, and adaptive orgs will shape the future. Manufacturing Manufacturers face a defining moment to turn digital ambition into measurable results. Manufacturing is at a defining moment. The promise of Industry 4.0—moving beyond automation to harness data across connected technologies on the shop floor and throughout the value chain—is finally within reach. Yet realization of that vision has progressed at a relatively slow burn. Many operations still look the same as they did 20 or more years ago. Manufacturing has traditionally taken a more measured approach to digital adoption, largely because operational teams oversee environments where safety, reliability, and uptime are paramount. That necessary caution, combined with the long reinvestment cycles associated with major equipment and the persistent challenge of building trust and collaboration between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) teams, has made it difficult to introduce new digital capabilities at scale. This has created a costly competitive gap, causing many companies to fall behind in terms of efficiency, quality, and speed of innovation. This slower pace of change has made it even more difficult to overcome the challenges of continuous disruption, intensifying global competition, and the growing demand for efficient, localized manufacturing. The industry is facing an explosive demand for AI-ready data, which means companies that have traditionally taken a more conservative approach to transformation are now being forced to accelerate toward digitization. Progress now depends on moving beyond the siloed proof-of-concept (POC) cycles that have delivered limited value to instead focus on disciplined investment. The calls to action for 2026 are clear: close the foundational gaps that hinder transformation, including those that pose risk to operations and the organization as a whole; prioritize data governance, quality, and accuracy; and refocus on the people who will play a pivotal role in this transformation. By doing so, manufacturers can better innovate, invent new ways of working, and position themselves to pursue value and resilience across the entire organization. What would it mean to manufacturers if they could increase their efficiency rates by 5%, 10%, or even 20%? That would put enormous value back into the business. The big question is, what investments will get you there? That’s where we can help manufacturers navigate their options and take steps that will lead to better, faster, more informed decisions about the business. Don Rogers Managing Director, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 Don Rogers When you think about manufacturing efficiency, it’s like pulling threads on a sweater. Some inefficiencies seem inherent in the operations, but as you continue to pull, you realize they extend all the way back to production planning and scheduling, supply chain optimization, sales forecasting, and beyond. The way these things are so intimately intertwined can be a big challenge for manufacturers. The rift between IT and OT has long been an obstacle to becoming an intelligent enterprise. Many leaders can still only access fragmented views of their operations because of silos within sales, finance, R D, engineering, supply chain, production, quality, and service. This can cause a host of problems, including: - Decreased efficiency, poor communication, and a lack of agility - Duplicated efforts and an inability to respond effectively to change - Inconsistent customer and employee experiences, missed deadlines, and reduced morale - A stifled ability to innovate The solution to this issue has both a technical and a cultural aspect. To bridge the IT/OT gap, manufacturers need to have the difficult, cross-functional conversations that they’ve traditionally struggled to initiate internally. These conversations help leaders define and prioritize the business needs they want their technology investments to address. A good way to start is to ask questions like: What needs to be improved? How will success be measured? and What value is returning to the business when improvements are realized? With clear alignment across the organization, manufacturers can begin creating a connective tissue that spans the entire value chain—what we refer to as the integrated digital thread—as part of a secure IT/OT convergence strategy. This will provide vital insights, not just from any one aspect of the business, but collective insights from across the business so the various functions can inform one another and drive efficiencies across the value chain. In 2026, leaders can achieve greater business value by: - Clearly defining the business need - Integrating data across different functions - Implementing modern, secure, hybrid cloud/edge architectures to improve analysis and decision-making Item 2 Manufacturers must evolve to stay competitive. The traditional approach of prioritizing cost savings will give way to a focus on value creation and resilience, which can deliver a variety of benefits, such as improved production yield and quality and reduced waste and downtime. Supply chain can be a huge contributor to this effort. But manufacturers first need to find where there’s opportunity to extract value and, within those areas, leverage what we call “augmented intelligence”—a digital transformation approach that puts people first. Unilode equipment - Main Header Real-time insights and demand forecasting With Slalom’s help, Unilode can now provide real-time access to all relevant information on unit load devices to customers, showing KPIs and trends, and drilling down to the lowest level of information—all accessible in one place. The supply chain’s susceptibility to frequent disruptions—from geopolitical conflict, extreme weather events, and rising costs—makes the need for transformation even more urgent. These disruptions are also contributing to the reshoring and relocalization movement, where organizations manufacture closer to the consumers who use what’s produced to improve agility and lower the risks associated with long lead times. In this environment, relying on manual, spreadsheet-based forecasting is no longer an option. A digital supply chain that can interface with both suppliers and customers—who are probably also digitized—is now necessary to stay competitive. Greg Kaiser If I’m a major retailer, and supplier A says, ‘Just hook into my API and you can have all the information you need about how I’m handling your supply chain’ and supplier B says of the same product, ‘Just give me a call and I’ll work it out for you,’ who am I going to choose to work with? When Daikin Comfort, a global manufacturing leader in the HVAC industry, needed to optimize integrated business planning processes, Slalom helped redesign critical planning functions—demand forecasting, supply planning, and production scheduling—so Daikin can now adapt quickly to real-time market fluctuations. Through scenario-based planning tools, it can assess the financial, inventory, and operational implications of various business drivers across multiple production sites, enabling data-driven decision-making in response to factors such as tariffs, construction market trends, and weather disruptions. In 2026, this strategic focus on speed, quality, and service will require: - Integrated data platforms and predictive analytics to break down silos between suppliers, logistics, production, and distribution. - Manufacturing decision intelligence supported by an enterprise visibility platform (often called a control tower). This provides true digital visibility into the actual physical movements in the production facility and supply chain, so leaders can quickly spot where problems are occurring and address them. - Digital supply chain communications that meet the real-time fulfillment and audit expectations of large customers. The evolution we discussed earlier is driving companies to restructure their manufacturing footprint. When doing so, taking a simulation-first mindset can help future-proof the business. Digital twins are essential tools in this shift. By creating a virtual replica of a physical asset, process, and/or entire factory, digital twins simulate the impact of changes before they’re implemented, so manufacturers can safely optimize and stress test. They also help reduce large capital expenditure risks by confirming process/production viability before building or rollout begins. As with so many other transformation initiatives, simulation-led engineering and operations require a solid data foundation. In 2026, manufacturers will need to find new ways to stitch their data together and incorporate deep data management and governance expertise into their strategies. This groundwork empowers companies to create secure, accurate, and meaningful reflections of their physical assets and road test innovation in a contained environment. What can digital twins do for manufacturers? - Fundamentally improve capital investment strategies - Streamline and accelerate product design - Help identify maintenance issues and improve operational efficiency - De-risk changes to production and operations As manufacturers move into 2026, simulation-led engineering and operations will shift from forward-looking concepts to essential competitive capabilities. Digital twins now serve as the connective tissue linking strategic vision with on-the-ground execution, giving organizations the ability to anticipate disruption, accelerate product and process innovation, and adapt to market volatility with confidence. Organizations that invest in strong data foundations and adopt digital twins as a core enterprise capability will be best positioned to lead by reshaping how decisions are made, how value is created, and how manufacturers compete in a rapidly evolving market. Why do so many AI pilots fail? Organizations often move faster on experimentation than on building the foundations needed for success. Teams jump into the technology before they’ve aligned on the business problem, which makes it hard to focus on the right opportunities. In many cases, the organization also lacks the digital and data capabilities required to move from a good idea to a solution that can scale. When business and technology teams aren’t working together in a truly integrated way, pilots can lose momentum and never reach the level of impact leaders expect. Strong governance helps, but the bigger opportunity lies in creating a consistent way to identify where AI can create value, testing those ideas effectively, and expanding on what works. Organizations that build these capabilities turn AI from a series of experiments into real, repeatable outcomes. A critical hurdle facing manufacturing today is graduating from small-scale AI experimentation to deploying digital intelligence at [industrial scale](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models#:~:text=Scaling%20AI%20the%20right%20way). The goal here is to evolve from passive, reactive monitoring to more proactive modes: - AI-informed : Humans are entirely responsible for the decisions and actions but use AI to provide data and insights. - AI-assisted : While humans are the ultimate decision makers, AI offers informed suggestions and can even handle some individual tasks within a process. - AI-autonomous : Minimal human intervention is needed. The AI tool can largely operate independently and carry out tasks on its own. The top three capabilities cited as helping manufacturing organizations get beyond pilots and productivity to unlock broader [impact from AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026): In 2026, manufacturers must double down on their commitment to this journey. This includes establishing the necessary governance, strategy, rigor, and discipline to move beyond the POC phase; implementing data quality frameworks to increase the reliability of data used to train models; and identifying and prioritizing use cases based on concrete business outcomes. In doing so, manufacturers can build the capability maturity and momentum needed to scale AI impact across the enterprise. The AI journey: From targeted experiments to comprehensive business transformation According to a [recent study](https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/manufacturers-need-as-many-as-3-8-million-new-employees-by-2033/), the manufacturing industry may need as many as 3.8 million additional employees by 2033. While this growth brings opportunity, it also poses certain challenges. As some of the industry’s most experienced workers retire, finding ways to pass on the decades of often undocumented, institutional knowledge from the shop floor will become an urgent need. But maybe even more concerning is the difficulty many manufacturers are encountering when trying to fill vacant roles. The HR and finance software company Workday reports that 75% of industry leaders cite [attracting and retaining talent](https://blog.workday.com/en-us/how-manufacturing-can-attract-and-retain-gen-z.html) as their biggest business challenge. In 2026, manufacturers will need to both capture the know-how of departing team members while also finding ways to entice the younger, more tech-savvy generations to careers in the industry. What are the main barriers preventing your organization from realizing [value from AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026), from a workforce perspective? One way to address both issues is to invest in digitization. Institutional knowledge (SOPs, manuals, troubleshooting guides) can be captured from more tenured employees and delivered to less experienced workers through modern interfaces like AI copilots and wearables. This solves both the knowledge transfer deficit and the need to make manufacturing an attractive career path to workers who are more comfortable with modern technology’s user experience. But technology alone isn’t enough. Many manufacturing roles are permanently shifting away from manual execution and toward process orchestration and exception management. This requires a [cultural transformation](https://www.fastcompany.com/91406050/three-myths-that-undermine-successful-ai-implementations-ai-success#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20AI%2C%20the%20real%20gap%20is%20conceptual%2C%20not%20technical.%20Employees%20need%20to%20shift%20from%20seeing%20AI%20as%20a%20better%20calculator%20to%20understanding%20the%20role%20it%20can%20play%20as%20a%20thought%20partner.), which is often much harder than technology transformations. Our partnerships with HR and operations leadership have shown time and again that defining a future-focused manufacturing workforce strategy can help develop the next generation of talent and empower them to perform even more effectively than their predecessors. You once needed experts who understood every detail of each machine and operators watching product at every step. Today, OEMs and system integrators support the equipment, and technology does much of the monitoring. But people remain essential—from data experts and process leads to operators adapting to new systems and preparing facilities for line extensions. Human oversight will always be needed. As supply chains transform and IT/OT systems converge, the digital attack surface expands dramatically, making cybersecurity a CEO-level priority. For manufacturers, risks now extend far beyond data theft, encompassing operational downtime, loss of product integrity, safety incidents, regulatory scrutiny, and even environmental and human impact. A compliance-oriented approach is no longer enough. Adaptive cyber resilience requires intelligence-driven visibility across the converged IT/OT environment, continuous monitoring of cyber-physical threats, dynamic isolation capabilities, and rehearsal of recovery scenarios. AI and machine learning accelerate detection and prediction, but resilience ultimately relies on validated response playbooks, engineering collaboration, and the ability to sustain safe operations during an incident. Emerging technologies such as digital twins can augment this by modeling failure modes and practicing recovery before a real disruption occurs. Manufacturers are increasingly adopting scenario-based resilience engineering, OT incident simulations, and unified IT/OT security operations to prepare for high-impact events. For example, leading organizations now run ransomware tabletop exercises focused on programmable logic controller (PLC) manipulation, unauthorized logic changes, or sensor spoofing to understand how quickly they can restore production and maintain safety. Others are deploying anomaly detection and adaptive network segmentation that can isolate compromised production cells without halting an entire facility. How is your organization [using AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) and other emerging technologies to improve risk management and resilience? In 2026, manufacturers need to make this crucial shift by utilizing tools to assess operational risk, deploy consistent security policies across the converged IT/OT stack, and establish real-time monitoring and visualization of both cyber and physical system behavior. With adaptive, proactive resilience strategies, organizations can build scenario-based BCP/disaster recovery plans, strengthen safety and reliability, and transform security from a mandatory cost into a strategic competitive advantage. Ready to make a bold move? We can help. See why more than 350 manufacturers trust Slalom to help them build value and resilience, including Clariant, Genie, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Solenis. Connect now The transition facing manufacturers in 2026 is not merely digital; it is systemic and cultural. The time for the slow burn is over. Resilience is not just cybersecurity—it spans supply chain, operations, workforce, and technology fundamentals. Leaders must now transform fragmented assets, siloed processes, and specialized knowledge into a seamless, adaptive business ecosystem. This requires making decisive investments now to: - Drive measurable business outcomes with technology - Build resilience into the supply chain - Empower the future workforce - Unify data - Defend the business against threats This integrated approach—one that prioritizes business needs, technology fundamentals, process rigor, and human capital—will not only close competitive gaps but also position manufacturers to pursue both value and resilience across the entire organization, turning a two-decade-old ideal into a competitive reality. Contributors Don Rogers Managing Director, Slalom LinkedIn Additional contributors: Bill Graca, Dave Haak, Greg Kaiser, Gautam Narayan, Kaeli Smith Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom manufacturing expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: Why marketing is your biggest growth engine url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Why marketing is your biggest growth engine - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-growth-engine - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Rethink the future of marketing with modular strategies, non-linear customer journeys, AI-powered personalization, and digital experience design that drives growth. ## Body Why marketing is your biggest growth engine Why marketing is your biggest growth engine | Slalom Rethink the future of marketing with modular strategies, nonlinear customer journeys, AI-powered personalization, and digital experience design that drives growth. Rethink the future of marketing with modular strategies, non-linear customer journeys, AI-powered personalization, and digital experience design that drives growth. Future Marketing Solution Why marketing is your biggest growth engine Rethinking journeys, experiences, and value in a nonlinear world Somewhere in your inbox—buried under shipping notifications, calendar reminders, and half-read newsletters—sits the whitepaper you downloaded last week. You intended to read it (or at least skim it), but between Slack messages, TikTok reviews, and dozens of GPT prompts, the tab never made a reappearance. The company that sent it? They think you’re on step three of a 12-email nurture flow. They imagine you dutifully opening each message, moving neatly from “awareness” to “consideration” as if your attention were a tidy assembly line. Meanwhile, you can’t even remember the company’s name, or why you gave up your email address to begin with. By the time a sales rep reaches out, you’ve either followed your curiosity elsewhere—through search, social feeds, and peer conversations—or checked out completely. The linear funnel assumes you’re waiting to be guided. In reality, you’re already miles ahead … or miles away. Customers are mapping their own journeys Modern consumers find new brands the same way they find everything else—while scrolling, searching, or stumbling into something between meetings. They bounce from phone to laptop to TV, rarely staying in one place (or with one brand) for long. They ask ChatGPT a question, get an instant answer, and make a decision before your web page even finishes loading. These trends mark major shifts in consumer behavior that don’t just make the traditional funnel feel outdated but also highlight the [disconnect between marketing strategy and consumer realities.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) To keep up, marketing needs to become more modular. Instead of relying on rigid journeys or siloed teams, modular marketing breaks experiences into smaller, connected components that can adapt as customers move. “Today’s consumers don’t want long, multi-touch customer journeys,” says Logan Patterson, head of marketing, advertising, and experience at Slalom. In many cases, being tracked, retargeted, or inundated with emails creates a sense of intrusion that [negatively impacts engagement](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347518839_Impact_of_mobile_advertising_wearout_on_consumer_irritation_perceived_intrusiveness_engagement_and_loyalty_A_partial_least_squares_structural_equation_modelling_analysis). “They’re aware of how their data is being used and their loyalty hinges on how well you understand their individual needs.” Modular marketing: A connected, cross-functional system that turns customer signals into coordinated outcomes. What modular marketing looks like in action For years, marketers embraced the “more is more” strategy. Expand into more channels, gate more content, collect more data, and generalize journeys to reach the widest possible audience. The assumption was simple: The more customers we have on our radar, the more value we drive through the funnel. But if the funnel as we know it is obsolete, where does that leave us? “For marketing leaders, growth lies in the shift from one-to-many to one-to-one journeys,” says Patterson. “It means guiding customers one moment at a time, rather than chasing them with more impressions, more steps, and more noise.” Modular marketing isn’t about adding more channels or tools. It’s about designing the marketing organization so each component—strategy, platforms, and data—works in service of shared growth outcomes. “Customer moments don’t live neatly inside a single function,” says Kat Saks, director of digital experience technology at Slalom. To create meaningful customer experiences, marketers need to consider these elements simultaneously. “Modular marketing connects these components by design, making it possible to deliver dynamic, one-to-one experiences at scale.” Logan Patterson You can't be responsible for the customer experience without understanding their data. Anticipating the customer’s next move Today’s marketers have access to unprecedented levels of customer data, revealing patterns and pathways that used to be invisible. Instead of chasing customers after the fact, marketers can finally guide them in the moment. “Historically, we didn’t have the tool set or data to go after these ‘micro moments,’” says Patterson. But as marketing evolves and AI becomes embedded in everyday interactions, these moments now happen constantly, whether it’s a customer troubleshooting with a chatbot or indulging a few seconds of curiosity on social media. Growth strategy helps teams determine which moments matter most, while each micro moment feeds new signals back into strategy, sharpening where and how marketing shows up next. To meet customers in these moments, marketers must think smaller. Modular marketing shifts the focus from end-to-end journeys to the building blocks of experience: a piece of content that adapts based on context, an offer triggered by behavior, a message that changes based on intent rather than segment alone. This is what modular marketing looks like in practice—using real-time signals to decide what to deliver, when to deliver it, and when not to show up at all. Are your customers following the path you planned? If not, you're not alone. Connect with our team to learn how to turn customer-led journeys into your most powerful growth lever. Let's talk growth Alison A non-digital native, Alison still completes purchases in person even if she found the product online. Kiran A prudent buyer, Kiran heavily researches his purchases online before committing. Glynn A high-value customer, Glynn shops regularly and frequently returns to see what’s new or trending. Note: These are AI-generated personas meant to represent true-to-life customers. “Each micro moment you have with a brand leaves a lasting impact,” says Heather Roth, director of customer data strategy, measurement, and intelligence at Slalom. “One-to-many journeys send a message that could apply to anyone. By operating at a one-to-one level, you’re creating more personal touchpoints that build affinity and trust.” And more targeted touchpoints mean more opportunity to drive ROI. “With mass marketing, it’s not always easy to tell which part is working,” says Patterson. “By targeting individuals or smaller audiences, you can actually understand performance metrics and maximize the impact of your spend.” We helped a regional healthcare system mature its MarTech stack to enable more streamlined, personalized digital experiences. By delivering targeted outreach across digital channels, the organization increased digital bookings for new patient appointments by 20%, demonstrating how modernized experiences can directly drive engagement and growth. Evolving the marketing organization into a growth engine Reimagining how to connect and drive value isn’t easy in a world where the traditional funnel no longer applies. It requires marketers to deliver dynamic, modular experiences by bringing strategy, creative, content, technology, and data together to support true one-to-one journeys. There are two key pillars that support an integrated, interdependent foundation for the modern marketing organization: growth strategy and digital experience technology . On their own, they help support the marketing function. When treated as two components of the same unit, they help marketing drive impact across the entire organization. “A strategy alone isn’t going to deliver tailored experiences to your customers—just as platforms and data alone won’t inspire them to act,” says Saks. “Digital experience technology makes those connections and brings your growth strategy to life.” Growth strategy: The framework for driving value Growth strategy isn’t a marketing plan—it’s the enterprise framework that guides where to invest, how value is created, and how customer experience ties directly to financial performance. It helps you determine: - Where growth comes from - How brand, marketing, sales, and loyalty work together - Which experiences have the greatest impact on revenue/ROI - Which levers are the most strategic growth drivers - What your connected commercial engine should look like Digital experience technology: The engine fueling growth Digital experience technology helps turn strategy into personalized experiences at scale. It orchestrates data, platforms, channels, and insights to bring your growth strategy to life. It helps you establish: - A unified view of your customer across channels - Connectivity between platforms across functions - The next best experience using customer data and AI - Data-informed insights that shape your growth strategy - A technical foundation that’s both secure and compliant - Tools that reduce manual effort and low-value tasks Distributed ownership across functions Siloed teams with individual ownership will inevitably produce fragmented touchpoints, rather than differentiated, personalized experiences. To deliver one-to-one journeys, marketers must work fluidly across business units, platforms, and disciplines, operating with transparency and shared accountability. “You can’t be responsible for the customer experience without understanding their data,” says Patterson. While the “growth office” focuses on driving sales and loyalty, the “data office” is essential for understanding customer behavior and enabling those outcomes. As channels, platforms, and engagement models multiply, brands must focus less on individual team deliverables and more on the outcomes customers care about. Every experience should not only be engaging and relevant in the moment—it should also create meaningful impact across the business. “If marketers can partner with technology leaders and data leaders—and show how those pieces work together to drive growth—they stop being seen as a cost center and start being seen a revenue driver,” says Nick Miller, senior director of growth strategy at Slalom. Customer Results Outcomes that drive impact beyond marketing Note: These results are based on past client engagements. Outcomes will vary based on implementation and context. Redefining the role of the CMO Marketing leaders face constant business pressures: adopting new technology without new budget, responding to requests for content without clarity or context, and operating with constrained channels and limited data access. Seen as the storytellers of the organization, CMOs are often so bogged down by these demands that they aren’t able to prioritize growth-focused initiatives. “As CMOs work more cross-functionally, marketing is going to become the hub of customer intelligence for the organization,” says Roth. CMOs should be seen as growth drivers who connect teams and help the organization deliver faster, more innovative customer experiences. However, with the widespread adoption of AI, there’s still a lot of pressure on marketing to generate quick wins. According to our [Global AI Insights Survey](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026), 76% of leaders are still framing AI in terms of efficiency instead of seeing it as a tool for reinvention. “AI application continues to be one of the largest perceived gaps between CMOs and other executives,” says Patterson. “Our job is to help CMOs become that trusted AI partner, demonstrating to boards and CEOs how they’re applying AI, not just as a cost reduction tool, but as a growth engine.” A future customers actually want Imagine if your inbox read “19” instead of “1,928.” It’s been years since you’ve received a “Have time for a quick chat?” email from a company you barely remember. Every message you do get feels intentional, arriving at the right moment and reflecting what you actually need. That’s the future of marketing we’re moving toward. A future where consumers feel in control of their data, not chased by it. Where brands respect attention instead of overwhelming it. And where marketers can harness the data and platforms they do have to target customers with precision instead of volume. That’s what modular marketing makes possible. Not more messages or more channels, but a system built to create fewer, better moments—driving growth by building trust instead of noise. Contributors Ready to reimagine your marketing funnel? Share article Talk to an expert Man sitting in the airport looking at his phone --- title: Marketing without analytics: Like driving with your eyes closed url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-without-analytics source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/marketing-without-analytics locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Marketing without analytics: Like driving with your eyes closed - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/marketing-without-analytics - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/marketing-without-analytics - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Well-applied analytics methods are a marketing department’s strongest tool to make the most out of their investment. ## Body Marketing without analytics: Like driving with your eyes closed Marketing without analytics | Slalom Well-applied analytics methods are a marketing department’s strongest tool to make the most out of their investment. Share Why marketing analytics matters Catchy, creative content should only be the beginning of your investment in marketing. Getting the most out of your marketing efforts means analytics. This is true regardless of your organization’s current level of analytic maturity. Organizations often invest heavily in marketing efforts on a spend-per-customer level without analytics to drive decision making. This is at best only doing half the job. That’s the stick. Here's the carrot: The digital age is a gold mine of information for marketers. Indeed, marketing analytics has exploded—cookies, pixels, and customers’ near-constant online presence provides almost unimaginable data riches. But only if you know how to use it. To best leverage these riches, you need the right analytical methods. Correct application of advanced data, statistical, and experimental analyses result in better returns on your investment, as measured in sales, customer retention, and lead generation. With customers spending more time at home and more time on screens, digital advertising is now the primary route to customer eyeballs. And organizations have been heavily investing in the use of data and analytics to support marketing efforts, with over $24B spent annually. To justify these budgetary increases, marketing departments must show they are driving results. Well-applied analytics methods are a marketing department’s strongest tool to make the most out of their investment and to drive improved return on ad spend—the bottom-line measure of campaign performance. What can marketing analytics do for you? Better analysis leads to better insights. Which leads to better decisions. Marketing analytics can answer the key questions that inform and support strategic marketing decisions: - Who are your profitable customers? - What types of ads should you be serving? - Where in the digital ecosystem are your ads best performing? - When are customers responsive? - How often do you need to address your customers? - Why should we invest in these marketing efforts, i.e., what’s your ROI? Use analytics to answer all these questions and you’ll be a step ahead of your competitors. Marketing analytics can answer the key questions that inform and support strategic marketing decisions. Crawl/walk/run: What stage are you in? Which use case your organization should tackle first depends on your organizational readiness to implement related solutions. The first step in any effort to improve your marketing analytics should be an accounting of where your organization stands, and what your next steps should be. We like to think of the marketing analytics maturity model in terms of three stages: crawl, walk, and run. The good news is that no matter where you are, you can take advantage of best-in-class analytics immediately. But no single algorithm or technique will solve your problems. The winning formula will include a cross-team effort leveraging a variety of data sources and analytic approaches, all custom-fitted to your organization and industry. Crawl In the crawl phase of your marketing analytics journey, your focus should be on developing a data-driven understanding of your target audiences. This starts with integrating the data from the entire customer journey, from email/display/social media ad impressions to digital purchase completion. Marketing is a large-scale sales effort, and you need to understand your consumers and their behavior at every touch point. A couple of things that are important at every stage, but particularly at the crawl stage: Customer segmentation: Identify your customers’ demographics, socioeconomic segment, online searching patterns, purchase behavior, and geographic areas. Customize suitable marketing tactics for each segment. A/B testing: A/B testing in this phase doesn’t necessarily require an investment in new technology, though that is definitely something you should consider down the line. It could be as simple as answering a question like, do users prefer our usual weekly email, or do they respond better to a new design? Split your recipient list in half, send one version to each, and voila! You are now an A/B tester. If you’ve never done it before, your first taste of A/B testing is incredibly empowering, not to mention fascinating. Plant the seeds now and become a completely data-driven organization in the future. Walk In this stage, you’re on your way, but still have work to do. You have marketing data in your own data lakes, and it’s available for campaign planning, experimentation, and analysis. Your next steps should include predictive analytics in campaign planning and machine learning for more targeted marketing. These two elements correspond to marketing mix modeling and recommendation engines, respectively. Marketing mix modeling To estimate the impact of various marketing mixes, you need to leverage statistical analysis—such as multivariate regressions—on sales and marketing data. This type of analysis should include geographic-based analyses, i.e., determining where your customers are and what types of media they use, with media mix strategies tailored accordingly. Example: you may find that your older customers are more likely to live in suburban/rural settings and rely on one set of media, while younger customers are more densely located in cities and use other media channels more heavily. Based on the location of these consumer subgroups, you may find better results by varying the media targets/spend by geographic location. This type of prescriptive analysis is most useful during the media campaign planning phase. Recommendation engines Recommended content: not just for Netflix anymore. Recommending lookalike content based on customers’ past behaviors—including purchases, clickstreams, website visits, transaction completions, cart abandons, etc.—is something [most consumers now expect](https://www.salesforce.com/research/customer-expectations/). Next-best-offer algorithms are the 21st century personal shopper. During the walk stage, your organization is well positioned to take advantage of the plug-n-play recommendation engine tools available on the market—including those offered via third-party cloud service providers. These tools provide end-to-end solutions, allowing even teams with limited machine learning experience to take advantage of machine learning algorithms and generate data-driven recommendations (both content and products) for customers. Marketing analytics metrics and keywords Ad performance - Ad impressions - Click-through rate - Engagement rate - Landing page conversion rates - Funnel conversion rates Expenses Metrics - Customer acquisition cost - Cost per impression - Cost per click - Cost per lead - Marketing spend per customer Revenue Metrics - Revenue - Return on ad Spend - Conversion rate Run Organizations in this phase should focus on the horizon, advancing ongoing analytics efforts and seeking to maximize the returns from campaigns and experimental marketing efforts. You can extend next-best-offer capabilities and algorithms, as well as further campaign experimentation efficacy with geo-lift experiments. Recommendation engines: from off-the-shelf to tailored If your business is already using an established plug-n-play type of recommendation engine, it’s worth considering a more customized solution. With the right team of data engineers and data scientists, the return on next-best-offer implementations can be maximized by developing such a customized recommendations engine. This all-in approach to developing a fully customized recommendations pipeline will leave no stone unturned in the quest to maximize the returns on next-best-offer marketing efforts. Geo-lift experiments Your organization may already conduct A/B tests. While A/B testing is good (and critical to marketing success), geo-lift experiments are better. One limitation of A/B experiments is the exogenous variations in user experiences. Some users will see more billboards/TV commercials for your products (or any other advertisements outside the campaign of interest), which can greatly impact the outcome of your head-to-head digital ad test. Enter geo-lift experiments, where the control/treatment assignments are done by geographic regions. The core benefit of structuring marketing campaigns in such a setting is precisely to limit the exogenous (caused by outside forces) variations within your treatment/control groups. If all of a city/zip code/census DMA (designated market area) is assigned to either the treatment or the control group, then the TV ad/physical (billboard/bus/bus stop/etc.) ad exposure will more consistent within that group. This reduces the impact this exogenous variation can have on your campaign, as well as extending the application of any media mix modeling your organization is using. This extension of the media mix modeling—and associated reduction in exogenous variation—establishes a counterfactual that leads to better estimates of the marginal gains of the treatment campaign over that of the control campaign. Time series regression should be used in concert with control regions to establish this counterfactual, i.e, what would have happened if treatment locations received the control campaign. This is all a long way of saying that it’s absolutely essential to answer one key question: Were more sales generated, or were they just shifted from one purchase channel to another? Steps to success, before and after your campaign Your organization should follow these mission-critical steps to enable marketing analytics efforts to pay dividends. On the front end of your campaign, there are two core steps that are necessary for success: - First, the objective of the campaign/experiment should be clearly defined and agreed upon by all relevant stakeholders up front. Little can derail the success of an analytics effort faster than post hoc arguments over the actual goal of the initiative. - Secondly, your organization needs to be appropriately invested in the effort, in terms of both time and resources, including devoting all the necessary data and technical know-how to the effort. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many organizations expect success from half measures. After your campaign, while conducting the analyses, there are several steps you should take on the back end take to achieve success. - From a statistical viewpoint, problems of attribution (omitted variable bias, which confounds variables) and collinearity (high correlation between variables and little variation in spend across channels) must be faced and solved. - From a data viewpoint, the amount of quality data on which to build predictive/prescriptive models can often be limited, and this must be accounted for. - From a strategic viewpoint, some companies have little variation in their marketing spend and campaigns, and thus have little historical insight into what variations in strategy may be more successful than others. Experimentation is therefore your third post-campaign step to success. This underscores the importance of A/B testing and other ways of measuring. If you don’t know what’s succeeding, how can you systematically get better? Summary Don’t underestimate the power of advanced analytics to make your marketing campaign a success. Analytics are crucial to both planning (via customer segmentation and media mix modeling) and evaluating your campaign. If your organization wants reliable and actionable insights into your marketing efforts, and confidence that you’re getting maximum ROI, there is simply no substitute for analytics. As in any journey, how can you get where you’re going if you don’t open your eyes? Share insight --- title: Master chefs and data literacy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/master-chefs-and-data-literacy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/master-chefs-and-data-literacy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Master chefs and data literacy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/master-chefs-and-data-literacy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/master-chefs-and-data-literacy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary As more people have more data, that they should have a corresponding power to make decisions. But the rewards for embracing this data-driven decentralization can be tremendous. ## Body Master chefs and data literacy As more people have more data, that they should have a corresponding power to make decisions. But the rewards for embracing this data-driven decentralization can be tremendous. Share article Cooking and data may not seem to have much in common, but when it comes to best practices around data, there are three things we can learn from chefs: 1. Understand your ingredients A chef knows about all types of peppers and mushrooms, the difference between salted, unsalted, and clarified butter, and what spices work best together. In the same way, you should understand the data you use. If you’re looking at a metric labelled “customer loyalty,” what does that actually mean? The use of a loyalty card? The frequency and volume of purchases? It’s crucial to be clear about what exactly you’re measuring, and that this be standardized across your organization. Without a data dictionary of commonly accepted data definitions, different teams can be literally using different languages, and never realize they’re speaking past each other. 2. Know where your ingredients come from Free range, organic, locally sourced? Part of being a good chef is knowing the origin of your ingredients. Is the data raw, or has it been manipulated in some way? Was it entered by people or automatically generated? The insights you reach could be different depending on the answers. An example: I was recently talking to a retail executive who was examining data on what was drawing traffic into their stores. This information was collected by sales associates who asked customers during check out why they’d come in. This question was the very last thing before the completion of a sale, a point where the sales associate was likely to be pressed for time and focused on the next customer in line. Yet this data traveled from the stores to corporate headquarters and treated as if it were gospel truth. It's not that the data was useless. But without an awareness of the manual, fallible nature of how it was collected, it was possible that it could lead to misleading conclusions. 3. Put it all together For a chef, it’s not just how something tastes. Presentation is crucial. Good chefs care about how their creations appear on the plate, with an appeal to all of the senses. If you want to use data effectively—to produce clear and meaningful insights—you should also look at the whole picture. This means being aware of, among other things, statistical analysis, probability, and how to use data visualization tools. If insights are to flow freely throughout the organization, people need ways to share them that are clear and convincing. And when conversations happen about an insight you want to share, you should be able to explain your conclusions—something that can only happen with an understanding of data basics. How to fill your organization with data chefs An organization can't simply give people slick-looking dashboards and expect insights to magically flow. There has to be at least a basic level of data literacy. That starts with old-fashioned training. There may be some resistance to this. Some members of your workforce may not have had any kind of numbers training since college. When is the last time your average marketing or HR person had to do statistical analysis? But we find that enthusiasm grows as people see how far even a basic understanding of data goes toward generating and sharing insights. There are a lot of ways to design a training program, but at Slalom we've found it's good to start with basic statistical concepts such as mean vs. median, R-squared, standard deviation, and what commonly tossed around terms like “statistically significant” actually mean. People don’t have to be statisticians, but should know enough to ask questions and understand the response from a statistician or data scientist. Another important thing your organization can do: hold leaders to accountable for how they make their decisions. Are they still relying on their gut, or are they making choices that can be justified by numbers? This may be uncomfortable for some leaders because it means some decentralization of authority: As more people have more data, that they should have a corresponding power to make decisions. But the rewards for embracing this data-driven decentralization can be tremendous. When everyone has access to data, everyone can drive innovation. For an organization to benefit from data, it must be prepared to be guided by its insights, no matter where they lead. That means having the confidence to question the way things have always been done, and, above all, a willingness to try new things. Just like a good chef. --- title: Maximizing the value of your existing marketing technology investments url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/maximizing-the-value-of-your-existing-marketing-technology-investments source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/maximizing-the-value-of-your-existing-marketing-technology-investments locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Maximizing the value of your existing marketing technology investments - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/maximizing-the-value-of-your-existing-marketing-technology-investments - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/maximizing-the-value-of-your-existing-marketing-technology-investments - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how to empower your teams to manage shifting consumer expectations through marketing technology investments. ## Body Maximizing the value of your existing marketing technology investments Learn how to empower your teams to manage shifting consumer expectations through marketing technology investments. Marketing Technology Investments | Slalom Maximizing the value of your existing MarTech investments Learn how to empower your teams to manage shifting consumer expectations through MarTech investments. Share insight Throughout the pandemic, organizations grappled with fundamental shifts in consumer behavior. Consumer expectations for effective, personalized, omnichannel digital experiences rose rapidly. Sales, service, marketing, data, and technology teams grappled with new, complex challenges in responding to these shifts, such as: - The rapid rate of change in consumer expectations for digital engagement outpacing the organization’s rate of change - Imperatives for real-time, personalized, omnichannel communications without the proper internal team structures, processes and talent to efficiently enable the strategy - Disparate data sources preventing a comprehensive view of the customer - Siloed data processes and technologies hampering the ability to glean quick insights to gauge success Organizations invested in a diverse range of technologies to help solve for these pain points, including advanced marketing technology (MarTech) such as marketing automation, ecommerce, and customer data solutions, to name just a few. Despite these significant investments in marketing technology solutions, utilization has recently decreased. In 2020, organizations reported leveraging 58% of their available MarTech capabilities. In 2022, this percentage [shrank to 42%.](https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/research/marketing-technology-survey-2022) Though continued forward-looking technology investments are necessary for driving competitive advantage, as this recent data suggests, organizations have an opportunity to take fuller advantage of their existing capabilities. Taking a step back to assess existing MarTech capabilities and areas for optimization within the existing tech stack can support organizations in a multitude of ways, including: - Ensuring the technology is used to its fullest potential and delivers its greatest potential return on investment - Pinpointing redundant capabilities as well as critical gaps, enabling cost savings and more strategic future investments - Reducing needless complexity associated with overlapping or redundant systems, freeing teams to focus on higher value activities - Identifying areas where more thorough training or modified processes can better enable teams to unlock a technology’s potential Technology does not exist in a silo and does not solve, in and of itself, the root challenges today’s organizations encounter. When assessing the value and performance of existing technologies, a holistic approach helps ensure a full understanding of both today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. By assessing through a lens inclusive of people, process, data, and technology, organizations can examine and optimize their existing marketing technology investments to unearth new areas of value and performance. Define your objective As you evaluate the performance and value of your existing technologies, start by reflecting on your objective. More than ever, success necessitates a collaborative approach across impacted domains. Sales, service, marketing, commerce, technology, and data must work seamlessly together to drive business outcomes. To collaborate successfully, key business domain leaders must align on a shared, mutually beneficial business objective. Clarify a measurable goal that your technology investments are seeking to enable. Quantifiable objectives such as revenue growth, decreased operational expenses, or increased digital engagement and conversion rates, as a few examples, can help cross-functional leaders agree upon a shared key performance indicator by which they can individually measure their team’s contributions and success. Analyze marketing technologies holistically With a shared objective as the North Star, consider how the organization’s people, process, data, and technology capabilities are working toward the desired outcome: - What capabilities are the highest priority to achieve the business goal? - Which technologies support those capabilities? Do multiple technologies support single capabilities? - How is existing technology leveraged today? - How does data flow through the technology ecosystem? - Who is the team that brings customer-facing solutions to life through the technology? - How does the team make the most of the technology they have access to through process, role clarity, and training? - Where do inefficiencies or holes exist in today’s process? Has process sufficiently evolved alongside the technology investments? Chart your path forward Answers to these questions will reveal a wide range of gaps and areas of opportunity. Start by considering what gaps and opportunities can be addressed today. Quick tactical wins can demonstrate value rapidly and are often pivotal for generating support for larger changes. Slalom’s team of strategists and technologists work hand-in-hand to support our clients in uncovering opportunities within their existing technology stacks. Before investing in the next new technology solution, take a quick step back to determine how your existing technologies can be wielded to achieve your goals. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-technology/maximizing-the-value-of-your-existing-marketing-technology-investments-81667226268f). --- title: 2025 industry outlook: Media & communications url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 2025 industry outlook: Media & communications - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom’s annual media & communications industry outlook highlights the top media & communications trends of 2025 and offers advice and intelligence for leaders in this industry. ## Body 2025 industry outlook: Media & communications Ready to see what 2025 has in store for media & communications? Learn more to lead more effectively this year. Slalom’s annual media & communications industry outlook highlights the top media & communications trends of 2025 and offers advice and intelligence for leaders in this industry. 2025 industry outlook: Media & communications trends 2025 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Media communications Letter from our healthcare industry lead Letter from our healthcare industry lead In our 2024 outlook for the healthcare industry, Slalom shared our profound optimism in the path toward person-centered care. We [predicted](https://slalom.turtl.co/story/2024-healthcare-industry-outlook/page/1) a slow but steady workforce recovery, advancements in hybrid care delivery, and new value creation from large, local datasets, leveraging AI to solve complex problems in a way that has not been technologically available until now. We also challenged healthcare leaders “to systematically evaluate, and where appropriate, regenerate everything” from coverage policies to models of care. No one could have predicted the turmoil we experienced in 2024. The nation halted to refocus on what we already knew: The US healthcare “system” is broken. We have a profound and unprecedented opportunity to make healthcare work for everyone. Our 2025 outlook focuses on pragmatic opportunities to address barriers in our healthcare system—realistic solutions that can improve access to care, reduce burdens on the healthcare workforce, and create a more resilient and outcomes-driven healthcare industry. As we look forward, our new challenge to Slalom employees, customers, and partners is to lead with courage. Historian Yuval Noah Harari writes that “creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and then break them.” It takes courage to break long-standing patterns and drive systemic change. This is our tipping point. Let’s get started. Sincerely, Meera Kanhouwa, MD, MHA, FACEP Global Industry Lead, Healthcare Read less Media’s next act: Streaming impacts continue to redefine the landscape as AI adoption heats up in 2025, pushing media and communications leaders to make bolder moves. The streaming revolution continues to transform media as AI and 5G spark innovation. Companies are striving to enhance customer experiences, adapt to new tech, and seize emerging opportunities. Amid declining subscriber numbers and mounting cost pressures, media and communications companies are racing to innovate. The transition from traditional cable bundles to diverse streaming services has pushed many to consolidate and elevate customer experiences. In fact, Forbes Home reports [99% of US households](https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/internet/streaming-stats/) subscribe to at least one streaming service. According to research analysts Moffett Nathanson, the US pay-TV sector [lost 4 million subscribers](https://www.nexttv.com/news/us-pay-tv-loses-162-million-subscribers-in-q2-10th-consecutive-quarter-of-double-digit-percentage-losses-for-linear) in the first six months of 2024. “This marks the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit declines,” wrote analyst Craig Moffett. “It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no longer any floor.” Anthony Marquardt What you see in the industry today is a real focus on efficiency while, at the same time, meeting the challenge of customers’ expectations for personalized experiences. Our customers need to cut costs due to the decline in subscribers and invest in the network for higher speeds and lower latency. Authors Get a free recap to share with colleagues Get the PDF recap Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an industry expert Top trends in media communications Item 1 Generative AI (GenAI) has evolved from experimentation to a value-driving powerhouse in media and communications. In 2025, the spotlight will be on optimizing AI investments to achieve measurable returns across creative and operational domains. With GenAI’s capacity to automate content production, streamline customer interactions, and enhance operational efficiency, media companies are on the front lines of this transformation. A global [Google Cloud survey](https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gen_ai_index_media_entertainment.pdf) from 2024 highlights that 64% of media and entertainment organizations are already leveraging GenAI, with 72% seeing ROI on at least one active use case—a clear indication that this technology is not just disruptive but profitable. Across the industry, GenAI is reshaping workflows and audience engagement. In telecommunications , AI-driven automation is optimizing customer service with virtual agents, reducing wait times and enhancing personalization. In the gaming space, [procedural content generation](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/unity-2024-gaming-report-indicates-62-percent-of-devs-are-currently-using-ai-tools) enables developers to create richer, dynamic game worlds, while AI-powered analytics drive personalized player experiences. Sports and live entertainment companies are also using AI to [analyze fan data](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/game-on-getting-the-most-out-of-slalom-sports-fan-engagement-data-platform-accelerator/), creating [personalized experiences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-future-of-fandom) both in-stadium and online, and to inform decisions on pricing and marketing to optimize event attendance and viewer engagement. The marketing and advertising sector is leveraging AI for hyper-personalized campaigns, drawing insights from real-time data to drive engagement and ad spend efficiency. Media and entertainment companies are [adopting AI](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-impact-of-generative-ai-on-hollywood-and-entertainment/) to streamline content production—from scriptwriting and script reading (coverage) to visual effects—to enhance viewer recommendations, boosting retention. Up to [80% of movie, TV, and animation companies](https://www.statista.com/topics/12669/artificial-intelligence-ai-and-video-streaming-in-the-united-states/) have or plan to use generative AI in their production processes. More ambitious moves are already on the rise, such as the partnership announced by [Lionsgate and Runway AI](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lionsgate-deal-ai-firm-runway-1236005554/), whose GenAI platform will train on the studio’s content library and recommend how to best use film and television IP. 3 key takeaways to maximize ROI with GenAI To make the most of GenAI investments, industry leaders are advised to: - Prioritize rapid ROI: Target GenAI use cases that deliver measurable, short-term results. Optimizing the product lifecycle and projects in customer support and marketing is often a strong starting point for tangible returns. - Focus on differentiation: Use GenAI to create unique customer experiences, positioning the technology as a strategic differentiator, not just a cost saver. - Ensure flexibility and scalability: Invest in adaptable, scalable AI solutions that can be deployed across business functions as GenAI matures. Learn more about how Slalom can help you [transform AI into ROI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-to-roi). You can also check out our latest [AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) or [AI Value Calculator](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator). Item 2 A seismic shift is undertaking the advertising landscape, driven by changes in consumer behavior and technological advancements. As linear television subscriptions decline, streaming and connected TV are on the rise, creating a complex environment for advertisers. Linear TV viewing [fell below 50%](https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/15/linear-tv-viewing-sinks-below-50-nielsen-july-2023-report) of all US TV usage for the first time ever in July 2023—and streaming [now exceeds 40%.](https://www.nielsen.com/data-center/the-gauge/) This transformation is reshaping the way media is bought and sold, with traditional methods giving way to more dynamic approaches. Companies are now reevaluating their strategies to align with this new reality, optimizing technologies like header bidding and updating ad tech stacks to monetize assets and maximize revenue from valuable first-party data and inventory. The shifting terrain is further complicated by the rise of walled gardens like Google, Amazon, and Meta, combined with signal loss as third-party cookies gradually fade away, which presents challenges in data transparency and measurement. Slalom has helped companies like [the LEGO Group](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/lego-amazon-marketing-cloud) and Procter Gamble use tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud—a data clean room—to access Amazon’s walled garden, unlocking the value of their first-party data in a safe, secure way to learn more about their customers and optimize ad spend. As these same tech giants face legal scrutiny, publishers and broadcasters are preparing to capitalize on potential changes in the power dynamics. The focus is on monetization. For broadcasters, this may mean maximizing the value of their content and first-party data. The fragmented media landscape now offers numerous channels for advertisers, but with that comes the mission of standardizing measurements across diverse platforms—which is not easy. To help with this task, organizations like the Interactive Advertising Bureau are [providing resources to guide and educate leaders on how to measure and assess attention.](https://www.iab.com/guidelines/attention-measurement-toolkit/) Advertisers are striving for precision in targeting audiences without overspending. Integrating first-party data with digital platforms offers the promise of personalized advertising opportunities but requires thoughtful data and consent management. Privacy laws and consumer preferences push companies to rethink data practices, ensuring compliance and respecting privacy while supporting new capabilities. The convergence of content production and AdTech is becoming more pronounced, with metadata informing creative decisions and AI beginning to play a larger role in both content generation and campaign optimization. The focus for 2025? Agility and adaptability. To stay relevant, combine technical innovation with strategic advisory. From agency in-housing to emerging technologies like data clean rooms, the goal is to optimize advertising while navigating regulations. As digital media evolves, leaders must integrate new technologies seamlessly to ensure every advertising dollar delivers maximum value while minimizing regulatory risk. 3 actions for media communications leaders: - Use advanced data analytics. Gain deep insights into consumer behavior and preferences. - [Lean in on AI-driven tools.](https://www.smartdatacollective.com/how-ai-is-changing-data-analytics/) Make predictions and analyze large datasets with GenAI and augmented analytics. - [Develop a multichannel strategy.](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/predictions-2024-data-and-analytics/) Use consistent messaging for effective customer engagement across multiple platforms. Converged connectivity is blending wired and wireless networks with optimally placed cloud infrastructure to create a seamless digital ecosystem. This convergence is powered by advances in AI and architectural innovations, transforming previously isolated components into a unified system where applications are network aware and the same is true conversely. Slalom sees telecommunications as a vertical with a horizontal and vice versa. The implications are profound, particularly for industries like autonomous vehicles, where precise, real-time communication is critical for safety. For instance, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) are essential for autonomous vehicle safety. In fact, [the systems require end-to-end latency of under 10 milliseconds.](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1903.01863) Balancing elements across the system creates the optimal environment to minimize risks while maximizing performance and ensuring maximum time horizon. The integration of these technologies offers lucrative monetization opportunities for telecom and cloud service providers. Programmable networks that closely interact with applications are paving the way for tailored solutions across various sectors, likely with a common programmable foundation. With a flexible, consistent foundation that can adapt to the environment, industries ranging from media delivering high-definition video in bustling cities to oil fields delivering remote video sensor solutions will create optimal and predictable experiences for their users. Importantly, this adaptability not only enhances user experiences but also unlocks new revenue streams. Telecom companies, in particular, are finding AI to be critical in internal optimization and monetization. By embedding AI into network operations, companies can better navigate data privacy and regulatory hurdles, streamlining their processes and offering superior services to businesses. At the same time, similar datasets leveraged for internal enhancements help fuel the external innovation necessary to scale the opportunities and experiences of tomorrow. Source: [NVIDIA](https://resources.nvidia.com/en-us-ai-in-telco/state-of-ai-in-telco-2024-report), State of AI in Telecommunications: 2024 Trends As the media and communications industry edges towards full convergence, the focus is shifting from discovering a single groundbreaking application to building a robust foundation that supports a multitude of apps. This approach is vital for scaling solutions across various data centers and cloud environments, maintaining seamless and efficient connectivity. Companies that embrace this foundational strategy are not only future-proofing their operations but also positioning themselves to seize the myriad opportunities that converged connectivity presents. In fact, they’re on the brink of revolutionizing how we connect and interact in a digital world—and that’s a smart place to be. Audience engagement in media and communications is set to reach new levels of personalization and immersion in the year ahead. In fact, Twilio research notes that [62% of consumers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/eladnatanson/2023/06/01/hyper-personalization-is-already-here---its-future-is-even-more-cutting-edge/) say they expect personalization, and an additional 49% will become repeat buyers and users if personalization is offered to them. What’s been called the “holy grail of CX,” personalization is now evolving into hyper-personalization, which adds the use of real-time data, AI, and predictive analytics as opposed to historical customer data to facilitate a tailored user experience, [according to Forbes.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/eladnatanson/2023/06/01/hyper-personalization-is-already-here---its-future-is-even-more-cutting-edge/) To that end, as digital platforms expand, companies are prioritizing audience loyalty and retention, with a focus on creating seamless, tailored interactions across every touchpoint. Leveraging advanced data capabilities, including customer data platforms (CDPs) and segmentation analytics, combined with machine learning models and generative AI for content production, brands are refining engagement strategies to meet the demands of today’s audiences. This shift is particularly pronounced in sectors like sports, gaming, and streaming, where customer expectations for customized experiences are high​. In sports and live entertainment , digital ticketing and data aggregation have transformed how organizations understand and engage their fan bases. With improved visibility into fan demographics and behavior, teams can now tailor in-venue experiences such as personalized merchandise offers and mobile perks, enhancing the fan experience and driving revenue. As advertising platforms grow more sophisticated and sports organizations seek to create new revenue streams, expect highly personalized experiences with an emphasis on digital out-of-home (DOOH) and other new ad formats offering brands novel opportunities to engage with fans in a highly curated, in-the-moment manner. To power these experiences, there is a growing trend toward [“360° fan engagement” models](https://www.sportspromedia.com/special-reports/from-the-source-laliga-tech-nielsen-360-fan-engagement/) that leverage real-time data at every fan touchpoint, from ticketing to loyalty programs, increasing fan retention, and maximizing revenue potential​. Rio Longacre Sports organizations have moved from mom-and-pop operations to sophisticated marketing organizations. The big change is how they’re using data to enhance fan engagement and monetize at every touchpoint—from personalized offers to in-stadium digital experiences. The streaming and digital media sectors are similarly focused on data-driven hyper-personalization. Companies will use [advanced customer segmentation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/pmg-strengthening-community-connection-data) to offer tailored content bundles, personalized recommendations, and even location-based services, enhancing the overall customer journey. The gaming industry, meanwhile, is applying analytics to understand player behavior and preferences, delivering custom content and loyalty incentives that foster deeper engagement. These approaches not only enhance customer satisfaction but also help companies reduce churn—a key metric in today’s competitive environment. Buzz is common in the media and communications industry, and the buzzwords for 2025 are operational optimization . Companies are ditching outdated systems for sleek, digital frameworks that make managing content as easy as a swipe. Imagine upgrading from a dusty, old card catalog to a cutting-edge digital library—media giants are now tagging, storing, and retrieving their vast content libraries with unparalleled precision. This digital transformation ensures they’re ready to seize revenue opportunities at the drop of a hat, especially during unexpected events that demand immediate content access. Streaming titans like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are shaking up the game with innovative collaborations that modernize content delivery and cut costs. In fact, between 2022 and 2027, [Netflix](https://www.fdiintelligence.com/content/data-trends/streaming-wars-disney-netflix-and-amazon-to-drive-original-content-spend-82017) is expected to increase its annual investment in original content by 43%, reaching $9.7 billion, while [Amazon Prime Video’s](https://www.fdiintelligence.com/content/data-trends/streaming-wars-disney-netflix-and-amazon-to-drive-original-content-spend-82017) investment is projected to grow by 70%, reaching $6.46 billion. By creating shared environments, these companies are enhancing efficiency and gearing up to capitalize on the hottest trends. With real-time insights at their fingertips, media and communications companies are perfectly positioned to deliver exactly what audiences crave, keeping them ahead of the competition. The quest for operational excellence isn’t just about storage; it’s also about mastering the art of distribution. In an industry where content is king, the seamless transfer of media from studios to screens is crucial. With robust quality control in place, media companies ensure that every piece of content meets the highest standards, delighting viewers and building rock-solid trust with partners. This meticulous approach sets the gold standard for media distribution, elevating the entire industry’s game. Steven Polster Optimizing enterprise applications and unifying media supply chains isn’t just about integration. It’s about creating operational efficiencies in concert with workflow and data collaboration solutions that maximize the potential from every type of content, concert, or commercial, distributed across increasingly fragmented platforms and venues. As we lean into 2025, companies are reimagining their strategies, capitalizing on cutting-edge tech and strategic alliances to revolutionize supply chains and distribution networks. This transformation keeps company leaders agile, ready to pounce on new opportunities and drive profitability, ensuring they remain at the forefront of an industry that’s always on the move—and always likes an audience. As 2025 unfolds, media and communications leaders have an exciting path forward: using emerging technologies to build deeper, more engaging connections with audiences. Media and communications leaders have a unique opportunity to capitalize on emerging trends that reshape how audiences connect, engage, and remain loyal. Generative AI is transforming content creation, enabling companies to deliver immersive, personalized experiences at scale. At the same time, data-driven approaches are giving brands unprecedented insights into customer behaviors, making it possible to craft experiences that resonate deeply across sectors—from streaming and gaming to live entertainment and telecommunications. Beyond engagement, operational efficiency and connectivity are crucial to staying competitive. Converged connectivity is blending wired and wireless networks, paving the way for seamless interactions across platforms and creating new revenue opportunities, particularly as demand for real-time, immersive experiences grows. Operational optimization is also top of mind, as companies streamline workflows and leverage real-time data to ensure agility and responsiveness in an industry that thrives on immediacy. By investing in these transformative technologies, organizations can elevate their brand presence and capture new opportunities. Slalom [media and communications consulting](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/media-communications) is here to help you embrace these advancements and the power of a data and AI-driven enterprise. Together, we can build a future where every interaction is meaningful, and every connection is lasting. Contributors: Josh Buchholtz, Jason Inskeep, Rio Longacre, Anthony Marquardt, Kevin McClelland, Russell Norris, Rob O’Sullivan, Bharath Parthasarathy, Steven Polster, Arya Sundar, Michael Vos, Jun Whitehead Don't forget to download or share with your colleagues and help your organization navigate these trends. Download a PDF recap Share 2025 trends Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! --- title: Media Industry Trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Media Industry Trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Explore how media and communications leaders are transforming with AI, data, and ecosystem strategies to drive growth, efficiency, and loyalty in 2026. ## Body Media Industry Trends 2026 Explore how media and communications leaders are transforming with AI, data, and ecosystem strategies to drive growth, efficiency, and loyalty in 2026. Media & communications The media and communications world is being radically reshaped. Profitability now hinges on turning data and automation into a competitive advantage. The media and communications (M C) industry has seen relentless disruption and accelerated consolidation in recent years. Traditional revenue streams such as video bundles and broadband services have been under pressure as competition intensifies from new market entrants. Many companies struggle to convert massive streaming platform investments into sustained profitability. In 2026, we’ll see a shift from simple cost-cutting initiatives to more strategies aimed at boosting revenue, customer value, and efficiencies. Leaders must confront an increasingly impatient customer base actively looking for reasons to cancel or unsubscribe from poor or unrewarding experiences. AI capabilities in production and across the organization offer the opportunity to reclaim profitability. Companies leveraging automation and data to create truly adaptive, customer-centric enterprises will come out ahead. In this outlook, we will explore six critical trends leaders must navigate to design a profitable future. AI has shifted from a small, centralized team or a business unit-level effort to a CEO- and board-level imperative. It’s moving from internal-facing applications to external use cases, resulting in significantly improved customer experience and business outcomes. Where technology focused on cost reduction has often been seen as a barrier to a positive customer experience, AI is proving to be an enabler and accelerator in these areas. Anthony Marquardt Global Industry Lead, Media & Communications, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 Many organizations have not yet realized the full extent of AI’s promise. According to Slalom’s August 2025 [Global AI Insights](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) survey, only 15% of respondents from the M C industry described their AI use cases as aligned to end-to-end transformation across the enterprise. For everyone else, AI is being implemented in silos. This patchwork approach to rolling out AI tool sets and determining use cases to prioritize, along with technical challenges such as legacy applications and data infrastructure, create obstacles to achieving cross-functional value. Taking an enterprise-wide approach enables organizations to drive both innovation advancements that add significant value and cost savings that can be reinvested for growth. For example, AI-driven network operations can shift from manual alarm responses to [predictive management](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-ai-telco-shift), with intelligent agents prioritizing and automating actions. In another [example](https://capacity.com/blog/ai-in-the-entertainment-industry/), many US movie studios struggle to earn back their production costs due to extra expenses from manual tasks. By automating processes like footage tagging and dialogue transcription, AI helps cut costs and accelerate production, allowing creative teams to focus more on the storytelling that customers love. But these kinds of AI use cases are only possible when data is aligned with the needs of modern AI-driven applications. With many M C companies undergoing network transformations to better compete against cloud and tech giants, there is now a clear opportunity to future-proof operations by combining network modernization with a transformation of the underlying data that powers AI. Chris Reyes The important conversations we’re having with clients are around data availability across the organization. So it’s interesting that what starts as an AI-led conversation quickly becomes more of a data governance and data readiness conversation. Laying the foundation for AI also means having clear ROI targets tied to a concrete business strategy, which includes AI strategy, to better prioritize focus areas. ROI measurement requires creating baseline and target metrics tied to the overall strategy so that when savings are achieved, they can be reinvested in the business and aligned with the most important business focus areas. Keywords Studios: Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation With the support of Slalom and Snowflake, Keywords Studios revolutionized its data analytics approach, empowering the company to offer actionable insights that streamline reporting processes, personalize player experiences, and help game publishers better understand and fulfill player needs. Item 2 Advanced AI is enabling deeper, real-time insights for more contextualized and targeted delivery of advertising, content, and services. Delivering this kind of personalized experience, however, must be balanced with an effort to avoid overwhelming customers with too much noise. Personalization is as much about the how as it is about the what. Respecting boundaries and avoiding excessive notifications while delivering customer value will yield positive results. Hyper-personalize with AI to: - Determine the language most likely to result in a sale based on personality or past buying behavior - Highlight packages that provide the most lifetime customer value - Automatically scale internet service up and down according to a customer’s demand - Dynamically serve up content recommendations and advertising based on consumption A critical internal roadblock to successful hyper-personalization is [legacy technical debt](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/accelerated-modernization-eliminates-legacy-barriers). Core back-office systems, including billing and provisioning platforms, often struggle to support the fluid demands of real-time pricing and customized bundles. Media organizations face similar urgency, needing to bring data together across streaming, theme parks, and ad sales to successfully build a unified customer view that tech rivals natively possess. A solution for bridging this gap is to accelerate data sharing and governance across siloed business units. Modern data platforms and API layers can act as AI overlays to legacy infrastructure, enabling dynamic functions like real-time pricing and service adaptation without the disruptive cost of a full system replacement. This strategy delivers a robust, governed data layer for a frictionless, human-centered experience that customers demand in an AI-powered world. While broader data modernization initiatives will open wider opportunities (and be required over time), a more tailored approach can also yield significant impacts. Organizations that clearly define gains from AI can take a faster approach with modular data modernization, focusing on making the necessary data-specific use cases or functional teams available to rapidly achieve personalization goals. na About 20% of M C organizations only modernize when a business case arises, versus 30% that have an enterprise-wide mandate to retire or re-platform legacy systems and are actively executing it. - Slalom’s August 2025 [Global AI Insights](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) survey The increasingly competitive M C market requires a new kind of radical cooperation, which means looking beyond internal capabilities to embrace ecosystem-driven innovation. Companies must collaborate across complementary territories to build national ecosystems of services, providing the unified platform and scale necessary to effectively compete with powerful tech entrants. This cooperation is the engine that drives strategic debundling/rebundling, offering customers a personalized and private a la carte selection of streaming, connectivity, and smart solutions. Rob O’Sullivan When we think about ecosystem-driven innovation, it’s not just finding a way for M C companies to work together. It’s about building an edge network that will truly drive these personalized services without infringing on customers’ privacy. The benefits of the ecosystem extend beyond improving customer experience. [MovieLabs](https://movielabs.com/the-2030-vision/), for example, provides a framework designed to update media creation and asset protection by implementing secure, cloud-based methods. It simplifies workflows for production, post-production, visual effects, and distribution teams by promoting a collaborative and interoperable media environment. This approach can minimize workflow challenges, support scalable cloud operations, and improve security, allowing studios, vendors, technology providers, and creators to collaborate effectively. The value of such an ecosystem is both operational and strategic; it provides benefits related to time, cost, and creativity while also establishing an industry-wide platform for innovation, collaboration, and secure content transfer. Such cooperations are also essential to turn the network pipe itself into a monetizable asset with vertical-specific B2B solutions, for example, co-creating private 5G for manufacturing or dynamic network slicing for telesurgery. The prospect of the best surgeon in the world being able to help sick patients anywhere shows how compelling the impact can be. Effectively productizing and marketing these complex B2B services, however, requires a unique skill set, which makes building these capabilities essential for success. Establishing an AI-first culture where the organizational structure itself is [adaptive](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai), fluid, and designed for efficiency has proven difficult for many companies. Slalom’s August 2025 Global AI Insights survey shows that employee resistance remains a significant blocker, with 38% of M C organizations citing employee distrust and job-security concerns as a primary barrier keeping the organization from realizing value from AI. Such resistance can scuttle an otherwise promising initiative. If employees are not utilizing AI technology, how can the organization point to any measurable value being derived from it? To increase adoption, leaders must craft a transparent and compelling vision about AI’s role and how it will benefit employees, customers, and the broader organization. This can be a hard case to make, because, unlike other initiatives, change and adaptation will be constants with AI. A Stanford and Culture Partners [study](https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/flagships/ai-hi/how-organizational-culture-shapes-ai-adoption-success) found that organizations aligned on purpose, strategy, and culture had 44.5% revenue growth over three years. Adaptability emerged as the strongest driver of alignment and business performance, showing the highest correlation with revenue growth. Critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy skills will therefore be essential for all teams. Organizations that foster experimentation, not just with AI use cases but also team structures, will be better able to find the right equation for achieving value. As teams are successful in this journey, they will showcase these wins in a way that allows the organization to learn from the insights and build momentum across teams. Source: Slalom’s August 2025 [Global AI Insights](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) survey In 2026, M C companies need to do more to capitalize on their biggest assets. For communications orgs, growth in Network as a Service (NaaS) offers new life to core infrastructure, turning the network pipe into a fluid, customizable platform. As network convergence continues, this platform offers the opportunity to deliver the services customers demand. Jun Whitehead Customers don’t care how content is delivered. It could be cable, mobile, satellite, or some other means. What they do care about is that their service is uninterrupted, no matter where they’re accessing it. For media and entertainment, monetization centers on audiences. Companies are using data to drive tailored advertising, focusing on secure audience matching and converting their audience data into revenue. This creates an opportunity where interactive commerce and content blend, shifting focus from generic display ads to contextual, interactive, and shoppable commerce integrated deeply into content. Productizing data, however, will require investment in data unification. Data clean rooms and advanced ad-tech strategies that maximize first-party customer signals can help turn data into a monetizable asset. With a unified data architecture, innovative network services (like NaaS) and modern data platforms can be leveraged as profitable offerings. GenAI is now augmenting nearly every creative stage: from initial ideation and script analysis to complex visual effects, localization, and editing. The primary goal is economic: accelerate timelines, expand creative capacity, and reduce cost to maintain a competitive edge in the race for proprietary content. Michael Mayer Legacy media firms need to become tech companies. Where they used to focus on content and marketing, it’s now a data-driven exercise. Becoming data-driven enterprises powered by AI will help them get to the consumer and thrive from a cost standpoint. This [focus on AI augmentation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) is confirmed by the data, with 64% of media and entertainment leaders reporting that the creation of new AI-related roles or teams is either underway or forthcoming. However, this shift is complicated by the need for responsible AI use. As with all industries, it’s important to recognize which use cases are best suited to AI and where humans remain indispensable. For media and entertainment companies, this means carefully navigating labor sensitivities, such as the high-profile debates around [synthetic actors](https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-synthetic-performer) and the use of AI in [storytelling](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-screenwriting-tools-hollywood-film-tv-studios-writers-2025-8), while also protecting valuable intellectual property within cloud workflows. This requires establishing robust security and governance frameworks from the outset. With secure, cloud-based production workflows built on modern data infrastructure, GenAI tools can be implemented at scale. Start by prioritizing workflow efficiency and establishing robust data governance for creative assets, thereby promoting compliance and ethical use while maintaining high creative quality. According to Adobe’s [global Creators’ Toolkit Report](https://news.adobe.com/news/2025/10/adobe-max-2025-creators-survey), 76% of creators report that GenAI is positively shaping the creator economy by “helping them reach new audiences, scale their businesses, and amplify their creative expression.” With 86% of creators actively using GenAI for creative work, “it’s no longer confined to a single task, it’s integrated across their workflow.” Ready to make a bold move? We can help. From telecom to entertainment, Slalom has helped more than 330 organizations navigate disruption and create competitive advantage. Connect now The path to a profitable future in the media and communications sector is clear, though challenging. In 2026, leaders must move beyond incremental fixes and embrace a profound, holistic transformation centered on measurable, governed AI. Reclaiming profitability requires organizations to stop viewing AI as a series of isolated projects and instead embed it deeply across all six trends: from creating the data-rich foundation for its success to augmenting creative workflows. Companies must also unlock new avenues for monetization and turn their core assets into revenue streams by: - Strengthening ecosystems for radical cooperation - Prioritizing simplification and hyper-personalization to fight churn and enhance value and engagement at every touchpoint - Becoming an AI-first adaptive organization The year ahead will separate those who merely experiment with new technologies from those who successfully leverage them to design a fundamentally more efficient, customer-centric, and profitable enterprise. These organizations will sense and react to market change faster than their siloed past allowed. The core challenge is clear: media and communications organizations must learn to operate more like the technology companies they’re now competing with. Contributors Anthony Marquardt Global Industry Lead, Media & Communications, Slalom LinkedIn Additional contributors: Michael Mayer, Rob O’Sullivan, Chris Reyes, Jun Whitehead Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom media and communications expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: Modernization that earns its spend url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Modernization that earns its spend - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How CIOs can modernize and apply technology trends to build AI-ready enterprises, deliver ROI, and accelerate outcomes ## Body Modernization that earns its spend How CIOs can modernize and apply technology trends to build AI-ready enterprises, deliver ROI, and accelerate outcomes How to operationalize modernization and unlock future adaptability, starting now Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session You can’t fix everything, so fix what counts The question isn’t, why do we need to modernize? As technology leaders, you know the stakes: - Obsolescence is a threat. [70%](https://www.techradar.com/pro/fix-it-even-if-it-aint-broke-the-price-of-legacy-technology) [of enterprise software](https://www.techradar.com/pro/fix-it-even-if-it-aint-broke-the-price-of-legacy-technology) is over 20 years old, and the talent pool that knows how to maintain it is shrinking. - Innovation is kneecapped. [60%-80%](https://www.techradar.com/pro/fix-it-even-if-it-aint-broke-the-price-of-legacy-technology) [of IT budgets](https://www.techradar.com/pro/fix-it-even-if-it-aint-broke-the-price-of-legacy-technology) are gobbled up by maintaining mainframes and static, legacy systems that aren’t designed for current or future business needs, like adaptability and AI transformation. - Every moment without modernization compounds opportunity costs. From technical debt and talent risk to security exposure and slow, siloed decision-making, legacy infrastructure puts growth and long-term value generation in a lockbox. The question is actually two parts: what do we modernize first, and how do we know it’s the right call for the best ROI? Legacy still running the show? Modernize what matters. Modernization only matters if it unlocks adaptability. Turn intent into measurable outcomes with Slalom. Explore our approach Scatter-shot modernization and lift-and-shift exercises are wasted effort Modernization isn’t operational maintenance. It’s not even systemic technology upgrades or a one-time, everything-at-once transformation that IT owns all by itself. Modernization is an enterprise-wide effort in reimagination and reinvention, so you can use intelligent operations with AI transformation, data strategy, and adaptable workflows as (you guessed it) [strategic levers that unlock new value](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries) via new business models, customer channels, and workforce productivity. The good news? - 60% of CIOs consider IT modernization their top priority. ([Info-tech, 2025](https://www.infotech.com/sem/lp2/cio-priorities-2025)) - 75% have already completed small-scale modernization efforts. ([Redhat, 2024](https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/app-modernization-report)) - Another 18% have already achieved their goals for continuous modernization. (Redhat, 2024) - Only 6% of CIOs say they’re doing nothing to modernize. ([Radix, 2025](https://radixweb.com/blog/application-modernization-statistics)) - 87% say modernizing critical apps has been a key success driver, setting them apart with new competitive advantages. ([Business Wire, 2023](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230216005081/en/Race-to-the-Top-New-Study-Reveals-Majority-of-Business-Leaders-Looking-to-App-Modernization-in-2023-to-Drive-Transformation-Efforts)) The bad news? Most digital transformation spending fails to meet business outcomes when leaders spread it across too many priorities. Typical enterprise modernization entry points, by industry Organizations that focus on modernization efforts where they matter most can cut, automate, or optimize the systems that slow them down—then double down on the capabilities that drive growth. Here are some of the typical entry points we see organizations invest in first: [Financial services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026) - Core replacement - Customer 360 - Regulatory automation [Retail consumer goods](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026) - Omnichannel fulfillment - Demand forecasting - Inventory optimization [Healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026) - Clinical decision support - Master patient index - Telehealth modernization [Manufacturing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026) - Plant uptime and throughput - Critical equipment failure prevention - Recall readiness (quality traceability) Technology - Product platform consolidation - Unified data for personalization - Release risk detection and rollback Energy natural resources - Grid resilience and restoration - Safer asset performance and uptime - Forecast-driven dispatch [Media communications](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026) - Personalized retention targeting - Real-time ad yield - Rights valuation and bidding [Life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026) - Trial activation speed - Biomarker patient matching - Safety signal detection [Public social impact](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026) - Benefits renewal automation - Improper payment prevention - Crisis triage and routing Three ways to keep modernization tied to outcomes While your organization is doing the hard work of modernizing, it’s incumbent upon executives and key leaders to avoid overloading your teams with too many priorities. Here are three strategies to help you avoid sinking into distractions and instead unblock real advantages. 1. Stay business outcome-oriented Modernization begins by aligning on your organization’s priority business outcomes: - Are your customers demanding access through new channels of communication? Do they expect intelligent, engaging, immediate service? ([Renown Health](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation)’s did. Same with [United Airlines](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai).) - Are you trying to fast-track R D and bring new bets to market quicker than your competition? (Takeda Pharmaceuticals and PUMA understand.) - Do you need to reskill and upskill teams into AI fluency, so they’re supervising AI agents or designing AI automations with new data capabilities and efficiency standards? ([Clariant](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform) pulled it off with precision, too.) Document your current state, envision your future state, name the gaps, and agree on how to fill them. Also agree on (and document) how your team and other stakeholders will partner with explicit roles and responsibilities. This alignment and visibility will help you map modernization to outcomes. 2. Set, communicate, and benchmark against clear governance structures and KPIs Make your success criteria clear, measurable, and accountable. Consistently update your team and organization on how the efforts are going. Leaders who define the work, the process, the guardrails, and desired outcomes get tangible results that often exceed expectations. Here are some examples of strong modernization KPIs: % of applications migrated to the cloud % of application portfolio meeting target architecture standards It doesn’t matter where the app runs. It matters if the app is cheaper to operate, easier to change, and more failsafe. IT cost reduction YoY Run-rate cost per business transaction (or customer or unit of revenue) This reframes IT from a budget line to a business engine. It rewards modernization that lowers unit economics without starving security or innovation. % of data sources onboarded Time to deliver a new analytics or AI use case from idea to value Platforms only matter if they accelerate outcomes. This KPI rewards ingestion over impact and exposes over-engineered foundations immediately. Enterprise data quality score Data accuracy and timeliness at the decision point for priority use cases Perfect data nobody uses is worthless. Tie data quality to business-critical outcomes. # of AI models/use cases in production AI-driven outcomes and use cases realized (cost avoided, risk reduced, revenue generated) per model This kills pilot purgatory. Models that don’t earn their keep get retired. A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future La-Z-Boy Incorporated partnered with Slalom and AWS to map decades of mainframe dependencies, de-risk modernization with AI-assisted analysis, and execute a clear path to full decommission—freeing teams to focus on growth. The retail and manufacturing leader will reduce annual run costs by more than $1M by shutting off the mainframe, while strengthening resilience and innovation agility. 3. Figure out your funding models Here are a handful of typical modernization funding models: - Annual CapEx program funding for continuous modernization This multi-year “big rock” model works well when scope is clear and when you have the flexibility to shift the funding across a run-grow-transform framework quarter-by-quarter. - Tranche-based funding for risky or novel initiatives If your gates aren’t bureaucratically problematic, this incremental, stage-gated approach to modernization is also effective. Especially if you hybridize the approach with product- or domain-based funding where teams own outcomes, not delivery milestones. - Self-funding loops for cloud and automation In this OpEx reallocation, modernization is funded by cloud cost savings, vendor consolidation, and automation/toil reduction. Savings are explicitly recycled into modernization. This CFO-friendly funding model forces ROI discipline and can responsibly signal the “kill switch” if revenue dips below your strategic number. - Mandated funding only where risk is existential Boards understand downside risk, and this funding is justified when you need to meet regulatory requirements, derisk your security posture, address end-of-life risk, or operate under resilience mandates. The key is not to overscope “must-have” work, so you’re not starving out innovation opportunities. - Technology partner funding for enterprise modernization This isn’t a blank check or a venture-style co-investment. This is incentive-based, usage-tied, and contractually-governed commercial support that reduces friction and accelerates time-to-value. Boards like it because it reduces near-term cash outlay, brings in scarce expertise and partners who can upskill teams (not just modernize systems), and de-risks early modernization phases. Modernization is a leadership discipline, not a tech project Modernizing systems unlocks the ability to reimagine and rebuild process workflows, internally and externally. This reinvention and adaptability allow for more effective, rewarding ways to work, engage customers, and propel your organization into the future. Teach your old code new tricks. Let’s talk modernization Share insight FAQs two men working at desk --- title: Your work is your legacy. Your Salesforce org shouldn’t be. url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernize-salesforce-with-zero-legacy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernize-salesforce-with-zero-legacy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Your work is your legacy. Your Salesforce org shouldn’t be. - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernize-salesforce-with-zero-legacy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernize-salesforce-with-zero-legacy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Zero Legacy helps you modernize Salesforce because your ambition deserves an AI-ready platform. ## Body Your work is your legacy. Your Salesforce org shouldn’t be. Zero Legacy helps you modernize Salesforce because your ambition deserves an AI-ready platform. Share When your org is ready to realize its full potential Salesforce is built to be your growth engine, the place where customer relationships thrive, pipelines stay strong, and innovation never stops. It continues to evolve at an incredible pace, with new capabilities in data, automation, and AI that redefine what’s possible. But for many organizations, it’s hard to keep up. Salesforce environments grow organically as each customization meets a real business need in the moment. Over time, that flexibility can lead to complexity. Layers of quick fixes and one-off solutions make it harder to tap into the latest features, adopt new technologies, or move as fast as you’d like. That’s where [Zero Legacy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy) comes in. What do we mean by Zero Legacy? Zero Legacy is our commitment to helping organizations modernize their Salesforce environments with purpose. It’s not about wiping the slate clean; it’s about clearing the path forward. Think of it like a fresh start for your innovation engine, keeping what works, simplifying what doesn’t, and making space for what’s next. Think of it this way: - Your work should be your legacy. - Your technical debt should not. Zero Legacy means: - Modernizing Salesforce so it scales with your ambition. - Simplifying complexity without sacrificing capability. - Preparing your org to make meaningful use of Salesforce’s library of off-the-shelf AI and automation features such as Einstein, Agentforce, and other native capabilities, while building the groundwork for continuous innovation. With Zero Legacy, your Salesforce org becomes what it was always meant to be, a launchpad for growth. The challenge: Legacy as a liability Let’s be real. Most Salesforce orgs didn’t get messy overnight. They became “legacy” slowly, the result of well-intentioned decisions, urgent deadlines, and growth that outpaced governance. Common challenges we see: - Over-customization: Code spaghetti, redundant flows, orphaned objects. - Fragmentation: Multiple orgs from acquisitions stitched together, each with their own quirks. - High costs: License waste, unused functionality, endless maintenance cycles. - Security and compliance gaps: Old packages, inconsistent permissions, data at risk. - AI roadblocks: Poor data quality, tangled processes, and limited governance that make it harder to adopt and scale AI effectively. The result? Innovation slows and complexity builds. Teams struggle to adapt, leaders hesitate to invest, and competitors who modernize race ahead. Zero Legacy is the movement to help organizations catch up and move ahead. Our approach: Reset before you build At Slalom, we combine people-first consulting with purpose-built tools to make modernization real. Here’s how we do it: 1. Hubbl Org Intelligence Scan Think of this as your Salesforce wellness check. [Hubbl Technologies](https://www.hubbl.com/) brings advanced Salesforce intelligence to every engagement, helping organizations see their data, processes, and performance in a new light. It quickly uncovers what’s working, what’s waste, and what’s worrisome. - Technical debt: Identify redundant code, flows, and unused objects. - Licensing waste: Spot underutilized licenses and opportunities to optimize. - Performance bottlenecks: Understand what slows down users and processes. - Security gaps: Expose risks before they become compliance headaches. The outcome is a modernization roadmap that brings clarity and direction, helping you simplify Salesforce and prepare your business for the next era of AI. The Hubbl Intelligence Platform provides a clear snapshot of Salesforce org health—highlighting complexity, automation, and key opportunities to simplify and modernize for better performance. Rob Acker asdf Hubbl and Slalom share a belief that clarity is the foundation for innovation. Through Zero Legacy, we’re helping organizations move beyond technical debt and build modern platforms that drive growth through the power of AI. 2. Slalom AI Value Platform (AVP) Once the foundation is clean, you’re ready to unlock AI. But where do you start? That’s where the Slalom AI Value Platform comes in. The Hubbl Intelligence Platform shows the health of your Salesforce org today; AVP shows where to invest tomorrow. Choosing where to spend limited AI resources is tough. Too often, companies throw technology at processes and see little return. AVP helps you invest wisely so every AI initiative delivers meaningful, measurable value. It assesses the sales cycle end-to-end—where the pains and missed opportunities are, which AI use cases can address them, the technology needed to deploy, and the skills people need to work in new, AI-powered ways. AVP doesn’t just surface ideas. It scores and prioritizes them by feasibility, strategic fit, and ROI. Its built-in tools make the math real: - Customer Value Estimator for forecasting benefits. - Benefit Recommendation Engine for defining KPIs and business impact. - Custom Formula Builder for ROI modeling. - Deal Value Estimator unlocks revenue and cost synergies with operational efficiencies driven by AI value. The Hubbl Intelligence Platform exposes the legacy debt. AVP targets the AI bets that lift sales yield, accelerate growth, and create enterprise value, unlocking both revenue and cost synergies along the way. Quantify ROI and manage risk with the Slalom AI Value Platform. See projected returns and risk profiles for every AI use case before you invest. See a preview of the Slalom AI Value Platform 3. Slalom differentiation Lots of partners can tweak workflows or run scans, but here’s why achieving Zero Legacy with Slalom is different: - We are a 10x Partner Innovation Award winner, and our recent work with [Avetta](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations) exemplifies why. We architected and launched one of the first live Agentforce + Service Cloud voice deployments, reducing agent handle time by 25% and more than doubling chat containment rates. - We sit on multiple Salesforce Partner Advisory Boards, so we know where the platform is going before most. - We bring decades of experience simplifying, consolidating, and modernizing Salesforce across industries. - And we don’t stop at the tech; we help leaders build adaptive organizations that keep evolving in an AI-driven world. The shift: From erosion to acceleration Zero Legacy is about helping clients move from: It’s about building what’s next, creating the space, clarity, and confidence to grow with Salesforce’s continuous innovation. The outcome: What clients gain When you embrace the Zero Legacy approach, you get more than a clean Salesforce org. You gain momentum: - Debt-free platforms: Better performance, fewer headaches, more agility. - Right-sized investments: Optimized licenses, reduced waste, higher ROI. - Higher adoption: Salesforce that aligns with how your teams really work. - AI readiness: Clean, compliant data powering automation and analytics, and a true understanding of how your business operations could improve with AI. - Value focused: every AI use case tied to measurable outcomes that drive sales yield, growth, and enterprise value. - Sustainable growth: A foundation for continuous differentiation. The shift empowers organizations to make Salesforce a catalyst for continuous innovation and growth. Why now? The AI imperative If modernization feels optional, consider this: AI isn’t waiting. Salesforce Einstein features, Agentforce, GPT integrations, and predictive analytics don’t work well on messy data or tangled workflows. Without modernization, your AI ambitions stay stuck in pilot mode while competitors move to production. Salesforce is only the beginning. Zero Legacy represents a growing focus on helping enterprises modernize platforms like Adobe, ServiceNow, Anaplan, and Workday to realize their AI potential. Zero Legacy reflects our belief that staying future-ready means turning today’s progress into tomorrow’s opportunity. The question isn’t if you’ll invest in AI, it’s whether those bets will pay back. Our approach ensures each one does by tying AI directly to strategy, ROI, and sales-cycle impact. Ready to join the Zero Legacy movement? Your Salesforce org shouldn’t be your legacy. Your work should. It’s time to transform your Salesforce experience so you can modernize, simplify, and scale for what’s next. Let’s talk Share article h6c2tb3r04 --- title: How modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increases productivity and improves accuracy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernizing-financial-risk-assessment-platforms source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernizing-financial-risk-assessment-platforms locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # How modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increases productivity and improves accuracy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/modernizing-financial-risk-assessment-platforms - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernizing-financial-risk-assessment-platforms - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Discover how Snowflake helps risk professionals modernize platforms, boost productivity, and improve accuracy. Insights from Snowflake, Slalom, and DTCC. ## Body How modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increases productivity and improves accuracy Learn how Snowflake can transform risk management, streamline workflows, and boost accuracy with insights from industry experts. Discover how Snowflake helps risk professionals modernize platforms, boost productivity, and improve accuracy. Insights from Snowflake, Slalom, and DTCC. Snowflake | Modernizing financial risk assessment platforms | Slalom How modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increases productivity and improves accuracy Transform risk management with modern cloud platforms like Snowflake Share Revolutionizing risk management Risk leaders at financial institutions are under pressure to move faster, stay compliant, and make smarter decisions—often while navigating siloed systems and ever-evolving regulations. But new advances in cloud technology are changing the game. Modern platforms like Snowflake make it easier to access, unify, and act on the data that matters most, helping risk teams shift from reactive to strategic and gain a clear competitive edge. With its powerful data integration, storage, and visualization capabilities, Snowflake helps risk teams move faster, work more accurately, and free up time for higher-value analysis. In this webinar, we bring together three distinct perspectives: Snowflake as the technology partner, Slalom as the strategic advisor, and DTCC as the practitioner navigating real-world complexity. Together, we explore how risk and IT teams can modernize their platforms, solve critical business challenges, and boost productivity and precision in risk assessment. Watch the full expert conversation in the webinar below. wistia-player[media-id='faq88c2cjo']:not(:defined) { background: center / contain no-repeat url('https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/faq88c2cjo/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); padding-top:56.25%; } faq88c2cjo James Gimourginas Slalom employee Richard Winston. Connect with James James (Jimmy) McGeehan Araya Solomon headshot KK Suresh Slalom employee Titus Bocseri. Connect with KK Ready to modernize your risk management? Let's talk --- title: Minimum Viable Product: A maximally misunderstood idea url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/mvp-maximally-misunderstood-idea source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/mvp-maximally-misunderstood-idea locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Minimum Viable Product: A maximally misunderstood idea - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/mvp-maximally-misunderstood-idea - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/mvp-maximally-misunderstood-idea - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Abandon your preconceptions and learn why successful companies embrace the MVP as a key to making their customers happy. ## Body Minimum Viable Product: A maximally misunderstood idea Abandon your preconceptions and learn why successful companies embrace the MVP as a key to making their customers happy. Share article Slalom loves [Agile](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://www.slalom.com/insights/agile-transformation-doing-better-planning). We’re excited about the real, measurable benefits we’ve seen businesses gain from it, and we’re talking about some of its greatest advantages in a series of blog posts and a free Agile webinar—[watch on-demand](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp partnerref=dotcom eventid=1669114 sessionid=1 key=E507A53317A3E6E2477234FC83ECF1DD regTag= sourcepage=register). The MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is basic to the practice of Agile. And it’s also something that generates resistance. We’ve heard our clients say things like, “Our execs don’t want the minimum—they want the best quality possible.” Indeed, why wouldn’t you want to do your best? It’s a great question, but one based on a misunderstanding of the MVP. Coined by Frank Robinson in 2001, and popularized by Eric Ries through his book Lean Startup , the MVP has become a pillar of high-performing product teams all over the world. Why has Google been so dominant for so long? Why does Apple make some of the most popular products in the world? Why has Netflix not only survived, but thrived beyond their original business model? Many factors contributed, but one common thread is that they all use the MVP. So what is the MVP? Here’s Eric Ries’s definition: That version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort. As this definition makes clear, the MVP is not a product with the least possible functionality necessary for a public launch. It has nothing to do with publicly releasing a product at all. Rather, the MVP is the key to using the scientific method for building products. It is purely a mechanism for validated learning, used to test hypotheses and discover what will meet customers’ needs. Dump the term if you must—but keep the concept At Slalom, we’ve integrated the concept of the MVP into both [how we build products for companies](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://www.slalom.com/insights/product-engineering-methodology) and in how we partner with them to reap the [benefits of incorporating Agile principles and practices](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://www.slalom.com/insights/agile-transformation-doing-better-planning) in their business model. However—after more than twenty enterprise Agile transformations and hundreds of partnerships across industries—we’ve found that it’s sometimes simpler to not force the use of terms like the MVP. Some have shifted to the term, “Minimum Lovable Product,” and Henrik Kniberg (best known for his work with the Spotify engineering culture) [proposes the use of the terms Earliest Testable, Earliest Usable, and Earliest Lovable Products](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://blog.crisp.se/2016/01/25/henrikkniberg/making-sense-of-mvp). Any of these terms is fine. Agile is about happier, more productive teams—not terminology. Our approach to this or any other misinterpreted, unclear Agile concept is to skip the word and ask the following three questions: - Why do it? In the case of the MVP, it’s all about learning fast, as well as the underlying principles: customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and simplicity. - What would it take to do it in my company? Oh, the power of framing! Instead of asking if you can do it, we hone in on blockers—organizational or otherwise. The answer to this question often takes the form of buy-in from individuals that were thought to be unmovable. - What if we didn’t do it? Another framing strategy: focus on the costs of slogging along with the status quo. This can build a sense of urgency and establish alignment around [a new way of working](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207232132/https://go.slalom.com/agile-circle-of-change). Here’s a story about the dangers of the status quo: A project for a company we recently worked with involved spending six months on a major software release impacting more than 200 internal users. They locked themselves in a room and completed the build and all testing. And it was only at this point that they solicited feedback from a handful of business analyst proxies—not actual users. This kind of checkbox activity, too late to make any real impact, and without a true focus on validated learning, hardly even qualifies as soliciting feedback. It’s really an attempt to validate the inevitable. The result was predictable. Since so much time and money had already been spent, they felt compelled to move forward, and all 200 users rejected the new software due to its slow performance and lack of usability. Six months and over $12 million spent, with only finger pointing between business and technology teams to show for it. Now imagine this same scenario with an MVP deployed to a group of end users early in the project. Developers could immediately learn what they were getting wrong, then deploy further MVPs improving iteratively with each one until the deployment of a final product—developed with and approved by real users. A further benefit: The users in the test group would be thoroughly invested in the project and would evangelize it among their peers. We’ve seen exactly that scenario play out, and that’s why we’re such firm believers in the MVP—whatever you choose to call it. --- title: From leaders to learners: Navigating AI transformation through continuous learning url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # From leaders to learners: Navigating AI transformation through continuous learning - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Leaders who embrace learning and empower their teams to adapt will unlock AI’s full potential. ## Body From leaders to learners: Navigating AI transformation through continuous learning Leaders who embrace learning and empower their teams to adapt will unlock AI’s full potential. Share Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic idea—it’s already here, and it’s changing how we work. However, there’s a catch: Many leaders think adopting AI is a onetime event, like training users on a new software system. The reality is far different: AI only works if you know how to use it properly, and the instructions aren’t straightforward. You have to learn through doing over and over again. Sound frustrating? Maybe at first, but [the payoff is worth it](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi). And this is where many leaders stumble. AI adoption is a journey that requires deliberate practice, constant learning, hands-on experimentation, and [ongoing adaptation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy). If leaders want their teams to stay competitive and ready for what’s ahead, a culture of continuous learning is essential. AI is the catalyst for reshaping how we think, work, and lead. And at the heart of this transformation is the role of leaders—not just as decision makers, but as learners who set the course for the journey ahead. Why onetime training isn’t enough Generative AI is incredibly powerful, but it’s not a quick fix. It’s easy to get excited about AI tools that seem to do everything at the click of a button. But here’s the reality: When it comes to actually integrating AI into your business, things might get worse before they get better. Economists call this the [Productivity J-Curve.](https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25148/w25148.pdf) In the beginning, productivity can actually dip. This happens because employees need time to retrain, workflows must be redesigned, and organizations must adapt to entirely new ways of working. This isn’t new. In 2002, [economists Bas Jacobs and Richard Nahuis](https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/2093563/35008_thesis.pdf) looked at how major technologies like electricity and the internet impacted businesses. They found something interesting: highly skilled workers initially spend their time learning and adapting to the new tools, which leads to a short-term productivity slowdown. The same holds true for AI—time and effort are needed up front before achieving real productivity gains. [Goldman Sachs predicts](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/generative-ai-could-raise-global-gdp-by-7-percent) AI could boost global GDP by 7% over the next decade, but that won’t happen overnight. Stanford’s Erik Brynjolfsson has shown that the real benefits of AI come only after businesses invest in continuous learning and make the necessary changes to truly embed these technologies into their operations. The payoff will come, but it takes time—and the leaders who understand this are the ones who will really see AI’s transformative potential. Slalom’s 2024 AI research report: A call for lifelong skilling Slalom AI Research Report Skills Graph The need for continuous learning isn’t limited to mastery of AI or even technical skills. [Slalom’s AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) shows a big shift in the skills that leaders value. The most important skills are no longer technical. In fact, software development fell out of the top five for future-ready organizations. What matters now? Human skills: critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. AI can’t replicate these, and they’re exactly what will keep your workforce ahead of the curve. But there’s a gap. While 82% of businesses plan to increase AI investment in 2025, 42% of companies say a lack of skills is blocking progress. We need to get serious about continuous learning—not just for employees, but for leaders as well. Leaders as learners: Paving the way for organizational change [Leaders themselves play a pivotal role](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations) in this shift toward continuous learning. In an era where AI can process vast amounts of information in seconds, human leadership isn’t diminished—it’s elevated. Leaders who embrace a learning mindset set the stage for their organizations to evolve alongside technology. The role of leadership in AI adoption extends beyond strategy. Leaders must model what it means to learn, experiment, and be curious. Your role in preparing for an AI-driven future As a leader, your job goes beyond just approving AI projects. You need to champion a culture of continuous learning. Here’s how: - Set an example by learning about AI yourself. - Encourage your team to experiment with AI tools. - Create a safe environment where it’s okay to try new things and sometimes fail. - Recognize innovative uses of AI, even if they don’t immediately boost profits. Remember, the goal isn’t to become an AI expert overnight. It’s about developing a mindset that embraces ongoing learning and adaptation. As AI strategist and educator at the Wharton School Ethan Mollick [shares](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emollick_after-talking-to-many-firms-i-have-come-activity-7238890082072502275-dMjl/), “Most C-level folks (the vast majority of executives I talk to) still haven’t even tried LLMs. Changing that should be the highest priority of anyone who wants their company to succeed at AI.” Setting aside time to “play” with AI tools, as suggested by experts like Mollick, ensures that leaders not only understand the technology but also discover innovative ways to apply it within their organization. A simple exercise like spending 10 hours exploring generative AI can reveal how these tools can streamline workflows, enhance creativity, and foster new capabilities. The AI learning framework: A roadmap for continuous growth To maximize AI’s potential, you need to [embed continuous learning into your organization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai). AI will only be as effective as the people who use it, and those people need to practice, fail, learn, and repeat. Below is our framework for getting started: - AI learning academy: Start with structured learning. Get your teams trained on AI tools but also on critical thinking and adaptability. - Gamified experimentation: Encourage your people to try AI in small, low-risk tasks. Gamification can help reduce the fear of failure and promote creative problem-solving. - AI coaching: Equip your teams with the skills to mentor each other. Peer learning accelerates adoption and creates a culture of shared knowledge. - Real-world application : Give your team practical use cases to create and apply prompts. Whether it’s improving daily workflows or tackling specific business challenges, the real value of AI emerges through applied experience. - Adaptive and continuous learning : Build a culture where learning never stops. This isn’t about playing with AI here and there. It’s about encouraging a deep integration of AI into your team’s workflows—so that learning, testing, and applying become second nature. By integrating these steps, organizations can ensure that they’re not just ”tinkering” with AI, as 79% of organizations admit to doing in Slalom’s study. Instead, they can create a robust learning foundation that fosters sustained growth, innovation, and productivity. With the pharmaceutical industry at the cusp of a revolution driven by AI, Takeda recognized the strategic advantage of an AI-empowered workforce and partnered with Slalom to jump-start its AI transformation. By training and enabling its workforce, Takeda’s team can now more confidently leverage AI to accelerate daily work and drive overall productivity. Ongoing learning is your best strategy Here’s what we know for sure: Generative AI will change your business. But the question is, are you ready to change with it? Leaders who embrace learning and empower their teams to try, fail, and adapt, will unlock AI’s full potential. The Productivity Curve is real, but it’s surmountable. Continuous learning is the key to riding that curve and coming out stronger on the other side. AI is more than just another tool in your tech stack. It’s a partner for growth, a way to reshape how we work, think, and lead. And the best part? This journey of learning is just beginning. --- title: Navigating the new renaissance: Leadership in the age of AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-the-new-renaissance--leadership-in-the-age-of-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/navigating-the-new-renaissance--leadership-in-the-age-of-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Navigating the new renaissance: Leadership in the age of AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/navigating-the-new-renaissance--leadership-in-the-age-of-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-the-new-renaissance--leadership-in-the-age-of-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How to inspire your teams in a time of unprecedented change and opportunity ## Body Navigating the new renaissance: Leadership in the age of AI How to inspire your teams in a time of unprecedented change and opportunity Share insight As we journey into the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we face a pivotal moment reminiscent of the emergence of photography in the 19th century. With the invention of photography, artists initially feared their craft would become obsolete. However, rather than succumbing to despair, they pivoted, leading to the birth of the modern art movement. This shift in perspective transformed the realm of art in ways previously unimaginable. Today, as AI and automation permeate our workspaces, we’re confronted with a similar predicament. On the one hand, we could succumb to the “race to the bottom“ mentality, using AI to cut costs and lay off employees. On the other hand, we could seize the opportunity to inspire, motivate, and reinvent our workplaces. This could lead to a renaissance in human creativity and productivity that we can’t yet fully comprehend. Leadership in the AI era Leadership in the age of AI requires reframing our traditional understanding of the role. Instead of being the sole decision maker or problem solver, leaders are now tasked with guiding and inspiring their teams toward self-directed problem-solving and innovation. Today, leaders are given the opportunity to cultivate an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning. They can facilitate their teams’ adaptation to technological advancements and enable them to leverage these tools for maximum impact. Moreover, the rise of AI does not signify the end of human work, but rather a shift in the nature of our work. The advent of AI and automation can free up our time from routine and mundane tasks, allowing us to focus on work that requires critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence—aspects that AI cannot replicate. We could seize the opportunity to inspire, motivate, and reinvent our workplaces. This could lead to a renaissance in human creativity and productivity that we can’t yet fully comprehend. Harnessing the power of AI to inspire and motivate How can leaders inspire and motivate their teams in this new era? The answer lies in leveraging the possibilities that AI and automation present. First, leaders can utilize the “extra time“ afforded by AI to deepen relationships within their teams. They can spend more time understanding their team members’ aspirations, strengths, and areas for improvement. This can help foster a culture of trust, mutual respect, and open communication. Second, leaders can empower their teams to harness the power of AI by providing the necessary resources for them to learn and adapt to new technologies. This entails promoting a mentality centered around perpetual learning and adjustment. By embracing a mindset of continuous growth, individuals can navigate challenges with resilience and seize opportunities for personal and professional development. Lastly, leaders can inspire their teams to view AI not as a threat but as an enabler of innovation. They can challenge their teams to think creatively about how to leverage AI to improve their workflows and processes, or even create new products or services. - Embrace ambiguity and uncertainty: The AI era is marked by rapid advancements and uncertainty. Leaders must navigate ambiguity, by making confident and thoughtful decisions despite incomplete information. Embracing uncertainty as an opportunity for growth enables leaders to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. - Champion ethical and responsible AI: As AI increasingly permeates our lives, leaders are responsible for ensuring its ethical and responsible use. By championing transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI systems, leaders can build trust within their organizations and with external stakeholders. - Empower employee upskilling: Resilient leaders understand that AI is not a replacement for human capabilities but a tool for augmentation. They invest in employee upskilling programs to equip their teams with the skills necessary to work with AI technologies. Empowered employees become adaptable and resilient contributors in the AI-driven workplace. - Lead with authenticity and empathy: Resilient leaders lead by example with both authenticity and empathy. They create a supportive environment where team members feel valued and understood. Leaders foster resilience and promote a sense of belonging by showing genuine care for their team’s well-being. To rise to this challenge, leaders must adopt a visionary, human-centric approach, driving both technological prowess and human potential to create a sustainable future. Enabling an unimaginable transformation The true potential of AI lies not in its ability to replace human labor but in its potential to unlock human creativity and innovation. As leaders, we must harness this potential to enable an extraordinary transformation in our workplaces. By empowering our teams to leverage AI, we can redefine the meaning of work, moving away from mundane tasks and toward what truly inspires and engages us. This shift can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction, increased productivity, and a culture that fosters ongoing learning and encourages continuous innovation. Moreover, by fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect, leaders can create an environment where employees feel valued and empowered. This can lead to higher levels of employee engagement and retention and improved team performance. The human-future paradigm involves leading through change and discovery The rapid pace of technological advancement necessitates a reimagining of leadership paradigms. The future is no longer about merely adapting to change but about shaping that change and transforming it into opportunities for growth, innovation, and human development. To rise to this challenge, leaders must adopt a visionary, human-centric approach, driving both technological prowess and human potential to create a sustainable future. This includes: - Visionary leadership: Leaders need to be forward-thinking, anticipating the implications of technological changes and imagining a future where technology and human creativity coexist harmoniously. - Inclusive decision-making and empowerment: Leaders should foster an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and where team members feel empowered to make decisions, take risks, and innovate. - Continuous learning and adaptation: Leaders must nurture a continuous learning and adaptation culture, providing resources for individuals to cultivate new skills and abilities. - Resilience and flexibility: It’s essential to instill resilience and flexibility within teams, encouraging them to view challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. - A human-centric approach: The increasing role of technology underscores the importance of people-centric leadership, requiring leaders to cultivate emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion. - Ethical leadership and collaboration: Leaders must maintain strong ethical standards and foster a culture of collaboration, both within their teams and through partnerships outside their organizations. Leadership in the era of rapid technological change is not a title but a mindset, a responsibility. It’s about envisioning and shaping a future that we can all be proud of—one where technology magnifies human potential instead of replacing it. Leaders have a pivotal role as architects of this new era, creating an environment that motivates and empowers. Just as the invention of photography transformed the art world, today’s technological advancements offer us a chance to redefine work and human creativity. Let’s embrace this exciting journey together, anticipating new discoveries and creations, rather than fearing what we might lose. The rise of AI presents leaders with a unique opportunity to inspire and unleash the full potential of their teams. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/navigating-the-new-renaissance-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-359208d51ac1?source=friends_link sk=0fb74349014d020ad30448bd0a45b03d). --- title: CX 3.0: The new blueprint for customer-centered growth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-blueprint-customer-centered-growth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-blueprint-customer-centered-growth locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # CX 3.0: The new blueprint for customer-centered growth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-blueprint-customer-centered-growth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-blueprint-customer-centered-growth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How the collision of three macro trends across the customer lifecycle is positioning customer experience to be the new lever for enterprise growth ## Body CX 3.0: The new blueprint for customer-centered growth How the collision of three macro trends across the customer lifecycle is positioning customer experience to be the new lever for enterprise growth Share Key takeaways: - Business executives who invest in modern customer experience (CX) capabilities unlock efficient revenue growth. - CX leaders are creating a competitive advantage and capturing new revenue by acquiring more customers at lower cost and driving greater retention rates. - The maturation of customer technology, customer data, and analytics has enabled CX leaders to reduce churn and drive retention in more predictable and efficient ways. - The convergence of marketing and advertising, combined with more advanced targeting data, has enabled CX leaders to acquire more customers at lower costs. - Applying CX across the customer lifecycle unifies typically siloed marketing, sales, and service functions for improved efficiency and predictability. How we define customer experience (and why it matters) One of the largest challenges in customer experience (CX) is getting alignment on what CX actually is. Ask 10 leaders and you may get six or seven different answers. Some consider customer experience to be a philosophy; others think of it as a framework or a business discipline. Without a common definition, a string of events tends to happen… - CX becomes a buzzword and loses internal credibility or a defined center of gravity. - Lacking centralized control, customer-facing teams independently contribute to customer experience, resulting in limited collaboration and a suboptimal, disjointed experience for customers. - Due to silos, leaders fail to measure CX and don’t prioritize improving it. We believe CX is the profit generator—shareholder profit, customer profit, and brand profit—resulting from the cumulative sum of all interactions between a company and its customers over time. CX should be an anchor of a corporate strategy due to its direct correlation to revenue growth and operating margin. Leaders who invest in CX drive revenue growth in two fundamental ways: - Increase new customer acquisition by offering products and services that serve the highest needs of the most relevant customer groups. - Reduce churn and boost margins by offering products and services that make customers happy. The debate regarding CX’s impact on revenue growth is over. Study after study has revealed a direct correlation between investment in the experiences customers have with products and services and the revenue a company acquires. [Forrester recently reported](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/improving-cx-can-drive-more-than-1-billion-dollars-in-revenue-2023/#:~:text=In%20Revenue%20(2023)-,Improving%20CX%20Can%20Drive%20More,Billion%20Dollars%20In%20Revenue%20(2023) text=Each%20year%2C%20we%20calculate%20the,Experience%20Drives%20Business%20Growth%2C%202023.) a one-point increase in CX driving $1 billion in additional revenue for a mass-market auto manufacturer. So why aren’t more companies prioritizing customer experience at the executive level? And what has changed to position CX as the key driver of future growth? What’s changed and how it impacts enterprise growth The first generation of customer experience—CX 1.0—was born in, and focused on, the contact center. CX 2.0 connected CX principles to product and design decisions, resulting in websites, apps, and services that were better tailored to meet customer needs. However, up until now, customer disciplines have been inherently siloed, with few leaders achieving true end-to-end excellence. The convergence of three trends across the customer lifecycle has created the next evolution of the discipline, and a new paradigm in customer experience: CX 3.0. This latest evolution connects the entire funnel and unlocks the ability for all businesses to know customers and prospects at a level once reserved for global CX leaders like Apple, Tesla, and Amazon. Leaders who adopt the CX 3.0 blueprint are uniting functions under a common customer approach and unlocking both new and more efficient revenue growth. These three trends are shaping the new landscape of CX: 1. Maturation of customer data, technology, and analytics capabilities From acquisition through retention, the maturation and consolidation of customer technology, data, and analytics platforms has finally created the opportunity to build fully connected customer experiences. Leaders can now make precise, value-driven decisions, unlocking new growth potential and optimizing customer lifetime value with a seamless, high-impact experience. Product, service, and experience decisions can be automated to unlock the highest potential value from every customer and target the highest-quality prospects at the lowest cost. This is helping business leaders break functional silos, led by data and technology teams, to unite under a common customer framework and goals. [Research](https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2023/06/26/100-customer-experience-stats-for-2023/) shows 76% of customers expect companies to understand their needs and preferences, yet only 34% feel like businesses do so effectively. In short, today’s broken CX funnel is a major barrier to growth. CX 3.0 offers the promise of fixing the disconnect between acquisition and CX, resulting in more relevant, personalized experiences that drive long-term success. 2. The convergence of marketing and advertising disciplines As MarTech and AdTech collapse together—sealing the two-decades-old breach between acquisition and retention—acquisition strategies and tactics are now more precise and less bifurcated. This convergence is helping brands take more control of their messaging, driving more tailored and meaningful interactions with prospects. Most acquisition strategies today rely on paid media campaigns, and companies invest heavily in platforms like Google and Facebook, with global ad spend expected to reach [$700 billion for 2024](https://www.dentsu.com/news-releases/global-ad-spend-forecasts-2025#:~:text=Dentsu%27s%20latest%20Global%20Ad%20Spend,key%20markets%20including%20the%20UK.). But these efforts often fail to hit the mark in terms of personalization and relevance, and while targeting capabilities have improved with recent advances in AI and machine learning, many businesses still rely on broad demographic segmentation rather than deeply understanding customer needs and behaviors. This approach leads to high acquisition costs with limited long-term customer value. The fundamental issue is a failure to align what customers want or need to the various stages of their journeys. Acquisition is treated as a separate function from customer experience, meaning that once a lead converts, the transition to post-acquisition experience is disjointed. This lack of connection results in customers feeling undervalued and disengaged after the initial sale. This broken CX funnel is a major barrier to growth. By fixing the disconnect between acquisition and CX, with CX 3.0 businesses can create more relevant, personalized experiences that drive long-term success. Aligning acquisition strategies to CX principles is crucial for delivering meaningful, relevant interactions. Companies can create personalized experiences that resonate with customers throughout their journeys, improving conversion rates and boosting customer satisfaction. Through integrated data, MarTech and AdTech platforms, organizations now have access to a unified view of the customer and can unlock seamless integration of acquisition and experience. Aligning acquisition strategies with CX principles is crucial for delivering meaningful, relevant interactions across all touchpoints. This approach not only improves conversion rates but also boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty. Companies that excel in CX see revenues grow 4% to 8% above their market, demonstrating the tangible business value of creating a unified funnel. 3. Customer data and the voices of the customer as strategic assets The advancement of voice-of-customer (VOC) capabilities gives leaders the ability to capture consented customer data in secure and compliant ways and use this information to drive relevant experiences. While VOC is not a new concept, the consolidation of technology vendors and the maturation of this offering are enabling more businesses to invest in its potential. Connected to VOC are core customer data technologies that enable Customer 360 (C360), for example, customer data platforms (CDP). Research shows companies that leverage CDPs see [a 20% higher return on investment](https://cdp.com/basics/cdp-industry-statistics/) from their marketing efforts. Connected data helps build a true view into C360, powering leaders to create personalized, data-driven strategies that deliver long-term revenue growth and operational efficiency. The business value of CX 3.0 Leaders who invest in capabilities driven by CX 3.0 trends are realizing growth benefits in two specific ways. Growth lever 1: Increased retention The maturation of customer technology, customer data, and analytics has enabled CX leaders to reduce churn and drive retention in more predictable and efficient ways. For example, we partnered with [TV New Zealand](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tv-new-zealand) (TVNZ) to help build a novel solution using “data clean room” technology to leverage first-party data for personalized ad targeting while maintaining viewer privacy. TVNZ expanded the list of potential customers from thousands to hundreds of thousands, unlocking potential buyers with surgical precision. The solution boosted return on ad spend (ROAS) up to 10x and more than 10 of TVNZ’s brand advertisers signed up for the pilot as soon as the program launched. Another example is [Virgin Voyages](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages), for whom we helped reshape the typical chatbot experience and set a new standard for online customer experience through its launch of Vivi. Built on Salesforce, Vivi alleviated management costs and reduced call center escalations by more than 20%. Growth lever 2: Increased efficiency and volume of customer acquisition CX 3.0 has been demonstrated to help CX leaders acquire more customers at a lower cost than that of competitors. We recently partnered with LEGO to help increase connection with customers who are ready to buy. We helped them identify their most valuable customers—those spending 3x more than the average buyer—creating detailed customer profiles that allowed them to target potential buyers with similar shopping habits. We also recently worked with a large, US-based telecommunications company to rethink how it acquires customers. The organization turned to Amazon Marketing Cloud—a powerful media clean room launched by Amazon Ads. By leveraging a combination of first-party CRM data combined with signals from Amazon Ads, the company was able to provide highly personalized offers to prospects who weren’t subscribed to their services, leading to a 40% reduction in cost per action and 9% improvement in ROAS. Transforming your approach to growth Too many organizations continue to grapple with a critical flaw in their operations: a disconnected CX funnel. There’s often misalignment between acquisition efforts and CX initiatives, creating friction that hampers long-term customer engagement and retention. Businesses must bridge this gap by integrating acquisition, CX strategies, and analytics to provide seamless, personalized customer journeys. For companies that are ready to commit, CX 3.0 is transforming the growth playbook. Those who invest in this discipline are breaking down organizational silos and linking acquisition efforts with ongoing engagement to meet customer needs. This powerful integration replaces fragmented, disjointed experiences with cohesive journeys, driving increased loyalty, higher conversion rates, and enhanced customer lifetime value. CX 3.0 isn’t just a new trend—it’s a strategic imperative. Companies that embrace this data-driven, customer-centered approach will engage customers in ways that build lasting relationships and deliver value at every stage. Through a unified view of each customer, brands can use actionable insights to refine targeting, reduce acquisition costs, and improve retention by anticipating needs and reducing friction. Leaders who recognize the potential of CX 3.0 will build stronger connections with their customers, set themselves apart in their markets, and unlock new revenue streams. Share this article --- title: New CMO Strategy: How to Survive (and Thrive) url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-cmo-strategy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-cmo-strategy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # New CMO Strategy: How to Survive (and Thrive) - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-cmo-strategy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-cmo-strategy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn four moves to drive value quickly in your first 100 days as CMO. ## Body New CMO Strategy: How to Survive (and Thrive) New CMO Strategy | Slalom Learn four moves to drive value quickly in your first 100 days as CMO. New CMO strategy: How to survive (and thrive) Share CMOs face extraordinary challenges, with less time than ever to get it right. For any new CMO, the first 100 days on the job are critical to success. This post—along with [our 2024 CMO Outlook](https://go.slalom.com/gbas-cmo2024-trends)—acts as a handy guide for new CMOs on how to hit the ground running, providing practical tips for quick wins while navigating potential organizational land mines. Across the corporate world, [CMO tenure continues to decline](https://www.wsj.com/articles/average-cmo-tenure-holds-steady-at-lowest-level-in-decade-11651744800), now down to an average of 40 months, over 50% less than the tenure of the average CEO and the lowest level in over a decade. This concerning trend prompts two key questions: What is driving turnover? And where should new CMOs focus to succeed and add impact quickly? Based on discussions with many marketing leaders, we believe short-term success boils down to four key moves. Get these right and the chances of long-term success—and job tenure—increase exponentially: - Gain enterprise and executive alignment—especially outside of marketing - Listen to your customers, and set up repeatable processes to gather their feedback - Create and execute an achievable strategy based on current organizational maturity and capabilities - Assess and mitigate potential regulatory and privacy risks The CMO conundrum: External challenges and internal conflicts CMOs are under constant pressure to show value yet face significant constraints to create value. Pressure hits marketing leaders from all directions—external pressures are complex and dynamic, while internal pressures are limiting and disruptive. CMOs who successfully navigate these opposing forces will succeed. External pressures 1. Complex government regulation Tough new regulations and statutes are making it harder to go to market while increasing the risk of lawsuits and government scrutiny for marketing leaders. Regulations, mostly related to data privacy, are changing at a rapid pace. These changes are impacting how customer data is stored and shared, turning the marketing world on its head. The consequences are real. A [class-action lawsuit was levied on Amazon and Starbucks](https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-starbucks-face-wa-class-action-lawsuit-over-customer-data/), alleging they collected customers’ personal information without first notifying them. This environment is creating a world where effective marketing becomes more difficult and riskier. Tools up to [80% of marketers and advertisers rely on](https://www.epsilon.com/us/insights/trends/third-party-cookies) to deliver personal experiences—cookies, trackers, and third-party data sources—are disappearing as new privacy laws come online. Getting this right is critical. 2. Dynamic customer expectations CMOs continue to navigate a complex world of increased customer expectations. Not surprisingly, [38% of CMOs reveal that aligning marketing strategies with new and changing customer sentiment is challenging](https://www.g2.com/articles/customer-data-statistics). A driver of this challenge is as new technologies mature and develop, so do the expectations of customers using them. Ten years ago, Netflix and Amazon created expectations of real-time value, hyper-relevance, and frictionless engagement. As a result, today’s customers demand real-time, curated experiences from all their favorite brands. Fast-forward to today, where the rapid adoption of GenAI and large language model tools is influencing and accelerating customer expectations. Customers expect to exert little to no effort to connect with products and services. Customers imagine a future in which AI—not marketing teams—tells them what they want. CMOs are grappling with a potential future where marketing plays a new and very different role in the lives of customers. 3. Evolving AdTech and MarTech landscape CMOs face a [marketing and advertising technology landscape that is collapsing and converging](https://www.fastcompany.com/90935924/the-polycrisis-and-the-great-convergence-lessons-learned-from-cannes-lions-2023) with the shift to first-party data strategies. CMOs must navigate the sheer scale of technology solutions; [ChiefMarTec publishes an annual map of the marketing technology landscape](https://chiefmartec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/martech-map-marketing-technology-landscape-2023-slide.jpg) and has outlined more than 11,000 MarTech solutions available in 2023. CMOs must also determine which solutions work best and offer the potential to scale and support long-term growth in the face of plunging addressability, less effective ads, lower conversions, and decreasing return on ad spend (RoAS). They must architect technology strategies to meet the needs of their customers—both present and future—often stuck with existing tools that may not necessarily be the right fit for current customer behaviors. 4. AI swirl The fourth challenge for CMOs is what we deem an “AI swirl.” Needless to say, AI has dominated the narrative in 2023, and CMOs are squarely at the epicenter of its pressures. About [97% of business owners believe ChatGPT will help their business grow](https://www.alistdaily.com/technology/new-report-most-cmos-see-value-but-not-a-game-plan-for-ai/), but as of July 2023, only [35% of organizations were leveraging AI](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/companies-using-ai). For CMOs, content marketing, product marketing, and content production are [common use cases for GenAI](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/these-6-charts-show-how-marketers-are-adopting-genai-and-what-worries-them/#:~:text=Of%20the%20marketing%20teams%20using,produce%20copy%20for%20social%20media.). That said, the challenge for CMOs is not “Why AI,” but “Why don’t we have AI now?” CMOs face pressure to adopt AI both externally from the market and internally across the C-suite. This pressure is often without a strategy or plan in place, resulting in more chaos—i.e., swirl—not effectiveness. CMOs also battle conflicts internal to their organization. Keep in mind that CMOs have been battling value perception and alignment challenges for as long as the role has existed. At the same time, in many organizations, internal challenges have recently bubbled into real conflicts, which impede the opportunity to drive value for marketing stakeholders and to drive growth for brands at large. Looking across many organizations, we’ve observed three internal conflicts that add to the CMO burden: Internal challenges 1. Limited executive support The first challenge is the persistent lack of executive support and lack of executive alignment that the office of the CMO faces. In 2012, Fournaise conducted a global executive survey that found [80% of CEOs don’t trust or are unimpressed with their CMOs](https://hbr.org/2017/07/why-cmos-never-last). Fast-forward to 2017, when a Harvard Business Review study concluded that [74% of CMOs believe their jobs don’t allow them to maximize their impact on the business](https://hbr.org/2017/07/why-cmos-never-last). Further, in a 2021 survey, only 26% of CMOs said they are invited to attend board meetings regularly. And only [40% of CMOs are involved in critical decisions](https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2021/10/08/new-playbook-cmos-driving-sustainable-growth-with-real-time-marketing) related to growth and long-term company value, for example, growth strategy and new product development. Old patterns exist and don’t seem to be changing. 2. Do more with less The second internal challenge is the marketing budget itself. While varying across industries, [a 2023 Gartner study](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-05-22-gartner-survey-reveals-71-percent-of-cmos-believe-they-lack-sufficient-budget-to-fully-execute-their-strategy-in-2023) revealed that 73% of CMOs believe they lack the budget to fully execute their 2023 strategy. Further, 75% of CMOs report being under pressure to cut MarTech spend in 2023 to deliver better ROI. “Do more with less” is another old marketing adage, but still a challenge that persists today. 3. Retaining talent The last internal challenge is talent retention. In the post-COVID world of flexible work schedules and abundant freelance opportunities, talent is scarce and CMOs need to connect on a deeper level with their workers. In a 2021 survey of 25,000 marketing professionals, [48% admitted to planning to leave their jobs](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/08/20/marketers-are-resigning-en-masse-heres-why-thats-good-for-business/?sh=20eff4c684e9). From offering creative incentives to hybrid work environments, CMOs are implementing novel solutions to entice new workers and retain them. Navigating the complexities as a new CMO It’s not easy being a CMO. These external and internal pressures contribute to CMO turnover. New CMOs often have a hard time showing value before the inevitable timer runs out while facing a laundry list of complex questions needing to be solved: - How do I quickly show value? - How do I avoid past mistakes? - How do I grow my business through economic uncertainty? - What role will marketing play in the future success of our business? - How do I keep my customers happy and maintain advantage? - How does marketing stay relevant in an algorithm-driven world? - How do I build marketable audiences and campaigns to drive growth? - How do I maximize technology and data investments? - How do I build better marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs)? - How do I enable my teams to work better together while loving their work? New CMO moves: Four ways to demonstrate value and build confidence For new CMOs, the goal is to identify opportunities quickly, turn over the right rocks, and set direction with purpose. “Measured speed” is paramount—move fast, but with a tactical eye to get it right. To ease this challenging transition, we recommend four moves that CMOs can focus on to set up for success. 1. Build enterprise and executive alignment Although inherently difficult, building executive and cross-functional alignment is the most important task of a new CMO. Rather than forging their own course in isolation, a successful CMO builds strategies that align with the company’s strategic plan. These CMOs often start with a listening tour, seeking to understand the current perception of marketing and what is needed to be successful. New CMOs should also learn who the internal players are, their needs and incentives, and where core functions exist, such as technology and data teams, which are often scattered across the organization. From there, the next step is to build alliances by emphasizing shared incentives (internal and customer-focused) with key internal partners to break down walls. 2. Listen to your customers Many new executives jump right into strategy building. They’ve done this before, they know what’s right, they’ve been waiting for this opportunity, and they want to quickly show the CEO and the board they are confident leaders, trusted in their new role. While moving fast with confidence is not necessarily wrong, successful executives are decisive and patient. Effective marketing leaders listen to their customers to understand what needs are not being met, how customers can be better served, and what the brand means to them. A few weeks of intentional customer communication goes a long way to ensuring new CMOs have a strategy that will resonate to drive business and customer value. 3. Create and execute an achievable strategy given current maturity Be bold, but also position yourself and your team for success. To do this, new CMOs must quickly understand current maturity across process, talent, data, and technology. What are we capable of doing today with existing investments? What do we need to do that we can’t? Where are our biggest barriers? A maturity framework is a tool new CMOs can use to identify key areas of focus, strengths, and weaknesses. Applying the framework can help anchor a marketing or growth strategy and instill confidence that progress is being made while keeping a critical eye on the bigger picture. 4. Shore up regulatory and privacy risks While AI is getting all the buzz for good reason, a top concern of many CMOs should be the impact of the evolving privacy landscape on their ability to communicate. Many organizations already have strategies in place to navigate and comply with evolving data privacy laws, but a surprising number of organizations do not. It is therefore recommended that all new CMOs take time to connect with data and legal partners to understand the current landscape, what’s being done, and what work remains. It’s also important to engage with customers to understand their needs and expectations regarding data privacy. Last, build a strategy for first-party data that centers on building meaningful customer engagement in a value exchange for customer data. Nailing this value exchange is crucial as we enter a privacy-first world. In summary Successful new CMOs build trust, listen to customers, and bring informed decision-making to the table. These leaders move quickly to gain a firm understanding of their organization’s gaps and areas of opportunity, acting quickly to identify potential risks—both internal and external—and opportunities. CMOs who focus on these four moves greatly increase their chances of success and longevity. Share insight --- title: New energy: Four pillars define the challenges and opportunities url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-energy-four-pillars-define-the-challenges-and-opportunities source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-energy-four-pillars-define-the-challenges-and-opportunities locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # New energy: Four pillars define the challenges and opportunities - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/new-energy-four-pillars-define-the-challenges-and-opportunities - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-energy-four-pillars-define-the-challenges-and-opportunities - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Global energy companies are experienced in managing risk and change, but the emergence of “new energy” will create profoundly different challenges and opportunities for them as well as for power generators, utilities, and new market entrants. ## Body New energy: Four pillars define the challenges and opportunities New Energy | Slalom Global energy companies are experienced in managing risk and change, but the emergence of “new energy” will create profoundly different challenges and opportunities for them as well as for power generators, utilities, and new market entrants. Share insight Global energy companies have been subject to convulsive transitions for more than 150 years, starting with (in many cases) their origins. Shell, for instance, was formed by two brothers who had grown up in the antiques and shell importing business founded by their father. Their merger with Royal Dutch in 1907 was largely driven by the strategic necessity to compete with one of the world’s first and largest multinational corporations, Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870. Standard Oil would then face its own convulsion when the US Supreme Court declared it an illegal monopoly in 1911, splitting Standard into thirty-four companies and giving rise to firms including Amoco, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Marathon Petroleum. Energy, the Grand Pivot The volatility in the price of crude oil has been equally dramatic, creating operational and financial challenges. In real-dollar terms (according to Deutsche Bank), crude prices approached $150 per barrel in the 1870s (the dawn of the industry), the 1970s (agitated by the Arab oil embargo), and the early 2000s (global economic expansion followed by a recession). Balancing these spikes were sustained periods below (and in some cases way below) $50 per barrel. Given the high capital requirements to extract and refine crude oil, the extended time between investment and return, and the intense impact of global political winds, this is an industry that has had to manage change and risk perhaps more than any other. In contrast, the power business, as a matter of practical necessity, has been subject to a calmer evolution—until now. Starting in 1882 with Edison’s first central power plant (Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan), the largely regulated market looks much the same today as it did then: wires draped between wooden poles carrying electrons generated in real-time to homes and businesses. Natural gas, coal, and refined crude products (like heating oil) still fuel most of today’s power plants, but the share has fallen to about 60% (natural gas ~38% and coal ~22%, according to the EIA), supplemented by nuclear (~20%), hydro (~7%), and increasingly, solar and wind (~10%). What is “new energy” and what are its challenges and opportunities? We see four thematic pillars that define the foundation of new energy: 1. Decarbonization The decarbonization of the global economy has become a universally accepted objective. For the energy firms that extract and refine hydrocarbons, this means a complete transition to new products. Hydrogen is one target, but if it is produced from hydrocarbons (like natural gas, which is largely methane), they must find an economical way to capture and sequester the carbon that is stripped away. For power generators that currently burn hydrocarbons, this likely means a faster transition to solar and wind assets. Existing nuclear power plants may find their lives extended as their 24/7/365 emission-free generation could significantly lower the need for extended battery storage. Also, fuel cells, which convert hydrogen to electrons through an electrochemical process much like a battery, become more attractive in a hydrogen economy. 2. Balancing intermittency Even with just ~10% of the current US generation stack comprised of solar and wind assets, the effects of intermittency are significant. Daily public service announcements in California urge consumers to avoid using appliances as the sun begins to set and solar generation falls to zero. Real-time power prices in Texas fluctuate dramatically as a function of wind speed , with some 30GW (according to EIA) of wind turbine capacity across the state — nearly 40% of peak summer demand. Battery storage assets, which can respond instantly to demand, would appear to be a logical solution, but even the most economic technologies (e.g., Li-ion batteries) are still too expensive, and the market mechanisms that reward battery storage operators are based on the Old Energy paradigm. After batteries, fast-start gas-fired turbines would be next in line for balancing intermittency, but it remains to be seen if hydrogen-fired turbines will be their de-carbonized successors. 3. Electrification of transport and appliances The rise of electric vehicles, from a base of ~2% of US new car sales in 2020, may be the single greatest incremental demand driver for utilities, creating both challenges (to existing transmission and distribution infrastructure) and opportunities (significant revenue growth). Major home appliances that may have burned heating oil, fuel oil, natural gas, or propane will likely be replaced by electric appliances. 4. Consumer-level integration and control An electric vehicle (EV) in the garage is both a mode of transportation and a potential backup power source for the home, perhaps complementing solar panels on the roof or integrated with a community solar array just a few miles away. Many home appliances like heaters, air conditioners, pool pumps , and clothes dryers are already internet - enabled, so controlling these according to preferences pre-selected by the homeowner (or suggested by a smart speaker, like Alexa) is the next logical step. When looked at holistically, this has all the ingredients of a home micro-grid, which operates whether the utility grid is up or down. These four themes look nothing like the challenges faced previously by global energy companies or regional energy generators and utilities. In many cases, the skillsets and technologies required appear to be more native to Palo Alto or Seattle than Houston. The key to success may well be the blending of both. In fact, many recent press releases from oil majors, including Chevron and Shell, seem to indicate a “venture capital” approach to new energy — investing across a broad range of opportunities early with the expectation that only a few will succeed and garner most of the investment pool. Similarly, but approaching from the demand side, tech firms’ investments in a carbon-free generation to power their energy-intensive data centers and sprawling office complexes are likely just the beginning of their expansion into new energy. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-business/new-energy-four-pillars-define-the-challenges-and-opportunities-ce5b437954b3). --- title: Old metrics can't map new terrain url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Old metrics can't map new terrain - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI success can’t be measured by cost savings alone—it requires new metrics that track adaptability, innovation, and long-term resilience. ## Body Old metrics can't map new terrain AI success can’t be measured by cost savings alone—it requires new metrics that track adaptability, innovation, and long-term resilience. Share Navigating the AI-enabled future requires a different approach Organizations citing the benefits they’ve achieved from AI initiatives often point to productivity gains and cost savings. When it comes to the ROI of AI, these are familiar, easily [quantifiable metrics](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi), and they tend to reinforce what companies are already doing by showing how much time and expense are being saved. This mindset, however, can trap organizations in a narrow view of performance. AI is transforming how we work and compete, which demands an evolution in how we measure success. asdf If your metrics haven’t changed, your mindset probably hasn’t either. The more traditional ROI measurements are not suited to capturing the broader impact of AI, because AI’s outcomes are often distributed across time, teams, and capabilities. If your organization is still using legacy metrics and scorecards, you could already be falling behind—even if those metrics look good. What’s needed is a way to assess whether your organization is becoming more adaptive, more innovative, and more resilient—whether you’re prepared not only to operate, but to thrive, in a continuously changing environment. Just as AI is enabling a fundamentally new way of working, measuring success in this rapidly changing environment will require a whole new approach. Why the old scorecard falls short AI ROI is a [moving target.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi) Lagging indicators like hours saved, budget trimmed, or headcount reduced can show short-term efficiency gains. These metrics, however, often fail to signal whether an organization is getting better at anticipating changing markets, launching new revenue lines, or developing the future-ready workforce. Many of the benefits of AI—such as improved customer satisfaction or an increased ability to deliver meaningful innovations—are intangible and measured over longer time horizons, which makes achieving the quick wins many organizations prize somewhat difficult. This misalignment between what’s easy to measure and what actually drives sustainable growth can be detrimental to an organization. When leaders are rewarded more for incremental gains in speed or cost reduction, their teams will likely continue to concentrate their efforts in these areas, thereby reinforcing legacy structures rather than systemic reinvention. As a result, organizations may be well optimized for yesterday’s priorities but [unprepared for tomorrow’s disruption](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025). If you’re tracking time saved but not ideas born, you’re chasing the wrong priorities. We recommend a more robust set of metrics to answer questions like: - Are we building the ability to shift strategic direction in response to external signals? - Are we accelerating the pace at which good ideas become revenue-generating products and services? - Are we investing in human adaptability alongside technical performance? Because traditional scorecards can’t address such questions, they serve more as rearview mirrors—offering clarity only in hindsight. What’s needed is a lens that looks forward. A new framework for measuring what matters Slalom has developed the PIVOT framework to help organizations evaluate their AI transformation from a more forward-looking perspective. This framework defines five critical dimensions: People: Are we building adaptable, AI-literate talent? Innovation: Are we converting ideas into new revenue streams? Vision: Are we planning for multiple scenarios—and not just in the next quarter, but well beyond? Operations: Are we agile enough to realign, and do so quickly? Technology: Do we have the infrastructure to scale AI responsibly? Each domain represents a set of capabilities that traditional metrics often ignore. The point isn’t just to check progress but rather to align measurement with strategic intent. What future-ready metrics look like To monitor success in each of these PIVOT dimensions, organizations must track new metrics that reflect whether AI is helping in areas such as improving learning, accelerating innovation, strengthening decision-making, and enabling the business to adapt to shifting market conditions. The following are some of the ways forward-thinking companies are reframing the way they measure success: By not focusing purely on the typical, monetary-based measurements of speed/productivity/cost reduction, these metrics encourage leaders to ask better questions and create better behaviors that could result in a more agile, adaptable organization. Building organizational muscle for adaptability If you’re part of your organization’s innovation team, some of the metrics listed above may be familiar to you. But these and other metrics we’ve compiled in our PIVOT framework and scorecard are meant to measure AI success beyond a single department to transform the entire organization. They promote cross-functional collaboration, which is essential for a [genuinely adaptive enterprise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled). Stop measuring motion. Start measuring momentum. This emphasis on AI-driven agility and adaptability will be an enabler for new and exciting business models. Lean, AI-enabled organizations aren’t just efficient—they’re highly inventive, and deeply attuned to how fast they can build, test, and adapt. That’s the competitive terrain every enterprise must prepare for. But achieving this level of disruption requires more than just tech—you need to fundamentally shift what you measure. Measuring the capacity to transform Learning velocity is as important as operational efficiency. Experimentation and strategic agility are essential to long-term planning. To lead in an AI-enabled economy, organizations must build the capacity to reconfigure themselves—[continuously](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning). That means tracking: - How quickly teams acquire critical future skills - How frequently strategy adapts to changing conditions - How many ideas translate into new revenue or IP - How well decisions flow through the organization - How fast initiatives move from planning to execution Each of these signals tells a story about readiness. By measuring these capabilities consistently, leaders can identify where transformation is taking hold—and where it’s getting stuck. AI is already reshaping your industry. If you want your organization to do more than keep up, now is the time for a new definition of AI success and a better way to measure how you get there. When it comes to your AI goals, you need to think bigger. Let’s talk Share article --- title: One weird trick to diversify your organization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/one-weird-trick-to-diversify-your-organization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/one-weird-trick-to-diversify-your-organization locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # One weird trick to diversify your organization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/one-weird-trick-to-diversify-your-organization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/one-weird-trick-to-diversify-your-organization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary We tend to favor people who are like us. Here's how to hire the best people, no matter how they identify or appear. ## Body One weird trick to diversify your organization We tend to favor people who are like us. Here's how to hire the best people, no matter how they identify or appear. Share insight Focus only on what has been demonstrated to be necessary for good performance, not what you think or feel is necessary. That is all. If you were hiring a photographer for an event, how would you know if they were any good at what they do? Would you look at what school they went to? Where they worked before? Their years of experience? What do answers to any of these questions tell you about the person’s ability to do the work? Let us look at what each one tells us about the person: - What school they went to. What this tells you is what school they went to. That is all. - Where they worked. Now, what this tells you is where they worked. That is all. - Their years of experience. Not unlike the previous two factors, this tells you how many years of experience they have. That is all. None of the above will tell us anything about the person’s ability to photograph. In fact, your biases can get in the way of choosing the best photographer. So, if you cannot tell whether a person is a good photographer by finding out the information mentioned above, how can you tell? A better approach is to look at their work. The best predictor of future performance is past performance. Specifically, past performance on tasks that are necessary to be successful as a photographer. For a photographer, success would be great pictures. If you were selecting a photographer, you would not ask them to cite the Preamble to the Constitution, because it is not necessary to do the job. You would only judge them on what is required for good performance — taking great pictures. I am simplifying this a bit to make a point, but I think you get the picture (pun very much intended). When seeking a photographer, it may be easier to determine what a “good” is, but what about for other jobs? This can be complicated by subjective interpretations of “good” performance. Organizations often do not do the work to determine what is required for good performance, so people are free to decide what they think is necessary and insert their own biases into the process. Fortunately, there is a way for organizations to determine what is good: [job analysis](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/performingjobanalysis.aspx). Job analysis is a process that helps employers determine what tasks are necessary for a job and what knowledge, skills, and abilities are required to be successful. Additionally, validating a job analysis is the process of making sure that what you thought was correct. Unfortunately, many interviewers have neither heard of nor understand job analysis, so how can we address this problem? When someone says they want someone from X industry or X type of company, I start by asking, “How do you know that this is important to be successful in this role?” I also do this if I hear that interviewers want to ask candidates questions like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Answers to this question tell the interviewer nothing about the person’s ability to exhibit the competencies necessary to do the job. However, asking a person to explain how they engaged in a certain set of behaviors necessary for good performance does. The key is to focus not on the behaviors you think or feel are necessary, but on the ones that have been demonstrated to be necessary. Focusing on the right criteria is about making better hires. Period. Reframing how you think about hiring by focusing on what has been demonstrated to be necessary for good performance, and not your biases, will do that for you. It just happens that if you reframe your thinking, you will make better hires and be less likely to screen out candidates who interviewers say are “not a culture fit” or “do not have executive presence,” for example. With that in mind, the next time you hear an interviewer interject what sounds like a personal bias or preference into the process, consider asking the following questions: - How do you know that is important to be successful in this role? - What have you done to validate that? - How do you know you are assessing the candidates adequately on that? If you focus more on what is necessary for good performance and challenge your own biases, you are likely to improve the quality of your hires. And about diversity: I wrote this out of frustration at how often I have had to challenge interviewers on how their biases may lead to negative outcomes for their business. Because to me, positive outcomes are a priority. Organizations should be hiring the best people, no matter how they identify or appear. Unfortunately, we tend to favor people that are like us. People that look like us, that speak like us, that worked where we worked, and went to the same schools as us. However, if we can focus on what has been demonstrated to be necessary for good performance, and not on what we think or feel is necessary based on our biases, we will hire better and more diverse people. This blog post was originally published [here.](https://medium.com/the-slowdown/one-weird-trick-to-diversify-your-organization-d00c35b6c9ab?source=friends_link sk=8456993b6706e01d681d1d9bfdfe0902) --- title: Optimizing Human-Machine Combinations: Part Two url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Optimizing Human-Machine Combinations: Part Two - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Get answers to key questions surrounding to the nature of the work, the roles of AI, and the process of implementing AI in a human-centric manner. ## Body Optimizing Human-Machine Combinations: Part Two Optimizing human-machine combinations: Part two Get answers to key questions surrounding to the nature of the work, the roles of AI, and the process of implementing AI in a human-centric manner. Share insight In the first [part of this series](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations), we explored the emerging dynamics of work in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and laid the groundwork for understanding the critical elements of human-machine collaboration. As we delve deeper into this topic, we’ll be addressing several key questions related to the nature of the work, the roles of AI, and the process of implementing AI in a human-centric manner. In part two, we will: - Explore the context of work —the nature and segmentation of jobs and the attributes of tasks. We’ll understand the impact of these tasks, their complexity, and their interdependencies. - Investigate the specific use cases for AI as a collaborative partner , including its potential roles, the type of AI to be implemented, and the model for prioritizing human-machine optimization. - Review the key workforce levers necessary to formulate a [workforce strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) that promotes cultural diversity and engagement and enables responsible AI use. - Share a [human-centric operating model](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/embracing-skill-central-force-ai) approach , comprising defining operating principles, redefining roles, skills, processes, and learning and development programs. - Review the crucial last step of measuring the impacts —financial, operational, and people-related—of these transformations. Welcome to the second part of our journey: Navigating the nuances of the AI-augmented future of work. Exploring the context of work Let’s start with our multidimensional analysis approach. The optimized combination is a function of task, human, machine, and business impact. Figure 1: Optimized combination formula The optimization process starts by understanding the context and nature of the work. According to [our 2024 AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), 38% of executives are already redesigning roles and 50% are redesigning business processes with AI. Every job is unique, shaped by the specific industry, organizational culture, and tasks involved. As such, the first step involves breaking down jobs into constituent tasks to understand their characteristics, complexity, interdependencies, and impact levels. - Context of the work: The context is determined by the industry, organization, and department. For example, a data analyst working in a healthcare organization would have different tasks compared to one working in the finance sector. - Nature of the job: Jobs can be manual, cognitive, customer-facing, or involve a combination of these. The tasks involved may require skills like creativity, problem-solving, physical labor, or emotional intelligence. - Segmenting jobs: A job should be segmented based on its constituent tasks. Each task should be examined in terms of complexity, level of impact, and level of interdependence with other tasks. - Attributes of tasks: Tasks can be categorized as routine, analytical, manual, cognitive, and more. They might involve complex decision-making, require human interaction, or be based on rules and procedures. - Impact of tasks: The impact of a task can be operational, financial, strategic, or related to customer satisfaction. Once we have a clear understanding of the work, the role and type of AI can be determined. AI: The collaborative partner The next stage involves determining what AI should do and the role it should take. This is dependent on the tasks it will augment or substitute. - Use cases for AI: AI can automate routine tasks, support decision-making, analyze data, or even interact with customers. - Role of AI: AI can substitute, augment, or create new tasks. The role it takes depends on the nature of the task and the overall job. - Type of AI: Depending on the task, different types of AI can be implemented, such as machine learning for predictive analytics or natural language processing for customer interactions. Figure 2: Impact/role of AI Figure 3: Use cases for AI and type of AI Formulate workforce strategy At the onset of our journey towards AI augmentation, framing a comprehensive workforce strategy becomes pivotal. This strategy should define the skills and roles needed in an AI-integrated future, creating the foundation for an actionable training and development blueprint. In this context, the strategy should incorporate five key workforce levers, each linked to the different roles of AI: - Develop (Build): Focus on enhancing the skills of the current workforce, preparing them for AI augmentation where their roles are amplified, not replaced. - Redeploy: As AI substitutes specific roles, relocate staff to new roles where human insight and skills still hold a competitive edge. - Acquire (Buy): As AI disrupts the job market, new roles will emerge. Actively recruit new talent with the necessary skills to meet these evolving demands. - Contract (Borrow): Utilize contract work or external resources to navigate temporary or project-based needs in the midst of these transformations. - Release: In some cases, AI may render certain roles obsolete. Make strategic decisions to release personnel whose roles no longer align with the future direction of the organization. Figure 4: Job segments and workforce levers The workforce strategy should also map out a path for transforming the organization’s leadership and culture. It should provide a balanced approach between AI and human roles to maximize efficiency, creativity, and innovation while emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion. This strategic approach to workforce planning lays the groundwork for the human-centric operating model design, guiding the creation of a change roadmap, adoption plans, and the measurement of impacts across financial, operational, and human dimensions. Figure 5: Combining workforce levers and the job segments by the role of AI Implementing AI in a human-centric manner This leads us to the most critical stage—implementation. To ensure a human-centric approach, a model for prioritization of tasks for AI intervention should be established based on their strategic importance, feasibility of AI implementation, and potential impact. To facilitate a successful transition, a “human-centric operating model” is essential. This model includes the following steps: - Define operating principles: Establish governance mechanisms to manage the implementation of AI and monitor its operation and outcomes. - Redefine roles and skills: Identify the new roles and skills required in the AI-augmented workplace and map them to existing and new jobs. - Redefine processes: Redesign business processes to incorporate AI and ensure smooth human-machine collaboration. - Redefine learning and development programs: Develop training programs to upskill the workforce for new roles and tasks. - Align leadership: Ensure that leadership is onboard and committed to leading the change. - Redefine culture, diversity, and engagement drivers: Foster a culture that embraces AI, values diversity, and encourages employee engagement. - Identify and remediate risk implications: Address potential risks and ethical considerations associated with AI deployment. - Develop high-level change roadmap: Outline the journey of transition with clear milestones. - Develop detailed change and adoption plan: Develop a comprehensive plan detailing every aspect of the transition and how it will be managed. Figure 6: The multidisciplinary delivery model and team composition will be key to large-scale transformation initiatives Measure impacts (financial, operational, and people) The last step in our human-centric operating model approach is to measure the impacts of AI integration. This encompasses assessing the effect on financial parameters, operational efficiencies, and the human element within the organization. Here’s how these areas are evaluated: The last step in our human-centric operating model approach is to measure the impacts of AI integration. This encompasses assessing the effect on financial parameters, operational efficiencies, and the human element within the organization. Here’s how these areas are evaluated: 1. Financial impact: [The economic returns of AI implementation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) are critically important, as they demonstrate the value proposition of the technology and provide a clear picture of the return on investment (ROI). Here’s how we determine the financial impact: - ROI: Calculated as the net benefits of AI minus implementation costs, reflecting the financial success of AI projects. - Cost savings: Resulting from task automation, reduced labor costs, and improved process efficiencies. - Revenue growth: Possible through new business models, improved customer service, and enhanced sales analysis. 2. Operational impact Understanding the operational impact of AI integration helps assess how the technology has enhanced business processes. Here are some key indicators: - Process efficiency: AI reduces process time and increases productivity. - Quality improvement: AI improves outcome reliability and reduces errors. - Innovation: AI facilitates the creation of new products, services, or processes, boosting competitiveness. 3. People impact Assessing the people impact is essential to understand how AI has affected your workforce. This can be gauged through: - Job transformation: Reflects how AI changes job roles, tasks, and skill requirements. - Employee satisfaction: Gauges employee sentiments about AI, including job security and comfort level. - Learning and development: Measures the success of upskilling programs in preparing employees for an AI-integrated workspace. Figure 7: A holistic model for AI-Enabled Organizations Closing thoughts The journey may seem intricate, but with every step, we come closer to an era where humans and machines not only coexist but thrive symbiotically. As we advance towards an AI-integrated future, understanding the context of work, the nature of jobs and the attributes of tasks becomes increasingly essential. By evaluating tasks from a human, machine, and impact perspective, we can identify the most promising opportunities for AI applications. This approach allows us to consider AI’s roles not just as a substitute but also as an augmenter and disruptor, resulting in the transformation of existing jobs and the creation of new ones. Formulating a workforce strategy using key levers such as development, redeployment, acquisition, contracting, and release becomes a necessary step prior to designing a human-centric operating model. This strategy paves the way for workforce transformation, leadership development, and cultural change management, balancing AI and human roles to optimize efficiency, creativity, and innovation. In this transformation journey, we must remain attentive to our overall organizational goals and values, as well as the diversity and inclusivity of our workforce. It’s crucial to measure the financial, operational, and human impacts regularly, continually refining our approach to ensure the successful integration of AI and fostering a work environment that thrives on human-machine collaboration. As we navigate this new landscape, our ultimate goal is to enhance the value our organizations provide and, in doing so, redefine the future of work. Special thanks to Evelyn Warrell-Buitrago for the editorial support. --- title: Optimizing human-machine combinations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Optimizing human-machine combinations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI enables us to automate routine tasks, augment human decision-making, and create new opportunities for innovation and growth. ## Body Optimizing human-machine combinations AI enables us to automate routine tasks, augment human decision-making, and create new opportunities for innovation and growth. Artificial Intelligence and Humans | Slalom Share insight Woman working on computer AI is rapidly transforming how we live and work, and its implementation is becoming increasingly prevalent across industries. [According to our 2024 research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), 94% of executives believe AI will have a positive impact on their industry. From healthcare and finance to manufacturing and transportation, AI enables us to automate routine tasks, augment human decision-making, and create new opportunities for innovation and growth. However, to fully realize the potential of AI, we need to understand the nature of the jobs and tasks involved and how they can be optimized through a holistic framework that considers both human and machine capabilities. This requires a deep understanding of the specific contexts in which AI is deployed and the skills and expertise needed to design, develop, and deploy AI systems. Steve Jobs AI, like automation, doesn’t eliminate people. It simply changes the nature of our jobs. It makes new jobs possible. People’s jobs will not disappear because of the rise of AI and automation. Instead, the impact of these technologies will transform the nature of employment and create new opportunities for people. This will enable people to collaborate with AI and automation to achieve better outcomes. They allow us to work more efficiently and effectively, creating new opportunities for innovation and growth. The change is happening. To adapt and respond, we must understand the work better than ever. The future operating models shaped by AI will be characterized by: - Efficiency: AI will enable organizations to automate specific tasks and reduce the time and cost of completing them. This will ultimately result in greater productivity. - Agility: AI can help businesses quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer preferences, allowing them to remain competitive and relevant. - Personalization: AI can enable businesses to personalize their offerings to individual customers based on their preferences and behavior. This will result in more satisfied customers and increased loyalty. - Data-driven decisions: AI can enable organizations to analyze large amounts of data in real time and make more informed decisions based on the insights gained. - Human-machine combination: There will be increased collaboration between humans and machines. What does an operating model look like in future organizations augmented by AI? AI-augmented jobs have collateral effects on other jobs and affect the organizations’ internal operating mechanisms. Organizational leaders must consider the implications of introducing AI into their workflows and plan for holistic changes. Any AI implementation efforts should address these key questions: - How can we identify or predict how job and work-level changes affect the larger organization? - How should we organize work by reconfiguring human-machine interactions? - How do we govern optimized human-machine interactions? Understanding the nature of the jobs and tasks Jobs are the containers of the tasks that determine the overall outcomes. A task has three key dimensions: human, machine (AI), and business impact/value. The machine dimension has been a pivotal aspect of human progress since the advent of the first Industrial Revolution. Throughout history, we’ve been leveraging machines and tools to augment our productivity, increase our speed and quality, and reduce errors, but the extent of their intelligence was limited. However, the landscape is about to undergo a paradigm shift, and the role of machines will evolve into something unprecedented over the next few decades. The forms and the nature of the jobs and tasks will change dramatically. Optimizing human-machine combinations will be at the work level; in other words, at the task level. To optimize human-machine combinations, we should start at the task level. AI is not an autonomous sentient being that wanders among us like T-1000 or R2-D2, capable of independently completing tasks end to end. Instead, AI can take over specific tasks from jobs, which can lead to the substitution or augmentation of human capabilities and capacities. However, this transformation has far-reaching consequences, as it alters the form and nature of jobs and introduces new complexities to the interactions between other jobs in the ecosystem. Let’s look at these sample tasks below. We will quickly identify their characteristics if we carefully examine the sample tasks. Let’s focus on the “verbs.” Once we have identified the nature of the jobs and tasks, we can evaluate potential human-machine optimization scenarios. Let’s return to where we started: AI will take over some tasks from the jobs and shape their forms, natures, and interactions with the other jobs and parties. Evaluating optimization scenarios requires a consistent framework, and we need to address these key questions: - What is the context of the work? - What is the nature of the job? - How should we segment jobs? - What are the attributes of the tasks? - What level of impact do the tasks create? - What are the types of impact of the tasks? - What are the complexity levels of the tasks? - What is the interdependency level of the tasks? - What are the use cases for AI? What should technology do? - What role can AI take? - What type of AI should be implemented? - What is the prioritization model for human-machine optimization? In this transformation journey, we must remain attentive to our overall organizational goals and values, as well as the diversity and inclusivity of our workforce. It’s crucial to measure the financial, operational, and human impacts regularly, continually refining our approach to ensure the successful integration of AI and fostering a work environment that thrives on human-machine collaboration. As we navigate this new landscape, our ultimate goal is to enhance the value our organizations provide and, in doing so, redefine the future of work . This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/optimizing-human-machine-combination-part-i-940a7368cb0e) . Optimizing Human-Machine Combinations --- title: Putting people at the center of an organizational cloud transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/organizational-cloud-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/organizational-cloud-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Putting people at the center of an organizational cloud transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/organizational-cloud-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/organizational-cloud-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how people can be your strongest asset when making a move to the cloud. ## Body Putting people at the center of an organizational cloud transformation Learn how people can be your strongest asset when making a move to the cloud. Share A larger transformation A $4 billion global technology services company approached us to assist with a simple data migration to [Google Cloud Platform](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) (GCP) for one of its data centers. Once we got into the project, we recognized the opportunity to help leaders understand that, for the cloud transformation to be successful, they needed to add some core capabilities within their organization. Cloud transformation isn’t just about changing technology; it’s about changing skills, roles, and processes to design a better future state. In pursuit of the best possible outcome for the client, we started asking questions, including: - What’s your cloud strategy, and where do you want to go? - How does your organization need to transform? - What insights can we give you that will move the organization forward? - How can we develop repeatable processes? Initially, the client believed three stakeholder groups and about 30 people would be affected by the migration. By the end of our current-state assessment, we identified 29 stakeholder groups and a total of 155 employees who the initial group interacted with and depended on, and who would be directly affected by the migration. Our intention was to comprehensively prepare all people for the cloud transformation, and we were committed to doing it the right way. All the preparation work we did up front expanded the scope, but it created a smooth runway for our future projects with the client that they deeply appreciated. We’re currently involved in a similar project in the client's second data center, and we already know the people and understand the organization. Making change, the right way During our current-state assessment we conducted interviews to identify current roles and responsibilities, capabilities, organizational design, and key processes within the client organization. The client’s business had grown quickly through acquisitions, and our assessment process helped its employees gain clarity on the structure of the business. Throughout that process, we learned that they had never had support for organizational change management before. We also formed relationships. We got to know all the key stakeholders in the organization, and when we realized we needed to spend more time on change management to achieve success, those leaders became our advocates. The enterprise leaders saw so much value in the change management work we did that they decided to add a change team as a new, formal function in their organization. They committed to bringing the same level of change management that we introduced in this project to every future cloud transformation. Director of Infrastructure We’re extremely pleased that training and change management are being prioritized; they typically aren’t included in scope but are invaluable to our employees. A focus on people The technology aspect of a cloud transformation is a huge change, but if companies only focus on that aspect, they won’t see the full range of benefits that the cloud can deliver. Many organizations move to the cloud to save on costs, but it also presents opportunities regarding people and process. Once the client expanded our scope beyond a simple technology migration and set a new goal to optimize and automate their processes for continuous delivery, the organization committed to upskilling its people to meet that goal. We partnered with Google to put together an upskilling plan for the 150-plus people who needed to understand how to operate in the cloud post-migration, as well as the teams across the enterprise that would be indirectly affected. The plan included: - Identifying capabilities within the organization that didn’t exist - Assessing changes for each group and the impact of those changes to their day-to-day - Training employees on GCP capabilities - Incorporating a holistic learning strategy The new focus on upskilling helped the organization, and individuals on the affected teams were also excited to enhance their skill sets and make themselves more marketable. Senior Data Director I wanted my teams to feel like they were a part of the migration. The win isn’t simply moving workloads to the cloud, but rather, whether they’re comfortable with it and can own it moving forward. What does good look like? As we worked to understand the core capabilities in the client’s IT areas, such as infrastructure, security, operations, application engineering, project management, and more, our guiding question was “What does good look like?” We designed an end-to-end plan for the future state involving consolidated and streamlined processes and including skills, capabilities, and GCP tools that the organization could apply to every future cloud transformation project it took on. Even though the technology required for the future state hadn’t been designed yet at the time, we began putting the high-level capabilities into place to ensure a successful adoption as soon as the technology was ready. In our ongoing work with the client, we’re partnering with HR teams to redesign the organizational structure to make sure the rest of the organization is changing along with the technology. Because that’s what good looks like. Associate Director, Cloud Business Office Slalom introduced us to a collaborative approach to our cloud adoption journey by shining light on the importance of listening, adapting, and pivoting together the entire way. Navigating complexity In total, the team we helped prepare 15 waves of workloads that needed to be migrated—that’s a lot, for one data center. Our challenge was to understand which people and processes were affected from one wave to the next, to keep open communication with the technical teams, and to make sure people were trained before their workloads got affected. We pivoted and adjusted our approach over and over, to make sure we prepared the client successfully at each stage. And we’re proud of the feedback we received: the people we interacted with said they appreciated that we cared about them as people first and committed to their readiness and success. One of our greatest successes in this project was our decision to get to know people early on. When we hit challenges, as we inevitably do in a complex project, the camaraderie we established helped all of us work better together. A united front with Google We came into the project as Google’s partner, and there was a certain amount of gray area throughout the process as to what was in Google’s scope and what was in ours. But we were committed from the beginning to acting as one team, which is a major piece of the success of our partnership. Our team and Google’s worked hard to achieve a seamless partnership that centered the client experience, and we’re proud that this project has become a model for how we’ll go to market with a partner in the future and deliver results together. Digital Transformation Practice Leader We’re relying on our partners to gain expertise in this area of work, and we’re so thankful for Slalom’s flexibility and partnership with us on this journey. Teaching the client to fish From the moment we started, the client and Google saw us as strategic partners who could help them do something they didn’t know how to do and trusted us to help them do it in the best way possible. We aim to help our clients solve their hardest problems and meet their strategic goals, and ultimately to make sure they can operate without us. Our goal was to hand off everything the client needed to run the data center on their own, and we did. Instead of creating a situation where the client would rely on us for years into the future, we positioned ourselves as a support resource for this project and moved on to help them with their next one. Share insight --- title: Inside Slalom’s Partner Love Survey url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/partner-love-survey source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/partner-love-survey locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Inside Slalom’s Partner Love Survey - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/partner-love-survey - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/partner-love-survey - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn more about how we nurture exceptional relationships with our technology partners. ## Body Inside Slalom’s Partner Love Survey Learn more about how we nurture exceptional relationships with our technology partners. Share At Slalom, we believe in the power of partnerships. Building strong, meaningful relationships with [our partners](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners) is essential to Slalom’s approach and the success we co-create for customers. In 2019, we launched our first annual Partner Love survey, and over the years it’s become a guiding light for how we work with our technology allies. We partner with more than 700 leading and emerging technology solution providers around the world—companies like [Amazon Web Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), [Adobe](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe), [Anaplan](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan), [Boomi](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/boomi), [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks), [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud), [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), [OpenAI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai), [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), [ServiceNow](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/servicenow), and [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake)—so we can offer the most effective and efficient services to each customer engagement. When we get our relationships with our partners right, we deliver more value to our customers. 2025 PARTNER LOVE SURVEY Results Our technology partners love working with us. The survey process So, what can a partner expect from the Partner Love survey? It’s a conversation starter, a chance for partners to tell us what makes our partnership special and how we can make it even better. Our survey focuses on assessing 10 core competencies that unlock insights that truly matter: - Creating and earning trust - Do we deliver consistently and earn our partners’ trust? - Communicating effectively - Are our communications with our partners inclusive, transparent, honest, and frequent? - Driving shared success - Are we aligned and working collaboratively to achieve our partners’ goals? - Aligning on values - Do we understand our partners’ core values and objectives? - Impact - Are we our partners’ most impactful partner? - Accessible engagement - Do our partners get what they need from us in a timely manner? - Hunters and gatherers - Are we bringing our partners the right solutions, research, innovation, and connections? - Knowledge base - Do we provide our partners with the right team possessing the necessary knowledge and experience? - Core competencies - Do we have the skills, competencies, and technical expertise to deliver outstanding outcomes for our partners? - Partner satisfaction - On a scale from 1 to 10, how satisfied are our partners with our partnership? Our survey is not anonymous—we like to know who’s sharing their thoughts so we can have direct and personal conversations. This way, we get a real understanding of our partners’ experiences, thoughts, and expectations, helping us dig deeper than just the numbers to reveal our core strengths and areas of improvement. The survey is distributed at the end of the year and open for about four weeks. To ensure a holistic approach to relationship management, the Partner Love Survey uses the same tools as our Customer Love Survey. The lessons we learn help us improve how we work with our partners and customers year after year. Natalie Resteghene Initially, we only targeted our partner development and partner sales counterparts, but we soon saw the potential to shape our global partner strategies and improve operations by expanding our distribution to include sales, professional services, and other key stakeholders in our partner communities. Spreading the love At Slalom, love is more than a feeling—it's an action. Feedback from our Partner Love survey drives significant organizational changes, shaping our global strategies and improving our operations. “Initially, we only targeted our partner development and partner sales counterparts, but we soon saw the potential to shape our global partner strategies and improve operations by expanding our distribution to include sales, professional services, and other key stakeholders in our partner communities,” says Natalie Resteghene, managing director of partner sales at Slalom. Through this survey, we also get the chance to show our appreciation and recognize the incredible contributions of our team members. Partner feedback helps us celebrate those who exhibit our fiercely human approach. Here are some examples of what our partners are saying about our amazing team members: [Chelsea Weintraub](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-weintraub/) has been an incredible addition to the partnership, bringing deep Databricks expertise and helping us grow together from day one. [Zach Morgan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachmorgan/) knows his customers exceptionally well and consistently helps drive meaningful impact across every engagement. [Aspasia Choremis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aspasia-choremis-b458947/) represents what true partnerships means. [She] is one of those who ‘Makes it happen.’ Our Partner Love survey reflects the essence of how we partner differently. It showcases our dedication to understanding, responding to, and celebrating our partners while living [our core values](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/values). As we chart the next generation of Slalom, this survey will remain a crucial tool in ensuring we stay true to [who we are](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are) in our journey to building better tomorrows for all. We promise to continue listening, improving, and prioritizing partner love to strengthen our relationships—this year and in every year to come. Share insight --- title: Scaling smarter: How pharma leaders are embedding AI across the enterprise url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/pharma-insights-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/pharma-insights-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Scaling smarter: How pharma leaders are embedding AI across the enterprise - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/pharma-insights-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/pharma-insights-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Read about the Youth Innovation Quest, a STEM-focused competition where students used technology like artificial intelligence to enhance public safety in New York City. ## Body Scaling smarter: How pharma leaders are embedding AI across the enterprise Pharma 2025 Barcelona recap: How pharma leaders are embedding AI across the enterprise Learn how pharma leaders at Pharma 2025 Barcelona are scaling AI from pilots to enterprise-wide impact across R&D, commercial, and operations. Read about the Youth Innovation Quest, a STEM-focused competition where students used technology like artificial intelligence to enhance public safety in New York City. How pharma is scaling AI in life sciences, with real AI use cases, pharma AI strategy insights, and GenAI enterprise transformation. Share Executive interview [Pharma 2025](https://events.reutersevents.com/pharma/pharma-europe) made good on its mission to help industry leaders turn promise into practice with a jam-packed schedule filled with sessions delivering impactful solutions. During the event, Reuters interviewed Slalom’s global industry lead for life sciences, Johanna DeYoung, and Joe Ferraro, VP of product, life sciences cloud, Salesforce. They provided recommendations for how life sciences enterprises can futureproof to withstand change and disruption. 5mbgmuxwmb Don’t have time to watch? Get our key takeaways: 1. Anchor AI to business strategy from day one With close to [30% of generative AI (Gen AI) projects](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-07-29-gartner-predicts-30-percent-of-generative-ai-projects-will-be-abandoned-after-proof-of-concept-by-end-of-2025) being abandoned after proof of concept, Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung noted that success depends on looking beyond the pilot phase—accounting for total cost of ownership, cross-year ROI, and strategic alignment. Joe Ferraro from Salesforce emphasized getting back to the fundamentals: defining your KPIs, understanding risks, and measuring what matters. AI must serve a clear business purpose to become more than a one-off experiment. 2. Make agility a cultural habit, not a buzzword Futureproofing life sciences organizations goes beyond technology. It requires embedding agility into leadership behaviors, workforce skills, and decision-making structures. Johanna emphasized that cross-functional readiness and scenario planning are essential in addressing geopolitical instability and evolving regulatory landscapes. Strategic adaptability isn’t reactive—it’s built-in. 3. Treat governance as an enabler, not a gatekeeper AI is only as good as the data it runs on. Pharma organizations must shift from data custodianship to data connectivity—breaking down silos across functions like commercial and clinical. Joe underscored the need to challenge long-held compliance assumptions. Johanna added that governance must evolve to promote access and usability, not just control—ensuring the right people have the right data at the right time. 4. Know when to build—and when to partner New technologies are arriving faster than most enterprises can absorb. Joe highlighted the growing need to align with infrastructure and platform leaders rather than reinventing the wheel. Offloading complexity to trusted partners allows pharma companies to focus on their differentiators while maintaining speed and trust as agentic AI and probabilistic workflows become more prevalent. 5. Rethink operating models to unlock cross-functional value Legacy org models—often built around function-first priorities or protective data silos—are no longer fit for purpose. Johanna pointed out that many of these models are rooted in what she calls ego architecture, where decisions are made to preserve control rather than create value. As demands on speed, collaboration, and adaptability increase, organizations need to redesign workflows and governance to support enterprise-wide problem-solving and shared accountability. Panel discussion Pharma 2025 also hosted a panel discussion titled AI: From promise to practice, moderated by Chetak Buaria, VP, global commercial operations, oncology, Merck Healthcare, and featuring Jörg Schüttrumpf, chief scientific innovation officer, Grifols, Alyssa Fenoglio, VP, global head of digital commercial, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Joe Ferraro, VP product, life sciences cloud, Salesforce, and Johanna DeYoung, managing director, life sciences, Slalom. They explored how AI is shifting from experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation in pharma, with technologies like [agentic AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai) reshaping workflows, reducing operational friction, and enabling faster, more personalized innovation across R D and commercial operations. erf2i7819o Don’t have time to listen? Get our key takeaways: 1. Anchor AI to business strategy from day one With close to [30% of generative AI (Gen AI) projects](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-07-29-gartner-predicts-30-percent-of-generative-ai-projects-will-be-abandoned-after-proof-of-concept-by-end-of-2025) being abandoned after proof of concept, Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung noted that success depends on looking beyond the pilot phase—accounting for total cost of ownership, cross-year ROI, and strategic alignment. Joe Ferraro from Salesforce emphasized getting back to the fundamentals: defining your KPIs, understanding risks, and measuring what matters. AI must serve a clear business purpose to become more than a one-off experiment. 2. Make agility a cultural habit, not a buzzword Futureproofing life sciences organizations goes beyond technology. It requires embedding agility into leadership behaviors, workforce skills, and decision-making structures. Johanna emphasized that cross-functional readiness and scenario planning are essential in addressing geopolitical instability and evolving regulatory landscapes. Strategic adaptability isn’t reactive—it’s built-in. 3. Treat governance as an enabler, not a gatekeeper AI is only as good as the data it runs on. Pharma organizations must shift from data custodianship to data connectivity—breaking down silos across functions like commercial and clinical. Joe underscored the need to challenge long-held compliance assumptions. Johanna added that governance must evolve to promote access and usability, not just control—ensuring the right people have the right data at the right time. 4. Know when to build—and when to partner New technologies are arriving faster than most enterprises can absorb. Joe highlighted the growing need to align with infrastructure and platform leaders rather than reinventing the wheel. Offloading complexity to trusted partners allows pharma companies to focus on their differentiators while maintaining speed and trust as agentic AI and probabilistic workflows become more prevalent. 5. Rethink operating models to unlock cross-functional value Legacy org models—often built around function-first priorities or protective data silos—are no longer fit for purpose. Johanna pointed out that many of these models are rooted in what she calls ego architecture, where decisions are made to preserve control rather than create value. As demands on speed, collaboration, and adaptability increase, organizations need to redesign workflows and governance to support enterprise-wide problem-solving and shared accountability. Panel discussion Pharma 2025 also hosted a panel discussion titled AI: From promise to practice, moderated by Chetak Buaria, VP, global commercial operations, oncology, Merck Healthcare, and featuring Jörg Schüttrumpf, chief scientific innovation officer, Grifols, Alyssa Fenoglio, VP, global head of digital commercial, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Joe Ferraro, VP product, life sciences cloud, Salesforce, and Johanna DeYoung, managing director, life sciences, Slalom. They explored how AI is shifting from experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation in pharma, with technologies like [agentic AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai) reshaping workflows, reducing operational friction, and enabling faster, more personalized innovation across R D and commercial operations. Pressed for time? Here’s what you need to know: 1. Scale beyond pilots: Embedding AI across functions is the next frontier The pharma industry is shifting from experimentation to enterprise AI. We're already beyond the hype, noted Alyssa Fenoglio, global head of digital commercial at Teva Pharmaceuticals. When we look across industries, 75% of companies are already embedding AI or gen AI in some part of their business. We just hit 500 million weekly users of ChatGPT last month. 2. Prioritize measurable use cases to drive commercial outcomes AI is most impactful when tied directly to business problems. At Teva, the team used AI to uncover revenue missed between pharmacy sales visits. “We identified a problem... and created an AI model that produced personalized recommendations for upselling and cross-selling,” said Fenoglio. 3. Accelerate scientific discovery through AI-powered R D AI is enabling breakthroughs in complexity and scale. “In R D, AI makes a qualitative jump. You can do things you couldn’t do before,” said Jörg Schüttrumpf, chief scientific innovation officer at Grifols, describing retrospective analysis models that detect disease signals years before symptoms emerge. 4. Build AI on a strong foundation of connected, trusted data “We need to move from custodians of data to connectors of data so data sets can flow across functions and departments,” said Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung. A unified data infrastructure—interoperable, real-time, and well-governed—is critical to enterprise-scale success. 5. Innovation only sticks when culture is ready for change “It’s all about people. That’s our biggest barrier to success and our key to success,” said Alyssa Fenoglio, emphasizing that mindsets and behaviors—not just tools—determine AI’s staying power. Joe Ferraro from Salesforce added that success depends on creating space for experimentation tied to business value. Go from barriers to breakthroughs Let’s talk Share insight Woman looks straight ahead and smiles. In the background is a cartoon "sparkle" typically associated with AI. --- title: From possibility to profitability: Connecting AI to ROI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # From possibility to profitability: Connecting AI to ROI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how AI can benefit your business growth and what to expect in terms of ROI. ## Body From possibility to profitability: Connecting AI to ROI Learn how AI can benefit your business growth and what to expect in terms of ROI. Investing in AI for Business | AI ROI | Slalom Share Unlock the full potential of your AI investments with a strategic approach to manage costs, scale efficiently, and secure financial returns. Imagine a bustling retail company that has enthusiastically jumped on the AI bandwagon. Every week brings a new use case, each more exciting than the last—from chatbots promising better customer interactions to smart systems designed to streamline the supply chain. However, as these use cases pile up, management finds itself in a chaotic technological landscape with no clear way of measuring which use cases are paying off. How can they pinpoint the return on investment (ROI) from each AI endeavor, prioritize their efforts, and turn potential into profit? Best-case scenario, this uncertainty stalls AI adoption. At worst, it leads to wasted money and resources. The ambiguity surrounding ROI is not just a financial concern; it fundamentally affects strategic decision-making across every level of the organization. When executives can’t clearly quantify or predict the benefits of AI initiatives, many become overly cautious, potentially missing out on technological advancements that could give their company an innovative advantage. Conversely, a lack of clear ROI may drive some leaders to impulsively invest in AI technologies without a solid strategic foundation. This leads to misallocated resources and use cases that fail to align with the business’s core objectives or deliver compelling financial returns. These challenges are compounded by the current “[use case frenzy](https://www.cio.com/article/2099505/wheres-the-roai.html)“ seen across many industries, where companies eagerly jump on the AI hype train without a structured evaluation plan or clear strategic alignment. This can lead to a scattered investment landscape, with resources stretched across many initiatives that aren’t delivering meaningful or sustainable value. Why address ROI right away? [According to our research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), 82% of executives plan to increase AI investments in 2025. By evaluating the ROI of AI initiatives early on, you’re building a foundation for your organization to leverage emerging technologies sustainably and effectively. This value-driven approach paves the way for: - Strategic alignment Aligning investments with strategic business objectives prevents resources from being squandered on projects with limited impact. Having a clear strategic plan also helps stakeholders—from C-suite executives to operational teams—gain confidence in AI technologies, fostering a culture that embraces innovation rather than fearing it. - Informed decision-making Quantifying the benefits and costs associated with AI projects helps you make informed decisions about how to optimize and scale these technologies. This allows you to allocate resources to the most impactful AI projects, maximizing returns and minimizing waste. - Proactive risk management Understanding the potential ROI of AI initiatives helps in identifying and mitigating risks associated with technology investments, allowing you to address potential issues before they escalate. - A culture of accountability Establishing clear ROI metrics and tracking progress fosters organization-wide accountability, as teams are more likely to stay focused on achieving desired outcomes when success measures are well defined. Prioritizing your AI investments Addressing AI ROI is not just about justifying individual projects; it's about laying a foundation for sustainable growth and innovation in an organization’s journey toward AI adoption at scale. It’s about ensuring that AI investments contribute to long-term success and resilience. At Slalom, we’ve developed a proprietary AI Value Calculator that helps you prioritize and monitor the value of your AI investments. This robust approach to AI value analysis is composed of a series of steps designed to help you connect AI initiatives to ROI. 1. Define the problem: Clearly identify specific business challenges and how AI can address them. Make sure your AI initiatives align with business needs by detailing issues, understanding stakeholder pain points, and outlining success criteria. 2. Establish success measures : Set clear, quantifiable metrics for success early in the project, making it easier to evaluate ongoing performance. This could include cost savings, efficiency gains, customer satisfaction, and/or revenue growth. 3. Collect relevant data: Start by gathering the data that’s most essential for estimating the ROI of your AI initiatives. Focus on financial benefits and costs—including both initial implementation and ongoing expenses—without overcomplicating data collection. 4. Consider all costs: You should also account for hidden and ongoing costs like maintenance, scaling, and training. This helps develop a comprehensive understanding of the total financial commitment for successful AI adoption while minimizing risks. 5. Prioritize use cases: Rank AI use cases by ROI potential, then allocate resources to projects with the highest impact. This helps ensure you’re focusing on initiatives that drive significant business value and support strategic goals. 6. Refine ROI analysis: For each individual use case, perform a deeper ROI assessment based on new data and feedback. By keeping AI initiatives aligned with business goals and adapting to changing conditions, you’re maximizing returns and mitigating risks. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. We helped a Fortune 500 retailer prioritize AI use cases through comprehensive workshops, defining problem statements, establishing success metrics, and exploring use-case architecture. This strategic approach clarified the path forward and led to a successful proof of concept (POC) that transitioned into production, demonstrating tangible results and significant business impacts. The path forward The uncertainty of ROI in AI necessitates a thoughtful, strategic approach to technology adoption to both achieve long-term goals and maintain a competitive edge. By addressing the potential financial returns and broader business impacts, companies can leverage AI not only as a tool for operational efficiency but as a transformative asset that drives the entire business forward. Model the financial impact of AI Talk with a Slalom expert about how leaders are turning AI strategy into measurable outcomes—or share this article to continue the conversation. Try now Share insight --- title: The power of courageous and visionary leadership in transforming organizations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The power of courageous and visionary leadership in transforming organizations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary In an unpredictable business invironment, find out how leaders can address challenges head-on while fostering a culture of continuous learning. ## Body The power of courageous and visionary leadership in transforming organizations Are your leaders embracing the adaptive challenges of our AI-driven era or relying on yesterday’s solutions? In an unpredictable business invironment, find out how leaders can address challenges head-on while fostering a culture of continuous learning. Share —Peter Drucker The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic. The fundamental challenge of leadership in today’s complex world is the need to recognize when problems require innovative, adaptive solutions rather than simply relying on tried-and-true methods. As the business environment grows increasingly unpredictable, leaders must develop the courage and vision to address these challenges head-on , fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability within their organizations. Are your leaders prepared to transform your organization by embracing the adaptive challenges of our AI-driven era, or are they still relying on yesterday’s solutions? According to [our 2024 AI research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024), 86% of executives are still leveraging traditional change management practices, underlying the need for leaders to rethink how their organizations approach the complex challenges of today. We’re at a crucial turning point, with work evolving in the post-COVID world and new technologies rapidly transforming industries. [Leaders need to quickly reassess their strategies](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-strategy) to stay ahead of these changes. Clinging to outdated approaches or failing to act could mean falling behind in an increasingly competitive market. “Unprecedented” and “firsts” have become the norm in recent times, leading to [71% of CEOs experiencing symptoms of impostor phenomenon](https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrau/2024/07/25/whats-up-with-ceo-imposter-syndrome-heres-the-truth/) and the [greatest global CEO turnover in over five years](https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/about/newsroom/ftse-100-ceo-appointments-reach-five-year-high). Leaders are struggling in the face of truly adaptive challenges, challenges where no one has the technical answer. [Building an adaptive organization was top of mind for over 100 senior leaders we spoke to](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/roi-ai-measure-value-deliver-value). The scenario isn’t new—Harvard professor and leadership author Ronald Heifetz stated almost two decades ago that “the single biggest failure of leadership is to treat adaptive challenges like technical problems, and therefore to apply technical solutions.” The difference, however, is that the world’s increasing complexity has accelerated and the advent of GenAI has led to new questions and fears. In physics, when the rate of change accelerates beyond our reference point, it’s known as “jerk.” But why do our brains often have trouble with the complexity of today and these more metaphorical “jerks”? We’re glad you asked! Social and adult developmental psychology provides some answers. Approximately [56% of working adults](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-97625-000) are in what is known as a “socialized” phase of mental complexity. This means many of us regurgitate rote knowledge as truth, have limited “self-awareness” ([while 95% of adults think they are self-aware, less than 15% actually are](https://hbr.org/2018/10/working-with-people-who-arent-self-aware)), and often try to apply common technical solutions to complex, adaptive challenges—it is no wonder that our rapidly changing business environment can feel like a significant “jerk”! The advent of AI large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Gemini, compounds this situation. LLMs are also ‘socialized’ in simulated mental complexity—they are not “self-aware,” they repeat things they were trained on as truth ([mirroring real-world human biases](https://news.mit.edu/2023/large-language-models-are-biased-can-logic-help-save-them-0303)), and as a result often solve work problems in a similar fashion to “socialized” adults. To address this challenge, we must get serious about developing “self-authoring” and transformative people unlike we have before! [Adaptive thinking will be the currency of tomorrow’s human workforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai), and leaders must develop themselves and their organizations to perform as such. The role of courageous and visionary leadership Courageous and visionary leadership involves the ability to envision the future, make bold decisions, and inspire teams to follow through with resilience and adaptability. In today’s volatile business environment, these qualities are more crucial than ever. Leaders face unprecedented challenges that demand not only technical expertise but also the ability to adapt and innovate continuously. Visionary leaders are those who create a compelling vision that guides their organizations through complexities and uncertainties. They understand that without continuous development, both personally and within their teams, their organizations are at risk of stagnation or even decline. The ability to anticipate and adapt to change is what distinguishes successful leaders from those who are left behind. At Slalom, we believe courageous and visionary leaders foster adaptive organizations through several key approaches, which we’ll continue to explore in depth throughout this article series. Setting course: Crafting a compelling vision In the face of increasing complexity and uncertainty, crafting a compelling vision is the cornerstone of effective leadership. A visionary leader must go beyond the pursuit of common ground and strive for higher ground, clearly defining the stakes and the ambitions that drive their organization forward. This involves not only articulating a powerful, magnetic vision but also embodying the continuous development (personally and organizationally) required to bring that vision to life. A vision that resonates across diverse worldviews and perspectives is critical, as it aligns various stakeholders toward a shared future. By integrating a learner and creator mindset, leaders can challenge conventional paradigms, embracing adaptability and breaking free from limiting beliefs. This approach ensures that the vision remains relevant and dynamic, [is more likely to be bought into](https://hbr.org/2019/02/why-visionary-leadership-fails), and [reduces turnover](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15480518231203637). Ultimately, leaders who rise to new levels of development and purpose, while guiding teams along the journey, can determine whether the organization thrives or falters in its pursuit of success. Embracing adaptive change courageously: Fostering a culture of continuous growth Embracing adaptive change requires leaders to not only set a compelling vision but also courageously embody the values and behaviors they wish to see in their organizations. This means being transparent, one-of-a-kind, and genuinely worthy of being followed; leaders inspire through their unique authenticity rather than conforming to homogenized standards. In the face of disruption, [such as the rise of AI](https://medium.com/slalom-business/navigating-the-new-renaissance-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-359208d51ac1), effective leaders must [embrace change without clinging to outdated identities](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/peps.12447) or practices. This adaptability, rooted in a deep understanding of self and purpose, is crucial for fostering continuous growth. It’s certainly not easy work. Leaders who view themselves and their organizations as adaptive beings—constantly evolving, learning, and striving for more effective outcomes—create a culture of relentless improvement. Practical tips for modeling adaptive behaviors from author [Ronald Heifetz’s framework](https://hbr.org/2001/12/the-work-of-leadership) include “getting on the balcony” to identify the technical or adaptive challenge and respond in-kind through regulating distress, maintaining disciplined attention, giving the work back to people, and protecting voices of leadership from below. Prioritizing people: Engaging people and leading with empathy Prioritizing people is the linchpin of any successful organization, as visionary leaders recognize that the true power of their vision depends on the collective energy, focus, and well-being of their employees. In today’s world, where the norm is often to prioritize efficiency over humanity, it’s critical to value human potential. Leaders who engage their teams with empathy, fostering real relationships and leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ), are better equipped to harness the full spectrum of their team’s capabilities. [Adaptive leaders use their general intelligence (IQ), cultural intelligence (CQ), and social intelligence (SocQ) at many depths and scales simultaneously](https://medium.com/slalom-build/the-best-response-to-ai-is-aq-9aebe3ec13a2), a trait called adaptability quotient (AQ). [Microsoft’s handling of GenAI is a case study in adaptive leadership](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/07/26/mastering-adaptive-leadership-with-real-world-insights/)—they led with vulnerability and had courage to change course swiftly, an adaptive challenge that resulted in an [all-time-high market cap](https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/investing/microsoft-stock-record-high-altman-openai/). Slalom takes the concept of adaptability even further by measuring aspects of AQ across leaders, teams, and organizations. [Slalom’s “SHIFT” AQ model](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai) consists of sensitivity, humility, intentionality, fluidity, and tenacity behaviors that can be assessed at all levels to help focus, evaluate, and improve adaptability. Enabling leaders to measure and enhance their organization’s AQ is critical to thrive amid technological advancements and changing environments, empower their workforce to seamlessly integrate AI, foster a culture of continuous learning, and ultimately drive stronger business outcomes. Leadership in action Slalom has the privilege of working with incredible leaders every day who are [driving adaptive transformations in their organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai). Slalom, along with some client partners, has been at the forefront of practicing courageous and visionary leadership to develop more adaptive organizations. We have made a multi-decade investment in our own integral leadership center of excellence (CoE) that is directly contributing to our vision of a world where you can love your work, love your life, and love your future. Our CoE is not a place that you visit like some corporate university. It’s not limited by the number of seats in a portfolio of leadership development programs. It’s a leadership philosophy focused on upgrading mental models, reducing learning friction, and integrating deliberate practice into daily work and life. We’re building a global leadership ecosystem, involving employees, clients, and partners. As half their executive team prepared to retire, one of the world’s most renowned architecture and design firms partnered with Slalom to launch a cutting-edge leadership development program to upskill the next generation of leaders. Co-designed with employee input, this initiative measurably shifted behaviors in 80% of their most senior leaders and sparked global enterprise changes. The program refined their operating model and introduced a dynamic new performance management philosophy, driving substantial and exciting change. We partnered with a major life sciences organization facing cross-cultural and operational hurdles to supercharge managers as they co-created with employees on groundbreaking pilot projects to address challenges. By uncovering adaptive solutions in partnership with employees, rather than sticking to leadership's assumptions, they achieved a remarkable 11–25% boost in their lowest employee experience scores within just three months and continue to see sustainment many months later, proving the power of visionary and fearless leadership. So where do we start? Ignite vision with your leaders Bring your team together to brainstorm and refine your organization's vision—ensuring it remains relevant and inspiring—and set measures and actions against it. It is amazing what some markers, Post-it Notes, and a space for conversation can do! Launch bold pilots Test drive new ideas for adaptive challenges on a small scale before a full-scale launch. Leaders who embrace rapid experimentation and learning can uncover breakthrough solutions with minimal risk. Explore how a small pilot can lead to significant innovations. Transform culture through leadership Define the adaptive culture you aspire to and craft the leadership competencies needed to drive it. Consider [using SHIFT to assess AQ of your leaders, teams, and organization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai). Elevate your people through immersive, hands-on development programs—bespoke to your organization’s culture and aspirations. Investing in leadership development can significantly shape organizational culture. Taking a proactive approach to nurturing talent is a hallmark of visionary leadership; doing so to inspire significant culture change requires courage. As Garry Tan, CEO of the famous Y Combinator—the $3.5B incubator responsible for launching Doordash, Airbnb, and Reddit—[recently explained](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/magazine/tech-coach-therapists.html?unlocked_article_code=1.A04.5Dep.6MOBnX6uWaqD smid=nytcore-ios-share referringSource=articleShare sgrp=c-cb), a lot organizations fail “not because of technical or engineering reasons, but purely people reasons” and that developing your leaders is a sound investment. So, what is your plan to develop courageous and visionary leaders? Woman sitting at a desk with a laptop and laughing --- title: Powering Financial Services Contact Centers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/powering-financial-services-contact-centers source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/powering-financial-services-contact-centers locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Powering Financial Services Contact Centers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/powering-financial-services-contact-centers - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/powering-financial-services-contact-centers - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Reimagine financial services contact centers with AI, agent enablement, and strategic CX—built for trust, compliance, and long-term value. ## Body Powering Financial Services Contact Centers Reimagine financial services contact centers with AI, agent enablement, and strategic CX—built for trust, compliance, and long-term value. Transactions to trust: Powering the next generation of financial services contact centers Share Smiling female customer service representative wearing a headset, talking with a colleague in a modern office, with colorful speech bubble graphics overlaid. Financial services leaders often come to us with the same tough question: How do we reduce costs, improve the customer experience, and stay compliant with our contact centers—all at once? There’s no silver bullet. But with the right mix of technology and process, contact centers can evolve into engines of efficiency, empathy, and trust. Today’s financial institutions are balancing a lot—innovation, compliance, rising customer expectations, and agent retention—all within constrained budgets. As economic pressures mount, operational efficiency has become a business imperative, and traditional service models are struggling to keep up. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into contact centers has become a powerful lever—offering greater efficiency, more personalized experiences, and improved revenue potential. But in financial services, realizing that potential takes more than just new tools. It requires a strategic, human-centered approach that blends innovation with oversight and expertise. “Today’s financial services contact centers are strategic hubs that foster trust, loyalty, and growth,“ says Richard Winston, global financial services lead at Slalom. “Successful transformation is enabled by efficiency—but more than that, it’s about reinventing proactive and personalized approaches to exceed customer expectations, improve loyalty, and grow share.“ Across the industry, contact centers are evolving from traditional cost centers into AI-enabled experience hubs—enhancing customer interactions, empowering agents, and driving measurable impact, all while meeting strict compliance standards. Strategic priorities for financial services contact centers 1. AI-driven automation for efficiency As the [AI landscape evolves](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-get-it-right-2025), a few key strategies are helping financial institutions improve efficiency while staying compliant. Many are adopting AI-first approaches to routine tasks, significantly reducing processing times. For example, AI-driven straight-through processing (STP) has reduced back-office processing times by up to 57%, 1 enabling seamless automation of account openings, claims processing, and transaction verification. Attrition rates in financial services contact centers still hover between 20% and 38%, 2 reflecting the demands of high-stress environments. By automating repetitive tasks and deploying tools like intelligent search, agent assist, and simplified interfaces, companies are easing the burden on agents—reducing burnout, improving retention, and ultimately boosting both employee and customer satisfaction. 2. Predictive analytics and hyper-personalized customer experiences Customers expect information on their terms while also relying on institutions to surface what they don’t know yet, but should. Meeting that need is where data trending, predictive analytics, and AI intersect. Personalized interactions across both digital and human-assisted channels have become the standard. Tools like predictive analytics, virtual assistants, and chatbots are transforming customer support, improving satisfaction and increasing first-contact resolution (FCR). Gartner predicts 3 that by 2029, agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer queries, reducing operational costs by as much as 30%. Sentiment analysis tools are helping detect customer emotions in real time, enabling more proactive and empathetic service. Meanwhile, biometric authentication strengthens security and shortens verification processes. Many financial institutions are also layering in call recording and transcription to create a more complete picture of the customer experience. This integrated approach helps firms better analyze customer behavior, track trends over time, and refine service strategies to continuously improve satisfaction and operational performance. 3. Elevating agent roles for revenue generation Every team plays a role in driving revenue growth—and the contact center is no exception. As AI takes on more routine inquiries, the role of the contact center agent is shifting from problem solver to adviser. Advanced AI solutions give agents instant access to customer data and financial insights, helping them deliver more personalized advice and identify timely cross-sell opportunities. In fact, organizations leveraging this approach have seen up to a 40% increase 4 in cross-selling and upselling conversions. Person holding a smartphone with a voice assistant interface on screen, speaking while seated indoors. It’s about reinventing proactive and personalized approaches to exceed customer expectations, improve loyalty, and grow share. —Richard Winston, Global Financial Services Lead, Slalom Ensuring compliance and trust in AI deployments Even the most advanced AI still needs a human touch in financial services. While AI can support decisions and identify patterns, only people can understand a client’s unique goals, risk tolerance, and life context. Complex, high-stakes conversations require empathy, ethical judgment, and critical thinking. A human-centric approach to AI ensures balanced, compliant interactions and helps preserve customer trust. To support that balance, financial institutions must prioritize strong AI governance, embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability into every decision. That includes building clear decision-making frameworks, continuously monitoring models, detecting bias, and adhering to ethical AI standards. Explainable AI (XAI) also plays a key role, providing the transparency and auditability needed to maintain both regulatory compliance and customer confidence. Industry-specific transformations Tab 1 Tab 2 Measuring success through outcome-oriented KPIs Financial services firms are moving beyond traditional operational metrics and shifting toward outcome-oriented KPIs—those tied more directly to customer satisfaction and long-term business goals. Key focus areas include … - Customer retention and loyalty: Metrics like first contact resolution (FCR) and customer effort score (CES) help ensure customer needs are met quickly and efficiently, building satisfaction and long-term loyalty. - Digital adoption and self-service: Tracking chatbot success rates, call containment, and digital usage helps validate AI investments and improve overall experience across channels. - Agent satisfaction and enablement: Monitoring agent sentiment and experience—especially around tools, processes, and workloads—is critical to reducing attrition and supporting long-term performance. A vision for the AI-powered contact center of the future What if your contact center was more than just a place to answer questions? What if it could anticipate needs, delight customers, energize employees, and drive business growth? Across the financial services industry, contact centers have become integral to customer engagement and strategic growth. By leveraging AI-driven tools alongside strong governance and human-centered strategies, institutions are evolving their service models into dynamic hubs that enhance interactions, streamline operations, and open new revenue opportunities. The AI-powered [contact center of 2026–2027](https://medium.com/slalom-blog/contact-centers-in-2027-how-ai-assistants-revolutionized-customer-service-079b6937b846) is a seamless, omnichannel environment where intelligent automation and human expertise work in harmony. AI agents handle most routine inquiries—often before customers even reach out—through proactive notifications, predictive issue resolution, and contextual self-service. Meanwhile, human agents are supported by real-time AI copilots that surface relevant insights, suggest next-best actions, and automate post-call tasks—freeing them up to focus on empathy, trust-building, and complex problem-solving. Every interaction—voice, chat, video, or text—is informed by a unified customer profile enriched with behavioral signals, sentiment trends, and life-event triggers. Continuous learning loops powered by AI help personalize experiences, maintain compliance, and improve performance in real time. “The future is not AI versus humans—it’s humans amplified by AI,” says Winston. “The firms that win will create powerful symphonies between technology, trust, and talent.” To stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and customer-driven landscape, financial services leaders must act decisively. Identify high-impact use cases that improve both experience and efficiency. Launch focused pilots to learn and scale. Upskill teams for the AI-human partnership. And put governance in place to ensure responsible, compliant deployment. Preparing for 2027 starts now. The future of your contact center isn’t just functional—it’s foundational to growth, trust, and long-term value. 1 Leo Gao et al., “AutoCoT: Agent-Generated Chain-of-Thought Reasoning,” arXiv, June 2025 (source: [arxiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01423)). 2 SQM Group, “Call Center Attrition Rate – Is It Now the Most Important KPI?,” SQM Group, accessed July 15, 2025, (source: [sqmgroup](https://www.sqmgroup.com/resources/library/blog/call-center-attrition-rate)). 3 Gartner, “Gartner Predicts Agentic AI Will Autonomously Resolve 80 Percent of Common Customer Service Issues Without Human Intervention by 2029,” Gartner Newsroom, March 5, 2025 (source: [gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-03-05-gartner-predicts-agentic-ai-will-autonomously-resolve-80-percent-of-common-customer-service-issues-without-human-intervention-by-20290)) 4 Reuters, “Verizon Says Google AI Customer Service Agents Has Led to Sales Jump,” Reuters, April 9, 2025 (source: [reuters](https://www.reuters.com/technology/verizon-says-google-ai-customer-service-agents-has-led-sales-jump-2025-04-09/)) Ready to lead with proactive, AI-enabled service? Let’s connect Share this article --- title: The predictive power of Tableau on AWS is a game changer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/predictive-power-tableau-aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/predictive-power-tableau-aws locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The predictive power of Tableau on AWS is a game changer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/predictive-power-tableau-aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/predictive-power-tableau-aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Using Tableau on AWS, it’s easy to activate an AI- or ML-powered recommendation engine or model, giving companies the ability to see into the future during chaotic times. ## Body The predictive power of Tableau on AWS is a game changer Tableau and AWS | Slalom Using Tableau on AWS, it’s easy to activate an AI- or ML-powered recommendation engine or model, giving companies the ability to see into the future during chaotic times. Share insight Machine-learning models let you respond with confidence to virtually any supply chain potentiality. In the early 1960s, MIT professor Jay Forrester invented [the Beer Game](http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/SDG/beergame.html) to teach people about all the parts of a supply chain, and how easily it can go wrong. The game board consists of the four sectors of a linear beer distribution chain—retailer, wholesaler, distributor, and factory. Players initially work with a consistent quantity of beer, but soon must contend with a variable quantity and figure out how to forecast demand. The catch is that players can’t communicate with each other. Orders and shipments going back is the only signal they get. Educational chaos ensues. Supply chain reaction Real-life supply chain chaos recently played out when the container ship Ever Given was grounded in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s most heavily trafficked trade routes, and showing how only a week of supply-chain disruption has global consequences. But there’s a crucial difference between the siloed, go-it-alone players in the Beer Game and ship captains backed up in the Suez. The most advanced companies, the ones most able to pivot during adversity, employed artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in their supply chain logistics. Using [Tableau](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau) on [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), it’s easy to activate an AI- or ML-powered recommendation engine or model. Tableau brings the brains, while AWS handles the data to give companies the ability to accurately see into the future during chaotic times. So what does that mean to a company whose ship captain is staring at the stern of stuck-in-the-mud Ever Given and struggling to get widgets (or beer) to a destination on time? They have a dashboard on which they can run as many scenarios as they need around a decrease in suppliers, changes in delivery times and pricing, and any other variable they want. This dashboard, based on the machine-learning AWS model, lets these companies respond with confidence to all those potentialities. Calculations that would’ve taken months in the recent past, if they were possible at all, are produced in seconds. Never has AI and ML played such an important role as it does now, simply because they enable companies to ask questions and trust the answers. Putting out fires before they start Think of a supply chain crisis like a fire in your home. You smell the smoke and know there’s a disaster taking place somewhere in the house, but you don’t know what’s on fire, where it’s located, or what caused it. Is it lethal? How long will it last? And where’s the cat? Now, backed with loads of data processed with AI, all of these questions about risk and potential outcomes can be accurately predicted. In a supply chain “fire,” you can unpack the series of events that preceded an incident. The combined power of machine learning, AWS data hosting, and Tableau’s intuitive analytics interfaces gives users an unprecedented ability to handle adverse circumstances. Building a highly visible, resilient, and data-based supply chain is easier said than done. Many companies have been running Tableau on legacy, on-premises data centers and are hesitant to rock the boat with a move to the cloud. But that move will open up a whole new set of tools—tools their competition is definitely looking at. Navigating uncharted waters At Slalom, we take into account not just the technology platform side of data and analytics, but also your people, the processes you put in place, and the workflow that produces insights. Through our Modern Cloud Analytics (MCA) practice with Tableau and AWS, Slalom helps clients migrate their Tableau Servers workloads to AWS. MCA combines the resources, technical expertise, and data knowledge of the three companies to assist in your end-to-end analytics journey. This trilateral company approach, encompassing strategy, migration, and operations, ensures you securely deploy and scale Tableau on the cloud with no compromise in data integrity, governance, or security. So, whether you’re trying to get beer from the brewery to convenience stores, or taking a detour around the Horn of Africa, Slalom’s multidimensional data and analytics Navigator methodology can put the power of AI/ML behind your Tableau workflows on AWS. --- title: Problem framing for data scientists url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/problem-framing-data-scientists source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/problem-framing-data-scientists locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Problem framing for data scientists - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/problem-framing-data-scientists - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/problem-framing-data-scientists - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Problem framing is a vital and often overlooked step in the data science process. Here’s how data scientists can do it successfully. ## Body Problem framing for data scientists Problem framing for data scientists | Slalom Problem framing is a vital and often overlooked step in the data science process. Here’s how data scientists can do it successfully. Share insight Albert Einstein If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask … for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes. Learning from failure One of the first projects I worked on as a data science consultant was building a customer churn model for a software company. I was relatively new to the field and had a technical understanding of how to build machine learning models in R and Python, but I had yet to translate that into anything tangible outside of examples from classes I had taken. We met with the client and thought we had a good understanding of the problem, identifying customers that were likely to churn in the next month based on recent behavior. There was, however, a key question we didn’t ask: What was the typical customer contract like? What we learned later was that customers signed two- to three-year contracts. “Churning” every month wasn’t an important way to view the customer relationship. Instead of asking, “Will this client churn in the next month?” we should have been asking, “Will this client renew or extend their contract?” That was the difference between a model being used and one that ended up on the scrap heap. Although it’s a bit embarrassing to describe this now, it was a vital learning moment for me about the importance of asking the right question in framing data science work. What is problem framing? The above is a good example of the importance of problem framing in data science work. (I use the term “data science” to broadly include machine learning, AI, data analysis, etc.) Problem framing is setting up your business problem in a way that can be addressed with data. It’s the process of taking an abstract goal like “we want to know which customers are likely to churn” and translating it into what data will be used, how the data will look, and what modeling approaches might be applicable. It’s a combination of understanding the underlying mechanics of your problem and matching your problem to techniques and approaches that fit. There’s a large gap between these academic programs and what’s expected of data scientists when they move into industry roles. Problem framing is enacted in the way that you compile your data for analysis (what are your potential features? How are you defining your target? What is the appropriate level of granularity of your analysis?) and the techniques used to address your problem (many modeling approaches require specific data configurations). Problem framing should be the first thing a data scientist does when working on a new project. The process of problem framing involves asking questions about the system you’re trying to model. It typically includes: Defining the dependent variable - What are you trying to predict or model? What outcome are you trying to model against? - Customer churn example: How does the company define churn? Are they interested in downgrades vs. complete churn? What time window of no activity defines churn? Defining the level of granularity of your analysis - What represents a single record in your data? At what level are you making predictions? - Customer churn example: Are you interested in users or customer accounts that could contain many users? Are you interested in evaluating individual teams using a product or entire accounts churning? Assessing data availability - What do you think affects the dependent variable you’re trying to predict? How are you tracking these impacts? What data can help you model the system we are evaluating? Is the data accessible and available in a timely fashion? How can you securely and compliantly access this data? Can this data be responsibly used? - Customer churn example: Is there customer behavior data that you believe influences churn? Is there customer demographics data that you believe separates customer behavior? When is this data available and when? Can this customer data be used responsibly and protect customer privacy? Is this data at the right level of granularity? Defining potential features - How can you separate the available data into things that represent unique attributes of the system you’re evaluating? What do you think has an impact on the thing you’re trying to predict? Can you create data columns to represent the impact of this data? - Customer churn example: What customer demographic data might make churn more or less likely? What customer behaviors are being captured that might make churn more or less likely? How are customers using your products or interacting with your company? Defining potential modeling approaches - What approaches provide a reasonable framework for evaluating the system? What are the best ways to model the dependent variable? What does your data set need to look like for these approaches? - Customer churn example: What classification or regression modeling approaches might be appropriate? Are you predicting whether churn happens, time until churn, or a numeric value like the dollar impact of churn? Are you focused on accurate predictions of churn or the accurate ordering of customers likely to churn?The problem-framing gap for new data scientists The problem-framing gap for new data scientists Problem framing isn’t explicitly discussed in most data science university programs, bootcamps, or online data science classes, even though it’s a key part of being an effective data scientist. Data science academic programs and bootcamps tend to focus on technical skills like classification or regression modeling approaches, only providing glimpses into real-world problems through pre-built data sets that are already formulated for machine learning. Real-world problems require the communication skills to work with both technical and nontechnical users to understand the system or process you’re trying to evaluate, and the creativity to map the problem to appropriate data and machine learning models. There’s a large gap between these academic programs and what’s expected of data scientists when they move into industry roles, and this disconnect between learning about algorithms versus learning about application is a part of that. Given these expectations, data scientists often need additional training. Data scientists used to collaboration in academic programs and bootcamps often find themselves embedded in functional teams with limited opportunity to work directly and exchange ideas with other data scientists. Companies that pair new data scientists with more experienced data scientists for collaboration and mentorship are able to more quickly build problem-framing skills for new data scientists. Deep collaboration—meaning more than just brown-bag lunches and occasional review sessions—is the best way to improve problem-framing output and more quickly benefit from the skills of new data scientists. Deep collaboration—meaning more than just brown-bag lunches and occasional review sessions—is the best way to improve problem-framing output and more quickly benefit from the skills of new data scientists. One recommendation for data scientists looking for more problem-framing experience is to get exposure to as many different types of data science problems as possible. Take to heart the real-life examples you’re exposed to in classes and training and try to internalize how these examples are being solved and what the possible data sources could have been. What data transformations may have been needed to address the problem? What other data sources could have been added to make the model better? Are other industries or organizations experiencing a similar problem? Does this type of modeling approach apply to other problem sets? Often, we see really interesting developments and results by transferring approaches from other industries to problems they weren’t designed for. We’ve seen computer vision approaches used to predict protein structure and survival analysis models (used heavily in healthcare) used to identify vehicles likely to break down. Exposure to many different approaches and understanding how they were used enable you to draw new connections. In data science, we’re usually interested in how our models will generalize to new data. The exciting thing is problem approaches can generalize to new industries and problem sets in the same way. Six additional tips for problem framing - Don’t be afraid to ask simple or “dumb” questions. These are necessary to get a good understand of the system you’re modeling. - Research the problem! There are typically blog posts, research papers, or instructional videos about what you’re trying to model. Use them and pull from existing knowledge bases. - Reach out to others you think can help and collaborate. Problem framing can be a great project step for data scientists to collaborate and learn from one another. - Consider the timing of your data. Know when it’s available and what will be known at the time of prediction when you’re creating your data set. - Simplify, simplify, simplify. We often see data scientists relying on overly complex models when a simpler option might be the better choice. Don’t assume complex is better. The simple solution might be the right one. - Know what information is important for your problem and define what success looks like before you move to problem framing. To use the customer churn example, do you want an accurate prediction of whether each customer will churn or do you want a list of the 100 customers most likely to churn so you can target them with some sort of promotion? This will inform the output you’re looking for from your model. Problem framing is an absolutely vital step in data science projects that is sometimes overlooked. Often issues with problem framing only reveal themselves much later on in the data science process, and team collaboration can help prevent some common pitfalls. With the types above, you’ll be able to improve your problem-framing output and better enable data science impact. --- title: Randy Tan: Powering public & social impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/randy-tan-public-social-impact source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/randy-tan-public-social-impact locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Randy Tan: Powering public & social impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/randy-tan-public-social-impact - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/randy-tan-public-social-impact - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom's head of sales for public and social impact shares the fuel behind his passion for the sector and how Slalom is becoming a key partner for government, education, and nonprofit organizations. ## Body Randy Tan: Powering public & social impact Randy Tan | Slalom Slalom's head of sales for public and social impact shares the fuel behind his passion for the sector and how Slalom is becoming a key partner for government, education, and nonprofit organizations. Share insight Slalom's head of sales for public and social impact discusses one of our fastest-growing industries, the fuel behind his passion for the sector, and how Slalom has become a key partner in government, education, and nonprofit organizations with host Kim Taylor. Read the highlights of this powerful Slalom On Air “Living Our Values” podcast episode. [Randy Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-tan-20644617/) has been a management consultant for over 20 years—seven of those with Slalom. He has a deep passion for public sector, education, and nonprofits, coupled with a decade of adjunct faculty positions with leading universities. He's brought those passions and his consulting expertise together in a way that has grown this area of our business by over 200 percent just in the past three years. Randy, welcome to Slalom On Air. Hello Kim, thank you for having me. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart so I'm incredibly excited to talk with you and speak to your audience. Well, I'm so happy that you're here. You know you're a known quantity around Slalom, and certainly in this space. What I'm curious about is why does this work call to you to begin with? What got you into this space? So, my entire journey has been built upon foundational principles of my growing up, my values about hard work and education really came from my father. He's now retired, worked so hard as a general practitioner for over 30 years, and he would always say to me, “You may face a lot of adversity in life, but nobody can ever take away your education.” And to be able to live these values and be in a workplace that allows me to scale. This passion is an incredible gift. Strengthening partnerships with governments, educational institutions, and nonprofits around the world Tell us about public and social impact. What is it and where did it come from? Slalom has a long history working with government education nonprofit customers, but it was only a few years ago that we put a global focus on building our work in this area, and we went from a small handful of our markets doing this work to nearly all of our markets across the globe now engaged. Just this year the public and social impact practice became a formal Slalom global industry. We have an opportunity to modernize and innovate how government, education, and nonprofit organizations provide services to address the various societal challenges and needs that we have, and create that transformative systemwide change. One of the things that I think is so impressive, Randy, as I listened to you talk about this is we are literally attacking this problem, challenge, opportunity from every angle and that is where scale comes from. In government organizations and many of these public-facing, mission-driven organizations, there's a lot of work to do around breaking silos among them. The challenge, however, is the problems facing our society are not siloed. So how do we begin to affect transformational change to truly meet the needs of our communities? In government organizations and many of these public-facing, mission-driven organizations, there’s a lot of work to do around breaking silos among them. The challenge, however, is the problems facing our society are not siloed. Driving transformational change at scale Let's do a little bit of a lightning round. Give us a teaser on who we worked with and what were some of the impacts? Let’s start with an example from the government. From a government perspective, some of the big key challenges are around public health and public safety. We partnered with Cook County and the City of Chicago to build their COVID-19 dashboards, as well as enabling their vaccine management and distribution process. This impacts millions of people. When Congress passed the CARES Act to provide $350 billion in loans to US small businesses to help them weather the global pandemic, we helped the federal government quickly deploy a loan processing solution to reduce that processing time from roughly 30 days to around 24 hours. That's just one example in public health space. When it comes to improving public safety today, we are partnered with local governments across the country, including cities of Oakland, CA and Tempe, AZ to reimagine their approach to public safety data and transparency to improve trust with their respective communities. Tell us a little bit about an education example. How have we worked with folks in education and what have we done? I have been an adjunct faculty member for 10 years now, so I am especially passionate about the work we do to improve student success. We have helped Seattle University, [Georgia State University](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/georgia-state-university--serverless-aws), and many others with their analytics modernization as well as K-12 schools like the [Atlanta Public School system](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/atlanta-public-schools). I am particularly excited about a predictive analytics model we created for a medical college to help them be proactive in how they improve student retention. We look forward to hearing more about that. One more in our lightning round; tell me about a nonprofit client that we've worked with. Nonprofits are an integral component of the foundational transformation we are looking to make. Our work, for example, with [Feeding America](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/feeding-america), is especially critical to help address food insecurity in this country. The Slalom team, along with our partners, is focused on sourcing more food for people facing hunger, for our neighbors facing hunger at scale. So, if children and families are hungry, for example, how can they be best when they are in school or when they are looking to be at their best at work? This is foundational transformation. This is the kind of impact Slalom is making and I am so proud of it. If children and families are hungry, how can they be best when they are in school or at work? This is foundational transformation. This is the kind of impact Slalom is making, and I am so proud of it. Randy speaking at USF Muma College of Business 2022 Corporate Mentor Breakfast Inspiring all to get involved with impactful work What was your favorite project thus far in that growth journey? My favorite project, as one of my first projects at Slalom was with the Washington State Patrol—an incredible organization whose mission is to protect the residents, the visitors of that state. We engaged in a project to improve how they are organized, to improve how they are led. And it was one of the most inspirational projects and the impetus for a lot of the growth of our public and social impact practice. Let me tell you why. At the end of that project, I had the opportunity to present our findings to the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee. All government folks out there know that there's a public access channel and this is all televised and recorded. Brad Jackson, our CEO, got hold of that video and he sent out an e-mail to the entire company talking about how he grew up in Washington admiring the State Patrol. He told the story, he showed the video of me, and he said, we all should be doing this work and if we want to start a public sector practice, to reach out to him. In these seven years, what has been the most rewarding part of the journey? Every time a Slalom consultant tells me, “This is the kind of work I always wanted to do” or “This has been one of the most impactful projects of my career,” are the most joyous moments for me and just telling you this, Kim, is giving me chills. It further drives my passion for us to continue growing what we're doing in this space and getting more people involved on this journey. My vision is to one day be 20 percent of our total business. We're going to need skills. We need experiences. What are you looking for as you build the team in this new practice? It is the pure passion of our people across each smaller market that is driving our public and social impact growth. Of course, we are recruiting individuals with the right skills and experience across business and advisory services, technology modernization, data and analytics, but more importantly, it's those individuals that are experiencing or seeing these challenges in our communities who are immediately asking themselves, “How can I help fix it?” If this inspires anyone listening, please reach out. I look forward to working with you. I love that invitation and no doubt people will take you up on that offer to reach out and I look forward to hearing as we grow and continue to move mountains in this space. Love it, thank you so much, Kim, and I look forward to coming back to share with you that we have now achieved becoming 20 percent of Slalom’s business. Absolutely, we're ready for that conversation when you are. If you're interested in joining Slalom, check us out at [Slalom.com/careers](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/careers). Randy Tan --- title: The real cost of fraud and scams url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/real-cost-fraud-scams-financial-services source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/real-cost-fraud-scams-financial-services locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The real cost of fraud and scams - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/real-cost-fraud-scams-financial-services - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/real-cost-fraud-scams-financial-services - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Combat banking fraud with AI. Discover how financial institutions can reduce scams, protect customers, and cut losses with generative AI. ## Body The real cost of fraud and scams Fraud is rising fast. Learn how AI and smarter strategies help banks reduce risk, protect customers, and stay ahead of scams. Combat banking fraud with AI. Discover how financial institutions can reduce scams, protect customers, and cut losses with generative AI. Share How banks can better protect customers and their bottom line The subject line hit hard. Alex Morgan*, a senior executive at a leading regional bank, opened the latest fraud report and felt his stomach tighten. Authorized push payment (APP) scams had surged. Account takeover fraud incidents were soaring, with losses skyrocketing. Customer complaints were flooding social media, and headlines weren’t far behind. The bank’s reputation was at risk, revenue projections were under threat, and regulators were watching closely. Alex isn’t a real person, but this scenario is all too real for many leaders in the financial sector facing similar challenges. For someone in his position, the next step would be daunting, securing approval from the leadership team and board for significant spending increases to bolster the bank’s fraud detection and prevention capabilities. The timing couldn’t be worse with already tight financial targets. Further complicating matters, the bank was also incurring substantial costs from reimbursing customers victimized by fraud, amplifying the urgency of his appeal. For leaders like Alex, the question isn’t whether to act, it’s how to make a compelling case before the damage deepens. Fraud and scams impose significant and rapidly increasing costs on banks. APP scams trick customers into authorizing payments they believe are legitimate, while account takeover (ATO) fraud and credential theft result in unauthorized access to customer accounts. These issues are magnified by the rise of real-time payments, where funds transfer instantly, giving banks little opportunity to intervene effectively. The real cost of fraud Authorized push payment, account takeover, and credential theft fraud represent growing liabilities for financial institutions. These scams prey on customer trust, manipulating individuals into authorizing transfers they believe are legitimate. In many instances, banks shoulder the burden, reimbursing customers out of pocket. These direct financial losses are only the tip of the iceberg. Banks also incur substantial operational expenses—investigations, customer support costs, remediation efforts, compliance reporting, and regulatory interactions. The hidden costs extend to reputational damage; customers who feel inadequately protected or supported after falling victim to fraud may quickly lose trust, choosing to take their business elsewhere. As banks increasingly offer real-time payment platforms such as [RTP](https://www.theclearinghouse.org/payment-systems/rtp) and [FedNow](https://www.frbservices.org/financial-services/fednow), transaction speed reduces the window available to detect and prevent fraudulent transfers. Banks must be capable of assessing transactions in milliseconds, making detection and prevention exponentially more challenging. Moving beyond traditional fraud prevention Traditionally, fraud prevention strategies have relied heavily on static rule-based systems, basic monitoring, and post-transaction analysis. But today’s fraudsters quickly learn these rules, devising sophisticated ways to bypass existing controls. For banks, the response cannot simply be reactive—it must evolve to become predictive and proactive. The key to success is integrating advanced technologies, improved operational frameworks, and active customer education to collectively reduce fraud’s impact. Leveraging advanced technology appropriately [Artificial intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence)—including both machine learning (ML) and generative AI—offers significant opportunities to strengthen fraud defenses. But banks must avoid positioning AI as a silver bullet. Rather, institutions should see AI as an integrated part of a holistic fraud prevention strategy. For example, predictive ML algorithms trained on historical transactional data and customer behaviors can spot anomalies signaling potential scams or account takeovers. These tools rapidly assess a wide array of attributes—geolocation, payment history, and account activity patterns—to calculate a risk score for transactions in real time. When customer accounts suddenly incur high-velocity transfers to unfamiliar accounts, a robust ML-driven risk engine should trigger real-time intervention to stop the fraudulent payments immediately. Additionally, behavioral biometrics and advanced authentication methods powered by ML can drastically reduce credential theft. These technologies analyze subtle indicators, such as how customers navigate banking apps, their typing cadence, and device usage patterns. Banks can then detect subtle deviations—such as a session suddenly originating from a new device or network—and prompt additional verification. Generative AI can also assist in proactive customer engagement and education. Banks are beginning to use GenAI-driven conversational interfaces and intelligent digital assistants capable of explaining risks clearly to customers, detecting risky behaviors, and offering personalized advice on avoiding scams. Strengthening customer awareness and industry collaboration Despite technology’s role, customer awareness remains fundamental. A well-informed customer base greatly reduces vulnerability to scams. Banks must actively educate customers on recognizing threats, securing credentials, and responding appropriately to suspicious activity. Personalized alerts, instant notifications, and proactive outreach via digital channels can empower customers, making them active participants in fraud prevention rather than passive victims. Another crucial aspect is cross-industry collaboration. Fraudsters often target multiple institutions simultaneously, so shared intelligence about emerging threats is essential. Banks should engage actively in industry consortiums—such as the [Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC)](https://www.fsisac.com/) exchanging fraud indicators, trends, and best practices. Regulatory engagement also remains vital. Banks can work proactively with regulators to create consistent, practical standards for fraud liability and reimbursement frameworks, particularly around APP scams. Establishing clear industry standards provides clarity to banks and customers alike, ensuring fairness, reducing ambiguity, and ultimately limiting costly exposure. Proactively managing financial impact and liability Beyond detection and prevention, banks must proactively manage their financial exposure. This includes exploring options such as insurance and risk-transfer models specifically tailored for fraud-related losses, ensuring comprehensive risk coverage. Banks can also adjust pricing strategies, clearly communicating fraud mitigation costs and benefits to customers, creating transparency around efforts made to protect their assets. Investments in enhanced fraud programs need to be viewed not merely as compliance costs but as strategic moves that yield real returns. Better fraud detection can reduce direct financial losses and operational costs. Improved customer experience and protection enhance retention, customer trust, and competitive advantage. The path forward for banks When Alex stepped into the boardroom, the message was clear: enhanced fraud prevention was a strategic necessity. These investments were fundamental to protecting customer trust, preserving the bank’s reputation, and sustaining long-term profitability. Demonstrating the tangible benefits—reduced losses, strengthened customer relationships, regulatory compliance, and competitive differentiation—was key to securing buy-in from stakeholders. Alex presented a compelling vision. The bank’s investment in advanced technology, customer-centric engagement, robust industry collaboration, and strategic financial risk management would significantly mitigate fraud impacts. The decision to act decisively now would not only protect the bank’s financial health but reinforce its commitment to securing its customers' financial futures. Leveraging AI smartly, engaging customers actively, sharing intelligence across institutions, and proactively managing financial risks can significantly reduce the cost of fraud. In doing so, banks protect their bottom lines, safeguard customer trust, and reinforce their commitment to secure, innovative financial services. For banks navigating today’s fast-moving payment landscape, the question is no longer whether to augment their fraud prevention strategies, it’s how quickly and effectively they can act. * Name and scenario are fictional, used to illustrate actual industry challenges. Slalom and Snowflake joined up for a webinar focused on how modernizing financial risk assessment platforms increase productivity and improves accuracy. Watch the webinar Share this article --- title: Realizing your HR and finance vision url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/realizing-your-hr-and-finance-vision source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/realizing-your-hr-and-finance-vision locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Realizing your HR and finance vision - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/realizing-your-hr-and-finance-vision - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/realizing-your-hr-and-finance-vision - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how to optimize your Workday investment and transform your HR and finance vision. ## Body Realizing your HR and finance vision Learn how to optimize your Workday investment and transform your HR and finance vision. Share Find out what we’ve learned as a Workday implementation partner for dozens of companies and get inspired by their success. Change and uncertainty seem to be two things we can all count on today. HR and finance organizations in companies across industries are feeling the effects of shifting workforce strategies, priorities, workloads, and demands for data. A holistic approach that includes vision, people, processes, and technology can help your organization succeed amid the uncertainty. If you’re looking to implement Workday—or haven’t yet realized the potential of a Workday implementation—we have some suggestions to help you get the full value of your investment. Set your team up for success Most organizations understand the importance of defining a clear strategy and objectives while adhering to a formal set of governing standards, practices, and structures during implementation. But what about after your Workday implementation is complete? These post-implementation choices can determine long-term success and your return on investment. Setting up your team to succeed involves aligning your strategy with organizational needs, arranging a strong governance model with structures and processes, and creating well-defined roles and responsibilities. Add to that a well-thought-out service delivery model that can handle employee queries effectively and you have a recipe for success. Evaluate and define the employee experience While employee experience isn’t a new topic of discussion, it has taken on a new meaning. Today’s organizational and economic climate demands that HR delivers predictable and consistent services with a high degree of accuracy to help provide assurance in times of uncertainty. To do this, focus on maximizing your technology while putting yourself in the shoes of the user. With a strong Workday integration, tools like machine learning can create more personalized experiences and enhance available data for analytics. The employee lifecycle describes employee and organizational engagement and illustrates touchpoints that can be turned into memorable moments that reinforce your organization’s culture. Workday continually releases enhancement and updated functionality, so Workday customers are always on the same page. This gives you greater control in your communication, training, and encouragement of Workday interaction. Create a roadmap and enhancements plan If you’re ready to take your organization to the next level, start by defining a healthy feature intake and backlog process. Evaluate your organizational enterprise projects and initiatives with a landscape analysis. Consider how Workday can support these initiatives with current functionalities—or through other offerings in HCM, finance, planning, and analytics. Developing a technical roadmap now based on your findings will act as a guide and reference in annual planning sessions in the future. (A Workday consultant can also assist if needed.) As a [Workday implementation partner](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday), we’ve learned these strategies provide parameters for clear and focused conversations as you consider how best to adapt to shifting priorities while optimizing your Workday investment in a holistic way that touches vision, people, processes—and technology. Get inspired by some Workday success stories INDUSTRY: PUBLIC SOCIAL IMPACT Cocreating positive change A national nonprofit association wanted to simplify things for employees, centralize daily tasks for its HR and finance teams, and offer more self-service options to its 900+ member organizations. It chose to implement both Workday Financial Management (FIN) and Human Capital Management (HCM) in partnership with Slalom and a third-party systems integrator. Our support on program management, governance, change management, and communications strategy ensured a seamless transition from the existing ERP system—and set the stage for positive change across the association. INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY Upgrading and optimizing Upgrading doesn’t have to be a headache. One of our clients, a leading financial software provider, was an early adopter of Workday but hadn’t kept up with the latest features available from the platform. As Workday implementation consultants, we partnered with its team to assess the options available and worked with them to prioritize the right Workday enhancements for their goals. The result? A redesigned employee experience that eliminated inefficiencies and manual work-arounds. INDUSTRY: MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS A new way of listening to employees This media and gaming company values the voice of its employees as much as its customers. That’s why it engaged Slalom to help deploy Workday Peakon Employee Voice (WPEV) after a recent Workday deployment. With Slalom as its Workday implementation consultant, the client has captured employee sentiments and empowered managers to take action with their teams, taking its employee strategy and tools into the future. INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY Making it work for you When a global technology provider with more than 50,000 employees moved from a homegrown legacy application to a cloud-based HR solution with Workday, we bridged the gap with its implementation partner. Our consultants’ functional knowledge of HR helped the client untangle the complexities and adopt a balanced approach to design decisions. The results enabled its teams to account for both operational needs and long-term user experience while taking full advantage of the platform. INDUSTRY: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES We’ve been in your shoes We’re known for helping our customers plan, design, and implement best-in-class technology solutions, but sometimes our internal teams need a little support too. As Slalom began to expand into new markets and countries, we outgrew our HR and talent systems, and our own consultants were tasked with leading strategy and change management on a Workday implementation. Today, we use an integrated, scalable solution that supported our company’s growth to nearly 10,000 team members. Looking to optimize your Workday investment and transform your HR and finance vision? Learn more about our partnership [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday). Share this article --- title: Reimagining growth, efficiency, and experience in life sciences with agentic AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Reimagining growth, efficiency, and experience in life sciences with agentic AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-growth-efficiency-experience-life-sciences-agentic-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Agentic AI in life sciences is transforming decision-making, operations, patient experience, and more. Discover the key shifts needed to unleash its full potential. ## Body Reimagining growth, efficiency, and experience in life sciences with agentic AI Agentic AI in life sciences is transforming decision-making, operations, patient experience, and more. Discover the key shifts needed to unleash its full potential. Share Growth in [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/ca/en/industries/life-sciences) has traditionally meant adding head count, increasing budgets, and acquisitions. However, these strategies often introduce inefficiencies rather than agility, with larger org charts, disconnected workflows, and increased costs. In an industry where regulatory requirements, data volume, and operational costs are already high, the traditional approach to scaling is becoming increasingly unsustainable and challenging to innovate. Leaders are looking for ways to scale intelligently. The answer lies in radical simplification. By rethinking workflows, modernizing data foundations, and integrating [agentic AI,](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/agentforce-for-health-announcement/) life sciences enterprises can expand capabilities, accelerate decision-making, deliver high-value HCP experiences, and improve patient outcomes—without unnecessary operational drag. As AI becomes more embedded in enterprise organizations, life sciences teams are exploring tools like Agentforce to support role-specific tasks and deliver real-time assistance. Built on curated business knowledge, it helps streamline work and improve responsiveness. Learn more Discover how data readiness, AI-driven workflow re-architecture, and human-machine collaboration are reshaping life sciences, ushering in a new era of innovation, enterprise agility, and patient-centered care. Putting data to work for AI-powered success Data is one of the most valuable assets in life sciences, yet in many organizations it’s underutilized and fragmented. According to a [Salesforce survey](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/healthcare-life-science-insights-report/) of global industry leaders: - 49% say information is in siloes. - 49% remark that this is slowing productivity. - 37% believe it is difficult to collaborate with other departments. - Healthcare organizations use an average of 78 different systems. With a well-architected data foundation, AI can move beyond isolated use cases and become a seamless part of the enterprise. For AI to deliver meaningful impact, leaders need to move from being data custodians to data connectors, enabling real-time insights, improved clinical outcomes, and enterprise-wide agility. Important data shifts for AI-driven transformation Building a strong data foundation is just the first step. To unlock AI’s full potential, organizations must rethink how data is structured, accessed, and leveraged across the enterprise. Here are three key shifts needed for AI-driven transformation: - From siloed to interoperable— Data needs to be fluid, not static. AI systems require real-time data exchange across departments and external platforms. Without this, predictive AI, generative AI, and agentic AI will remain underutilized. - From passive storage to active intelligence— AI-powered analytics should connect patient histories, [clinical trials](https://www.salesforce.com/form/industries/healthcare/clinical-trials-demo/), and treatment data to drive smarter, evidence-based decision-making and unify patient journeys. - From limited access to democratized insights— While [92% of healthcare and life sciences organizations](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/healthcare-life-science-insights-report/) are investing in automated workflows, this alone isn’t enough. AI-driven success depends on ensuring cross-functional teams can act on real-time insights to enable enterprise-wide decision-making. Life sciences organizations are seeking more connected ways to engage across clinical, medical, and commercial functions. Life Sciences Cloud supports this by helping teams share insights, coordinate effectively, and deliver trusted, compliant interactions with HCPs, partners, and patients. Important data shifts for AI-driven transformation Building a strong data foundation is just the first step. To unlock AI’s full potential, organizations must rethink how data is structured, accessed, and leveraged across the enterprise. Here are three key shifts needed for AI-driven transformation: - From siloed to interoperable – Data needs to be fluid, not static. AI systems require real-time data exchange across departments and external platforms. Without this, predictive AI, generative AI, and agentic AI will remain underutilized. - From passive storage to active intelligence – AI-powered analytics should connect patient histories, [clinical trials](https://www.salesforce.com/form/industries/healthcare/clinical-trials-demo/), and treatment data to drive smarter, evidence-based decision-making and unify patient journeys. - From limited access to democratized insights – While [92% of healthcare and life sciences organizations](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/healthcare-life-science-insights-report/) are investing in automated workflows, this alone isn’t enough. AI-driven success depends on ensuring cross-functional teams can act on real-time insights to enable enterprise-wide decision-making. AI’s impact depends on the quality of the data it can access—making modernization essential. But data alone isn’t enough. To drive real transformation, AI must move beyond isolated insights and become an active decision-making agent embedded in enterprise workflows. This is where agentic AI comes in. Agentic AI: The next frontier of intelligent decision-making NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang predicts 2025 will be the [“year of AI agents,“](https://www.cxtoday.com/customer-data-platform/nvidia-ceo-jenson-huangs-vision-for-agentic-ai-in-2025-the-rundown/) with AI handling more enterprise-level decisions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes this will be the year we see the first [“virtual employees”](https://blog.samaltman.com/reflections) entering the workforce. Fortune reports that a quarter of employers will try out agentic AI this year, with adoption expected to grow to [50% by 2027](https://fortune.com/2025/03/05/agentic-ai-tools/). Agentic AI isn’t just another automation tool. It represents a fundamental shift in how decisions are made, how work gets done, and how enterprises operate. Rather than replacing human expertise, agentic AI enhances decision-making, operational efficiency, and collaboration. These systems are designed to solve complex, domain-specific problems and are part of a broader decision-making framework that may also include simpler automation solutions. Rather than replacing human expertise, agentic AI enhances decision-making, operational efficiency, and collaboration. Slalom helps organizations identify which tasks within a role can be augmented or automated—and which should remain human—through accelerators like [EnhanceIQ.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq) As enterprises move away from rigid hierarchies and embrace AI-powered networks, workflows must evolve as well. Traditional processes designed for manual decision-making often slow down innovation. AI-driven workflows eliminate these inefficiencies, enabling faster, more intelligent operations. Breaking free from legacy workflows For life sciences enterprises to truly capitalize on the benefits of AI, they must rethink how work flows through the organization. AI is not just an automation tool—it is a catalyst for simplifying complex processes, eliminating inefficiencies, and enabling real-time decision-making at scale. AI-driven workflows streamline operational bottlenecks by reducing dependency on manual interventions, ensuring that data and insights move effortlessly across teams. By embedding AI into business processes, supply chains, and patient care pathways, organizations can enhance responsiveness, improve efficiency, and accelerate innovation. For example, AI-augmented workflows can dynamically allocate resources, prioritize tasks, and optimize decision velocity—enabling enterprises to function with greater agility. This shift ensures that work is no longer constrained by rigid structures or outdated hierarchies but is instead governed by real-time intelligence that adapts to business needs. By embracing [AI-driven operational fluidity](https://www.slalom.com/ca/en/insights/reimagining-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-and-industry-transformation), enterprises can reduce friction in day-to-day processes and create an environment where technology and human expertise work in harmony—enabling teams to focus on high-impact activities that drive competitive advantage. Agentic AI for improved patient experiences The healthcare system is notoriously fragmented, creating friction for patients and providers alike. - For patients: Navigating healthcare can be overwhelming, slow, and impersonal. Long call center wait times, disconnected records, and a lack of personalization contribute to frustration and poor experiences. - For providers: The burden of data overload, regulatory demands, and outdated systems takes time away from what matters most—delivering excellent patient care. How agentic AI can address these challenges - Enabling hyper-personalized patient care— AI-driven insights connect patient history, clinical data, and real-time information to create individualized, context-aware care pathways. This ensures more tailored treatments, faster interventions, and [improved patient engagement](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences). - Enhancing predictive capabilities— AI-powered models can identify risks earlier than human teams alone, leading to better outcomes, proactive [treatment plans](https://www.salesforce.com/form/demo/enhance-patient-services-demo), and more streamlined interactions between patients and healthcare providers. - Reducing administrative burdens— AI-powered assistants can handle paperwork, billing, and documentation, freeing up valuable time for providers to focus on patient care rather than administrative tasks. AI can also support [field teams](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/healthcare-life-sciences/hcp-engagement-demo/) by serving as a more effective curator of the rapidly expanding body of high-value scientific data and evidence that’s [doubling every 72 days](https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/future-ai-medicine-and-what-it-means-physicians-and-practices-tom-lawry). - Improving compliance efficiency— Agentic AI can automate regulatory reporting, ensure adherence to treatment protocols, and reduce documentation errors, making compliance more streamlined and accurate. Using an integrated, agentic AI [platform](https://www.salesforce.com/healthcare-life-sciences/life-sciences-software), healthcare organizations can eliminate inefficiencies, improve outcomes, and create a more seamless and personalized experience for patients. Future-proofing AI adoption: From experimentation to enterprise transformation AI’s potential in enterprise decision-making is clear, but many organizations struggle to move beyond the pilot stage. Too often, AI initiatives remain isolated experiments or one-off projects rather than long-term transformations. To fully embed AI into business operations and move to production, organizations must focus on upskilling, cross-functional collaboration, and overcoming resistance to change. At the same time, regulatory compliance and governance should be embedded from the start—ensuring AI systems align with ethical, legal, and industry standards while maintaining trust and accountability. Consider these strategies: - Establish a dedicated AI office— Centralizing AI as a department will help move the technology from a novelty to a core operational driver, ensuring long-term integration and impact. - Address adoption barriers proactively— Overcome fear, compliance concerns, and lack of transparency by establishing clear governance frameworks. A successful pattern has been to prioritize legal and compliance teams as early stakeholders with their use cases to realize the benefit directly. - Foster a culture of AI fluency— Ensure leaders and teams understand how to work effectively alongside AI agents, evolving skill sets and ways of working to make AI a natural part of decision-making. - Ensure leadership adoption and advocacy— While early experimentation may start with individual teams, lasting transformation requires leadership to adopt AI tools themselves and set the tone from the top. When leaders model usage and sponsor AI initiatives, it accelerates cultural change and signals strategic commitment. AI agents will be responsible for [15% of day-to-day work decisions](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/ai-agents) within the next two years, empowering businesses to reimagine workflows, problem-solving, and collaboration. Organizations that embrace this innovative technology now will lead the way in the future. Novo Nordisk, for example, is developing a production-ready [multiagent framework](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/articles/whats-new-in-autogen/) for clinical data analytics. AI adoption is no longer a question of “if“ but “how fast.“ Life sciences enterprises that proactively integrate agentic AI will gain a competitive advantage—enhancing decision-making, optimizing workflows, and delivering better outcomes. Share this article --- title: Reimagining leadership in the age of AI and industry transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-and-industry-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/reimagining-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-and-industry-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Reimagining leadership in the age of AI and industry transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/reimagining-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-and-industry-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/reimagining-leadership-in-the-age-of-ai-and-industry-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Insights from the Endpoints panel at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2025: How AI, innovation, and leadership are transforming life sciences. ## Body Reimagining leadership in the age of AI and industry transformation Insights from the Endpoints panel at #JPM25: How AI and leadership are shaping the future of healthcare and life sciences. Insights from the Endpoints panel at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2025: How AI, innovation, and leadership are transforming life sciences. AI and Industry Transformation | Slalom Share Leaders from Roche, Takeda, Salesforce, and Slalom share their perspectives on the evolving role of [healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/language-masters/en/industries/healthcare) and [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/language-masters/en/industries/life-sciences) leadership in the era of AI and rapid technological change. At the [Endpoints at #JPM25 panel](https://events.endpts.com/jpm25), “The Future of Engagement: Leadership at the Crossroads of Industry Shifts and the AI Revolution,” Slalom’s global industry lead for life sciences, Johanna DeYoung, joined a thought-provoking panel alongside Roche’s Global Pharma CIO Jacki Dioguardi, Takeda’s SVP and Chief Technology Officer, Leo Barella, and Salesforce’s Head of HLS Industry Team, Kyrsten Musich. Together, they explored how empathic leadership can navigate the dual forces of AI innovation and rapid industry evolution drive engagement, reimagine operating models, and unlock new opportunities for people-centric care and organizational efficiency. he6ojzgo75 Don’t have time to watch? Get our key takeaways: - Dual leadership approach. Creating sustained innovation calls for both top-down and bottom-up leadership. Jacki Dioguardi of Roche emphasized the importance of educating and engaging senior leaders to get them up to speed and aligned with enterprise priorities. She also highlighted how grassroots initiatives like communities, hackathons, and upskilling programs drive employee engagement and innovation. - Navigating AI’s complementary roles. It’s important to distinguish between automating existing processes for efficiency and reimagining operating models and workflows to unleash new value. Designing for outcomes rather than simply improving current processes is essential to maximize AI’s potential. Doing so requires a shift in mindset to ensure these tools create meaningful impact across organizations. - The rise of agentic AI. Johanna DeYoung of Slalom described agentic AI as the next horizon in innovation, offering the ability to plan, reason, and act autonomously. By 2028, autonomous agents are expected to drive [15% of business decisions](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/intelligent-agent-in-ai), and by the end of 2025, [up to 25% of meetings](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/01/14/conversational-ai-trends-for-2025-and-beyond/) may include active participation from agents. These multi-agent systems can collaborate on complex challenges and improve cross-functional operations. - Breaking silos. Driving innovation in regulated industries begins with eliminating barriers to information sharing and treating data as a shared asset across the enterprise. At Takeda, over 10,000 employees are using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, enabling partnerships and encouraging experimentation. Leo Barella highlighted how fostering a culture of experimentation through internal communities activates opportunities to improve efficiency and focus on people-centric care. - Fail fast. Learn continuously. AI provides tools to document and learn from failures—an often-overlooked aspect of traditional processes and a critical advantage in an industry as risk-averse as life sciences. Preserving and analyzing failure-related data enables teams to build on past efforts, avoid repeating mistakes, and accelerate breakthroughs. As Kyrsten Musich noted, “Don’t get caught in the traps—go ahead and just get started.” Embracing failure as part of the journey helps foster resilience and drive meaningful progress. - Human-AI collaboration. AI is reshaping the workplace, shifting human roles from individual contributors to managers of AI agents. This evolution enables greater cross-functional cooperation, allowing teams to focus on strategic, higher-value activities while AI takes on repetitive tasks. Leadership in the healthcare and life sciences industries is at a pivotal moment, and the panelists delivered a clear message: Now is the time to act. As Jacki Dioguardi stated, “You won’t get it right the first time—but you have to start.” Success in 2025 will require leaders to embrace an experimental mindset and treat failure as a path to progress. Organizations can realize AI’s full potential and drive transformational people-centric change by challenging traditional operating models and focusing on value streams. With immense opportunities ahead, the industry’s future will be defined by those who act with purpose, innovation, and empathy. Share insight Revolutionizing Clinical Trials | Slalom --- title: Responsible AI: From vision to value url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/responsible-ai-value source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/responsible-ai-value locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Responsible AI: From vision to value - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/responsible-ai-value - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/responsible-ai-value - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Doing the right thing is good for your customers, your business, and the world. Here’s how to realise the value of responsible AI. ## Body Responsible AI: From vision to value Doing the right thing is good for your customers, your business, and the world. Here’s how to realise the value of responsible AI. Responsible AI | Slalom Responsible AI: Maximizing Value through AI Transparency Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming accessible to everyone, whether through microfinancing apps in developing countries or connecting with friends and family on social media. However, early adopters of AI are discovering that it’s difficult to fully understand the risks and the impact of bias or misuse. The results can be massive, as we saw mid-2020 in the UK with the [“F*** the algorithm” protests](https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/20/1007502/uk-exam-algorithm-cant-fix-broken-system/) and with Silicon Valley tech giants who are often in the press and courts for pushing the limits of ethical and compliant machine learning (ML). Leading organisations are those that accept and manage the risk of AI while striving for responsible AI by design. Why it’s good for your business Let’s look at how responsible AI translates to business value. Historically, ethically driven behaviour as in “doing the right thing” has been seen as either an overhead cost or merely an exercise in public relations building—lacking obvious value for the business. The question is now, How does doing the right thing also make good business sense? If trusted organisations [outperform less trusted counterparts by 300%](https://www.leadershipnow.com/CoveyOnTrust.html), how do we start to instrument and measure this? A successful organisation will strike the balance between value for itself and benefits for its customers, while avoiding customer exploitation. Consider an insurance company that scrapes Facebook to predict how likely an individual is to make a claim in the future. Even if this behaviour wasn’t in breach of social media guidelines, a small and short-term advantage would be quickly wiped out once the tracking became public knowledge. Set AI in motion across your business Explore how Slalom helps organizations build the foundations and operating models that turn AI into measurable business outcomes. See solutions Responsible AI can help your business by: - Building trusted customer relationships When customers trust a brand, they’re more likely to be loyal to it and interact with less cynicism. Trust in this case can be generalised as the company’s ability to provide a great product or service in a reliable and transparent manner, while avoiding self-orientation (i.e., having only the company’s interest in mind). Trust leads to companies having better retention, spend, and adoption of new services. - Creating employee evangelism More than ever before, employees want to work for a purpose-driven company. Whereas 20 years ago, financial remuneration was the dominant driver in recruiting new talent, [64% of millennials](https://www.conecomm.com/research-blog/2016-millennial-employee-engagement-study) today won’t take a job if a company doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility values—and 83% would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues. - Differentiating with proactive compliance readiness With ever-increasing government and industry regulations—as well as customers’ rising expectations for fairness and privacy—proactive and early adoption can be a differentiator. Many companies worldwide adopted aspects of the EU-focused General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) even if they didn’t expect near-term direct applicability. - Increasing brand approval Users are open to interacting with intelligent apps and services, in some cases with obvious AI such as a chatbot or a call router, but they’re also quick to strike back against even the smallest signs of mistrust, bias, or unapproved behaviours. Some brands have recently tried to show their prioritization of privacy and trust, like Apple’s [public support of transparent AI and strong data privacy and controls](https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/26/18282158/apple-services-privacy-credit-card-tv-data-sharing). Whatever your role, here are some quick ideas to get started. Step 2: Humanise the complexity Deploying your first AI solution may seem overwhelming, like there are insurmountable risks and challenges. We recommend taking a stern look at the complexity and risks but being pragmatic with how you manage them. Most importantly, put the human perspective back into the problem where possible. After all, ethics and fairness are normally defined by culture and communities rather than hard science. In some cases, this may mean reducing the autonomy or scale of the AI solution after factoring in the human point of view, which may hint at hidden risks. We see this dilemma appear in drug development and treatment with the risk of “paternalistic algorithms,” which are optimised to deliver the single, subjective outcome of increasing the duration of a patient’s life, without considering the quality of life. It’s important to be able to clearly articulate a position on trade-offs like these before ML models get to work. In some cases where AI works in real time, organisations have created risk management functions to complement the AI initiatives and identify, handle, and retrain the AI cases that aren’t handled well. Following criticism over its power to censor and the unclear influence of its AI on laws and ethics, Facebook created a board of 19 individuals to adjudicate over complaints or hot topics, most recently whether Donald Trump’s account should be unfrozen. Human experts are well suited for adjudicating over these complex topics and can work with the AI to filter out improper posts and images. When all else fails, strive to make AI solutions explainable in some way, and factor in an ability for AI to be challenged within the system by either the business stakeholders or the customers themselves. Step 3: Augment, don’t replace, humans Going a step further than using humans to problem-solve when necessary, put humans at the centre of the solution via “augmented AI” rather than traditional autonomous and independent AI. For example, Slalom worked with pathologists from multiple research organisations, including the [American Cancer Society](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/american-cancer-society-breast-cancer-machine-learning), to use AI to do the time-intensive task of screening images to flag the high-risk ones with tumour cells. This allows the human experts to focus on diagnosing and collaborating on triaged findings—and to even identify high-risk cells earlier than ever before. Another example is in the UK, where the National Health Service uncovered systematic prescription fraud among dentists. Tackling this problem was a neurodiverse team of engaged business leads, enthusiastic data science PhDs, and experienced, grounded IT and data analytics veterans working together. After weighing potential patient impacts and regulations, the team designed for an augmented AI approach, where AI complements rather than replaces humans. Trawling more than 90 million prescriptions per month was not a job that existed, but AI’s unique ability to process dull, detailed, and high-volume workloads like this meant that potential cases could quickly and autonomously surface to human investigators. Step 4: Balance risk with measured controls How do you predict, manage, and mitigate critical risks while maximising the return of investments for your business and customers? One way is to assign a risk level for the AI use case based on something like financial, brand, life, or regulation impact against frequency or probability of occurrence. For example, when a recommendation engine makes a product suggestion—a frequent occurrence—and it’s a poor suggestion, it’s ultimately inconsequential. At the other extreme, an unsuccessful prosecution of an alleged murderer based on AI-derived evidence is far more damaging but does not operate at anywhere near the same levels of volume and real-time latency at which the recommender example occurs. It’s also critical to make sure an application with ethical intent can achieve this universally or be restricted to the context it was strictly designed for. For instance, a smartwatch app which monitors things like an individual’s speech pattern and heart rate—and vibrates when “the user is tired”—can arguably be viewed as benign and helpful. But if it’s used by insurance companies to identify early signs of neurological diseases or to generalise users into fitness segments, then there’s potential for nefarious and unethical results. Creating guardrails for the teams to explore AI will result in a sense of freedom and awareness of what’s permissible. We’ve seen over the years that an ultra-conservative approach will stifle innovation, and in many cases, it’s much too severe for the use case. Step 5: Monitor closely and challenge often AI is advancing quicker than governments and industries are developing ethical regulations on how to use it. Because of this, each organisation is responsible for measuring the potential success versus risks of an AI solution and deciding what is, and isn’t, ethical. How do you do this? You need to break down the core elements of trust and ethics—defined by the United Nations as benevolence, integrity, and the capability to create something meaningful—into a quantifiable, measurable framework. However, the world is in the early days of formalising the ethics of AI, and organisations will need to proactively adopt early frameworks and best practices from other organisations. Some examples are open sources and commercial tools such as [TruEra](https://truera.com/) and [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/clarify/) and academic frameworks from [CMU](https://safeai-lab.github.io/) and [Harvard](https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/l0jsh9d1/release/7). We also recommend reading this University of Oxford article on the [Right to Reasonable Inference](https://www.good-id.org/en/articles/right-reasonable-inferences-re-thinking-data-protection-law-age-big-data-and-ai/)s as a primer on which social expectations could quickly become legal obligations for businesses using AI in terms of the rights of someone on the other end of the AI. The power only humans hold AI has huge potential to change the world for better or worse. But it’s still far from having the human superpowers of morality, empathy, and soul. Anyone hearing the songs of an AI algorithm will attest to the latter! It’s by keeping real people with diverse perspectives involved in the decision-making process that will unlock truly positive, ethical, and trusted use cases for AI. To quote University of Oxford’s data ethics committee: it’s up to us. Lead with impact in the age of AI Talk with a Slalom expert about how leaders are turning AI strategy into measurable outcomes—or share this article to continue the conversation. Talk to an expert Share insight --- title: Retail Industry Trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Retail Industry Trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Retail’s challenge in 2026 is transformation—see how AI, agentic tech, and human-plus-machine teams drive loyalty, growth, and standout experiences. ## Body Retail Industry Trends 2026 Retailers can turn fragmented systems and shifting consumer needs into unified, adaptive ecosystems for growth, loyalty, and innovation. Retail’s challenge in 2026 is transformation—see how AI, agentic tech, and human-plus-machine teams drive loyalty, growth, and standout experiences. Retail & consumer goods Retail’s renaissance: Visionary brands are stepping boldly into 2026, harnessing AI and agentic technologies to ignite growth, unlock hyper-personalization, and deliver customer-centric experiences. 2025 brought its share of challenges—tariffs, inflation, and shifting consumer behaviors—and the outlook for 2026 remains mixed for retail, consumer goods and services, restaurants and dining, and travel and hospitality companies. Amid the uncertainty, executive teams recognize the need to invest in next-generation business capabilities to navigate these challenges and drive growth while managing costs. Leaders see a chance not only to recover but to reinvent. By using technology to drive positivity into consumer confidence and behavior through growth, organizations can build lasting competitive differentiation. But technology alone isn’t enough—real transformation requires rethinking how we work and operate within human-plus-agentic teams. The emergence of agentic technologies and human-plus-machine models is driving a new era of intelligent, empathetic service and smarter operations, but this impact depends on embedding advanced data science, analytics, and AI into core business processes. If economic indicators continue to show stable growth, the brands that succeed in 2026 will be those that integrate business strategy, data, analytics, and agentic technology to deliver customer-first innovation that measurably drives growth, trust, and competitive advantage. The reward for their investment will be stronger than savings: These companies can expect outsized growth, competitive differentiation—and higher margins. We are about to enter a period of significant business transformation, primarily driven by emerging technologies that will create step-changes in how we work, in business operating models, and in overall performance improvement. Ken Dickman Managing Director, Global Retail Industry Leader, Slalom LinkedIn Item 1 AI combined with human know-how sparks category innovation, loyal customers, and new revenue streams. This powerful combo goes beyond the efficiency-focused cost reduction of business operations and actually delivers more customer-relevant, personalized, and data-driven experiences that win new customers, boost wallet share, and unlock standout value. Innovative leaders are using AI to achieve more than just incremental improvements. They’re applying intelligent automation and hyper-personalization to reach new audiences and expand market presence. For example, AI-powered shopping assistants and agentic automation help brands launch new offerings and enter emerging channels with speed and agility. Merchants work with agentic co-planners to optimize in-store and online assortments, pricing, promotion, and space management decisions while developer tools accelerate the design and deployment of customer-facing applications that deliver better customer conversion, upsell, and cross-sell at lower costs. Peter Hammer The integration of AI—specifically agentic AI—with human expertise is critical for the future of travel, hospitality, and retail; the next frontier of AI adoption is not just automating tasks but designing systems where humans and AI agents work in tandem to achieve business outcomes like revenue growth, cost efficiency, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty. Integrating generative AI into core retail workflows puts growth into motion. By empowering marketing, merchandising, and store operations planners—and using integrated data, analytic, and agentic solutions—online and in-store customer experiences are made more relevant, increasing both customer purchases and loyalty. AI shopping agents deliver hyper-personalized customer recommendations and engagement and manage complex queries to address shifting consumer preferences, converting new customers at scale and increasing purchases from existing customers. Robust governance ensures that models remain secure, accurate, and cost-effective, supporting sustainable expansion. Norwegian Cruise Line To help guests navigate the complex process of booking a cruise, Norwegian Cruise Line partnered with Slalom to develop Nora , a GenAI-driven itinerary search assistant. With Nora making it easier to plan their dream vacations, guests are 58% more likely to enter the booking funnel at a 16% higher value. Item 2 Loyalty is being radically redefined this year—and it’s not just about points and perks. Today’s loyalty is about forging deeper connections and creating greater value for both customers and companies. Leading brands are leveraging AI-driven personalization and unified data to design emotionally resonant experiences that drive engagement, boost transactions, and strengthen loyalty. In the travel industry for example, this new approach extends beyond traditional customers, reaching new constituents like travel agents by making loyalty benefits and program features more accessible across the ecosystem. Today, loyalty is an enterprise-wide strategy, powered by customer data platforms and advanced MarTech. Brands and retailers are delivering curated customer experiences from runway shows to exclusive celebrity events, while hospitality leaders are reinventing franchise relationships, and travel companies are weaving curated adventures and enhanced experience design throughout their loyalty ecosystems. Tailored loyalty strategies, journey mapping, and deep personalization powered by MarTech and AI are becoming the new standard. The brands that will win loyal customers for life are those that focus on understanding people, delivering surprise-and-delight moments, and forging long-term bonds. These organizations will unlock new revenue streams, increase margins, and deepen brand affiliation for every member of their loyalty network. Turning loyalty into a strategic growth lever Today’s leading organizations are rethinking loyalty as a core enterprise capability—not a campaign. To compete, leaders should ask: Legacy systems—once foundational—now impede innovation and limit the ability to deliver unified 1:1 marketing, loyalty, and commerce interactions across every touchpoint. Today’s replatforming strategies focus on building integrated architectures that connect front-end experiences—such as personalized offers, loyalty rewards, and targeted marketing—with robust backend operations. This alignment creates a holistic view of each customer and enables brands to deliver real-time, relevant experiences at scale. Modern payment systems are a component of this transformation, connecting enterprise functions, accelerating revenue, and streamlining transactions. As companies across industries modernize their platforms, they unlock new value through seamless experience orchestration and resilient technologies. A payment platform health check can uncover major opportunities, as seen with a home improvement retailer’s substantial cost savings. By optimizing the full spectrum of personalized marketing, loyalty, commerce, and payment capabilities, companies can enhance satisfaction, drive loyalty, and set new standards for resilient, growth-ready commerce in 2026. About 80% of retail and consumer goods executives are planning or actively executing major modernization initiatives, but nearly half still run most critical applications on outdated systems. - Slalom’s August 2025 [Global AI Insights](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) Survey Today’s customers expect seamless, memorable experiences. This is true whether they’re booking a flight, receiving support, or shopping online. The real breakthrough comes when companies achieve a unified view of each customer, allowing them to transform fragmented encounters into cohesive, emotionally resonant journeys. With consistency in look, feel, pricing, and content, every touchpoint becomes an opportunity to make customers feel like VIPs, regardless of where they connect. 2026 marks a turning point, as omnichannel engagement evolves from simply linking touchpoints to orchestrating intelligent, personalized experiences at scale. Using real-time data, AI, and advanced platforms, brands are moving beyond unified customer profiles to predictive engagement—anticipating needs and adapting content instantly. Hyper-personalization—powered by generative AI—will tailor offers, communications, and support, while respecting privacy. Simultaneously, empowered associates and service teams will bridge digital and physical experiences. Real-time integration will also bring transparency to inventory, delivery, and support, making fulfillment a differentiator. And digital humans will introduce new levels of innovation and empathy. This year, omnichannel engagement becomes proactive and deeply human, transforming every interaction into a chance to foster loyalty. Personalized engagement across channels converts transactional relationships into emotional connections that drive retention, growth, and profitability. In the end, this creates a sustainable competitive advantage rooted in trust. AI and real-time data are the engines driving smarter, faster, and more resilient supply chains and empowered workforces. Savvy companies can navigate—and even master—the complexities of global supply chains with unprecedented precision by using AI tools and strategies to streamline processes and inform strategic decisions. For example: - Tariff calculators provide instant insights into tariff impacts and guide confident, data-driven choices. - World event simulations help companies anticipate and adapt to supply chain disruptions in real time. - Computer vision enhances efficiency, saving valuable time and resources across demand sensing and forecasting, inventory and allocations optimization, replenishment, and warehouse and logistics flow management. In 2026, operational excellence will be defined by supply chains that are predictive, resilient, and tightly integrated with empowered workforces. The convergence of AI and real-time data shifts supply chain management from reactive to proactive—helping companies anticipate disruptions, optimize decisions, and set new agility standards. Integrated business planning is emerging as the backbone of this operational excellence. Accurate forecasting and seamless coordination across every function ensure that supply, demand, and workforce strategies are fully aligned. For example, Nestlé Purina demonstrates how [strategic planning and advanced analytics](https://www.nestle.com/investors/overview/strategy) can optimize operations end to end, while research centers help clients harness their data for innovative, real-time solutions. In this dynamic environment, staying ahead of tariff shifts and market changes is critical, as these can ripple through supply chains in moments. The human element of supply chains is equally important to company operations. Next-generation supply chains connect workforce dynamics—such as team size, cost, and productivity—directly to customer outcomes. Leaders in 2026 will use these insights to drive smarter engagement, agile staffing, and stronger operational results, integrating workforce analytics with loyalty, omnichannel, and experience-led strategies. Does your supply chain need a checkup? Imagine a future where every interaction is powered by data-driven insights, transforming the way businesses operate and serve their customers. In 2026, the use of workforce analytics is ready to reform the industry, tackling labor challenges and skyrocketing productivity. Store associates will be equipped with real-time data, allowing them to make personalized recommendations that not only enhance customer service but also create notable shopping experiences. AI acts as a vital tool, providing instant access to information and helping associates assist customers efficiently. Onboarding and training processes move from tedious obligations to opportunities to boost employee satisfaction and reduce turnover rates. AI steps in to streamline operations, helping agents resolve customer inquiries with ease and elevating the overall customer experience. In travel and hospitality, Slalom is working with industry leaders to assess and elevate the entire traveler experience—whether on the way to the airport, in the terminal, at the gate, on board, or when connecting with traveler support or contact center agents. These organizations are breaking down platform boundaries to deliver new offerings, deepen engagement, and raise the bar on service. At the same time, AI supports tactical excellence—from crew scheduling and staffing to data sharing and predictive insights—enabling employees to serve with greater precision, confidence, and care. Workforce analytics will spark innovation in 2026. But organizational adaptation requires leadership investment in new team structures, talent models, operating rhythms, and decision-making frameworks. Leaders have a choice in 2026: Steer the transformation or fall behind the competition. United Airlines With a strong culture of innovation, United Airlines was eager to implement GenAI. Together, we developed solutions that empower employees and elevate the customer experience. The impact? More relevant, efficient customer service and greater transparency for travelers when flight plans change have strengthened customer experience and trust. In 2026, companies will focus on end-to-end precision—where AI redefines every aspect of merchandising and sales planning, execution, and course correction. This type of accuracy is a shift toward data-driven, tech-enabled operations that deliver measurable impact. What’s new this year is the integration of AI into core operational functions. Merchandising teams are moving beyond static spreadsheets and intuition to embrace machine intelligence that prescribes optimal assortments, pricing, promotions, and placement—dynamically tuned to local demand, competitor moves, and real-time trends. Retailers will be deploying AI-enabled [planogram and execution compliance](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/18/10145) tools, ensuring shelves remain stocked with the right products at the right times. A global grocery and hypermarket leader is redefining retail with a robust AI partnership. In collaboration with Google and Artefact, they established an “AI Factory” that transforms core retail functions: Merchandising optimization: - Assortment : AI hyper-localizes product selection to match each store’s unique customer base. - Pricing promotion : Dynamic price adjustment offers to maximize revenue and customer satisfaction. - In-store space : IoT-enabled smart shelves optimize layouts and monitor inventory in real time. Customer engagement - Generative AI : Tools like Hopla deliver personalized recommendations, driving higher basket sizes and loyalty. Operational efficiency - Automation : Internal AI automates core procurement and merchandising activities, freeing resources for developing and implementing programs that deliver differentiation and incremental customer spending and loyalty work. Impact highlights: - €600M projected incremental operating income by EOY 2026 - 40% reduction in food waste - New revenue streams from retail media and dynamic pricing - Scalable improvements in efficiency, customer experience, and profitability Key takeaways Strategic investment in AI can drive measurable business results across revenue generation, profitability, sustainability, and customer engagement—unlocking new growth opportunities for retailers at scale. Industry leaders are starting to put these advances into practice. The Home Depot, for instance, has invested in [AI-driven inventory forecasting](https://procurementmag.com/technology-and-ai/google-cloud-improving-home-depot-supply-chain?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and real-time shelf availability tracking, empowering store associates with digital tools for faster replenishment and better customer service. Similarly, Ulta Beauty is [using data-driven insights](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/ulta-beauty-redefines-beauty-retail-with-google-bigquery?utm_source=chatgpt.com) to optimize assortment planning and in-store merchandising, while also expanding supply chain capabilities to reduce out-of-stocks and boost customer satisfaction. Personalization is also reaching new heights. AI now enables 1:1 marketing, curated recommendations, and targeted offers at every touchpoint. Responsive supply chains powered by intelligent forecasting and automated fulfillment support marketing and merchandising strategies and tactics for growth and improved customer experience while simultaneously optimizing supply chain cost to serve. The business payoffs of precision speak for themselves: better conversion rates, reduced waste, higher customer satisfaction, and stronger profitability. For 2026, the question is: Are companies investing for growth and innovation while core operations still depend on outdated systems and processes? Leaders who modernize their abilities to plan, execute, and course correct with AI decision support across marketing, sales/merchandising, and supply chain will be able to simultaneously deliver incremental growth while reducing costs. Ken Dickman More and more companies across the industry are advancing beyond productivity and cost-efficiency pilots to enterprise-scale transformation. These companies are formalizing human + agentic operating models where humans collaborate with machine learning AI to unlock next-generation performance. The objective is clear: Accelerate top-line growth and margin contribution, with cost and capital efficiency emerging as a natural by-product rather than the primary goal. Ready to make a bold move? We can help. Find out why over 1,000 retail industry leaders trust Slalom, including Carhartt, DECIEM, The Home Depot, La-Z-Boy Incorporated, and Norwegian Cruise Line. Connect now The retail renaissance is ripe with opportunity. Old commerce boundaries are dissolving as AI, data, and human ingenuity converge. 2026 brings new opportunities for agility, personalization, and operational excellence. Today’s leaders are reengineering customer journeys through three simultaneous shifts: delivering hyper-personalized customer experiences that evoke emotional loyalty beyond transactional rewards; enabling frictionless, omnichannel global commerce; and orchestrating supply chains that respond in real time. All of these produce incremental growth and profit contribution at a lower cost. The time to move is now. Technologies are improving efficiency—but they’re also empowering brands to anticipate needs, deliver surprise-and-delight moments, and engage customers in new ways. Frictionless omnichannel engagement, individualized offers, and purpose-built solutions are becoming the hallmarks of brands that aim higher than the status quo. Unburdened by legacy limitations, the industry is embracing a bold wave of reinvention, and we believe there has never been a more exciting time to lead in this industry. Slalom is ready to help you turn innovation into advantage. Together, we have the power to shape the future for your customers. Are you ready to join us? Contributors Ken Dickman Managing Director, Global Retail Industry Leader, Slalom LinkedIn Additional contributors: Peter Hammer, Jessie Blank, Nicole Cunningham, Luke Jackson, Papa Ndir Turn insight into action Connect with a Slalom retail and consumer goods expert to get tailored guidance for acting on these trends—or share this page with your network to start a conversation. Share 2026 trends Talk to an expert See all awards --- title: Rethinking customer value propositions with mass customization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/rethinking-customer-value-propositions source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/rethinking-customer-value-propositions locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Rethinking customer value propositions with mass customization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/rethinking-customer-value-propositions - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/rethinking-customer-value-propositions - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Product price and delivery speed are two of the most heavily marketed value propositions—but they’re becoming consumer expectations instead of differentiators. We examine how to charge more, ship slower, and maximize customer satisfaction. ## Body Rethinking customer value propositions with mass customization How to charge more, ship slower, and maximize customer satisfaction Mass Customization | Slalom Product price and delivery speed are two of the most heavily marketed value propositions—but they’re becoming consumer expectations instead of differentiators. We examine how to charge more, ship slower, and maximize customer satisfaction. Share insight Product price and [delivery speed](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4476324-the-last-last-mile) are two of the most heavily marketed value propositions, with intense marketplace competition and extensive venture funding cutting both prices and time to delivery. However, these factors are becoming consumer expectations instead of differentiators. Plus, in many cases, both cost and delivery speed can only incrementally improve; same-hour delivery and selling at a loss to gain customer loyalty are both the reality in numerous markets. On top of that, advancing both value propositions are costs to the organization. Most importantly, lower prices and faster delivery speeds increase the transactional nature of a purchase. If a consumer interprets one brand as the cheapest or fastest, then finds another cheaper or faster brand—assuming all other factors are constant—changing brands is the rational decision. As seen in the chart below, decreasing customer loyalty is a generational trend that inverted with Gen Z for the first time since the 1940s. On average, young adults today prefer trying different products as opposed to repeatedly buying products they know they like, which is a major challenge for building brand loyalty and increasing a customer’s lifetime value. The rise of app-based customer loyalty programs is one solution to increase Gen Z’s lifetime value for a single brand, but the rewards for loyalty normally consist of lower prices and faster delivery—the very factors leading to transactional brand relationships. Since price and delivery speed as differentiators are expensive for companies and increasingly less distinctive for consumers, many astute organizations are turning to mass customization. Mass customization increases revenue, decreases consumer shipping expectations, and increases brand evangelism. Both global organizations and small businesses alike are leveraging mass customization to stand out from the competition and delight their customers, and you can as well. The case for optimizing with mass customization Traditional customization of the industrial revolution suffered from an inverse relationship between level of customization and level of scale. However, with the progression of manufacturing technology, the tradeoff between scale and customization has become significantly less pronounced, and—as a result—mass customization is possible. Note that personalizing a consumer shopping experience based on their data—such as recommended items based on past purchases in a marketing email or on a website’s checkout page—is a separate topic from allowing consumers to customize their products. That said, content personalization is a complementary strategy to help consumers understand the best customizations for them. Want more ways to unlock hidden value in your organization? Learn how to empower your teams to drive efficiency and focus spend on [what matters most in turbulent times](https://medium.com/slalom-blog/a-growth-mindset-in-times-of-turbulence-c626293932d3). Cultural factors influencing mass customization Two main forces — sociological and manufacturing trends — have influenced the cultural optimization for receptivity to mass customization. 1. Sociological trends America, the world’s [biggest consumer](https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/overseas-markets/north-latin-america/united-states-of-america/market-profile#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20(US)%20is,other%20country%20in%20the%20world.), is [historically](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/03/12/how-do-americans-stand-out-from-the-rest-of-the-world/) one of the most culturally individualistic societies. However, [research](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797617700622) done across 78 countries spanning 51 years found the world has grown 12% more individualistic as well. In line with this global transition from communal to individualistic societies, [researchers](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Prahalad+and+Ramaswamy%2C+2000 hl=en as_sdt=0 as_vis=1 oi=scholart) have predicted since the early 2000’s a shift from consumers as passive buyers of generic goods to active co-creators of unique items reflecting their independent personality. The future of branding is less about an individual embodying a company’s brand and more about a company helping an individual represent their own brand. 2. Manufacturing trends Given recent [advances](https://www.mtu.edu/mechatronics/what-is/) in mechatronics engineering (a.k.a., programming those fancy robotic arms in manufacturing plants), it’s never been easier to connect the consumer directly to the production of their product. Instead of warehouses full of human laborers or simple machines only capable of conducting a single task repetitively, [flexible manufacturing systems](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/flexible-manufacturing-system.asp) (FMSs) today can respond to unique production variation requests, allowing consumers to directly submit through software automation from online purchases. Essentially, technology has made it easier than ever to mass customize at scale. Benefits of mass customization The benefits of mass customization include: - Increased customer revenue — 20% more across 8 industries according to 2019 [research](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ch/Documents/consumer-business/ch-en-consumer-business-made-to-order-consumer-review.pdf) - Decreased shipping time pressure — [48%](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ch/Documents/consumer-business/ch-en-consumer-business-made-to-order-consumer-review.pdf) of consumers are willing to wait longer for a customized product over one that isn’t, and only [24%](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ch/Documents/consumer-business/ch-en-consumer-business-made-to-order-consumer-review.pdf) expect same delivery times - Increased customer satisfaction — Customer experience psychologist [Liraz Margalit](https://techcrunch.com/2014/11/11/the-rise-of-online-customization/) encapsulates the value derived from her research on mass customization in two phrases: - “I built it, therefore I own it.” ( The opportunity to take part in a process and influence the end result promotes emotional attachment that leads to psychological ownership.) - “I own it, therefore it’s superb.” ( When people imbue products with their own labor, their efforts increase the value of the product.) One of the primary benefits of mass customization is the customer experience of co-creating something for them as opposed to the transaction they complete when purchasing something for people like them . Are there costs associated with mass customization? Yes. Mass customization adds complexities to the production process and supply chain, confusing consumers if not presented in an intuitive manner. However, culture is shifting toward co-creation, and brands across industries are starting to recognize this value by incorporating mass customization into their offerings. Mass customization implementation opportunities There are three business functions any industry can focus on to enable mass customization. While the following examples are a source of inspiration as opposed to a checklist, there is an opportunity across sales, technology, and operations to give customers more control of their purchase while mitigating the impact to scale. Sales 1. Offer showroom locations with no inventory — just components for custom product creation. Brands like Indochino and Tesla take this approach. Research shows being able to touch a product increases [psychological ownership](https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/suzanne.shu/JCR%20touch%20ownership.pdf). 2. Engage customers with their name. Coca-Cola turned around a decade long sales decline by adding the 100 most popular names to their cans. Ritz Carlton relays customer names from valet to the check-in counter so customers are welcomed by name with their room keys when they approach the counter. 3. Customize products to the geography in which they’re offered. Starbucks offers coffee mugs with the skyline of the city the store is in, perfect for proud locals and tourist collectors. Discontinued city’s mugs are sold on secondary markets for over $10,000. 4. Mass produce base products and a variety of accessories that customers can easily mix and match. Jeep does this with roll bars, headlights, and more, while Crocs does this with “jibbitz,” allowing them to upsell components to customize base products. Technology 1. Optimize fulfillment and supply chain tech-stack integration. Mass customization’s end-product diversity creates increased complexity for production and supply chain management. Platforms like Snowflake break down data silos to automate consumer fulfillment smarter. 2. Manage customer data to track preferences and leverage for future custom experiences. Wayfair tracks customers’ product drop-off preferences (such as “garage” v.s. “front door”) to provide tailored delivery experiences. 3. Connect customer purchases directly to specialized producers. Etsy has done this with a marketplace software connecting customers with a plethora of individual creators who can each offer highly customized products. 4. Leverage augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for consumers to experience customizations before purchasing them. Sephora offers an AR app experience for consumers to virtually ‘try-on’ makeup products to match their unique complexion. Operations 1. Utilize [delayed differentiation](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257745806_Evolving_Paradigms_of_Manufacturing_From_Mass_Production_to_Mass_Customization_and_Personalization), saving customizations for the final steps of the production process. Apple consumers can add a custom engraving to their product after the product is produced. 2. Capture and send progress images during production to emphasize customer co-creation. Ferrari and Porsche have cameras set up in their production lines to send customers progress updates on their custom builds. 3. Do for one what you wish you could do for many. Write a letter, make a video, or comment on a post. It’s not easily scalable, but a personal touch from a scaled organization means even more. It’s part of how HEX (tech accessories) and Wufoo (online form builder) built a loyal customer base. 4. Crowdsource customization options. Apparel companies like Spreadshirt and PupSocks allow customers to upload their own designs/pictures to have printed on their items. Conclusion Technological and sociological evolution have primed opportunities across business functions to provide consumers with a more unique product, while still leveraging economies of scale. In a competitive landscape fighting to send things incrementally faster and cheaper, the companies that win in the future will make millions of consumers feel like what they purchase is one in a million. --- title: Revolutionizing Clinical Trials for Speed, Efficiency, and Patient Impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-clinical-trials source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-clinical-trials locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Revolutionizing Clinical Trials for Speed, Efficiency, and Patient Impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-clinical-trials - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-clinical-trials - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn from Protas, Salesforce, and Slalom leaders—on stage at Fierce JPM Week—about how healthcare and life sciences leaders can realize the potential of innovation and technology to create a systemic foundation for clinical trial modernization. ## Body Revolutionizing Clinical Trials for Speed, Efficiency, and Patient Impact Revolutionizing Clinical Trials | Slalom Learn from Protas, Salesforce, and Slalom leaders—on stage at Fierce JPM Week—about how healthcare and life sciences leaders can realize the potential of innovation and technology to create a systemic foundation for clinical trial modernization. Revolutionizing Clinical Trials: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Revolutionizing clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact An incredibly manual and time-intensive process has the potential to be automated, decentralized, and evolved for higher visibility, transparency, efficiency, and reduced cost. Leaders from Protas, Salesforce, and Slalom share their insights on how [healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare) and [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/life-sciences) leaders can realize the potential of innovation and technology to create a systemic foundation for clinical trial modernization. At [Fierce JPM Week](https://www.fiercejpmweek.com/) in January, Slalom’s global industry lead for life sciences, Johanna DeYoung, led a powerful conversation with Protas CEO Sir Martin Landray and Salesforce VP and Chief Health Officer Dr. Fatima Paruk, MD, MPH. Together they explored how the manual and time-intensive processes of clinical trials can be automated, decentralized, and evolved to reduce costs while enabling higher visibility, transparency, and efficiency—ultimately speeding lifechanging new therapies to market. Our key takeaways: - Expedited and higher-quality trials. Slalom highlighted key opportunities to drive increased trial performance: faster data refresh times, prioritizing health equity, and thoughtful application of AI using real-world data (RWD) for simulation of performance to enable quicker starts. - Data maturity. To realize these and other opportunities, many healthcare and life sciences companies need to mature their approach to data. Leaders should consider centralizing and democratizing data, implementing robust data governance, and harnessing structured and unstructured data sources to gain longitudinal patient views and improve study design. - Data reusability. The startling statistic that around 90% of healthcare and life sciences data goes unused underscores the urgent need to improve data reusability. Healthcare leaders should prioritize proactive privacy and consent management and work toward maximizing the value derived from existing data assets. - Embracing innovation. Sir Martin Landray's insights into the outdated nature of current clinical trial practices and the associated high costs serve as a wake-up call for healthcare and life sciences leaders. Embracing innovation, smarter trial design, technology, and policy improvements can lead to more efficient and cost-effective trials. - Patient-centric approach. All panelists emphasized the critical importance of designing trials to prioritize patient experiences and participation, as this can significantly impact trial success and outcomes. - Inspirational goals. Protas’ ambitious goal of conducting four trials per year and running 20 trials concurrently by 2028 serves as an inspiration for industry leaders. It underscores the potential for transformative change in clinical trials and encourages leaders to think big and collaborate on innovative solutions. In summary, healthcare and life sciences leaders should focus on embracing emerging trends, improving data practices, prioritizing patient-centric approaches, and considering ambitious goals to drive positive changes in clinical trials and healthcare outcomes. Share insight --- title: Revolutionizing customer engagement in pharma and med tech url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-customer-engagement-in-pharma-and-med-tech source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-customer-engagement-in-pharma-and-med-tech locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Revolutionizing customer engagement in pharma and med tech - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-customer-engagement-in-pharma-and-med-tech - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/revolutionizing-customer-engagement-in-pharma-and-med-tech - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Innovative therapies are only useful when they reach people. Learn the keys to understanding patient journeys in multi-disciplinary care models—and making them meaningful. ## Body Revolutionizing customer engagement in pharma and med tech Customer engagement in Pharma and Medtech | Slalom Innovative therapies are only useful when they reach people. Learn the keys to understanding patient journeys in multi-disciplinary care models—and making them meaningful. Share insight The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digitization and revolutionized how healthcare and life science professionals consume information, creating a need for a more customer-centric approach to business operations. Digital epidemiology, for example, gained significant momentum during the pandemic enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of disease spread, its associated risk factors, and the impact of interventions like lockdowns, mitigating the burden of the pandemic. Through this historic event, the industry also experienced accelerated evidence generation with expedited drug approvals, Emergency Use Authorizations, and compassionate use of new and innovative therapies delivered to patients at lightning speed, saving and sustaining millions of lives across the globe. While creating a powerful therapy and bringing it to market is essential, such innovative therapies are only useful when they reach the patient and make a meaningful impact on their life. Patient engagement should be a priority for every pharmaceutical and medical device/technology manufacturer–and understanding the patient journey is key to achieving this goal. By uncovering how and when patients connect with other stakeholders in the healthcare system, such as healthcare providers (HCPs) and payers, organizations gain a better understanding of who the customer is, what their needs are, and what role they play at each stage of the patient’s wellness journey. The pharma customer evolution The traditional model of pharma and med tech customer interaction focused primarily on physicians as the main decision-maker in prescribing medication. However, with the advent of multi-disciplinary care models (MDCM), the industry has shifted towards a more collaborative approach involving a variety of healthcare professionals such as nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, hospital administrators, patient advocates, and other allied health professionals, thereby evolving the definition of a pharma customer over the years. This evolution has been driven by the recognition that the patient journey is complex and requires a holistic approach that addresses the medical condition and the social, emotional, and financial factors that impact patient outcomes. As such, federal and private payers face increased pressures to reduce and contain costs. In addition to its clinical benefit, the [MDCM has also been shown to reduce healthcare costs, especially in the care of chronic conditions](https://oshihealth.com/clinical-trial-demonstrates-oshi-improves-patient-outcomes/), and it continues to gain momentum across healthcare stakeholders. Additionally, customers today interact with businesses across multiple touchpoints, and each interaction presents an opportunity to provide a positive experience. However, in many cases, different departments (e.g., research and development, medical affairs, commercial, and patient services) operate in rigid silos, which can create disjointed customer engagement experiences. With the paradigm shift towards an MDCM, engaging all stakeholders with the patient in the center is crucial for driving personalized care for each disease state. Customer journey mapping Journey mapping can help organizations understand the needs, motivations, behaviors, and pain points at each stage of the disease-state life cycle for all customers (i.e., HCPs, patients, and payers) and create better, more informed decisions on what information and data to provide to who, how, where, and when. By starting journey mapping early, pharma and med tech companies can uncover new opportunities to engage with patients earlier in their wellness journey–and ultimately improve their experience. Journey mapping enhances market conditioning efforts, making them more impactful as the who, where, what, how, and why are better defined. Gaining a deeper understanding of customer expectations allows companies to tailor their messaging and be delivered through the most beneficial medium for an individual. For example, affinity models allow insights into which customers respond better to peer-to-peer education versus non-personal promotion, and which customers engage better via social media, print media, or email. For those preferring social media, leveraging the right digital influencers, with the right campaign, on the right platform (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok) are essential in maximizing ROI and generating a greater script lift. To prioritize patient-centric experiences, pharma and med tech firms must use journey mapping and data-driven insights to inform their customer engagement strategies. Understanding customer needs allows for tailored, clear, and helpful messaging, but it’s only one aspect of the equation. To truly improve the customer experience, businesses must adopt an omnichannel strategy that integrates data and enables a seamless experience for customers. This requires cross-functional collaboration across departments, starting with message alignment and open communication. By implementing an omnichannel approach, businesses can ensure that their messaging is consistent and targeted, regardless of the channel, building stronger relationships with higher target-audience engagement, increasing customer satisfaction, and driving better patient outcomes. Implementing an omnichannel customer engagement strategy An omnichannel customer engagement strategy provides a high-quality customer experience through the integration of various channels and touchpoints, giving the customer a consistent brand experience across all platforms, in-person and online. Pharma and med tech companies should adopt an omnichannel strategy to stay ahead of the competition and meet their customers where they are by effectively interacting with patients, HCPs, and payers. Achieving this transformation and improving the customer experience requires a shift in both customer-facing and internal operations. Implementing an omnichannel strategy goes beyond messaging and channels to involve capabilities and processes. For example, businesses need to invest in pertinent technologies and tools that facilitate cross-channel communication and data integration. Additionally, businesses need to establish processes that allow for agile communication strategies that can adapt to evolving customer needs and preferences. The right customer relationship management systems, marketing automation software, and artificial intelligence tools personalize customer interactions while gathering data and insights across multiple channels to further inform and refine the strategy. Conclusion Delivering on the customer journey requires a comprehensive approach that prioritizes customer-centric messaging, cross-functional collaboration, and appropriate capabilities and processes to support that strategy. Pharma and med tech companies should prioritize patient and HCP engagement by creating patient-centric experiences that focus on their needs and expectations. This includes using customer journey maps, utilizing appropriate interaction channels, and considering the patient’s journey from before diagnosis to after treatment. It is crucial to emphasize on the needs of both patients and HCPs and determine the best communication channels to engage them. By prioritizing customer-centric messaging and cross-functional collaboration, pharma and med tech companies can ensure that they deliver on the customer journey and provide a positive experience for patients and HCPs. Ultimately, this will help companies build stronger customer relationships, increase engagement, and improve patient outcomes. --- title: The future of rights and royalties management url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/rights-royalties-management-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/rights-royalties-management-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The future of rights and royalties management - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/rights-royalties-management-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/rights-royalties-management-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn how connected data, AI, and rights intelligence can transform rights and royalties management to improve transparency, protect revenue, and build trust. ## Body The future of rights and royalties management Learn how connected data, AI, and rights intelligence can transform rights and royalties management. Learn how connected data, AI, and rights intelligence can transform rights and royalties management to improve transparency, protect revenue, and build trust. Creating a foundation for growth and trust that is connected, transparent, and AI-enabled TL;DR - Rights and royalties management has become a strategic business capability, but disconnected systems, manual processes, and fragmented data make it difficult to manage ownership, permissions, payments, and compliance with confidence. - A connected rights intelligence approach unifies data, workflows, governance, and analytics to improve transparency, protect revenue, accelerate decision-making, and build trust across the intellectual property lifecycle. - AI enhances—not replaces—human expertise by improving data quality, identifying anomalies, reviewing contracts, surfacing revenue opportunities, and helping teams make faster, more informed rights decisions. - Organizations should begin with a focused assessment to identify where value is leaking, manual effort is creating friction, and limited visibility is increasing risk, then prioritize modernization initiatives that deliver measurable business value. From rights management to rights intelligence Intellectual property has never been more valuable—or more complex to manage. Content is being pushed out across multiple platforms, and licensing agreements span more partners and business models. New channels, products, and technologies are creating opportunities to monetize intellectual property in ways that weren’t available just a few years ago. At the same time, creators, partners, and regulators all want transparency, accountability, and clarity. Business leaders want confidence that rights are being managed correctly and revenue is being captured fully. For many organizations, the current systems supporting rights and royalties weren’t designed for this level of complexity. For rights and royalties management to evolve from a back-office process into a strategic business capability, organizations need a modern solution to help them operate more efficiently, but more importantly, to build a foundation for growth, trust, and better decision-making. Growing challenges across industries Media companies, publishers, retailers, sports organizations, gaming companies, and consumer products businesses are facing similar issues when it comes to rights and royalties management. Every day, the same questions are being asked: - Who owns this asset? - Do we have permission to use it in a particular channel or market? - Which contract terms apply? - How should revenue be shared? - Why did this payment change? - What usage drove this calculation? - Can we explain every payment and permission with confidence to creators, partners, auditors, or regulators? When the data that could answer these questions lives across disconnected systems, spreadsheets, contracts, usage reports, and manual processes, it becomes very difficult to achieve a single, trusted view of rights, usage, and revenue across the organization. This fragmentation creates risk, which can lead to missed claims, inaccurate calculations, inconsistent metadata, and reporting gaps—all of which force teams to spend valuable time investigating exceptions instead of creating value. In addition to data fragmentation, most organizations are also facing three interconnected pressures: - More formats: Partners, distributors, platforms, and internal systems generate information in different ways. Data arrives with different structures, identifiers, reporting periods, and business rules. Without a consistent way to normalize that information, downstream processes become increasingly difficult. - More complexity: Rights and ownership evolve over time. Companies merge, franchises are sold, collaborations fuel new growth, and then there are derivative works. All of this leads to new bundling and repackaging of offerings. The increased complexity means that inconsistencies are much more likely, and even the smallest disparity can erode trust and create significant operational and financial challenges - More volume: Digital distribution has fundamentally changed the scale of rights operations. Organizations now manage more assets, transactions, usage events, and payment scenarios than ever before. There is now a pressing need for a more transparent end-to-end process to protect the interests of both the rights holders and the media and communications organizations that manage their intellectual property. Transparency is now a business requirement Manual reconciliation alone cannot keep pace with these rapid changes. When availability decisions must be made in real time, organizations must be able to quickly determine where content can be used so they can maintain a consistently high quality for their customers—all while delivering accurate, transparent royalty and revenue share outcomes without dispute. It takes more than incremental improvement to reach this level of efficiency. A fundamental shift in how rights availability, revenue, and trust are managed creates a foundation that helps people work more effectively, make better decisions, and protect value. When organizations can trace how data entered the process, which business rules were applied, and how decisions were made, they create confidence across the ecosystem. This matters because behind every transaction is a creator, contributor, partner, or organization that depends on accurate and timely outcomes. Trust grows when transparency becomes part of the operating model. A [unified data foundation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026.html#trends-item-7054c27c33) that connects rights repositories, contract management systems, and usage reporting into a coherent picture will help reduce reconciliation time and uncover revenue that was previously invisible in the data, resulting in a more transparent end-to-end process. Revenue protection requires better intelligence The economics of intellectual property are also evolving rapidly and becoming more complex. Subscription models coexist with advertising, licensing, affiliate relationships, usage-based pricing, and direct monetization strategies. New technologies continue to reshape how content and intellectual property are created, distributed, and consumed. In this environment, historical reporting is no longer enough. Organizations need the ability to identify anomalies, monitor trends, compare expected outcomes with actual results, and understand the impact of commercial changes as they occur—while also assessing the economic viability of their content, surfacing underutilized assets, and preventing deals that ultimately erode profitability. Adding another royalty application to an already crowded landscape or modernizing for its own sake are not the best ways forward. Instead, we recommend creating a connected rights intelligence layer that brings clarity, consistency, and confidence to how intellectual property is managed. Rights intelligence brings together the data, rules, workflows, analytics, and governance needed to manage intellectual property throughout its lifecycle. It creates a trusted foundation for rights decisions, payment calculations, licensing opportunities, revenue recovery efforts, partner reporting, and future business models. It also gives teams a shared view of the truth. When this reliable foundation exists: - Finance teams close with greater confidence - Legal teams assess rights more efficiently - Licensing teams move faster - Product teams launch with fewer surprises - Partners receive clearer answers As people spend less time searching for information and more time on value-added activities, organizations can tap into whole new areas of opportunity. Where AI fits What role can AI play in the effort to transform rights and royalties management? Organizations can use AI to: - Identify which content can be packaged, bundled, or sold incrementally, thereby enabling teams to meet immediate customer demand while proactively shaping future offerings - Create the visibility needed to make smarter decisions, strengthen partner conversations, and uncover opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed - Understand customer behavior—analyzing what partners have historically licensed, identifying preferences, incorporating external market signals, and enabling more strategic content pipelines that balance immediate demand with longer-term programming opportunities - Identify and position complementary content, delivering offerings that align with what the customer’s customer already engages with, while introducing enough differentiation to drive continued interest and discovery - Discover anomalies, improve matching accuracy, classify content, surface missing metadata, summarize exceptions, and prioritize work for human review But rights management remains a domain where expertise matters. A misclassified asset or permission can affect revenue and create compliance risk, while a poorly explained decision can damage trust. The most effective approach is not replacing experts but helping them scale their expertise. Organizations are finding success by applying AI to secondary reviews, quality checks, anomaly detection, and decision support while maintaining appropriate governance and human oversight. “Audit-ready workflows and royalty explainability tools allow teams to trace every calculation back to its source, giving creators, partners, and internal stakeholders the clear answers they need. AI-assisted review capabilities can flag anomalies before they become disputes, while governance frameworks bring transparency that is systematic, not ad hoc.” Where to start The strongest outcomes often start with a focused assessment of where value is leaking, where manual effort is creating friction, and where visibility is limited. Start by asking: - Can we identify our highest-value rights, assets, and agreements? - Do we trust the quality of our rights and royalty data? - Can we compare expected outcomes with actual outcomes? - Can we explain rights decisions and payment calculations clearly? - Do we know which exceptions create the greatest financial risk? The answers to these questions help establish a practical roadmap for modernization. From there, organizations can prioritize improvements in data quality, governance, contract digitization, analytics, AI-assisted review processes, partner reporting, and workflow automation. The key is building momentum through measurable value delivery. A better foundation for what’s next Intellectual property is becoming more digital, more distributed, and more central to business growth. The organizations that thrive in this environment will move beyond viewing rights and royalties as a processing function. The path forward starts with understanding where value is leaking, where trust is at risk, and where better visibility can create immediate impact. Ready to explore the future of rights and royalties management? Let’s talk peak performance Share insight --- title: ROI in AI: Measure value to deliver value url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/roi-ai-measure-value-deliver-value source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/roi-ai-measure-value-deliver-value locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # ROI in AI: Measure value to deliver value - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/roi-ai-measure-value-deliver-value - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/roi-ai-measure-value-deliver-value - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Did you know 87% of AI projects are not deployed into production because ROI is an afterthought? Here’s why assessing ROI is important and how to customize your approach based on what matters to you. ## Body ROI in AI: Measure value to deliver value Did you know 87% of AI projects are not deployed into production because ROI is an afterthought? Here’s why assessing ROI is important and how to customize your approach based on what matters to you. ROI for AI | Slalom Investing in AI: Measuring ROI to Maximize Value Here’s why assessing ROI matters and how to customize your approach based on what matters to you. Share insight When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), where discovery and experimentation are central to the development of any use case worth its salt, concerns of ROI play a central role in determining [where organizations should invest their time and resources](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d). ROI can frequently be harder to calculate for data science use cases, given the widespread and sometimes nebulous nature of impacts. This makes it very important to leverage an ROI analysis at the earliest opportunity to achieve clarity in how best to prioritize high-value use cases and products. It’s important to understand that [calculating ROI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/possibility-profitability-ai-roi) is not an all-or-nothing approach. Some use cases can be justified by simply looking at obvious efficiencies gained, while others require a more robust business case to justify an investment. Affirm value through intelligent prioritization Since most AI systems and products are founded on substantial bodies of data garnered from a variety of sources, the data or device supply chains can be long, the infrastructure and resource overheads high, and the outputs not always expected. In this sense, it’s extremely important to evaluate potential or clear benefits in a transparent and scalable way. The earlier you can make a comprehensive estimation of costs and benefits, the more compelling your argument will be to prioritize a use case. Effective prioritization methods become more important as an organization’s product portfolio and user base broadens. Build responsible AI As AI systems increase in ubiquity, efficiency, competency, and power, you should be actively anticipating both the direct and indirect impacts of all your AI implementations. A comprehensive ROI assessment should account for both tangible and intangible impacts. ‘Soft’ factors—such as impact to the environment or your company’s reputation—could be just as important as ‘hard’ factors, such as increased infrastructure costs or improved revenue. Inherent to the notion of responsible AI is understanding the ‘machine footprint’ that results from machine intelligence, and a comprehensive ROI analysis can help you achieve this understanding. Why is calculating ROI for AI hard? The complexity and plethora of factors underlying any AI project make it difficult to assess comprehensive value. While the first step is the hardest, the subsequent assessment becomes clearer as teams achieve understanding, alignment, and synergy. Common questions you may be asking as you figure out how to get started include: - To understand key associated costs and benefits, where do we start? - Should we include ‘soft’ benefits? How do we measure them? - Do we need a different approach for short-term and long-term benefits? Getting started The best place to start is in the ideation phase of a use case, but you can just as efficiently calculate ROI during later phases of use case development. An early ROI calculation does help you efficiently prioritize and invest your resources, but you can certainly do so later as well. Our framework provides multiple entry points to begin ROI estimation, from the conception of a use case through to its execution and maintenance in the real world. ROI calculations can be iterative and incremental as you acquire insights and expertise. Your goal should be a comprehensive estimation of costs and benefits that’s applied consistently across an organization or portfolio, and in time evolving from forecast to actual ROI. For example, a use case at the point of conception may have a perceived value that’s founded more on heuristics and intelligent guesswork than hard data. Many great products, especially bleeding-edge ones, start out with a great idea and a good feeling. If available data is limited, it’s important to clearly document any assumptions that underly your ROI estimates. In short, if ROI has never been calculated, it’s a good time to start. If it’s been partially calculated, it’s a good time to refine it. If it’s been inaccurately calculated it, it’s a good time to revise the approach. And if you’re unsure where to start, then our framework offers a good place to begin. Diving into the details In general, ROI tends to be treated in the following ways: - Traditional ROI: The majority of benefits are calculated in clear dollar amounts. ‘Hard’ and ‘soft’ costs and benefits are taken into account. - Non-traditional ROI: Dollar returns may not be the only way to measure benefits. This may be the case for brand-new or disruptive products with business benefits that go beyond basic cost reduction or revenue gains. Measurement can be hardened through iteration, consensus, and results. Short-term and long-term ROI may need to be calculated differently. - Hybrid ROI: Some benefits are easier to measure monetarily than others, so a combination of traditional and non-traditional approaches are used. Consistent units of measurement must be used to ensure returns are measured accurately across use case and products, and through time. Short-term and long-term ROI may need to be calculated differently - Uncalculated ROI: Benefits and costs aren’t estimated in any measurable, repeatable, or uniform way. Decisions on ROI calculation and measurement must be made. Understand, define, align, and visualize your ROI Your ROI assessment could start with a process that includes the following steps: - Understand the comprehensive costs and benefits of your initiative. This is where you begin to determine clear benefits that are easier to calculate, and more intangible ones that could be harder. - Define your ROI measurement approach. Include units of measurements for all the costs and benefits that you’ll include in your calculation. - Align your ROI approach across your portfolio and to your business KPIs to make sure you’re delivering targeted business value. - Visualize your ROI calculations on a dashboard to facilitate prioritization and decision-making across your portfolio of use cases and products. As you refine your approach, your ROI calculations will increase in precision. An ROI calculation is legitimate and credible only when it’s put into context. How does the ROI compare across use cases? How does realized ROI compare to projected ROI? The power of visualizing forecast and actual ROI across a portfolio of products cannot be underestimated. Identifying key ROI inputs Our framework creates a 360-degree view into both tangible and intangible costs and benefits via eight primary assessment categories. A uniform and consistent valuation model can be used to compare use cases by understanding and defining value criteria and units of measurement. It’s important to consider all of the categories in our framework, eliminating those that have less or no relevance. Let’s break down these categories to better understand how each applies to an ROI analysis. Note that there can be varying degrees of overlap between categories. They’re not mutually exclusive, and each represents a source of both costs and benefits. The idea is to use each of the categories to frame ways in which AI can incur both costs and benefits. Use the details as guidance, not a checklist. 1. Cost impact Cost impacts are a foundational component in an ROI analysis. There are multiple elements that could incur or reduce costs. For example, your use case could increase or decrease infrastructure or human resource costs, or costs of data acquisition and software licenses could go up. 2. Revenue impact Your ROI use case needs to have a clear benefit that will translate into direct or indirect revenue impacts. Will you be able to increase revenue through new customers or an increase in customer lifetime value? Could there be an unforeseen cost or negative effect? Are other systems being benefited or impacted in other ways by your AI solution? 3. Quality impact Will your existing products and services experience qualitative feature or functional improvements? New products might need to meet or exceed existing standards. You’ll want to consider quality as a key determinant in the ROI analysis, whether it’s reducing existing pain points or vulnerabilities, improving overall experience, or creating net-new beneficial effects. 4. Technology impact Aside from upfront investments required in the new technology, other factors to consider are how legacy technology costs will change and what the recurring future technology costs will be. Is the existing or new AI solution a good fit for the technology it’s built on? Are there ways to do more with less? 5. Speed to value In certain situations, the go-to-market time is the biggest priority and biggest value consideration. Does your AI solution fall into this category? If so, what are some of the inputs you should consider to determine the value of such a solution? For example, how much are you willing to invest to outstrip a competitor? Should you speed up your delivery to satisfy a regulatory requirement or take advantage of ideal market conditions? 6. Security impact If your use case is going to address key security risks or threats, have you calculated the benefits of threat aversion or improved privacy for your clients? You can achieve significant cost savings and benefits through security improvements. You can also incur risks and threats through improper security considerations. Will you avoid costly penalties? Will you significantly reduce risk through enhanced measures? 7. Process impact If your use case was planned to improve processes, identify which ones were optimized and by how much. Are there clear time or resource savings? Will some of your compute processes be improved? Will your customers have a better shopping experience? 8. Business differentiator AI innovations can give an organization a competitive edge and create subtle or significant advantages. In such cases, your benefits might pay out over a longer timeframe. Are you creating a new service or product that’s the first of its kind? Are you substantially improving your brand or reputation? There's no wrong time to begin It should be clear by now that estimating the ROI of your AI is not an all-or-nothing approach; there’s no wrong time to understand the value of your AI investments. But it’s something that should be done for every AI solution. Calculating and monitoring the value of your AI solutions is critical to solidifying your AI portfolio and laying a foundation for efficient, powerful, and responsible AI. coworkers working on problem --- title: Six critical success factors to realize AI potential url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Six critical success factors to realize AI potential - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/six-critical-success-factors-to-realize-ai-potential - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn which factors are most likely to help you bridge the gap between the expected and realized value of AI. ## Body Six critical success factors to realize AI potential Learn which factors are most likely to help you bridge the gap between the expected and realized value of AI. Enterprise AI Use Cases: Key Factors to Maximize Potential Share The advertised benefits of artificial intelligence and the unprecedented pace of change is deservedly driving substantial attention in boardrooms throughout the globe. However, with [many organizations still in the pilot stages of their AI investments](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), it’s unlikely that they'll realize their expected benefit of AI within the next three years. The performance history of organizations undertaking transformations when innovative technologies are introduced is well-documented in works like “Gartner Hype Cycle” [by Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle) and Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore. These observations not only offer forward-looking insights about typical maturity phases and timing of ingesting new capabilities, but also provide warning signals about the inevitable “trough of disillusionment” that reliably follows phases of high exuberance. AI is now reaching the peak of its hype cycle crescendo, signaling that the realized value will be lower and slower than headlines suggest in the near term. This article outlines six areas of focus—or critical success factors (CSFs)—likely to have the biggest impact on bridging the gap between the expected and realized value of AI. In this context, CSFs are high-level, action-based goals that are vital to realizing the expected value of AI investments. The emphasis on “realize” and “expected” is important to underscore that the gap may be closed through a combination of realizing value sooner and establishing more realistic expectations for a given period. The six CSFs are: - Put people first - Anchor on value - Challenge operating models - Establish guardrails - Align on a roadmap - Evolve services and information foundations for AI These CSF’s normally carry broad dependencies, ambiguity, and are usually riddled by diverse opinions that can quickly lead to a stalemate among leadership teams. We often hear teams describe this as “we are stuck.” Teams become frustrated by their inability to align across silos and revert to executing on the current operating model while making little progress on implementing change. Below are some pragmatic ways to establish momentum and sustainably deliver on each of the CSFs. Put people first People-first is not a slogan; it’s the single most important component to drive sustainable change and realize human productivity benefits that can be enabled by AI. AI refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks historically associated with humans. Inherent in AI use is establishing what people should do and what computers can do, and this requires a people-first approach. Organizations often deploy AI technologies based on a vague notion of what’s required to drive productivity gains of 20–60%, highlighted by sources like the [World Economic Forum](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/can-ai-actually-increase-productivity/) and [GitHub.com](https://github.blog/2022-09-07-research-quantifying-github-copilots-impact-on-developer-productivity-and-happiness/). This urgency for companies to adopt AI due to its potent capabilities and the fast pace of societal change often results in a lack of strategy for integrating these technologies into daily workflows. This lack of direction can lead to mismatches in staffing, processes, and technology investments, which may exceed the actual productivity improvements creating a value realization gap. To bridge this gap, a people-first strategy that actively involves employees in AI integration is crucial. However, implementing this approach effectively, especially in large organizations, remains a significant challenge. We offer three immediate actions to start building a solid foundation: 1. Assign an AI lead AI implementation will affect the organization for years to come and someone needs to own navigating that change. This role will lead the organization to address concerns like cultural shifts, incentives, evolving job descriptions, skills readiness, and work locations. The leader’s current role and title are less important than choosing someone that genuinely carries the people first mindset and has the executive influence to effect meaningful change. Adding a new role to the executive staff can also have advantages in being able to establish cross-functional scope, to dedicate the time required to succeed, and to bring new perspectives to the team. 2. Align on scope Bring the leadership team together to align on the purpose and scope of deploying AI. Delivering on this year’s operating plan while aligning the leadership team on a multi-year roadmap for using AI is a tricky balance. Timebox both the scoping session and the AI initiative timeframes to drive pragmatic results. Focus on areas of business where AI deployment will be impactful and digestible within your organization’s cultural landscape and annual planning cycles coupled with well-articulated use cases. At this point, we are aligning directionally. Assigning responsibilities and building detail plans comes later. 3. Establish governance Governance is the decision and working structure needed to achieve results. The potential productivity improvements from implementation of AI likely exceed all other operational levers in the current operating plan by a wide margin. Governance leadership should be the same people who are running the business for opportunities this important. This team will have help in managing execution discussed later, but establishing the governance team early that will define the scope, accelerate alignment, and set the conditions for forthcoming operating model change is critical. Understanding the real potential of AI requires an understanding of how it changes the work people do. Assigned leadership, scope alignment, and a [well-formed governance model](https://medium.com/slalom-business/moving-beyond-44-effectiveness-6110fed4dcdb) provides building blocks to make the people the drivers of change. Getting people to agree on where to drive comes next. Tip: Third-party facilitators can be useful in providing the frameworks and independence needed to quickly align on the right starting scope, consider all the dependencies, and help navigate through organizational dynamics. Anchor on value Amid the uncertainties presented by the unchartered waters of AI, leadership teams may hear as many opinions about the path forward as there are people involved. The result can be multiple divergent directions, a palpable slowing of forward progress, and a substantial degradation of the AI value proposition. Value offers a reliable means of finding common ground. A solid business case is an objective way to align teams about where, when, and how much to invest and expect returns. Differing opinions can spawn from lack of clarity about specifically what investments are needed to support priority AI use cases, as well as how and when those investments generate returns. Below are three recommendations for aligning team members using value as a cornerstone. 1. CFO-facilitation Objectivity is vital to alignment. For innovative projects, organizations sometimes separate their business case expectations from financial statements due to ambiguity, the presence of qualitative benefits, or the desire to separate experimentation from existing business during the planning process, leading to internally inflated expectations. The CFO is best equipped to help clarify benefit expectations that would show up on balance sheets (be realized over time) and income statements (results at a point in time). Where opinions diverge, the persuasiveness of this objectivity is powerful. The CFO carries the facts about costs and revenues of the operating model today, and what could change to deliver on proposed value expectations in the future. However, their participation is less about debating the numbers and more about objectively exposing the implications of value (cost and revenue) assertions on business financial models. This leaves ownership of the decision in the hands of the people who will be expected to execute. 2. Business objectives with realistic targets Identify where AI is most likely to impact the bottom line and identify metrics to measure results. Look for a few specific and impactful quantitative metrics first, for example “North America SG A labor cost.” AI may also contribute to growth with quantitative metrics, but the tricky part is showing how much growth is attributable to AI. Considering the qualitative impacts of AI like employee morale, customer satisfaction, and brand reputation is also important. However, unless there are mechanisms in place to measure these qualitative metrics, it is more difficult to use these as a means of driving investment decisions and realizing planned return on investment. 3. Pragmatic execution The business case helps teams compare and decide where the limited dollar bet provides the most return. Most organizations use business cases as a tool to justify investments, but teams often lack information needed to justify the numbers with emerging technologies like AI. The result is a lack of consensus, “analysis paralysis,” and limited usefulness to support investment decisions. Focus on prioritizing the use cases and AI services that will enable the value of AI. Consider the impact, return on investment, and level of effort needed to implement each use case within the impacted business/operational processes. Clearly define how AI will help core business functions and operations. It can be helpful to timebox business case development efforts, and to initially develop ranges of minimum and maximum impacts to drive consensus more quickly. Tip: Assemble a core team that develops business cases for investment priorities. An enterprise value map and financial statements are useful to make tangible connections to where AI is likely to impact the bottom line. Challenge operating models An operating model is how an organization executes its strategy; it specifies how strategic decisions like the ecosystem experience, structure, organization, align with required operational execution capabilities like people, processes, and technology and information. It’s vital to consider the dependencies among all operating model components as changes introduced by technologies like AI are considered. Moreover, disruptive inventions (such as AI) may have such broad implications that challenging prior strategic operating model decisions with fresh ideas about how the organization will operate in the future may be required. How AI impacts operating models varies widely across industries and among companies. While AI may not be the only driver of operating model change, it can be a significant catalyst to challenge the current operating model across all the following components. 1. Structure Substantial global investments in AI offer new opportunities for mergers, acquisitions, or partnerships. This offers an opportunity to evaluate ways to improve resiliency and adaptability through adjustments to global footprint, supply chains, and ecosystem partnerships. 2. Organization AI directly influences the workforce in areas like culture, job descriptions, training programs, talent availability, mobility, division locations, and real estate requirements. 3. Experience Clearly defining and understanding the impact AI will have on the customer, partner or employee experiences and the personas required within that experience is critical to taking a human centered approach to AI. 4. People Productivity improvements depend on the workforce’s ability to change day-to-day working practices. Preparing and enabling the workforce to make changes is paramount. 5. Processes Processes will change. Finding and managing the processes and use cases where AI can drive efficiency is critical, both to ensure dependency requirements are satisfied, and to scale efficiency gains to similar processes and use cases. 6. Technology AI not only introduces new servers, applications, and data stores, but AI also requires integration and access to existing servers, applications, and data stores to effectively automate human tasks. 7. Information AI technology effectiveness depends on feeding good content into AI systems. Content includes a blend of structured, unstructured, current, and historical data, some of which represent the firm’s current position. The challenge for all organizations today is how to get AI access to the data it needs to provide responses that can be trusted enough to effectively drive organizational efficiency. Modern knowledge management practices are central to realizing AI efficiency gains. AI’s capacity for real-time, multi-modal information search enhances accessibility and necessitates persona-based access to information and strong data governance to ensure content remains relevant, secure, and appropriately accessible. Tip: Consider an AI solution pilot to drive operational efficiency in a targeted area of the business to drive operational alignment. Learnings from this can be used together with frameworks such as the business model canvas to identify required operating model insights and investments on how to effectively scale the business. Establish guardrails While government, private institutions, and consortiums across the globe are grappling with defining the responsible use of AI, our focus here is on identifying some practical steps to help accelerate benefits realization while mitigating some known risks. 1. Responsible AI leadership Appoint a leader of responsible AI on the governance team. This person will drive the development and adoption of policies aligned with organizational culture, values, ethics, and business. Responsible AI is part of all AI initiatives and includes responsible use awareness, reviews, escalation paths, and risk mitigation procedures. 2. Network security Establish network security perimeters (e.g., firewalls, VPC, VPN) that allow for worry free AI experimentation and prevent leaks of information to unauthorized consumers both internally and externally. Much of the power of AI is its ability to traverse traditional functional boundaries and democratize access to information. Network constraints provide some guardrails to protect against the unintended flow of information until persona-based access controls can be developed and tested. 3. Establish clear guidelines and training on AI usage Provide guidelines and training about the benefits and risks associated with AI to everyone in the organization, regardless of their association with any AI initiatives. This is to mitigate the risk that the workforce will inadvertently expose organizational information to the plethora of publicly available AI systems. This training should augment and fortify existing legal, privacy, and data compliance training. Align on a roadmap A roadmap represents the sequence, timing, and key milestones of work performed toward delivering desired AI outcomes. The roadmap is also an effective tool articulating status, holding accountability, and for balancing inevitable changes to scope, schedule, resource, and dependency risk. Below are some practical recommendations for developing and managing AI roadmaps. Roadmap development The roadmap should accurately reflect leadership team alignment on scope, investment prioritization, operating model dependencies, and governance actions outlined above. It should be easily consumable and is typically in a single-page presentation format. It represents the workstreams, activities, and milestones that are aligned with investment priorities the teams are pursuing, typically in relation to specific time horizons. Managing roadmaps It’s important to manage the AI transformation through an integrated governance and delivery approach. This often includes establishing a [centralized transformation management office (TMO)](https://medium.com/slalom-business/moving-beyond-44-effectiveness-6110fed4dcdb) responsible for maintaining governance team alignment on direction and status and managing cross-functional delivery execution. The TMO’s role is to drive integrated governance and delivery and support a clear change and communications plan considering company culture. This ensures the transformation is effectively orchestrated and delivered. Evolve services and information foundations for AI There are foundational steps in your roadmap for implementing AI in your organization. Identify necessary applications, understand the technology and architecture, integrate with AI services and large language models, and secure the data. Below are some key considerations. 1. AI services Gain a comprehensive understanding of the technology, its capabilities, infrastructure required and limitations before implementing the core AI services required to enable the use cases. Plan Language Model Operations to keep AI models up-to-date and aligned with changing data and technology advancements. 2. Data acquisition and integration Develop a strategy to acquire data sources, develop data models, ingest data, and manage APIs (Applications and programming interfaces). Plan and execute the integration of specific AI services and technologies into the workflow used to implement use cases. Evaluate data availability, quality, and proper formatting to effectively train AI models. 3. Front-end applications Identify the applications that will serve as the front end for GenAI and AI services and plan their integration to enable the prioritized use cases. Determine if you will use embedded AI solutions within applications like Microsoft’s Copilot, Salesforce CRM, SAP S/4Hanna or standalone Query engines like ChatGPT or Gemini which will depend on the required use case. 4. Trust and monitoring AI capabilities are changing at an unprecedented rate. Establish mechanisms to monitor and understand AI capabilities, the sources of language models, and AI services available to best support your priority use cases. Ensure that outputs generated by GenAI are validated by humans for accuracy, error prevention, and appropriate context. Conclusion The promise of efficiency gains and the pace of change in AI are exciting and unprecedented. Historically, headwinds associated with effectively implementing emerging technologies stand in the way of realizing expected benefits in the short term. By prioritizing these six critical success factors, your organization will be better positioned to realize more value faster from AI. Share insight --- title: Slalom AI Research Report 2024 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Slalom AI Research Report 2024 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-research-report-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Slalom’s recent survey of 200 C-suite executives finds that many organizations are now at a critical crossroads when it comes to AI adoption. Learn more in the full report. ## Body Slalom AI Research Report 2024 Slalom's AI research report: Executive insights for 2025 Slalom’s recent survey of 200 C-suite executives finds that many organizations are now at a critical crossroads when it comes to AI adoption. Learn more in the full report. Executive insights for 2025 Turning early AI adoption into strategic long-term success means forging the path ahead. Most companies are still navigating the early stages of AI adoption. Pilots have been launched, productivity gains evaluated, and technological investments made. But this is only the beginning. Slalom’s 2024 survey of 200 C-suite executives finds that many organizations are now at a critical crossroads: while AI investment is rising and innovation is accelerating, too many leaders risk falling into the trap of complacency, satisfied with early wins rather than pursuing the transformative potential AI offers. The real challenge isn’t just adopting AI as a differentiator—companies must ensure their AI strategies are actionable at every level of the business, turning bold visions into sustainable, transformative outcomes. The time for incremental change is over. Now is the moment to fundamentally reimagine roles, revolutionize processes, and cultivate the human skills that will unlock AI’s true potential. Yes, this transformation will be complex and sometimes messy—but that’s the price of pioneering. Embrace the challenge, navigate with agility, and turn obstacles into opportunities. The first steps in AI have been taken, but the journey is far from over. Will you choose to follow, or will you forge the path that shapes the future? Ready to deliver real results with AI? Work with Slalom to close the gap between AI ambition and measurable business value—or explore our latest executive research on what’s driving ROI in 2026. Most companies are still in the early stages of AI adoption If you feel like you’re just beginning to find your AI stride, you’re not alone. Despite the media hype and rapid advancement of generative AI (GenAI) over the last two years, many companies are still in the early stages of AI adoption—exploring pilot projects and focusing on boosting productivity. In fact, 79% of organizations are running pilot AI initiatives, and 68% have already seen productivity gains. Where is your organization in its AI transformation journey? While 69% of organizations remain in the early stages of AI adoption, focused on pilot projects and productivity gains, only 31% are beginning to capitalize on AI’s potential for differentiation and disruption through more advanced applications. AI Research Report Graphic #1 AI Research Report Graphic #1 Mobile These numbers demonstrate the momentum of early AI adoption, bringing organizations to a crucial juncture. Now, leaders face a defining decision: continue along the established path of incremental productivity gains or blaze a new trail of AI innovation. For example, while 70% of companies have adopted AI assistants, only 26%-28% are employing them for more advanced use cases in predictive maintenance, manufacturing or logistics process automation, or personalized marketing/product recommendations. Leaders who fail to think strategically about AI as a differentiator may soon find themselves outpaced by those who do. “Last year, many of our clients focused on achieving productivity gains through AI technology,” explains Ali Minnick, general manager of business advisory services and solution innovation at Slalom. “While individual users have become better and faster at specific tasks, many organizations haven’t yet taken the next step to ask: What do we do with this newfound time and productivity? The most progressive clients we work with are now starting to rethink the future of work—not just in terms of jobs and roles, but around discrete skills and tasks. They’re asking: Where are humans best suited to contribute, and where do we need complementary technology to truly excel?” The opportunity is clear: Companies that make AI a core part of their strategy and fully embrace its potential will shape the future, unlocking greater innovation and leaving competitors scrambling to keep up. This is your moment to lead through differentiation. [The AI revolution is unfolding faster than any previous technological shift](https://www.diamandis.com/podcast/emad-mostaque-current-state-of-ai), making this a time for bold action, not complacency. Though the terrain ahead may look daunting, pressing forward is essential. The true value of AI lies not just in improving productivity but in how it’s uniquely applied to drive lasting, transformative change. Download the executive summary Download the PDF 2-pager Overall investment in AI is increasing, despite uncertainty AI generates as many questions as it answers. Will it [create jobs](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/02/artificial-intelligence-ai-jobs-future/) or displace them? Spark creativity or [stifle it](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/the-future-we-dream-ai-and-design-7720cbfa1f3c?source=friends_link sk=09cfc08b0c711a9f2e15bd0e02d650d0)? Drive profits or [become a financial drain](https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/02/tech/wall-street-asks-big-tech-will-ai-ever-make-money/index.html)? Amid the uncertainty and skepticism, our research finds that 82% of executives plan to increase their AI investments in 2025—[up from 70% in 2023](https://go.slalom.com/l/209772/2023-10-10/3ks3yj/209772/1696956327Cr1K6RSy/Slalom___The_AI_Enigma_Research_Report___2023.pdf). This growing commitment demonstrates AI’s perceived value, but it also raises another important question: Are leaders allocating resources where they will have the most significant impact? Comparison of 2024 and 2025 AI investment plans among executives AI investments are set to rise in 2025, with 82% of organizations planning moderate or significant increases, up from 70% in 2024, signaling growing confidence in AI’s long-term value. AI Research Report Graphic #2 Delivering scalable, effective AI solutions requires more than just investment—it demands a focused approach that aligns vision with execution. While 94% of leaders predict a positive impact from AI and 86% of executives report tangible benefits—primarily through increased productivity (68%) and reduced operational costs (50%)—most AI initiatives remain in the pilot phase. This reveals a critical disconnect between financial commitment and strategic execution. Despite pouring resources into AI, many companies still struggle to move beyond experimentation. “There’s a sense of urgency that wasn’t as prominent at the start of GenAI adoption, but it’s now growing, causing both concern and excitement,” says Tamarah Usher, senior director of AI strategy and insights at Slalom. “This urgency is a powerful motivator, driving people to experiment with different approaches and make AI work for them. It’s a significant shift. You might expect the urgency to decrease over time, but it hasn’t—because we continue to see advancements and opportunities, and everyone is catching on and ready to move forward.” Kevin McClelland Organizations, regardless of size, feel they are falling behind in adopting AI, experiencing a sense of FOMO. And we’re seeing progress: Half of companies are redesigning their business processes for AI integration, and 70% of those have already experienced accelerated innovation cycles as a result—an incredible opportunity for industry disruption. However, the lack of formal decision-making frameworks is holding many back, as only 29% are using structured processes to prioritize their AI efforts. How can companies expect to capitalize on AI’s potential if they lack the mechanisms to direct their investments effectively? A strategic approach is essential. Organizations that continue to invest without clear direction may find themselves struggling to match AI’s rapid evolution. There’s a gap between strategy and execution While AI holds immense potential, [the gap between vision and reality](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-artificial-intelligence) continues to grow. In 2023, nearly a third (28%) of leaders said the pace of AI advancement matched their pace of innovation. By 2024, that number has dropped to just 15%, underscoring the mounting challenge of keeping up with AI’s rapid evolution. “Organizations, regardless of size, feel they are falling behind in adopting AI, experiencing a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out),” says Kevin McClelland, general manager and executive lead of Slalom AI. “However, with the right guidance, the mindset quickly shifts from fear to empowerment. Companies start feeling confident that they can get ahead of the curve, excite stakeholders, and create growth opportunities for employees.” The message is clear: AI success won’t come from tinkering or relying on past ways of working. Companies need adaptive, forward-looking strategies that align technological innovation with core business objectives, ensuring investment and execution move in lockstep. The challenge for companies is not just in adopting AI but in transforming early productivity gains into sustainable competitive advantages. For instance, while 55% of companies are investing in large language models (LLMs) and chatbots, far fewer are investing in transformative technologies such as AI-enhanced process automation in areas such as manufacturing and logistics (27%), predictive maintenance systems (26%), or AI-powered decision support systems (33%). Leaders need to ask themselves: Are we using AI to simply work faster, or are we positioning ourselves to innovate and disrupt? Where does the responsibility for driving your AI transformation reside in your company today? In 2024, AI ownership is shifting from single leaders (32%) to cross-functional teams (52%), emphasizing the growing need for collaborative leadership to drive scalable AI initiatives. AI Research Report Graphic #3 The redistribution of AI transformation ownership highlights that leaders are in the midst of rethinking how to integrate AI into their operations. In 2023, we found that over 80% of AI transformation efforts were owned by a single leader—typically the CIO or CEO. By 2024, this responsibility has shifted, with only 32% of organizations placing AI transformation under a single leader (25% with the CIO) and 52% adopting a cross-functional team approach, where both business and technology leaders share equal responsibility. This shift signals progress toward more integrated and collaborative AI leadership, but also introduces complexity and growing pains as businesses transition from siloed ownership to broader collaboration. To that end, lack of alignment remains one of the most significant barriers to AI productivity. Strategy misalignment is cited as a major obstacle by 33% of respondents, a figure that rises to 41% for companies operating cross-functional teams. While 68% of executives have seen productivity increases, real differentiation will come from turning AI-enabled productivity into creative outcomes that set businesses apart. Amalia Goodwin The responsibility for how AI is implemented and who makes key decisions should rest with a cross-functional team, owned and driven by the C-suite and leadership. The process of integrating AI across teams and departments is messy. AI is not a one-off solution—it’s an ongoing journey that requires companies to reimagine how they operate. Transformation requires a delicate balance of aligning diverse perspectives, unifying business and technology goals, and managing the friction that inevitably arises when roles and responsibilities shift. This underscores the need for an [AI Office](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-sustainable-ai-office)—a centralized function that enables seamless AI integration across the enterprise, bringing together cutting-edge technology and visionary experts in strategy and innovation. “The responsibility for how AI is implemented and who makes key decisions should rest with a cross-functional team, owned and driven by the C-suite and leadership. This ensures alignment with their strategic vision for the company,” says Amalia Goodwin, managing director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “However, our research found that as more people come to the table, there’s often more misalignment around AI strategy. This highlights the need for organizations to align on where they want their business to go and quickly adapt their strategy to the pace of technological and market changes.” The path to an effective AI Office can be challenging, reflecting the complex reality of innovation. To succeed, leaders must be fully invested—contributing time, resources, and ideas—while being held accountable for outcomes. It’s not about avoiding conflict or seeking consensus; rather, embracing healthy conflict—even when uncomfortable—is vital to success. Leaders need to bring diverse perspectives together that are aligned to the organization strategy to challenge and refine ideas, a critical process for driving innovation and ensuring impactful AI initiatives. Organizations need to prioritize the right training and change investments While AI is often seen as a technical revolution, its success fundamentally depends on people. Leaders consistently point to human-centric skills—critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration—as the key to future success. Yet, despite this understanding, many companies are still underinvesting in the human side of AI. Unlocking AI potential with innovative change approaches While most organizations remain tied to traditional change management methods—61% offering AI training and 71% providing tools—only a small percentage are embracing more forward-thinking approaches, like hackathons (28%), citizen development programs (17%), or pathways for AI career growth (30%). To keep pace with AI’s rapid evolution, companies must shift toward innovative initiatives that will propel them into the future. AI Research Report Graphic #4 Our data reveals a significant gap in workforce support. While 71% of companies are providing tools to leverage AI and 61% are offering training programs, only 39% are offering the coaching and mentoring necessary to truly integrate AI into daily workflows. This points to a crucial disconnect between providing technology and equipping people to use it effectively. Workforce challenges are also evident, with 37% of leaders citing resistance to change and 42% identifying a lack of skills and training as major barriers to AI adoption. “There’s a misconception that we can ‘one and done’ train or ‘boot camp’ our way to success,” Minnick says. “This is a much different transformation of human talent and skill.” To overcome these challenges, organizations need to move beyond traditional, rigid development approaches and instead [cultivate an environment where continuous learning and skill development are encouraged and prioritized](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai). Currently, 57% of organizations are redesigning roles to capture the productivity benefits of AI by automating repetitive tasks and allowing employees to focus on more strategic contributions. However, only 17% of companies are introducing programs that ensure work-life balance and support mental health and well-being—vital elements of a sustainable, human-centered AI adoption. Bridging this gap requires leaders to support and encourage their workforce to actively participate in AI innovation. This is where [citizen developers](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai) come in. With AI becoming more accessible, nontechnical employees are now using AI to tackle tech-heavy tasks. While 67% of companies have yet to implement citizen development initiatives, there are signs of progress as more businesses begin to decentralize AI responsibility. To fully harness AI’s power, companies must focus not only on the technology itself but on empowering their people to work alongside it, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. “AI, and what it brings to us in this new technology, means that we are constantly becoming that novice, and that is an uncomfortable feeling,” says Goodwin. “But creating systems and processes in which your teams can learn together really helps overcome those barriers.” Human skills remain critical As AI becomes more embedded in organizations, the role of [human-centric skills](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/fortune-future-of-work-ai) is even more critical. In 2023, technical skills like software development were considered most essential for the future. However, in 2024, those have been overtaken by skills such as [critical thinking and problem-solving](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations), and collaboration and teamwork. Top-ranked skills for the AI-driven workplace Top ranked skills for the ai-driven workplace As [Emad Mostaque](https://substack.com/home/post/p-146758170), founder and former CEO of Stability AI, puts it, “The cost of intelligence is plummeting. The value of human ingenuity in applying this new resource will skyrocket—it will shortly become one of the most important skills you can have.” This shift reflects the evolving nature of AI, from a technical tool to a collaborative enabler that enhances human capabilities. “People’s self-identity, which has traditionally been tied to the work they do and the roles they hold, is shifting,” Goodwin says. “In the future, skills—including technology skills—will become the ‘currency’ in which people trade.” As the [distinction between businesspeople and technologists](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era) continues to blur, the value of skills is evolving beyond traditional expertise. This requires not only interpersonal and collaboration skills but also the ability to adapt and learn continuously. And one of the most critical drivers of this adaptability is curiosity—a trait that fuels the exploration of new ideas, encourages experimentation, and helps people navigate the ever-changing technological landscape. “Curiosity is a skill we often lose over time, but organizations that foster it are likely to be more successful,” adds Minnick. “Your success will increasingly be linked to whether you cultivate an environment where curiosity and creativity can thrive.” The future of work, therefore, will not depend solely on individuals with technical expertise. Instead, it will rely on teams who can seamlessly integrate AI into broader organizational goals, using AI as a tool to amplify their creativity and collaboration. The road ahead AI is moving at an unprecedented pace, and what we’ve seen so far from pilots and productivity gains is just the beginning. The key to unlocking AI’s full potential lies in aligning strategy with execution—transforming early efforts into strategic, organization-wide initiatives. As AI becomes more deeply embedded into organizations, the potential for innovation and transformation will grow exponentially. Success will depend on seamlessly integrating AI into core business operations, ensuring that technological advancements directly support strategic business objectives. Organizations must focus not only on the technology but also on fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. By developing the human-centric skills needed for the future, and embracing the complexity of AI adoption, companies will unlock new levels of efficiency and accelerate innovation through AI-enabled experiences. The road ahead is clear: Companies that act boldly, make AI integral to their operations, and focus on training and innovation will stand out as future industry leaders. Others risk watching the horizon of opportunity recede in their rearview mirror. If you’re ready to lead in the AI era, we can help. Connect with us to take the next step on your journey toward becoming AI-enabled and future-ready. Methodology This study surveyed 200 C-suite executives, with 62% in CEO or chief technology leadership roles, and the remaining 38% holding various other senior executive positions. Participating companies reported annual revenues ranging from $500 million to $10 billion, with nearly half (48%) falling between $1 billion and $5 billion. The sample included a cross-industry representation, with major sectors including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, retail and consumer goods, and financial services. The survey was conducted between September 10 and September 18, 2024. Turn research into action Download the summary to share with your team—or connect with a Slalom expert to explore what these findings mean for your AI strategy. Talk to an expert Ali Minnick Connect with Ali Connect with Kevin Connect with Amalia Tamarah Usher Connect with Tamarah Pamela Harris Connect with Pam Tosia Morris Connect with Tosia Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! 2024 AI Research Report --- title: The sorcerer’s apprentice: A cautionary tale of integrating AI at work url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/sorcerers-apprentice-cautionary-tale-integrating-ai-work source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/sorcerers-apprentice-cautionary-tale-integrating-ai-work locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The sorcerer’s apprentice: A cautionary tale of integrating AI at work - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/sorcerers-apprentice-cautionary-tale-integrating-ai-work - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/sorcerers-apprentice-cautionary-tale-integrating-ai-work - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn three best practices for managing the risks of integrating AI at your organization. ## Body The sorcerer’s apprentice: A cautionary tale of integrating AI at work Learn three best practices for managing the risks of integrating AI at your organization. Share insight Three best practices for managing the risks of this powerful technology Have you ever watched the 1940s Disney movie Fantasia and witnessed the captivating tale of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice? In this short story based on the 18th-century poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Mickey Mouse serves as a young apprentice to a powerful sorcerer. Mickey is mesmerized by the magical powers that his employer wields and longs for the day he too can perform magic. Instead, his workday is filled with the drudgery of fetching pails of water. One day after the sorcerer goes to bed, Mickey steals the sorcerer’s magic hat and enchants a broom to do his manual labor for him. With his work on autopilot, Mickey falls asleep dreaming of all he will be able to do with his newfound powers. He’s awoken to the workshop flooded with water. He panics as he realizes that he doesn’t know the magic necessary to stop the broom. In the Goethe poem, the broom continues to flood the workshop until the apprentice yells to the sorcerer, “The spirits that I summoned, I now cannot banish.” Indistinguishable from magic Does this tale sound familiar? This timeless narrative is eerily reminiscent of how generative artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the modern workplace. Any knowledge worker who has experimented with the magic-like capabilities of generative AI tools like ChatGPT knows firsthand the look of awe on Mickey’s face as he covets the sorcerer’s magical powers. Generative AI and ChatGPT seem like magic. Enter a question and the answer appears instantaneously with surprising accuracy. Copy and paste a complex legal text, academic paper, or business memo into ChatGPT, and in seconds you have an easy-to-read summary. It recalls the well-known third law by science fiction writer, futurist, and creator of the HAL 9000, Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” When confronted with advanced technology we are often astounded. Our expectations run rampant with thoughts of the potential efficiency, productivity, and time saved. But it is not magic. It is a tool. Specifically, in the case of ChatGPT, the tool is a large language model (LLM) machine learning chatbot that uses statistical models to predict the next word that is most likely to follow given the prompt that was entered. These models are trained on datasets consisting of billions of sentences found on the internet. And just like any tool, generative AI has its limits. The foundational building blocks of ChatGPT rely on the neural networks of deep learning, which operates in the realm of probability, not certainty. In laymen’s terms, that means sometimes the information that it gives you is false. This tendency to error is known as “hallucinating.” Heather Desaire, a professor at the University of Kansas, describes hallucinations as [“kind of like the game Two Truths and a Lie.”](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/991128) It is difficult to distinguish what is true from what is false without expert knowledge of the subject at hand. The dangers of viewing AI as magic There is great danger in adopting AI tools into individualized workflows with the mindset that AI is magic. If you are not careful, like a dreaming Mickey, you too will suffer the consequences of unintended hallucinations. This is already happening. In May the [New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/27/nyregion/avianca-airline-lawsuit-chatgpt.html) that a lawyer who used ChatGPT to prepare a court filing could face sanctions for including incorrect information. The submitted brief referenced six prior cases that did not exist. In response, the lawyer told the court he was “unaware that [ChatGPT’s] content could be false.” Sometimes the consequences of hallucinations can be downright harmful. An AI chatbot hosted on the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website that was designed to help people who suffer from eating disorders was taken down after it started [giving out dieting advice](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/31/1179244569/national-eating-disorders-association-phases-out-human-helpline-pivots-to-chatbo). To make matters worse, before the rollout of the chatbot the NEDA laid off staff and volunteers who ran the legacy hotline service. As a result, thousands were left without a vital health resource for a disease that kills one person every 52 minutes in the United States. Why we should not ban AI technology at work So, what should organizational leaders do? Should they act like the Luddites and shun this advanced technology? Should they operate as if generative AI does not exist and put policies in place [banning workers from using AI tools](https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2023/05/11/these-companies-have-banned-chatgpt-in-the-office)? These are not realistic options. The cat is out of the bag and ChatGPT is not going anywhere anytime soon. Even when organizations enforce policies to restrict the use of ChatGPT, employees still use it to write emails, memos, and so forth—they are just using it on their personal devices and [not telling their bosses](https://www.fishbowlapp.com/insights/70-percent-of-workers-using-chatgpt-at-work-are-not-telling-their-boss/). Not only is banning this technology unrealistic, but it would be unwise because it is incredibly useful. For instance, a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the use of generative AI can boost the productivity of novice and low-skilled workers [by up to 35%.](https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31161/w31161.pdf) (Although effects on senior employees were minimal.) Like all tools, it can be useful if it is properly understood and used correctly. So then, how can organizational leaders safely encourage their talent to integrate AI into their daily workflows without being inundated with false information and bad decisions? The answer is that they need to act like the sorcerer and train their apprentices. How to use AI like a responsible sorcerer Mickey’s desire to have the same skills as the sorcerer was not unjustified. His role as an apprentice was to observe and learn from the expert beside him. The same should be true of us as we integrate AI into our daily work. We should be observing and learning from experts so that we can gain experience in a supervised and safe environment. Organizations can encourage responsible AI usage by doing the following three things: - Build digital literacy - Always have an expert in the loop - Embrace boring productivity gains 1. Build digital literacy: The 30% rule Paul Leonardi, professor of technology management at UC Santa Barbara, and Tsedal Neeley, professor of business administration at Harvard, argue in their book [The Digital Mindset](https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Mindset-Really-Thrive-Algorithms/dp/1647820103) that to thrive in our modern world of digital work we need to become digitally literate. To achieve literacy, they recommend the 30 percent rule, which states: “you only need 30% fluency in a handful of technical topics.” Think about it—if you want to travel to France, you do not need to know every single French vocabulary word. You only need to know 30% of the language, which allows you to ask for directions, order a meal, and be adequately conversational. The same applies for using AI tools. The average professional in HR or marketing does not need to know how to code or build an AI model, or the intricacies of deep learning, but they do need to build their 30%, which may include knowing that those things exist and holding a basic understanding of how they work and what their limitations are. Without that knowledge, they will be just like the lawyer who was unaware that AI content could be false. 2. Always have an expert in the loop Organizations can learn a lesson from the law firm [Allen Overy.](https://www.wsj.com/articles/generative-ai-lessons-companies-ee250ba7?mod=hp_user_preferences_pos1#cxrecs_s) They were an early adopter of Harvey, an OpenAI-funded startup focusing on using generative AI for law firms and powered by GPT4. After running initial pilot testing, they rolled out the AI tool to 3,500 lawyers in 43 offices. David Wakeling, a partner and the head of Markets Innovation Group at Allen Overy, credits the success of their adoption to the use of change management, strong governance, and always having an expert in the loop. He explains, “Almost never is a work product from Harvey the final thing that is used. I would say never. I’ve never encountered that as an outcome. It’s always used to save a bit of time, and then someone finishes it and takes it the last mile with the right expertise.” Whenever generative AI is implemented within an organization for a task that requires a high level of accuracy there should be an expert who double-checks the work produced by the AI model. 3. Embrace boring productivity gains There is an additional key lesson that we can learn from Allen Overy, and that is to embrace boring productivity gains. Wakeling did not integrate the Harvey tool to automate the entire product delivery process for their law firm. Instead, he describes the value they expect to be “boring productivity gains.” They are using it as a tool to create first drafts for incremental elements of work. Their goal is to help lawyers in their firm save an hour or two of work a week. Saving an hour or two a week is hardly the time-saver that Mickey envisioned! It is a modest expectation. But when seen in aggregate from an organizational level and multiplied across all 3,500 employees, it can make a big impact. Peter Drucker’s sage advice: The importance of more accurate information In his book Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Peter Drucker predicted that the new information revolution would focus on the “shift from the ‘T’ in IT to the ‘I.’” He argued that institutions would focus on the meaning and purpose of information and not the technological systems that store, collect, transmit, and present data that had defined the second half of the 1900s. By this, he meant that we will no longer focus on utilizing technology for the sake of technology, but rather for it to cultivate meaningful information to help individuals make better-informed decisions. Not all information is meaningful. For it to be useful it must correspond to some degree of reality. Stephen Wolfram [describes the value of technology](https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/03/will-ais-take-all-our-jobs-and-end-human-history-or-not-well-its-complicated/) as “taking what’s out there in the world, and harnessing it for human purposes.” The real benefit of technology for knowledge work will not result from its magical ability to generate a lot of information quickly, but rather for it to help us produce accurate information that is right for the specific problem we’re facing at that moment. There is no doubt that AI tools will help us perform [our work tasks quickly](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai-the-next-productivity-frontier#key-insights), but we must also be careful to realize when the desire for speed and efficiency creates unnecessary risk. It is crucial to approach generative AI with the mindset that it is a tool and to have a basic understanding of its capabilities and limits. This will allow us to integrate AI into our workflows cautiously and responsibly. A failure to be responsible at this time will result in organizations being flooded like Mickey, except instead of drowning in water we’ll be drowning in AI-induced hallucinations, inaccurate information, and unnecessary risk. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/the-sorcerers-apprentice-a-cautionary-tale-of-integrating-ai-at-work-ba197a12d8f0). --- title: The speed of AI: Is your organization adapting or stalled at the starting line? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The speed of AI: Is your organization adapting or stalled at the starting line? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/speed-of-ai-adapting-or-stalled - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The old change management playbook wasn’t made for artificial intelligence. Instead of adapting once, we need to become adaptive. ## Body The speed of AI: Is your organization adapting or stalled at the starting line? The old change management playbook wasn’t made for artificial intelligence. Instead of adapting once, we need to become adaptive. Share Despite 71% of organizations providing AI tools and 61% offering AI training, only 15% of leaders we [surveyed](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) in 2024 responded that they feel their company’s innovation is keeping pace with AI’s rapid advancements. And, compared to 28% in 2023, that number has decreased. What is holding back 85% of companies (and growing) from innovating as fast as AI is advancing, even though most of them already have AI? It’s revealing that almost the exact same percentage of leaders who don’t think their companies are innovating at pace with AI—85%—are still applying traditional change management practices to [AI adoption](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence)—86%. The old change management strategies weren’t designed for AI’s speed, scale, or impact. Instead, AI is one in a collection of environmental drivers that demand a fundamental shift in how organizations and people perceive and adapt to change. To adapt and innovate at the speed of AI (or faster!), organizations need more than reactive, linear adjustments. They need: - Visions that are truly transformative: Don’t just imagine a better tomorrow, envision the future decades from now. - Systems that run faster and more dynamically with AI: Redesign systems for human-AI collaboration and AI-to-AI collaboration, orchestrated and choreographed by people working more creatively. - Workforces that are encouraged to “hack their jobs“: Give employees opportunities and agency to experiment with AI and evolve their own roles for the AI age. While many traditional change management frameworks fall short, one familiar model aligns with the realities of AI: the Three Horizons. By viewing important AI initiatives like those above—vision-setting, systems redesign, and talent development—through the lenses of productivity, differentiation, and disruption, leaders can create a roadmap for their organizations to continuously adapt in ways that help them keep realizing ROI, no matter what the future holds. The return could be on your AI investments, but it could also be on investment opportunities that don’t even exist yet. That’s the power of not just adapting but becoming adaptive . To make the roadmap to adaptability and ROI as practical as possible, we’ll combine the concept of the Three Horizons with the approach of a titan at the forefront of AI’s development. Apply the Three Horizons to the AI journey—and set transformative visions for each There’s a page in Meta’s [internal culture guide](https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-facebooks-little-red-book-2015-5) first published in the earlier days of Facebook that reads: “We have a pretty good idea of where we want to be in six months and where we want to be in 30 years. And every six months, we take another look at where we want to be in 30 years to plan out the next six months.” This kind of long-range yet adaptive thinking is exactly what organizations need now. The Three Horizons framework helps leaders start to think this way. Horizon 1: Productivity The first Horizon focuses on AI’s immediate impact: efficiency, optimization, and cost reduction. Leaders in this stage use AI to streamline operations and enhance productivity, but many get stuck here, treating AI as another automation tool rather than a strategic differentiator. Transformative vision for productivity: AI is the ultimate enabler of workforce productivity, seamlessly integrated into every process. No more traditional workflows, just AI-augmented decision-making, multi-agent collaboration, and radical cost disruption (e.g., from $20 per customer service call to nearly free). Human productivity is measured by decision quality more than task completion. Horizon 2: Differentiation Horizon 2 is where AI starts to transform the business, allowing new value propositions, unique customer experiences, and innovative business models. The organizations that thrive here are those that use AI to evolve constantly, rethinking industry norms and reshaping customer expectations. Think of how Netflix [capitalized](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/060815/how-netflix-changing-tv-industry.asp) on technology advancements in internet speeds, content delivery, and cloud infrastructure to essentially invent the Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) business model and the idea of over-the-top (OTT) streaming services. Transformative vision for differentiation: Human-machine collaboration is frictionless and AI-first networks of agents negotiate, optimize, and transact autonomously. Market leaders with high “innovation metabolism” absorb and implement new technological capabilities quicky. They also earn customer trust with infrastructure to verify authentic human interactions and experiences. Horizon 3: Disruption This is where AI-driven organizations don’t just compete—they lead movements. Horizon 3 is about rethinking the fundamental rules of business to create entirely new categories, operating models, and industries that wouldn’t have been possible without AI. Transformative vision for disruption: AI is the foundation of new economies and AI-to-AI commerce dominates trade, with markets specifically for machine consumption. Traditional SaaS and service models are replaced by autonomous business capabilities where AI functions as the organizational operating system. Systems continuously rewrite themselves, and the role of humans is to orchestrate them. The Three Horizons framework The Three Horizons framework can be applied to various kinds of business growth but has been made more relevant than ever with the rise of AI. Enable through AI-accelerated systems that improve navigation The Three Horizons and a transformative vision help guide maturity in thinking at any time in an organization’s journey. But leaders must also balance tomorrow’s transformation with today’s execution. Establish AI-accelerated systems that will help you reach incremental milestones long before your organization reaches its long-term goals—as soon as the first six months of your transformation, if you want to take a page (specifically that page) from Meta’s book. Establishing these systems means being willing to redesign business processes for AI integration, which our research [indicates](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) only half of organizations were doing in 2024. Here’s how to be that half: Productivity-driven six-month actions with examples - Strategically deploy specialist AI: Focus on narrow, high-value use cases where AI has proven capability, like customer service automation or contract review. Start with well-defined, high-cost processes, build domain-specific guardrails, and prioritize practical deployment over theoretical planning. For example, some of the first generative AI use cases United Airlines [brought to production](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai) were in customer service, including a customer care copilot and enhancements to its messaging program for flight updates. - Get [exponential](https://medium.com/slalom-blog/adapting-to-acceleration-charting-the-course-of-exponential-transitions-7170cc46f43d) ready: Redesign processes, like customer service triage, to scale efficiently under 100x volume. Plan for AI to become ten times more capable and one-tenth the cost within a year, supporting seamless AI collaboration and organizational readiness. - Normalize working with robocolleagues: Treat AI agents as team members, not tools. Launch an “AI fluency” program, establish [AI-human collaboration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations--part-two) protocols, create safe spaces for experimentation, and measure satisfaction while reducing AI anxiety across all team levels. Differentiation-driven six-month actions with examples - Build your data advantage: Start collecting unique interaction data from AI deployments and map your data territory to identify proprietary datasets. Build synthetic data generation capabilities to create exclusive assets that will fuel your future AI advantage and drive innovation. - Customer intelligence revolution: Deploy AI agents to engage in 100x more customer conversations, turning previously unaffordable interactions into valuable touchpoints. Capture customer insights at an unprecedented scale, enabling personalized conversations that outpace competitors in learning and understanding customer needs. - Master rapid evolution: Focus on continuous AI-powered transformation by making experimentation a core capability. Transition from project-based thinking to rapid evolution, building systems that improve with every interaction and using learning velocity as a key metric. Disruption-driven six-month actions with examples - Multi-agent orchestration: Begin to build infrastructure for AI systems to interact, shifting from individual AI tools to interconnected ecosystems. Start experimenting with agent-to-agent transactions, and lay the groundwork for a future where AI systems collaborate autonomously across industries. - Autonomous governance design: Develop frameworks for AI system accountability by creating metrics for oversight and transparent audit trails. Design autonomous governance structures now, ensuring control while enabling AI autonomy, setting the stage for competitive advantage through responsible AI decision-making. - Fluid system boundaries: Design systems capable of dynamic reconfiguration, anticipating the blurring of traditional company boundaries. Build capabilities that allow instant composition and decomposition, preparing your organization to thrive in a future of constant change and fluid operational structures. Develop an adaptive workforce Even though 61% of organizations were offering AI training of some sort by 2024, 63% of executives we [surveyed](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024) still cited inadequate skills or resistance to change as key barriers to AI productivity gains. Coincidence? Or a sign that training isn’t effective—or at least sufficient on its own—to achieve real results? And if that’s just for productivity gains, a Horizon 1 aspiration, imagine how the AI skills and adaptability gap is hindering higher-order goals like differentiation and disruption. To be future-ready, organizations need to help employees transcend mere skills acquisition to adapt to AI, break old habits, and develop trust in AI as a collaborator. Here’s how organizations can evolve their ways of working across the Three Horizons: Productivity-driven six-month actions with examples - Skill-based architecture: Encourage a “hack your job” mindset where employees integrate AI into their roles and think of themselves as [business technologists](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/evolving-role-business-technologist-ai-era) and citizen developers. Replace rigid job roles with dynamic skill sets, emphasizing AI fluency, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Host “promptathons” and agent-creation sessions where employees can experiment with AI tools, fostering innovation through hands-on learning. For example, Takeda Pharmaceuticals [designed](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals-) a comprehensive upskilling initiative in collaboration with Slalom to help empower its workforce with AI and foster an innovation mindset, resulting in a 91% increase in participants’ average AI proficiency levels. - Rethink leadership and management layers: Start shifting away from hierarchical management to networked decision-making, where AI provides real-time insights that inform decisions across the organization. Leaders focus on navigating these systems—not micromanaging tasks or getting progress reports through archaic reporting structures. This leaves more time for coaching employees and collaborating on proactive strategies. Differentiation-driven six-month actions with examples - Automate low-value work to free human capacity: Implement automated workflows with AI agents to handle routine processes, allowing employees to focus on higher-value, strategic work. Examples include AI-driven automation in customer service, legal review, or coding. Then, start moving beyond routine automation to target more complex, time-consuming decision points, like contract negotiation or fraud detection. - Break silos with AI-driven cross-functional collaboration: Leverage AI to break down organizational silos, automate alignment, and accelerate cross-functional collaboration. Create solutions like AI-powered knowledge-sharing platforms to distribute insights and catalyze ideas across teams and departments. Disruption-driven six-month actions with examples - Build a learning culture with AI-augmented feedback loops: Treat AI as an active learning partner that personalizes development, providing real-time feedback and surfacing insights to refine skills. AI-enhanced coaching and intelligent career pathing should help employees navigate new opportunities, ensuring workforce adaptability. - Fluid organizational model: Form AI-augmented teams based on employees’ skill sets that dynamically reconfigure as needs evolve. When AI works like the organizational operating system, employees can use that system to bring uniquely human ideas to life. Common vs. innovative change management approaches Our research shows that most organizations are providing AI tools and training programs today, but few are implementing more forward-thinking initiatives that foster an adaptive workforce and prepare them for Horizon 3. Set an example for continuous reinvention Apart from setting a vision as far as 30 years into the future, accelerating systems with AI in as fast as six months, and developing an adaptive workforce across each Horizon, the real key to avoid stagnating is [continuous reinvention](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/navigating-ai-transformation-through-continuous-learning). The same Meta employee guidebook that talks about 30-year visions and six-month executions also includes this warning: “If we don’t create the thing that kills Facebook, someone else will.” The same idea holds true for every company navigating AI transformation—and for every leader at the helm. Reinvention isn’t a onetime effort; it’s an organizational and mental muscle that must be flexed continuously. Leadership in this context is about embracing discomfort, questioning old assumptions, and creating an environment where learning, experimentation, and growth are the norm. A leader’s dedication to ongoing reinvention sends a clear message to the entire organization: Change is both constant and good . Ultimately, it’s this leadership commitment to reinvention that drives the organization forward. By adopting the mindset of continuous improvement and adaptability, companies can break free from the starting line and stay ahead of the curve in the AI era. Because adaptability—above all else—is the fuel that keeps the entire organization moving, ensuring it never gets stalled. Watch us make our case for adaptability at HumanX We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Enjoy the recording and if you have any questions on our talk or this topic, [please get in touch](https://www.slalom.com/us/en?modal=lets_talk_form). ncvcnrh4w9 Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Share this article --- title: State of Industry 4.0 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/state-of-industry-40 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/state-of-industry-40 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # State of Industry 4.0 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/state-of-industry-40 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/state-of-industry-40 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Industry 4.0 was once an abstract concept. Now, it’s a critical differentiator for organizations succeeding in the face of disruption. Explore Slalom's research findings and real-world implementation stories. ## Body State of Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 was once an abstract concept. Now, it’s a critical differentiator for organizations succeeding in the face of disruption. Explore Slalom's research findings and real-world implementation stories. Share insight Build long-term, transformational success in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Industry 4.0 was recently an abstract concept. Now, it’s a critical differentiator for organizations succeeding in the face of disruption. Explore Slalom's research findings and hear real-world examples from Industry 4.0 implementations–and use these insights to inform the decisions you make today for the future of your manufacturing business. Research summary External conditions and rapidly scaling Industry 4.0 advancements are changing the manufacturing industry. Read our high-level findings and discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind industry leading programs. Download the overview The industry 4.0 framework: Creating a shared understanding Industry 4.0 initiatives thrive in active collaboration across the entire organization. Align technology applications and create a common language using a framework that addresses seven key capability areas to integrate people, process, and technology. Download the report Technology big bets Thriving organizations are investing in Industry 4.0 technology. Dive deep into the experiences of manufacturing leaders around the world to identify ideal partnerships and learn the benefits of different technology suites. Download the article Considerations for leaders: New rules, new strategies Implementing changes in Industry 4.0 requires continued commitment from leaders and the enterprise. Control variables independently to create an innovative, change-ready business. Download this report Two field workers talking and looking at a mobile device on a job site --- title: From compliance to changemaker url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/sustainability-journey source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/sustainability-journey locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # From compliance to changemaker - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/sustainability-journey - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/sustainability-journey - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Becoming a leader in sustainability is no small feat, requiring buy-in from leadership, investment in the right technology, and trustworthy data. ## Body From compliance to changemaker From compliance to changemaker | Slalom Becoming a leader in sustainability is no small feat, requiring buy-in from leadership, investment in the right technology, and trustworthy data. The sustainability journey Share insight The beginning of [a sustainability journey](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/how-to-leverage-data-to-achieve-net-zero-9051c3bf6335) for most companies means focusing on compliance. It’s a sensible place to start — every business needs to make sure it’s sticking to current regulations. But what needs to happen for those who want to go further? Hass Jishi, head of Net Zero Cloud UKI (United Kingdom and Ireland) at Slalom, spoke at a conference in London about why any business wanting to be a change maker needs two things: a bold vision and the ability to execute it. It’s the second part — the execution — that can be the most challenging, largely because of the difficulties encountered in collecting data and measuring progress. Businesses need to find ways to free up time from reporting so they can spend more time making decisions and making a difference. Automated data collection As Jishi explained during the Slalom session, many businesses are “bogged down in reports and spreadsheets,” requiring them to gather data from warehouses, facilities, and building management. They’re trying to get data anyway they can. Jantzen Bridges, Salesforce General Manager at Slalom, said that the average amount of time for impact data to be manually collected, fully reconciled, and sent off for publishing is four to six weeks. In some cases, it’s 12 to 16 weeks of five to 10-person teams collecting the data, without any established trust or accuracy. If it’s taking that long to get that data just to see what the impact is, how are companies moving the dial? And how are they coming up with initiatives that actually make a difference? This sluggish collection of data also makes it tricky to maintain the momentum behind a bold vision or strategy, partly because it’s hard to trust the numbers. How is it possible to have a bold vision that you’re confident in if it’s taking months to track the data? Net zero and the importance of data A more effective approach to net zero — [and sustainability in general](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact) — [requires automation of data collection](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/5-steps-for-embedding-a-data-led-culture-2451a929ee25) wherever possible. It also needs to be led from the very top of the company, with a clear vision and a business imperative embedded across the organisation. As Jishi said, if you have the vision and make it a business imperative, you can start mobilising and making a difference. During his presentation, Jishi pointed to one recent example at a luxury retail brand. Tapping into consumers’ desires to repair their luxury handbags and extend the life of the items, the brand launched a repair service that sent items to its workshop for renewal. Interrogation of the data, however, found that shipping emissions made the carbon footprint of repair larger than the impact of producing a new item from raw materials. While the initial idea was a strong one, the brand needed to take a step back and reconsider what other changes needed to happen first. The path to net zero Initially, all it takes are a few small changes to make a big impact. Everyone starts somewhere — and if you aren’t tracking things, they will never change. By placing Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud at the centre of your [ESG program](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact), Slalom can help you create a culture of innovation and action, using comprehensive and easy reporting to provide the fastest possible path to net zero emissions. [Learn more and reach out today](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services). Man and woman working on a laptop at a coffee shop --- title: 2026 technology trends url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # 2026 technology trends - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary Translate today’s tech shifts into tomorrow’s competitive edge. ## Body 2026 technology trends 2026 technology trends | Slalom Translate today’s tech shifts into tomorrow’s competitive edge. 2026 technology trends: Powered by 3 operating model imperatives Powered by three operating model imperatives 2026 technology trends Powered by three operating model imperatives Overview Translate this year's complex tech trends into clear, actionable leadership imperatives. Explore these technology trends, all curated to help senior technology leaders make key operating model shifts in 2026 and beyond. These insights reflect the thinking of +50 Slalom and Fortune Global 500 experts, guided by our Slalom Technology Council. OPERATING IMPERATIVE 1 Power a value creation engine Build a closed-loop value engine that delivers outcomes, not just activity. OPERATING IMPERATIVE 2 Accelerate AI for enterprise advantage Deploy agents and scale AI decisions into a measurable market edge. OPERATING IMPERATIVE 3 Enable a more responsive enterprise Evolve your organization to sense, decide, and act in real real-time. Ready to turn technology trends into advantage? We can help Share this article --- title: Encoding advantage: How AI agents are redefining commerce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-commerce-procurement-supply-chain-decisions source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-commerce-procurement-supply-chain-decisions locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Encoding advantage: How AI agents are redefining commerce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-commerce-procurement-supply-chain-decisions - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-commerce-procurement-supply-chain-decisions - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary How agentic AI turns commerce, including supply chain management, into machine-speed decision systems that unlock capital and resilience in volatile markets. ## Body Encoding advantage: How AI agents are redefining commerce How to trust agentic AI in commerce and use it for faster, smarter trade decisions How agentic AI turns commerce, including supply chain management, into machine-speed decision systems that unlock capital and resilience in volatile markets. Principles for using agentic AI that negotiates on your behalf Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Executives spent a decade digitizing supply chains with ERPs, planning suites, WMS/TMS, control towers, and dashboards. And yet ... - Planners still scramble in spreadsheets at quarter-end - Sourcing teams renegotiate the same terms every year - Logistics leaders firefight around weather events - Commercial teams over-promise because they don’t see the true constraints There’s a way to shift work away from these spreadsheets, escalations, and last-minute tradeoffs: Machine-mediated commerce with AI agent-driven procurement and autonomous economic workflows. It reads like a mouthful, but it’s a simple concept: Where will you allow agents to make, then commit to decisions on your behalf? Design agentic AI for outcomes, not outputs. Drive measurable growth through AI-enabled innovation and insight with Slalom. Start a ROI conversation Agentic AI meets your SCOR operating model Classic supply chains work like this: You plan, you lock, you execute, you fix what breaks. You negotiate contracts and allocations once or twice a year, run sales and operations planning (S OP) monthly or quarterly, and handle exceptions through emails, calls, and escalations. The model assumes that reality will conform to your planning cycles. In agent-driven commerce, humans still own strategy, relationships, risk appetite, and exception management. But AI agents handle the constant stream of micro-decisions required to [keep a complex inventory synchronized with reality](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026). They don’t just predict. They also negotiate and commit across the full supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model using the rules you define in your Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Enable standards. Instead of every quarter, once outcome objectives are decided, AI agents adjust the plan in smart, controlled ways every day. Your operations move with the market, not weeks (or months) later. Here’s how agentic AI can function across the Plan-Source-Make-Deliver-Enable framework. Plan Reconcile demand, supply, and financial targets continuously as conditions change. Instead of reviewing at a fixed cadence that’s out of date the moment a big event hits, agents continuously evaluate demand signals, supply constraints, and financial targets to commit to revisions. [Humans in the loop](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop) approve policy changes and major shifts while agents handle small, routine rebalances. Source Flex quantities, delivery windows, and options within contract terms. Instead of buyers chasing updates via calls and spreadsheets or flexing their relationships via email, sourcing agents flex the data in their systems. They trade call-offs and allocations within contractual bands, and they propose intelligent SWAGs between suppliers when risk or cost changes. Make Re-sequence production and maintenance based on performance, risk, and priorities. In the face of brittle production issues, often impacted by fire drills in maintenance or supply chain, production agents will re-sequence jobs when a line slows, a material delay is predicted, or a rush order appears. Production agents always check upstream (material) and downstream (logistics and customer promise) before suggesting changes. Deliver Re-route loads, match shipments with capacity, and manage service-level tradeoffs in real-time. Instead of making transport and warehouse decisions based on static routing guides and local judgement, logistics agents constantly re-route shipments, swap modes, and adjust slotting as disruptions, capacity, and demand change. Humans in the loop focus on resolving exceptions, not on booking every load. Enable Embed contracts, credits, compliance, ESG, and master data into every decision. In the supply chain, current state, contracts, credit rules, compliance, and ESG standards are scattered across legal documents, policy manuals, and spreadsheets. Enablement agents embed those rules directly into their decisions, checking that every autonomous trade respects financial, legal, and ethical constraints. The signal, policy, agent model for agentic-driven commerce The supply chain-plus-AI landscape is noisy with hundreds of tools, competing architectures, and vendor narratives. It’s easy to get lost in technical detail and miss the few levers that truly matter. Here’s a simple three-layer model that keeps the conversation in your control: The signal layer The signal layer asks, “Do our agents see the same inventory truth as our best planners?” Common failure modes to avoid: - Dashboards that show everything but connect to nothing (we call this the “single pane of lies”) - Data arrives too late to matter (hours or, often, days after decisions need to be made) - Different systems disagree on basic facts, so here’s no shared truth (e.g., inventory levels, available-to-promise data) The policy layer The policy layer asks, “Where are our service and pricing rules in a format that software can use today?” Common failure modes to avoid: - Policies live in slide decks or people’s heads, not in systems - Different functions encode conflicting rules (e.g., finance vs. sales vs. supply chain) - No one owns the process for changing rules when markets move The agent layer The agent layer asks, “For this flow, what can agents recommend vs. recommend and execute automatically today?” Common failure modes to avoid: - Pilot graveyards with smart models that never scaled beyond a POC - Black box agents that nobody trusts or can explain - Agent sprawl where many point solutions make conflicting decisions Leadership in action Stand up a senior “Signal-Policy-Agent Council” that decides what agents can see, what rules they must obey, and where autonomy is allowed. To keep your AI agenda anchored in business choices rather than vendor roadmaps, leaders need to formalize: - Which signals must be shared and cleaned - Who owns the rulebook and changes to it - Where agents can move from recommend to co-pilot to autonomous action How to make the business case for agentic-driven commerce There are four structural forces that make agentic buying workflows a C-suite priority: - Permanent volatility Demand, supply, and regulatory shocks are constant. Leaders are forced to decide whether planning stays a monthly ritual or becomes a continuous, network-wide capability. - Signal overload Data from assets, channels, partners, and ESG sources now outstrip human attention. Leaders are forced to decide if they will keep relying on manual judgement or let machines triage and act on signals. - Margin and cash squeeze Rising costs and tighter capital make “just-in-case” buffers unsustainable. Leaders are forced to decide if they will continue to accept stranded value or let agents dynamically rebalance inventory, terms, and capacity. - Scarce critical talent Planners, buyers, and schedulers are in short supply and high demand, forcing leaders to decide whether these roles stay stuck in reconciling systems or move up to redesigning rules for agents that trade on their behalf. Naturally, there are risks, upsides, and tradeoffs for activating machines to trade on your organization’s behalf: How to launch AI agents as decision makers in trade-based workflows Successful organizations don’t start with regulated or complex flows. Nor do they design from a 200-slide roadmap. Instead, make a handful of hard, important decisions in the next 90 days. Five steps to launching agentic AI procurement workflows and commercial trade Start where the stakes are real and decisions are needed frequently, but the rules are clear enough and the data is good enough to [let agents earn trust.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines) - Map how decisions are made today across Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, and Enable. - Ask: “In this chain of decisions, which trades could a well-governed agent make faster and more consistently than we do today?” - Use the map as your first testbed where you build out expected outcomes, non-negotiables, and the bounds for agent autonomy. - Be vigilant against creating a shadow process. - Scale when you see results. Where should different industries build agentic procurement and commerce workflows first? Again, think about [where you need more speed and consistency](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026) without adding complexity. In the first 30 days, name the first decision rights flow and establish your Signal-Policy-Agent Council. The CSCO names the first end-to-end flow where agents can act first, and they define the non-negotiable outcomes it must protect (e.g., cash, service, risk). The CIO/CTO sets up a council that defines which signals must be shared/cleaned, assigns rulebook ownership and change control, and approves where agents may move from recommended to copilot to autonomy. By day 60, codify the economic rulebook. The CFO codifies pricing bands, service promises, allocation priorities, and risk limits into executable policy, so agent decisions are explainable, auditable, and repeatable. By day 90, authorize autonomy and scale gates. The CEO authorizes the autonomy boundaries (e.g., decision rights, KPI thresholds, stop/rollback triggers) and greenlights expansion only when the scorecard proves value and control. Manufacturing The world's 500 biggest companies [lose almost $1. 4T annually](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:1b43afb5-2d07-47f7-9eb7-893fe7d0bc59/TCOD-2024_original.pdf) (11% of revenues) through unplanned downtime, and automotive downtime can cost $2. 3M per hour, forcing machine-speed decisions, not calendar-speed escalation. Coordinate sourcing, production, and allocation decisions with explicit trade-offs to automate coordination that protects strong supplier relationships and high-value customer orders amidst chronic constraints and component-level challenges. Retail consumer goods $743B (14. 5% of sales) in US retail merchandise is [returned annually](https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-and-appriss-retail-report-743-billion-merchandise-returned-2023), making faster, governed decision loops a direct margin lever rather than a nice-to-have. Trade inventory across Plan-Source-Make-Deliver to solve persistent stockouts and markdowns in key categories across multiple channels competing for the same stock, and optimize your promotional calendar and service rules in near real-time. Healthcare The [Food Drug Administration reports](https://www.fda.gov/media/189325/download) it helped prevent 283 drug shortages in 2024. Constraint-based allocation and rapid intervention are now operational requirements, not exceptions. Re-prioritize deliveries and inventory across locations under tight regulatory guardrails to mitigate limited supply or short shelf life, manage to strong clinical priority rules, and protect against the high cost of stockouts and expiration dates. Financial services The average daily value of [Fedwire funds transfers](https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-ar-payment-system-and-reserve-bank-oversight.htm) is ~$4. 3T. Commitments already operate at machine speed, whether workflows do or not. Continuously rebalance capital and limits across ledgers and payment networks in opaque silos where liquidity and collateral swing hourly. Technology Amazon reports ~55, 000 [independent sellers generate](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/small-business/amazon-2024-small-business-empowerment-report) $1M in sales in its store. Multi-party commerce already runs on system-mediated commitments at scale. Match supply and demand, price dynamically, and allocate capacity in real-time in multi-sided marketplaces with endless combinations of products, sellers, and delivery options. Energy natural resources In oil and gas, the cost of one hour of unplanned downtime [more than doubled](https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:3d606495-dbe0-43e4-80b1-d04e27ada920/dics-b10153-00-7600truecostofdowntime2022-144.pdf) in two years to almost $500, 000. Schedule work, parts, and logistics to minimize downtime and risk, including safety and regulatory constraints across distributed assets with different criticalities, spares, and crews. Tips for avoiding agent chaos while building momentum - Stay flow-led rather than function-led. - Harden the rulebook so autonomy can scale safely: - Define non-negotiables vs. flex zones: Codify what agents must never violate and where they’re allowed to optimize, so autonomy accelerates decisions without accidentally changing strategy. - Make policy executable, not interpretive: Turn the rulebook into machine-readable decision logic with clear ownership, versioning, and auditability so every agent runs off the same playbook, and leaders can change the playbook without rewiring systems. - Build “explain and override” as a first-class capability: Require every autonomous trade to show the signal and policy rationale, track overrides as a leading signal (not “user error”), and define escalation paths so exceptions improve the system instead of creating a shadow process. - Prove value with metrics that the CEO/CFO will sponsor. KPIs for measuring the outcomes of agent-driven trading Agentic AI is a structural advantage in volatile markets What’s the takeaway? Think of agentic commerce in two new ways: - Agentic AI-driven commerce is a capital efficiency play. By encoding pricing, allocation, risk, and working capital rules into governed agents, organizations shift from buffer-heavy planning to dynamic cash velocity. The advantage is structural, with fewer write-offs, lower expediting costs, faster rebalance under volatility, and auditable economic trades executed at machine speed. - Agentic commerce is a shift from automation and systems integration to decision orchestration. By codifying policy and synchronizing agents across Plan-Source-Make-Deliver-Enable frameworks, your technology becomes an execution fabric for real-time commitments. Your advantage becomes a governed autonomy for faster decisions, fewer escalations, and resilient and controlled workflows that scale via explainable architecture. In volatile markets, the opportunity isn’t simply to plan better. Organizations also need to be able to commit faster. With agentic AI as a commercial procurement and trade partner, once you encode your rules to work by, advantage will compound at machine speed. Build your board-ready agentic roadmap. Let's talk agentic AI Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Stop building “cool agents” and build outcome engines, instead url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Stop building “cool agents” and build outcome engines, instead - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary How to build agentic AI for outcomes, not activity: Engineer permission, revocation, and proof into scalable performance systems. ## Body Stop building “cool agents” and build outcome engines, instead Design permission systems that scale AI safely. How to build agentic AI for outcomes, not activity: Engineer permission, revocation, and proof into scalable performance systems. Stop building “cool agents” and build outcome engines instead Replace pilot sprawl and shadow authority with performance systems built on permission, accountability, and measurable impact. Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session “Let’s do agents” can be your undoing Most organizations are rolling out agentic AI inappropriately. They’re rolling out agents broadly, celebrating activity, and then getting blindsided when bad things happen: - Exceptions surge - Accountability blurs - Trust takes a hit This isn’t a failure around intelligence. It’s an authority problem, and most enterprises haven’t solved for it. But, if you don’t solve what an agent is allowed to decide, when it must stop, and who owns the outcome, you don’t have an agentic AI strategy. You have confusion, inefficiency, and risk at scale. [The leaders pulling away into deep advantage are](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries.html#outlooks) redesigning who has authority (human or AI), what gets delegated, and how mistakes get caught and corrected fast. Their success is not determined by the total volume of agents their organizations deploy. Rather, it’s determined by who can grant, bound, and revoke authority fastest when conditions change, so the right work is handed to software under the right conditions at the right time. Design agentic AI for outcomes, not outputs. Drive measurable growth through AI-enabled innovation and insight with Slalom. Start a ROI conversation Turning permission into an agentic operating system Machine-speed execution without machine-speed governance and authority doesn't deliver outcomes that hold. So, the bottleneck isn’t compute. It’s permission design: What can act, within what bounds, with what proof? Here are four forces shaping the urgent need for explicit leadership choices when deploying agentic AI: - Commoditization: Agent tech will be broadly available, so advantage shifts from who buys tools first to your ability, as an enterprise, to authorize action responsibly. - Autonomy pressure: Agents can execute end to end, so leaders must decide where agents can act alone and where [humans must step in by design](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop). - Trust stakes: Agents will touch customers, money, and policy, so leaders must choose engineered accountability or accept avoidable brand and regulatory shocks. - Coordination collapse: Agents can eliminate handoffs, status busywork, and approval chain churn, so leaders must decide to reinvest that attention dividend into growth, rather than waste it on activities that don’t drive outcomes. Governance vs. permissions Traditional boundaries of governance are evolving with agentic AI, and there’s some nuance now between “governance” and “permissions.” Governance refers to overarching policies, decision-rights, etc. Governance is designed to make sure agents are being used safely under the guidance of accountable leaders. Permissions refer to defining access and span (aka operational reach) for an agent “to do its thing.” What systems, data domains, workflows, and decisions is it allowed to touch or influence within the guardrails of governance? Designing AI agents to work as outcome engines [78% of AI users](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/05/08/microsoft-and-linkedin-release-the-2024-work-trend-index-on-the-state-of-ai-at-work/) bring their own AI tools to work, scattering agentic tools across an organization and, consequently, working around proof, permission, and authority. But delegating to and collaborating with agentic AI only scales value when accountability scales with it. With clear owners, hard limits, and proof-gated expansion, AI agents serve as dependable operators—even trusted coworkers. [Proof-gates earn permission](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth), and with permission agentic autonomy can grow because that autonomy is earned, measured, and reversible. Authority and autonomy are how you turn an array of AI agents into a business outcomes engine. Leaders need to ask: - Who owns agent permission, end-to-end? - What proof raises the authority ceiling and what proof lowers it? - How fast can we revoke authority across the fleet, and what are the implications? Starting with authority systems, not “cool tasks” Opportunities for agents will look endless. That’s the trap. If you start with “cool tasks,” you end up with scattered agents, conflicting rules, and leaders buried in exceptions. Start where authority is most unclear and the cost of mistakes is real. Define: - Who can delegate permission - Where the limits are - What must escalate - What proof earns more authority Then aim that permission at a small number of agents to power outcome engines creating clear ownership and visible results. Do not hand “Let’s do agents” to a steering committee. Senior leadership needs to design the permission system with clearly defined owners, limits, escalation paths, the proof bar, and revocation speed. If you don’t, shadow authority becomes the default, and leaders will spend their time cleaning up outcomes they didn’t approve and cannot defend. Winning leadership moves for building an agentic AI future Most competitors are building AI agents. Organizations that win are building the right to let them act, the ability to stop them fast, and the discipline to make good on the time agentic co-workers give back to human talent. Here’s a roadmap for building the foundation for your agentic future in one quarter: The first 30 days End shadow authority: The CEO assigns one enterprise owner of agent permission and sets the hard lines for what can act, what must escalate, and what is off-limits. The first 60 days Delegate the right decisions: The COO names two or three outcomes engines. Then they define the specific decisions agents may execute, with a named business owner for outcomes. The first 90 days Proof buys permission: The general counsel or chief risk officer (CRO) defines the proof required to expand authority, and they define the stop rules that shrink authority fast when risk shows up. After the quarterly financial close Turn returned time into advantage: The CFO tracks leadership time pulled out of escalations and rework, then they direct it into a short list of growth decisions with targets. KPIs to measure agentic authority as a business system To build for an agentic future, leaders must shift away from the idea that authority is a policy and shift toward an operating model where authority is a business system. This breaks the old bargain where leaders could “approve” work without owning how it gets done. In an agentic enterprise, approval is predetermined by your permission system while still being owned, bounded, auditable, and reversible. Here’s how to measure the effectiveness of your agentic authority: Be sure to set quarterly thresholds. If an agent cannot produce proof, it does not get more permission. How Slalom helps leaders build for an agentic future We see a predictable pattern: Most teams can deploy agents; few can engineer authority systems that scale. When systemic authority is missing, pilots multiply, exceptions surge, and leaders must step back in. When authority is engineered, AI agents become outcome engines that return leadership attention as dividend to reinvest quickly. At Slalom, we advise leadership teams to adopt a new operating discipline: - Treat permission like capital: Decide where you will “spend” authority first and who signs for it. - Design revocation before delegation: Allow yourself to go big since you can stop quickly and turn on a dime. - Concentrate on outcome engines, not scattered agents: Put authority where results are visible, repeatable, and owned end to end. - Measure the attention dividend and spend it on purpose: With less time spent on resolving exceptions and escalations, redirect the time you gain back into a short list of growth decisions. Key takeaway Agents will spread in your company, with or without your blessing. They already are. You can let them encroach on your organization with shadow authority. Or, you can or design them so they spread with explicit, accountable authority that allows leaders to redirect their attention so they can operate with even more confident, competitive speed. Start an authority-first roadmap. Let’s talk agentic AI Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: AI operating models: The new backbone of the enterprise url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-operating-models-backbone-enterprise source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-operating-models-backbone-enterprise locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # AI operating models: The new backbone of the enterprise - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-operating-models-backbone-enterprise - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-operating-models-backbone-enterprise - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Understand every leader’s role, from the board to middle management, as you design AI operating models that drive measurable growth. ## Body AI operating models: The new backbone of the enterprise Move beyond AI pilots and design the operating model that turns AI into enterprise growth. Understand every leader’s role, from the board to middle management, as you design AI operating models that drive measurable growth. Why boards must move beyond supervision and actively shape enterprise AI direction Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session What’s the biggest risk to your enterprise right now? Your board has increasingly irrelevant skills. The boardroom must shift from oversight to orchestration The hardest part of piloting and scaling AI right now isn’t deploying the technology. It’s operating with leaders who have [the strategic context](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) they need to compete effectively with AI as a core advantage. To make the jump, board members need to evolve oversight into orchestration, so AI is baked into your operating model. Here’s what that looks like: Design agentic AI for outcomes, not outputs. Drive measurable growth through AI-enabled innovation and insight with Slalom. Start a ROI conversation The AI-ready enterprise begins with leaders who are willing to evolve While CEOs are challenging themselves to lead by example and upskill with AI tools so they can translate AI’s potential into strategic advantages across the enterprise, the most ambitious and competitive organizations are seeking board members with AI expertise. Likewise, entire C-suites are becoming builders of the AI-ready enterprise—an organizational culture and system designed to compete on its people’s speed to learn. “The test for a CEO is whether AI shows up as a handful of projects or if, through AI transformation, the whole company learns, decides, and grows.” For CEOs and board members, one of the keys is to avoid talking about pilots, experiments, and efficiency gains. Instead, the conversation needs to frame up around the three design principles of the AI operating model: - Empowerment over ownership: Give real power to domain leaders who own the numbers. - Capital follows curiosity: Back tomorrow’s ideas over yesterday’s plans, so AI is treated like a growth portfolio (not a cost center). - Design for acceleration: Design workflows so AI takes the grind and your people’s skills, insights, and solutions become the “unfair” advantage. These principles are the difference between “doing some AI projects” and rewiring how your company grows. Read the story Three design principles of the AI operating model The AI operating model is an organizational mirror. Every layer of leadership, from the boardroom to the business frontlines, has to believe and operate with the mindset that AI isn’t how work gets done, it’s [how value is created](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization). Think of AI as a growth model, not an efficiency play. Principle #1 – Empowerment over ownership What it is: - Set both a 2-4- and a 5-8-year view of where AI must move the needle. - Name the domain leaders who own each part of that future. - Put AI power and accountability in their hands (since they own the numbers). - The CEO holds the center with one set of guardrails, all designed to serve business context, standards, and platform optimization. How you evaluate it: - With your board, review AI progress by the outcomes those leaders deliver. - Avoid evaluating checkmarks that show completion on a team’s project list. - Judge organizational progress by how many business teams can design, ship, and improve AI-powered changes on their own (not by how many projects sit on one central roadmap). - Get this right, and the AI team becomes a multiplier allowing your frontline teams to become the engine of real change. Principle #2 – Capital follows curiosity What it is: - The board and C-suite leaders treat AI as a growth portfolio, not another cost center to be squeezed. - They ask, “Where can AI create businesses or behaviors we don’t have today?” and they line up bets accordingly. How you evaluate it: - The CEO sets one evidence-first [funding model](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend) and allocates flexible capital to teams testing new markets, new business models, and new customer behaviors. - Money moves quickly toward experiments inspired by curiosity—and that generate real learning, traction, and new revenue options. - When you treat AI funding like venture investing, your organization stops feeding “presentations” and starts backing the teams producing hard evidence. Principle #3 – Design for acceleration What it is: - This is your people promise: The future isn’t human vs. machine; it’s human + machine. - People use AI to make the work better, not just cheaper. How you make it work: - Personally sponsor a flagship “[Human + AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop)” rewrite of core work, so people feel the new way of working, not just hear about it. - Make every major AI bet come with a people plan that addresses skills, roles, and story, so performance climbs without draining trust and morale. - Change how you hire, develop, and reward people, so they’re recognized for learning, experimenting, and using AI well. - Leaders [redesign job roles and workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines), so AI takes the grind, while people spend more time with customers, solving problems, and making judgement calls. - Be deliberate, honest, and consistent with the AI narrative you share throughout the transition to bolster and sustain morale. It’s about keeping the message people-centric, not leading with the technology awe factor. Leadership roles and responsibilities when evolving to an AI operating model Board of directors The board of directors uses the first two AI operating model principles: empowerment over ownership and capital follows curiosity. Avoid dictating. Instead, foster speed and trust across the enterprise with clear guardrails. Meanwhile, allocate flexible capital and time to explore emerging capabilities without compromising disciplined governance that ensures ethical, sustainable, adaptable growth. Key imperatives include: - Redefine governance for an intelligent enterprise. - Strengthen digital and AI fluency across the board. - Recalibrate committees for technology and innovation oversight. - Ensure the board’s structure and cadence enable strategic agility. - Guide the organization’s AI journey with confidence, balancing opportunity, accountability, and long-term value creation. CEO The CEO uses the first principle: empowerment over ownership. CEOs must delegate AI accountability into the business lines while unifying the enterprise through purpose and storytelling. If you decentralize AI accountability without unifying purpose, you get chaos in the shape of different AI standards, competing data definitions, risk exposure, tool sprawl, etc. The CEO must unify around [why you are using AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026), what compromises you will not make (e.g., ethics, trust, customer experience), what “good” looks like, etc. Key imperatives include: - Serve as the “enterprise architect” serving strategic foresight. - Connect people, process, data, and technology into a single operating model. - Narrate the AI journey to investors, employees, and customers, so everyone knows where you stand (e.g., “We will win on speed and intelligence, but never at the expense of trust.” or “We use AI to augment our talent, not to replace people.”) C-suite The C-suite uses the third principle: design for human acceleration. To be successful ensure every investment includes capability uplift, meaning people know how to use the tools with confidence. Be sure managers know how to lead in the new ways of working and can empower teams to solve problems. See that processes aren’t just patched; they’re redesigned. These actions are what help make improvements stick. Also, to keep people from falling back on what’s familiar, nudge them to use the new system. Then, measure and reward the new desired behaviors. You get extra credit if you make the old way harder to use (or sunset it). Key imperatives include: - Translate ambition into execution architecture. - Compete on business process (enabled by humans), data, and AI. - Redefine executive roles. For example: - The CFO becomes the strategic allocator. - The CHRO becomes the workforce futurist. - The CTO/CIO become the value enabler and are freed from gatekeeping. Business leaders and middle managers These leaders use all three principles. Each principle is relevant and needs to be in balance to create empowerment to act, capital to explore, and trust in people. Key imperatives include: - Operationalize AI at the edge - Identify use cases and feed learnings back to corporate systems - Champion AI adoption and human+AI growth and innovation Takeaways Across all organizational leadership levels, the three design principles of AI operating models form the backbone of the modern enterprise. Boards are the starting point, and membership composition, committee structure, and operating cadence must ensure digital and AI fluency inform every major decision. CEOs hold the responsibility for aligning the enterprise. Incentives, decision rights, and capital flow all need to match the pace of AI innovation. The test for a CEO is whether AI shows up as a handful of projects inside the organization or if, through AI transformation, the whole company learns, decides, and grows. C-suite leaders cannot just optimize their own lanes. Now functional independence must evolve into coordinated, cross-functional execution with shared metrics and shared accountability. The C-suite needs a single agenda that aligns capital, technology, and talent around measurable growth. Success will be measured by how quickly they can turn strategy into an operating rhythm the rest of the company follows. Business leaders and managers carry the cultural mandate with foresight and focus. They ask themselves and their teams the right questions, run disciplined experiments to learn quickly, make decisions with AI-supported insight, and build trust in AI-enabled decisions by showing measurable outcomes. When these principles align from board to frontline, AI stops being a program and becomes a capability. That is the difference between deploying technology and redesigning the enterprise for the next decade. Build the backbone for AI growth. Let’s talk AI transformation Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: AI tools deliver more when you design for humans in the loop url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # AI tools deliver more when you design for humans in the loop - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary AI tools don’t create value on their own. Human-in-the-loop workflow design is what turns adoption into outcomes. ## Body AI tools deliver more when you design for humans in the loop AI tools don’t create value on their own. Human-in-the-loop workflow design is what turns adoption into outcomes. AI adoption isn’t enough. Learn how human-in-the-loop workflow design helps leaders redesign work, scale AI responsibly, and deliver measurable ROI. Why redesigning workflows is what transforms AI ambition into adoption and pilots into performance Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session AI adoption isn’t the advantage anymore— workflow design is Yes, most large enterprises are running AI in production. But from copilots to conversational interfaces, adoption, even at scale, isn't enough to deliver deep ROI. Why? Because workflows need to be reimagined and redesigned, end to end, to reflect new processes and standards built around human oversight, accountability, and measurable outcomes. The question leaders need to ask now isn’t, “What can we automate, and with what tools?” It’s, “How should we redesign the work we do, so people and artificial intelligence succeed together?” How soon can your teams achieve human + AI fluency? 45% of enterprises are creating new AI-related roles, but 93% of leaders report workforce barriers limiting AI value. Explore Slalom’s 2026 AI Research Report. Read the report Human-centered design for AI-powered advantage Human-centered design (HCD), also called “human+AI by design,” means redesigning workflows so two things happen: - Humans and AI can each do what they do best (strategy and efficiency, respectively). - Humans and AI work better together over time (compounding value). Instead of adding AI on top of existing processes, HCD starts by designing workflows and talent strategies with people and processes, not technology. It sits at the heart of human-in-the-loop advantage because HCD considers how people think, decide, and create. Then it operationalizes roles and workflows around key decision points, so human judgment, creativity, and accountability shake hands with AI’s speed, scale, and pattern recognition. Four forces make this shift urgent, and all of them call for explicit leadership choices: - Technology: AI is moving from pilots to enterprise-wide platforms, so what guardrails exist? - Customer: Customer expectations continue to rise, so what are our customer or patient experience standards? - Workforce: The evolution of work demands new skills, so how do organizations reskill at scale? - Regulation: Organizations must scale AI responsibly, so what human-oversight checkpoints exist? Industry spotlight #1: Human-centered design solutions for financial services [TP ICAP](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi), a world-leading provider of financial markets infrastructure and data, connects institutional buyers and sellers in the world’s financial, energy, and commodities markets, so they can transact with confidence. The company’s first three human+AI solutions to reach production are projected to generate millions in value: - 5,004% prospect screening solution ROI - 350% sales outreach solution ROI - 400% test automation solution ROI Industry spotlight #2: Human-centered design solutions for software engineering [Ocuco](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot) are pioneers in software engineering for the optical retail and eyecare industry focused on crafting digital solutions that redefine what’s possible for optometrists, optical labs, and retail chains. The organization redesigned workflows and adopted a change management program that empowered Ocuco developers to fully adopt GitHub Copilot. The company achieved significant gains in just their first quarter: - 30% increase in story points delivered per developer - 233% increase in time savings per week - 62% of user report better quality code post-training - 19% reduction in new defects per sprint Industry spotlight #3: Human-centered design solutions for media entertainment [Keywords Studios](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation) is trusted by the world’s leading video game and entertainment companies to work alongside them during the full game development cycle and bring immersive content to life. Its customers face fierce competition fueled by cutting-edge technology, gamer expectations, and a recent gaming surge. By leveling up its data and AI strategy, Keywords Studios is changing the game: - 3 months from prototype to launch of AI sentiment analysis tool, Lens - 90% reduction in time to uncover customer insights and generate reports What are the tradeoffs between deploying AI tools with and without humans in the loop? New evidence is emerging that [over-use of generative AI (GenAI)](https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/sustainability/avoiding-cognitive-debt-agency-decay/) is accelerating cognitive deterioration and may compromise critical thinking and decision making. Firms that keep humans in the loop sharpen capability and resilience. Firms that hand judgment to machines become brittle and dependent, widening the gap every quarter. Meanwhile, MIT Media Lab reports that 95% of investments in enterprise GenAI pilots do not deliver value or move into production. In other words, [95% of GenAI pilots](https://hbr.org/2025/08/beware-the-ai-experimentation-trap) produce zero returns. How should leaders think about designing human+AI workflows? Start with discovery, not deployment. Know where humans must stay in control (e.g., judgment, context, ethics) and where AI should accelerate patterns and surface signals. Also, prioritize designing new human+AI collaborative workflows where friction is highest and human oversight is essential. Here are three tips for how to design AI workflows with humans in the loop: - Map how decisions move between humans and systems. - Prototype how AI challenges assumptions and sharpens thinking. - Set escalation rules for ambiguity, risk, and exceptions. When designed well, AI becomes a thinking partner that enhances competitive processes, strengthens judgment, sharpens skills, and accelerates learning. It also changes what you measure. Here’s a framework for taking action: KPIs for human+AI collaboration and workflows with humans in the loop When AI becomes a teammate instead of a tool, business models evolve. Workforces adapt and pivot from execution to oversight, with more consideration for compelling creativity and judgment. Executives need to ask three key questions, and keep asking them quarter by quarter: - Are redesigned workflows scaling? - Are employees adopting AI with trust? - Are customer experiences improving? Expect your first KPI to show movement and reportable business value within one to two quarters. Expect clear trend lines within nine months. % of workflows redesigned Depth of AI-human integration CIO/CTO/LoB Leader Are we stuck in “pilot purgatory” or are we scaling effectively? Hours of productivity gained Target cadence: Quarterly Tangible time savings CEO/COO/CFO/LoB Are we unlocking capacity? Employee adoption and trust Target 60-80% active use in 6 months for prioritized roles Workforce trust and readiness CHRO/LoB Leader Are people using it confidently? Customer trust and satisfaction Quality of experience CXO/LoB Are we building loyalty? Critical cycle time reduction Speed of critical processes CEO/CIO/LoB Are we faster to market? % savings reinvested into growth Turning efficiency into value CEO/CFO/LoB Are we fueling innovation? When human+AI workflows are designed well, AI scales what matters When AI is designed into work—not layered on top—it creates a design dividend that compounds over time. Teams build stronger judgment, learn faster, and improve outcomes as humans and AI reinforce each other. When design is ignored, the opposite happens: Capability erodes, dependence grows, and early gains slough off into long-term drag and negative business value. Design workflows for humans+AI to win together Let’s talk impact Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Beyond the screen: Ambient intelligence as a growth strategy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ambient-intelligence-growth-strategy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ambient-intelligence-growth-strategy locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Beyond the screen: Ambient intelligence as a growth strategy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ambient-intelligence-growth-strategy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ambient-intelligence-growth-strategy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary From IoT to AI orchestration, discover how ambient computing becomes a scalable growth engine for modern enterprises. ## Body Beyond the screen: Ambient intelligence as a growth strategy Turn ambient intelligence into a scalable growth strategy. From IoT to AI orchestration, discover how ambient computing becomes a scalable growth engine for modern enterprises. Beyond the screen: Ambient intelligence as a growth strategy | Slalom Use cases, principles, and FTEs for turning ambient technology into coordinated trust-first experiences at scale Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session What is ambient intelligence, and why should leaders be investing now? Ambient intelligence (Aml) refers to the use of ambient technology and ambient computing that creates environments that adapt to human needs and customer preferences without needing a human’s direct input or interaction with the tech or the environment. Invisible, ambient technology is here—and adoption is accelerating. 70% of consumers expect experiences to have [full context](https://www.zendesk.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/) of past interactions 80% of tech interactions will [become multimodal](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-07-02-gartner-predicts-80-percent-of-enterprise-software-and-applications-will-be-multimodal-by-2030-up-from-less-than-10-in-2024) (text, voice, gesture, etc.) 40.6B people will be connected to IoT devices [by 2034](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/) $438B Estimated value of global ambient computing marketing [by 2033](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ambient-computing-market-poised-rapid-144600914.html?guccounter=1 guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8 guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABk1VsGGS5iutx7G1sY2G47jIVl0swta_31UJiY6bnBVRDcTYOrSoHZ2-u7lsxFlpbzjfaSi36d45aaaQdeJvKJR648--P7rvCYttJuCxv8kjp_SVLfU3yNuxANK4I_bAf_7qZ9a2zRLuQicIlvXUDrD-zx1NRnvPfmnr6HTJFQr) Example: ambient intelligence as a customer experience Here’s a simple of example of what’s coming next. - It’s Tuesday morning, and your calendar indicates it’s a travel-heavy day. - Meanwhile, your weather app indicates the high temperature is going to be 92° F/33° C. - After you and your family leave for the day, your thermostat adjusts to a higher threshold before the AC kicks in, so you’re not wasting energy while you’re out. - Your smart blinds automatically close when the indoor temperature reaches your programmed threshold, helping to conserve energy and keep your pet comfortable. - But you forgot to plug in your car last night, and when you turn it on, your map app pulls your appointment addresses from your calendar, keeping your route updated in real time with empty charging stations. - When you leave your driveway, your favorite coffee shop up the street starts brewing your usual Americano, and the barista pops your egg bites into the microwave. This all happens with no prompts or manual input. Each experience and action in your ecosystem acts independently, yet in concert, responding to intent rather than instruction. Ambient intelligence is the outcome. AI transformation is the lever. Build the infrastructure and operating rhythm that converts signals into measurable advantage. Start an AI Tx conversation Use cases for ambient intelligence and technology Ambient technology (one of the factors that make ambient intelligence possible) refers to the invisible, sensitive systems and devices that respond to the presence of people even though they’re running in the background. Think: smart watch, thermostat, location sharing software, and your favorite voice assistant. Here are some ambient tech use cases, present and future. Ambient tech devices Engagement is shifting from a single screen to a network of wearables, including watches, earbuds, bands, glasses, and rings that all work together—with permission—seamlessly. Partnerships also continue to drive innovation: - [Warby Parker x Google](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/google-ai-glasses-launch-2026.html) will launch AI glasses in a $150MM partnership. - [Oura x Tidepool](https://www.healthcarebusinesstoday.com/tidepool-oura-womens-diabetes-research/) are on a mission to transform diabetes research and women’s health. Voice assistants in ambient tech Once upon a time voice assistants stalled because they ran from scripts. LLMs change that. Now, voice is a viable primary interface, not a fallback. Modern assistants powered by advanced AI can sustain natural, context-aware dialogue, adapting tone, personality, and intent over extended interactions. [Agentic AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines) even turns those voice assistants into decision-makers and action-takers on our behalf. - “Hey Alexa, order more toothbrush heads. 3 packs of coral and 3 packs of black.” - “Hey ChatGPT. Use the spreadsheet I uploaded with all the holiday gifts I’ve given my EA over the years. Recommend 5 new things you think they’d like—budget is under $250.” Computer vision powering ambient tech Cameras and sensors give technology awareness of the physical world, enabling systems to respond without explicit input. As real-time recognition improves, interfaces recede. Context triggers action. The environment itself becomes the interface. - You’re a field seats season ticket holder and when you walk into a Portland Thorns game, your phone lights up so you can confirm or update your typical food and drink holder. - You ride in a self-driving Uber over to your favorite sports bar and pose in a vision-enabled booth with virtual athletes, past and present, creating branded AR photo and video experiences that are texted to you the moment you step out of the booth. FTE planning to orchestrate ambient tech Smart devices are everywhere, but intelligence isn’t enough for full advantage. The future belongs to organizations with the imagination and technical execution to synchronize permissioned experiences across wearables, homes, vehicles, apps, devices, and commercial spaces—without requiring users to manage every interaction. In response to this opportunity, a new class of orchestrators is beginning to appear. Think of these creatives, engineers, and operators as “experience conductors” who coordinate signals, systems, and moments across every touchpoint in fragmented ecosystems. What is an experience conductor? Experience conductors are cross-functional teams who combine skills and functions like the following: - Journey design - API architecture - Data governance - Identity orchestration - Commercial partnerships - AI/agent orchestration - Event operations In their roles, they might: - Map signals across ecosystems - Define moment-level triggers - Translate brand intent into machine-readable rules - Build fallbacks for edge cases - Coordinate commercial contracts - Instrument telemetry for ROI - Monitor SLOs for experience reliability Every organization should ask, “What would our products and services ‘look’ like if they autonomously anticipated needs?” Building a roadmap for ambient intelligence Great customer experiences are built by showing up for customers in the moments that matter. Ambient technology and ambient intelligence are creating opportunities to show up on a whole new level for relevance and loyalty. Here’s a framework for building a vision, team and system alignment, experiments, and success metrics for ambient intelligence expansion in a quarter. The most effective measures focus on five key questions: - Is the experience improving? Are satisfaction, ease, and confidence rising over time? - Is adoption effortless? Do customers use new interactions naturally, without instruction or disruption? - Is the journey connected? Do experiences flow seamlessly across physical and digital touchpoints? - Is value being created? Are these interactions driving meaningful customer and business outcomes? - Is trust reinforced? Is data usage transparent, responsible, and clearly beneficial to the customer? 3 principles for activating growth with ambient technology Leadership in this next era requires clarity of intent, conviction in responsibility, and courage in execution. Outcomes must accompany a bold vision, while experimentation should shape the path ahead. Learning and de-risking happen as you go. Boards, in turn, must demand and support both momentum and responsibility—rewarding bold progress while safeguarding trust, security, and long-term value. 01. Orchestrate a symbiotic ecosystem over a collection of fiefdoms. Experiences must travel across features, devices, moments, and contexts. Turn to strategic partnerships that will escort you through borders. Also, because many players deliver experience, lead by orchestrating, not owning, every touchpoint. 02. Demand trust as a key metric. Privacy, consent, and transparency are non-negotiable. Of course, they’re compliance standards, but they’re also unlocks to customer engagement. Prioritize them. It’s the right thing to do for your customers and your business because it accelerates adoption and drives real value. 03. Reward effectiveness over activity. Measure success by tracking what improves lives. It’s a mistake to focus on total engagement time or, worse, what ships fastest. For example, a retail or hospitality brand might measure share-of-wallet expanded when a loyalty member travels for a triathlon. That customer receives curated gear offers (did you pack your socks?), nutrition options (you’re at elevation, don’t forget electrolytes), and local recovery treatments (book a massage). Brands and partners measure effectiveness in higher average order value, cross-category upsells, and increased lifetime value (LTV). Takeaways: The work ahead The next generation of leaders won’t build better interfaces or better technology; they’ll use their modern, AI-enabled infrastructure and empower operators, partners, and machines to coordinate data, devices, and intelligence across ecosystems. How will we know when we’ve succeeded? Technology fades into the background, enriching not just the customer experience, but the human experience without demanding attention. Meanwhile, organizations and their partners unlock deeper loyalty, efficiency, and growth. Want to build trust-first ambient ecosystems? Let’s talk ambient intelligence Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: The case for zero-wait url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-case-zero-wait-journeys source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-case-zero-wait-journeys locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # The case for zero-wait - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-case-zero-wait-journeys - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-case-zero-wait-journeys - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Learn how zero-wait strategies lift conversion and retention, reduce cost to serve, and create a self-funded value engine through real-time data and governed AI. ## Body The case for zero-wait Build a zero-wait enterprise that lifts conversion, strengthens loyalty, and lowers cost to serve. Learn how zero-wait strategies lift conversion and retention, reduce cost to serve, and create a self-funded value engine through real-time data and governed AI. The case for zero-wait | Slalom Understanding zero-wait strategies that lift conversions and retention while reducing cost to serve Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Brands have invested billions in building for better customer experience. But [55% of customers](https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/06/06/companies-failing-at-customer-experience-new-study-shows/) believe their experiences are only getting worse. Even a handful of years into generative AI experiences with chatbots, AI-driven apps, and AI-enabled customer service support, AI’s promise of speed and hyper-personalization isn’t delivering enough value. Customers are still waiting. Waiting in queues. Waiting for answers. Waiting for brands to understand them. Every second of friction compounds into lost margin, lost trust, and lost share. Why fund zero-wait strategies and CX journeys? The whole point of building zero-wait journeys is to lift conversion and retention while reducing cost to serve. That’s why leaders must not dismiss zero-wait as a CX aspiration. It’s a margin defense strategy in an economy where customer loyalty can collapse instantly. In a zero-wait journey, customers interact with brands seamlessly and efficiently, without friction or delays. To deliver that kind of customer experience, organizations need a data strategy and a set of AI operating models that help them learn in real time, design in code, and continuously refine the experience through live feedback. Zero-wait starts with zero legacy Modernize your legacy systems with speed, clarity, and confidence. Rebuild for what's next Why zero-wait strategies, and why now? Zero wait strategies, including zero-wait journey management, are possible through data modernization, [contact center transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/driving-contact-center-transformation-designing-smarter-systems), and AI transformation programs. With these new operating models active, brands don’t need to host focus groups or track customer expectations through reviews, returns, or revenue. Customer insights come in real time, and they’re woven directly into the product development process. In the zero-wait journey enterprise, customers become co-creators of innovation and [experiential evolution](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/new-blueprint-customer-centered-growth). - Advanced research tools and emerging concepts (hello, synthetic personas) amplify the voice of your customer at scale. - Real-time analytics and modern customer data approaches bring new precision to product strategy and feature prioritization. - Enterprise-grade AI collaborators help experience designers and engineers ship production-ready code in days, not months. - Organizations and their strategic data partners can learn and iterate in parallel, with the potential to improve customer experiences in near real time. Progress and perfection can happen concurrently, and that’s why, in a marketplace where customers crave zero-wait journeys, bias for action is now the cost of entry. Why do synthetic personas matter for a zero-wait journey? Synthetic personas are AI-generated profiles that mirror customer behavior and enhance voice-of-customer (VOC) capabilities. They use aggregated data and [predictive modelling](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty), so testing and scenario simulation happens fast—and so brands can be wholly, confidently opportunistic. This speed to value reduces costs and improves iterations without sacrificing quality and data privacy. For example, instead of having to run one A/B test at a time and wait weeks for results, synthetic personas make it possible for organizations to run ABCD testing across a multitude of personas, achieving far more depth and scale without sacrificing rigor. Synthetic personas augment live customer validation, and they’re directional (vs. deterministic) tools that accelerate hypothesis narrowing, not final decision-making. They’re also best deployed in governed data environments with audit trails, model monitoring, and humans in the loop. Equally important, synthetic personas are dynamic inputs. They’re fast, flexible, and low-cost, designed for continuous evolution. Much like Amazon adjusting prices thousands of times per day based on real time signals, synthetic personas allow businesses to recalibrate strategies continuously. Where brands once relied on static research, synthetic persona use gives leaders insights from a dynamic, human, real-time feedback loop. “Synthetic personas lower upfront costs and provide faster feedback loops, so leaders can shift from defending sunk costs to making sound opportunistic bets.” KPIs to measure success in the zero-wait enterprise In the past, platforms like traditional web analytics and enterprise data stacks generated massive volumes of data, but time to insight often blocked action. Or, insights came after action, and the costs of course correction were burdensome. [Artificial intelligence closes that gap](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-hold-the-hype). It moves analysis and insight left, closer to the teams and decision-makers, so brands can interpret, adapt to, and reiterate customer journeys without delays. In an AI-enabled operating model, learning faster—and minimizing irreversible investment—is a durable competitive advantage. That’s why synthetic persona use and human+AI collaboration must be measured by outcome-based key performance indicators (KPIs) that capture adaptability, insight creation, and the ability to course-correct early. These KPIs help enterprises track if they're accelerating delivery (e. g. , shorter cycle times, scaled AI-driven workflows), enhancing experiences (e. g. , seamless resolutions, higher satisfaction), and continually learning and investing (e. g. , employee adoption, reinvested savings) in a way that aligns with C-suite priorities. With this measured approach, leaders can quickly identify progress or gaps in the transformation toward operating as a zero-wait enterprise. Three zero-wait journey success stories Renown Health | 35% YoY growth in new patient appointments Nobody likes getting stuck in phone mazes when they need to see a doctor. Renown Health wanted its “front door” to match the care inside: personal, seamless, and built around each patient. To bring that vision to life, we modernized the systems behind care, so every interaction feels effortless and meaningful. [Read the story](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/renown-health-access-transformation) Xero | 10 weeks to GenAI for Facebook Messenger x Salesforce Teams cannot wrestle with outdated systems when they’re trying to serve customers in real time. Xero wanted to relieve this pressure without disrupting operations or increasing risk. To turn that vision into action, we paired AI-accelerated engineering with pragmatic governance, re-platforming core applications and data environments to unlock speed, resilience, and measurable ROI. [Read the story](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai) Jaja Finance | Serving customers in 15 seconds, not 3 minutes Customers don’t want to wait for answers. And in many cases, they won’t. Jaja Finance set out to future-proof its customer service model as it scales toward becoming the UK’s leading digital lender. To bring that ambition to life, we partnered with Jaja to launch a generative AI chat assistant. [Read the story](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai) Tips for building zero-wait journeys for your customers Consider these key questions for board and leadership meeting agendas: - How might we build the culture and process to deliver on a zero‑wait standard? - How can we pull customers into the product lifecycle and create a continuous feedback loop? - Where can we make smaller upfront investments to enable real experimentation and iteration … and reap a larger ROI? Also take these actions yourself, and work with other senior leaders to deploy them consistently across your organization: - Set the bar and drive results. Lead from the front and partner with early adopters to stoke passion for improving customer experience. - Become (more) experiment-friendly. Use AI with humans in the loop to accelerate insights and adapt for a better customer journey in real time. - Celebrate the wins. Use the data to inform the priorities and to pinpoint the success. Raise the wins up and build momentum. - Treat customer feedback as the platform for change. Co-creating experience with the people who use your products, services, and brand experience channels. - Accelerate zero-wait strategies responsibly. Bake in security, governance, privacy, and fairness at every step. - Tie results to operational and cultural outcomes. Measure adoption weekly (vs. quarterly); measure approval layer removals; etc. Takeaways Zero wait defines how an organization competes for conversions and loyalty, where customer expectations reset in real time and their expectations keep rising. But the ability to respond quickly to signals, remove friction deliberately, and reinvest savings into better experiences also lowers cost to serve. When an enterprise runs on shortened, trusted feedback loops, big things happen: - Testing is continuous. - Learning becomes visible. - Adjustment becomes routine. - Insight moves directly to action. - Progress becomes measurable. - Capital shifts toward validated ideas and opportunities. Organizations that embed this rhythm into daily operations improve customer outcomes and internal efficiency at the same time. Over time, that compounds into advantage and a self-funded value engine. Engineer zero-wait systems that lift revenue and cut cost to serve. Let’s talk zero-wait Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Decision-grade data for AI separates pilots from profits url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Decision-grade data for AI separates pilots from profits - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Why decision-grade data for AI is now a board-level priority—and how trusted, governed data turns AI pilots into scalable business value. ## Body Decision-grade data for AI separates pilots from profits AI won’t scale without trust. Learn why decision-grade data for AI is the board mandate separating pilots from profits. Why decision-grade data for AI is now a board-level priority—and how trusted, governed data turns AI pilots into scalable business value. Decision-grade data for AI separates pilots from profits | Slalom The business case for why decision-grade data is a board-level priority Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session What’s decision-grade data, and why does it matter? There’s no going back. AI is embedded in core business processes, with its outputs directly influencing strategic operational and financial decisions, as well as everyday workflows and customer experiences. But AI transformation demands greater rigor than most organizations can provide. Especially when [bad data costs the economy $3T per year](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2025/10/22/the-real-cost-of-bad-data-how-it-silently-undermines-pricing-and-growth/) and the global average cost of a data breach, while declining, is still [$4.4M](https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach). To ensure confidence, responsibility, and accuracy, AI systems must be built on decision-grade data. Decision-grade data is clean, consistent, governed, and explainable. It meets a verified threshold of trustworthiness, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and relevance. Without these strong data foundations, even the most advanced AI can—and will—produce biased, unreliable, or misleading results. In contrast, with decision-grade data, organizations can trust their AI to deliver insights that are transparent, ethical, and actionable. It’s decision-grade data that scales pilots into profits. Turn your AI ambition into execution While leaders are bullish about AI, outcomes aren’t keeping pace. Explore Slalom’s AI Research Report. Read the research Data quality tradeoffs MIT Media Lab found that 95% of investments in enterprise generative AI (GenAI) pilots fail to deliver value or move into production. In other words, [95% of GenAI pilots produce zero returns.](https://hbr.org/2025/08/beware-the-ai-experimentation-trap) What makes the difference for the 5% of pilots that show tremendous value and speak to the potential of AI? Sustainable growth in AI depends on making deliberate choices about data: balancing agility with stability, clarity with momentum, and preparedness with vulnerability. Metrics to assess and protect decision-grade data Executives [focused on value](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi) set clear data goals, build modern data platforms, and govern data for accuracy and completeness. With those foundations in place, [metrics expand](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain) for developing advanced analytics and AI models built on reliable data, integrating developed AI into their business processes. The most successful also create continuous feedback loops to keep AI aligned with evolving business needs. The right measures aren’t technical outputs. The right measures are key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to AI value produced by good data. They’re also metrics and outcomes everyone can access based on the data everyone knows and trusts. Want to control your data for more security and adaptability ? Improve outcomes for patients and providers with trusted AI models for clinical decision support, just like CRISP Shared Services. Read CRISP’s story Financial Services Credit, underwriting, and know your client (KYC) Golden record identity, explainable features, lineage to source Retail Consumer goods Personalization and demand planning Unified customer and catalog data, consent tagging, near-real-time freshness Healthcare life sciences Imaging triage and care coordination, clinical trials Standardized imaging, routing, and audit trails Manufacturing Supply chain, quality, and predictive maintenance Sensor normalization, event labeling, downtime taxonomy Technology Developer productivity, DevOps optimization, and support Code telemetry, doc standards, ticket taxonomy Energy natural resources Grid and field operations Work management, asset master data, weather joins, and work-order lineage Government Citizen services, social services Golden record of citizen demographics, service interaction data, decision support tools, secure data sharing, lineage to decision Higher education Student support, admissions, and enrollment Student 360, course/enrollment standardizations Non-profit Donor and household profiles, gift history, engagement signals, program outcomes Next-best fundraising action, golden-record identity and householding, program taxonomy, lineage from source to impact Decision-grade data for AI is a board-level opportunity The challenge for leaders has changed: decision-grade data for AI is a board-level mandate, not a data team initiative on the roadmap. Decision-grade data—clean, governed, explainable, and fit for purpose—is what turns AI experimentation into measurable outcomes. Without it, organizations get stuck in pilot purgatory, mired in rework cycles, and hamstrung by low trust. But with decision-grade data, leaders can confidently decide what to scale, what to stop, and how to hold teams accountable for real value. The path forward is decisive, not incremental: - Align on a data and AI vision - Redesign priorities in the next 90 days - If necessary, prioritize modernization and fast follow with AI - Anchor success to outcomes everyone can see Trusted data is what scales pilots into profits. It’s also what boards will insist on now. Don’t let bad data destroy value. Let’s talk decision-grade data Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Make it so: Using digital twins to build with certainty url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Make it so: Using digital twins to build with certainty - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary AI-accelerated digital twins enable virtual-first engineering with decision-grade validation—reducing risk and speeding time to value. ## Body Make it so: Using digital twins to build with certainty How digital twins give executives confidence by proving decisions before build, not after failure AI-accelerated digital twins enable virtual-first engineering with decision-grade validation—reducing risk and speeding time to value. How to use virtual-first engineering to boldly go from bolt-on simulations to decision-grade validation Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Designing products, production processes, and production systems used to mean leaders operationalized around long, expensive physical prototyping. Now, digital twins and virtual-first engineering (VFE) are table stakes for [organizations in every industry](https://altair.com/docs/default-source/pdfs/Altair_Global-Survey-Report-Manufacturing-web.pdf), not just manufacturing. Why? Digital twins shift decisions left on timelines, so risk is discovered before committing capital , and time to value moves up. Release less. Adapt faster. Derisk your digital operating environment and respond to demand performance, and chang in days, not weeks. Find out how What changes when you go virtual first? Digital twins and VFE take discovering problems off the floor and shift them into “the safe space” of simulation. Engineering, manufacturing, and operations all converge in one source of truth, so brands can test and prove their decisions virtually, before anything is built physically. Confirmation still happens physically, of course, but organizations see fewer prototypes, shorter production cycles, cleaner launches, and higher first-time yield. If you don’t change where decisions get locked in, you won’t change outcomes—no matter how advanced the tools are. BMW scales their virtual factory with digital twins BMW has made a great case for it in its [virtual factory](https://www.visit-bmwgroup.com/en/bmw-group-scales-virtual-factory/), scaling digital twins across production sites. BMW planners now test and optimize lines in simulations before making physical changes, avoiding burdensome work that once required on-floor trials. - Trials that took four weeks on the floor now run in three days in a digital twin. - Planning costs are down—and projected to reduce costs by 30%. - At [their Debrecen facility](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g78YHYXXils t=112s), BMW ran virtual vehicle production for +2 years before their series launch, accelerating startup confidence. The tradeoffs between physical- and virtual-first engineering are actually upgrades With the move to virtual-first engineering, organizations shift toward more adaptive, decision‑ready ways of engineering. Expect KPI movement within one-to-two quarters after implementation and clear trend lines within 12 months. But remember, if you don’t change the measures, you won’t change the business. We recommend these board-ready key performance indicators (KPIs) for operating with digital twins: - % Decisions validated in the digital twin (pre-build) to measure design rigor before commit - Prototype count per program (design and validation) to measure physical iterations avoided - Design-to-start-of-production (SOP) cycle time to measure speed to revenue - Change orders post-design validation and post-production valuation to measure rework cost avoided - First-pass yield at SOP to measure launch quality - Virtual coverage index (scenarios x operating envelope covered) to measure decision-grade simulation scope efficacy Table 1 shows how virtual‑first methods using digital twins evolve physical‑era processes into more efficient, predictable, and scalable ones. Late-stage rework vs. upfront modeling Missed windows and slower cycles Competitors may ship first, and you face opportunity costs and lost revenue as launch cadences lag. Faster launches for earlier revenue Compress design-to-SOP by validating choices virtually and cutting physical iteration. Coverage vs. fidelity Cost draft and stranded capital Over-tooling, inventory bloat, risks to physical and human resource use, and rework erode margins and morale—and burn cash. Higher first-time quality Prove control plans, tolerances, and line logic in the twin; arrive at the SOP with fewer change orders in compressed cycles. Tool sprawl vs. standardization Quality escapes and recalls Issues found during physical commissioning become public, costly, and brand-damaging. More variants in the same footprint Parameterized models and virtual changeovers power mass customization without line chaos. Old stage gates vs. virtual signoffs Supplier and changeover surprises Unmodeled interactions surface during ramp, driving churn and slipping the schedule. Right-sized capex and WIP Simulate demand scenarios to avoid over-tooling; balance lines to lower working capital. Buy outside vs. reskill inside Talent flight Top engineers expect modern simulation workflows; legacy debt makes retention harder than it needs to be. New revenue models and talent engagement Operational twins unlock uptime, performance contracts, virtual factory selling, and engineering pride. Where to start with digital twins and virtual-first engineering What should leaders prioritize first in VFE? Start where launch risk lives, where friction is highest, and where human oversight is essential. - Select three high-stakes workflows (like commissioning, line changeovers, and critical tolerance stack-ups). - Build a minimum credible twin to make the next decision. - Make virtual sign-off before spend non-negotiable. - Fund decision-grade model governance and wire telemetry and data contracts from Day One, so twins stay fresh. - Standardize interfaces to prevent tool sprawl; federate, don’t duplicate. - Set board-ready KPIs, and scale only what moves those KPIs. - Set stop/scale rules at quarter close. - Require model-to-physical backchecks and publish error bars to avoid validation theater. - Then expand from product to process to plant with reusable model blocks and a connected digital thread that keeps proving value. Industry entry points for using digital twins for ROI VFE efforts rarely fail because simulation engines or CAD/PLM integrations don’t work. They fail when leaders treat digital twins as side experiments and celebrate activity (“We ran 400 sims”) instead of redesigning gates and roles and measuring KPIs (“We avoided 11 prototypes and at least $X in corresponding costs”). So, where do leaders across industries see immediate innovation value with digital twins? Here’s a short list: Automotive manufacturing - Design engineering and VIN twin - Virtual factory planning - Throughput optimization Energy utilities - Grid and plant twins for planning, stability studies, and outage avoidance - Control-room decision support Aerospace defense - Integrated product/process/ twins - Holistic twin design per unit - Predictive MRO using operational twins Consumer goods - Packaging/line changeovers - Recipe scale-up - OEE optimization via plant twins Predictive MRO using operational twins Pharma process industries - Digital process twins for tech transfer and batch optimization - Virtual scale-up Cities campuses - Mobility and crowd-flow simulation - Energy, carbon, and resilience twins Certainty is a leadership responsibility, not an engineering aspiration The shift to digital twins moves uncertainty upstream, where it’s cheaper, safer, and even more fun to resolve. By unifying engineering, manufacturing, and operations in a single source of truth, organizations can prove decisions before building, not after failure. The discipline around virtual signoffs, governance, and KPIs makes this feel credible at scale, replacing contingency with confidence. Validate first. Build once. Let’s talk digital twins Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Endless peak performance is engineered url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-endless-peak-performance-engineered source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-endless-peak-performance-engineered locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Endless peak performance is engineered - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-endless-peak-performance-engineered - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-endless-peak-performance-engineered - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Build enterprise AI operating models that enable surge, recovery, and repeat performance—without burnout, rework, or fragile velocity. ## Body Endless peak performance is engineered Turn returned time into growth with sustainable AI performance models. Build enterprise AI operating models that enable surge, recovery, and repeat performance—without burnout, rework, or fragile velocity. Endless peak performance is engineered | Slalom Build enterprise operating models that let you surge, recover, and repeat with care and purpose. Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session A company that relies on constant urgency is fragile. Over time, speed slows because quality breaks, trust erodes, and the best people leave. NOTE: This is not a wellness argument. It is an argument for staying competitive. What is endless peak performance? Endless peak performance means your company can execute with intensity without paying for it later. Surges are planned, contained, and recoverable. Customers feel the difference in the form of faster delivery and fewer failures. Teams feel the difference as less noise, fewer late nights, and clearer ownership. Some even experience it as excellence and joy. Principles of endless peak performance: - Create and protect capacity : Discourage heroics. Engineer work for focus, clarity, and recovery instead. Stop leaks, so teams can push hard when it matters, then reset quickly. - Cultivate the conditions for intensity : Peak performance lasts by removing friction, protecting focus, and using data to prevent overload. - Make speed repeatable: Redesigning a few critical flows, so work moves with fewer loops, approvals, and interruptions. If the plan calls for heroics, the system is broken. Are you taxing performance? Yes, you are. The question is, how much is it costing you? Most organizations are running meetings that substitute for decisions, making handoffs that dilute ownership, and creating rework that eats away at each week. When demand spikes, the default lever to pull is pressure. That pressure may look like hustle and heroics, but it’s usually just heat that causes fire drills. Design agentic AI for outcomes, not outputs. Drive measurable growth through AI-enabled innovation and insight with Slalom. Start a ROI conversation AI may not be the fix you think it is Artificial intelligence will not always make you faster. AI will make you more of what you already are. - If your work is clean, AI turns into speed you can trust. - If your work is messy, AI accelerates churn and creates chaos at scale. That’s why if you think AI adoption is your lever, you need to think, instead about [AI’s potential](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories.html?service=Artificial+intelligence) for capacity conversion. Can you turn time saved into returned time and returned time into faster launches, more reliability, and better customer outcomes? Or are you systematized to return time back into meetings and rework? Capacity compounds only when leaders force reinvestment. Capacity is capital. Publish a capacity ledger next to the P L that formalizes hours returned, tracks where those hours were reinvested, and measures the outcomes that moved. Here are three ready to scale questions executives should be asking in the face of AI transformation initiatives and while making the shift to an AI-driven operating model. - Did we convert returned time into outcomes, or did it vanish? - Did we reduce drag/inefficiency at the source, or shift the burden elsewhere? - Did readiness rise, or did we buy speed at the expense of people and burnout? 5 leadership tradeoffs for performance management Endless peak performance is an operating choice. Here’s a list of tradeoffs you may not even know you’re making if your organization is expecting hustle and heroics rather than [friction-free systems and processes](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth). 5 KPIs to help audit capacity as capital Endless peak performance becomes real when leaders treat capacity like capital—performance capacity is audited, protected, and reinvested (so it doesn’t disappear into more meetings, tactical distractions, or strategic red herrings). Boards need to ask: - Where did returned hours get reinvested? - Did quality hold as pace rose? - Are we building readiness, or burning it? Traditional KPIs tell you [if you delivered](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization). They don’t measure if you can repeat delivery without sacrificing performance later. That’s why the next scoreboard proves conversion (outcomes), trust (quality), and readiness (ability to surge again). After all, the goal isn’t faster performance this week or next month; it’s repeatable speed that doesn’t create future drag. Key priorities for rethinking capacity as capital Here’s a list of the common pitfalls leaders can fall into—and advice for how to avoid them: Pitfall #1: Capacity theater In capacity theater, organizations save time, but no one can prove where that time went. To avoid the pitfall, audit the capacity dividend; verify returned hours and show where they go next. For example, perhaps your support team is using AI automation or [human+AI workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop), and they save and redeploy 1,200 hours/month for +18% inbound customer touches, +4.8% revenue lift, and +3.2% CSAT lift. Pitfall #2: Meeting gravity Meeting gravity means that leaders’ free time gets sucked into calendar black holes and socio-political activities. To avoid the pitfall, win trust before efficiency, meaning set quiet hours and cap meeting times, instances, and cadences—then hold them. Pitfall #3: Hidden load A hidden load can bury you with context switching and after-hours spikes that, often, stay invisible until your outcomes diminish and impact quality breaks. To avoid the pitfall, track handoffs, stalls, after-hours contributions, and strain. Rebalance weekly because recovery impacts readiness. Pitfall #4: Tool-first fixes Tool-first fixes mean that automations or agents land before the workflow is redesigned, tested, and simplified. The consequences turn into chaos at scale. To avoid the pitfall, redesign workflows and thoughtfully add AI. Clarify decision rights and write them into the workflow, so teams know when to proceed, when to escalate, and who owns what. Cut steps, set owners, codify decisions, and then deploy AI. Pitfall #5: Activity scorecards Activity scorecards optimize clicks, tickets, and artifact or workflow and service delivery instead of outcomes. They measure busyness over breakthroughs. To avoid the pitfall, publish an outcome ledger. Report value shipped, lead time, escapes, and talent stability rather than activity. Here’s an example of an outcome ledger for AI transformation in healthcare: Proving the capacity dividend Historically, capacity’s been invisible. Leaders know there’s waste, but many cannot measure it cleanly. The response? Apply pressure, fund speed with fatigue, and hope it plugs the leaks. With AI transformation, people (or at least not as many people) do not have to act as an integration layer between handoffs, decisions, and certain types of meetings. Now, leaders can hard-code operating rules into the tools people already use, reinvest the capacity dividends, and measure the impact. How Slalom can help With expertise in strategy, AI transformation, and organizational change in talent, we advise leaders to approach the intersection of technology, talent, and performance with four mindsets and leadership actions: - Redesign critical workflows first (i.e., the workflows customers feel) and remove the handoffs, approvals, and rework that demand heroics and catalyze unforced errors and burnout. - Protect focus and recovery by default for priority roles , so urgency doesn’t become permanent and cost even more overall. - Publish a capacity dividend ledger to bring transparency to hours returned, where they were reinvested, and what outcomes improved. - Scale only on proof, expanding the pattern only after two consecutive cycles showing faster flow, stable quality, and lower load on your workforce. Organizations that empower and activate their workforces to operate in a more repeatable and balanced fashion, raise the bar for what they deliver in a sustainable way. Make speed repeatable without breaking trust or talent. Let’s talk peak performance Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Diverse team engaged in collaborative meeting discussion url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Diverse team engaged in collaborative meeting discussion - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Turn adaptability into a board-level KPI. Redesign your operating model to accelerate decision speed, pilot-to-P&L time, and capital reallocation. ## Body Diverse team engaged in collaborative meeting discussion Imperatives for making adaptability a board priority How fast can your operating model flex and bend? Turn adaptability into a board-level KPI. Redesign your operating model to accelerate decision speed, pilot-to-P&L time, and capital reallocation. How to become an adaptive organization that stops chasing trends and starts executing first Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Most boards [already have AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) and a stack of other big bets on the agenda. What’s often missing is an adaptive operating model that can keep changing where you focus, how work runs, and who you put on the most important problems. This type of operating model turns disconnected transformation and trend initiatives into a cohesive, repeatable way of winning. An adaptive organization operates with one integrated response to technology, market, capital, and work shifts. Adaptive leaders treat the operating model like a product in its own right. Success is predicated on re-deciding where value will come from and how you’ll move money, roles, and rules to match. That’s why the most valuable decision your board can make now is how adaptive the company can be. Key considerations for the next board meeting 1. Make adaptability a board metric. Change what the board rewards. Budget efficiency should still be a KPI to share with the board. Put decision speed, pilot-to-P L time, and flow performance (cycle time, cost-to-serve, quality) in the same pack as revenue and cost every quarter, too. 2. Allow capital to move as quickly as strategy. Make money and talent move on purpose. Require a quarterly stop/scale decision that moves funding and top talent from weak bets to proven winners. Assign clear owners and dates. Refocus on big bets with the highest probability of P L impact in the near-term. 3. Rewrite, then rewire the work that really pays the bills. Approve one end-to-end value flow as the enterprise test case. Require a quarterly rewrite plan that states what AI will automate, what stays human-owned, and what performance will improve. Keep redesigning the handful of customer and operations flows that drive your economics, so they get better with every new tech wave. If priorities changed tomorrow, how long would it take you to respond? Build the infrastructure and operating rhythm that converts signals into measurable advantage. Let’s talk adaptive orgs Enterprise implications and adaptive org KPIs When you choose to operate as an adaptive organization, your scorecard changes from tracking projects to tracking how fast the company can learn and pivot. Executives stop judging progress by the number of pilots, roadmaps, or initiatives “in flight.” The real questions become: - How quickly do we make and execute big decisions on the flows that matter most? - How much capital leaves weaker bets and follows the ones that are proving themselves? - How easy is it to move that capital? - How quickly can we rewrite and rewire how work gets done? - How fast can talent move with the strategy? - How much of our business (revenue and key talent) is now running on the new operating model instead of the old one? Seven KPIs for adaptive organizations Again, think of your [adaptive organization as a product](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles), not a program. Here are the seven key performance indicators (KPIs) that show you’ve changed your organization (not just your technology). Boards need to see this data in the same pack as revenue and cost, not in a separate transformation report. The 90-day framework for shifting into an adaptive organization The first 30 days Call “time” on the old playbook. The CEO publicly declares the current operating model out of date, names two or three flows for new rules, and ends pilots that don’t change how work runs. The first 60 days Put an owner on every value artery. The COO assigns one executive owner and a cross-functional squad to each critical flow. This structure replaces steering committees with a simple monthly decision forum. By Day 90 and first quarter close Move the A-team to the new model and institutionalize adaptive capital. The CHRO moves top performers into new flow teams, rewrites roles for [human+AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop) work, and ties incentives to adaptive organization KPIs. The CFO sets a quarterly stop/scale review, where funding must leave weak bets and be reassigned to the few initiatives proving measurable, meaningful results. Takeda Pharmaceuticals Fostering an innovation mindset with an AI-empowered workforce Organizational tradeoffs and pitfalls on the journey to adaptive organization Tradeoffs Instead of scattering effort everywhere when trends emerge and markets move, adaptive leaders are willing to keep rewriting how the organization operates with each wave of technology. This approach enables a few core business flows to [operate more effectively](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend). The organizations that refuse to touch their old rules and structures eventually discover that, while their tech looks modern, their processes don’t change. So, only incremental value is achieved. Here are some of the biggest tradeoffs for leaders who don’t choose to move to adaptive organization. Pitfalls (and how to avoid them) When companies try to become more adaptive, they rarely fail on tools or intent. They stumble because they: - Turn adaptivity into a program - Centralize all the judgment - Chase speed without direction - Keep careers and FTE allocations wired to the old model Here’s a look at the common pitfalls paired with the countermoves that keep adaptive organization successful and sustainable. How Slalom helps leaders move to adaptive orgs While AI is a powerful multiplier of human potential, its impact depends on people’s ability to imagine what’s possible and adapt to change. That kind of transformation doesn’t happen by chance—it happens with the right support. At Slalom, we advise leadership teams to: - Avoid recycling internal views and, instead, bring fresh customer and market evidence into every big prioritization conversation. - Make a senior leader explicitly accountable for killing projects, reports, and processes that no longer earn their keep. - Treat an initiative as successful only when it changes how you decide, fund, or staff the next similar piece off work. - Expect top executives to periodically lead adaptive flow efforts, not sit on the same comfortable agenda. Takeaways If you don’t purposefully [choose to become adaptive](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence), the market will eventually do it to you on its own terms. That’s not the position any leader wants to be in. You know you’re truly adaptive when stopping, rewiring, and redeploying have become routine leadership behavior. Can your operating model shift as fast as the market? Let’s talk adaptivity Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Shifting security from a cost center to a revenue accelerator url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Shifting security from a cost center to a revenue accelerator - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary How to “design for proof” with live, verifiable evidence that speeds up decisions and unlocks expansion ## Body Shifting security from a cost center to a revenue accelerator Learn how teams design security proof into delivery for shorter reviews and faster deals. How to “design for proof” with live, verifiable evidence that speeds up decisions and unlocks expansion Shifting security from a cost center to a revenue accelerator | Slalom Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Most enterprise deals hinge on trust evidence: security reviews, privacy assurances, risk model controls, etc. As buyers expect proof on-demand and regulators require continuous assurance, duplicate assessment work isn’t just a risk exposure. The effort burns margin. “Can we prove safety as we build, not after?” Yes. And you must. Security needs to be operationalized as a confidence center, not a cost center. Organizations that ship a live “trust bundle” of assessments, risk scores, and mitigation evidence with every build see security reviews shrink from weeks to days. When proof is created during work instead of after delivery, leaders also see: - Faster deal approvals - Evidence that’s always current - Fewer emails, exceptions, and delays - Swift, confident entry into regulated markets - Lower cost of audits and reviews (aka more margin) What’s the impact by the numbers? Security makes work faster and credible when evidence is live, reversible, and attributable. From [retail and consumer packaged goods](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026) and [financial services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026) to [healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026) and [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026), security with designed assurance turns stalled reviews into faster launches—and converts duplicate effort into innovation budget. - [80% of software purchases](https://research.g2.com/hubfs/2024-buyer-behavior-report.pdf) require proof. Trust is now a precondition to revenue. If buyers can’t verify fast, you don’t even get to compete. - [30% of breaches](https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2025-dbir-executive-summary.pdf) involve a third party. Third-party risk isn’t theoretical anymore. Buyers are judging your ecosystem, not just your product. - [37% of AI deployments](https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Cybersecurity_Outlook_2025.pdf) move faster than controls. With the explosion of AI, companies are not implementing pre-deployment security assessment processes. Compound credibility with proof of trust . When security evidence is live and verifiable, you shorten the path to yes. Turn privacy and security into momentum with Slalom. Explore our capabilities What designing for proof looks like in practice Designing for proof doesn’t come from adding more controls. It’s a series of informed leadership choices with gains that scale across teams, workflows, and budgets. - Technology Charter a 90-day “assurance lane” and codify guardrails in the pipeline—with Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), Infrastructure as Code (IaC) policy, vulnerability thresholds, model/lineage evaluations, and runtime limits—so every build produces proof. - Customer Set trust service level agreements (SLAs). Publish a standard trust bundle/portal, so buyers can self-verify posture and shrink diligence from weeks to days. - Workforce Name owners. Upskill and shift from documentation to evidence. Make producing proof the easiest path in the developer workflow. - Regulation Make compliance continuous with human-in-the-loop checkpoints, reversibility, and immutable attribution at release. Financial services | AI-powered fraud detection [Sionic](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection) partnered with Slalom and [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) to build a trusted, AI-powered fraud detection system. Together, we defined fraud use cases, designed a rules engine, and created the parameters for synthetic data to fuel and reiterate ML models. Sionic’s advanced fraud detection system is built on Vertex AI, and our approach, positioning the organization for continuous improvement, will ensure that Sionic stays ahead of evolving fraud tactics and maintains comprehensive security measures. Retail & consumer goods | Security embedded in operational tooling A large grocery retailer asked Slalom to assess and optimize its security tooling configuration, including Veracode, Forescout, and [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Sentinel. We evaluated how the tools were operating, identified inefficiencies, and improved ops with automation where appropriate. As a result, the retailer improved threat detection and reduced manual security efforts across core systems. Overall, we strengthened the retailer’s entire security posture while supporting the ongoing operations without disruption. Healthcare | Identity and access integration A regional medical center growing via mergers and acquisitions resolved fragmentation across active directory and identity services with Slalom. We reduced administrative overhead and improved identity governance across the expanded organization. By stabilizing identity services within the enterprise architecture, the medical center strengthened security controls while operating more efficiently across its growing footprint. Healthcare | Sensitive data loss prevention in security architecture A prominent university health system needed Slalom’s help managing sensitive information in MS 365 since its DLP configurations and mail routing policies were legacy, expensive, and complex to manage. We transitioned them to a more integrated Microsoft security framework, protecting 60,000 health system employees with enhanced email, file, and data security, plus $500K in annual cost savings—and paved the way for Copilot to launch without exposing sensitive data. What breaks when proof isn’t designed into security? - Assurance drag – Weeks lost to reviews that don’t reduce real risk - Exception sprawl – One-off approvals that become permanent debt - Shadow controls – Teams route around friction to get work done - False confidence – Attestations that say “yes” without evidence - Scale tax – Every new product or partner multiplies review cost These aren’t security failures. They’re signals that trust and assurance haven’t been operationalized. The leadership choices behind proof-driven organizations - A small, standard set of trust metrics leaders actually review - Clear promote/pause/stop thresholds based on evidence - Continuous visibility into time-to-evidence and review effort - Explicit rules for reinvesting saved time into growth initiatives Security needs to be operationalized as a confidence center, not a cost center. Here’s one way to think about the difference between a strategy governed by review-driven assurances vs. proof-driven assurances: Trust validated after delivery Trust emitted during delivery Manual reviews and questionnaires Automated, reusable evidence Delays handled through escalation Decisions handled through proof Risk tiered and attributable Scale proof in production Audit prep as a project Audit prep as export Five leadership decisions that make proof scalable - Successful leaders encode non-negotiables as delivery gates. If it matters, it runs every time. If it doesn’t, stop pretending it does. - They standardize what proof looks like. One trust bundle. One format. No bespoke explanations. - They tier risk instead of arguing about it. Not everything needs the same scrutiny, but everything needs visibility. - Successful leaders make attribution and reversibility explicit. Leaders move faster when they know who changed what, plus how to roll it back. - They also review trust like performance. Think: time-to-evidence, review cycle time, follow-ups—not policy completion. Where to start without slowing delivery Don’t start by redesigning everything. Start where friction is highest and confidence matters most—often one important release path stuck in review. Here’s our recommended approach showing how to start baking proof of trust into design: - Name the proof you’ll ship. Publish a one-page proof of trust spec that calls out the precise artifacts every build must carry (SBOM, IaC policy results, lineage, mode/eval notes, audit log pointer...), owners, and where it’s attached. - Run a field trial, not a pilot. Pick one revenue-critical release path, wire six to eight checks as delivery dependencies, make two of those “must-pass” by Week 6, and stream a rolling posture snapshot to executives and sales. - Assign numerical scores on trust. Stand up one, and only one, trust scoreboard tracking review days, follow-up rounds, time-to-evidence, compliance hours per release, and win-rate lift. - Set and live by re-investment rules. Adopt stop/scale rules tied to KPI deltas, codify winning checks into engineering standards, and ship a sanitized external posture page. Kill anything that doesn’t move the scoreboard. - Design for automation and agentic AI with a human in the loop. Reversibility is—and must always be—an option. Build with agentic and privileged actions like attribution, rollback, and approvals because the need for human judgment isn’t going away. Build in proof, or pay for it later When security evidence is created as work happens, reviews shrink, deals move faster, and teams stop paying the opportunity and hard costs that come with slowing down to re-explain and prove your posture. Again. Security and privacy checks are now part of every major purchase. But trust can’t be earned with documents shared in sales calls. It’s earned through proof that’s ready in real time, while you build and when buyers or regulators ask. When you design for proof, your organization doesn’t just reduce risk. You turn trust into a repeatable advantage that compounds with every release. Ship with proof that drives revenue. Let’s talk security Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: Technology Trends Shaping Business Transformations | Slalom Technology url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-shaping-business-transformations---slalom-tech source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-shaping-business-transformations---slalom-tech locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Technology Trends Shaping Business Transformations | Slalom Technology - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-shaping-business-transformations---slalom-tech - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-shaping-business-transformations---slalom-tech - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Explore the top 10 technology trends driving business transformations today. ## Body Technology Trends Shaping Business Transformations | Slalom Technology Top 10 technology trends shaping business transformations Explore the top 10 technology trends driving business transformations today. AI Ethics: Navigating Responsible Business Transformations Share insight In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses must adapt to technological advancements to stay competitive. But with so many new technologies emerging, it can be difficult for business leaders to know where to focus their investments. In this article we’ll explore the top 10 technology trends driving business transformations today, providing data-driven insights to help organizations navigate the changing technological landscape. 1. Generative AI: Closing the gap between information and insight Data has become the lifeblood of organizations, driving critical decision-making processes and providing valuable insights. According to IDC, [the global datasphere is projected to grow from 64.2 zettabytes in 2020 to 180 zettabytes by 2025.](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220809005494/en/The-World-Is-Moving-Beyond-Big-Data-According-to-Ocient-Survey-of-500-Data-and-Technology-Leaders#:~:text=IDC%20Global%20DataSphere%20research%20also,than%20180%20zettabytes%20%E2%80%94%20that%27s%20180) This exponential growth necessitates robust data infrastructure and analytics capabilities to effectively harness and utilize data for business transformation. Businesses are investing heavily in data lakes, data warehouses, and advanced analytics tools to handle the ever-increasing volume, velocity, and variety of data. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, organizations can derive actionable insights from vast datasets, enabling data-driven decision-making and competitive advantage. Before Gen AI, the level of investment needed to have sophisticated insights, human-centered experiences, and story-telling was cost-prohibitive for a lot of organizations. Unimaginable? That was so yesterday. 2. The shift from cloud native to data native: Cloud adoption for large data workloads Historically, large data workloads have presented challenges when migrating to the cloud due to scalability and performance concerns. However, the advent of cloud-native data platforms has revolutionized the landscape. Snowflake, Redshift, and Azure Synapse are leading cloud-based data warehousing solutions that offer elastic scalability, high-performance analytics, and cost optimization. Organizations are increasingly adopting these cloud-based solutions to harness the benefits of scalability, agility, and cost efficiency. According to Oracle, [more than half of all databases have been deployed in, or migrated to, a cloud platform](https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/oracle-cloud-longitude-accelerated-with-urgency-report.pdf). This shift has allowed businesses to leverage the power of cloud computing and handle large data workloads seamlessly, unlocking the full potential of their data assets. 3. A resurgence of data mesh in a multicloud context Data mesh, an architectural approach that emphasizes decentralization and democratization of data, is gaining momentum, especially in multicloud environments. With organizations adopting multiple cloud providers to take advantage of their unique capabilities, data mesh provides a scalable and flexible data architecture that facilitates cross-functional collaboration. By treating data as a product, data mesh encourages domain-oriented ownership, empowering individual teams to take responsibility for their data products. This approach enables organizations to overcome challenges related to data silos and fosters a culture of collaboration and data-driven decision-making across the enterprise. 4. The strategic importance of AI and cautious execution As we shared earlier, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a strategic imperative for businesses across industries. According to IDC, [worldwide spending on AI is expected to reach $300 billion by 202](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS49670322)6. Boards and CEOs recognize the transformative potential of AI in enhancing customer experiences, optimizing operations, and driving innovation. However, cautious execution is crucial to address concerns related to the pace of change, data privacy, and ethics. Organizations must establish robust governance frameworks, ethical guidelines, and data privacy policies to ensure responsible AI deployment. By striking a balance between innovation and ethical considerations, businesses can fully harness the potential of AI and build trust with their customers. 5. Modular incremental transformations While this is not exactly a new trend, the current economic conditions have made it stand out. Long, multiyear transformation programs are being replaced by modular incremental transformations that deliver tangible results faster. This shift allows organizations to implement changes in smaller, more manageable phases, reducing risks and ensuring a smoother transition. Numerous studies show the vast majority of executives prefer modular transformations that provide value incrementally. This approach enables businesses to adapt quickly to changing market dynamics and customer demands. By breaking down transformation initiatives into smaller modules, organizations can iterate on their strategies based on real-time feedback, continuously improving processes, products, and services. 6. Integration of best-of-breed applications over ERP Traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are no longer the sole focus of organizations’ technology landscapes. Instead, businesses are increasingly adopting best-of-breed applications, which are specialized software solutions designed to address specific business functions or industry verticals. The rise of cloud computing and application programming interfaces (APIs) has made it easier to integrate and orchestrate diverse applications. This integration allows organizations to leverage the strengths of each application, creating a more agile and efficient technology ecosystem. For example, a company may choose a customer relationship management (CRM) solution, a human resources management (HRM) tool, and a supply chain management (SCM) system that best fit their specific needs, integrating them seamlessly to drive operational excellence. 7. COTS and low-code/no-code applications The landscape of application development is evolving rapidly, with the rise of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions and low-code/no-code platforms. COTS solutions offer prepackaged software applications that can be customized to suit specific business requirements. On the other hand, low-code/no-code platforms enable nontechnical users to build applications with minimal coding, using visual interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality. The flexibility and speed of implementation offered by COTS solutions and low-code/no-code platforms have significantly reduced development cycles and empowered business users to drive innovation. Gartner predicts that, by 2024, low-code application development will be responsible for more than 65% of all application development activity. 8. Advancements in IoT/sensor technology for digital twins The Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology advancements are revolutionizing the concept of digital twins. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or system that provides real-time data and insights. By creating a digital replica, organizations can monitor, analyze, and optimize the performance of physical assets, processes, and environments. With advancements in IoT and sensor technology, digital twins are becoming more sophisticated and capable of delivering valuable insights. For example, in the manufacturing industry, IoT-enabled sensors can monitor equipment health, detect anomalies, and optimize maintenance schedules. By leveraging digital twins, organizations can enhance operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and drive innovation through predictive maintenance and performance optimization. 9. Increased investments in sustainability Sustainability has emerged as a key priority for businesses, driven by environmental concerns, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations. According to the World Economic Forum, [90% of executives believe that sustainability is important for long-term business success](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/why-sustainability-is-crucial-for-corporate-strategy/). Measuring and reducing carbon footprint has become a crucial aspect of sustainability initiatives. Organizations are investing in technologies that enable accurate measurement, monitoring, and reporting of carbon emissions. Advanced analytics and AI-powered tools help organizations identify areas for improvement, optimize resource utilization, and make informed decisions to reduce their environmental impact. 10. Convergence of RPA and system integration technologies Robotic process automation (RPA) and system integration technologies are converging to provide comprehensive automation solutions across the enterprise. RPA automates repetitive and rule-based tasks, while system integration technologies connect disparate systems and enable seamless data flow and process orchestration. By combining these technologies, businesses can achieve end-to-end automation, streamlining processes and eliminating manual intervention. This convergence empowers organizations to optimize resource allocation, enhance efficiency, and improve customer experiences. The global RPA market is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade, from $2.3 billion in 2022 to $66 billion by 2032, showcasing the growing significance of automation in business transformations. Conclusion The top 10 technology trends discussed in this article underscore the transformative impact of technology on business operations. From harnessing the power of data and the cloud to embracing AI responsibly, organizations must adapt to these trends to stay competitive and drive innovation. By leveraging the potential of emerging technologies, businesses can optimize processes, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and position themselves for success in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. --- title: Delivery isn’t your win. Value is. url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Delivery isn’t your win. Value is. - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Stop measuring delivery. Start proving value. A leadership guide to value realization and turning technology investments into measurable business outcomes. ## Body Delivery isn’t your win. Value is. How leaders make modernization investments pay off Stop measuring delivery. Start proving value. A leadership guide to value realization and turning technology investments into measurable business outcomes. How to develop the leadership discipline of value realization and turn technology investment into measurable results Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session If nothing changed, nothing mattered No matter how many features, pilots, platforms, and AI proofs of concept you ship, delivery is not victory. That’s why the hardest question facing technology leaders today isn’t, “What are we building next?” It’s, “What’s changed because we built this?” - What value did this create? - Where did the value show up in the business? - How quickly have we seen new value? - How do we know we made the right investment? The gap between strategic transformation efforts and measurable business outcomes is where value realization becomes essential. Legacy still running the show? Modernize for value. Every transformation has a moment when the future gets real. Turn modernization into real results with Slalom. Find out how What is value realization? Value realization isn’t a list of deliverables at the end of a program or a report you produce every quarter. Value realization is a leadership habit of [translating strategy into measurable outcomes](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vector-aws-ai-migration) you can see in production. Many organizations operationalize strategy into outcomes through a value realization framework. A value realization framework is a shared set of outcome definitions, measures, and funding rules used before, during, and after delivery. In practice, that means, leaders and shift in four ways: - They define value before delivery begins (quantified outcomes in revenue lift, cost reduction, time saved, risk avoided) - They put value on the clock, not just milestones (time-to-value as a KPI, real users, production proof) - They measure what finance trusts (unit metrics, real-time scorecards, verified gains) - They treat funding as dynamic, not fixed (stop-calls, proof-based gates for reinvestment) When organizations treat value this way, delivery doesn’t slow down. Decisions speed up—and they’re safer—because they’re grounded in evidence, not opinion. Engineering teams still spend [one-third of every week](https://newrelic.com/press-release/20241022) on unplanned work. Leaders must make that work visible and price it, so you’re delivering value, not activity. Why value realization matters now Scaling work without proving value doesn’t only waste money. It quietly increases cost, complexity, and risk. Here's why value realization is a need-to-have leadership priority: - Stakeholder scrutiny of technology ROI and time-to-value is increasing. Boards and executives want to know what changed, not just what shipped. - Data-rich technology enables near–real-time measurement. When insight is possible, expectations rise. - Product and service complexity is growing. Work spans teams, platforms, and partners, making outcomes harder to trace. - People want clarity and purpose. Teams are more engaged when they understand how their work connects to meaningful outcomes. The leadership choices behind consistent value realization This shift from delivering activities to delivering value isn’t philosophical. It changes how resources move. In other words, when you prioritize fewer bets and focus on value realization, you can scale winners faster. Fund projects Fund outcomes Measure features shipped Measure KPI movement Review delivery progress Review business impact Scale belief and plans Scale proof in production Report after the fact Decide in real time Organizations that see value stack quarter-over-quarter don’t rely on heroics. They make a small number of [leadership choices](https://www.slalom.com/us/en//insights/ai-success-has-a-new-scorecard-not-just-roi) and stick with them. - They tie funding to outcomes. Every initiative has a clear outcome, a named owner, and an agreed-upon way to measure success. No value measure, no funding. - They make tradeoffs explicit. Work is prioritized by expected business impact weighed against delivery complexity. This creates focus and reduces “priority soup.” - They put value on the clock. Initiatives are designed to move a key metric in production within a quarter, not a year. Proof shows up while leaders still care. - They connect discovery and delivery to value. Ongoing discovery and continuous delivery matter only when they move the metrics. - They create a shared source of truth. Teams create the data pipe that pulls together all signals and streams into one set of value measures, definitions, and assumptions. - They move capital to what works with proof-based gates. Funding is rule-based on verified performance, so budget moves to proven bets and returns accelerate. Together, these practices [turn delivery into a compounding value engine](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sarah-group) rather than a series of perpetual program restarts. What happens when leadership puts value first When funding follows outcomes, transformation gets unlocked. Value realization for a global manufacturing brand One of our North American customers, a global [manufacturing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/manufacturing) brand was several years into a transformation. Work was moving forward but expected business outcomes weren’t materializing. Leadership made a simple shift: no outcome, no funding. Then, they paired ongoing discovery and continuous delivery into a two-week cadence, prioritized opportunities by business value, and reviewed progress via KPI movement rather than feature completion. Within months, the organization: - Realized $10-20MM in cost savings per assembly line by reducing downtime and rework - Improved employee experience for critical operational roles with dynamic task planning at the workstation level and in-station diagnostic testing to find and fix errors on the spot - Built a durable, value-prioritized backlog that guided long-term investment As the chief engineer attests, “You all are breaking new ground in how we build software for manufacturing. We’re architecting something that doesn’t exist in the market—anywhere.” Value realization in Florida’s emergency management program [Florida Department of Emergency Management](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief) (FDEM) partnered with Slalom to modernize its operations, elevating its ability to expedite resources to Floridians impacted by natural disasters. We worked together to build the [Division of Emergency Management Enterprise Solution](https://www.floridadisaster.org/DEMES/) (DEMES) on [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) and a robust data platform on [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft) Azure, creating Power BI dashboards to provide deeper insights into ongoing activities, visibility into invoices, and transparent reporting. DEMES has achieved quantifiable results, including: - 90% reduction in time to provide mutual aid to local first responders - 80% reduction in contract execution time for response plans - 73% reduction in invoice payment time - $530 saved in business efficiencies for every $1 invested in technology modernization FDEM’s modernization has ushered in a new era of value realization through efficiency and resiliency, serving as a best practice for emergency management across [the public sector](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact). Where leaders are proving value first, industry-by-industry Similar production patterns are showing up across industries: - In healthcare , ambient documentation is increasing clinician capacity and patient access without sacrificing quality. - In retail , improvements to shelf accuracy and returns triage are redirecting labor back to the sales floor. - In energy and utilities , better load and asset decisions are reducing outages and lowering cost to serve. - In the public sector , outcome-based value gates are clearing backlogs and speeding decisions. Here’s are some examples of where your competitors are investing first, second, and third for measurable value realization: [Financial services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026) - Fraud decisions at authorization - Tokenization to lift approval and cut fraud - AML alert quality [Retail consumer goods](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026) - AI markdown and dynamic pricing - Promotion experimentation - Waste-aware pricing at scale [Healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026) - Ambient documentation in clinic - Radiology triage for time-critical findings - Post-deployment AI monitoring [Manufacturing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026) - Quality inspection assist - Warehouse flow tuning - Downtime economics focus Technology - AI-assisted customer support - Software delivery performance - AI resolution platforms at scale Energy natural resources - Autonomy drilling - Production optimization - Grid balancing and forecasting [Media communications](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026) - Audience churn prediction and save offers - Ad yield and inventory pricing - Predictive content investment [Life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026) - Clinical trial enrollment - Drug candidate selection and prioritization - Early safety risk detection [Public social impact](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026) - Benefits eligibility and renewal automation - Improper payment detection - Housing and infrastructure permits Where value realization leaks out When value realization efforts fall short, it’s not because teams haven’t tried hard enough. It’s usually because leaders are funding potential, not proof. Common challenges include: - Value theater – Work creates motion, not momentum, with no clear, trustworthy scoreboard linked to revenue, efficiency, quality, or risk - KPI gaming – Teams optimize the metric, not the outcome¿ - ROI chaos – Teams set too many metrics, inconsistent math, and unclear stage gates - Paper savings – Benefits claimed in presentations never hit budgets, contracts, or headcount - Benefit leakage – No one owns adoption, legacy workflows remain in place, and gains fade - Leadership indecision – Leaders fail to pause vs. scale decisions routine and visible - Scale tax – Marginal costs grow faster than marginal value as initiatives expand (and drift) - Starvation tax – Funding dries up because results don’t show quickly enough These issues aren’t technological problems. They’re signals that show funding rules, incentives, and review rhythms haven’t fully shifted. So, what do you do about that? The leadership discipline behind sustained results Organizations that make value realization stick treat ROI as an operating discipline, not a post-mortem exercise. That usually includes: - A small, standard set of value measures agreed with finance - Clear promote, pause, and stop thresholds - Regular review of realized value alongside delivery progress - Rules for reinvesting verified gains into what’s working In high-performing organizations, value realization isn’t an add-on—it’s the operating rule that governs funding, prioritization, and review. The result is faster learning, stronger capital efficiency, and decisions leaders can defend with confidence. How Slalom helps leaders realize value Many organizations already know what should happen. The hard part is making it work in real environments with [legacy systems](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy), competing priorities, and human complexity. Slalom works alongside business and technology leaders to: - Create a shared language for value across teams - Design outcome-based governance that fits how your organization actually operates - Start with a focused pilot where value is visible quickly - Build the cadence and muscle to sustain results over time The work often begins with one value stream, one set of outcomes, and one leadership rhythm—and it grows from there. Strategy only matters when numbers move, and everyone can see them. Value isn’t realized in hindsight. It’s designed, measured, and reinforced from the start. Organizations that make value the basis for funding, prioritization, and review turn delivery into momentum—and momentum into compounding results. Lead with value, not activity Let’s talk outcomes Share insight FAQs Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: The dawning era of generative AI url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/the-dawning-era-of-generative-ai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/the-dawning-era-of-generative-ai locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The dawning era of generative AI - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/the-dawning-era-of-generative-ai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/the-dawning-era-of-generative-ai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Forecasting generative AI adoption in utilities and highly regulated industries. ## Body The dawning era of generative AI Forecasting generative AI adoption in utilities and highly regulated industries. Share insight As we stand at the precipice of the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to solidify its position as a key driver of this paradigm shift. With the advent of generative AI, the possibilities seem boundless. Analogous to the profound impact the internet had on our lives at the turn of the century, generative AI is poised to bring an equal — if not greater — transformation in the way we live and conduct business. This blog post explores the potential adoption of generative AI in highly regulated industries, comparing its potential trajectory with other significant technological breakthroughs of the last century. Understanding generative AI At its core, [generative AI is a subset of AI](https://www.nytimes.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-glossary.html) that allows machines to learn from data and generate new data that is similar but not identical to the training data. Generative AI models (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Llama) are best known for their capacity to create realistic human-like text, but their capabilities extend far beyond. There is obviously a lot of hype around generative AI, but the forecasted impacts to the global economy are significant. [According to an MIT report](https://www.databricks.com/resources/ebook/mit-cio-generative-ai-report), “the impact of generative AI on economies and enterprise will be revolutionary,” with Goldman Sachs predicting a 7% increase in global GDP due to generative AI. Goldman Sachs also predicts that two-thirds of US occupations will be affected by the technology, while the MIT report expects that the automation of half of all jobs will be accelerated by a decade. Historical analogies: Technology adoption Looking at past technological breakthroughs, the rate of adoption (i.e., “diffusion of innovation”) has often been [influenced by factors such as ease of use, cost, perceived benefit, and regulatory environment](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/economics-econometrics-and-finance/diffusion-of-innovation). The personal computer, internet, and smartphones are prime examples. These technologies were adopted over a few decades, revolutionizing personal communication and business practices. For instance, the adoption of the internet was relatively swift because of the immediate benefits it offered to businesses. Within just a decade of its commercialization, the internet had become a staple in businesses around the globe. In his book, Management Challenges for the 21st Century, the “father of modern management thinking” Peter Drucker says, “The most important, and indeed the truly unique, contribution of management in the 20th century was the fifty-fold increase in the productivity of the manual worker in manufacturing. The most important contribution management needs to make in the 21st century is similarly to increase the productivity of knowledge work and the knowledge worker.” Generative AI will be a key contributor in that productivity increase. test Icon Generative AI and highly regulated industries Regulated industries often grapple with complex sets of rules, processes, and compliance requirements that can hamper the pace of technology adoption. The question thus arises: How will the adoption of generative AI look in such industries? Let’s take the utilities sector as an example. This sector has seen slower adoption of technological innovations due to the high-stakes nature of the work, regulatory restrictions, and the critical need for stability. Additionally, financial incentives or accounting structures can prevent the investment needed to realize the benefits of AI. [As stated in a report](https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/b1e6600c-4e40-4d9c-809d-1d1724c763d5/DigitalizationandEnergy3.pdf) by the International Energy Agency, “Misaligned financial incentives can present a significant barrier for fully exploiting the potential of data and analytics in electricity networks. This is especially so in regulated markets where total investment in physical assets is the basis of revenues, while investments in digital technologies are not incentivised.” Additionally, process- and safety-focused cultures within these organizations (while understandably important values) slow the adoption of new technologies. These organizations consistently display significant momentum that is difficult to overcome with new ideas. Yet the potential benefits generative AI can bring these industries are significant. Predictive maintenance, grid optimization, personalized customer communication, and demand forecasting are a few areas where generative AI can have a substantial impact. I expect that regulations in these industries, while typically slow to come and slower to update, will be coming soon. In some states, [legislation has already been introduced](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-california-and-other-states-are-tackling-ai-legislation/). Google advocated in [a recent filing to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/13/google-challenges-openais-calls-for-government-ai-czar.html) that “AI will present unique issues in financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries and issue areas that will benefit from the expertise of regulators with experience in those sectors…” while arguing against a recommendation from OpenAI that a separate agency be established to govern AI. Cloud computing: A model for generative AI adoption In the spirit of drawing analogies from historical tech adoption, the utilities sector’s foray into cloud computing offers a particularly insightful model. Initially, [the adoption of cloud computing in utilities was slow](https://www.gartner.com/imagesrv/media-products/pdf/clicksoftware/1-4V1RVV2/Utilities-in-Cloud.pdf), primarily due to concerns about security, data privacy, and regulatory compliance. Accounting or financial constraints (i.e., OpEx vs. CapEx) have also stalled the adoption of cloud services. However, over time, utility companies began to realize the benefits offered by cloud solutions, including cost reduction, increased flexibility, and improved disaster recovery. Regulations also evolved to better accommodate these new technologies, fostering an environment that balanced both the need for innovation and the [demand for security and compliance.](https://www.oracle.com/corporate/pressrelease/utilities-accelerating-move-to-cloud-110619.html) [In the words of Larry Ellison](https://www.ft.com/content/d3bdfeee-edb6-3021-8f7c-03360d38a950), cofounder of Oracle, “Cloud computing is not only the future of computing, but the present and the entire past of computing.” Said somewhat flippantly in 2009, this captured his skepticism around the ability of the cloud to disrupt Oracle’s model. Fast-forward to today and [Oracle has 2% of the worldwide market share of cloud computing](https://www.yahoo.com/now/12-biggest-cloud-providers-market-154233019.html?guccounter=1 guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8 guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACjztAmOeTnoBCwXDPRAT-ZljbRne2_H2om5FiA5ut-ye7RnFxSOkI8flqIl5MK_8jSEDx1dleYDcIZHCK1gspD15G-XhHMVvNu0rZsYVFrQwWkb9IeUELF8iLkKQ10aWgVkfoA3Jmj3ETmoGvNfPzbr4ZrpVhIEgEInasLDldHN). Following a similar trajectory, generative AI, although nascent, is poised to become a critical tool in the utilities sector’s arsenal. While the utilities and other regulated industries are unlikely to be disrupted by generative AI from a market share perspective, the productivity gains seen elsewhere will likely push AI into utilities, much like how [digital transformation was pushed into healthcare through legislation](https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/03/cloud-and-obamacare-mandates-for-healthcare-change/). Unique potential in highly regulated industries While traditional AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities have brought about notable advancements in utilities and other highly regulated industries, generative AI opens up a new frontier of possibilities. Traditional AI and ML systems are already being utilized for tasks such as predictive maintenance and [grid optimization at utilities like Arizona Public Service](https://venturebeat.com/ai/utilities-energy-usage-covid-19-ai-machine-learning/). These systems can learn from historical data, detect patterns, and make predictions accordingly. For instance, AI systems can learn from past instances of equipment failure to [predict when a similar failure might occur in the future](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/18/how-ai-powered-preventive-maintenance-saves-lives-time-and-money-for-the-utility-sector/?sh=41d7501f3f8b). They can also adjust the [supply of electricity based on known patterns of demand](https://www.energy.gov/technologytransitions/articles/artificial-intelligence-can-make-us-electric-grid-smarter-and-more). Generative AI, on the other hand, goes a step further. It doesn’t just learn patterns and make predictions — it creates new data and scenarios that are similar but not identical to the training data. In more advanced applications (e.g., high energy physics),[it has shown to be faster and more capable than traditional Monte Carlo simulations](https://indico.cern.ch/event/567550/papers/2656673/files/5841-SofiaVallecorsa_Plenary.pdf). In the context of predictive maintenance, for instance, generative AI can simulate various unforeseen failure scenarios based on its understanding of the equipment’s operating conditions and history, facilitating more robust planning and preparedness. For grid optimization, while traditional AI can adjust power-supply-based on-demand patterns, generative AI can create a myriad of potential demand scenarios under different conditions, thereby allowing utility providers to prepare for a wider range of situations and optimize their resources accordingly. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella put it [in his recent keynote address at Microsoft Build](https://news.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2023/05/KEY01-Build-Satya-Nadella-Keynote.pdf), “This relationship between economic progress and economic growth and technology has been there for a long time... [but] we don’t build just because we want economic growth… We want the life spans to go up. We want education and prosperity and standard of living to go up everywhere. That’s why we build. That’s why we innovate. That’s why technology exists. It’s not for technology’s sake, but it is for that broad impact.” In even our most regulated industries, generative AI presents an opportunity to have a profoundly positive impact on our lives. While generative AI is still in its early stages, the potential it holds for utilities and other highly regulated industries is significant. Just as with the internet and cloud computing, we can expect initial hesitations and regulatory challenges. However, as we’ve seen with past technological breakthroughs, the path to adoption may be paved with surprising speed as businesses, governments, and society begin to understand and harness the power of generative AI. The past is written. The future is generated. This blog post was originally published [here](https://medium.com/slalom-data-ai/the-dawning-era-of-generative-ai-6c13b39ef985). --- title: The modern workplace is the new normal url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/the-modern-workplace source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/the-modern-workplace locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # The modern workplace is the new normal - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/the-modern-workplace - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/the-modern-workplace - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary While technology and automation are important elements of modernization, the biggest barrier to change is people. Human-centered thinking also means following a flexible and adaptable model for change to drive the greatest adoption. ## Body The modern workplace is the new normal The modern workplace | Slalom While technology and automation are important elements of modernization, the biggest barrier to change is people. Human-centered thinking also means following a flexible and adaptable model for change to drive the greatest adoption. Share article You’ve just completed a major recruitment campaign and hired 200 highly skilled technology experts—a mix of full-time, freelance and variable status workers who will help you meet the increasing speed of product development across your global business. You’ve successfully onboarded each new employee with a personalized experience. A survey shows your new people feel empowered, supported, valued, and are excited to contribute to a shared success. You did all of this in a matter of weeks. How? Five words: You lead a modern workplace. A modern workplace: - can quickly respond to market changes and predict customer needs - brings people and technology together to innovate quickly - has access to deep data for more strategic decision making - inspires a culture of continuous feedback, growth and collaboration - supports employees to live their best lives Sounds great, right? What is a modern workplace? “Modern workplace” is a catch-all for all the ways work gets done today: with emerging technology, the gig economy, the automation revolution, and changing expectations of both customers and the younger generation of workers. It’s the new normal . And if your organization isn’t thinking about it, you will get left behind. You can also think of the modern workplace as a new lens with which to look at your business—one that considers changing human needs and how to best use technology to meet them. Leaders can create a vision for the new normal by looking through this lens at HR, operations, digital engagement, IT, and security. Example: The modern HR department Consider recruiting and hiring. This is a core capability of an HR department, but most HR departments can’t handle rapid, high-volume hiring of skilled talent. Nor are they typically able to personalize the onboarding experience for each new hire. But that’s exactly what’s required to meet market demands, drive greater efficiency, and build a sustainable corporate culture. Looking through our modern workplace lens, we can see that technology like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and talent analytics can identify talent gaps, automate the recruiting process, and make onboarding more seamless. - Talent analytics can be used to understand the supply and demand of the skills needed, the competition in the market, and the cost data that drives your hiring strategy. - AI can be used to search for candidates that meet your criteria, pre-screen them, and be the first to reach and engage them with personalized messaging. You can also apply AI to the time-consuming task of interview scheduling. - Machine learning can also be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of new employees by analyzing their answers to questions and offering coaching to improve skills. These capabilities help you deliver a positive experience for new employees, build your employer brand, and strengthen your position in the market. Bringing human-centered thinking and technology together While technology and automation are important elements of modernization, the biggest barrier to change is people. Slalom’s experience with companies of all sizes has proven that people have to be at the center for technology to be successful in meeting business goals. People—their frames of reference, their needs, motivations, and desires—are unique and complex. That’s why we put human-centered thinking first when it comes to the technology piece of the modern workplace. If technology doesn’t work for people, it doesn’t work—period. Human-centered thinking also means following a flexible and adaptable model for change to drive the greatest adoption. --- title: 3 Cheat Codes for Unlocking the Secrets to High-Performing Teams url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/three-cheat-codes-high-performing-teams source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/three-cheat-codes-high-performing-teams locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # 3 Cheat Codes for Unlocking the Secrets to High-Performing Teams - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/three-cheat-codes-high-performing-teams - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/three-cheat-codes-high-performing-teams - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Want to build a team that consistently delivers exceptional results? Learn how to up your game as a leader. ## Body 3 Cheat Codes for Unlocking the Secrets to High-Performing Teams Want to build a team that consistently delivers exceptional results? Learn how to up your game as a leader. 3 cheat codes for unlocking the secrets to high-performing teams Share What sets high-performing teams apart from the rest? Is it their individual skills and experience? Or simply good luck? There is no singular answer to this question. However, there are cheat codes to help you unlock the secrets to building a successful team. In this article, we will explore three key factors that separate high-performing teams from their less successful counterparts. We’ll examine the core elements that make up a winning team, from effective communication to a strong sense of purpose. Simon Sinek Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, because it is both so powerful and so rare. Whether you’re a team leader looking to improve your group’s performance or an individual contributor seeking to excel in a collaborative environment, these cheat codes are sure to give you the edge you need to succeed and level up your career. So let’s dive in and discover the secrets to unlocking the full potential of your team! What are the characteristics of a high-performing team? High-performing teams are those that consistently deliver exceptional results. They are teams that work together seamlessly toward a common goal, with each member contributing their unique skills and strengths. Patrick Lencioni When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer. Overall, high-performing teams have a shared sense of purpose and a clear understanding of their goals; they are driven by a common mission; and they have open lines of communication characterized by honesty, transparency, and respect, allowing for clear communication and psychological safety. Keep scrolling to continue the quest chain and learn more about the impact of high-performing teams and how you can set your teams up for success. The impact of high-performing teams on business success [According to a recent study by Gallup](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx) on high-performing teams, organizations that scored the highest also showed 21% higher levels of profitability. The impact of high-performing teams on business success cannot be overstated. Companies that have high-performing teams are more likely to achieve their goals and objectives, stay ahead of their competition, and generate higher profits. High-performing teams are also more engaged, motivated, and committed to their work, which leads to increased job satisfaction and employee retention. Three cheat codes for building high-performing teams Just like taking out C’Thun in WoW or the Nameless King in Dark Souls 3 , building a high-performing team is not easy, but it can be done with preparation and effort. Here are three key factors to building a winning team: 1. Clear communication and shared goals Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful team. Without clear lines of communication, misunderstandings can occur, tasks can be duplicated, and goals can be missed. High-performing teams have open lines of communication, with members sharing their ideas and opinions freely, without fear of recourse. To build a team that communicates effectively and has a shared sense of purpose, it is important to: - Set clear goals and objectives - Establish open lines of communication - Encourage feedback and discussion - Celebrate successes and learn from failures 2. Trust and psychological safety Trust is essential to building a high-performing team. [In a study on psychological safety at work](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2307/2666999), 85% of respondents reported at least one occasion where they did not speak up for fear of reprisal, even though it was an important topic. Fear of conflict is almost always a sign of problems. - Lead by example and give people the freedom to fail forward - Encourage vulnerability and openness - Create a safe and inclusive environment - Encourage collaboration and teamwork 3. Encouraging collaboration and accountability Team members must trust one another to do their jobs well and have each other’s backs when things get tough. Trust also creates a sense of psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions without fear of judgment or reprisal. - Foster a culture of collaboration - Encourage cross-functional teams - Set clear expectations and goals - Celebrate successes and learn from failures Applying cheat codes to your team-building efforts To build a team that has trust and psychological safety, it is important to: - Set clear goals and objectives: Make sure everyone on the team knows what they are working toward and why. Bring the team together to ensure that collective goals and objectives are known and visible. - Establish open lines of communication: Encourage everyone on the team to share their ideas and opinions, and make sure everyone feels heard. Provide creative outlets and communication loops for colleagues to share with each other and with leadership without fear of reprisal. - Foster a culture of trust and psychological safety: Lead by example to create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. This is easier said than done, especially if historical bias exists where the environment has not been safe. - Start small: Allow for opportunities to lead by example and convey stories and experiences of failure. Some of the most inspiring leaders are those who are transparent with their failures. - Encourage collaboration and accountability: Create opportunities for team members to work together, and hold everyone accountable for their actions and decisions. This could be small projects or team-building exercises. Teamwork is not a virtue. It is a choice — and a strategic one. Collaboration and accountability are essential to building a high-performing team. Team members must work together, share their knowledge and expertise, and hold each other accountable for their actions and decisions. Collaboration and accountability lead to better results and create a sense of camaraderie and shared responsibility. Building a high-performing team is challenging, but these cheat codes can make it easier. Real life doesn’t let us press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, but by focusing on clear communication, trust, psychological safety, collaboration, and accountability, you can unlock the full potential of your team and achieve exceptional results. Remember to set clear goals and objectives, establish open lines of communication, foster a culture of trust and psychological safety, encourage collaboration and accountability, and celebrate team performance and success. With these cheat codes in hand, you’ll be well on your way to building a winning team that delivers exceptional results. Share insight --- title: Top 10 technology trends for 2025 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/top-10-technology-trends-for-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/top-10-technology-trends-for-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Top 10 technology trends for 2025 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/top-10-technology-trends-for-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/top-10-technology-trends-for-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Strategic insights to help CIOs navigate innovation, risk, and ROI in 2025 ## Body Top 10 technology trends for 2025 Top 10 Technology Trends for 2025 Strategic insights to help CIOs navigate innovation, risk, and ROI in 2025 Share UPDATE 4/2/2026 : If you're curious about the [latest technology trends in 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026) we just published 13 of them as a part of our tech trends series. With technology advancing at breakneck speed, leaders are under immense pressure to balance innovation with practical execution. As 2025 approaches, CIOs and their teams are making complex decisions about which technologies to prioritize. To guide these critical decisions, we identified the top 10 emerging trends at the intersection of innovation, execution, and measurable business outcomes. Grounded in conversations with CIOs, the following insights reflect current priorities, challenges, and strategic directions of today’s technology leaders. - [AI-accelerated development](#ai-accelerated) - [Innovation overload](#innovation-overload) - [Hyperautomation](#hyperautomation) - [Edge computing](#edge-computing) - [Autonomous agents](#autonomous-agents) - [Build vs. buy](#build-vs-buy) - [Cloud cost management](#cloud-cost) - [Zero trust cybersecurity](#zero-trust) - [Unified data platforms](#unified-data) - [Workforce transformation](#workforce-transformation) AI-accelerated everything: Accelerating innovation with AI-powered agentic development AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s a proven catalyst that’s accelerating advancements across every sector. In the finance industry, AI is transforming how organizations identify market trends, optimize trading strategies, and enhance fraud detection. In retail, companies are using AI to create personalized shopping experiences, while in industries like finance, transportation, and natural resources, AI is enabling dynamic pricing strategies. In software development, AI’s impact is transformative, particularly with the rapid adoption of coding assistants. At Slalom Build, for example, we’ve seen a [30%–50% increase in team velocity and a 20%–30% reduction in project costs](https://www.slalombuild.com/thinking/unlock-speed-and-innovation-with-ai-accelerated-engineering) by integrating AI into our engineering processes. But the real potential lies in advanced AI tools—like interactive, automated agents—that can accelerate the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) five- to tenfold. These powerful tools go beyond assisting with code to generating use cases, automating test cases, modernizing legacy code, and optimizing deployment strategies. This is where AI truly transforms software engineering. However, realizing this potential requires careful implementation to address challenges like preparing teams and processes, managing rapid development cycles, and avoiding the homogenization of products and customer experiences. With a strategic approach, AI can drive innovation, streamline workflows, and open new market opportunities while ensuring that differentiation remains intact. Key considerations for CIOs: - AI-readiness: Ensure your organization has the necessary infrastructure, training, and readiness to integrate AI-powered development tools effectively. Without this foundation, the rapid integration of AI could lead to inefficiencies or missed opportunities. - Absorption of development speed: Establish strategies to manage the accelerated pace of AI-driven development. This includes robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to prevent disruption to existing teams and processes as development cycles shorten. - Capacity utilization: Strategically plan how to utilize the extra capacity generated by AI, whether that means increasing output, reallocating capacity to other areas, or shifting focus toward growth. - Customer experience differentiation: Deploy AI in ways that create unique, market-differentiating experiences. Identify where AI can enhance customer value, helping your offerings stand out while reinforcing brand loyalty. Innovation overload: The risks of AI hype in technology investments The pressure to adopt the latest technologies has always been present, but with the rise of GenAI, it’s now exponentially amplified. Companies are under pressure from all sides—employees, customers, boards, and executives—to invest in AI, often before the return on investment (ROI) or specific use cases are clear. In our [2024 survey of 200 C-suite executives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024?=d), 82% indicated plans to increase AI investments in 2025, up from 70% in 2023. Yet this aggressive push risks resulting in rushed decisions and disconnected investments that may not deliver measurable value. Despite the rapid adoption of AI-driven tools and copilots, many companies are finding their data, infrastructure, and quality assurance systems unprepared to support these technologies, leading to underperformance. Traditional quality control methods struggle to manage the vast content outputs of GenAI, often missing accuracy and reliability standards. [High-profile failures](https://tech.co/news/list-ai-failures-mistakes-errors) have shown the risks of premature AI deployment, with consequences for brand reputation and, in some cases, safety. For CIOs, the challenge is balancing the urgency for AI adoption with ensuring that investments are grounded in realistic business cases and backed by robust internal capabilities. The lesson is clear: AI should be adopted where it aligns with strategic goals, avoiding the pitfalls of adopting technology without fully considering readiness and integration. Key considerations for CIOs: - ROI and business case alignment: Ground AI investments in a clear ROI and business outcome alignment. Avoid decisions driven purely by external pressures to ensure that AI initiatives drive measurable value rather than being reactive. - Data and system readiness: Is your data infrastructure and quality assurance framework ready to effectively support GenAI tools? Ensuring robust data and system support is critical to maximizing the effectiveness of GenAI tools and reducing the risk of poor performance. - Change management: Develop and implement comprehensive change management strategies, including structured training and support. These steps are essential to ensure that AI tools are smoothly integrated into business processes and adopted effectively across teams. - Brand and risk management: Anticipate and manage the risks associated with AI deployment. Protect your brand reputation by establishing controls and quality checks to mitigate potential underperformance and ensure AI tools enhance rather than detract from customer trust. Hyperautomation: Automating the mundane and beyond Hyperautomation takes traditional automation to the next level by integrating advanced technologies like AI, machine learning (ML), and robotic process automation (RPA) to automate entire business processes end-to-end. By leveraging AI-driven chatbots for customer inquiries, RPA for repetitive tasks such as data entry, and ML models for real-time anomaly detection, hyperautomation boosts efficiency, cuts operational costs, and frees human resources for higher-value work. Industries from healthcare to finance and more are seeing the impact; for instance, Celink, supported by Slalom, [leveraged advanced automation to transform loan servicing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/celink-loan-servicing), reducing costs and improving the customer experience. This innovation exemplifies hyperautomation’s potential to streamline complex processes and drive meaningful outcomes. Hyperautomation’s success relies on robust data foundations. From structured CRM data to unstructured content like audio, video, and PDF documents trapped in your business applications, effective automation is only as strong as the quality and accessibility of a company’s data. Integration with data lakes, vector databases, and traditional databases allows the next frontier of AI to tap into this information seamlessly, enabling real-time responses to users’ needs. However, hyperautomation is not without challenges. Businesses must balance automation’s power with adaptability, as overly rigid systems can falter when unexpected changes arise. To realize hyperautomation’s potential, organizations must plan carefully, ensuring flexible workflows that can respond to evolving needs without compromising efficiency. Key considerations for CIOs: - Data readiness: Ensure your data ecosystem, including unstructured data sources, is optimized for seamless integration with AI/ML automation. - Established vs. evolving processes: Prioritize automation efforts on predictable, high-impact processes but ensure agility in evolving areas to avoid inefficiencies. - Balancing automation and flexibility: Ensure automation systems are designed to adapt to evolving business processes. Maintaining flexibility and incorporating human intervention where needed will allow automation to complement rather than constrain dynamic workflows. - Human in the loop: Identify where human oversight is essential, especially within complex workflows. Involving human expertise ensures that critical decision points are managed thoughtfully, particularly in nuanced or sensitive operations. Connect the dots: Operating at the edge The Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing are transforming industries by enabling real-time intelligence at the edge of networks, where data is generated. This decentralized approach supports immediate decision-making, reduces latency, and minimizes bandwidth costs by processing data locally on edge devices like sensors, mobile phones, and AI-powered cameras. Any device capable of processing data locally, such as a mobile app on a smartphone, can function as an edge device. For instance, customer applications in app stores perform many functions directly on the device, while key data—like alerts and usage metrics—are sent back to the business. The number of devices managed at the edge is growing exponentially, creating new opportunities for efficiency and responsiveness across these sectors. In industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing, edge computing is already driving efficiency. For example, edge devices near point-of-sale (PoS) systems allow for quick transactions and [real-time inventory updates](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/06/06/new-tech-better-outcomes-digital-shelf-labels-are-a-win-for-customers-and-associates) in stores. Similarly, [AI-enabled cameras positioned to detect wildfire smoke](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/combating-wildfire-season-strategies-driven-technology-mukesh-kumar-cevuc/?trackingId=oijjMaJLtbKE%2FflVRQBSZw%3D%3D) process data locally to deliver rapid alerts, critical for proactive disaster management. While IoT creates connectivity, edge computing empowers localized intelligence, reducing dependency on centralized servers. However, scaling IoT and edge solutions across organizations presents challenges, particularly in integration, security, and interoperability. With [53% of organizations facing issues in integrating IoT with legacy systems](https://scoop.market.us/enterprise-iot-statistics/), ensuring compatibility through open protocols is crucial. Additionally, securing each edge device is essential to protect the network from vulnerabilities. Key considerations for CIOs: - Integration and interoperability: Prioritize flexible, open standards and vendor-neutral solutions when connecting IoT and edge devices to legacy enterprise systems, preserving long-term adaptability. - Security and privacy: Implement robust security protocols for all edge devices to safeguard data at its source. Ensure that your privacy strategy effectively manages edge data, minimizing unnecessary transmission and enhancing overall data security. - Cost-benefit assessment: Evaluate the total cost of ownership of edge computing, factoring in device, connectivity, and maintenance costs to understand the true cost-benefit. - Cloud-edge orchestration: Establish a robust hybrid infrastructure that optimizes data flows and workload distribution between cloud and edge locations, maximizing overall system performance and reliability. Autonomous agents: Your digital partner Autonomous agents mark a major evolution in AI, enabling systems to act, learn, and make decisions with minimal human oversight. These agents are transforming workflows across industries, from customer service to operational efficiency. However, the future of autonomous agents isn’t about removing humans entirely—quite the opposite, in fact. It’s about finding the right balance between automation and human involvement to ensure transparency, trust, and ethical use. In customer service, for instance, autonomous agents like [Virgin Voyages’ Vivi](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages), a GenAI-powered digital human built on Salesforce with Slalom’s GenAI framework, can manage complex, real-time interactions while allowing for human intervention as needed. Decision-making frameworks, such as explainable decision trees, add transparency and help maintain trust—especially critical in sectors like healthcare, where outcomes must be clear and accountable. While autonomous agents promise long-term benefits like cost savings and operational efficiency, they also introduce challenges, including job displacement, ethical concerns, and potential bias. Without robust governance frameworks and human oversight, these risks can outweigh the benefits. Successful implementations will leverage autonomous agents for routine tasks, while preserving human input in essential areas like decision-making, oversight, and customer interactions, achieving a balanced and responsible approach to automation. Key considerations for CIOs: - Governance and oversight: Establish governance frameworks to monitor autonomous agents, ensuring they operate with transparency, trust, and reliability. Define where human oversight is essential to maintain quality and uphold ethical standards. - Explainability and bias prevention: Implement measures to make autonomous agent decision-making clear and explainable, with a focus on bias prevention — especially in regulated industries where transparency is critical. - Strategic investment: Invest in autonomous agents strategically to stay competitive. Focus on deploying agents in areas that deliver measurable impact, balancing innovation with customer-centric design to ensure automation aligns with your brand’s values. Build versus buy in the AI era The [build versus buy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/buy-or-build) decision has become increasingly complex as AI reshapes the technology landscape. Traditionally, companies without engineering strength leaned toward buying vendor solutions rather than building custom software. However, GenAI is disrupting this balance, opening new opportunities for companies to develop their own AI-driven tools and solutions. While AI-powered SaaS offerings continue to evolve, some organizations are opting to build custom solutions to address immediate workflow needs. AI has significantly reduced the cost of developing, debugging, and maintaining software, in some cases [by as much as 50%](https://techreviewer.co/blog/the-transformative-impact-of-ai-in-software-development-a-survey-based-analysis). For companies with the right capabilities, building can create competitive advantages, especially when it leads to proprietary systems that differentiate the business. However, building only adds value when it aligns with clear business goals and delivers tangible ROI. Companies that lack the internal resources to maintain custom-built solutions may still find it beneficial to wait for SaaS providers to catch up—unless a custom build offers a critical advantage. Still, the “buy” approach isn’t without challenges. The proliferation of departmental purchases, or “shadow IT,” can drive up costs and create fragmented ecosystems that are difficult to govern. CIOs must navigate this growing complexity, balancing the strategic benefits of building proprietary systems with the potential hidden costs and governance issues that can come from widespread, uncoordinated software acquisition across the organization. Ultimately, the decision between building and buying should be guided by available resources, strategic priorities, and a clear focus on business outcomes, not merely the accessibility of AI. Key considerations for CIOs: - Engineering capacity: Does your organization have the engineering talent and resources to build and maintain custom AI solutions? Without a strong technical foundation, building custom solutions could overextend your team and impact long-term sustainability. - Cost-effectiveness of GenAI: Weigh the costs of building custom AI against waiting for SaaS providers to deliver mature AI solutions. If vendor offerings are delayed or priced too high, building may be the more cost-effective option; otherwise, waiting could save both time and resources. - Strategic differentiation: Prioritize building only if it will offer a significant competitive advantage or unique value that aligns with business goals, rather than building solely for the sake of innovation. Cloud cost crunch: Cutting cloud expenditures without compromising performance ​ As cloud adoption continues to rise, managing cloud expenditures is a growing concern for CIOs. Recent studies indicate that [cloud spending frequently exceeds estimates by 30%](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241002367253/en/GenAI-and-AI-Drive-Cloud-Expenses-30-Higher-and-72-Say-Spending-Is-Unmanageable) due to factors like GenAI and other high-demand applications. This has prompted a reevaluation of cloud strategies as companies look for ways to optimize spending without sacrificing performance. FinOps has become a highly effective strategy for managing cloud costs, bringing finance and cloud operations together to improve visibility into usage and spending. For instance, we partnered with a Fortune 500 insurer to unlock a 33% reduction in EBS volume costs, through targeted usage monitoring and spending optimization. Additionally, multicloud strategies, though popular for reducing vendor lock-in, can complicate cost management. Companies are increasingly considering single-vendor solutions or edge computing options to minimize inefficiencies and reduce costs associated with data egress and duplicated workloads. These approaches, including edge processing, reduce reliance on cloud data transfers and can significantly lower expenses by handling data closer to its source. These trends highlight the importance for CIOs of not only managing cloud growth but also aligning spending with strategic needs through improved cost governance and streamlined architecture choices. Key considerations for CIOs: - FinOps integration: Does your organization have a FinOps strategy in place to ensure visibility, cost control, and accountability in cloud spending? A structured approach to financial operations helps maintain budget alignment and prevents unexpected costs. - Modernizing cloud infrastructure: Evaluate whether your cloud infrastructure needs modernization, such as adopting serverless computing or platform services to reduce costs. - Multicloud vs. single vendor: Assess the efficiency of your multicloud strategy. If duplicated workloads or frequent context switching are causing inefficiencies, consolidating with a single vendor may reduce complexity and optimize costs. - Data egress optimization: Implement strategies to manage data transfers effectively and minimize egress costs, particularly for data moving between on-premises systems and the cloud. Optimized data flows reduce unnecessary expenses and improve overall cost efficiency. Zero trust and mesh architecture: Enhancing detection and response to cyber threats As cyber threats grow in frequency and sophistication, AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape—not only by enhancing threat detection and response capabilities, reducing human-based errors, and improving incident response velocity but also as a tool for adversarial vectors to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. This dual role of AI, as [both a threat and a defense mechanism](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/making-sense-contradictions-ai-security), underscores its critical role in modern cybersecurity. Integrating AI into zero trust and mesh architectures enables continuous monitoring and real-time response, proactively defending against attacks while maintaining system integrity. In today’s environment, where remote and hybrid work has expanded the attack surface, AI-enabled security strategies have become essential. Attackers increasingly use AI to identify vulnerabilities, making it critical for organizations to adopt equally advanced technologies for defense. AI strengthens real-time detection capabilities, reduces time to detect (MTTD) and time to response/recover, and minimizes the false error rate, helping to streamline security operations and ease the burden on human teams. Combining AI with zero trust’s continuous verification and mesh architecture’s network segmentation allows organizations to limit the impact of breaches, prevent lateral movement within networks, and better protect sensitive data. These AI-driven strategies create a resilient security posture, adapting to evolving threats to ensure critical systems remain secure. Key considerations for CIOs: - AI-enhanced defense: Integrate AI/ML into cybersecurity strategies to proactively detect anomalies and counter emerging AI-driven threats. AI-powered defense provides the agility needed to respond to increasingly sophisticated attacks. - Integration with other security tools: Transitioning to zero trust and mesh architectures can be complex, especially for hybrid environments. Effective zero trust requires seamless integration with other security tools to ensure a robust defense. CIOs and CISOs should ensure AI systems work well with firewalls, intrusion detection, SIEM, identity access management, data protection, and other security platforms. - Customer trust and compliance: Develop a zero trust strategy that not only enhances data security but also aligns with regulatory requirements and fosters customer trust, supporting compliance and protecting your brand reputation. One platform, infinite possibilities: Unified data processing and visualization As businesses navigate increasingly complex data landscapes, unified data platforms from all the hyperscalers and specialized data platforms like Snowflake and Databricks are transforming how data is managed and leveraged for decision-making. Traditional methods of moving, copying, and duplicating data across systems are giving way to more efficient architectures. Zero-copy strategies, for instance, allow data to be queried directly at the source, reducing costs and providing decision makers with real-time, trusted data—an essential factor for AI/ML initiatives. CIOs now face the task of aligning their data strategies to support this unified approach. Beyond cost savings, a unified platform enables seamless integration of AI-powered insights across business units, driving faster and more informed decision-making. However, adopting these architectures requires systems capable of balancing multicloud flexibility with the simplicity of single-cloud deployments. Effective governance and security are central to this transition. By implementing a centralized data governance framework and enabling data access at its source, organizations can innovate faster, reduce operational overhead, and lower security risks. This alignment of governance with platform readiness positions businesses to be more agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Key considerations for CIOs: - Enabling real-time insights: Does your system architecture support zero-copy strategies to access data in real time? Timely data accessibility is essential for responsive and informed business operations. - Unified governance and ownership: Establish robust governance frameworks to manage decentralized environments effectively. Maintaining accountability across diverse data sources ensures data integrity and supports compliance in complex, multicloud or hybrid environments. - Optimizing data security: Centralize security efforts to reduce redundancy, enhance compliance, and maintain consistent security standards across platforms and environments. A unified security approach strengthens data protection and minimizes risks across the organization. Workforce reimagined: Transforming employee empowerment and workplace efficiency Automation and AI are reshaping the workforce, enabling employees to move beyond routine tasks and focus on high-value, strategic work. AI-driven tools boost productivity, enhance job satisfaction, and create a more adaptable workforce that’s better equipped to meet the demands of an evolving digital landscape. As AI becomes more embedded within organizations, the demand for certain skills is shifting. While technical expertise like software development was [prioritized in 2023](https://go.slalom.com/l/209772/2023-10-10/3ks3yj/209772/1696956327Cr1K6RSy/Slalom___The_AI_Enigma_Research_Report___2023.pdf?_gl=1*qmr7l8*_gcl_au*MTMyODYyNDM1Mi4xNzI3NzM3NTQzLjk1OTI3ODI0MC4xNzMwMzA3NzkxLjE3MzAzMDc3OTA.), our 2024 research highlights a [growing emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and teamwork](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024). This shift reflects a broader recognition that creativity, adaptability, and effective collaboration are essential for fully harnessing AI’s potential. Leaders play a crucial role in fostering this shift by [promoting a culture of continuous learning and adaptability](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/power-leadership-transforming-organizations). Reimagining the workforce delivers value beyond efficiency gains; it drives strategic focus, boosts job satisfaction, and fosters innovation. By automating routine tasks, businesses can unlock employee potential, enabling teams to concentrate on innovation and strategic decision-making. Active leadership involvement is essential to ensure a successful transition to an AI-empowered workforce. Key considerations for CIOs: - Workforce adaptability and culture of innovation: Prioritize developing a strategy that aligns AI-driven tools with existing workforce capabilities. Partner with HR to implement training programs that upskill employees, ensuring they are prepared to transition into more strategic roles that AI enables. - Resource allocation: Develop a multiyear road map that prioritizes immediate AI training needs alongside long-term infrastructure investments. Strategic resource allocation ensures sustainable progress and supports future AI scalability. - Balancing automation and human expertise: Define clear boundaries between tasks suited for automation and those requiring human expertise. Maintaining this balance preserves quality and leverages human skills where they add the most value. Key takeaway As these trends highlight, today’s CIOs face unprecedented choices that will shape their organizations for years to come. This isn’t merely about adopting new tools but about cultivating a balanced approach to innovation — one that supports strategic objectives, operational resilience, and employee empowerment. By prioritizing technologies that offer both measurable ROI and the flexibility to evolve, CIOs can navigate the complexities of a changing landscape with confidence. Expert contributors: [Dave Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgcutler/) , [Sarah Duffy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-duffy-b51213/) , [Anthony Gould](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonygould10/) , [Pez Nikpour](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pezhman-pez-n-22522321/) , [Allen Mann](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amann17/) , and [TC Sutton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tc-sutton/) [Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/us/en) is a fiercely human business and technology consulting company that teams with leaders who expect more. So we bring more. --- title: Top technology trends 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/top-13-tech-trends-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/top-13-tech-trends-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Top technology trends 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/top-13-tech-trends-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/top-13-tech-trends-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Summary Top technology trends 2026 for enterprises: AI operating models, agentic AI, modernization, governance, and capital allocation for growth and new value creation ## Body Top technology trends 2026 Explore the 13 technology trends reshaping how enterprises learn and win in 2026 and beyond Top technology trends 2026 for enterprises: AI operating models, agentic AI, modernization, governance, and capital allocation for growth and new value creation Top technology trends 2026 | Slalom Key takeaways on the latest technology trends for board-facing executives Watch the argument for adaptability, on demand We presented our perspective on adaptability in the AI journey for an audience of business leaders attending the inaugural HumanX AI conference. Watch the on-demand session for free—no conference pass required. Watch session Top technology trends 2026 The latest and emerging innovations reshaping the enterprise In [2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries.html#outlooks), the top technology trends reflect a structural shift in how enterprises design operating models, allocate capital, govern risk, and measure value. Across industries, artificial intelligence has moved from pilots to the P L. With [AI embedded into workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence), decision systems, funding models, and governance structures, emerging technology trends are redefining how organizations learn, decide, and adapt. What are the top technology trends for 2026? The 13 enterprise technology trends for 2026 are: - [Value realization](#1) - [Modernization that earns its spend](#2) - [Security as a growth enabler](#3) - [Digital twins and virtual-first engineering](#4) - [Decision-grade data for AI](#5) - [Human+AI by design](#6) - [Outcome engines for agentic AI](#7) - [Agentic AI in commerce and supply chains](#8) - [AI operating models as enterprise backbone](#9) - [Endless peak performance](#10) - [Zero wait enterprise](#11) - [Ambient intelligence](#12) - [Adaptive organizations](#13) Trend 1: Demanding value realization from tech investments Boards don’t care what technology has changed. They’re accountable for what’s changed because of tech investments. Value realization defines how technology investment produces measurable outcomes. The discipline shifts how organizations fund and govern work: - [Outcomes are defined](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy) before delivery begins. - Time-to-value is tracked alongside milestones. - Finance-trusted metrics anchor decisions. - Capital moves through proof-based gates, scaling initiatives that demonstrate verified performance and pausing those that do not. Common failure patterns reflect capital discipline gaps: - Breakdowns emerge when funding follows activity instead of proof. - Value theater replaces visible impact. - KPIs multiply without alignment. - Claimed savings never reach contracts or headcount. - Benefits erode because adoption is unmanaged. - Capital stalls because leaders lack clear promote or stop thresholds. Value realization establishes a governance rhythm tied to [measurable impact](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/old-metrics-can-t-map-new-terrain). Leaders review verified outcomes alongside revenue and cost. Funding is reassigned based on proof, not optimism. In turn, technology spending becomes accountable, auditable, and strategically aligned with enterprise growth. Read the full insight: [Delivery isn’t your win. Value is. →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization) Trend 2: Modernizing for transformation that earns its spend 70% of enterprise software is over 20 years old, and 60–80% of IT budgets are spent maintaining legacy systems. [Modernization is no longer discretionary](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy); it determines whether organizations can adapt, compete, and scale AI. 87% CIOs who’ve invested in modernizing critical apps report: - Improved unit economics - Accelerated time-to-value - More agility and resilience - AI-ready workflows and use cases at scale Modernization earns its spend when it is sequenced against priority outcomes and measured in production impact. The advantage comes from focus. Organizations that modernize where value is constrained—core systems, [data foundations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data), operational bottlenecks—reduce run costs and unlock capacity. Capital and [talent shift](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent) toward capabilities that drive growth rather than sustaining legacy complexity. Read the full insight: [Modernization that earns its spend →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/modernization-that-earns-its-spend) Trend 3: Baking in security as a growth enabler Speed through security checks directly affects revenue velocity. Enterprise buyers expect continuous, verifiable proof of trust before they approve deals or expand services. Designing for proof embeds security evidence into delivery workflows. Each release generates live artifacts (like software bills of materials (BOMs), policy checks, audit logs, and standardized trust bundles). Proof is available during [the build process](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/systems-implementation), rather than assembled for post-delivery documentation. Organizations that operationalize proof shorten review time and cycles, reduce compliance effort, and improve win rates in [regulated segments](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services). This shift requires clear trust metrics, standardized evidence, and leadership oversight aligned to business outcomes. When assurance is continuous and measurable, security removes revenue gates and accelerates growth. Read the full insight: [Shifting security from a cost center to a revenue accelerator →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-security-as-growth) Trend 4: Engineering with certainty using digital twins Digital twins are decision systems that protect capital, strengthen launch confidence, and improve operational predictability. Virtual-first engineering uses digital twins to validate decisions before physical build, shifting risk upstream where it is cheaper and safer to resolve. By [unifying engineering, manufacturing, and operations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/manufacturing) in a shared simulation environment, organizations reduce late-stage rework, compress launch timelines, and improve first-pass yield. Simulation becomes the proving ground before capital is committed. Leaders track percentage of decisions validated pre-build, prototype count per program, design-to-start-of-production cycle time, change orders post validation, and virtual coverage index. Read the full insight: [Using digital twins to build with certainty →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-digital-twins-build-certainty) Trend 5: Getting and trusting decision-grade data for AI 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots fail to deliver value. Why? Most generative AI pilots fail because the underlying data cannot reliably [support production and operational decisions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/operations). AI only scales value when the data it uses is trustworthy, governed, and explainable. Decision-grade data meets verified standards of quality, timeliness, lineage, and auditability. Without those foundations, model outputs lack confidence, adoption slows, and measurable impact never materializes. For strategic decisions, leaders measure coverage of critical decisions running on trusted data, time to launch data products, AI outcome acceptance rates, and evidence readiness. That’s why [AI transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) elevates data governance from a technical priority and back-office discipline to a board-level mandate. It sites directly at the intersection of enterprise risk, capital allocation, and growth. Read the full insight: [Decision-grade data for AI separates pilots from profits →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-decision-grade-data-ai) Trend 6: Designing AI workflows with humans in the loop AI adoption does not guarantee ROI. Human+AI workflow redesign determines whether AI delivers measurable value. Redesigning workflows, not just deploying tools, upgrades performance and protects resilience. Humans stay at the center of the work and retain accountability at critical decision points while AI accelerates speed, scale, and pattern recognition. The shift is driven by four forces: enterprise-wide AI platforms, [rising customer expectations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce), workforce skill evolution, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. AI integration is treated as operating model change, not tool rollout. Human+AI design becomes real through executive action. Each leadership layer plays a defined role in [translating intent into measurable change.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ocuco-github-copilot) In the first 30 days, CEOs set the vision that AI augments rather than replaces talent. By day 60, CIOs and CTOs lead workflow redesign before buying and/or deploying tools. By day 90, CHROs align reskilling plans and CFOs baseline outcomes tied to measurable value. Read the full insight: [AI tools deliver more when you design for humans in the loop →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ai-workflows-design-human-in-the-loop) Trend 7: Deploying AI agents as outcome engines Most enterprises are [deploying AI agents faster](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-agents-from-experimentation-to-value-creation) than they are designing authority systems. That imbalance creates blurred accountability, rising exceptions, and stalled trust. It’s also surfacing a problematic trend: 78% of AI users are already bringing their own AI tools to work. Why is that problematic? Agentic AI is less about automation and more about governance architecture. If you do not design authority and permissions up front, you inherit exception chaos later. Without explicit ownership of delegation, escalation, and revocation, organizations scale shadow authority instead of [scalable outcomes](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi). The organizations pulling ahead are engineering permission systems deliberately—defining who grants authority, what proof expands it, and how quickly it can be revoked when risk appears. Autonomy becomes earned, measured, and reversible. Meanwhile, agents scale into measurable outcome engines instead of unmanaged risk. Read the full insight: [Stop building “cool agents” and build outcome engines instead →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-outcome-engines) Trend 8: Governing agentic AI in commerce and supply chains Supply chains and commercial systems were built around calendar-speed planning. But calendar speed is too slow to compete at market speed. The stakes are measurable: - The world’s 500 largest companies lose nearly $1.4T annually to unplanned downtime. - US retailers face $743B in annual merchandise returns. - In oil and gas, a single hour of downtime can cost nearly $500K. [Agentic AI shifts](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce) commerce from periodic reconciliation to continuous resilience via agent-driven negotiation and commitments.AI agents reconcile demand, supply, pricing, allocation, and risk across Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, and Enable workflows in real time. Policy becomes frictionless and executable when leaders encode pricing, allocation, and risk rules once—and allow governed autonomy to rebalance continuously. Read the full insight: [How AI agents are redefining commerce →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-agentic-ai-commerce-procurement-supply-chain-decisions) Trend 9: Building AI operating models as enterprise backbone The greatest AI risk facing enterprises is governance drift at the leadership level. But [AI transformation succeeds](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals-) when it is built into leadership architecture, not treated as a technology rollout. AI operating models require coordinated governance across board, CEO, C-suite, and frontline leadership. Boards need to move from passive oversight to active orchestration. When the board’s role expands beyond reviewing performance and approving budgets, AI transformation intersects with capital allocation, risk appetite, workforce strategy, and compliance design. When those elements are misaligned, organizations experience tool sprawl, inconsistent data standards, and fragmented accountability. When capital flow, incentives, and decision rights are aligned, AI becomes an enterprise growth capability rather than an array of projects. Read the full insight: [AI operating models: The new backbone of the enterprise →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en//insights/technology-trends-ai-operating-models-backbone-enterprise) Trend 10: Leading for endless peak performance Enterprises that rely on urgency eventually exhaust trust, talent, and throughput. Endless peak performance proposes something different: It proposes [engineered capacity](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/optimizing-human-machine-combinations) that allows organizations to surge, recover, and repeat without burnout. For the record, this is not a wellness argument. It is a competitiveness argument. [Engineered capacity is capital](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/honey-baked-ham-retail-process-optimization). Leaders must: - Remove friction at the source. - Shift from heroics to engineered flow. - Audit returned hours. - Measure where they are reinvested. - Track whether quality holds under load. Without reinvestment discipline, saved time disappears into noise and continued losses to to “work-about-work,” rework loops, approval bottlenecks, and meeting gravity. Endless peak performance becomes real when capacity is treated as a measurable asset and reinvested deliberately to compound speed, stability, and sustained advantage. Read the full insight: [Endless peak performance is engineered →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-endless-peak-performance-engineered) Trend 11: Creating a zero-wait enterprise Customers are still waiting. [Waiting in queues](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency). Waiting for answers. Waiting for brands to understand them. Meanwhile, 55% of customers believe their experiences are getting worse. Don’t be fooled. Zero wait journeys are not a customer experience aspiration. They are a margin strategy. Real-time data, synthetic personas, and AI-enabled iteration allow organizations to test, refine, and deploy improvements continuously rather than episodically. Insight moves closer to decision-makers, faster. Feedback loops shorten. Friction becomes visible and correctable in near real time. Today’s technology gives organizations the data, insights, and governed AI workflows required to turn signal into speedy service. [Conversions rise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing). Retention strengthens. Cost to serve declines. And advantage grows. All without sacrificing reputation, rigor, or governance. Read the full insight: [The case for zero-wait →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-case-zero-wait-journeys) Trend 12: Growing revenue and loyalty with ambient intelligence [Technology](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/technology) is receding into the background while context awareness expands. Increasingly, customers expect brands to understand past interactions, anticipate needs, and coordinate across wearables, vehicles, devices, homes, and other physical spaces. Ambient intelligence—integrated, smart systems that create new customer experiences without screens or standard text, voice, or gestural interactions—introduce a new operating challenge. That challenge is data and [experience orchestration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design) with cross-partner and cross-functional “experience conductors.” Experience conductors align journey design, API architecture, data governance, AI orchestration, and [commercial partnerships](https://www.slalom.com/content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners.html) into coordinated systems. Trust-first data governance underpins ecosystem coordination. This is more than UX evolution. It is a coordination problem spanning identity, consent, telemetry, and reliability. Trust-first data governance underpins the entire model. Read the full insight: [Ambient intelligence as a growth strategy →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-ambient-intelligence-growth-strategy) Trend 13: Operating as adaptive organizations AI and technology bets are multiplying. Most boards track revenue and cost, but [adaptive organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-era-making-long-term-moves-short-term-cycles) measure how quickly capital, talent, and workflows shift in response to signal. Leadership questions shift from the philosophical to operational: - How long does it take to make a decision and execute effectively? - What is the pilot-to-P L velocity? - How quickly does capital moves from weak bets to strong ones? Because adaptive organizations treat [the operating model](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/adaptive-org-operating-models) as a product that is continuously redesigned. Decision time on critical flows, budget reallocated in-quarter, and stop/scale ratios are reviewed alongside financial performance. Capital is not locked into annual plans or legacy assumptions. Instead, it is deliberately reassigned based on evidence. When [adaptability is measured and reinforced](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/executive-agenda-adapt-roi-tech) at the board level, the enterprise builds the capacity to redirect focus, funding, and talent before the market forces it to. Read the full insight: [Imperatives for making adaptability a board priority →](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-imperatives-adaptive-organization-board-priority) Explore more trends transforming your industry in the 2026 Outlooks. Explore Outlooks Share insight Two women discussing work in modern office space --- title: From data to differentiation: How the future is transforming customer and patient experiences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-customer-and-patient-experiences source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-customer-and-patient-experiences locale: us/en content_type: Amplified Story Template --- # From data to differentiation: How the future is transforming customer and patient experiences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-customer-and-patient-experiences - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-customer-and-patient-experiences - Locale: us/en - Content type: Amplified Story Template ## Summary In this panel discussion, leaders from Slalom, AstraZeneca, and Salesforce explore how AI is reshaping customer and patient experiences across healthcare and life sciences. ## Body From data to differentiation: How the future is transforming customer and patient experiences In this panel discussion, leaders from Slalom, AstraZeneca, and Salesforce explore how AI is reshaping customer and patient experiences across healthcare and life sciences. Data to differentiation: transforming customer and patient experiences From data to differentiation in healthcare and life sciences Share How the future is transforming customer and patient experiences In this panel discussion, leaders from Slalom, AstraZeneca, and Salesforce explore how AI is reshaping customer and patient experiences across healthcare and life sciences. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how your organizations can use AI, interoperable data, and human-centered design to improve productivity while delivering more meaningful customer and patient experiences. Watch the conversation with Slalom, AstraZeneca, and Salesforce wistia-player[media-id='faq88c2cjo']:not(:defined) { background: center / contain no-repeat url('https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/faq88c2cjo/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); padding-top:56.25%; } 2oad3jst0b Key moments from the discussion: Healthcare and life sciences organizations are under growing pressure to increase productivity while operating with tighter resources. - Learn how AI can automate routine work, reduce cognitive burden, and help teams focus on higher-value decisions that drive commercial performance and measurable outcomes. Enterprise data hubs play a critical role in enabling AI at scale. - Explore how interoperable and federated data approaches allow organizations to activate the right data for specific use cases, support AI agents across systems, and accelerate innovation without waiting for fully centralized or perfectly clean data. Patient services are evolving to support more personalized and responsive experiences. - Panelists share how modern platforms, including Life Sciences Cloud, enable conversational engagement and decision support that strengthen trust, improve access, and better support patients across their journeys. Ready to turn data into differentiation for your organization? Let's talk data --- title: Transforming healthcare and life sciences url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Transforming healthcare and life sciences - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-healthcare-life-sciences - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Watch our conversation with industry luminary and Salesforce leader Frank Defesche and get inspired about the future of innovation and accelerated impact. ## Body Transforming healthcare and life sciences Watch our conversation with industry luminary and Salesforce leader Frank Defesche and get inspired about the future of innovation and accelerated impact. Transforming healthcare & life sciences: A conversation with Frank Defesche Share Recently, Johanna DeYoung, Slalom’s Global Industry Lead for [healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare) and [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/life-sciences), engaged in a compelling discussion with Frank Defesche, SVP and GM, Life Sciences at [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), highlighting Slalom Salesforces' robust partnership and collective commitment to industry innovation. Johanna emphasized the unprecedented pace of change expected in the next decade, driven by advancements in data, AI, and a growing focus on patient Healthcare provider centricity in healthcare. She underscored the need for organizations to embrace technological evolution to stay competitive and navigate complex regulatory landscapes effectively. 7vh5te9724 Tune in to hear the discussion and more about the below key takeaways: - Rapid technological advancements: The healthcare industry is poised for significant transformation, with data and AI investments reaching an inflection point. These technologies promise to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and improve patient outcomes. - Shift towards customer-centricity: There’s a notable transition from product-centric to customer-centric approaches in healthcare. Organizations are urged to prioritize personalized engagement with healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients to drive better informed decisions and outcomes. - Integration of engagement platforms: Unified engagement platforms that connect stakeholders seamlessly are critical for success. This integration not only improves collaboration but also enhances the efficiency of clinical operations and patient care. - Impact of generative AI: Johanna reinforced that the emergence of generative AI as a game-changer in healthcare. This technology is expected to revolutionize patient and HCP engagement, clinical trial efficiency, and overall healthcare delivery by predicting and generating valuable insights. - Personal passion and commitment: Frank shared personal insights into his career journey and passion for integrating technology into healthcare. His experiences underscored the transformative potential of technology in enhancing operational efficiency and delivering impactful patient outcomes. Their conversation emphasizes the imperative for healthcare and life sciences leaders to embrace innovation, leverage AI-driven insights, and adopt collaborative engagement platforms to drive meaningful advancements in clinical trials, HCP engagement, and patient care. By focusing on these strategies, organizations can effectively navigate future challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities to elevate healthcare delivery globally. Share insight Johanna DeYoung, Slalom’s global industry lead for healthcare and life sciences, engaged in a compelling discussion with Frank Defesche, SVP and GM, Life Sciences at Salesforce, highlighting their robust partnership and shared commitment to industry innovation. --- title: Transforming industries through innovation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-industries-through-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-industries-through-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Transforming industries through innovation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-industries-through-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-industries-through-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary What does innovation look like in more traditional and highly regulated industries? Learn how Slalom customers like Broadridge and Cal Water are driving change. ## Body Transforming industries through innovation What does innovation look like for companies in more traditional and highly regulated industries? Learn how Slalom partners with organizations like Broadridge and Cal Water to drive change. Innovation and industries | Slalom What does innovation look like in more traditional and highly regulated industries? Learn how Slalom customers like Broadridge and Cal Water are driving change. When you hear the word “innovation,” what comes to mind? Apple introducing a new iteration of the iPhone? NASA developing a new scientific application for navigating space? A high-tech city converting an underutilized skyscraper into a vertical garden? Sometimes it’s not so obvious. What does innovation look like for companies in more traditional and highly regulated industries, such as finance and public utilities? We live in a time in age today where innovation drives what we do on a daily basis, whether it’s rolling out a unique portal or changing the way we inspect our water pipelines,” says Michael Luu, chief risk officer at [California Water Service](https://www.calwater.com/) (Cal Water). “Innovation causes us to think about things differently because technology is all around us. So how do we bring that to the corporate world?” gjrjnvya35 Creating everyday impact How can technology and innovation help keep our water supply safe and secure? Slalom is currently helping Cal Water—the largest regulated American water utility west of the Mississippi River and the third largest in the country—explore potential investments in the future of networking and augmented reality. “We've been very successful as a top water utility in the United States, and we want to focus in on how we do things better for our customers, employees, and shareholders,” says Luu. “Innovation and partnering with somebody like Slalom could really take us to the next level at Cal Water.” Slalom partnered with the Cal Water team to explore potential applications of augmented and virtual reality technologies for streamlining operations and training their workforce. Both technologies, when deployed to the field, would require significant network connectivity. The Slalom team performed a detailed analysis of available technologies, including assessing and testing its 5G connectivity services. “Slalom Element Labs has helped us reach our goals,” says Tri Nguyen, IT project manager at Cal Water. “They're helping us build business cases around how we can use technology to help us improve our business processes and provide our customers with safe, clean drinking water.” woman with glasses Explore the future Our clients have been asking us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, to help them explore the next frontier of technology and customer experiences, and to help them reach for and realize their futures. With Slalom Element you can stop talking about innovation and experience it hands-on. Learn more [Broadridge](https://www.broadridge.com/)—a global leader in the Fintech space—has a rich history of leveraging innovation to improve its clients’ businesses and stay ahead of industry disruption. The company provides widely used financial software solutions and wealth management services. [Slalom Element](https://www.slalom.com/element) is leaning in to design and launch an innovation lab that helps Broadridge incubate new product concepts in the financial digital assets space on the AWS cloud. “We’re currently focused on experiments and ideas that could become foundational elements of the market in the future,” says Krugman. “If you think about what the future holds, it's the digitization of all assets that are important to us—not just financial.” Rob Krugman It’s an age-old challenge to get leaders who are running the business day-to-day to step away for a moment and question the fundamental ways the business works and identify opportunities to disrupt. That’s where a lab concept becomes really, really valuable. Overcoming common barriers Innovation is about human connection, and everything we do at Slalom starts with people. We want to know the “why” and the “how” in the words of our customers and their customers. However, even with a path in place, there are inevitable roadblocks that many companies face when pursuing their innovation journey. Minimal resources, fear of failure, and a lack of organizational alignment often come into play, creating unintentional barriers. “When you take an innovative approach, you start small and build from there,” says Krugman. “There’s rarely an appetite for failure or downtime in established business—particularly in regulated markets—so that’s where an innovation lab becomes really helpful. It allows you to experiment, incubate, build, and create.” From the evolution of human and machine relationships to broader concepts like “virtuality,” we’re exploring how humanity and technology can build the future of how we work and learn. Beyond simply talking about innovation, we want to experience it hands-on while building meaningful partnerships that create lasting impact. ebqs047cjp Realizing the future of innovation At [Slalom Element](https://www.slalom.com/element), we believe in the action behind the word “innovation”—not just the end result. As we embrace the growing responsibility to do good in the world and build better tomorrows for all, we’re focused on creating innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges in ways that are both sustainable and responsible. I think we live in a time and age today where innovation drives everything that we touch on a daily basis,” says Luu. “We want to be thinking about how things are going to change and how we can utilize that change to impact the lives of our employees and customers in a positive way.” John Tomik We built Slalom Element to inspire ourselves and our clients to not just talk about innovation but rather to experience it hands-on and build that creative energy into the DNA of their businesses. Lead with innovation in the age of AI Connect with a Slalom expert to explore how forward-thinking leaders are translating AI and emerging technology into measurable business outcomes—or share this perspective to continue the conversation. Talk to an expert Share insight A water treatment plant at sunset --- title: Transforming utility investments: AI-powered capital investment planning url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-utility-investments source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-utility-investments locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Transforming utility investments: AI-powered capital investment planning - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/transforming-utility-investments - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/transforming-utility-investments - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Discover how AI-powered solutions are transforming decision-making, optimizing resources, and increasing transparency. ## Body Transforming utility investments: AI-powered capital investment planning Discover how AI-powered solutions are transforming decision-making, optimizing resources, and increasing transparency. Share Are you a transmission and distribution leader trying to analyze the relative value, risk, and strategic alignment of upgrading an aging transmission line in a high-demand urban area versus a rural transmission line needed to integrate renewable energy? Or how about determining whether to prioritize underground transmission lines or advanced monitoring systems to mitigate wildfire risk? Are you a customer leader trying to prioritize advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout initiatives or evaluate the relative value of launching a new residential energy efficiency program versus expanding demand response to commercial and industrial customers? Are you a CIO trying to compare investments in process automation, advanced analytic tools, or predictive maintenance technologies to improve operational efficiency? Or perhaps you’re the CFO currently going through end-of-year planning and trying to weigh investment decisions across the enterprise on an apples-to-apples basis? In an era where capital planning, risk management, and asset management decisions are more complex and under more scrutiny than ever, organizations like yours face the daunting challenge of balancing short-term performance with long-term sustainability. Too often, decision makers grapple with incomplete data, siloed systems and processes, and a lack of transparency, leading to suboptimal investments that drain resources and miss strategic opportunities. It’s time to throw away those cumbersome Excel spreadsheets and stop rewiring those enterprise resource planning and project portfolio management (ERP and PPM) systems to accomplish major efforts they aren’t meant to handle. Instead, invest in a purpose-built, AI-powered digital solution for capital investment planning. Transforming utility investments with AI With purpose-built AI-powered digital solutions, we’re helping utilities streamline their planning processes and deliver capital plans that are optimizing their limited resources. Here are some of the highest-value capabilities utilities can tap into through an AI-powered technology solution: Objective comparisons of dissimilar investments on a common scale The ability to configure AI-powered value frameworks that align your corporate strategy with investment planning is crucial. With a value framework, you can incorporate and consider unlimited quantitative and qualitative value measures based on risk, financial and non-financial benefits and costs, KPIs, service levels, et cetera. This capability allows for objective comparisons on a common economic scale, even for dissimilar investments with different drivers (e.g., safety vs. reliability) and from different lines of business. For instance, [Copperleaf](https://www.copperleaf.com/), an IFS company, is a solution provider that enables its customers to make better, faster, and more value-based decisions with confidence. Together with their customers, Copperleaf has developed a comprehensive value framework library of 250+ industry best-practice value models. Enhanced risk modeling AI is essential for modeling asset data against countless risk measures to establish baseline risk profiles and predict outcomes after actions are taken. Using AI enhances asset risk modeling by better forecasting the probability and consequences of failure and the assets’ future investment needs based on condition, location, weather, past or deferred investments, and so forth. Using a two-way integration with risk and asset information from your enterprise asset management (EAM), geographic information system (GIS), computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), etc., and defining value and risk measures for individual assets will significantly enhance the speed and quality of decision-making. Portfolio optimization and scenario analysis Optimization is more advanced than prioritization—it considers and honors multiple scenarios, investment alternatives, and constraints and dependencies over a set planning horizon. The result is a portfolio of investments that optimizes limited resources and provides the highest returns. Fast, interactive, scalable analytics Think of the last time you wanted to share a specific data point with your team or include it in a capital planning presentation, but it wasn’t readily available on existing dashboards and reports. Now, with machine learning and natural language querying, you can ask questions in plain English and receive customized dashboards with the specific information you were looking for. [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/?amazon-quicksight-whats-new.sort-by=item.additionalFields.postDateTime amazon-quicksight-whats-new.sort-order=desc) is an example of this type of technology that can be embedded directly into a digital capital planning solution, rapidly enhancing the speed and quality of your analytics and reporting. More defensible and automated rate cases Ultimately, capital plans must be approved by regulators—a resource-intensive process for utilities, involving vast amounts of data, complex modeling, and detailed documentation to justify costs and rate adjustments. Generative AI (GenAI) can significantly enhance the efficiency of translating your capital plan into a regulatory filing and the success rate of the filings by automating documentation and summaries, identifying regulatory trends and precedents, tailoring communication material to different stakeholders, and automating searches to find supporting evidence from both your organization’s and peer utilities’ past filings. Slalom is at the forefront of this mission-critical task, having built a prototype GenAI tool that enhances and accelerates regulatory filings and is actively codeveloping it with and for our clients. Real-world impact Slalom recently partnered with one of the Southeast’s largest utilities to revolutionize its investment planning process using AI. Here’s how the utility redefined its approach and achieved game-changing results: - Quick time to value: In less than six months, the utility rolled out a configurable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution, complete with a robust governance structure and targeted change management. This rapid deployment empowered 80+ stakeholders to dive into the system and, for the first time, make apples-to-apples comparisons across diverse investments for their next planning cycle. - Boosted capital efficiency: Instead of merely prioritizing projects, the AI-powered solution also optimized investments across the board. The result was a projected 4%–10% boost in efficiency across a $1 billion capital portfolio, translating to millions in added value and greater returns for the organization and its stakeholders. - Streamlined planning process: No more lengthy, labor-intensive regional planning meetings. With automated scenario planning and streamlined budget adjustments, the utility has cut hundreds of person-hours from its annual planning cycle — freeing up time for strategic, high-impact decisions. - Stronger regulatory confidence: Armed with a data-driven, defensible project evaluation process, the utility now has robust evidence to back its regulatory filings. This newfound transparency increases confidence among leadership and regulatory bodies, ensuring compliance and paving the way for smoother approvals. Next steps to elevate your planning As you continue your journey of maturing your capital planning capabilities, below are four actions you can take today to begin moving the needle within your organization: - Assess your current state: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your capital planning capabilities across your people, process, and technology, identifying challenge areas, risks, resistance, and opportunities for improvement. - Gather requirements: Identify and document key features and functionality your organization requires of a capital planning solution, considering how AI can enhance the solution and the end-to-end process. It will become clear that attempting to leverage Excel or stretching your ERP or PPM systems will not meet all the requirements you identify. - Decide on build versus buy: [Perform a cost-benefit analysis](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/buy-or-build) on potential solutions, recognizing that time-to-value and leveraging broad industry expertise are key benefits to achieve. - Focus on people and process: Technology alone isn’t the answer. To ensure lasting success, design a capital planning process that seamlessly integrates with your technology. Establish strong governance and prioritize change management to prepare your people for what’s ahead. These human elements are often the deciding factor between success and failure. Closing thoughts AI-powered solutions are redefining how utilities approach capital investment planning. By replacing outdated or misused tools with purpose-built solutions, utilities can streamline the decision-making process, optimize limited resources, and improve transparency. Wherever you are on your journey, Slalom is eager to partner with you to modernize your approach, drive better outcomes, and realize greater value for your organization and stakeholders. Share insight --- title: Unlock growth with the power of Google Distributed Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlock-growth-google source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlock-growth-google locale: us/en content_type: Story --- # Unlock growth with the power of Google Distributed Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlock-growth-google - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlock-growth-google - Locale: us/en - Content type: Story ## Summary Discover how Slalom and Google Cloud unlock growth with scalable edge solutions. Watch the webinar to explore innovation, speed, and reliability at the edge. ## Body Unlock growth with the power of Google Distributed Cloud Learn how Slalom and Google Cloud drive innovation with scalable edge solutions. Watch on-demand to explore the future of edge tech. Discover how Slalom and Google Cloud unlock growth with scalable edge solutions. Watch the webinar to explore innovation, speed, and reliability at the edge. Google Distributed Cloud | Slalom Unlock growth with the power of Google Distributed Cloud Explore how intelligent edge solutions from Slalom and Google Cloud are helping teams move faster, stay resilient, and deliver better experiences—wherever data is generated. Share Empower innovation and scale with Google Distributed Cloud Not every workload fits neatly in the cloud. Whether you’re managing real-time decisions, regulatory requirements, or remote operations, edge computing helps you act on data closer to where it’s created—without adding complexity. In this on-demand webinar, leaders from Slalom and Google Cloud share how Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) is helping organizations modernize infrastructure, unlock new use cases, and extend cloud-native capabilities to the edge. You’ll learn how to: - Run real-time, AI-powered workloads at the edge to support use cases like quality control and in-the-moment decision-making - Ensure uptime and resilience in disconnected or unstable environments , from factory floors to retail stores - Modernize legacy systems with scalable, secure infrastructure that extends cloud capabilities across on-premises and edge locations 66gbz7e8dy wistia-player[media-id='66gbz7e8dy']:not(:defined) { background: center / contain no-repeat url('https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/66gbz7e8dy/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); padding-top:56.25%; } Miheer Munjal Araya Solomon headshot Connect with Miheer Nishant Kohli Slalom employee Titus Bocseri. Connect with Nishant Ready to take your business to the edge? Let's talk --- title: Unlock the power of your data url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlock-the-power-of-your-data source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlock-the-power-of-your-data locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Unlock the power of your data - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlock-the-power-of-your-data - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlock-the-power-of-your-data - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Becoming a data-driven organization requires more than just tools and data—it requires a culture shift. ## Body Unlock the power of your data Becoming a data-driven organization requires more than just tools and data—it requires a culture shift. Unlock the power of your data | Slalom Share insight Lay the foundation for a data-driven organization Becoming a data-driven organization requires more than just tools and data—it requires a culture shift. The people in your organization need to be able to access, understand, and respect data. They need to embrace experimentation and innovation to harness data and generate insights that accelerate business outcomes. And while people are central to creating a modern culture of data, they also need the right tools in place to support them. Building a home for your data that is robust, secure, and accessible provides the foundation you need to become data-driven. No matter where you are on your data journey, from just starting out to fostering deep understanding with AI, Slalom and Google Cloud can help you achieve your full potential. Check out the eBook and infographic below to learn more! Build your data powerhouse To become more data-driven, many organizations need to move their data from the “starter home” it lives in today to a new environment where it can flourish. Learn how you can build a customized data powerhouse to support a new data culture that will inspire your employees to experiment, innovate, and grow. Get the ebook How to build insights from your data With a solid vision, access, knowledge, and guardianship, you can develop new ways of working more effectively with data. See the plans, people, and tools you need to uncover new opportunities for business agility. View infographic Preview of ebook showing the first page --- title: Unlocking M&A Deal Value url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlocking-ma-deal-value source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlocking-ma-deal-value locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Unlocking M&A Deal Value - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/unlocking-ma-deal-value - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/unlocking-ma-deal-value - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Learn more about the integration strategies and challenges that enable and inhibit the extraction of deal value in the life sciences industry. ## Body Unlocking M&A Deal Value Learn more about the integration strategies and challenges that enable and inhibit the extraction of deal value in the life sciences industry. Unlocking M&A deal value in commercial life sciences organizations Share In what has otherwise been a [challenging market for mergers and acquisitions (M A)](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a) in the past year, the life sciences industry has proved to be comparatively resilient and active, particularly for corporate and strategic acquisitions. Given the more challenging economic and deal financing conditions at the moment, the willingness to be more speculative in the actual delivery of value capture has eroded, affecting how executive and corporate development teams need to think about planning and executing integration. As we look at the common types of deals in the [life sciences industry](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/life-sciences), we’re examining the integration strategies and challenges that enable and inhibit the extraction of deal value. Across the different deal types, the common theme is to deeply understand the deal thesis — why you are doing the deal in the first place — and to relentlessly focus and anchor integration activities to center on those points of deal value. The challenges found in life sciences integrations are uniquely complex to the industry, and the types of deals are much more varied in their structure and purpose than in other industries. Understanding the acquisition categories and how they influence the deal thesis is critical to developing an integration plan that delivers the intended value. The focus of this article is to walk through the common transaction types and to spotlight key integration challenges and solutions for the combination of two larger, commercialized, mature life sciences organizations. Common deal types in life sciences When examining the deal theses across acquisitions in the industry, the rationale and purpose for pursuing the combination generally fall into one (or sometimes more) of the following categories: - Pipeline building - Portfolio realignment - Market access - Commercialized or mature acquisitions One important note is that for the purposes of this article, we are looking at instances of acquiring or divesting majority control of a company. The range of deals in life sciences goes well beyond this when taking into consideration in-/out-licensing, venture investment, or other operational and commercial distribution agreements, among other forms. Pipeline-building These deals are generally acquisitions of pre-commercial companies or carved-out research and development (R D) assets that the acquirer believes they can successfully commercialize and bring to market more efficiently via their more mature launch and go-to-market capabilities. Examples include Lilly’s acquisition of DICE Therapeutics and Novartis’s acquisition of Chinook Therapeutics. Pipeline deals often have earn-out or milestone-based structures as part of the purchase price. Portfolio realignment These deals can take many forms, but in current economic conditions (and in similar prior circumstances), these will include divesting noncore assets, bundling similar assets from multiple companies into joint ventures, or consolidating operations in the form of internal restructurings to better realize value out of those businesses. Recent examples include Viatris’s series of divestitures to focus on their core therapeutic areas or Baxter’s spin of Vantive. Market access These are a specific type of acquisition that helps enable regulatory approval and subsequent product launch in a specific geography, sometimes due to local regulatory requirements for business operations or because of existing approvals already held locally by the acquired company that the acquirer can then build on. For this article, we’re focusing on the final type: commercialized or mature acquisitions. Combining two mature life sciences companies These types of deals are characterized by the combination of two mature companies with commercialized products, sales teams, supply chains, regulatory environments, and robust support organizations, with specific revenue and value-capture targets attached. Broadly speaking, synergies may be delivered through efficiencies of scale, enhanced revenue opportunities, and otherwise streamlining operations as a combined organization. We will highlight a few key complexities with this type of deal and how best to address them, but the starting point for an integration leader and an integration management office (IMO) should always be to clearly define the deal thesis. This summary of the deal rationale will be the ultimate test of success in an integration and will frame the entire approach. An integration team should begin with a handful of questions: - What are the core reasons we are acquiring this company instead of pursuing another route? - What does this company deliver that we could not do ourselves? - Where are the specific areas of synergy identified in the deal process, and on what timeline are they expected to be achieved? - What assumptions and decisions are part of the deal process? Answering these questions will go a long way in defining the deal thesis, and doing so at the outset will allow the teams to build integration and synergy plans that deliver on the deal rationale. Assigning owners as single points of accountability and defining objective success measures are the next steps that will frame the integration team and plan. For example, if reassessing commercial footprint (e.g., moving from distributor model to direct local presence) or reconfiguring the operating model (e.g., combining supply flows, entity structures, and accounting for regulatory impacts) as a combined company is part of the deal thesis, setting up dedicated cross-functional integration teams with clear points of accountability early in the process will be critical. Having those teams then build out cross-functional plans tied to the deal thesis, complete with specific synergy goals and owners, will be essential to realizing the envisioned deal value. Complexities of integrating commercialized or mature companies While there are common activities across all industries when starting an integration (e.g., setting up the IMO, onboarding employees, managing synergies), for the purposes of this conversation, we’d like to highlight some of the more unique aspects of deals and possible focus areas for this type of acquisition in the life sciences industry. Regulatory environments and longer sign-to-close period In the past few years, the FTC and DOJ have heightened scrutiny of life sciences mergers due to concerns about drug pricing and overall competition. The implications are longer and more uncertain paths to close. Consent orders may be issued following lengthy regulatory reviews and discussions and might only be issued after a satisfactory removal of the anticompetitive concerns. Example resolutions might include divestitures (e.g., Otezla divestiture to Amgen to gain approval for the BMS — Celgene merger) or other restrictions on certain products/therapeutic areas of the combined portfolio (e.g., restrictions on Tepezza/Krystexxa for Amgen — Horizon merger). Having to account for these types of changes in the deal affects timing, avenues to value capture, and, in some cases, the deal thesis itself. IMOs have to adapt to the longer sign-to-close period, designing programs that take advantage of the extra planning time while ensuring compliance with pre-close gun-jumping restrictions. If an IMO appropriately utilizes the pre-close timeline, more complex integration activities can kick off execution on or close to Day 1, accelerating completion post-close. IMOs that have not effectively used the sign-to-close period may face a complex integration and a more challenging people/change environment in the combined company due to uncertainty and frustration in the process. Operating model integration Commercial and globally positioned life sciences companies operate in extremely challenging, complex, and highly critical circumstances, even on a standard day of business. Combining two of those models is an incredibly challenging effort and should not be underestimated. When discussing an operating model in this context, we are referencing the set of physical flows and financial transactions that need to occur to make the business run. When do products ship, from where, and when do they legally enter a country? Where does product finishing occur? What invoices are sent and when? What legal entities are involved? What third-party relationships exist? These are just a small handful of the questions that need to be answered to document the model, and harmonizing two different companies into one cohesive model that covers all geographies takes a well-thought-out cross-functional effort. The combination of the global operating model drives the pace of the overall integration and is a significant determinant in timing to achieve cost synergies. Highly complex and cross-functional in their own rights, legal entity consolidation, supply/logistics integration, and systems consolidations are all necessary to deliver on the end-state model. To give an example of what goes into just one part of an operating model workstream, legal entity consolidation includes activities like employee transfer, marketing authorization transfer, licensing changes, customs/import changes, label changes, system consolidations, and other regulatory/quality activities, without considering the other local regulatory, commercial, brand, supply, and systems changes that might need to be taken into account. Successfully [managing an operating model integration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/operations) requires direct coordination of the cross-functional effort, with clear ownership as part of the IMO, effective decision-making bodies to help drive the work forward, and cross-functional representation within the workstream. Determining the future-state footprint A critical driver of revenue and cost synergies is defining the combined company’s commercial, manufacturing, and distribution footprints. Doing so is a significant input into the prior discussion on the operating model, as that workstream must know what they are building toward to set up the right support structures. For commercial footprint, an important starting point is determining what commercial model should be in place on a market-by-market basis as a combined company. Do the combined scale and local market dynamics / growth opportunities warrant moving both companies from a local distributor model to having a direct local presence? For markets where one has a local presence and the other does not, does it make sense to pull products into the direct local model, or do the market conditions (e.g., new regulatory restrictions) warrant both downshifting into a distribution model? Finding the right mix on a market-by-market basis can drive many of the commercial synergies, whether through exiting distributor contracts or introducing new products to the market and sales force. Similarly, for the manufacturing footprint, combining sites can be a significant driver of cost synergies, but doing so is often the longest pole in the tent in life sciences integration. Complexities in managing regulations and environmental, health, and safety (EHS) requirements, completing tech transfers, fulfilling third-party-manufacturing obligations, managing employee relations, and effectively replacing supply elsewhere are all part of the difficulties in optimizing the manufacturing footprint. Understanding the respective site capacities, capabilities, performance, and reliability, as well as how each site fits into the overall network and systems, is critical to deciding what the future-state footprint should look like. Some markets may also require local manufacturing or local labs (e.g., Indonesia and Brazil), which also needs to be considered. On the distribution footprint, a similar process to understand what capabilities are needed across the network for the combined portfolio will be essential. For example, if cold or ultra-cold storage is required through the distribution process, having that chain retained and in place will drive where other consolidation will be possible. Aligning on products that require unique or dedicated logistics models will also be part of this process. For example, cell therapy solutions have a vastly different logistics flow than pills or capsules in bottles. Also, understanding the desire to minimize supply points or otherwise consolidate into regional distribution centers will be a major driver of complexity, depending on the current state of both companies. Like the manufacturing footprint, many markets also require local warehousing, which will need to be accounted for in determining the overall footprint. Each of these footprint conversations requires dedicated teams, clear ownership, and a significant amount of time and information to finalize. The added complexity is that these areas are sensitive, meaning information may not be directly available until after closing. Using pre-close clean room structures can accelerate insights, however. Getting these decisions right and quickly moving forward will be key to delivering deal value. Harmonizing R&D Integrating R D functions in an acquisition is a challenging and intricate process, as it involves combining scientific talent, research programs, technologies, and infrastructures. Successful integration can lead to enhanced R D capabilities and portfolio expansion, but if mishandled, it can result in loss of key talent, project delays, and even the termination of promising research programs. Tying back to the deal thesis and prioritizing R D programs based on the strategic goals of the combined entity is a critical part of successful integration. The first major step is conducting a thorough assessment of both companies’ R D pipelines and, based on those aligned strategic goals, deciding on the continuation, reprioritization, or discontinuation of specific programs to minimize redundant efforts and allocate resources efficiently. Also, review ongoing collaborations, licensing deals, and partnerships and decide on continuing or restructuring these relationships based on the combined company’s strategic direction. Synergies can be defined as part of this process, as well as aligning on budgets for ongoing and future R D projects and addressing financial commitments related to milestone payments, partnerships, or licensing deals. Identifying key R D personnel crucial to ongoing and future projects is critical to maintaining pipeline momentum and success. If there are highly regarded researchers and principal investigators in the organization, offer competitive retention packages, clarify roles post-integration, and pull them into defining the vision for the future R D organization to minimize departures. Another key step in pulling the respective teams closer is to facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions and training programs to ensure a uniform understanding of technologies, platforms, and therapeutic areas. Also critical in the harmonization process is understanding the regulatory status of ongoing programs and maintaining the integrity and quality of clinical trials and other R D projects during the transition. The IMO workstream leads should provide clarity on R D operations, how reviews will be conducted, setting up combined advisory boards and review panels, and how internal and external stakeholders, including staff, partners, academic collaborators, and regulatory agencies, will be engaged. Depending on the overall integration strategy, consolidating R D facilities, labs, and equipment might be part of the plan, as will harmonizing processes, protocols, and standard operating procedures. Doing so while ensuring systems compatibility, especially in data management, IT infrastructure, and lab equipment, is critical. Conducting thorough intellectual property (IP) due diligence to identify patents, licenses, and other rights, addressing potential overlaps or conflicts, and ensuring the seamless transition of IP should all be part of the integration plan as well. Rising above the complexities These preceding areas are only glimpses into the level of underlying complexity present in the integration of two mature, commercialized life sciences organizations and are incremental to the many already-complicated integration workstreams that exist in other industries (e.g., systems integration, people integration, change management). To sort through the complexity, the IMO should always anchor back on the strategic rationale and deal thesis for the acquisition. In so doing, building recommendations and going through the decision-making process can become less challenging. While the deals discussed here are the most complex and time-consuming across an entire organization, the other deal formats have extremely important nuances, where attention to detail and addressing those issues early in the process will be critical to success. Share insight --- title: What is financial inclusion and why is it important? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/what-is-financial-inclusion-and-why-is-it-important source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/what-is-financial-inclusion-and-why-is-it-important locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # What is financial inclusion and why is it important? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/what-is-financial-inclusion-and-why-is-it-important - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/what-is-financial-inclusion-and-why-is-it-important - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary Get the business case for creating equitable access to financial products and services—and understand the human impact too. ## Body What is financial inclusion and why is it important? Financial Inclusion | Banking | Slalom Get the business case for creating equitable access to financial products and services—and understand the human impact too. Share insight The case for creating equitable access to financial products and services Financial inclusion is the commitment to ensuring that both individuals and businesses—specifically micro, small, and medium-sized businesses—have access to useful, affordable, and non-exploitative financial products and services that meet their needs and are delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. Financial inclusion extends beyond traditional banking products and includes access to payments, savings, remittances, credit, wealth management, and insurance. While not one of the [G20’s 17](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/) sustainable development goals, financial inclusion has been identified as an enabler for at least seven of the 17 and is seen as key to reducing extreme poverty and driving economic upliftment. The G20 has also committed to advancing financial inclusion globally, primarily leveraging digital technology to address geographical barriers like access to bank branches, as well as other barriers. Beyond the social and ethical imperative, there has been significant research on the links between financial inclusion and sustainable economic growth, along with its ability to create a more stable financial system for individuals who have access to more formalized savings. In fact, a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) [working paper](https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2021/06/11/Is-Digital-Financial-Inclusion-Unlocking-Growth-460738#:~:text=Using%20cross-sectional%20instrument%20variable%20procedure%2C%20we%20find%20that,that%20digital%20financial%20inclusion%20can%20accelerate%20economic%20growth.) found that increasing digital financial inclusion in payments boosts annual economic growth by up to two percentage points. A tradition of exclusion Historically, several groups have been excluded from traditional financial services for a variety of reasons. In the [2021 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households](https://www.fdic.gov/analysis/household-survey/2021report.pdf), unbanked rates were consistently higher among households with lower incomes, single mothers, or family members who had less education or were Black, Hispanic, or disabled. The systemic practices that have perpetuated financial exclusion continue to be experienced today, perpetuating racial and gender wealth gaps. Data from the [2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) showed](https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm) that Black and Hispanic families have considerably less wealth than White families, with 17% less wealth than that of White families. These wealth gaps affect a family’s ability to participate equitably in the economy, as less financial security limits access to much-needed financial products and services. The promotion of financial inclusion not only allows access to financial resources but creates social change by delivering increased financial independence and control over resources. The financial empowerment of women, specifically, has benefited not only individuals but their families and communities. Given that women remain the primary caregivers in many societies, financial literacy can also have a multigenerational impact, as financial know-how is passed down to their children, thereby setting up future generations with increased potential for financial success. Digitization improves global access Digital technology has been an important factor in helping deliver access to previously unbanked or underbanked individuals, who may distrust traditional financial institutions due to past experiences. COVID-19 drove an explosion in the transition to digital payments, and this momentum can be harnessed to expand digitization into other areas. While financial innovation has delivered significant progress in mobile money and payments, two other areas—government disbursements to individuals and cross-border payments or remittances—show promise in the application of innovative technological solutions to provide improved and less-costly service. What we have seen particularly in developing economies is the use of technology to leapfrog development and provide alternative banking and payment products outside of traditional financial services. An often-cited example is [M-Pesa in Kenya](https://www.vodafone.com/about-vodafone/what-we-do/consumer-products-and-services/m-pesa), launched in 2007 as an electronic money-transfer product. M-Pesa allows people to store value on their mobile phones and convert it to cash for peer-to-peer payments or to purchase goods and services. This mobile money-transfer service enabled a banking revolution in Kenya and is now active in seven other African countries, with 50 million active users. The M-Pesa product suite, which also caters to business customers, includes a range of financial services, such as savings, loans, wealth management, and insurance. Prior to its launch, only 27% of Kenyans had access to formal financial services, compared to 84% in 2021. In another part of the globe, the decision by El Salvador to introduce Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 was a controversial yet ambitious case study on embracing digital currencies to increase financial inclusion. While it delivered a significant increase in the number of El Salvadorans with access to digital wallets, the subsequent depreciation of Bitcoin and continued instability has been difficult for people to manage. However, Bitcoin is still seen as an easy, cost-effective way for El Salvadorans outside the country to send money home compared to traditional cross-border payment options, which are frequently expensive. The unbanked and underbanked in America Financial inclusion is often seen as an issue for developing markets, however, according to the FDIC, 5.4% of American households are unbanked, and approximately three times that many are underbanked. The unbanked as a percentage of the population is greater in the US than in all other G7 countries and, as expected, is concentrated at the lower end of income distribution, where once again those with the least resources are the most underserved. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and Treasury or Fed accounts (digital accounts created by the Treasury Department) are potential solutions to reach the unbanked population more effectively using digital technology. These digital solutions are seen as a more efficient and cost-effective way to disburse social benefits and emergency funds during times of crisis, as we saw during the pandemic. ESG and the business case for financial inclusion Financial inclusion is receiving increased attention in ESG strategies, particularly for financial services companies, where accessing these underserved markets is not only a social but business imperative. In recent research published by [S P on ESG Materiality](https://www.spglobal.com/_assets/documents/ratings/research/101563872.pdf), access and affordability is seen as the most material social factor for banks from a stakeholder point of view and one of the four most important from a credit perspective. They then go on to say that failure to successfully navigate this fast-moving technological environment may see a loss in market share. Although several companies have made significant strides in addressing financial inclusion goals as part of their ESG strategy, there is still a ways to go, particularly among small banks with a more localized footprint. Financial services firms can demonstrate real impact in this space, as well as in the much-needed space of financial education, which is key to building long-term sustainable financial wellness. In addition to being an ESG strategy, achieving consistent financial inclusion across all demographics represents a significant business opportunity for the financial sector. As far as future economic growth goes, it’s clear that despite a long tradition of exclusion, the needle is finally shifting in the direction of expanded financial inclusion around the globe. Spurred by many factors, including ESG goals and business and ethical imperatives, this movement benefits not only individuals with improved access but also small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the very institutions that are now serving these new customers. Digital technology is at the heart of these changes and will continue to play a major role in providing greater financial inclusion. In our experience of helping more than 200 banks navigate the twists and turns of the industry, we believe it’s crucial to have a clear strategy for the future, especially for something as vital as financial inclusion. --- title: Where should a CEO be focusing now for future generative AI success? url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/where-should-ceo-be-focusing-now-future-generative-ai-success source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/where-should-ceo-be-focusing-now-future-generative-ai-success locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Where should a CEO be focusing now for future generative AI success? - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/where-should-ceo-be-focusing-now-future-generative-ai-success - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/where-should-ceo-be-focusing-now-future-generative-ai-success - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary The steps business leaders take today around generative AI will be critical for success with this technology in the long run. ## Body Where should a CEO be focusing now for future generative AI success? The steps business leaders take today around generative AI will be critical for success with this technology in the long run. Share insight Over the past several months, large language models (LLMs) have established themselves as the premier methodology for generative tasks in natural language processing, most notably through the news around ChatGPT. Most likely your board, financial analysts, employees, and customers are asking what you are doing with generative AI. Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to create or generate new and original content, such as images, text, source code, audio, or video. This technology utilizes machine learning models trained on large datasets to create new content similar in style, format, and content to the input data. While researchers predict that it could take [up to five years](https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/generative-ai-a-creative-new-world/) to start seeing real business impact from this technology, listed below are the areas of investment that can set your organization up for financial and competitive success in the mid to long term. Make data a first-class citizen The initial development of large language models requires massive amounts of data, and generative AI outputs are built on advanced data inputs, including acquisition, processing, and pipelines. Data engineering and mastering is not as glamorous as artificial intelligence model building and has historically been underinvested in — many have learned the “garbage in, garbage out” rule the hard way. Your data scientists might be distracted with doing this cleanup work when they should be building models. In sum, data quality drives model performance, fairness, and scalability; poor data quality decreases effectiveness, adoption, and value realization. Implement a generative AI acceptable use policy Your CIO, CHRO, CFO, chief legal, and business line leaders should contribute to your organization’s rules of the road for generative AI because each will ultimately benefit from it if managed properly. As a first step in that direction, update your employee handbooks, communications, and policies to ensure you’re covering topic areas such as: - Intellectual property loss - Security vulnerabilities in AI-generated code - Confidential information and data leakage - Regulatory compliance - Guidelines for responsible use - Webinars, FAQs, and forums Protect and build your intellectual property If you’re using a generative AI chat interface that is not your company’s, then you’re most likely helping to develop someone else’s IP. This arena is evolving rapidly, and currently there are both vendor products and open-source options. Open-source options such as the Pile and GPT-NeoX serve as a starter kit for you to customize for your own strategic purposes while retaining your IP and avoiding operating expense outlays to train the models. Recognize bias News about [bias in artificial intelligence](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/employers-seek-clarity-on-ai-bias-ahead-of-eeoc-enforcement-push) is common and top of mind for many leading AI organizations and governments. There is still more to learn about how bias develops through a model training process as well as how bias amplifies beyond the training dataset. Long story short, your organization should develop an operating model and knowledge base about bias in data, model development, and monitoring. Impossible? That was yesterday By using generative AI to improve decision-making and efficiency, we create new opportunities for people to think creatively and innovate boldly. Read more Conclusion Seeing the impact of AI in your income statement will take time, but by following the steps above you will simultaneously reduce the chances of a setback and set yourself up for driving revenue growth, efficiency, and new customer experiences. --- title: Your Future Customer Is a Machine url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/your-future-customer-is-a-machine source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/your-future-customer-is-a-machine locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article --- # Your Future Customer Is a Machine - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/insights/your-future-customer-is-a-machine - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/your-future-customer-is-a-machine - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article ## Summary By 2030, it’s projected that 15% to 20% of company revenue could be generated from purchases made by machine customers. Learn how to shift your approach to accommodate these new digital consumers. ## Body Your Future Customer Is a Machine By 2030, it’s projected that 15% to 20% of company revenue could be generated from purchases made by machine customers. Learn how to shift your approach to accommodate these new digital consumers. AI Commerce: The Rise of Machines as Your Future Customers Your future customer is a machine Learn how to shift your approach to accommodate these new digital consumers Share article Welcome to the machine The concept of “[machine customers](https://youtu.be/9pM4t6LewXw?si=A5TFJYScx9CNKyQ7)” has emerged from an IoT afterthought to a customer segment demanding attention. These AI-driven entities are drastically altering the consumer landscape and the strategies of retailers, marketers, and technologists across industries. Unlike traditional consumers, machine customers are actively analyzing data, learning preferences, and making purchases that align with the needs and habits of their human counterparts, a stark contrast to the emotion-driven decisions of human buyers. The implications for businesses are profound, as they now need to cater to a new type of customer — informed by data and driven by efficiency. Gartner CEOs believe machine customers will account for up to 20% or more of revenue by 2030. [Gartner’s analysis](https://biz-tech-insights.com/big-data/the-next-big-thing-machine-customers/) captures the essence of this shift: “For the first time in human history, machines are making autonomous purchasing decisions.” This change signifies a deep-seated transformation in market dynamics. Businesses now cater not only to humans but also to an expanding array of intelligent, interconnected machines. How AI is transforming consumerism Machines now serve as independent purchasing agents. They evaluate, decide, and execute transactions autonomously. Consider smart refrigerators ordering groceries or self-driving cars managing their maintenance — these are not just convenient technologies but a new type of buyer grounded in efficiency and logic. These AI-driven entities have the potential to not only complement but surpass human buyers in both number and purchasing power. A striking insight from [Gartner’s research](https://www.gartner.com/en/publications/when-machines-become-customers) reveals the magnitude of this shift. By 2030, it’s projected that 15% to 20% of company revenue could be generated from purchases made by machine customers. This dramatic shift underscores the urgency for businesses to adapt to this new type of customer, which operates on algorithms and data rather than impulses and desires. In business settings, offices and factories are adopting this technology too. A factory could autonomously order raw materials when stocks run low, ensuring continuous production. These examples illustrate a future where AI-driven purchases streamline operations, enhance efficiency, optimize supply chains, minimize carbon, and redefine consumer and business experiences. Strategies for a machine-driven market Machine customers differ significantly from humans in their tireless, logical decision-making, unfazed by emotions or biases. For businesses, adapting to this shift means rethinking strategies and incorporating machine customer considerations into their roadmaps. Developing expertise in this area could involve investing in data analytics and AI, understanding machine purchasing patterns, and tailoring products and services to suit these new digital consumers. By embracing these changes, businesses can effectively cater to human and machine customers, opening up new avenues for growth and innovation in an increasingly AI-integrated market. Navigating the world of AI customers As we witness the rise of machine customers, businesses, consumers, and the economy are at a pivotal juncture. This transition to AI-driven purchasing is not just an emerging trend; it’s a paradigm shift that reshapes how products and services are sold and consumed. The implications are vast, from streamlined operations to new market dynamics. It is imperative to chart the trajectory of evolution from a bound customer to an autonomous entity. This transition delineates a future where the distinction between human and machine preferences blurs, crafting a new paradigm for consumer interaction. Below is a timeline that encapsulates this progression, providing a roadmap for navigating the impending shifts in the landscape of consumer behavior: - Bound customer (today): Here, humans set the rules, and machines follow, executing purchases for specific items. This is seen in today’s smart devices and services like automated printer ink subscriptions. - Adaptable customer (by 2026): Machines will co-lead with humans, making optimized decisions from a set of choices. This will be reflected in smart home systems that can choose energy providers. - Autonomous customer (by 2036): The machine will take the lead, inferring needs and making purchases based on a complex understanding of rules, content, and preferences, such as AI personal assistants managing daily tasks. Tomorrow’s market movers This transition poses both opportunities and challenges for businesses. The consumer market is no longer solely human-centric; the behavior of machines increasingly influences it. For businesses, this means a shift in strategy and approach to accommodate these new digital consumers. The future of commerce will likely be shaped by these machine-driven decisions, making it imperative for companies to prepare for a marketplace where their major customers might not be human at all. The challenge for businesses is not just to understand this shift but to be at the forefront of it, leveraging the potential of machine customers to create new opportunities and drive growth. Your role in the era of intelligent buyers Reflect on how your business can navigate this new landscape. Stay informed by exploring resources on AI and consumer trends. Engage in discussions about the implications of machine customers and share your insights. The future is being rewritten, and your perspective is valuable in shaping how we approach this brave new world of AI-driven consumerism. --- title: Artificial Intelligence | AI Consulting | AI Technology | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Artificial Intelligence | AI Consulting | AI Technology | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom AI consulting empowers companies using AI Technology to improve decision-making, speed, and efficiency, creating new opportunities for growth. ## Body Artificial Intelligence | AI Consulting | AI Technology | Slalom Artificial Intelligence | Slalom Slalom AI consulting empowers companies using AI Technology to improve decision-making, speed, and efficiency, creating new opportunities for growth. Artificial Intelligence Consulting | AI Solutions for Enterprises By using AI to improve decision-making, speed, and efficiency, we create new opportunities for people to do what only humans can: think creatively and innovate boldly. AI consulting AI consulting services that turn ambition into measurable outcomes. We work with your teams to connect strategy, data, people, and delivery so AI works across your organization, not just in isolated use cases. Backed by insight from our global experts, we help you close the gap between ambition and execution, from strategy and build to ongoing AI operations. ai transformation for enterprise Set AI in motion When AI flows across your data, systems, and teams, the whole business moves. aiae Accelerated engineering The way we build software is changing—for the better. Slalom Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Unlock personalized experiences with Agentforce, powered by Salesforce Data Cloud and our proven delivery frameworks. What AI consulting capabilities does Slalom offer? Business & customer value Outcomes, not activity, define success. We work with you to identify high-value use cases, deploy AI solutions, and operate them with clear accountability for outcomes. The result is measurable impact that improves continuously. Workforce & organization As AI reshapes how work gets done, teams need new ways to operate. We support your employees in building the skills, mindset, and structures needed to collaborate effectively with intelligent systems and adapt as roles evolve. Experience & process Scale comes from how work flows, not just where AI is applied. We partner with you to redesign workflows and experiences for human-AI collaboration and operate those workflows in production with the governance, monitoring, and continuous improvement they require. Intelligent agents, with human oversight, then carry out work and support decisions across systems and teams to deliver measurable, sustained outcomes. Technology & data AI depends on foundations that can keep up. We build with you to create scalable capabilities on clean data, modern architecture, and connected systems. This helps AI perform reliably across your ecosystem as it evolves. Where it makes sense, we also run these platforms and data operations for you, so reliability doesn’t depend on your team’s capacity. Strategic alignment & governance Value grows when execution can keep pace with strategy. Together, we define a clear AI vision, strategy, and governance model grounded in business and customer value. We align priorities, funding, and decisions to deliver measurable outcomes. Trust & security Trust is what allows AI to operate inside the business. We work with you to embed secure, compliant, and ethical practices into your AI systems and maintain them as those systems evolve. This includes establishing guardrails, governance, and monitoring to protect sensitive data and help ensure accountability as AI scales. Slalom’s blueprint for AI transformation AI creates lasting impact when strategy, technology, and people work together. Our approach helps you align on vision, build the right foundations, and empower your teams. It is supported by trusted, secure, and ethical AI practices throughout. slalom ai consulting blueprint 2,000 leaders. What we’re seeing. AI ambition is outpacing execution. Confidence is high. Capability is constrained. 68% believe they’re keeping pace with AI, yet 93% report workforce barriers. Strategy is moving faster than execution. Plans evolve quickly, but systems, funding, and governance can’t keep up with AI’s demands. Funding models are slowing progress. 87% still rely on traditional investment cycles. Legacy is still the bottleneck. Modernization is underway—but incomplete efforts are limiting AI’s impact. Data—not models—determines value. AI is only as effective as the data it runs on. Trust is rising faster than oversight. 95% trust AI for strategic work—but only half have formal governance. Pilots dominate. Scale is rare. Only 21% have enterprise-wide AI use cases. Automation is improving tasks—not transforming work. Gains from AI are real, but most stop short of end-to-end change. Ownership is expanding—but accountability is diffuse. More shared ownership, less clarity on who’s responsible for AI initiatives. Investment is accelerating—without clear proof of value. 90% plan to increase spend, but few can measure AI’s ROI. Efficiency is improving. Differentiation is not. Most focus on productivity, not reinvention. Read the report AI consulting services with our technology partners AWS slalom aws partner Together with AWS, we bring AI into the flow of your business—so your teams can act on data faster, scale with confidence, and keep work moving seamlessly across your cloud ecosystem. AWS and Slalom Databricks slalom databricks partner Databricks brings your data and AI together in one place. We build on this scalable foundation to help your teams run AI in the work, not just in isolated use cases. Databricks and Slalom Google Cloud Bronson Shafer On Google Cloud, we help you put AI to work in ways that are practical and secure. Together, we empower your teams to uncover insights, improve how work gets done, and deliver better experiences. Google and Slalom Microsoft Britt Brannon With Microsoft, we bring AI into the tools your people use every day. The result is simpler workflows, more productive teams, and new ways to create value—using technology your organization already trusts. Microsoft and Slalom OpenAI OpenAI and slalom Using OpenAI’s advanced capabilities, we help you reimagine how work gets done. From intelligent assistants to agentic workflows, we design AI solutions that help your teams reduce complexity, move faster, and focus on high-value decisions. OpenAI and Slalom Salesforce salesforce consulting partner slalom With Salesforce, we help unify your data and activate Agentforce to deliver connected, personalized AI experiences that drive stronger customer relationships and measurable business outcomes. Salesforce and Slalom Snowflake With Snowflake, we help you build AI on a strong, trusted data foundation. By making data more accessible and usable, your teams can move faster, collaborate more effectively, and turn insights into action. Snowflake and Slalom Working across the AI ecosystem slalom ai solutions While we highlight key partners, we work across hundreds of AI technologies including niche and emerging providers. We bring together leading platforms and the right tools for your business goals, combining established solutions to deliver results in real-world workflows and operations. Meet our partners Siemens: Turning AI potential into progress for software developers Cargo container ship in transit along coastline. PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with Gen AI Read more genie ai contact center transformation slalom Genie: Cutting call wait times in half Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations Jaja Finance: Responding faster to customers with GenAI Gen AI guide preview in layout Hologic: Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all Read story FAQs --- title: Agentforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce locale: us/en content_type: Industry Overview Template --- # Agentforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/agentforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Overview Template ## Summary As a founding member of the Agentforce Partner Network, Slalom enables the rapid activation of data and AI use cases to transform customer experiences. ## Body Agentforce Agentforce | Slalom As a founding member of the Agentforce Partner Network, Slalom enables the rapid activation of data and AI use cases to transform customer experiences. Slalom Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Unlock personalized experiences with Agentforce, powered by Salesforce Data Cloud and our proven delivery frameworks. Focus on driving value in three areas Invest in AI wisely We help you establish clear business cases, evaluate the potential of your ideas, and establish the right AI operations to monitor your investments. Find out how Move quickly on your AI ideas It’s time to take your use cases from planning to production by leveraging emerging technologies. Grounded in tangible benefits, our approach to AI-accelerated engineering helps you move from ideation to real-world use. Get started Create an adaptive workforce Building an adaptive organization requires helping your people navigate new skills, tools, and technologies. We understand the change management, communications, and organization design to support your evolving workforce. Learn more Overview Experience the transformative capabilities of combining Salesforce’s Data Cloud and Agentforce to unlock deeper insights from your customer data, empowering you to deliver highly personalized experiences driven by predictive and generative AI insights. The Agentforce Accelerator, in conjunction with Slalom’s services, leverages Slalom’s proprietary delivery blueprints to facilitate seamless testing, discovery, and requirement gathering, driving scalable results for your final implementation. How Agentforce works Natively built on Salesforce and extendable to all clouds (and beyond!), Agentforce brings generative AI to your organization, allowing you to integrate your preferred large language model (LLM) provider in an enterprise-grade, secure, and trust-first manner. Keep your data and insights secure within the Salesforce ecosystem, and take action throughout your technology stack. Dive in deeper Agentforce stands out as a comprehensive generative AI platform by leveraging Salesforce’s Data Cloud as its core data layer. Data Cloud unifies and harmonizes data from Salesforce and third-party systems, enabling seamless retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities. This integration removes traditional engineering hurdles by indexing unstructured data—such as emails, call transcripts, and knowledge articles—into a vectorized, searchable format. This empowers the platform to deliver relevant, timely insights and actions with minimal setup. In addition to powering RAG, Data Cloud provides robust support for AI refinement and operational transparency. Detailed audit logs and usage analytics offer a complete view of all Agentforce interactions, supporting compliance, enhancing user trust, and driving data-driven improvements. The feedback loop enabled by Data Cloud allows humans in the loop to quickly refine agent capabilities, while its analytics capabilities help unlock actionable insights to optimize customer service, sales, and operational workflows. With Data Cloud as its backbone, Agentforce combines the power of RAG with enterprise-grade analytics, helping to create a secure, trust-first environment that supports innovation and enhances decision-making across your organization. What makes the platform unique and robust is utilizing Data Cloud as its data layer. Data Cloud unifies and harmonizes all customers’ Salesforce and third-party data, which is key to Agentforce enabling relevant actions and unlocking new insights. Ready to shape the future of your business? Talk to an expert Get our Agentforce guide to the top 10 readiness questions and industry use cases. Download the PDF guide Key capabilities and industries Agentforce accelerator framework with industry expertise: Experience across sectors such as healthcare, life sciences, media/communications, financial services, travel, technology, energy/utility, manufacturing, retail, consumer goods, and public sector. checkmark Advanced reasoning engine: Powered by Agentforce to support both internal and external assistive agents and applications. customer service Foundational components for autonomous agents: Facilitates operations within a multi-agent network. 10K+ prompts and database of 1K+ AI personas by industry Prompt cookbook built with Salesforce: Leverage well-defined prompts and data services as the foundation of effective enterprise AI. Our prompt cookbook captures insights and best practices to help you harness this power effectively with ready to build use cases for Sales, Service and core platform Generative AI capabilities to help you make the most of your Agentforce investment. Data management: Observe-Test frameworks allow traceability from discovery through to implementation, scaling data across complex use-cases. Cross-cloud profile unification Omni-channel insights: Accelerator-backed insights that unify profiles across email, chat, and more, enabling seamless customer interactions. Digital engagement across technologies Talk to one of our AI experts Get in touch Laying a strong foundation for AI with Data Cloud Learn how Salesforce Data Cloud empowers businesses to unlock the true value of AI. By connecting and organizing data, Data Cloud paves the way for leveraging cutting-edge AI features like Agentforce. Struggling with siloed data? This blog explains how Data Cloud can streamline data management and fuel AI-driven decision-making for your business. Read the insight The future of financial services leveraging Data Cloud GenAI The financial services industry is undergoing a paradigm shift toward AI-powered, data-driven customer experiences. This article delves into the transformative power of Salesforce Data Cloud. By eliminating data silos and fostering a holistic customer view, Data Cloud empowers personalized interactions. GenAI leverages this unified data, generating insights that enhance customer service and sales interactions. Explore how you can implement these cutting-edge technologies, and unlock the full potential of a transformed financial services experience. Agentforce in action: success stories and impact Our unparalleled experience keeps your AI journey in expert hands. Backed by customer success stories, Slalom has demonstrated the power of AI, and we’re ready to guide you along your GenAI journey. - Global supply chain risk management company: Improved customer engagement workflows through unified data insights and streamlined service delivery. - Salesforce: Slalom is proud to partner with Salesforce to build new agents for Salesforce Partner Success with Agentforce, demonstrating scalability and enterprise-grade customer interaction capabilities. - Slalom: Leveraged internally to enhance service delivery and achieve better client outcomes. Learn how we deliver Overcoming barriers to success Discover how our team excels at navigating challenges to pave the way for your success. We provide: - Governance: Expert guidance on managing complex governance requirements to achieve compliance and scalability. - Skill shifts: Support for teams in adopting new technologies and aligning skil lsets for AI-driven workflows. - Testing: Utilization of proven QA methodologies to mitigate risks and drive project success. Explore more Discover the synergy of Agentforce and Data Cloud Unified engagement data Seamlessly unify engagement data across various “profiles,“ enabling a holistic view of each individual. 360-degree view Build a comprehensive 360-degree view of each individual by tying together attributes like name, email, and account number. Implemented at a risk management company to unify engagement data across customer profiles. Scalable data enrichment Enrich your data with aggregation metrics to gain deeper insights into customer behaviors and preferences. Smart virtual assistants Create highly customized generative virtual assistants that can be embedded anywhere in your Salesforce applications (e.g., customer support, case summarization, document creation, knowledge research, etc.). Insights across the platform Utilize CRM data to provide actionable insights across the entire platform, leveraging features like BYOM, traceability, and auditability (requires Data Cloud as a foundational data layer to perform). Predictive and GenAI Leverage predictive and GenAI capabilities to drive actionable insights and personalized recommendations. Slalom’s Agentforce and Box Accelerator Unlocking AI insights for Salesforce users leveraging documents in Box. Watch the demo AI to ROI From smarter investing to faster productization to upskilling your workforce, Slalom helps you quickly drive tangible business results with AI.​ Salesforce Launches AI Agents Marketplace At the forefront of this innovation is Slalom's Allen Mann, who shares insights on how this marketplace empowers businesses to harness AI for enhanced customer experiences. Read more Complete the form to get instant access to your free PDF download! lk55xxxvnk --- title: Accelerated engineering url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering locale: us/en content_type: Industry Overview Template --- # Accelerated engineering - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-accelerated-engineering - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Overview Template ## Summary We’ve refactored the software development process for the AI-era. This isn’t just about automation. It’s about smarter workflows, faster feedback loops, and delivery models that actually work for your teams. ## Body Accelerated engineering Accelerated engineering | Slalom We’ve refactored the software development process for the AI-era. This isn’t just about automation. It’s about smarter workflows, faster feedback loops, and delivery models that actually work for your teams. The way we build software is changing—for the better. AI is reshaping how software gets built. At Slalom, we’ve reimagined the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) to keep up with that change. Whether you’re modernizing legacy systems, launching new products, or scaling intelligent operations, accelerated engineering rapidly embeds AI at every stage of the journey. yjthrdoxdc What we’re helping customers accelerate Products Bring new ideas to life—faster, smarter, and bigger. Modernizations Transform legacy systems with speed, quality, and scale. Reliability Build resilient operations with AI-powered consistency. Teams and orgs Enable adaptive teams and future-ready ways of working. Let’s make technology move faster (and smarter). AI is reshaping how products come to life. The process is faster, more adaptive, and more collaborative than ever. We’re here to help you make the shift with confidence. Get in touch Accelerating software delivery and innovation through AI A global telecom leader partnered with Slalom to embed AI in software delivery—driving speed, efficiency, and innovation across the organization. A leading global telecom company partnered with Slalom to accelerate delivery and reshape how software teams work—with AI at the center. Like many telecom providers, the company was facing rising pressure to deliver faster, scale AI responsibly, and reduce operational inefficiencies. The goal wasn’t just to test tools, but to embed AI into the way teams collaborate, innovate, and deliver. We embedded with engineering teams to guide adoption in real time—scaling GitHub Copilot, a standardized prompt library, and reusable AI workflows. A 60-day acceleration checklist and early adopter fast-track program helped teams ramp up quickly and capture measurable impact early. The results were clear. Copilot adoption hit 95% across pilot teams. Top performers saw up to 40% productivity gains through automation and smarter prompts. The company now projects up to $150M a year in operational savings from reduced context switching, faster onboarding, and more efficient delivery. What started as a pilot is now a blueprint. With proven outcomes and a scalable model in place, this organization is transforming how it works—building faster, smarter, and with greater confidence. The enablement model and best practices developed are now informing AI rollout plans across multiple business units. How we work— side by side with you We collaborate with your teams to build real, working tools—not just plans. Your teams learn by doing—adopting new skills and AI workflows as they go. AI agents are integrated directly into daily work, not left in a sandbox. We codevelop patterns, prompts, and practices you can scale across your org. Every engagement leaves you faster, smarter, and with more self-sufficiency. One approach. Many industries. Real impacts. Tab 1 Financial services Reimagine how financial platforms are built and maintained—accelerating transformation while reducing cost, complexity, and risk. - Reduce the cost and complexity of aging systems like mainframes. - Strengthen security, scalability, and compliance during transformation. - Deliver value faster across core systems—from customer onboarding to risk modeling. Tab 2 Healthcare Move faster without compromising care or compliance. Accelerated engineering streamlines delivery and enables scalable, connected systems. - Break down data silos across EHR, RCM, and diagnostics systems. - Deliver platform improvements faster—from claims workflows to care coordination tools. - Scale patient- and provider-facing solutions without infrastructure or delivery bottlenecks. Life sciences Speed up discovery, trials, and commercialization with AI-powered delivery models designed to reduce technical debt and improve throughput. - Improve R D throughput with faster, AI-powered engineering cycles. - Accelerate time-to-value in discovery, trials, and post-launch platforms. - Enable scalable growth in tech platforms supporting trials, submissions, and engagement. Media & communications Build and launch with fewer bottlenecks. Accelerated engineering brings structure and speed to fragmented tech stacks—without slowing production. - Improve engineering velocity across disconnected, custom-built apps. - Accelerate launch cycles across the content, ad, and commerce experience. - Help teams scale what’s working while eliminating silos, workarounds, and handoffs. Public & social impact Bring agility to public systems. Our approach helps modernize securely, reduce delivery timelines, and improve digital service experiences. - Deliver new public-facing tools faster, with measurable community impact. - Support cross-agency collaboration with unified platforms and shared logic. - Free internal teams to focus on accessibility, security, and mission-critical outcomes. Retail & consumer goods Keep pace with demand by removing platform drag. Accelerated engineering enables faster execution, greater flexibility, and team-wide alignment. - Migrate pricing, inventory, and ordering systems off costly mainframes. - Deliver updates to promotions, personalization, and commerce platforms in less time. - Remove system bottlenecks to scale omnichannel initiatives without slowing down. The future won't wait for your legacy systems: Accelerated modernization delivers agility, innovation, and growth Talk to one of our AI experts --- title: Set AI in motion url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Set AI in motion - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary When AI flows across your data, systems, and human–agent teams, the whole business moves. Explore Slalom's AI transformation solutions. ## Body Set AI in motion When AI flows across your data, systems, and human–agent teams, the whole business moves. Explore Slalom’s AI transformation solutions, from strategy through to agentic managed services. When AI flows across your data, systems, and human–agent teams, the whole business moves. Explore Slalom's AI transformation solutions. AI Transformation: 6 Solutions for Enterprises Is AI stuck on the sidelines of your business? AI succeeds when it’s built into how work actually runs, not alongside it. And that requires two things moving together: foundations built for continuous evolution and new operating models designed for human–agent collaboration. Slalom builds both and stays accountable for the outcomes. We meet you where you are and move you forward, from strategy through day-to-day agentic operations. AI that keeps moving— and delivering When AI runs through the business, the numbers follow. Organizations that build adaptable foundations and redesign work around AI see measurable results: faster decisions, scaled impact, and value that grows over time. Proven across teams, workflows, and operations Note: These results are based on past client engagements. Outcomes will vary based on implementation and context. Slalom helps you navigate the AI transformation journey tj3agvdtf0 Solutions that move your AI vision forward Tab 1 AI Strategy Set clear AI priorities tied to measurable outcomes—aligning leaders, investments, and use cases to where AI will actually change the business over time. This solution can help your organization: - Turn AI ambition into a clear, actionable strategy - Prioritize the use cases most likely to drive measurable business impact - Align leadership around shared goals, governance, and investment decisions - Connect isolated AI efforts into a coordinated roadmap tied to operational outcomes Let’s talk AI Strategy Turn AI Ambition into execution Featured accelerator AI Value Platform An AI value assessment and roadmap that helps leaders evaluate readiness, prioritize high-impact use cases, and connect AI investments to measurable business value. AI Office Establish ownership, governance, and operating models that define how AI decisions are made, measured, and managed across the business. This solution can help your organization: - Establish clear ownership, accountability, and decision-making for AI initiatives - Strengthen governance to address growing risk, compliance, and security concerns - Reduce duplication and improve coordination across AI efforts and teams - Create repeatable governance patterns that help teams move faster without increasing risk Let’s talk AI Office AI Value Platform: Assess Identify where your organization is ready for AI, where gaps are slowing progress, and what to prioritize next. AI Accelerate Teams Deploy embedded AI teams to design, validate, and refine AI in real workflows, connecting business priorities, engineering execution, and user experience from day one. This solution can help your organization: - Embed AI specialists directly into business and engineering teams to accelerate delivery - Move high-priority use cases from experimentation into production-ready workflows faster - Validate business value early using real users, systems, and operational constraints - Create reusable delivery patterns that help AI scale beyond isolated pilots Let’s talk AI Accelerate Teams AI Value Platform: Enhance Analyze roles, tasks, and workflows to identify where AI can create the greatest operational impact. AI Factory Build reusable AI foundations—data, platforms, pipelines, and operational controls—that help AI run reliably across systems, teams, and use cases. This solution can help your organization: - Reduce duplicate AI work through reusable platforms, patterns, and delivery frameworks - Standardize how AI is deployed, monitored, governed, and continuously improved - Simplify fragmented tools, models, and workflows across the enterprise AI ecosystem - Establish AI-ready data, AIOps, and operational foundations that support long-term evolution Let’s talk AI Factory Agentic Workflow Accelerator Quickly build and scale agentic AI workflows through a reusable framework to accelerate enterprise impact. AI Enablement Redesign roles, workflows, and decision making for human–agent collaboration so teams can adopt new ways of working with clarity and confidence. This solution can help your organization: - Increase adoption of AI tools already deployed across the business - Create more consistent usage and capabilities across teams - Help teams adopt AI in daily workflows with clearer practices, coaching, and role design - Turn isolated experimentation into scalable, day-to-day productivity gains Let’s talk AI Enablement SHIFT AQ Measure leadership adaptability across five dimensions to identify where teams can better navigate AI-driven change. Agentic Managed Services Agentic Managed Services (AMS) helps organizations run business processes and service operations at scale with a team of people and agents, focused on better outcomes, greater transparency, and stronger long-term value than traditional service models. This solution can help your organization: - Run impactful work with purpose-built agents and human oversight - Deploy agents at scale with the governance needed to keep them running safely - Align spending to business outcomes through a transparent, outcome-based partnership - Keep improving after go-live as agents take on more work and people focus on higher-value priorities Let’s talk AMS Partners that move AI through the business AWS slalom aws partner With AWS, AI moves from experimentation into execution. We build scalable foundations and operating models so AI moves across systems, decisions, and teams. By combining cloud innovation with responsible AI practices, organizations accelerate outcomes that are measured in performance—not demos—and that improve every quarter. Databricks slalom databricks partner Databricks brings your data and AI together in one place. We build on this scalable foundation to put AI in motion across the business—moving beyond isolated use cases to everyday impact. Databricks Partners with Slalom to Drive Business Value Google Cloud Bronson Shafer On Google Cloud, we help you put AI to work in ways that are practical and secure. Together, we empower your teams to uncover insights, improve how work gets done, and deliver better experiences. Google and Slalom Microsoft Britt Brannon With Microsoft, we put AI in motion across the tools your people use every day. The result is simpler workflows, more productive teams, and new ways to create value—using technology your organization already trusts. Microsoft Partner | Microsoft Services | Slalom OpenAI OpenAI and slalom Using OpenAI’s advanced capabilities, we help you reimagine how work gets done. From intelligent assistants to agentic workflows, we design AI solutions that help your teams reduce complexity, move faster, and focus on high-value decisions. OpenAI Partner | Open AI Services | Slalom Salesforce salesforce consulting partner slalom With Salesforce, we help unify your data and activate Agentforce to deliver connected, personalized AI experiences that drive stronger customer relationships and measurable business outcomes. Salesforce and Slalom Snowflake Snowflake provides the trusted, connected data foundation AI needs to operate across the business. We make data accessible, governed, and actionable for faster insights, smarter decisions, and AI solutions that scale with confidence. With Snowflake, foundations evolve as AI evolves—keeping pace with how work actually happens. Snowflake Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom Working across the AI ecosystem slalom ai solutions While we highlight key partners, we work across hundreds of AI technologies including niche and emerging providers. We bring together leading platforms and the right tools for your business goals, combining established solutions to deliver results in real-world workflows and operations. Meet our partners div.cmp-teaser__content > div > div.cmp-teaser__action-container > div { margin-top: 18px; } .cmp-leadercard-border-coral { margin: 15px 0px; } Real results across industries Financial services - We helped TP ICAP [embed AI into everyday workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/tp-icap-ai-roi), delivering over 5,000% ROI and turning AI into a core operating capability. - We partnered with Jaja Finance to [launch a GenAI assistant](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/jaja-responding-faster-with-genai) that reduced customer response times by 90% and scaled service across the business. - Together with Google Cloud, we helped Sionic [bring an AI-powered fraud detection platform to market](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/securing-digital-payments-with-ai-powered-fraud-protection), improving fraud detection reliability and enabling safer real-time payments. Tab 2 Healthcare & life sciences - Partnering with Hologic , we [developed an AI-powered screening solution](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all) that advances cervical cancer prevention by improving early detection and expanding access to care. - We partnered with Sygnomics to [build an AI-powered application](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/sygnomics-ml-application) that enables oncologists to predict cancer progression and personalize treatment through patient-specific data visualization. - We helped Takeda [enable its workforce with AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/takeda-pharmaceuticals-), increasing proficiency by 91%, boosting chatbot readiness by 162%, and driving a 185% increase in usage in the first month after rollout. Manufacturing & mobility - Together with GTÜ , we [deployed an AI assistant](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/gtu-ai-vehicle-inspections)that reduces support calls and accelerates vehicle inspections. - Working with Kawasaki , we [embedded AI into maintenance operations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/expanding-horizons-with-intelligent-track-maintenance-support) to enable predictive insights that improve rail safety and reduce unplanned repairs. - We helped Clariant [build a unified GenAI platform](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/clariant-productivity-genai-platform) that boosts collaboration across global teams and accelerates innovation. - We partnered with Genie to [embed AI into customer service workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/genie-contact-center-agent-efficiency), reducing call wait times by 50% and improving agent performance. Media & communications - We partnered with Keywords Studios to [use data and AI to unlock new revenue opportunities](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/keywords-studios-data-ai-innovation), cut time to generate customer insights by 90%, and enhance player engagement globally. - Working with the Chicago Cubs , we [delivered real-time personalization and data-driven fan experiences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake) at Wrigley Field. - We helped Ströer [use AI to power content discovery](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/stroer-ai-content-discovery) and deliver more relevant, engaging media experiences. Public & social impact - In partnership with Florida’s Division of Emergency Management , we [modernized emergency response systems](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/florida-division-emergency-management-disaster-relief), reducing time to deliver aid by 90% and enabling faster, more coordinated disaster recovery. - We helped UCLA Anderson [use GenAI to personalize outreach](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/ucla-anderson-school-management-aws-salesforce), boosting engagement by 66% and increasing donations by 132%. - We partnered with USC Price to [put data and AI in the hands of policymakers](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/usc-price-data-drives-stronger-la-neighborhoods) to drive more equitable outcomes across Los Angeles communities. Retail & consumer goods - We helped PUMA [launch an AI-powered creator platform](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/puma-ai-creator) that drove fan engagement at scale, generating 180,000 designs and over 1.7 million ratings in just 10 days. - Working with United Airlines , we [deployed GenAI tools that improved employee productivity](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai) and doubled customer service resolution speed. - We partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line [use GenAI to guide trip planning](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai), increasing booking likelihood by 58% and driving higher-value conversions. Technology & software - We collaborated with Siemens AG to [execute one of the world’s largest AI engineering initiatives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/siemens-ai-microsoft-github-copilot), enabling 30,000 software developers with GitHub Copilot. - Together with Avetta , we [embedded AI into customer service operations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations), reducing handle time by 25% and increasing call deflection by 38% to improve agent efficiency at scale. - We partnered with LogicMonitor to [deploy AI-powered support and compliance solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/logicmonitor-ai-upgrade-support-compliance) that deflect 38% of cases and save hundreds of hours of manual work. - We helped Ocuco [embed AI copilots into engineering workflows](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/secure/microsoft/stories/ocuco-github-copilot), increasing productivity with a 233% boost in time savings and accelerating software delivery. Getting AI is the easy part. Making it work is hard. Start where you are. Build what it takes to keep AI moving across the business. Our AI transformation experts Kris Crichton Connect with Kris Will Bray Connect with Will Doria Frazier Connect with Doria Jillian Powers, PhD Connect with Jillian Jayson Stangel Connect with Jayson Nicole Peterson Connect with Nicole Doug White Douglas White Connect with Douglas AI awards Partner Innovation Award: Technology Award 2025 Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year Cloud Artificial Intelligence Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector Global GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year 2024 Frequently asked questions Ready to get AI moving through your business? Build the foundations and operating models for human–agent collaboration. Talk to an expert 35bzn1d0l9 --- title: Set AI in motion with AWS and Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/aws locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Set AI in motion with AWS and Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Together, Slalom and Amazon Web Services (AWS) help you build the cloud, data, and operating foundations, and they help you prove value quickly, scale AI confidently, and enable human-agent collaboration. ## Body Set AI in motion with AWS and Slalom Together, Slalom and Amazon Web Services (AWS) help you build the cloud, data, and operating foundations, and they help you prove value quickly, scale AI confidently, and enable human-agent collaboration. From POCs and pilots to real value and scale If you’re still using AI in isolated use cases, you’re only capturing a fraction of its value. Real impact comes from embedding AI across connected data, workflows, systems, and teams. Together, Slalom and Amazon Web Services (AWS) help you build the cloud, data, and operating foundations, and they help you prove value quickly, scale AI confidently, and enable human-agent collaboration. The result is AI that’s part of everyday operations, driving measurable outcomes and continuous improvement. Slalom helps you navigate the AI transformation journey 2438yp0ii5 Moving AI from ideas to measurable business outcomes Successful AI starts with choosing the right opportunities. Join Slalom and AWS to learn how the AI Value Platform helps prioritize high-value use cases, while Forward Deployed Expertise accelerates delivery—turning AI experiments into scalable business capabilities that deliver measurable value. Watch the full conversation CRISP customer story image TP ICAP A global financial services leader turned to Slalom and AWS to build what many companies overlook: a foundation that makes AI work, stick, and deliver value at massive scale. The result? ROI of up to 5,004% and a model that keeps generating value. Featured solution Forward Deployed Expertise (FDE) Unlock faster time to market, increased productivity, and new revenue opportunities through AI solutions built for real-world use. With our FDE teams embedded alongside your business and technology leaders, we help you identify, validate, and build AI-first solutions using AWS’s AI and cloud services as the foundation. Our FDE offering delivers: - A clear, accelerated path to production and value realization - Improved alignment between business and IT - More targeted AI spending, reducing waste by prioritizing initiatives with clear ROI and measurable outcomes - A lasting internal capability so your teams can sustain and scale solutions Explore the offering Shahen Bokhari The Slalom team helped demystify AI for us. But they didn’t just give advice—they rolled up their sleeves and worked side by side with us. Announcements Slalom Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Help Organizations Transform into AI-First Enterprises Read more Slalom Awarded 13 2025 AWS Partner of the Year Award Acknowledgements, Including Global GenAI Partner of the Year Slalom joins AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance Aligning strategy, technology, and people to deliver real AI impact The AWS difference Slalom and AWS help organizations move AI from experimentation into everyday operations—rapidly proving value, scaling AI capabilities, and driving measurable business outcomes. Explore our partnership Ready to make AI ambitions reality? The right strategy, architecture, and operating model provide the foundation for continuous evolution, so you can be ready for AI’s future. Request a workshop Frequently asked questions 2e25hfkvyk --- title: Set AI in motion url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/microsoft-and-databricks source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/microsoft-and-databricks locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Set AI in motion - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/microsoft-and-databricks - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation/microsoft-and-databricks - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary When AI flows across your data, systems, and human–agent teams, the whole business moves. Explore Slalom's AI transformation solutions. ## Body Set AI in motion Set AI in motion with Microsoft & Databricks. AI transformation consulting with Slalom, Microsoft, and Databricks. Modernize data, strengthen AI governance, accelerate adoption, and scale AI. When AI flows across your data, systems, and human–agent teams, the whole business moves. Explore Slalom's AI transformation solutions. Set AI in motion with Microsoft & Databricks AI built into how your business runs Most organizations already have AI tools, pilots, and experimentation underway. The challenge is moving AI beyond isolated efforts and into the systems, processes, and day-to-day work that drive the business. Together, Slalom, Microsoft, and Databricks help organizations turn disconnected AI activity into operational momentum, with stronger data foundations, practical governance, and human–agent collaboration that holds up under pressure. Your AI advantage starts with the foundation Hear how CRISP Shared Services partnered with Microsoft, Databricks, and Slalom to build the trusted data foundation needed to adapt, innovate, and scale in the age of AI. Learn why a strong foundation, not just new technology, is the true competitive advantage in an evolving business landscape. Watch the full conversation jos7ct295r “AI success depends on bringing together the right technology, expertise, and execution. Through our strong collaboration with Slalom and Databricks, we're helping customers build the modern data foundations, governance, and AI capabilities they need to accelerate innovation at scale. Together, we're enabling organizations to unlock the full value of their data and transform how they operate, compete, and grow in the era of AI.” Anavi Nahar Head of Product, Azure Data Lake Storage Azure Databricks, Microsoft CRISP customer story image CRISP Slalom partnered with CRISP Shared Services to build a streaming data platform in Azure Databricks, helping process more than 1.7 million healthcare messages daily in near real time while improving data quality, speed, and security across 10 states. Featured solution Azure Data Lakehouse Accelerator Accelerate the deployment of a modern Azure lakehouse with Microsoft and Databricks, creating a scalable, governed data foundation for analytics, AI, and enterprise decision-making. This accelerator can help your organization: - Modernize fragmented data environments into a unified lakehouse architecture - Improve data quality, accessibility, and governance across business systems - Accelerate analytics, AI, and machine learning initiatives with cloud-native infrastructure - Reduce operational complexity by connecting data across teams and platforms Explore the solution Kawasaki Together, Slalom, Microsoft, and Databricks helped Kawasaki build an AI-enabled track maintenance platform that improves inspection safety and efficiency while reducing maintenance costs and creating new revenue opportunities. “AI is only as powerful as the data that fuels it. Slalom brings a unique combination of strategic vision, technical expertise, and execution excellence that helps organizations translate AI ambition into real business outcomes. Together with Microsoft and Databricks, we're enabling customers to build a unified data and AI foundation, accelerate innovation, and create lasting value from their AI investments.” David Meyer SVP Product Management, Databricks Announcements Slalom Awarded Two Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2026 Data + AI Summit Read more Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks By Expanding Capabilities to Accelerate Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers Slalom Earns Microsoft Frontier Partner Badge Connecting cloud, data, and people to move AI forward Built with Microsoft From cloud platforms to copilots, Slalom and Microsoft help organizations turn emerging AI capabilities into technology teams can actually scale. Discover what's possible Powered by Databricks Slalom and Databricks help organizations bring order to fragmented data, accelerate insight, and build a stronger foundation for AI. See the impact Ready to move beyond AI pilots? Build the conditions that let AI operate inside your business, not alongside it. Talk to an expert Frequently asked questions 2e25hfkvyk --- title: AI Value Calculator url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # AI Value Calculator - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-value-calculator - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Body AI Value Calculator Test drive your AI ROI Download a free preview of the AI Value Calculator to estimate ROI and total cost of ownership (TCO) while identifying high- impact AI use cases. Transform AI investment uncertainty into strategic clarity. While this preview offers initial ROI and TCO estimates, partnering with Slalom unlocks our complete AI Value Calculator platform and advisory expertise. When you work with Slalom, you gain: - Expert guidance informed by extensive AI implementation experience - Access to our comprehensive AI Value Calculator platform - A rich library of proven use cases to accelerate planning - Strategic support to prioritize and derisk your AI investments Download the preview to get a glimpse into the power of AI ROI forecasting, then let's partner to develop your full AI strategy. lta459ze50 Download the AI Value Calculator Transform your AI investments with expert guidance and our comprehensive AI Value Calculator. Prioritize with confidence: Leverage our proven AI use cases to benchmark projects, explore new opportunities, and evaluate levers that impact ROI. Justify with precision: Develop business cases for AI investments, including risk analysis, to secure budget and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. Scale with purpose: Establish your AI strategy, move use cases into production, and drive adoption at scale so you can realize your desired outcomes. Disclaimer: This calculator is intended to help you estimate and model different scenarios based on a variety of inputs. Outputs are based on the data you provide and defined assumptions. The outputs are not intended to guarantee certain results. The tool also utilizes publicly available pricing data from third-party service providers for LLM inference costing that was pulled at a certain point in time and is subject to change. There may also be additional costs not accounted for in the model. Actual costs or savings may vary. --- title: Brainstorm url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Brainstorm - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Body Brainstorm Br ai nstorm Ideation Software Because sustainable innovation requires consistent creativity . How Br ai nstorm Works Pick & share an ideation game Each is based on facilitation techniques we've used for years at Slalom. Instead of starting with a blank canvas or a list of generic ideas to curate from GenAI, we start by framing the problem you're solving. Document your ideas Respond to GenAI-powered scenarios and sample ideas Think beyond personal experiences and avoid getting stuck on the first few ideas shared by playing multipule rounds of a game. Synthesize & export ideas Leverage GenAI to organize and identify the highest potential ideas End on ideation session with clear next steps on who is responsible for which ideas, and share out the ideas in a spreadsheet or Miro board. 70% of business leaders agree creative problem solving is the most needed workforce skill But group workshops - with or without GenAI tools - present a variety of biases hindering creativity. Learn about workshop biases Brainstorm empowers, not replaces, human creativity. That's fiercely human consulting. WHY BRAINSTORM WORKS Acting as both co-facilitator co-collaborator, Brainstorm coaches users to reframe problem statements, gives example ideas to get unstuck *A real brain using Brainstorm Equip your team to deliver the next breakthrough idea Schedule a demo to use Brainstorm and ideate on the business problem of your choice. mfh3p4er1y --- title: Brainstorm Support url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Brainstorm Support - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Body Brainstorm Support Br ai nstorm Ideation Software Common Questions You can also connect with us at: brainstorm@slalom.com # Brainstorm is ideation software. It combines GenAI-powered and shareable workshop facilitation techniques, ideas, idea synthesis, and gamification to help humans create more ideas, faster. Yes it does, and on tablets as well! As long as you have internet, any moment on any device can be an opportunity to Brainstorm. Anytime you need to think creatively about a business problem. Brainstorm does not work as well for solving technical problems, but if you have a sales, marketing, customer experience, product, or operations problem, Brainstorm should have a game for you. What sets us apart is the combination of our facilitation techniques + GenAI to prompt human creativity. Infinite whiteboards are collaboration tools, while Brainstorm is an ideation tool. Both are essential, but ideation precedes collaboration. While whiteboards and sticky notes are great at documenting ideas, they don’t prompt novel new ones. With Brainstorm, you never need to start with a blank screen or whiteboard again. While ChatGPT and other LLMs could be considered ideation tools, they are designed to deliver the statistically most likely response - which translates to the statistically most average ideas without careful prompting. Reviewing lists of ideas from what the known world has already documented online can help users achieve competitive parity, but it is less likely to drive lateral thinking and novel concepts Yes, please do! Email us at: brainstorm@slalom.com for any features you would like to see added. Yes, they are. You are the only one who can see your submitted ideas to standard games started from the home page. If you submit ideas to a custom game you were invited to, the creator of the custom game will also be able to see your submitted ideas. If you have a free account, you can only play custom games and only the custom game creator can see your submitted ideas. No. Everything you submit to Brainstorm is protected by our enterprise-grade security, and our GenAI functionality comes from Azure OpenAI, which is a private LLM that does not feed any data into any private or public learning models. We leverage prompt engineering to tailor responses based on our various facilitation techniques. We do not supplement Brainstorm’s GenAI with any proprietary data, so it is pulling from data publicly available on the internet when providing prompts and ideas on gameplay pages. Yes, with an investment in an “Enterprise” plan, our team will work with you to structure and securely import your data to provide more tailored GenAI recommended ideas. Brainstorm’s GenAI is not designed to provide perfectly tailored and novel solutions to niche or company-specific problems. Rather, Brainstorm uses GenAI to prompt, or inspire, human creativity with starting points for ideation. Yes, license holders can create custom games (where the license holder will pre-select the innovation topic and game duration). License holders can invite anyone via email who they would like to participate in the custom game. License holders will be able to see any ideas submitted to their custom game by anyone who they have invited to it. Non-license holders can create accounts to play custom games they are sent, but non-license holders are not able to create or play their own games, or view their submitted ideas. Reach out to our team for a complimentary, virtual Brainstorm session on the topic of your choice (up to 1 hour). Request a session at: brainstorm@slalom.com Not at this time. If funding is a challenge, reach out to our team and we can explore flexible payment plans. Yes, every licensed account holder receives access to all published updates, which we target to publish quarterly based on user requested features. Yes. You have full rights to use Brainstorm for any ideation you need. Yes, you and/or your organization have full ownership of any ideas you submit on Brainstorm. Slalom Inc (owner of the Brainstorm software) does not have any stake to any intellectual property you submit on the platform. Reach out to our team at: brainstorm@slalom.com to discuss purchasing a license for full platform access, or allocating a license already purchased by your organization. You can also create a free platform account when you are invited to a custom game from a license holder. To login, search www.brainstormbetter.ai in the browser of your choice and click any button the platform and the login modal will appear. To logout, hover over your name in the top right of the header bar and select the “Logout” dropdown to logout (on tablet/mobile, select the hamburger menu in the top right of the header bar and select the “Logout” option). When you’re logged in, hover over your name in the top right of the header bar and select the “Profile” dropdown to access your profile page (on tablet/mobile, select the hamburger menu in the top right of the header bar and select the “Profile” option). From the profile page you can edit your password, email, or delete your account. From the login modal, select the “Forgot Password” option, enter the email associated with your account, then navigate to that email account to receive a temporary password email. Enter the temporary password you are emailed and a new password on the Brainstorm platform and press the “Change Password” button. Follow the home page game descriptions to find the game(s) best suited for your needs. Many workshops involve playing multiple games to maximize the diversity of perspectives on the problem you’re solving. Try out a few games and see which resonate best, and feel free to reach out to our team at: brainstorm@slalom.com if you would like to work with a professionally certified Brainstorm facilitator. Click the “Submitted Ideas” tab in the header bar at the top of the site (or from the hamburger menu on mobile). Yes, you can upload ideas by clicking the “Upload Ideas” button on the Submitted Ideas page and following the on screen prompts. You can export submitted ideas by “Export Ideas” button on the Submitted Ideas page and following the on screen prompts to export as either a .CSV spreadsheet or a Miro board. From the Submitted Ideas page, click on the pencil icon of a specific idea to edit the content of the submission. Press “Save Changes” at the bottom of the edit modal to update the idea submission with your edits. From the Submitted Ideas page, click on the trash can icon of a specific idea to delete the submission. Press “Delete” on the modal that appears to confirm you want to delete the submission. You cannot undo a deleted idea submission. As many as you can within the data limits of your license. There are no character limits on an individual idea submission. If you are playing a standard game (accessed from the home page), you can save the innovation topic of your game by pressing the “Share Game” button on page 2 of any game. However, you cannot save the specific instance of GenAI prompts, and any ideas you’ve documented in your ideation section will only be saved if you press “Submit Ideas”. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of what a totally different industry is known for. A common question regarding this game is if you can edit the GenAI prompt company to be a direct competitor. No, you cannot, as the game would no longer be focused on drawing inspiration from cross-industry comparators. To play this game, select the “Dress Up” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of a wide variety of personality types. A common question regarding this game is if you can edit the GenAI prompt customer types to be one of your company’s official personaes. While you can edit the customer type, the game is meant to help you draw inspiration from novel or non-traditional perspectives. To play this game, select the “Simon Says” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of an unexpected disruption to your business, enabling you to plan for - and proactively counteract - potential risks. To play this game, select the “Battle Ships” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and three ideation fields to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem laterally by leveraging a variety of random elements. Random elements are intentionally unrelated from the innovation topic at hand and meant to help you connect dots with what comes to mind when you think of things associated to that random element. For example... Innovation Topic: Increasing sales for a retail company Random Element: Octopus Association: Ocean, formal dining, suction power Lateral Thinking: The ocean reminds you of a family cruise, which sparks an idea to create custom branded experiences - like cruise ships theme parks, or golf clubs. To play this game, select the “Leap Frog” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. Innovation often comes from the edges of what’s possible, so this game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of two different extreme ends of a given spectrum. Don’t worry about the feasibility of your solutions, since the extreme prompts probably aren’t realistic anyway. But solving for the extremes will help you break out of limiting beliefs / perceived constraints around the innovation topic to and discover new approaches to address your topic. To play this game, select the “Teeter Totter” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed for process innovation. Many enterprise level processes have tens - if not hundreds - of steps, but in this game GenAI will help you summarize your process into 4-6 high level stages (which you can edit), and then you will be challenged to accomplish the same process outcome with the summarized process steps manipulated by either removing a step or rearranging steps. Just because a process has always gone in a certain order doesn’t mean it has to - even if taking out or rearranging a step feels counter to your entire business model or regulatory environment, ideate as a thought exercise on what it would take to operate within that new process. To play this game, select the “Musical Chairs” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” or “edit prompt” button to adjust the prompt based on your knowledge. You can also swap between the “swap stage” and “eliminate stage” buttons to alter how the process if manipulated. This game is unique from the others in that it is designed to refine existing ideas instead of generate ideas to solve business problems. An idea can sound great in the moment it’s identified, and confirmation bias can blind groups from thinking about potential challenges, industry context, and/or small scale testing to consider before committing to an idea. Round Robin helps kickstart conversation around each of these topics for an existing idea. To play this game, select the “Round Robin” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “edit prompt” button to adjust the prompt based on your knowledge. A custom game enables you to preset the innovation topic, set a deadline, and share the game with others so you can see their idea submissions. Click the “Custom Games” tab in the header bar at the top of the site (or from the hamburger menu on tablet/mobile). Click the “Create Custom Game” button and complete the fields in the modal that appears and press “Publish Game” to create the game. After creating a game, on the Custom Games page select the person icon in the bottom right hand corner of the custom game card reflecting the game name you want to share. Then, enter the emails you would like to invite to the game and press the “Send” button. On the Custom Games page, select the 3 dots in the top right corner of any existing custom game to access the dropdown options to edit or delete a game. Follow the prompts for either option. No, the ideas submitted to a deleted custom game will still be visible on the submitted ideas page. You can edit the custom game to extend the deadline, allow it to remain expired to still the game name as a filter on the submitted ideas page, or delete the game. As many as you would like! More of a visual learner? mfh3p4er1y Still have questions? No Worries! Connect with our team --- title: Brainstorm Support url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support_msm_moved source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support_msm_moved locale: us/en content_type: Flagship Story Template --- # Brainstorm Support - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support_msm_moved - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/brainstorm/support_msm_moved - Locale: us/en - Content type: Flagship Story Template ## Body Brainstorm Support Br ai nstorm Ideation Software Common Questions You can also connect with us at: brainstorm@slalom.com # Brainstorm is ideation software. It combines GenAI-powered and shareable workshop facilitation techniques, ideas, idea synthesis, and gamification to help humans create more ideas, faster. Yes it does, and on tablets as well! As long as you have internet, any moment on any device can be an opportunity to Brainstorm. Anytime you need to think creatively about a business problem. Brainstorm does not work as well for solving technical problems, but if you have a sales, marketing, customer experience, product, or operations problem, Brainstorm should have a game for you. What sets us apart is the combination of our facilitation techniques + GenAI to prompt human creativity. Infinite whiteboards are collaboration tools, while Brainstorm is an ideation tool. Both are essential, but ideation precedes collaboration. While whiteboards and sticky notes are great at documenting ideas, they don’t prompt novel new ones. With Brainstorm, you never need to start with a blank screen or whiteboard again. While ChatGPT and other LLMs could be considered ideation tools, they are designed to deliver the statistically most likely response - which translates to the statistically most average ideas without careful prompting. Reviewing lists of ideas from what the known world has already documented online can help users achieve competitive parity, but it is less likely to drive lateral thinking and novel concepts Yes, please do! Email us at: brainstorm@slalom.com for any features you would like to see added. Yes, they are. You are the only one who can see your submitted ideas to standard games started from the home page. If you submit ideas to a custom game you were invited to, the creator of the custom game will also be able to see your submitted ideas. If you have a free account, you can only play custom games and only the custom game creator can see your submitted ideas. No. Everything you submit to Brainstorm is protected by our enterprise-grade security, and our GenAI functionality comes from Azure OpenAI, which is a private LLM that does not feed any data into any private or public learning models. We leverage prompt engineering to tailor responses based on our various facilitation techniques. We do not supplement Brainstorm’s GenAI with any proprietary data, so it is pulling from data publicly available on the internet when providing prompts and ideas on gameplay pages. Yes, with an investment in an “Enterprise” plan, our team will work with you to structure and securely import your data to provide more tailored GenAI recommended ideas. Brainstorm’s GenAI is not designed to provide perfectly tailored and novel solutions to niche or company-specific problems. Rather, Brainstorm uses GenAI to prompt, or inspire, human creativity with starting points for ideation. Yes, license holders can create custom games (where the license holder will pre-select the innovation topic and game duration). License holders can invite anyone via email who they would like to participate in the custom game. License holders will be able to see any ideas submitted to their custom game by anyone who they have invited to it. Non-license holders can create accounts to play custom games they are sent, but non-license holders are not able to create or play their own games, or view their submitted ideas. Reach out to our team for a complimentary, virtual Brainstorm session on the topic of your choice (up to 1 hour). Request a session at: brainstorm@slalom.com Not at this time. If funding is a challenge, reach out to our team and we can explore flexible payment plans. Yes, every licensed account holder receives access to all published updates, which we target to publish quarterly based on user requested features. Yes. You have full rights to use Brainstorm for any ideation you need. Yes, you and/or your organization have full ownership of any ideas you submit on Brainstorm. Slalom Inc (owner of the Brainstorm software) does not have any stake to any intellectual property you submit on the platform. Reach out to our team at: brainstorm@slalom.com to discuss purchasing a license for full platform access, or allocating a license already purchased by your organization. You can also create a free platform account when you are invited to a custom game from a license holder. To login, search www.brainstormbetter.ai in the browser of your choice and click any button the platform and the login modal will appear. To logout, hover over your name in the top right of the header bar and select the “Logout” dropdown to logout (on tablet/mobile, select the hamburger menu in the top right of the header bar and select the “Logout” option). When you’re logged in, hover over your name in the top right of the header bar and select the “Profile” dropdown to access your profile page (on tablet/mobile, select the hamburger menu in the top right of the header bar and select the “Profile” option). From the profile page you can edit your password, email, or delete your account. From the login modal, select the “Forgot Password” option, enter the email associated with your account, then navigate to that email account to receive a temporary password email. Enter the temporary password you are emailed and a new password on the Brainstorm platform and press the “Change Password” button. Follow the home page game descriptions to find the game(s) best suited for your needs. Many workshops involve playing multiple games to maximize the diversity of perspectives on the problem you’re solving. Try out a few games and see which resonate best, and feel free to reach out to our team at: brainstorm@slalom.com if you would like to work with a professionally certified Brainstorm facilitator. Click the “Submitted Ideas” tab in the header bar at the top of the site (or from the hamburger menu on mobile). Yes, you can upload ideas by clicking the “Upload Ideas” button on the Submitted Ideas page and following the on screen prompts. You can export submitted ideas by “Export Ideas” button on the Submitted Ideas page and following the on screen prompts to export as either a .CSV spreadsheet or a Miro board. From the Submitted Ideas page, click on the pencil icon of a specific idea to edit the content of the submission. Press “Save Changes” at the bottom of the edit modal to update the idea submission with your edits. From the Submitted Ideas page, click on the trash can icon of a specific idea to delete the submission. Press “Delete” on the modal that appears to confirm you want to delete the submission. You cannot undo a deleted idea submission. As many as you can within the data limits of your license. There are no character limits on an individual idea submission. If you are playing a standard game (accessed from the home page), you can save the innovation topic of your game by pressing the “Share Game” button on page 2 of any game. However, you cannot save the specific instance of GenAI prompts, and any ideas you’ve documented in your ideation section will only be saved if you press “Submit Ideas”. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of what a totally different industry is known for. A common question regarding this game is if you can edit the GenAI prompt company to be a direct competitor. No, you cannot, as the game would no longer be focused on drawing inspiration from cross-industry comparators. To play this game, select the “Dress Up” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of a wide variety of personality types. A common question regarding this game is if you can edit the GenAI prompt customer types to be one of your company’s official personaes. While you can edit the customer type, the game is meant to help you draw inspiration from novel or non-traditional perspectives. To play this game, select the “Simon Says” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of an unexpected disruption to your business, enabling you to plan for - and proactively counteract - potential risks. To play this game, select the “Battle Ships” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and three ideation fields to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed to help you think about your business problem laterally by leveraging a variety of random elements. Random elements are intentionally unrelated from the innovation topic at hand and meant to help you connect dots with what comes to mind when you think of things associated to that random element. For example... Innovation Topic: Increasing sales for a retail company Random Element: Octopus Association: Ocean, formal dining, suction power Lateral Thinking: The ocean reminds you of a family cruise, which sparks an idea to create custom branded experiences - like cruise ships theme parks, or golf clubs. To play this game, select the “Leap Frog” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. Innovation often comes from the edges of what’s possible, so this game is designed to help you think about your business problem from the perspective of two different extreme ends of a given spectrum. Don’t worry about the feasibility of your solutions, since the extreme prompts probably aren’t realistic anyway. But solving for the extremes will help you break out of limiting beliefs / perceived constraints around the innovation topic to and discover new approaches to address your topic. To play this game, select the “Teeter Totter” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” and/or “edit prompt” button to get more inspiration. This game is designed for process innovation. Many enterprise level processes have tens - if not hundreds - of steps, but in this game GenAI will help you summarize your process into 4-6 high level stages (which you can edit), and then you will be challenged to accomplish the same process outcome with the summarized process steps manipulated by either removing a step or rearranging steps. Just because a process has always gone in a certain order doesn’t mean it has to - even if taking out or rearranging a step feels counter to your entire business model or regulatory environment, ideate as a thought exercise on what it would take to operate within that new process. To play this game, select the “Musical Chairs” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “refresh prompt” or “edit prompt” button to adjust the prompt based on your knowledge. You can also swap between the “swap stage” and “eliminate stage” buttons to alter how the process if manipulated. This game is unique from the others in that it is designed to refine existing ideas instead of generate ideas to solve business problems. An idea can sound great in the moment it’s identified, and confirmation bias can blind groups from thinking about potential challenges, industry context, and/or small scale testing to consider before committing to an idea. Round Robin helps kickstart conversation around each of these topics for an existing idea. To play this game, select the “Round Robin” game card on the home page, fill out the fields on the innovation topic, then press “Create a Prompt”. You’ll then be given a GenAI prompt to draw inspiration from, an optional dropdown to see AI Generated ideas, and an ideation field to document all the ideas you can think of about the innovation topic based on the inspiration from the GenAI prompt. You’ll notice the 3 flame icons below the ideation field. As you document ideas and press enter (or return) to go to a new line and document a new idea, the flame count will grow. The goal for any ideation section is to activate all 3 flames by documenting 11+ ideas. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t feel the GenAI prompt is helpful, you can press the “edit prompt” button to adjust the prompt based on your knowledge. A custom game enables you to preset the innovation topic, set a deadline, and share the game with others so you can see their idea submissions. Click the “Custom Games” tab in the header bar at the top of the site (or from the hamburger menu on tablet/mobile). Click the “Create Custom Game” button and complete the fields in the modal that appears and press “Publish Game” to create the game. After creating a game, on the Custom Games page select the person icon in the bottom right hand corner of the custom game card reflecting the game name you want to share. Then, enter the emails you would like to invite to the game and press the “Send” button. On the Custom Games page, select the 3 dots in the top right corner of any existing custom game to access the dropdown options to edit or delete a game. Follow the prompts for either option. No, the ideas submitted to a deleted custom game will still be visible on the submitted ideas page. You can edit the custom game to extend the deadline, allow it to remain expired to still the game name as a filter on the submitted ideas page, or delete the game. As many as you would like! More of a visual learner? mfh3p4er1y Still have questions? No Worries! Connect with our team --- title: EnhanceIQ url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # EnhanceIQ - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/enhanceiq - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary We believe in creating a workforce where AI elevates the human experience – empowering people, driving results, and enhancing well-being - transforming roles for the better. ## Body EnhanceIQ Welcome to EnhanceIQ We believe in creating a workforce where AI elevates the human experience – empowering people, driving results, and enhancing well-being - transforming roles for the better. Woman with ipad taking notes Welcome to enhanceIQ Introducing enhanceIQ, Slalom's AI-powered accelerator that shows how AI solutions can enhance work. By uncovering AI's potential across your teams’ roles and tasks, it empowers you to make data-driven decisions on tech investments, training, and workforce readiness, helping you build a more adaptable workforce. Try enhanceIQ today with a single role. about enhanceiq enhanceIQ shows how different roles can benefit from AI and technology. Clarity at scale By providing a comprehensive analysis of roles across multiple dimensions, enhanceIQ enables you to identify which tasks could be made easier with AI and which should remain human-led. Informed decision-making By identifying themes and areas where AI and technology solutions can be applied to your workforce, enhanceIQ empowers you to make strategic decisions regarding technology prioritization, employee training, and growth opportunities. Rapid insights Leveraging the power of Generative AI, enhanceIQ delivers analysis and potential solutions to implement to enhance thousands of roles in minutes. --- title: Cloud Services That Accelerate Business | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Cloud Services That Accelerate Business | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's cloud services help you to become more data-driven and customer-focused, with everything from cloud computing to building cloud infrastructure. ## Body Cloud Services That Accelerate Business | Slalom Slalom's cloud services help you to become more data-driven and customer-focused, with everything from cloud computing to building cloud infrastructure. Cloud migration consulting services Cloud consulting The cloud is an accelerator for your business—and your people. To compete today, every business needs the agility and flexibility of cloud technology. At Slalom, we help you use the cloud to become more data-driven and customer-focused, bring products to market faster, and improve your employee experience. Featured Story Placeholder Securian Financial: Realizing a cloud vision Read story Slalom's extensive technical know-how and fiercely human approach can help you achieve your cloud goals. Our cloud expertise Migration & modernization To achieve transformative outcomes, you need a future-forward approach to cloud migration and [legacy modernization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization). That means not only shifting workloads to the cloud and updating your applications, but also upskilling and empowering your team members to thrive in the new environment. Optimization By 2026, Gartner predicts that public cloud spending will exceed 45% of all enterprise IT spending. So how can you ensure that you’re spending that money wisely? Slalom’s experts help you eliminate redundancies, make the most of automation, and maximize the return on your cloud investment. Infrastructure Infrastructure is the foundation of every modern organization. Today, key infrastructure priorities include privacy, governance, security, and resiliency. We help you craft a resilient, secure infrastructure that positions your organization to embrace the ever-changing possibilities of building in the cloud. Vector Limited: An AI-driven migration Doctor with patient Hologic: Using AI to advance cervical cancer screening for all Read more --- title: Zero Legacy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Zero Legacy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Slalom helps organizations with legacy modernization of applications, data, and mainframe, moving them beyond outdated systems with speed, clarity, and confidence. Through modern delivery, AI-assisted tooling, and deep industry expertise, replace what’s holding you back and rebuild for what’s next. ## Body Zero Legacy Slalom Legacy Modernization Achieve Zero Legacy without disruption. Slalom helps you accelerate application, data, and mainframe modernization—with clarity and speed. Slalom helps organizations with legacy modernization of applications, data, and mainframe, moving them beyond outdated systems with speed, clarity, and confidence. Through modern delivery, AI-assisted tooling, and deep industry expertise, replace what’s holding you back and rebuild for what’s next. Legacy Modernization Services & Solutions Achieve Legacy modernization without disruption. Slalom helps you accelerate application, data, and mainframe modernization—with clarity and speed. Featured Story Placeholder Modernization that matters. The path to Zero Legacy Dream big. Build now. Zero Legacy is what happens when legacy systems stop setting the pace for the business. It’s a future state where modernization reduces risk instead of creating it—and progress toward it can start now. Slalom helps organizations build toward Zero Legacy through disciplined modernization of applications, data, and core platforms—prioritizing what matters most while keeping critical systems running. This is what progress looks like: Modernization looks very different than it did even a few years ago. AI and agent-based tools have fundamentally changed how engineering work gets done — from understanding legacy code to accelerating delivery and reducing backlogs. They’re also changing how teams plan work, how decisions get made, and how the software development lifecycle operates day to day. Slalom applies these tools intentionally across application, data, and mainframe modernization, increasing speed where it’s appropriate while respecting the complexity and criticality of the systems involved. AI accelerates our work. It doesn’t replace human judgment. Modernization, measured Results our customers are achieving by modernizing mainframes, applications, and data with clarity and control: Results may vary depending on project scope and organizational readiness. What legacy modernization delivers 01. Faster time to value Modernization enables meaningful improvements in weeks and months—not years—so progress shows up early and keeps compounding. 02. Lower risk exposure Greater visibility into systems and dependencies makes change predictable, reducing risk instead of shifting it downstream. 03. Greater business agility Modernized platforms make change routine, allowing teams to respond quickly without fearing unintended impact. 04. Practical AI readiness Reliable data and platforms turn AI from isolated pilots into capabilities that can be used, governed, and scaled. 05. Teams freed to build As maintenance and firefighting decline, teams regain capacity to focus on building, improving, and delivering value. 06. Preserve critical business value Modernization retains proven business logic and reliability while removing the cost, complexity, and constraints that no longer serve the business. La-Z-Boy Incorporated Slalom partnered with La-Z-Boy Incorporated to modernize mainframe dependencies. The company will reduce annual mainframe operating costs by more than $1.1 million and cut technical debt by 30%. Modernize what matters. Our legacy modernization services: Application modernization services Many applications still run critical parts of your business—but weren’t designed for continuous change. Slalom modernizes application portfolios with precision, selectively untangling monoliths to improve flexibility and delivery speed without destabilizing what already works. Explore the app guide Data modernization services Your data is doing the work, but outdated platforms limit how quickly it can be trusted and used. Slalom modernizes data environments with scalable, AI-ready foundations—prioritizing accuracy, governance, and cost control while enabling near real-time insight. See the data guide Mainframe modernization services Your mainframe earned its place, but evolving beyond it doesn’t mean losing what works. Slalom helps transition critical workloads with AI-assisted tools and a phased approach that reduces cost and talent risk while maintaining the stability the business depends on. Read the mainframe guide Our modernization partners Salesforce Modernizing customer platforms for scale Slalom helps organizations modernize Salesforce orgs by reducing technical debt to simplify systems into a launchpad for growth, AI adoption, and long-term scalability. [2025 Salesforce Partner Innovation Award: Technology](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-partner-innovation-2025) Watch the webinar Amazon Web Services (AWS) Modernizing core systems with security and control As a long-standing AWS partner, Slalom specializes in modernizing mainframes and other legacy platforms using phased, cloud-based approaches that preserve business logic, reduce cost, and meet the demands of regulated environments. [2025 Global AWS Partner Award](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-of-the-year-2025) Get the AWS guide Microsoft Modernizing enterprise platforms where work gets done From Azure to data and application platforms across the Microsoft ecosystem, Slalom helps organizations modernize Microsoft environments with clarity and intent—balancing innovation with security, governance, and operational continuity. [2025 GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-github-partner-award) Read the whitepaper Snowflake Modernizing data foundations for trust and insight Slalom helps organizations modernize data platforms with Snowflake by delivering trusted, governed, and scalable data—powering analytics, data sharing, and AI without disrupting existing reporting or compliance. [2025 Snowflake Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-global-data-cloud-services-ai-poy) Read the Snowflake guide Google Modernizing platforms for speed and scale Slalom collaborates with Google to modernize applications and data platforms using cloud-native architectures, advanced analytics, and AI—helping organizations improve performance, simplify operations, and scale modernization efforts without disrupting what already works. [2025 Google Cloud ​Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-ai-public-sector) See the Google guide Our partner network Fueling innovation and sustainable growth Slalom partners with over 700 of the world’s leading technology providers to support modernization across platforms. Meet our partners We’re ready when you are. We help you move from plans to progress—modernizing with clarity, control, and confidence. Let’s start modernizing Our experts Our experts bring deep experience in legacy technology and real respect for what it has enabled over decades. They understand the criticality of the platforms that run hospitals, protect customer data, and keep essential services operating. They also understand how AI is changing the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of modern engineering teams—and how to help organizations evolve without losing accountability or control. Walt Austin Steve Steuart Phil de Valence Jeff Kempiners Stephen Weinrich Chris Temple Two stories from the other side of legacy Modernization isn’t complete when systems are upgraded. It’s final when legacy no longer shapes how the organization operates. These short stories capture that moment: when outdated systems are retired, teams move faster with confidence, and Zero Legacy is what remains. 82husg9tia 90fx30a3kf Frequently asked questions Legacy shaped your present. Zero Legacy is your future. Whether you’re exploring next steps or need to move fast, we can help you prioritize, plan, and modernize with confidence. Talk to an expert --- title: Zero Legacy: Modernizing Salesforce for the Agentic Era url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/salesforce-hubbl source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/salesforce-hubbl locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Zero Legacy: Modernizing Salesforce for the Agentic Era - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/salesforce-hubbl - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/salesforce-hubbl - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Your work should be your legacy, not your technical debt ## Body Zero Legacy: Modernizing Salesforce for the Agentic Era Your work should be your legacy, not your technical debt Modernizing Salesforce for the agentic era on-demand webinar Watch this on-demand webinar featuring Slalom and Hubbl to see how organizations are modernizing complex Salesforce environments for AI readiness. In this session, you’ll hear how teams reduce technical debt, optimize licensing and performance, and use automated intelligence to identify high-ROI automation opportunities. What you’ll gain from this webinar: - A clearer view of how legacy complexity limits performance and AI scale - Practical insight into reducing technical debt and licensing inefficiencies - Visibility into high-ROI automation and agentic AI opportunities - A modernization path grounded in diagnostics, process intelligence, and measurable impact --- title: Data modernization with Snowflake guide url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/snowflake-modernization-guide source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/snowflake-modernization-guide locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Data modernization with Snowflake guide - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/snowflake-modernization-guide - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud/legacy-modernization/snowflake-modernization-guide - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Download the Zero Legacy guide to data modernization with Snowflake and Slalom to eliminate legacy constraints and scale enterprise AI securely. ## Body Data modernization with Snowflake guide Learn how Slalom and Snowflake enable data modernization to eliminate legacy constraints and scale enterprise AI with confidence. Download the Zero Legacy guide to data modernization with Snowflake and Slalom to eliminate legacy constraints and scale enterprise AI securely. Access the full guide and learn how data modernization with Slalom and Snowflake helps eliminate legacy constraints that stall AI initiatives. See how leaders build governed, cloud-native foundations that support analytics and AI at scale. What you’ll gain from this guide: - Clarity on why AI stalls on legacy data foundations - Insight into the real trade-offs behind modernization decisions - A framework for building a governed, cloud-native data foundation - A practical path to move from AI pilots to production with confidence --- title: Data Services That Unlock Value | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/data locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Data Services That Unlock Value | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/data - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's data services enable real-time insights & accelerate business goals using— data strategy, data management, data analytics, and data governance. ## Body Data Services That Unlock Value | Slalom Slalom's data services enable real-time insights & accelerate business goals using— data strategy, data management, data analytics, and data governance. Data Analytics Consulting Firm Data Data fuels the future. Let’s unlock its value, together. Today, data is at the forefront of organizational strategy and decision-making. Whether you’re looking to enable real-time insights, build intelligent digital products, or leverage AI to accelerate your business, you need a modern approach that adapts at the speed of technology. We can help your team achieve your goals—and then keep going. Doctor looking at tablet in a hospital CRICO: Protecting patients and providers with data Read story Slalom Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Unlock personalized experiences with Agentforce, powered by Salesforce Data Cloud and our proven delivery frameworks. Learn more Our data expertise Engineering & architecture At the intersection of platform expertise and industry experience, we get you ready for what you don’t even know you need yet. Starting with data design principles that are customized to your business, we ensure your data architecture can evolve as quickly as technology does. Management & governance It’s our job to help you build trust in your data, tools, and practices—so your employees and customers can engage with confidence. Data governance, ethics, privacy, security, and regulatory compliance are all key to responsible guardianship. Literacy & analytics We help you cultivate the mindsets and skills that strengthen data literacy and arm your people with embedded analytics that drive interaction. As a result, they feel empowered to ask questions, uncover insights, think critically, and challenge conclusions using data as a jumping off point. We partner with leaders and innovators across industries to shape a better future with data. Angel City Football Club: Moving beyond brand awareness to fan engagement West Bend Mutual Insurance: Setting a new standard for insurance with tech-driven solutions woman on laptop Breakthru Beverage Group: Driving growth with data-driven insights Boy with space suit made of Legos The Lego Group: Building stronger customer connections with Amazon Marketing Cloud Read more --- title: Digital Product Development and Build Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/digital-product-building source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/digital-product-building locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Digital Product Development and Build Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/digital-product-building - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/digital-product-building - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's digital product development and our data engineering/machine learning helps organizations optimize digital strategies for more intelligent products. ## Body Digital Product Development and Build Services | Slalom Slalom's digital product development and our data engineering/machine learning helps organizations optimize digital strategies for more intelligent products. Digital Product Development & Build Services | Slalom Digital product building Let’s build the product that will move your business forward. When you’re ready to build at the speed your business demands, we’re ready to partner with you end to end. We can help you identify effective digital strategies, accelerate your time to market, and release more intelligent features. Best of all, we upskill your teams as we go—so you can keep growing long after our work is done. cargo ship in ocean JRCS: Digitizing the shipping industry Read story Our digital product building expertise Product engineering Slalom’s product engineering methodology (PEM) provides flexibility within a defined, repeatable framework, allowing us to sustain value with speed and quality. Whether starting with a blank slate or optimizing a mature product at scale, PEM works for every stage of your journey. Platform engineering Our experts build purposeful products that allow you to maximize the value of the cloud. We’re focused on seamlessly combining and building the right components for each customer’s situation, bringing increased engineer productivity, better custom-built software, and significant ROI. Data engineering & machine learning Data is the connective tissue of every product and experience, enabling the predictive, tailored, and evolving features that modern consumers expect. Our experts embed data and machine learning into everything we build, creating intelligent products that delight customers and unlock innovation potential. We partner with companies of all sizes to deliver game-changing products in every industry. Explore our partners --- title: Customer Experience | Product Strategy & Design | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Customer Experience | Product Strategy & Design | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom can help your business create amazing customer experiences starting with people and working backwards through technology, not the other way around ## Body Customer Experience | Product Strategy & Design | Slalom Slalom can help your business create amazing customer experiences starting with people and working backwards through technology, not the other way around Experience strategy & design We put people first, always. Trends and technologies change, but the fundamental drivers of effective experience and design remain the same. It’s all about people. As a consulting and technology firm that built these capabilities organically based on client needs, Slalom gives you an integrated, end-to-end approach to creating experiences people love. Nevada DMV: Modernizing services for a seamless customer experience Our experience strategy and design expertise Customer & employee experience To design differentiated experiences, we employ rigorous research methodologies to gain a deep understanding of the people you serve. Because while you can't predict the future in terms of technology, knowing what people need empowers you to make the right decisions over time. Product strategy, design & innovation Blending creativity with pragmatism and real-world experience, Slalom helps you evolve to meet customer needs, solve their challenging problems, and impact your bottom line. We set a clear product vision and support your product teams as they become more focused, thoughtfully organized, and agile. Advertising & marketing transformation A transformative shift to the cloud, along with tough new data privacy laws, has meant unprecedented change—and significant opportunities—across advertising and marketing. Our team identifies the capabilities, solutions, and infrastructure you need to make the most of this shifting landscape. Service design We help you leverage smart service design to enhance customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and stay competitive. Together, we address user needs and differentiate services to boost customer satisfaction and drive loyalty—which are key to your business growth over the long term. Brand strategy A well-defined brand strategy is critical for delivering on your brand’s promise, and it’s most powerful when inspired by your customers. At Slalom, we focus on deeply understanding both your customers and the marketplace to help you shape a winning brand perception. Contact center transformation We offer a mix of deep contact center industry experience, technical know-how, and functional expertise. Our advisors help your team embrace new ways of working, powered by the latest technological solutions, and motivated by doing what’s right for both your customers and employees. We partner with leading brands across our global network to deliver hundreds of experience design and strategy projects every year. cx strategy video slalom Customer experience: Rethink what’s possible The Customer Experience team brings strategy, design, data, and technology together to help teams move from ideas to execution. This video shows how we partner with clients to deliver CX work that’s practical, scalable, and built to make a real difference—for our clients and the people they serve. Play video three people collaborating When AI can do everything, restraint becomes strategy Read more The future of marketing Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations skier on mountain Smith Optics: Designing the future of ski goggles Read story National MS Society: Creating a digital experience that empowers the MS community vb0bti361q --- title: The future of marketing url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/future-of-marketing locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # The future of marketing - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/future-of-marketing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Make marketing a growth engine through a marketing transformation strategy that aligns data, martech, and AI to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. ## Body The future of marketing Make marketing a growth engine through a marketing transformation strategy that aligns data, martech, and AI to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. Your marketing isn’t underperforming. It’s underutilized. Let’s change that It’s time to put marketing where it belongs: at the center of your business. When supported by connected data, technology, AI, and operating models, marketing can deliver relevance at scale—turning growth into something repeatable, not reactive. We help marketing leaders cut through complexity to meet customers in the moments that matter. Marketing built for growth delivers results that scale: Note: These results are based on past client engagements. Outcomes will vary based on implementation and context. The outcomes today’s marketing leaders need: 01. Faster path to growth Activate customer insights quickly by connecting strategy, data, and execution, without waiting on full-scale transformations. 02. Clear, defensible ROI Prove marketing’s contribution to growth with measurement tied directly to business outcomes, not just campaigns, clicks, or volume. 03. Customer-led experiences Design for real customer behavior across moments and channels—not linear funnels or one-size-fits-all campaigns. 04. AI that drives action Operationalize AI where it matters most, powering personalization and smarter decisioning with trust and governance built in. 05. Adaptive teams Equip the marketer of the future with AI fluency, audience intelligence, and the ability to unify martech, brand, and creative execution. 06. Systems that scale Replace fragile stacks with modular marketing systems that adapt as complexity, channels, and expectations evolve. 671a915w06 Two capabilities. One growth engine. Growth strategy The enterprise blueprint for where to invest and how value is created, connecting strategies across marketing, advertising, sales, loyalty, and retention. Download growth strategy pdf Additional resources Watch sales strategy video Watch modern research video Watch product strategy video Digital experience technology Connecting AI-powered platforms, data, and insights necessary to consistently deliver the experiences that bring your growth strategy to life. Download digital experience pdf Watch agentic commerce video Watch agentic design video The CMO’s guide to the agentic enterprise Agentic AI can help marketing become a true growth engine—but only when the right data, governance, and operating models are in place. Get the four-phase playbook for moving from pilot to production. Our marketing experts Logan Patterson Heather Roth Kat Saks Nick Miller Logan Lally Jenn Grabenstetter Erika Nolting Young Mark Waks Frequently asked questions Is your marketing fueling growth or fragmenting it? Let’s turn complexity into performance and make marketing work harder for your business. Talk to an expert 82husg9tia --- title: Future of Marketing: Build the foundation for agentic marketing url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing/salesforce-playbook source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/future-of-marketing/salesforce-playbook locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Future of Marketing: Build the foundation for agentic marketing - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/future-of-marketing/salesforce-playbook - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing/salesforce-playbook - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Personalization starts below the campaign layer. Turn agentic marketing into a growth engine with a playbook built for CMOs. ## Body Future of Marketing: Build the foundation for agentic marketing Personalization starts below the campaign layer. Turn agentic marketing into a growth engine with a playbook built for CMOs. The CMO’s Guide to the Agentic Enterprise Build the foundation for agentic marketing with Slalom and Salesforce AI won’t fix a fragmented marketing engine. Most marketing teams have tested AI. Fewer have turned it into a repeatable growth engine. The issue usually isn’t the technology—it’s the missing foundation around data, governance, measurement, and operating models. Created by Slalom in partnership with Salesforce, The CMO’s Guide to the Agentic Enterprise helps marketing leaders build the foundation to move from scattered AI experiments to scaled agentic marketing. What you’ll take away: - Why the Growth Gap keeps AI stuck in pilot mode (and how to close it) - The foundation agents need to act on customer data - A 90-day roadmap to proving one high-value use case - A model for deploying and scaling agents across teams, campaigns, and industries - How to align marketing, IT, finance, and data around impact the CFO can trust --- title: Operations Consulting That Brings Your Visions to Life | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/operations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/operations locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Operations Consulting That Brings Your Visions to Life | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/operations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/operations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Your operating model bridges strategic objectives with outcomes. Slalom’s operations consulting experts help align people and processes. ## Body Operations Consulting That Brings Your Visions to Life | Slalom Your operating model bridges strategic objectives with outcomes. Slalom’s operations consulting experts help align people and processes. Operations Together, we can turn strategy into success. Your operating model bridges your strategic objectives and your actual outcomes. It’s the everyday make-or-break that brings your vision to life. We help to align your people and processes, so you can be efficient and effective. We ask lots of questions, listen carefully, and leverage cross-industry experience to customize and deliver the right solutions for you. starry night sky LogRhythm: Streamlining the sales operations processes that power cybersecurity Read story Our operations expertise The Academy: Modernizing a media industry icon 10 practices for acquired employee onboarding in M A Read more --- title: Organizational Change Management for a Thriving Workforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Organizational Change Management for a Thriving Workforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s organizational change management and talent experts help you manage elevated employee expectations and build holistic talent strategies. ## Body Organizational Change Management for a Thriving Workforce Slalom’s organizational change management and talent experts help you manage elevated employee expectations and build holistic talent strategies. Organizational change & talent Shape mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets for what’s next. Amid digital disruption and elevated employee expectations, organizations are rebalancing business needs and what technology can do with what can inspire people to love their work. We introduce new ways of thinking, strengthen skills to empower team members, and implement an organizational structure to support your efforts. two women farmers holding crops Carhartt: The human side of large-scale transformation Read story Our organizational change and talent expertise Change management Slalom's approach to change management favors small iterations and honest feedback throughout all phases of a transformation. Organizational change doesn’t have to be disruptive, costly, and demoralizing. We can help you leverage it as an opportunity to build trust, encourage collaboration, and boost engagement. Talent development & learning Team members are your biggest investment in the future. We help you imagine what you want your future workforce to look like, and then make smart investments to attract, train, and retain the people who’ll take your business as far as you want it to go. Culture transformation Slalom can empower your organization to nurture a culture aligned with your brand promise as a strategic advantage. An integral part of this effort is ensuring an inclusive workforce and a diverse set of leaders to foster an environment that welcomes and supports everyone. We help organizations of all sizes, across industries, enable thriving workforces. woman tablet Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Management Landscape​ ​ We’re growing our impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. Read Story --- title: ETHOS: Reimagine the Workplace url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/ethos source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/ethos locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # ETHOS: Reimagine the Workplace - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/ethos - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/ethos - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary The best organizations are focusing on people—listening to what employees, customers, and partners want in the future of work to ensure an inclusive, equitable future. ## Body ETHOS: Reimagine the Workplace ETHOS | Slalom The best organizations are focusing on people—listening to what employees, customers, and partners want in the future of work to ensure an inclusive, equitable future. ETHOS Reimagine the Workplace Share Your ETHOS for how to reimagine work We know things are not going back to the way they were. Employees want more flexibility, and employers have started to embrace hybrid and remote working models. The best organizations are focusing on people—listening to what employees, customers, and partners want in the future of work to ensure an inclusive, equitable future. People are seeking flexibility. Leaders are wondering how to maintain connection among employees and customers. As a result, organizations continue to iterate on the future of work. The stakes are high. Organizations must evolve rapidly, and they need a way to simplify the path. They need a compass for the future. Finding your path forward Calls for flexible and resilient workplaces are not new. There is a long history of flexible collaboration. Recent events have simply accelerated global trends. Each company’s landscape is unique and contextual. There is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution for the modern workplace. Multiple factors must be weighed against evidence-based best practices for a tailor-made approach ETHOS is your compass So, where do you start the journey? Start with your ETHOS: E ngagement. How do we engage our employees, teams, and customers? T alent. What are our strategies for retaining and attracting top employees? H ealth. How will we ensure the safety and well-being of our employees? O perations. What are the processes that need to be reimagined? S ystems. Which systems must change or be adopted? Are you surviving the change or thriving in it? Our research indicates three themes: - Flexible. Flexibility is here to stay and is core to the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) of the future, as there are more choices in the marketplace. - Inclusive. Focus on the people with an emphasis on well-being, humanity, and empathy. - Connection. This is the greatest challenge and opportunity. We are better together—understand your employee preferences. Watch our video series below to hear thoughtful perspectives on the future of work, or keep scrolling to learn more about Slalom's ETHOS model. 5jbb5z1h0g 98541ws0ub Leadership In our era of tech transformation, smart business strategy can mean continuing to do what you already do better, making fundamental changes, or reinventing your company completely. As always, Slalom takes a fiercely human approach with people at its core. jjsckdbhli Employee Experience Leaders weigh in on balancing the line between work and life, creating meaningful connections, and supporting holistic wellbeing in a remote world. ljwp63bzdn Reinventing Work Get a taste of how we're approaching the opportunity to adapt how we work here at Slalom, with a focus on building a better future for our clients and team members. Getting there, together As a people-first consulting firm, we understand that getting to the right hybrid model requires putting people’s diverse attitudes about returning to the office at the center of organizational design. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. We lead with empathy, while balancing business and customer needs. --- title: Slalom HabLab url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/hablab source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/hablab locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Slalom HabLab - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/hablab - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent/hablab - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Our purpose is to generate insights that help our customers make the best possible decisions for their businesses. ## Body Slalom HabLab Hablab | Slalom Our purpose is to generate insights that help our customers make the best possible decisions for their businesses. Investigating the human impacts of emerging technology HabLab is a unique Slalom team dedicated to learning through rapid experimentation at scale. Our purpose is to generate insights that help our customers make the best possible decisions for their businesses. We study changes in the workplace and their effects on individuals and teams, with a focus on the human impacts on emerging technology. From the neuroscience of teaming to AI-powered productivity, we’re learning how humans can thrive in the rapidly changing world of work. Read insight HabLab is dedicated to pioneering insights and practices that place individuals at the cutting edge of business innovation, driven by emerging technologies. We envision a world where technology empowers everyone to reach their full creative and innovative potential, enabling everyone to thrive. Michele Bleser VP, Business Transformation, Slalom Our focus Enable humans to thrive through emerging technology human relationship As the workplace constantly shifts and evolves with emerging technology, the human impact is at the center of our research and experiments. Develop thought leadership for new ways of working lightbulb We seek to drive meaningful dialogue through data-driven insights and share “how we did it” with our own employees to help customers. Help our customers see around corners eye vision At the heart of our efforts, we help customers by providing insights for the betterment of people and cultures while sharing widely for anyone to utilize and learn. Our partners We leverage strategic partnerships with academic research organizations and others to accelerate and amplify our experiments and incubations. Icon --- title: Project Management Consulting | Planning and Delivery url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/planning-delivery source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/planning-delivery locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Project Management Consulting | Planning and Delivery - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/planning-delivery - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/planning-delivery - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's unique project management consulting helps you deliver projects, programs, and products more efficiently. ## Body Project Management Consulting | Planning and Delivery Slalom's unique project management consulting helps you deliver projects, programs, and products more efficiently. Project Management Consulting | Planning & Delivery | Slalom Planning & delivery You’ve got big plans. We help you deliver them faster—and better. At Slalom, we have your desired business outcomes and big-picture vision in mind. We don’t just help you deliver projects, programs, and products efficiently—we strengthen your organization’s ability to execute long-term and set you up for future success. Featured Story Placeholder Georgia CJCC: Better tracking for sexual assault survivors Read story Our planning and delivery expertise Product management Our product management experts help you transform your ideas into market-ready solutions. With strategic insights, hands-on execution, and a human touch, we guide you through the intricacies of product development to realize tangible value and impactful results. Project & program management We raise the bar on how work gets delivered by providing project and program leadership, not just management. You get hands-on experience to drive accountability and progress, transparent stakeholder communications, the proactive removal of blockers and risks, and—above all—team alignment on outcomes. Lean portfolio management Our approach fuses lean, agile, and product thinking to ensure efficient and effective execution on your strategic vision. Because we closely link planning, delivery, and value measurement from the start, you can be confident your results align to exactly what you need. Agile delivery & coaching Agile transformation is a journey, not an overnight change. We address your challenges within the five areas of agility: flow, governance, technical, talent, and organization. Together, we’ll build a robust internal capability that continues to adapt, long after Slalom’s engagement is complete. From startup to enterprise, across industries, we help all types of organizations accelerate toward their goals. --- title: Data Privacy and Security Consulting | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/privacy-security source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/privacy-security locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Data Privacy and Security Consulting | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/privacy-security - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/privacy-security - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom takes a people-first approach to security and privacy compliance. Our governance, risk, and data privacy experts ensure your business is fully covered. ## Body Data Privacy and Security Consulting | Slalom Slalom takes a people-first approach to security and privacy compliance. Our governance, risk, and data privacy experts ensure your business is fully covered. Data Privacy & Security Consulting | Slalom Privacy & security Protecting data means protecting people. The tension between rapid tech advancement and data privacy is a defining challenge of our time. With our people-first approach, Slalom helps you support your security and privacy compliance goals. You’ll also inspire loyalty from customers and team members who feel like you’re looking out for them. Featured Story Placeholder CRISP: A data platform to handle anything Read story Our privacy and security expertise Governance, risk & compliance Many organizations are struggling to keep up with evolving privacy laws. Slalom’s governing solution, security adoption framework (SAF), is a pragmatic approach to security and privacy. It helps you adopt solutions that align with your organization’s risk tolerance and relevant regulatory and compliance requirements. Data privacy The future of data privacy will require a fine balance between regulatory compliance and rapid technological evolution. Our data privacy experts can help you turn risk into competitive advantage with a uniform governance model that focuses on lawfulness, transparency, and trust. Security Whether we’re starting with a gap assessment or supporting a net-new implementation, we can help you cost-effectively defend against security threats, protect your intellectual capital, and safeguard shareholder value. Our tactical experts lead the way to embedding security into everything you do. We bring deep industry experience, strong partnerships with 700+ tech providers, and a broad range of certifications and security framework expertise. Doctor with patient Sygnomics: Visualizing a path to better cancer treatment Protected data AI: Are your models using data they shouldn’t? Read more --- title: Strategy Consulting for Transformational Growth | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/strategy locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Strategy Consulting for Transformational Growth | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/strategy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s strategy consulting experts work to deeply understand your opportunities, develop detailed roadmaps, and transform your business. ## Body Strategy Consulting for Transformational Growth | Slalom Slalom’s strategy consulting experts work to deeply understand your opportunities, develop detailed roadmaps, and transform your business. Strategy Create the vision. Then make it real. At Slalom, we work to deeply understand your organization and develop detailed, executable roadmaps—so you know exactly what to do next, where to grow, and how to transform. Beyond helping you establish your vision, we have the technology and delivery capabilities to make sure you get there. Featured Story Placeholder The Academy: Modernizing a media industry icon Read insight Our strategy expertise Business strategy In our era of tech transformation, smart business strategy can mean continuing to do what you already do better, making fundamental changes, or reinventing your company completely. As always, Slalom takes a fiercely human approach with people at its core. Customer strategy Our rigorous research methods help us understand who your customers are, what they need, and how they engage. Then we help you build a future-forward strategy that aligns with your overarching business principles. Data strategy You need a solid strategy before you can put data to work to drive decision making and realize its value. Our goal is to help you identify, acquire, and grow the strategic data assets that will improve and transform your business performance. Technology strategy Today, tech leaders are struggling to drive transformation while remaining steady in a climate of rapid change. Slalom’s deep knowledge of current technologies and strong relationships with over 700 leading solution providers empower a strategic approach that helps you do both. Business transformation In an increasingly competitive and dynamic business landscape, we help you drive major business changes that require corresponding changes in your operating model. The goal? To make you stand out from the competition with differentiated experiences your customers will love. Innovation & emerging technology strategy We help you push the boundaries of what’s possible to create your future. Our hands-on approach to emerging technologies means we don’t just talk about innovation, we encourage you to experience it first-hand and build that creative energy into your business’s DNA. Across industries, we’ve helped hundreds of organizations of all sizes focus, transform, and thrive. Delmar: Building a strategy for customer service and growth Read story LogRhythm: Streamlining the processes that power cybersecurity Read more --- title: Holistic Sustainability Consulting For A Greener Future | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/sustainability source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/sustainability locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Holistic Sustainability Consulting For A Greener Future | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/sustainability - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/sustainability - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom's sustainability consulting services empower businesses to thrive in a sustainable future while staying compliant. ## Body Holistic Sustainability Consulting For A Greener Future | Slalom Slalom's sustainability consulting services empower businesses to thrive in a sustainable future while staying compliant. Sustainability Empower your business to thrive in a sustainable future. Slalom’s holistic approach supports the growth of your triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. We can help you define your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy while meeting compliance requirements. We’re here to support your boldest ambitions, whether you’re reimagining sustainable product offerings, transforming your culture, or changing the world. Woman in field with branches are media: Empowering ESG Leadership Read story Our sustainability expertise Strategy & impact tracking Our data-driven approach to ESG strategy is designed to set your organization’s sustainability vision into action. Through assessments, impact tracking, roadmaps, and program management, we help you measure, report, and own the narrative of your ESG impact. ESG digital transformation With the combination of our ESG expertise and our data, software engineering, and cloud competencies, we help enable and scale your enterprise ESG intelligence so you can deliver sustainable digital product innovations. Value chain decarbonization As the global race to net zero accelerates, organizations need to look beyond their own operations to achieve meaningful impacts. Our ESG experts help you reduce your value chain footprint and build a responsible supplier network through capabilities from supplier engagement through process optimization. Risk & governance In today's rapidly evolving sustainability and regulatory landscape, your organization’s growth and resilience are dependent on how you manage material ESG issues. We help you identify, and mitigate risks while anticipating, pursuing, and incorporating ESG opportunities into your business strategy. We help companies across industries respond to the increasing demand to integrate sustainability in everything they do. Women in semi truck Forward: Moving in the right direction RPRA: Building portals to a cleaner environment Read more --- title: Systems Integration | Business Applications | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/systems-implementation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/systems-implementation locale: us/en content_type: Services Detail Template --- # Systems Integration | Business Applications | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/systems-implementation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/systems-implementation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Services Detail Template ## Summary Slalom’s systems integration experts work with 700+ partners to help you build applications that appeal to your customers and integrate systems. ## Body Systems Integration | Business Applications | Slalom Slalom’s systems integration experts work with 700+ partners to help you build applications that appeal to your customers and integrate systems. Systems implementation One size doesn’t fit all, so we start with your customer needs and work backwards. First, we work hard to understand your customers. Then, we leverage our extensive experience and strong relationships with over 700 technology partners to implement solutions that work. Finally, we connect everything in a modern way that empowers efficiency and continuous improvement. The result is useful, attractive applications your customers love. women talking in front of computer IG Wealth: Empowering advisors to build stronger financial futures Read story Our systems implementation expertise Customer applications No plug-and-play approach here. Slalom designs and builds applications based on what your customers actually need and want to experience. Our goal is to bring the best of technology, strategy, and design together to create impactful solutions that drive your business forward. Business applications Implement solutions your employees and partners want to use, that make their lives easier and improve their overall experience. By aligning your technology to both people and processes, we help ensure adoption and maximize the business value of your investments. Integration Connect your data, applications, and other key systems to optimize workflows. Our holistic approach brings together your customers, employees, and partners. The result is a collaborative future of systems, people, and devices that creates a better end-to-end experience for everyone. --- title: Zero Legacy url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy-guide source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/zero-legacy-guide locale: us/en content_type: Page Content --- # Zero Legacy - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/services/zero-legacy-guide - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy-guide - Locale: us/en - Content type: Page Content ## Summary Slalom helps organizations get to Zero Legacy, moving them beyond outdated systems with speed, clarity, and confidence. ## Body Zero Legacy Slalom Zero Legacy Slalom helps organizations get to Zero Legacy, moving them beyond outdated systems with speed, clarity, and confidence. graphic zero legacy guide Rethink legacy. Rebuild what's next. Today’s leaders are reducing risk—not taking it—by using AI, automation, and smart delivery to unlock agility, speed, and innovation. Collage of infographics --- title: Community impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact locale: us/en content_type: Environmental Impact Template --- # Community impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/community-impact - Locale: us/en - Content type: Environmental Impact Template ## Summary From corporate philanthropy and pro bono services to fundraising and volunteering, we’re here to use our talents and passions for good. ## Body Community impact Community impact | Slalom From corporate philanthropy and pro bono services to fundraising and volunteering, we’re here to use our talents and passions for good. From corporate philanthropy and pro bono services to fundraising and volunteering, we’re here to use our talents and passions for good environmental hero Community impact Slalom has always been active in the communities where we live and work. From corporate philanthropy and pro bono services to fundraising and volunteering, we’re here to use our talents and passions for good—so that everyone has the chance to thrive. Over our three-year Social Equality Initiative campaign, we made donations to 33 organizations across the globe that are truly making a difference in the communities they serve. Slalom’s partnership, and to a lesser extent, our financial support has contributed to meaningful and impactful change in the trajectory of the futures of many, both seen and unseen, within our underrepresented communities. Rob Potter Chief Accounting Officer As Slalom’s Chief Accounting Officer, Rob led the establishment of the Slalom Foundation and has championed the foundation’s Social Equality Initiative, which seeks to break down racial barriers and promote equity in our communities. Our community goals In our 2020-2030 community impact goals, Slalom aims to make valuable contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals of working to eradicate hunger, promote good health and well-being, provide high-quality education, and establish sustainable economic growth and communities. Goal 1 Collaborate with our customers and partners to create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world. Goal 2 Contribute our experience, time, and money to reduce inequalities in communities around the world. Goal 3 Grow the endowment of the Slalom Foundation to US$100M to make impactful grants in the future. Creating positive impact in our communities picture 1 Harnessing passion with Partners for Good Through our community and team member engagement program, Partners for Good, we support community organizations through corporate donations, volunteering, and fundraising. In 2022 alone, we contributed a mighty 16K volunteer hours to more than 400 organizations globally. One program highlight is the annual food drive, which sees employees around the globe come together to join the fight against hunger. Our most recent efforts raised US$522K and donated 1.5K volunteer hours—the equivalent of providing nearly 1.6 million meals to those in need. Making a tangible difference with pro bono services Slalom partners with community organizations to offer our talented employees on a pro bono basis. Together, we identify and implement game-changing solutions that unlock the power of the organization for the community, with examples ranging from state-of-the-art websites to technology innovations with our partners. A recent example was supporting [Dignity for Divas,](https://www.dignityfordivas.org/) an organization that helps women transition out of homelessness in western Washington state, implement modern cloud technology to better manage its data, programs, and donors. Nikki Butler This is what access and equity looks like. Each year, we report on our planet, community, and people impact --- title: Q&A with Beau Williamson: General Manager, Florida url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/beau-williamson source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/beau-williamson locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Beau Williamson: General Manager, Florida - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/beau-williamson - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/beau-williamson - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Beau Williamson: General Manager, Florida As Slalom continues to grow in Florida, general manager Beau Williamson shares his vision for one of Slalom’s fastest growing markets and the key qualities of a great consultant. How did you initially get into consulting? When I got out of school, I didn’t know exactly what industry I wanted to work in, so the idea of working with many companies across many industries was compelling. I learned after a few years that I really loved helping companies with their toughest challenges and building teams that could make amazing things happen for clients. I’ve been doing it for 20 years now, working with senior leaders at organizations who are really creating the future, and I just love it. What made you choose Slalom? To be honest, I wasn’t looking to make a change when I first spoke with Slalom. But as we continued having conversations, I was impressed with the quality of the people. They are world-class. Combine that with the ability to build strong, long-term relationships with clients locally—and have a global team of experts backing us—is very attractive to me. I’m sure our model is going to be very attractive to companies in Florida as well. What makes a great consultant? A great consultant is extremely curious and an exceptional listener. You’ve got to ask the right questions and really listen to fully understand your client’s situation and challenges. And you’ve got to have the curiosity and desire to keep looking, analyzing, and pushing to create the best solution. What makes the Florida business community unique? The business community is incredible and very distinct between South Florida, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Jacksonville. South Florida is the cruise line capital of the world in addition to having several Fortune 500 companies spanning automotive, retail, utilities, and healthcare along with a rapidly growing set of mid-market companies. Additionally, South Florida is the gateway to Latin America, so we have many companies that serve and manage their central and South American customers and operations from here, which creates very exciting opportunities for us. The other major metros in Florida are very diversified with companies spanning casual dining, grocery, theme parks, transportation and logistics, and healthcare. As you look ahead to the next five, ten years, what are your goals? What are you most excited about? I want to be working with the best companies in Florida who are disrupting their industries—from hospitality and automotive, to logistics, energy, and healthcare. There are industry leaders here that are positioned to do transformative things, and that’s exciting to me. My big-picture goals are simple: happy clients and an engaged team. I want to have long-term, trust-based relationships with many of the innovative companies in the market and for them to get a lot of value out of the work we do with them. I want to build a world-class Slalom team who deliver outstanding results for our clients and truly love what they get to do every day. What do you like to do outside of work? I love exploring Miami, and Florida in general, with my family. You’ve got to understand that I grew up on a farm in Ohio and moved to Miami 12 years ago when I met my wife, Liz. She was born and raised here in South Florida and is a professional ballet dancer and choreographer. So, she’s the artistic one in the family. She’s still able to introduce me to new places and experiences that blow me away. Some of our favorites are Wynwood, Little Havana, and Little Haiti, and the amazingly quiet beaches out on Key Biscayne. But I have to say that our favorite family beach is on Sanibel Island on the west coast of Florida. We have two young boys—Levi and Bodhi—and they’re always along for the ride. How would you describe your leadership style? I grew up playing football and basketball and learned a lot about leadership through these sports. Business is a team sport, and you succeed and win together. I believe that leadership is about really understanding your own strengths and the strengths of your team members and making sure everyone is in the right position to best leverage those strengths. And really pushing yourself and the team to achieve things that no one individual could do on their own. --- title: Q&A with Binh Diep: General Manager, Denver url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/binh-diep source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/binh-diep locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Binh Diep: General Manager, Denver - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/binh-diep - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/binh-diep - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Binh Diep: General Manager, Denver Our Denver GM talks about aligning work and passion, listening to his gut, and modeling equity and inclusion for his team and clients. You started out as a scientist studying molecular cell biology. How did you end up in consulting? I’m from an immigrant family. I was born in Vietnam, and we immigrated to the US in 1980 after spending a year in a refugee camp. We were sponsored by a church in Connecticut, so that’s where I grew up. Leaving Vietnam was all about opportunity and education. My brothers and sisters and I were the first in our family to graduate from high school as well as college. The careers that resonated with us were being a doctor, teacher, lawyer, that type of thing. I had always been interested in science and thought that was the path I was going to take. When I entered college I realized I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. My brother had graduated with a chemical engineering (ChemE) degree a few years before, so I asked him, “What should I major in?” He told me if I wanted to go to medical school or prepare for another higher-paying career, I should look at ChemE. It was definitely a very interesting major, but after doing some internships and jobs in that space, I realized that chemical engineering wasn’t for me. Working in a production facility for the next 45 years of my career didn’t align with my interests and passions. I love learning, meeting people, engaging in new things. How does working at Slalom satisfy those passions for you? It offers such an energetic and fun environment for continuous learning, meeting people, solving problems. The job is always changing. There’s always an opportunity to engage in new problems, new activities, new clients, new challenges. What makes a really great consultant? When I interview people, there are three things that I look at. One is being a good practitioner of something. Our clients are always looking to Slalom for a level of expertise that they don’t have. Regardless of whether you’re a consultant or you’re a general manager, it’s about understanding what you want to continue being really good at and how you can offer that to your clients. Two is knowing what you like to teach and what you like to learn. Having that active learner mindset is really important for deepening your expertise and identifying areas where you’re not so strong. Three, from a culture and team perspective, a great consultant is somebody who is able to work well within a team. What attracted you to Slalom? And what keeps you here? [Russell Norris](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/russell-norris) was a career counselor of mine many years ago when we both worked at Accenture, and he’s somebody I respect very much. When he joined Slalom, that piqued my interest especially after a good friend, Matt Marker joined the Slalom Denver market right before. It was at a time when I was starting to think about what I wanted next in my career. I wanted to work for a company that was much more agile and nimble, a company that was focused in Colorado where I live with my family, and a company that was much more entrepreneurial. That’s what I found at Slalom and so much more. test Icon What is your favorite Slalom core value? “Do what is right, always.” It’s a value I had prior to coming here, and I think it represents Slalom very well. That’s not an easy one, though. How you do you know what’s right? You have to trust your instinct. My son, who is seven years old, was telling me the other day about a situation at school, and he said, “Every time I feel like there’s something that’s not right, my stomach starts to feel really weird.” And just like that feeling he has, we know from a values perspective what is right and what is wrong. Trusting that instinct is key. How do you describe your leadership style? Someone told me recently that one of my superpowers is caring. I think my style blends caring with a really curious mindset about others. I am always trying to find that intersection between a person’s energy and passion and what they want to focus on. I really care about creating opportunities for folks to build on their energy and interests. I am always trying to find that intersection between a person’s energy and passion and what they want to focus on. I really care about creating opportunities for folks to build on their energy and interests. As you continue building the team in Denver, what do you want Slalom to achieve for your clients in the next five to ten years? We set a vision three years ago to be the most impactful and connected company in Colorado. Today we actively work with more than 100 companies in the state. Our view is that the more we can do to create alignment and connection between our public- and private-sector partners and clients, the more we will be able to achieve large, purpose-driven change within the region. Our focus right now is around driving equity within the Colorado market. That could be education. That could be entrepreneurship. That could be expanding opportunities for folks. That could be about gender or ethnicity. I believe there’s an opportunity for us to really play a part in connecting our clients within that movement. What does it take to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team to help achieve that change? I’m super passionate about creating an environment that is inclusive, that allows folks to be able to show up as their authentic selves. It goes back to, how do we continually have a curious mindset that allows us to be open to new ideas, new thoughts, new perspectives? Leading with that curious mindset is really important in order to create an inclusive environment. What’s shaped your personal perspective on inclusion? Growing up, my family was probably the only ethnic family in our very small Connecticut town. I faced lots of discrimination throughout my childhood. I’ve been called plenty of names, my parents have been called plenty of names, and it’s definitely stuck with me. Now, as a leader, I think about how we create an environment that doesn’t allow that to happen. I want individuals to be really proud of who they are and not have to cover up what’s true about themselves. When you’re not at work, how do you like to spend your time? I love to cook and entertain. After being on the road for about 18 years for my job, I think it’s really enjoyable to be able to pull together the right ingredients to make something delicious at home. Although I grill a lot when I have time, I also love trying new concoctions across many different types of cuisines. Describe your perfect weekend day. I have four kids, so I like to hang out with the family and do something active. Maybe we’re up in the mountains skiing, out on the lake doing a little boating, going for a hike, or just kicking the ball around. Then we’ll follow that with a nice meal at the end of the day, good conversations, and hanging out by the fireplace and making some s’mores. --- title: Q&A with Caroline Grant: Market Leader, Manchester url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/caroline-grant source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/caroline-grant locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Caroline Grant: Market Leader, Manchester - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/caroline-grant - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/caroline-grant - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Caroline Grant: Market Leader, Manchester Our Manchester leader opens up about her love for Manchester, being a working parent, and where to learn more about her leadership style. What attracted you to Slalom? I feel like I’m coming home. I’ve been watching with interest since Slalom’s inception in the UK. The culture—living purpose-driven values—has become increasingly important to me. It’s easy to say you’re a people-first organisation but it’s rare to see it evidenced in real life as it is here. Leading the Manchester team is of particular appeal—I’m really excited to keep building something amazing—continuing to connect Slalom with the local business and wider community, as we’re still a relative newcomer to the market. I’ve been working in and around Manchester for the past four years and, I know I’m biased, but I think both the passion and talent of the teams coupled by the dynamism of local business creates a unique and exciting environment for growth. A combination of this role and the timing being right means it’s time for the ‘homecoming’. Having a Manchester-centric career is extremely important to me. I believe there is so much opportunity for growth across the whole of the Northwest. Why is Manchester of particular interest? I’m originally from the North, near Leeds but my career took me to London and around the world for a number of years. In 2019 I relocated with my family to the Northwest coast so when the opportunity arose to work in and around Manchester, I jumped at it. I love everything about Manchester – even the weather! Having a Manchester-centric career is extremely important to me. I believe there is so much opportunity for growth across the whole of the Northwest. Being in a consultancy means I get to work with and meet many organisations – so I’m in a lucky position to be able to see things from multiple perspectives. Connecting the dots of what will help Manchester to keep growing in a sustainable way is extremely motivating. Do you have any role models you look up to? I always find this a tricky question. There have been many amazing people who I’ve looked up to and who have helped to shape my career. I also admire many others demonstrating great leadership in the public eye. However, I’ve been in positions before—most notably when I came back from my first maternity leave and changed to a part time work pattern—where I couldn’t find someone I could fully model myself on. I found that you’ll rarely find someone that you want to replicate exactly—you have to ‘crowdsource’ the different attributes, traits, approaches from different people that makes them great—because nobody’s perfect and everyone is unique with their own circumstances. The whole experience was a bit of a revelation and gave me the confidence to be unapologetically me and work and live in the way that works for me and my family. I am now passionate about being a good role model myself, being transparent so that everyone sees all the elements that make up me as a leader. Is it possible to ‘have it all’ as a working parent? Having it all—a perfect work and personal life—is both exhausting and probably impossible. It’s about achieving a balance that you’re happy with and being kind to yourself and admitting there will always be some parts of your life you’d rather be doing more in but can’t—and that’s ok. Taking enough time to focus on life outside of work and achieving that balance just makes you an altogether more motivated and productive member of the team. I have two young children so relaxing is largely out the question but when we have a spare day, we try to get to the Lake District. I’m honestly happy and content with a short walk and an ice cream! Recently, I have been trying to revisit some of my childhood hobbies with varying success. I’ve also been trying to see more live music and took my then five-year-old to his first ever music festival in the Lakes last summer, which was amazing (despite camping a bit too close to the rave tent). What do you love most about consulting? There’s great satisfaction in solving a challenging problem or being able to partner with an organisation to achieve its goals. I love the fact that technology is making our job so much more exciting when it comes to new levels of ingenuity and innovation. I also love the people part of consulting, working closely with clients but also building and supporting teams where each individual feels like they’re able to be at their best. I think it was Richard Branson who said “Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.”—this is 100% Slalom! What have you been hearing from clients lately? Any overarching themes? It is an exciting but challenging time for business. There are so many different elements for organisations to balance in an unpredictable environment, whether that be from an economic or societal perspective. Organisations have never had to be more agile as well as resilient. Gone are the days where companies had the luxury to embark on lengthy technology transformations. Today’s innovation, constrained budgets, and competition means they need to be thinking ahead to the emerging technologies like generative AI that are still rapidly evolving. They are being forced to think more expansively about operational components such as supply chains, sustainability, and making priority calls on what investments will make the biggest impact to their businesses. Now more than ever, a focus on people tends to demand the primary attention of organisations, whether that be from a customer or employee perspective. A definite theme is how to navigate the retention and attraction of talent within the workforce at a time when the employee offer is critical yet so difficult to define. There is such a rich diversity of mindsets, cultures, and values that need to be catered to. How exciting that we get to be at the forefront of helping organisations navigate all these themes! How would you describe your leadership style? I always think it’s best to ask someone else to describe a person’s leadership style, not the leader. But I’ll try… I’d say my style is authentic and open. I hope to be able to encourage and empower teams by supporting them. Leadership is about making sure that your team has everything they need to deliver to clients and the community around them. I know it’s not your usual person to quote but Clint Eastwood said it best, “It’s not about you. It’s about them.”—which I wholly agree with. Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favourites? My approach to podcasts is similar to my role models. I like to crowdsource a bit and dip and dive into things. I like to listen to Stephen Bartlett’s ‘Diary of a CEO’ and there’s also a series on the BBC called ‘CEO Secrets’ which is great because the clips are really short and diverse in both their subject matter and hosts. Listening to music and escaping in my own thoughts still wins out over podcasts. Taking enough time to focus on life outside of work and achieving that balance just makes you an altogether more motivated and productive member of the team. What’s your favourite Slalom core value and why? ‘Build and shape a better future.’ Before I began my consulting career, I spent time travelling and working abroad. From Brazil to South Africa, I had a mix of experiences—one really stayed with me and has influenced my own sense of ‘doing what is right’. I taught economics in a Township in South Africa, and I was struck by their responsiveness to education. In the west, we commonly take access to free education for granted. But we forget the huge opportunity it presents for each of us. Seeing it’s importance first hand in made me reflect on what could be better at home too. Today, this has led me to be an active advocate for education among young people , advancing women in tech, and generally pushing for equal opportunities. I’m excited to keep building Slalom Manchester’s involvement and support for this. --- title: Q&A with Channie Mize: General Manager, Columbus url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/channie-mize source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/channie-mize locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Channie Mize: General Manager, Columbus - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/channie-mize - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/channie-mize - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Channie Mize: General Manager, Columbus The GM of Slalom Columbus shares the best advice she's ever received, the ways she challenges herself outside of work, and what will make Slalom the go-to consultancy in Columbus. How did you initially get into consulting? When I was graduating from Purdue, deciding what I was going to do “for the rest of my life” sounded incredibly daunting. As I learned more about consulting from what was then Andersen Consulting [now Accenture], the concept of working across industries and focusing on an ever-changing list of hard problems sounded exciting to me. Given my innate curiosity and need for changing scenery, I could not have been happier with my choice in profession. I love getting up every morning to work with my teams and clients to crack complex issues and streamline activities. Every day is different, which makes it exciting. What made you choose Slalom? I had heard of Slalom and knew it was one of the top companies to work for, which is an incredibly tough distinction for any consulting organization. However, I wasn’t specifically looking for Slalom given there was no office in Columbus. When I had my first conversation with the Slalom recruiter, I was immediately intrigued. The organization is such a tremendously positive—yet pragmatic—group of people and I’m absolutely aligned to the notion that we should deliver high quality work to our clients and have fun at work. Plus, there’s no arguing with success, and Slalom has been tremendously successful at helping their clients and their team members with their work local, work happy model. Sometimes, and maybe most often, listening is the most powerful way to change hearts and minds. What makes Columbus an exciting place to open a new office? Columbus is a vibrant community with a broad range of client organizations, including 15 of the Fortune 1000, the government of Ohio, and more than 50 college campuses in the region, making it one of the most educated workforces in the country. All of this contributes to a robust energy making the city poised for further growth and investment. Even with all that Columbus has to offer, this city still feels like a small town where a relationship matters and can open doors for other relationships. Slalom’s approach to working with clients through local relationships and delivering high-caliber, high-impact work will be a significant enabler to Columbus’ business, government, and educational communities. What are your goals for the Columbus office? My big-picture goals are twofold: serve our clients with integrity while exceeding their expectations, and build an inclusive environment where every team member can be safe to have fun at work and also contribute to the success of the client, team, and office. I fundamentally believe these two goals will unlock tremendous opportunities across the Columbus area and will ensure we build not just for five or ten years but for 20+ years. This will make Slalom the go-to consultancy in the local area if we can do both of these things successfully. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? I’ve received a lot of great advice from leaders, peers, and people who work for me. Two of the best pieces of advice I’ve received are: “Stop selling what you already sold.” A mentor once told me this. It was in context of not continuing to push an idea when the listener is thinking it through. Learn how to pause, revel in the silence, and wait for a response. And I have found it tremendously helpful. Reminding myself of this phrase has allowed me to listen and stop speaking. Sometimes, and maybe most often, listening is the most powerful way to change hearts and minds. “Have perspective.” In the business world, there are times when everything seems incredibly urgent and critical at the same time. However, that's almost never the case. In fact, sometimes the urgent creates havoc that wouldn’t have been created with a more thoughtful response. So, if someone comes to me with their hair on fire about an issue, I always ask myself, How does the urgency and criticality of this fit with other priorities? What happens if I do nothing, or do something? Then I decide if I should hit my alert button independent of whether it has hit someone else’s alert button. I’m not advocating for inaction, but it’s important to always prioritize and keep that big-picture perspective as a leader, and help others do the same. test Icon What do you like to do outside of work? I have a wonderful, understanding husband and three active and fun daughters. My daughters remind me every day how blessed I am and also how little I know about many things. If you have a preteen child, you understand that as your kids get older, you as a parent apparently start to be less knowledgeable. I also have a barely controlled Orangetheory addiction which means I am normally up at 4:30 a.m. to get to my 5:00 a.m. workout. In addition to spending time with my family and working out, I love to travel for fun. This summer, my family and I visited Greece and then did a roadtrip through the southern part of Spain. How do you continue to develop yourself as a person? I believe there are two basic mindsets in life: a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. The growth mindset means that a person is flexible and is always viewing success through the lens of learning, growing, and improving. Over the last ten months, I've embarked on a mission to really, really learn Spanish. While I studied Spanish in high school and college, I couldn't really ever speak Spanish. So I decided it was time, and I threw myself into learning by taking online classes, reading children’s books in Spanish, listening to Spanish podcasts, spending the summer in Spain, and countless hours in a Duolingo app which I sometimes feel is taunting me. What I've found though, is that learning a different language requires you to be humble and open your mind to a different cultural perspective. It’s frustrating, fun, and a true growth exercise. I haven’t quite reached the nirvana of fluency, but I am pretty capable of having a third-grade conversation. Test me sometime. How would you describe your leadership style? Something my teams have taught me over the years is that people can sense authentic leadership versus formulaic leadership. I strive to make my leadership authentic by creating an environment that encourages inclusive success, being open to new ideas, surrounding myself with people smarter than me, and making sure people have fun—life is short. --- title: Q&A with Christina Wells: Country Manager, New Zealand url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/christina-wells source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/christina-wells locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Christina Wells: Country Manager, New Zealand - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/christina-wells - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/christina-wells - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Christina Wells: Country Manager, New Zealand Christina Wells Christina Wells leads Slalom New Zealand, helping organisation turn ambitious ideas into practical outcomes across strategy, technology, AI and business transformation. She is passionate about building high-performing teams, creating enduring customer relationships, and growing a distinctly New Zealand business with global scale behind it. What excites you most about leading Slalom in New Zealand? The opportunity in front of us. New Zealand has incredible organisations, smart leaders and no shortage of ambition. At the same time, technology is moving faster than it ever has. AI is changing what is possible, but most organisations are still working out how to translate that potential into something meaningful for their customers, their people and their business. That is where I think Slalom can be genuinely different. We can bring global experience and capability into New Zealand, but apply it locally, with people who understand the market and stay close enough to our customers to help make the change real. I want us to build a different kind of consulting and technology company here. One that is known for great work, great people and for actually delivering what we said we would. What do you think leaders are getting right, or wrong, about AI? The organisations making the most progress with AI are getting on with it. They are identifying the highest-value opportunities across the enterprise, experimenting quickly, learning what works and scaling from there. I think there is still a tendency to wait for certainty, or for the perfect strategy, governance model or use case. But with AI, speed matters. You are going to learn more by doing than by debating, and those lessons compound. Organisations that move early, learn quickly and keep iterating will build an advantage that becomes harder to catch. That does not mean being reckless. It means being clear on the problem you are solving, focused on value, and comfortable with progress over perfection. And people have to be at the centre of it. The technology will keep changing, but adoption, judgement, trust and the way work actually gets done are human challenges. AI can accelerate an organisation, but people still set the direction. That is what Fiercely Human means to me in this context. The more powerful the technology becomes, the more important it is to design change around people, not around the technology itself. How would you describe your leadership style? High trust and high standards, and a healthy sense of urgency ;) I believe people do their best work when they understand where we are going, why it matters, what good looks like and the part they play in getting us there. I’m a big optimist. I tend to believe there is always a way forward, and I like bringing that energy into a team, especially when things are hard or uncertain. For me, leadership is about creating clarity, backing good people, removing barriers and helping people move with confidence. I care a lot about kindness, but I don’t think kindness and accountability are opposites. The best teams I’ve been part of have plenty of both. I also think work should be FUN. We spend a huge amount of our lives doing it, so being a team should mean having some fun, laughing together and actually enjoying what we’re building. I think the best teams combine strong relationships with very high expectations of each other. So, I’d probably describe it as urgent optimism: move with pace, expect a lot, back your people, and believe we can figure it out together. You talk a lot about growth. What does growth mean to you? Growth creates opportunity. It creates opportunities for our people to stretch themselves, for new leaders to emerge, for us to invest in new capabilities and for our customers to have access to more of what Slalom can bring. But I’m not interested in growth for growth’s sake. It has to come from doing meaningful work, creating value for customers and earning the right to do more with them. The commercial result matters, of course. But I want it to be the outcome of building a business people want to work with and work for. What do you think makes great consulting different? The ability to connect strategy to execution. A brilliant strategy that never changes what happens on Monday morning isn’t particularly useful. The work I find most interesting is where you can take a big ambition, break it into practical steps, bring together the right strategy, engineering and delivery capability, and start creating value quickly while still keeping sight of the bigger destination. I also strongly believe we should leave capability behind. A customer should be stronger because we worked with them, not more dependent on us. What does ‘Fiercely Human’ mean to you personally? For me it means remembering that business is ultimately built on people. Customers remember whether you listened. Teams remember whether you backed them. People know when you genuinely care about the outcome versus simply delivering the next piece of work. Technology changes. Markets change. Strategies change. Trust compounds. I think being fiercely human means bringing curiosity, honesty and humanity into serious work, while still being ambitious about what is possible. What are you most ambitious about for Slalom New Zealand? I want Slalom to be one of the companies New Zealand leaders think of first when they have an important problem to solve. Not because we are the biggest, but because they know we will bring smart people, challenge their thinking, care about the outcome and get things moving. We have this rare combination of global scale and a genuinely local business. I want to use that to help New Zealand organisations move faster in areas like AI, data, cloud and modernisation, while building something here that our people are incredibly proud to be part of. What keeps you interested after nearly two decades in business and technology? I haven’t won Lotto? Only kidding. I’m curious as to why some organisations and teams achieve things that others don’t. Technology is part of that, but so are psychology, leadership, economics, customer behaviour and culture. I like understanding how all those things connect. I’m naturally curious and probably slightly obsessive about understanding why something worked, why something didn’t, and what we could do differently next time. So I guess you could say, the relentless pursuit of trying to be better than I was yesterday. And outside work? I’m the youngest of seven, so family has always been a huge part of my world. I have two boys, Connor and Maddox, and a giant bunch of nieces and nephews, so life is rarely quiet. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Give me a house full of people I love, good food and plenty of noise and I’m pretty happy. I love to travel with my partner Jono and our blended whanau. We’re both happiest on or near the ocean. I’m currently attempting to become a master fisherman. He can attest to the fact that I’m some distance from earning the title, but the ambition is there. Music is always on, I’m particularly stuck firmly in the 90’s 00’s, rap, R B and hip hop are the main rotation but I love everything and luckily for me, Connor, Maddox and my nieces and nephews keep me reasonably current. I’m also endlessly curious. I’ll happily disappear down a rabbit hole on history, psychology, business, politics, sport, a documentary or some completely obscure story I’ve just discovered. I need to know what happened, why it happened, and then usually another six questions after that. And despite spending my working life around technology, I’m increasingly protective of the analogue bits of life: being present, going somewhere new, being near the water, having people around the table and laughing a lot. Work matters enormously to me, but so does having a really good life outside of it. --- title: Q&A with Darrin Ahrens: General Manager, Minneapolis url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/darrin-ahrens source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/darrin-ahrens locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Darrin Ahrens: General Manager, Minneapolis - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/darrin-ahrens - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/darrin-ahrens - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Darrin Ahrens: General Manager, Minneapolis Slalom’s leader in Minnesota talks ice fishing, learning when to ask for help, and how Slalom’s client approach makes us unlike the Borg on Star Trek. You’re a 30-year veteran of the consulting industry. What makes Slalom unique? The culture is the biggest differentiator. It’s not just culture in terms of how we balance our work and our lives but also how we work with our clients, which is much more collaborative and “partnerial” than some other firms. Some firms go in insisting on their own way of doing things. It’s like the Borg from Star Trek: “We are the Borg. You will be assimilated.” Slalom is not like that. We try to meet our clients where they’re at and partner with them to create solutions together that they can sustain after we’ve left. Tell us more about how Slalom collaborates with clients. It’s a fine balance we have to strike because as consultants, we shouldn’t go in and do things to clients—we should do it with them. At the same time, it’s important for us to bring thought leadership to the table, plus tools, lessons learned, and knowledge of what others are doing. We bring a point of view and solutions for how to help them get the outcomes they’re trying to achieve, but in a way that brings them along. What attracted you to Slalom? What first attracted me was the balance of work and life, and the opportunity to work in the market where you live. Prior to joining Slalom, I worked for a consulting firm for 21 years and traveled all the time. I have four kids. My wake-up call came eight years ago when my youngest daughter started first grade. She told her teacher, “My dad travels all the time. I hardly ever see him.” And that’s when I started looking. Finding a place where they talk about “loving your work and your life” hit home for me. That’s exactly what I was looking for. And before I was an employee I had a unique opportunity to attend one of the first quarterly meetings in Minneapolis. All the executives from Seattle were there. I got a chance to meet them all, and I was impressed with their unique blend of confidence, positivity, and humility. You’ve got to get out and embrace it—find a hobby, whether that’s snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or ice fishing. Otherwise, the winter drags on and can be unbearable. Once you start to embrace it, you enjoy every season. How long have you lived in Minnesota? And what do you love about it? I’ve lived here since I graduated from college, so almost 32 years. I love the outdoorsy nature of Minnesota: the lakes, the forests, the parks. I like the variety of the weather through the different seasons even though winters can be harsh. What’s your favorite outdoor activity in the winter? I like hiking. And occasionally I’ll go ice fishing. I live on a lake, and I’ll just go out back and pop up the tent. I’ve got a heater. I’ve got snacks in a cooler and a deck of cards. I put on music and fish through the ice. I usually catch crappie and sunfish. I’m 95% catch and release. test Icon What makes the Minnesota business community unique? While Minneapolis is only the 15th largest market in the US, it has the highest per capita number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered here. And from an industry perspective, it’s a diverse economy. We’ve got healthcare, retail, consumer packaged goods, financial services, manufacturing. We’ve got it all. It’s also unique in that despite everything we talked about regarding the weather, people tend to stay here after they move here. It’s hard to get them here, but once they’re here they don’t leave, and that includes our clients. My experience in other cities is that people will change their geography to remain in their industry. But in Minneapolis, people will change their industry to stay here. And that benefits Slalom because when we build a relationship with a client and they switch industries, they’ll bring us with them. What does it take to build a diverse and inclusive team? And how are you approaching this in your own market? It takes some very purposeful focus and commitment to sticking with it through the ups and downs, as well as a plan. We’re getting creative and partnering with a group called the Page Foundation to build a pipeline to bring more diverse talent into our organization. It was started by Alan Page, an NFL Hall of Famer who served as a state supreme court justice in Minnesota for 22 years after his Vikings playing career. He and his wife began the foundation to advance opportunities for Black high school students. We’re partnering with them to provide scholarships to Page students and build relationships with them while they’re attending college. Hopefully we’ll be able to attract some of them to join us after they graduate. We’ve got a couple of terrific former Page scholars who work for us now. We’ve also launched a sponsorship program for internal Slalom employees where we’re engaging the entire senior leadership team to provide active advocacy and support for our diverse employees with the goal of helping to advance and retain them. We’re starting with our principal-level leaders to try and get more of them into our senior leadership ranks. We plan to roll this out to our senior through associate consultant ranks as well. Tell me about a mistake you made in your career and what you learned from it. As a young manager in my mid-20s, a partner pulled me aside and said, “I’m giving you this assignment, and I know that I’m throwing you in the deep end. And the most important thing you need to do is to know when—not if, but when—to call for help.” The mistake I made was not heeding the advice. I allowed myself to struggle to the point of high stress before I realized I’d passed the point where I needed help—I was screaming for it. I worked myself into a state of almost complete physical and mental exhaustion. After that, I learned to recognize the signs of when I should engage and get help earlier. What’s your favorite Slalom core value? Do what is right, always. If you get that one right, everything else will flow from there. --- title: Q&A with Dave Richards, General Manager, Chicago url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/dave-richards source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/dave-richards locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Dave Richards, General Manager, Chicago - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/dave-richards - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/dave-richards - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Dave Richards, General Manager, Chicago Q&A with Dave Richards: General Manager, Chicago We spoke to our Chicago leader about his love for consulting, the most pressing challenges our clients are facing today, and why he’s proud to call Chicago his adoptive home. You were born and raised in Wales, but have lived in Chicago for three decades. What brought you to Chicago, and what keeps you here? I first came to Chicago as a 23-year-old at the start of my consulting career. I had never been to the US, so experiencing Chicago for the first time was a massive thrill. I have lived in Chicago permanently for 32 years; it is my home now. I’m lucky enough to travel back to Wales regularly, too, so I feel I get the best of both worlds. In addition to Chicago being my home, I love the city and its suburbs. With its rich history, vibrant lifestyle, and endless amenities, it’s no wonder Chicago is considered one of the greatest cities in the world. Chicago has been unfairly portrayed in the media lately, and it’s up to all of us to change that perception, even if it means doing so one person at a time. How did you land in consulting, and what is the best part of working in this field? I’d love to say it was a well-thought-out plan, but I was drawn to the opportunity to work in a field at the forefront of emerging trends in computing at scale. I was also attracted to the field by the quality and variety of people I met who already worked in it. This has been borne out in spades in the 30+ year consulting career I’ve since had. The variety of work, the ability to directly impact our client’s performance, and the super-smart people (both consultants and clients) you work with are all deeply rewarding. What attracted you to the GM role at Slalom? I’ve admired Slalom from afar for nearly 20 years. The uniqueness of its operating model, people-oriented culture, and outstanding client outcomes were beautifully executed. The opportunity to join the organization in a leadership capacity in what has become my hometown was too good to pass up. Plus, the people I already knew here were all outstanding, without exception. What is your vision for Slalom Chicago? I want Slalom to become further ingrained in the Chicago business community. We are already a significant presence in Chicago, but our growth potential is unlimited. We also need to love the community in which we operate and continue to provide outstanding career opportunities to local business and technology talent. Let’s take pride in Chicago, make it a city everyone can be proud of, and attract exceptional talent from all over. What are the most pressing trends and challenges you’re seeing with clients today? The uncertainty around the continuing durability of consumer spending is a critical issue, primarily driven by the ambiguity around ongoing inflation and interest rates. Many clients are cautious about investing in this uncertain environment and carefully managing all spending categories. Second, our clients are wrestling with current and future work patterns as we recover from the pandemic. This has led to creative, non-traditional collaboration methods that have been very effective. Yet, there’s also a trend among many of them to return at least partially to an in-person work environment. How do you recharge outside of work? My wife and I spend as much time as possible with our now-adult children (the youngest of whom is a college freshman, so we’re empty nesters). I’m also an avid rugby and soccer (football) fan, and I waste tremendous amounts of time and money on a golf game that shows no sign of improvement. --- title: Q&A with David Rouls: General Manager, Detroit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/david-rouls source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/david-rouls locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with David Rouls: General Manager, Detroit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/david-rouls - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/david-rouls - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with David Rouls: General Manager, Detroit Q&A with David Rouls: General Manager, Michigan We spoke with David Rouls about his passion for Michigan and how the city is getting its swagger back. Tell us a bit about your journey before joining Slalom. I spent over 25 years with Accenture. I started there right out of college and made full partner after 10 years. I had the privilege of service as a partner/managing director for over 15 years. The bulk of my career was in the utility and energy industry. I led Accenture’s global smart grid business, which was one of our very few corporate-wide initiatives. We grew it from about $5M to a global practice of $450 million in 25 countries, which is something I’m very proud of. Most of my client experience was leading multi-year transformation programs that included major technology deployments, operating model changes, organization effectiveness, and business process changes. I was also in our sales organization where I led our big deal program. What led to your decision to join Slalom? I've been asked that quite a bit, as you might imagine, since my career at Accenture was in full swing. The two biggest reasons I chose Slalom were the strength of its local model and especially its people-first culture. Both of these things intersect nicely with its established track record of exceptional client service. Also, Slalom offered me an opportunity to focus 100 percent on Detroit clients and creating Detroit jobs. After having traveled and worked all over the globe helping companies, I’m excited about building a team that could help create 500 Detroit jobs—right here. I want to help the Detroit people get and create jobs they love where, together, we can help our Detroit clients compete on a global scale. After having traveled and worked all over the globe helping companies, I’m excited about building a team that could help create 500 Detroit jobs—right here. How do you think the people-first approach drives better outcomes for clients? A people-first culture translates into enthusiasm. You’re invested and focused on the client. You’re excited to make Slalom and the client proud. You’re thinking about some of the client problems after work. You feel really appreciated. You know that if you do a good job, your company will celebrate your success. All of this happens when a company puts people first. And clients feed off of it. When they see a really energized, happy team, they feel it, and they elevate their performance as well. What challenges and opportunities is the energy industry facing right now? If you think about the energy industry—oil and gas, electric, water utilities, chemical, petrochemical—the industries within it are all facing different, but related, challenges. The price of their products have come down, and there are a lot of alternatives. Even with electric production, people have more and more alternatives—fuel cells, solar, wind. All of these outside forces are causing a significant amount of pressure for companies. Many are realizing that although they’ve made changes to the back office—to reduce costs by putting in ERP [enterprise resource planning] systems and optimizing supply chains—the next big step is to go right at the core of their operations. The types of technologies that these companies have to think about are changing dramatically, and that's a perfect sweet spot for Slalom. We’re not a company that's going to put a big ERP system in. We’re a company that’s coming in to help companies create focused, innovative, digital solutions—and these things get far more complicated inside of these clients' core operations. There’s a significant opportunity for us to use our skills across many industries and apply them to energy. The types of technologies that these companies have to think about are changing dramatically, and that's a perfect sweet spot for Slalom. What makes Detroit a good fit for Slalom right now? Let's first talk about what’s going on in Detroit. I was born and raised here, have always had my home here. I love Detroit. Obviously, we got hit very hard in the recession. When most people think about Detroit, they think about the blight. They think about the bankruptcy in 2013. Now all of us—our business leaders, our residents—are painting a new image of Detroit. We elected a new mayor in 2014, and he has the confidence of both the business community and residents—something that hasn’t happened in a long time. He’s very scrappy and makes things happen. The whole city is pretty scrappy. People are walking the walk. We’re getting a lot of our swagger back. If you look at the 11-county region that Slalom's going to serve, we're number two in GDP growth among all major U.S. cities. And we're number three in job growth. It’s really exciting to see this region lifting up. And it's not just on the backs of our automotive industry. Healthcare, for example, employs almost three times the number of auto jobs in Detroit. We've got new restaurants, new parks, new transit, and billions in commercial and entertainment capital that's being injected into the city. Detroit is in the middle of a renaissance in every sense of the word, and we're launching Slalom Detroit right in the middle of that. How perfect is it that we, Slalom, get to be a part of this? I was born and raised here, have always had my home here. I love Detroit. Are there particular types of projects or work that we'll be pursuing specifically? Like we’ve seen in the energy and utility industry, our automotive and healthcare industries here in Detroit are going through major changes over the next five years. The race for connected and autonomous vehicles is on. Car-as-a-service is on. You've got all sorts of new entrants in the automotive space, and we haven’t seen that level of new entrants into automotive for 50 or 60 years. There are also similar changes happening in the healthcare industry. So, when you have that kind of change, you have to drive new business models. You have lots of new digital technologies to consider. Part of that's mobility. Part of that's analytics. Part of that's interactive. And you have major change management, because those people will be going through a lot of changes trying to understand how their industry is changing, who the new competitors are, what consumer behavior and expectations are. We’re going to be leveraging all the different expertise we have within Slalom to help companies make these big changes. That's very exciting for us. What are the key things that make a business transformation successful for a client? First and foremost, I always start with active listening. Folks who work with me know that I talk about it all the time. It's not about hearing the first key problem that the client brings up and pouncing on it with, “We’ve done this to solve that.” It’s pausing and asking more questions about what the client is saying, and then playing it back to him, asking, “Is this what I'm hearing?” When you've done that well, and you gain a deep understanding of the client's goals, it’s the first step in building the foundation for success. It also goes back to enthusiasm to help the client. These transformation programs are not three or six months. When an industry like energy goes through a transformation, it’s a journey. So, when you've got a team of people who are incredibly enthusiastic, who ask a lot of questions and have a lot of ideas, who are excited to represent Slalom, it helps clients understand that achieving something they thought was very difficult may be feasible. You instill confidence in the client, which is important, because some of this transformation can be a little scary. Tell us about the team you're building in Detroit and what qualities you're looking for. We've got five or six people in Detroit so far, so we need to be nimble and scrappy. First and foremost, I’m focused on building the leadership team. Everybody on our leadership team, including myself, will be rolling up their sleeves and playing multiple roles to get new clients and to continue recruiting the rest of the team. When I’m interviewing, I’m asking myself, Are they going to put our people first? Do they have a strong work ethic? Do they thrive on getting close to their clients? Do they really have their clients’ backs? I’m looking for experience in a diverse range of industries. I want a well-rounded team. I've also always had a tremendously diverse team, and that will be an absolute priority too. We’ll take our time looking for candidates to make sure that we have the right diversity in the team, especially when you consider the diversity of the population in Detroit. How would you describe your approach to leadership? I always like to start with having a clear vision of where we’re heading, and the vision can’t just be my own. I want many people to weigh in. I always say I don't have to be right—I just want to get it right. I want to make sure that as we evolve our vision for Slalom Detroit, people have a chance to weigh in. That's why a lot of people took a risk jumping into something that doesn't actually exist in Detroit yet. We're going to be creating it, and they're excited to be a part of creating that vision. I’ll be right there with them, listening to the client, understanding opportunities, understanding how we help them. And then just having fun and celebrating our success. What’s the most important lesson you've learned in your career? The most important lesson that always sticks in my head is from when I was a newer partner, maybe two years in, and I had the fortune of being asked to take on a role of being a client partner for one of our largest clients while I was also doing delivery. Then I was asked to lead a small practice—it was a lot to handle at one time. And I didn’t ask for enough help. The lesson is: don't take on too much without delegating. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to say no sometimes. You're on the board of directors for the Heat and Warmth Fund. What inspired you to get involved with that organization? I've been involved with the Heat and Warmth Fund for about three years, on the board for two years. The Heat and Warmth Fund has been around since 1985 and has helped 200,000 Michigan households pay their heating bills in the winter. Eighty percent of the families who need help in one year don't need help the next, which tells you that something came up—someone lost their job temporarily or just needed help. I’m really proud to be part of that organization and proud of the quality of that team. Almost every penny goes to our Michigan families in need. They run a very lean machine, and they have a great reputation. What's your favorite thing to do in Detroit outside of working? My wife and I have six kids—three boys and three girls. And a dog. We’re the Brady Bunch. We live in a 180-year-old house, so as you can imagine, we’re full of adventures every day. Most of our free time is having fun with the eight of us in our old house. We also go to our cottage on the lake in Northern Michigan and go sailing. It’s become our favorite hobby. We also love to go snow skiing, dirt biking, anything outdoors. We spend most of our summers at the cottage, all of us together, playing. It’s great. Where do you see Slalom Detroit in the next five years? We’ll be serving a very diverse set of industries—automotive, healthcare, financial services, home products, food and beverage. We’ll have a well-known brand in Detroit, known for being a full-service consulting firm that really comes through for our clients. I think we’ll have at least 300 people—I’d love to be 500 people strong in Detroit. And I know the Slalom people are going to be loving their careers in Detroit. I'm absolutely confident of that. --- title: Q&A with Denis Gassmann: President & Country Leader, Germany url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/denis-gassmann source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/denis-gassmann locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Denis Gassmann: President & Country Leader, Germany - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/denis-gassmann - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/denis-gassmann - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Denis Gassmann: President & Country Leader, Germany Our Slalom Germany leader talks about building great teams, his passion for music, and what makes Munich so special. To start, what do you love most about Munich? I’m originally from a town in southwestern Germany near Stuttgart but moved to Munich 22 years ago. First of all, the location. In a radius of 200 kilometers [124 miles] we have more than 50 skiing resorts, so you have all the skiing and hiking you want. After an hour drive, you’re in Austria or Switzerland. Less than three hours and you’re in France or Italy. And then the city itself is a nice combination of traditional and modern. It’s a very vibrant place with lots of young, international people. Munich is really a growing business city and is very high-tech. While we have a lot of big brands, there are also a lot of smaller companies across different industries, including financial services, automotive, and life sciences. So there’s a lot of business diversity and growth potential. What attracted you to Slalom? I spent half my life working for one company and learned so many things during that time. I now have the desire to do something different, where I can help grow the business from the ground up. In Germany, Slalom feels a little like a start-up even though it’s a large global company. I also like that Slalom is focused on technology-driven transformation. That’s where my heart belongs. And the approach of putting people first—putting the team first—has always been my philosophy. If we want a diverse workforce, I think we need to have the flexibility to accommodate people as individuals and let them align to what works for them. As you think about the next five years for the Germany market, what are your goals and what are you most excited about? While the Germany market isn’t simply waiting for another traditional consulting company, there’s a big desire for players that do things differently. That’s where I think Slalom is positioned perfectly with a true people-first mindset, focused on new and emerging technologies. We really have the chance to establish a new and modern brand here and show how we’re different, not just for clients but also for the people we want to work with. So I’m super excited to position Slalom as a modern alternative in the market. After that, my main goals are to establish a geographical and industrial footprint. Germany has the largest economy in Europe and fourth-largest economy in the world. It’s also an industrial country and very product-focused. Digital transformation here is rather slow. The world knows Adidas, Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW, but the backbone of the country is built on mid-tier businesses. More than 70% of people are employed at middle- and small-sized companies—they’re not working for large corporations. While that makes Germany a tricky place to do business, it also means it’s a place with lots of opportunity. Building the right geographical hubs, a good mix of large and mid-size client portfolios, and a diverse industry portfolio will be key. And the last thing—though maybe the most important one—is that we have to put together a great team that’s diverse in all aspects. Gender, ideologies, business skills—everything. We have to get really passionate and driven people, and that’s not an easy task. But I’m a firm believer that if you have great people, you will land great projects and clients. What do you think it takes to build a diverse and inclusive team? If we want a diverse workforce, we need to have the flexibility to accommodate people as individuals and let them align to what works for them. Every person in the world has different needs and priorities. Some people are early birds while others, like me, don’t want to do business before 9:00 a.m. Some need to take care of their kids in the evening, while others find that’s the best time to do work. There is no one-size-fits-all model that ensures happiness for every single employee. From your perspective, what makes a great leader? I think a great leader is somebody who enables people to find their own way and helps them on that mission. Leading is much more about walking behind someone than in front of them. I’m not here to tell people what to do and how to do it. I really like this quote from Steve Jobs: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” A good leader is somebody who coaches people and is there to remove obstacles, but ultimately helps people find their own form of leadership. It’s about taking the ego out of it and helping others accomplish what they want to do. What other career path might you have chosen if you hadn’t picked consulting? I mean, I always wanted to be a rock star, but I realized very quickly that was going to be super tough. I’m also from a working-class family, so I knew I had to get a job to make steady money. But I really thought about studying history and maybe becoming a history teacher. On the other hand, I was also a techie and computer kid, and I realized that was a passion I could actually make money at while keeping the other things as hobbies. Ultimately, I think I made the right decision. test Icon What do you like to do to recharge outside of work? I consider myself a little bit of a musician. I play guitar and sing. We actually just brought my old school band together last year for our 30-year anniversary. So making music is definitely one way I recharge. In the winter, we’re big skiers and go to the Alps a lot. My wife’s a ski instructor in the German Ski Association, so she’s in a completely different league than me. I also recently started playing golf and found it’s a great sport for teaching you humility. I also like to read a lot and am a bit of a bookworm. I read all types of things—novels, nonfiction, everything. Is there anything you’ve read recently that really inspired you? There are two books by Tim Marshall that I read recently: Prisoners of Geography and The Power of Geography . They’re great for understanding more about the world and why each country acts the way it acts. There are hundreds of years of history behind it. I’m a bit of a hobby historian—everything from the Roman Empire to medieval history. I really dive into that stuff. What do you think is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? There are a couple, but I think one of the hardest things for all people to realize is you need to leave your ego at the door. Everybody has an ego. And I think something I learned over time, after I had a family, is it’s not about me. There’s this quote saying, The secret to living is giving, and I think that’s absolutely true. The more you push your ego aside and actually focus on other people, the better your life gets. The second is that things always turn out completely different from what you expect or plan, and that’s actually a good thing. If everything goes according to plan, then your life’s going to be pretty boring. Sometimes you just need to let go and see what happens. If you’re not afraid of something, maybe the step isn’t big enough. What would you consider your greatest achievement? My greatest achievement is jointly bringing up my two marvelous children with my wife. They are both really cool kids. So, in my personal life, I think that’s my biggest accomplishment. As for my career, I actually started in financial services and transitioned to communications media technology (CMT) after 15 years. Even though I was new, the company experienced a rough downturn and decided that making me the new leader was the solution. So I went from being the new kid on the block to leading the CMT teams for Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. It made me realize that if you’re not afraid of something, maybe the step isn’t big enough. I made some difficult decisions and learned a lot. We took it from declining to growing in a single year and nearly doubled the business after my four years in that position. I then handed it over to my successor, who took it to new heights after me. But I think I helped lay the foundation and am really proud of that. What’s your favorite Slalom core value? Inspire passion and adventure. The others are great as well, but when I heard that one, I thought, “Yes! That’s me.” In interviews, Slalom leaders asked me who my role model was, and I said Captain Jack Sparrow! I loved all the pirate movies as a kid and never wanted to be mainstream. He’s passion and adventure in a person—but manages to get things done, even if it’s in an unconventional way. What’s one rule that you live by? I actually have a whole set of rules. But beyond leaving your ego at the door, one is to live in the moment. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You can rack your brain about what could have been, but it’s just water under the bridge. It’s also not about what I do in 10 years—it’s the here and now that matters. --- title: Q&A with Don Piluso: General Manager, Nashville url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/don-piluso source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/don-piluso locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Don Piluso: General Manager, Nashville - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/don-piluso - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/don-piluso - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Don Piluso: General Manager, Nashville Slalom’s leader in Nashville opens up on why he traded in his surfboard for a guitar, how he earns trust, and what makes Slalom such a special place. You originally joined Slalom to help us grow our Southern California region. Tell us a little about that journey. Southern California was one market when I joined Slalom in 2013, with around 50 employees. Since then, I have been part of an incredible journey splitting it into three distinct, amazing markets in [Los Angeles](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/los-angeles), [Orange County](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/orange-county), and [San Diego](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/san-diego) with over 350+ team members. It’s been awesome to see people grow and go after their dreams. Also to see people be a part of the Slalom journey and then go off to other things that excite them—their next journey—but still remain part of our ecosystem. I feel like it wasn’t just a business, it was an ecosystem of colleagues and friends that grew into something very special. What excites you about the market in Nashville? There’s so much business that’s happening here. It reminds me of when the Orange County was first growing—there are a lot of similarities. There’s this excitement and buzz in the air about the companies and the people that are moving here. Every day I’m on the street, I see a license plate from somewhere different. People are coming here because it feels like the opportunities are limitless. Nashville’s in this stage where people are looking for partners and colleagues to help them start their journey. It’s super exciting to think that Slalom could be a part of that journey and offer something that no other consulting firm does, which is to stay local and be vested with the community. I believe in rolling up your sleeves and being in the trenches with the team. That’s how you earn trust and credibility. What are your goals for Slalom Nashville over the next few years? First and foremost is to connect to the community—to look for impactful organizations that we want to be a part of, whether that’s the Nashville Software School, which is doing things like retraining veterans and country singers in the community who want to get into technology, or Girls Who Code. I had a strong connection with Girls Who Code in Southern California. They have clubs out here, too. But, at the same time, we also have to get to know our customers, and they have to get to know us. And the best way to do that is to meet people, talk to them about what we’ve done in other places, and bring points of view that Nashville hasn’t seen yet. That’s exciting for all of us who are on the ground floor here. How does it feel for you personally to be moving to Nashville and, in some ways, starting the journey over again? Why am I trading in my surfboard for a guitar? One, I love being in the field with teams and clients. That’s my jam—it’s what fills me up every day. I love being in the action and am so excited to take the lessons learned from SoCal and help start our business in Nashville. On the more personal side, as a family, we were looking for a new destination that was more in line with how we want to live our day-to-day life. Tennessee feels less intense for us—it’s a way to pace our life a little bit differently. And my wife and I love country music. Watching live music is our favorite thing to do—we have somewhere to go every night if we want to! How would you describe your leadership style? I believe in leading by example. I would never ask my team to do something that I wouldn’t do myself, or that I wouldn’t be a part of. I believe in rolling up your sleeves and being in the trenches with the team. That’s how you earn trust and credibility. People know you’re authentic when you’re actually doing it with them. So that’s a core trait that I try to live by. What do you look for in a new hire? How do you recognize a great fit for Slalom? It’s funny, I would say likability is the number one thing. They’ve got to have that presence about them of being excited. They’re passionate. They’re interested in taking this new challenge on. They want to join something that we feel excited and passionate about as well. They want to join the group and contribute. You get a good feel through the interview process of what people’s goals and aspirations are, and if they’re going to be a fit for Slalom in the long term. What makes a great consultant? Flexibility, for sure. You also have to be constantly open to change and learning. What makes a consultant successful is being able to pick things up quickly and always having that eagerness to learn more. That’s why clients come to us instead of doing it themselves. They’re looking for people to do that extra-mile work for them. What would you say to someone who might be thinking about coming to work with you at Slalom Nashville? I would say it’s a place where you can experiment, you can pilot, you can do the things that you love to do. And you can be challenged, every day, with people who are like-minded. And I feel like that’s something that’s really special, and you can’t find it everywhere. Your choice of “like-minded” is interesting. What does that mean to you? It’s a people-first mentality focused on outcomes, for the betterment of society and the world. What resonates with me is that Slalom has always taken a people-first approach, especially through the pandemic. “Like-minded“ represents the things we did for our people—and how that went above and beyond taking care of them and not having them worry about losing their jobs. It reminds me of Slalom’s core values—this is a special place. I don’t know another consulting firm that’s like it. How will you be approaching diversity, inclusion, and equity as you grow this team? I promised our executive team that within our first full year of operation we would mirror our community. So I want to make sure that we’re opening up the right channels to pull talent from, to give us the opportunity to reflect our community. It’s harder to catch up once you’ve gotten to a certain growth point. We’re in a unique situation where we can do it from the start. Do you have a favorite Slalom core value? I really like “stay humble and curious.” All the values resonate with me, but even if you’re the smartest person in the room, there’s always something you can be learning every day. I learn something new from every single team member that I interact with. It doesn’t matter what level they are or where they are in the organization. I’m excited to hear about what’s going on with them. I try to take all those lessons and data points and keep growing as a consultant. In order to do that, you have to be humble and you have to be curious. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Donna Painter: General Manager, Philadelphia url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/donna-painter source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/donna-painter locale: us/en content_type: Gm Q A Template --- # Q&A with Donna Painter: General Manager, Philadelphia - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/donna-painter - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/donna-painter - Locale: us/en - Content type: Gm Q A Template ## Summary Our Philadelphia leader opens up about her love for Philly, the best sport you never heard of, and the importance of “grit.” ## Body Q&A with Donna Painter: General Manager, Philadelphia Donna Painter | Slalom Our Philadelphia leader opens up about her love for Philly, the best sport you never heard of, and the importance of “grit.” What do you think makes Philadelphia so unique for business? Often, people think about Philadelphia being in the life sciences corridor, but in fact we have a very diverse set of industries—from healthcare to banking to natural resources—and that creates a great environment for business. And with Philly’s location between New York and Washington, it’s easy to get to those major business and government hubs. It’s also a really affordable place to live compared to those two cities. So we attract a lot of talent thanks to our cost of living and our fantastic public transportation. I feel like the most important thing in business and in life is trust. If you do what’s right, then trust will naturally follow. What do you like to do when you're not working? My favorite thing is international travel because I love to experience new cultures and new foods, cities, and beaches. I also love spending time at the Jersey Shore. And my favorite sport is platform tennis, also known as paddle tennis. You’ve probably never heard of the sport, but it’s played outside in the winter on a platform surrounded by a cage. We use a ball that’s slightly heavier than a tennis ball, sort of a cross between tennis ball and lacrosse ball. It’s a doubles sport, and the ball is played off the cage (or “off of the wires” as we call it), so it’s very aerobic. And finally, you can play in all weather conditions, so when we’re out there at night with the lights on and the snow coming down, there's just nothing like it. What drew you to Slalom? I spent a couple of decades working for a large multinational organization, and as my career and responsibility advanced, my span of control increased. I found that my clients and my teams were spread out across the country and the globe, and it became increasingly hard to add value to client engagements and to my team because we were together so rarely. When Slalom contacted me, I was immediately interested in the local model and the ability to work with clients in person. I was also really impressed with the interview process. Slalom and I courted for a few years until the time was right for me to join. In that time, I got to know Amy Loftus fairly well, and, in fact, we competed against each other for business. I remember seeing her walking out of orals as I was walking in. During the early days of my courting, we stayed in touch every so often, and by the time I joined, I really felt like I knew the company and the people. What is your favorite Slalom core value, and why that one in particular? For sure, it's do what is right, always. I feel like the most important thing in business and in life is trust. If you do what’s right, then trust will naturally follow. What has kept you with Slalom? Slalom has provided me a great opportunity to use muscles that I have never had to use before. I have the support of a global company in terms of back office and technologies that allow me to be creative, build and run a business at a local level, and make local decisions. I’m empowered to do what's right for my community, team, and clients. Tell us about a time that you took a risk. What was the outcome? Midway through my career, I was given an opportunity to completely change my trajectory. I’d spent the first 10 years or so in sales, and I was asked if I would explore an opportunity to lead an infrastructure services business. In terms of the language and the client set, this business was foreign to me, but I was asked by someone I trusted. So, I interviewed and was offered the job. It was a great learning experience to understand that I could take on a role for which I had a foundation but very little specific background and learn it and be successful. To me, grit is about people who will roll up their sleeves and get to work. I like to see someone go outside of what is being asked of them to build the business and behave like an owner. Would you be willing to share about a mistake you made in your career and what you learned from that? There's probably a lot to choose from here, but one stands out, and it was fairly early in my career. I was in sales and working with a large police department. Together, we outfitted the entire police department with the first laptops ever to be mounted into police cars. Over 200 laptops were installed, and we found out very quickly that laptops were made for office environments, not for police cars going 80 miles an hour up on curbs and racing through narrow city streets. After a couple of months of many, many repairs, and a lot of time wasted by everyone having to return cars to have laptops replaced and fixed, I took all of the laptops back. It was really difficult to work through that experience, because I felt like I let my client and company down. But the relationship I built with the Deputy Police Commissioner through being in the trenches together and doing what was right lasted well beyond his retirement from the police department and my move to new roles and ultimately to a new company. We’re still in touch to this day. So, what I learned is that unexpectedly good things can come from challenging experiences. For anyone that is looking to join Slalom in the Philadelphia area, what are you looking for in a new hire? That’s a tough question because we have so many different roles that we hire for, but the common denominator is culture. A positive “can do” attitude is important as well. Yes, we have ups and downs in our working environment, so the ability to look past the immediate challenges or discomforts into the future and stay focused is definitely something that I look for. One of the things I love about Philadelphia is our “grit,” and I think that aligns nicely with what we’re looking for at Slalom. Philadelphia even has a mascot named Gritty, and our local office has named an award after him! To me, grit is about people who will roll up their sleeves and get to work. I like to see someone go outside of what is being asked of them to build the business and behave like an owner. That entrepreneurial spirit and “grit” are a few of the common denominators across all of our roles—and they’re qualities that we deeply value here in Philly. How long have you lived in Philly and what do you love about this city outside of the “grit?” I’ve lived in Philadelphia most of my life. I was born and raised in the suburb of Villanova. I went to Penn State University, a long way from Philly, but still in Pennsylvania. Then I traveled for about 10 years, lived overseas, lived in upstate New York and Oklahoma. Ultimately, when I was ready to start a family, I made my way back to the Philly region, where my parents were living. What I love about it is that we’re a passionate city committed to our food scene and sports teams. I’m a big sports fan—whether it’s the Eagles or the Phillies or Penn State football—so this is home. Which books or thought leaders have influenced you the most? Most recently, a book by Indra Nooyi called My Life in Full. I found it really encouraging and inspirational. It was also beautifully written. You could picture yourself sitting in her grandfather’s living area in India, where she was born. And you hear and understand the journey she went through from the influence her parents had on her education and the confidence they showed in her. Even though it was years before my time, I found common experiences in the challenges of trying to juggle being in the workforce, raising children, caring for elderly parents, and having two working spouses. What’s more, Nooyi went through all of her experiences enroute to becoming a CEO. I found her journey relatable and her passion for improving the future so that women can stay in the workforce truly inspirational. --- title: Q&A with Hugh Forque: General Manager, Houston url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/hugh-forque source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/hugh-forque locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Hugh Forque: General Manager, Houston - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/hugh-forque - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/hugh-forque - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Hugh Forque: General Manager, Houston Headshot of Hugh Forque Our Houston leader dishes on his new hobby, the recipe for a thriving company culture, and what makes Houston so unique. What attracted you to Slalom? After spending 20+ years working in the consulting industry, Slalom felt different to me. From my first conversations, I could sense the level of commitment the team felt for each other and their clients. The ability to live, work, play, and serve in the same community while still having access to Slalom’s global capabilities was a game changer. Slalom offered a unique opportunity to help solve some of our client’s biggest problems while sleeping in my own bed at night. What makes the Houston business community unique? For one, I’m not aware of any other city where one industry plays such a dominant role in the community. With that concentration, the business community in Houston can feel smaller than it is, and reputation is critical. Therefore, we must be very deliberate about how we treat our people and how we deliver for our clients. Those that don’t follow through on their commitments will struggle to find their footing in this town. What have you been hearing from clients lately? Any overarching themes or trends? In all my years of serving customers in Houston, I can tell you that we’re in a time unlike any other. Our clients are being asked to optimize their core business while addressing the next generation of opportunities. It’s a tough balancing act. Those that strike the right formula of “now vs. next” will win the day. From a trend standpoint, generative AI is making its way into most conversations these days. It’s incredibly exciting to see some of the early work we’re doing with our clients. During a recent customer event, one of our experts revealed that generative AI will be more impactful than any other technology in our lifetime. While exciting, we must explore impactful and responsible ways to unleash this new evolution in technology. As you think about the next five years in Houston, what are your goals? What are you most excited about? With an energy super-cycle on the horizon and an enormous amount of new capital being infused through the world’s energy transition efforts, Houston is primed for unprecedented change and growth. Slalom Houston will invest in solutions, talent, and partnerships to support us through this exciting chapter. Our team is excited for the challenge and opportunity to play a material part in helping Houston thrive in the new world. We’re seeing significant growth locally in our partnerships with our clients in various industries. Houston is more diverse than most realize and the opportunity to serve a variety of sectors is appealing to our team—and we’re excited to see these partnerships grow. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Control what you can control and don’t give the other stuff too much of your energy. What’s your favorite Slalom core value and why? Do what is right, always. If we stay true to that value, we can assure bright futures for our people, our customers, and our community. I’m also very fond of Stay humble and curious. Its value translates well in any business or organization. What makes a company culture thrive? People must feel safe and included for any company culture to thrive. Those cultures that find a way to create meaningful opportunities for its people will be the most successful—and you better let them have fun doing it! How do you recharge outside of work? I enjoy a good meal with my family, take a beach or mountain vacation, and play golf. I recently started practicing yoga, which has been quite humbling! --- title: Q&A with Isla Bragg: General Manager, Salt Lake City url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/isla-bragg source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/isla-bragg locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Isla Bragg: General Manager, Salt Lake City - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/isla-bragg - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/isla-bragg - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Isla Bragg: General Manager, Salt Lake City Slalom General Manager Isla Bragg We talked to Isla Bragg about her vision for the Salt Lake City market, what she loves most about leading, and the importance of having a dynamic view of yourself. What makes Salt Lake City a great fit for Slalom? When I think about where Salt Lake City is in its journey and what Slalom can do to help accelerate growth, I can't think of a better match. Salt Lake is rapidly growing in terms of business and population. People call the tech sector the “Silicon Slopes” because it’s an evolving rival to Silicon Valley and other hubs like Austin and Denver. With the tech talent and range of industries that are looking to modernize and transform themselves here, it’s a great fit for our suite of services. Add to that the impact of the pandemic creating this huge spike of in-migration of top talent from California and other high-cost, high-density cities, and this is an exciting time for us to invest in creating a business in a place that people are looking to thrive. There’s also a cultural element to Salt Lake that I think is a great fit for Slalom’s values and purpose-driven culture. Utah has a tightly woven business community that cares deeply about the larger society and the environment. As a city trying to keep up with its own growth, the community challenges here are significant—everything from extensive air pollution to crime, homelessness, education inequality, and the need to bring more diversity into business. We have a huge opportunity to partner with organizations to take action and make a positive impact on this city and state. What’s your vision for our Salt Lake City market over the next few years? My vision for Salt Lake, and Utah as a whole, is that it truly integrates the power of its business potential with its unique and special community. To achieve this, Utah will need a partner that changes the game of consulting—what consulting means and the impact it can create. Our Slalom Salt Lake City team wants to not only deliver solutions for our clients, we want to help them grow their internal capabilities and set them up for success in the future. We care so much about our clients and doing great work, and that jives really well with this tightly knit community. From a people perspective—I get really jazzed about this—I want to create a great place to work and live as a consulting employer. Consultants here have felt like they've had to choose between growing their careers or living in Salt Lake, and I don’t want them to have to choose. I want our local model to provide a great career path for really smart consulting professionals who love this city, the outdoors, and everything it has to offer. Find mentors—and not just ones that look or sound like you . . . If you’re always looking for people who are a reflection of you, you’re going to hold yourself back. You’ve been at Slalom for nine years and you’ve worked your way up from consultant to general manager. What advice would you give to early career consultants who aspire to have a career like yours? Have a dynamic, rather than static, view of yourself. When I joined Slalom, I was a good consultant, and I was convinced that my value was being an individual contributor. I thought I never wanted to be a people leader, because I was sort of afraid of it and thought I was too task-oriented to be good at it. But my colleagues at Slalom challenged me on that, and I started opening up to the idea. Now, being a people leader is my favorite part of my job, and creating value through building amazing teams is my passion. Not having that fixed view of yourself is so important. Also, find mentors—and not just ones that look or sound like you. I’m a big believer that you can learn a lot from people who have a different skillset or gender or background than you. If you’re always looking for people who are a reflection of you, you’re going to hold yourself back. I enjoy finding mentors who are different than me but have a trait, passion, or strength I aspire to. What’s a challenging but important thing to do as a leader? Make sure you take the time to understand your people and what’s important to them. I think it can be easier, sometimes, to make assumptions or focus on the task at hand, especially when you’re under a time crunch and feel rushed. But it’s so much more important and rewarding to take the time to understand people, what’s important to them, where they want to go in their careers, and how you can help them on their path while still accomplishing the task at hand. Why has Slalom been the right fit for you? Slalom has given me the balance of having that sense of belonging and comfort while being constantly challenged. I’m at my best when I’m being stretched but also supported, so that it doesn’t feel completely overwhelming or scary. This is also a fun place to work, which I think is an underestimated attribute. I don’t take myself too seriously. I like laughing, having fun, and exploring hobbies with people I work with. It makes even the most challenging moments more manageable, you know? How do you organize your time? I’m working on this one. I hate letting people down and saying no, so I tend to find my schedule being overrun with a crazy combination of back-to-back unrelated meetings. I’m trying to learn to create blocks of time for similar concepts or tasks versus constant context-switching. I’ve also started making sure that I have time slots set aside for last-minute asks and urgent issues. It’s easy to get caught in an endless cycle of meetings, so I always try to push people to articulate what we’re trying to get out of a meeting—the outcome, not just the agenda. And then empowering people to make decisions themselves. Not everything needs to be run through multiple levels. Establishing some guardrails and empowering people to make decisions themselves with that guardrail in place can be a good way of cutting down on meetings while creating a broadened sense of ownership in our direction. I’m also trying—I have an accountability buddy on this one, but trying—to create non-negotiable periods of family time. I love reading to my kiddo every night and putting him to bed. So making sure I can carve out that timeslot as a non-negotiable has been really important. test Icon What’s a great piece of advice that you’ve received? “Curiosity and confidence!” This was written on a sticky note for me by a leader in our Denver office, and I’ve said it to myself a million times since. Have the confidence to believe that you deserve to be in the room, whether you’re with C-suites or anyone. I tend to suffer a lot from imposter syndrome. It’s so important to have confidence, while not letting that confidence become arrogance. Keep that openness, that curiosity. Make it less about you, and more about the person you’re meeting with. Having that curiosity is so freeing, because it not only absolves you of the self-obsession of worrying about yourself, it makes the conversation less intimidating and more meaningful. If you didn’t work in consulting, what would you be doing? I have no idea [laughs]. That’s why I picked consulting, because I never had to pick a lane. I love variety and constantly learning new skills with incredibly smart and passionate people. How do you recharge outside of work? My family and I are obsessed with getting outside. I love jumping on my mountain bike, skiing, doing triathlons, and anything that gets me outside and really pushes me. That sense of accomplishment when you make it down a trail you didn’t think you were technically capable of, or pushing yourself farther than you thought your fitness level would allow—I love that. I can’t sit still for five minutes. --- title: Q&A with Jane Dawson-Howe: Country Leader, Ireland url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jane-dawson-howe source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jane-dawson-howe locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jane Dawson-Howe: Country Leader, Ireland - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jane-dawson-howe - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jane-dawson-howe - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Jane Dawson-Howe: Country Leader, Ireland Our Slalom Ireland leader talks about winter sea swimming, her love for Dublin, and a vision for long-term sustainability. Jane, welcome to Slalom and welcome back to consulting! It’s been a while … what have you been up to? Thank you, it’s great to be back! I’ve been at LinkedIn for the past six years, but prior to that I was in consulting for 24 years. I’d say those consultant skills – of curiosity, focus, and impact – have stayed with me throughout. Even in an internal role, I always see myself as a consultant. Do you feel there are any strengths you’ve gained from working outside of consulting? Modern leadership skills. Heading up a large team that makes considerable impact means you need to get very deep, very quickly, into culture. How do you paint a clear picture of a vision? How can you inspire people to come with you on that journey? How do you build momentum in a sustainable way? These are easy questions to ask, but not easy to answer or put into action. That experience has been transformative to my leadership style. I personally thrive working in a culture with so much focus on people – clients, partners, and employees. So, it makes Slalom’s purpose-driven approach a natural fit for me. I believe that every person shows up to work wanting to make a difference and have an impact – and every person has it within them to do great things. Have your views changed on culture in recent years? I think culture has become even more important. I believe that every person shows up to work wanting to make a difference and have an impact – and every person has it within them to do great things. My job as a leader is to help each person reach their potential, and to do that we need to create environments in which people can thrive. An environment isn’t just a physical thing – it includes emotional and spiritual support. We have learned a lot in recent years about the importance of creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work, and the behaviours of everyone on the team contribute to this. A favourite model I use with my teams is the ‘energy audit.’ If you take a call with me at home, you’ll see it pinned to the wall behind me. It looks at all aspects of your life, how important they are to you, and how much time you’re spending on them. When we’re busy with work, we can sometimes forget to get that balance. Are you spending enough time with your friends? Are you getting enough exercise, enough sleep? Balance is key, but everyone needs a prompt sometimes, and that’s where a wonderful community of colleagues can help you. Giving that all-important nudge to remember what’s most important. Are you originally from Dublin? I grew up in County Wicklow – which is only 25 miles south of Dublin and went to school and university in Dublin. Dublin is my home and has been for a long time. It’s where my close family all live too. It's quite a small city, you can easily walk across it, and there’s plenty to do from a social and cultural perspective. And although it’s very Irish, it is becoming increasingly cosmopolitan. People are informal and friendly. We may not hustle as much as other major cities. We like to enjoy life. Striving for balance is in our DNA. Did I mention it’s only 45 minutes to the mountains and minutes to the beach? It’s idyllic, especially in good weather. Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t always rain here! Do you swim at the beach? Absolutely! All year round – but winter is only for the brave! During the pandemic, I started joining friends for a Friday morning swim. You can’t stay in long at that time of year, but it’s exhilarating and a wonderful way to start the beginning of a weekend. test Icon Dublin has been called an innovation hub of the European Union (EU). Do you see it that way? Joining the EU in 1977 has been transformative for Ireland’s society and economy. We have gone from having one of the lowest incomes per capita in the EU, to one of the highest. So that’s created a huge amount of opportunity for us. Dublin being an innovation hub? Well, there are a few reasons. It’s appealing to USA-based organisations looking to expand their footprint in the EU. We have time zone overlap and a shared language. Corporate tax rates have also been favourable in helping organisations grow fast. Revenues from industries like tech and pharma have contributed considerably to overall societal development. Your role as Country Leader for Slalom Ireland is an exciting and large role. What are your expectations of yourself? Is there anything you’d like to have achieved five years from now? To have a thriving business! Ireland is a small market on a global stage. But traditionally, Ireland punches above its weight in business, as in other areas. For me, a thriving business is one that is making meaningful impact for Irish organisations, our people, and the local community. On a societal level, we need to continue to invest in our renewable energy and sustainable futures. We’re one of the windiest islands in Europe, and there are lots of small innovations and individuals trying to evolve. However, this could do with increased impetus if we really want to accelerate this transformation, and I’d love for Slalom to play a role in this. Are you passionate about sustainability? Yes, I live in an old house, and we’re gradually introducing new energy efficiencies such as LED bulbs and a heat pump. But it’s a big job, even on a personal level. You quickly see the investment needed. I love the outdoors. I want my children and next generations to continue to enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of nature which we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. Protecting our natural environment and decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels are also subjects commonly found in public conversation here. I’m excited to be a part of shaping our future – with clients, partners, and Slalomers. Why Slalom? Slalom’s relatively new to Europe now, but its best-kept-secret status won’t last for long. I love how Slalom has taken a very modern approach to consulting. Cutting-edge engineering and fiercely human consulting are exactly what Irish-based organisations need today. Every Slalomer I’ve met is by default kind, empathetic, and friendly. This is a great match for Irish business culture. It’s rare that any business transformation doesn’t have some technology touchpoints. When we help organisations with growth innovations, technology enablement is almost always there. So that combination with consulting is perfect for helping with future growth. The opportunity to lead this business as it starts up in Ireland comes at a perfect time for me. It combines everything I love about business transformation, using technology in a smart way, and building a business. Slalom Ireland will have real impact for Irish-based organisations and our partners, and creates fantastic opportunities for our people. Do you have a mantra you live your life by? What sums up my approach to life is what Brené Brown would call ‘wholehearted living’. This is about living authentically and bringing your whole self into all situations: work, and life. It’s about being grateful, happy, and cultivating resilience. I do consider myself the luckiest person in the world. I have my health, a wonderful family, and fulfilling work I really enjoy. I live in a beautiful spot and see the sunrise over the Irish Sea most mornings. Gratitude is a watchword for me. I’m able to enjoy so much in life. I like to run; I’m inconsistent and rather slow, but I love getting out into the fresh air, and volunteering with my local Parkrun. I’m also training for a big cycling and fundraising event later this year. I’m a big fan of family traditions. One of my favourites is the annual trip I make with my Dad to Cheltenham Races in England. He is 90 now and has been going since he was 18. It’s quality time, just him and me. Time to be treasured. --- title: Q&A with Jeff Van Wie: General Manager, New Jersey url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jeff-van-wie source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jeff-van-wie locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jeff Van Wie: General Manager, New Jersey - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jeff-van-wie - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jeff-van-wie - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Jeff Van Wie: General Manager, New Jersey Slalom General Manager Jeff Van Wie Our Garden State GM talks about running track, his screenwriting career, and his passion for serving the New Jersey market. What do you love most about working at Slalom? In all my years here, I've never had the Sunday blahs. I look at my calendar to see what’s coming up and what I’m looking forward to, whether that’s a sponsorship session, a client meeting I need to prepare for, or the Monday morning meeting with my whole extended leadership team. Prior to Slalom, you had many different roles on many different teams. I started at Accenture as an application developer in the late 1980s. Then, I led teams that were designing new capabilities and eventually went down the entrepreneurial path to land large deals with clients. I was always the one that would sell it to them and then stick around to deliver it. Whatever I sold, I made sure that it would actually be successful. At Bell South, I switched from consulting to outsourcing, where I got to see how IT operated. For a short time, I ran infrastructure at Johnson Johnson. What I realized, though, is that I really love consulting. You may be the only GM with an iMDb profile. Tell us about this. When my last child was born, I decided to take a leave of absence to spend more time with my family. During that time, I wrote a film with Nicholas Sparks, who was my roommate in college, and we pitched it to Hollywood. It was made, but not right away. Then we were asked to write a film based on one of his books, so I’m the co-writer of The Last Song starring Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear. What has it meant to you to run the New Jersey office? What has it meant to your clients? In the beginning, we had a really interesting challenge to grow the New York market and team, which we did. It continued to grow and we had a lot of fun growing it. In 2019, I was asked to open the New Jersey market. It’s given me and my team the ability to spend 100% of our energy on New Jersey clients, including public sector. Those buyers are saying, “We want you to do the work because you care about what’s going to happen inside our state and how it impacts our citizens.” You’ve seen tremendous growth in your market. What has that looked like from the inside? We opened Slalom’s New Jersey office in January 2020. We have since more than doubled the number of employees in our market and continue to grow at an exciting rate. This growth has allowed us to focus on additional types of work and a targeted client base, so we can have an even greater impact on organizations across our state. Once I have a thorough understanding that a recruit can do the job, I love to ask what they’re curious about right now that’s unrelated to work. I want to know whether they keep challenging themselves. What do you look for in a new hire? I look for curiosity and flexibility. Once I have a thorough understanding that a recruit can do the job, I love to ask what they’re curious about right now that’s unrelated to work. I want to know whether they keep challenging themselves. Consultants often ask me what the key to their success at Slalom is. I tell them to be flexible with their assignments. Throughout my career, I never turned an assignment down. I feel like I learned something awesome from each one and I believe our consultants will, too. How can Slalom better recruit and retain a more diverse workforce? In New Jersey, we’ve made a commitment to become the most diverse office in all of Slalom. For every role, we want to make sure we’re representing more broadly the demographics of the state of New Jersey. In some of those demographics, we are misaligned, so we’ve put big goals out there in terms of diversity of candidates. Our recruiters have been doing a great job at this. The other area where we’re trying to make progress as quickly as possible is gender diversity at the leadership level. I have a sponsorship and mentorship program in place that's designed to elevate women and help us reach gender parity in leadership. What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from your mentors? It started with my high school coaches. I was very competitive in track and wound up going to Notre Dame on a track scholarship. My coaches were intense and treated it more like a job, so from them I learned the value of overpreparation. There’s a strategy to running—when to push yourself, when to make a move, and how to assess your competition so you can try to anticipate what might happen. That’s something I’ve carried with me in the business world. I’ve always tried to impress upon my teams that we’re going to prepare, prepare, and then overprepare. I’ve seen that really come together with a lot of my teams as we get opportunities we never thought we had a chance at winning. This can be a very competitive environment, and along the way, mentors would remind me to worry only about what I can control. They also taught me to lead from the front. To me, that really comes into play when your team is facing a heavy-duty challenge. You’ve got to handle stress well and model what you want your teams to do. What does your perfect weekend look like? Well, we’re very fortunate to have a place at the beach, so my perfect weekend always starts by driving down there on a Friday night. I love the rhythmic, calming nature of the ocean. I grew up going to the Jersey Shore quite a bit when I was a kid, so I have so many good memories of that. My favorite vacation is always at the beach. Then it’s plenty of time with my family, in particular my wife. She and I are best friends, so a lot of the quality time I spend is with her, sharing ideas and talking about plans. We have a funny thing between the two of us. When our kids were little, and we were dealing with messes and the headaches of parenting, we would look at each other and say, “I wouldn’t want to go through this with anybody but you.” And that was our way to make it lighter when it was heavy. Best concert ever? Genesis And Then There Were Three. It was 1978, and I remember riding on the back of my brother’s motorcycle over George Washington Bridge. He's 10 years older than me and we saw them at Madison Square Garden. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Jila Javdani: General Manager, Seattle url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jila-javdani source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jila-javdani locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jila Javdani: General Manager, Seattle - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jila-javdani - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jila-javdani - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Jila Javdani: General Manager, Seattle Our Seattle GM reflects on mentorship, customer love, and the baseball autograph that got away. You’ve been a Seattle GM for five years, and you’ve worked at Slalom almost 15 years. What’s your favorite part of your job and why? All of the things that are important to me in work—finding purpose, building a business, helping people, helping organizations, helping the community—they’re present in this job. I love working with each person in Seattle and helping them achieve their career ambitions while fulfilling their personal and community aspirations. I love interacting with our clients and helping them shine. I love the ability to have an impact on our community. You mentioned helping the community. Is there a project that comes to mind that you’re particularly proud of? One that comes to mind is what we’re doing with [Springboard8](https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/springboard8-mentorship-program-black-men-seattle-colleges-expanding/281-9b43542b-d834-48e8-9839-34d4253e8a27). Springboard8 is Slalom’s partnership with Seattle Central College where we provide cohort-style mentoring and peer collaboration for Black male students. We worked with Seattle Central to determine where its highest attrition was and then developed a program to support those students. We have a team of really passionate Slalom volunteers who mentor the students and help them navigate whatever obstacles they’re facing to keep them going in their education. The program also opens up possibilities for the students in terms of training and social capital. I love seeing the impact this program has had in the community. You founded the Slalom Women’s Leadership Network, which also emphasizes mentoring. Why do you think mentoring is important? Being a mentor means helping people through their challenges, but it also means painting a picture of what’s possible. Mentors see people’s strengths, help challenge them in the right ways, and also help them achieve their personal aspirations. It would be really tough to go at this world alone. Being able to lean on those around you, who understand you and believe in you, is really important. Have you had any great mentors in your life? I have. I use this concept called the personal board of directors. My personal board ranges from friends to colleagues to mentors to family members. Whenever I’m wrestling with a tough decision, I’ll reach out to my personal board—maybe all of them, maybe some of them—for their counsel. Each person on this board really pushes me, inspires me, challenges me in their own unique way, and I think together as a whole they have a really positive influence on me. You are a big champion of customer love at Slalom. How do we approach that? One of the things that makes us special is the relationships we build with our clients. We truly care about them as professionals and humans. Customer love is all about going beyond the amazing delivery work we do and doing the big and small things that tell our clients we’re there for them. It’s showing that we are invested in them and in their success. The work we do for our clients to make them successful in turn makes us successful, not the other way around. This mindset is a core part of who we are and why our clients continue to come back to us. You lead Slalom’s largest market, and it’s one that has grown rapidly. What are you most proud of in your work to grow Slalom Seattle? It takes all of us to make what’s happening in the market happen. It’s not one thing that I’ve done. Within the Seattle market, there’s a culture that exists where we work together to make things happen: from a really challenging project where we need to team together and support each other and our clients, to incubating new capabilities, to challenging the status quo, to giving back to our communities, to helping one of our team members who may be having an off day. One of the things I’m really proud of—and I can’t claim credit for it—is how we truly come together. We support each other. When you do that, when you have the right team and you have the right culture, I don’t think there’s a limit to what you can achieve. test Icon What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? When you’re looking at what you want to do from a new role or title perspective, it’s easy to dismiss positions where the current occupant may not think, act, or look like you. But instead of discarding those roles as possibilities, take time to picture yourself in that role and what you would make it. Don’t compare yourself to who is there now. Because when you go into that role, you’re going to apply your own strengths. I think sometimes people limit themselves because they say, “Well, so-and-so does it like this. That’s not me.” But that’s not the role itself. Make it your own. I want my children to have an awareness of their opportunities but also the responsibility to help others whose opportunity may not be the same. You spoke at a TEDxSeattle event earlier this year about inclusion, diversity, and moving race conversations forward. What does it take to have these conversations? How is Slalom doing that? I don’t have all the answers, but the way I approach it is, first, normalizing the conversation. It can’t be a special event where we’re discussing ID E. It needs to be part of the day to day. The more we normalize the conversations, the more depth we can have in our discussions and the more layers we are able to uncover. Secondly, all of us need to seek to understand and challenge our existing beliefs. As with anything, it’s difficult to move forward if we’re closed off to learning and understanding. We can leverage each other and the tools we have within Slalom to do that. Also, as leaders, we need to be open to feedback and be willing to engage in tough situations. I think we all have good intent, but we may not be completely aware. We’ve come a long way at Slalom in a short period of time, and we still have room to grow. Within Seattle, we have a Race and Equality Action Committee that is working very hard across multiple different dimensions. We’re looking to reflect our marketplace in terms of our diversity at all levels of the organization. And, we are, of course, continuing the conversation. Is there an experience that has shaped your perspective on diversity? I’ve always been passionate about diversity, inclusion, and authenticity. My father is the son of an Iranian civil servant and homemaker, and my mother is the daughter of a US Marine and a registered nurse. They met at Berkeley in the ’60s and then moved back to Tehran, where my sister and I were born. Then, right near the fall of the Shah in 1979, we fled Iran and moved back here. I saw the impact on my dad: his struggle to be authentic to who he was as the news and day-to-day conversations were painting the entire Iranian people in a negative way. He is a very peaceful man who was proud of his heritage and centuries of Iranian cultural leadership, but he was in a situation where it was unpopular or dangerous to show it. I believe that a drive towards authenticity, inclusion, and truly understanding everybody’s background brings a richness to what we do and to who we collectively are, rather than the opposite. It’s our job as leaders to cultivate environments that enable people to show up authentically. When we achieve that, the result is really powerful. How do you pass those values on to your own children? I have four kids, ages 20, 18, 12, and 10. In addition to teaching them kindness, understanding, and being authentic to themselves, I think it’s important to expose them to other countries, cultures, and ways of doing things. One of the ways we do this is taking an international trip once a year. When my kids turn 15, they can pick a place in the world, and we’ll go as a family. My eldest picked Peru, and we went and experienced Peruvian culture. We saw things that I don’t think my kids—who live a pretty comfortable life—would have ever had the opportunity to see otherwise, and then we talked about it. We talked about how that three-year-old working in the salt mine is only different from my kids because of who they were born to. That child could have easily been any of us. I want them to have an awareness of their opportunities but also the responsibility to help others whose opportunity may not be the same. We talk about that a lot. What’s something about you that would surprise us? I have always been a big baseball fan, and when I was younger I wanted to grow up to be a baseball player. By chance, when I was 11 or 12, I met Willie Mays in the San Francisco airport. We were waiting at a gate for my dad to land from a business trip. I walked up to him and said, “You’re Willie Mays!” I didn’t have anything for him to sign except the Jane Eyre book I was reading for school. So he signed my Jane Eyre book. And then I turned it back in to the school when the class was done reading it because I didn’t have the money to pay for the book. Wow. That’s a story. There’s still some Jane Eyre book with Willie Mays’s signature in it out there somewhere. I should have just paid the $3.75. --- title: Q&A with Jim Goldschlager: General Manager, Hartford url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-goldschlager source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-goldschlager locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jim Goldschlager: General Manager, Hartford - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-goldschlager - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-goldschlager - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Jim Goldschlager: General Manager, Hartford We talked to Slalom Hartford's general manager, Jim Goldschlager, about collaborating across markets, bringing back work to the US, and the value of blowing off steam with coworkers at the end of a long day. Slalom’s expansion across the US, and now abroad, has been really exciting. Why was Hartford such a great fit for Slalom? Hartford, which originally was on no expansion plan whatsoever, really emerged as a great fit for two reasons. One, there is an amazing amount of work in this area for some very large companies. Two, Hartford is basically halfway between New York and Boston, and we have an opportunity to collaborate with both those markets to accelerate growth for all three of us. It’s just such a tremendous opportunity for us to work together in how we approach the Northeast. You spent several years working at Slalom’s Seattle office before heading to Hartford. What made the Slalom Hartford opportunity exciting for you? You know, I’m originally from Connecticut. I’ve lived and worked here several times. I was a client of Slalom before joining Slalom in Seattle, and joining Slalom was like a dream fulfilled for me. It was everything I believed consulting can and should be, and gave me every bit of reward that I missed from being a consultant. The opportunity to bring that back to Hartford, a market that I knew could really appreciate it, felt like something I had to do. I knew we could do incredible work while creating great opportunities for people. And the idea of that was really exciting to me. What are some of the key business trends that you’re seeing in your market right now and in the year ahead? This is a market that’s full of large and established insurance companies, healthcare providers, and manufacturing companies who’ve had incredible cost pressures on them over the last several decades. To address this, many have embraced the outsourcing trend to reduce resource costs and do more with less whenever possible. I think what they’re finding is perhaps that outsourcing pendulum was swung a little bit too far, and that doesn’t allow them to see growth opportunities, innovate, and sometimes even deliver as well as they’d like. An emerging trend we’re seeing is some of that work returning from offshore back to the companies, as well as other kinds of providers who can deliver in more agile ways. I believe there’s a realization that real value doesn’t lie in the unit cost of a service being delivered, but in the time, the quality, and the overall cost of whatever a company is trying to accomplish. And I think Slalom is in a unique position to help with that. Your office was recently honored by the Hartford Courant as a top workplace in the small business category—congratulations! What do you think makes Slalom Hartford a great place to work? I’m humbled by the entire thing. I think everything begins and ends with our purpose and our core values. Our core values aren’t just words on a page. Everyone feels it and it encourages all of us to make this the top work place to be. It’s not any one thing we do. It’s creating an environment where people can come back from a challenging day at a client site where they’re fighting the good fights, but want to blow off some steam and spend time with their Slalom peers to get support and have some fun. It’s so true that enjoying the people you work with and wanting to actually spend time with them makes your work environment so much better. It really, really does. I mean, it’s a family. If anybody says, ‘Outside of work, who do you want to spend time with?’ I want to spend time with the people I work with every day. What do you think makes a great consultant, and what are you looking for in terms of recruiting? We do something at Hartford probably a little bit different than our other markets. We hire more people with both a consulting and industry background, and we’re very successful at it. For me, what makes a great consultant is the ability to exhibit what we consider core consulting competencies. You have to have those competencies and passion for being thrown into the deep end and figuring something out. The other thing that is equally as important is alignment to our core values. When we find competency alignment and core value alignment, we’re really confident that we can develop the rest. And so far, we’ve had tremendous success doing that. What would you do if you weren’t in consulting? You know, I think when I wasn’t in consulting, I may have had answers for that. Now I don’t because I have my dream job. This is exactly what I want to do; it’s the last thing I want to do. I love it every day. That’s inspiring. What’s been the highlight of your year at Slalom? We’ve had more growth than I expected. I think we had to earn (our clients’) trust by getting in the trenches and fighting some of their most challenging, difficult fights side by side to earn the right to be asked to do more strategic things for them, and that’s happening. It would be easy to say the top workplace award, but honestly, it probably comes down to little things. Like when, at the end of the day, consultants come back to the office, we’re at happy hour, and they’re just excited about what they’re doing together to achieve something—and I don’t care what it is. The excitement on their faces makes me happy, day in and day out. --- title: Q&A with Jim Sikora: General Manager, San Diego url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-sikora source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-sikora locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jim Sikora: General Manager, San Diego - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-sikora - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jim-sikora - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Jim Sikora: General Manager, San Diego Jim Sikora opens up about building an award-winning team at Slalom Phoenix, his love of desert dunes, and his vision for Slalom San Diego. How did you end up in consulting? My first job right out of college was with Arthur Andersen. I had no idea what I was going to do when I grew up. I thought this type of a role would give me exposure to a number of different industries and different companies. I thought it would help shape what I wanted to do for a long-term career. So, going into it, I had no idea that I would make consulting a career, but I did. I never left Arthur Andersen, which became Andersen Consulting, then Accenture. I stayed more than 20 years. You have fond memories of those days, right? Very much so. Andersen Consulting in Phoenix in the early 90s was very similar to how Slalom is today. We ran our own P L, so we could make localized decisions on what was right for the employees in our market and what clients we wanted to market to. We were able to decide how we were going to market. We were also very involved in the local community. Following on the legacy of a lot of the accounting firms, we were always seen as leaders in the community. Essentially, if there was a community problem or Phoenix wanted to attract a new company, they would call us. We became part of the fabric of the community, and it felt cool. And then, in the mid-90s, Andersen Consulting flipped financials. They moved them out of the local markets and into industry groups. How did that impact you? For Phoenix, it wasn’t great because we didn’t have a ton of Fortune 500 companies headquartered there. So, everybody started traveling. We'd been so used to working in our own market, but now everybody got on a plane. I was in financial services, and there’s not a lot of that in Phoenix. So, I had to get on a plane and go to San Francisco and work with clients there. What you find is that when you’re on the road all the time, you become disconnected from your community. When you come back to town, you just want to reconnect with your family. The last thing you want is to figure out how to do mentoring or plan a community event. So, it all changed. We became very disconnected, and we weren’t doing great things in the community anymore. I left Accenture in 2006. I was burned out from all the travel. I started up an independent consulting company focused on IT governance. We helped with large transformations—big, multi-year projects—making sure the right level of governance was in place to ensure that those projects could be successful. I was quasi-retired at that point, working maybe 30 hours a month at the most, on my own schedule. I was very much in control of my own destiny. How did you get connected to Slalom? Slalom wanted to open an office in Phoenix and invited me to interview as general manager. My initial answer was “no.” I was really enjoying the lifestyle that I had created, but I offered to introduce Slalom to people that I thought would be really good candidates. I created warm introductions to seven or eight people. As we were going through that process, I met more and more of Slalom’s leaders, and I started to see that this was a very different type of consulting company. I began to understand how invested Slalom is in each of its communities, and it brought me back to the days that I felt very fond of, back with Andersen Consulting when we made such a difference in the community. My personal reflection was that my ability to have an impact in the community of Phoenix, as a person of one, a company of one, was somewhat limited. But my ability to make an impact on the community with backing of a company like Slalom was pretty tremendous. And that was my tipping point. I threw my hat in the ring and took the job. And it has been, by far, the best thing that I’ve ever done from a career perspective. It was so much fun to build a market, build the culture in Phoenix, build a company in a way that I feel is representative of the people in that particular community. What did you learn in your five years leading Slalom Phoenix—and how have you carried that into your current role as general manager of Slalom San Diego? The first thing I would say is, find good people and leverage their passion. If you create an environment where consultants feel like they're empowered to define what the company looks like in the future, you’ll be shocked and amazed at how engaged they want to be. We were tremendously proud in Phoenix to continually lead Slalom’s Employee Satisfaction (SES) survey results across the company. And for three out of the four years, we also led all Slalom offices in terms of client satisfaction. We created a tremendous product, if you will. Not only for our employees, but for our clients who loved what we were doing there. And I think there’s a unique opportunity to do something very similar in San Diego. For me, the crowning achievement when I left Phoenix was that we were the number one in Best Places to Work across the entire valley. I love the people that we have in San Diego. I can see us, in the very near future, winning a similar award in San Diego. Empowering our consultants to define who we are and how we’re going to represent ourselves and market—it’s a powerful engine that that no other company’s going to be able to compete with. If you create an environment where consultants feel like they're empowered to define what the company looks like in the future, you’ll be shocked and amazed at how engaged they want to be. What are you seeing in the San Diego business community? In a lot of ways, San Diego is similar to Phoenix. There aren’t a lot of Fortune 500 companies headquartered here. So, while it’s important to partner with those large companies because of their influence and ability to help shape the market, there’s a tremendous opportunity with middle market and start-up companies. There’s also a large life sciences industry in San Diego, so we’re definitely going to be focusing on that and bringing not just solutions, but industry-leading thinking to our clients here. We’ve got some very deep skills in that space. The defense sector is also really big, so we’re focused on partnering with these companies to help them continue to grow and make them better partners in the community, as well. What do you like to do when you’re not working? Drink wine. Being new to San Diego, I’m a little bit out of school because San Diego is the king of the craft brewing industry, and I’ve never really gotten into all of the craft beers. I’ve always been a wine person, but some of these craft breweries are amazing. I’m also a bit of a foodie, and the restaurants here are just spectacular. I’m still a little bit of a desert rat. We have sand toys, and we go out to the dunes, in season, quite a bit. From Phoenix, it’s about a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Glamis, one of the big dune areas, right on the California/Arizona border. Living in San Diego cuts about an hour off that drive. So, I’m excited to make trips out to the dunes. It’s usually a big family event for us, with family coming from all over California and Arizona to connect out in the dunes on the weekend. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten? I’m a huge baseball fan, and there are a lot of great analogies about success in baseball. One that I always seem to remember is from Babe Ruth. When he would strikeout and people would ask if he was disappointed, his answer was, “Of course not! That strikeout means I’m one at-bat closer to my next home run.” As we grow our market, we recognize that there are going to be a lot of ups and downs. We obviously want more ups than downs, but I have confidence that every setback brings us to our next big win. test Icon --- title: Q&A with John Tobin: Executive President, EMEA & APAC url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/john-tobin source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/john-tobin locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with John Tobin: Executive President, EMEA & APAC - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/john-tobin - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/john-tobin - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with John Tobin: Executive President, EMEA & APAC Q&A with John Tobin: Cofounder and Executive President John Tobin Slalom consulting Summary of work style My leadership style is to be a collaborative servant-leader. I believe in open, direct communication, and setting up effective teams who are empowered to drive our business. I strive to lead by example, and believe that one of the main functions of leadership is to establish general direction and strategy, but that the most important role is to set up your team to succeed. What makes Slalom great? At Slalom, we live our core values and celebrate our culture every day. This is really what makes us unique and has fueled the growth and success we’ve had. The personal relationships we strive to cultivate among our small teams have allowed us to grow our business while staying true to our core values. I love our local model, backed by a set of national teams and capabilities. We’ve created something unique in the consulting world: an ability to be intimate with our clients, consultants, and communities while still providing leading-edge offerings. Experience I worked as a programmer at the Board of Trade, and then moved on to consulting for several banks in Chicago. Later, I moved to Seattle and joined Ernst Young’s management consulting practice. After consulting for a number of years, I moved over to my client’s company, AT T Wireless, where I served as Director of Architecture and Shared Services. I had a short stint at a startup called Sanrise, which inspired me to start Slalom in 2001. Slalom allowed me an opportunity to take my experiences as a consultant and a buyer of consulting to start a new breed of consulting in what I felt was a missing element to the traditional larger consulting models. The idea was simple, hire world-class consultants to do both management and technology consulting in the city they lived in and build teams that celebrated a more fun, open and intimate culture. We service our clients in a very nimble and flexible way, demonstrating our number one core value: we do the right thing, always. Education I earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University. Hobbies and Charities Golf, coaching and playing soccer, Tour de Cure, Community for Youth, UW project management and UW mentorship programs --- title: Q&A with Jose (Chema) Rancano: General Manager, Slalom Mexico url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jose-chema-rancano source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jose-chema-rancano locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Jose (Chema) Rancano: General Manager, Slalom Mexico - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jose-chema-rancano - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/jose-chema-rancano - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Summary We talked to our Slalom Mexico country leader about his journey to Slalom, his deep love for Guadalajara, and how his diverse experiences shape his approach to building a dynamic team and culture. ## Body Q&A with Jose (Chema) Rancano: General Manager, Slalom Mexico Jose (Chema) Rancano | Slalom We talked to our Slalom Mexico country leader about his journey to Slalom, his deep love for Guadalajara, and how his diverse experiences shape his approach to building a dynamic team and culture. How long have you lived in Guadalajara? What do you love about it? I moved to Guadalajara in 2015, after leaving McKinsey, to take over as CEO for our family company. I led the company for four years, with a focus on formalizing operations and elevating professionalism, which included completing an acquisition to extend the product portfolio. After that, I joined Accenture, but never left Guadalajara, as moving wasn't ideal for my kids at their social development stage. I’ve lived in 13 cities across seven countries, which has given me a diverse perspective and experience. What I love about Guadalajara is the fabulous weather and its proximity to places like Puerto Vallarta and Lake Chapala only 30 minutes away. It’s a splendid place to live for someone who enjoys sailing, offering both a lake nearby and the beach just a short trip away. The city also offers a wide array of things to do, including culture and sports, making it a place I haven’t wanted to leave. Visibility for all is something that I truly want to achieve. It’s about ensuring that we don't have different quality standards from location to location and that there’s a clear pathway to growth for people. How did you get into consulting? I'm a chemical engineer by schooling. My interest in consulting stemmed from my fascination with business transformation and the complexity of large companies. I enjoyed thinking about change holistically and realized consulting would give me space to learn about these things. Initially, I thought I’d do consulting for a couple of years and then move on, but I found it so fun and engaging that I stayed for much longer. If you hadn’t gotten into consulting, what other career might you have chosen? I would have pursued one of two paths. I might have gone into politics, specifically on the macroeconomic side, and worked with institutions like Banco de Mexico. I’ve always been fascinated by macroeconomics to the point where I read economic essays for fun. Alternatively, I would have focused more seriously on running my own businesses. I regularly tinker with new business ideas and currently run a couple of businesses for fun, including a chartering service and a non-profit sailing school. These ventures not only satisfy my entrepreneurial spirit but also allow me to share my passions and give back to the community. What attracted you to Slalom? I was drawn to Slalom by the culture and the people. The more I got to know about how Slalom thinks about people, culture, and clients, the more it resonated with me. I believe what Slalom is building today will be incredibly relevant for the company’s future growth, and I wanted to be part of something truly relevant. As you build our Slalom Mexico team, what is most important to the team’s culture? Visibility for all is something that I truly want to achieve. It’s about ensuring that we don't have different quality standards from location to location and that there’s a clear pathway to growth for people. This approach is different from other companies that might see nearshoring as just a cost-saving measure. We aim to build a business in Mexico and Latin America that upholds the Slalom brand equity, making it sustainable and relevant. What do you look for in a new hire? I look for people who are hungry. They should aspire to be more than just part of a resource pool; they should seek additional opportunities for themselves and the company. I value attitude, mindset, and the ability to learn over immediate skills. Being eager to join the “modernity bandwagon” is crucial. What makes Mexico’s talent unique? Mexico’s talent is unique due to a combination of tenacity, innovation, and a strong work ethic deeply embedded in our culture. We have a middle class that is vigorously striving to improve themselves, aiming to achieve a quality of life they can see across the border but want to develop locally. This drive for self-improvement is a significant part of what makes our talent stand out. Additionally, there's a certain “picardia” or cleverness in Mexicans, a tendency to think differently, which translates into unique solutions and business models. Work in Mexico is not just a job; it's a part of who we are, which means we bring our full selves and our cultural strengths to what we do. Chema shares a tender moment with his wife Eva, who he calls “the best woman in the world.” What do you like to do when you’re not working? How do you recharge? When I'm not working, I engage in a variety of activities that help me recharge and enjoy my time. I play tennis and run, as exercising daily is crucial for me to avoid feeling cranky. Sailing is particularly close to my heart; it’s an activity where I can enjoy isolation and the tranquility of being on the water. I also run a non-profit sailing school on weekends, which is a passion project that allows me to share my love for sailing with others, especially kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to learn. This project has even led to some of our students participating in the Olympics, which is incredibly rewarding. What’s something about you that might be surprising? I might seem like an incredible extrovert to many, enjoying social interactions, but contrary to what you might expect, these interactions actually drain me a bit. I cherish moments of isolation, especially when sailing, as it allows me to be with myself or my family in silence. If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice at the beginning of your career, what would you say? I would advise myself to switch jobs more often. The ability to retrain yourself is a muscle, and it’s hard to exercise that muscle when you’re rolling in the same barrel for too long. I stayed with the same company for 18 years and was terrified when I left. Pushing yourself to learn totally different things every so often is very healthy. It allows you to meet more people and exercise that self-renewal muscle that is so necessary. Is there anything else about you that we all should know? My family is very important to me. They are my priority, ranking at the top of my list from one to nine, with everything else starting at ten. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be married to the best woman in the world, Eva, and be a father to my two kids, Sebastian and Nicolas, my greatest treasure. --- title: Q&A with Karl Mehu: General Manager, Los Angeles url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/karl-mehu source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/karl-mehu locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Karl Mehu: General Manager, Los Angeles - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/karl-mehu - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/karl-mehu - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Karl Mehu: General Manager, Los Angeles Slalom General Manager Karl Mehu We talked to the new GM of Slalom’s LA office about how being a two-time immigrant and US Army veteran has influenced his leadership style—and what’s next for Slalom LA. You’ve got an inspiring personal history. Can you share some of that with us? Like a lot of folks, I’m an immigrant. I was born in Haiti in the late 1960s to two wonderful parents who were well respected in their community. They were educators and also political activists, fighting the dictatorship of the Duvalier regime. They wanted to create a better, more democratic country and that unfortunately brought a lot of attention from the secret police. The Ton-Ton Macoute—that’s the Creole name—were known to operate in the evening and people would just disappear. My mother took on the secret police to save my dad’s life. She was able to use her family history—her lineage goes back to the thirteenth president of Haiti—and her uncle’s power and influence to have my dad released from prison. Wow, that’s incredible. What happened next? For their own safety, my parents emigrated to Zaire [now the Democratic Republic of Congo], which was a newly independent country in Central Africa. My dad taught physics and mathematics at the University of Kinshasa. My mom taught preschool. Unfortunately, like many new countries, Zaire began to deal with inflation and serious political unrest. When I was 14, my parents took another leap of faith and moved to the US. Their university degrees didn’t have the same kind of value here, so my dad did what he had to do to feed a family of five. He drove a cab and went to school at night. My mom worked in factories. During the weekend they both took odd jobs and cleaned hotels just to be able to provide for me and my sisters. We want to make sure that we increase the pipeline of underrepresented talent. I especially want to see more leaders that are women and more leaders that are diverse. With all those experiences, how many languages do you speak? French is my first language; English is my second. I understand Creole because we spoke it at home, and I used to be able to speak two African dialects: Lingala and Swahili. I am also learning Korean—my wife was born in Seoul and emigrated to the US when she was five years old and we have a wonderful multicultural family. What else has been pivotal to who you are today? The military, definitely. I had amazing experiences and it showed me discipline, leadership, and the importance of building a great team. I was fortunate enough to go to jump school—which was really a way to overcome my fear of heights. I thought what better way to cure that than by jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? When you do your very first jump, they tell you to get ready and that they’re going to give you a shove out the plane on the count of three. But they push you out on “one!” It teaches you that fear can be far greater than the task at hand and that you need to have the courage to take something on not knowing exactly what the outcome will be. What brought you to a career in consulting? Coming out of school, I worked for Price Waterhouse [now PwC] as an auditor. Then one of my very first clients recruited me to work on an automation tool for their sales force. It was a challenge because it was so far from anything I’d done before. They’d hired a third-party software engineering group to do the actual coding work, but I didn’t know how to communicate with the them. It forced me to stretch myself and I taught myself how to code in C++. That was the moment I decided to be in consulting. I realized I had a love for technology as well as business, and for bringing the two together. I have been doing that for the last 20-plus years. With great teams and a focus on bringing people together, there’s very little that you can’t accomplish. What will the future hold for Slalom LA? I am so excited about the LA market. We already have about 140 people out here and the potential for LA is unbelievable. It’s no secret that LA is the entertainment capital of the world. Media and entertainment are obviously a big focus here, but there are other industries that people don’t think about. For example, LA is the financial hub of the West Coast. It’s also number one when it comes to brands, textiles, and manufacturing. Then there’s the chance to impact the future of mobility—smart grid, electronic and autonomous vehicles, and even aerospace and defense. All those industries are going through tremendous transformations. I believe that Slalom can help shape those transformations and drive impact. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from earlier roles that you want to bring to LA? That you’re only limited by your imagination. With great teams and a focus on bringing people together, there’s very little that you can’t accomplish. What else would you like to achieve? I want Slalom LA to be a destination, a beacon for great talent. My goal is to double the size of the market and broaden our leadership team. We want to make sure that we increase the pipeline of underrepresented talent. I especially want to see more leaders that are women and more leaders that are diverse. test Tell us about your life outside work. Martial arts is a passion for me and I worked hard to earn a black belt in tae kwon do. I was fortunate to meet a wonderful instructor who is an immigrant himself. He was a former officer in the Korean Rock Marines. Toughest person I’ve ever met, but also very kind. And my family is my North Star. They give me strength and they keep me grounded. I’ve been married for 20 years to my wife, Diane, and we have three amazing kids. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your younger self? Leadership is about connection, about the relationship that you have with people that you serve. It’s hard to do that if you aren’t rooted and bringing your full self to an interaction. So, one of the things I would say is: Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Being yourself takes you much further than anything else. --- title: Q&A with Kelly Adkisson: General Manager, Charlotte url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kelly-adkisson source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kelly-adkisson locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Kelly Adkisson: General Manager, Charlotte - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kelly-adkisson - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kelly-adkisson - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Kelly Adkisson: General Manager, Charlotte Headshot of Kelly Adkisson Kelly Adkisson is general manager of Slalom’s Charlotte office. She spoke with us about her vision for one of Slalom’s fastest growing markets and about the importance of being bold and taking risks. Tell us about your professional background. Before joining Slalom, I spent 16 years at Accenture in the financial services industry. I started as an analyst in the Atlanta office coming out of Furman University, and then moved to Charlotte in 2006. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with many of the large national and regional banks in North America. I’ve driven initiatives spanning strategy, operational change, technology implementation, and digital innovation. I developed a specialized focus on retail lending and led the overall credit practice for North America, which included mortgage, consumer lending, and commercial credit. I also served in key account leadership roles within Accenture’s banking practice. I’m passionate about inclusion and diversity in the workplace and was actively involved in Accenture’s diversity initiatives. I ran the Women’s Employee Resource Group in Charlotte for many years and was our leadership sponsor for our local International Women’s Day event. What attracted you to Slalom? I wasn t actually looking for a career change when I initially began the conversation with Slalom about the opportunity in Charlotte. However, the chance to build something locally that allowed me to exercise some entrepreneurial muscles within the context of a proven and growing company was appealing. I also saw first-hand that Slalom puts people first, and that mattered to me. I could see that “love your future” was more than a motto—it’s embodied in everything Slalom does. Finally, I’m excited about the opportunity to work locally and make an impact on the Charlotte community. Why is Charlotte key to Slalom’s growth? Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. and a top-three banking hub. I see it as a critical component to continuing to build out the financial services capabilities for Slalom. Beyond financial services, there is significant diversity of industry in Charlotte—one of the components of this opportunity that excites me the most—including manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, and consumer services. Many companies are choosing to grow in Charlotte; it’s a popular Southeast hub for corporate and sub-division headquarters. What kind of impact do you see Slalom having on the Charlotte market? I’m excited to bring all the capabilities of a full-service consulting firm through a local delivery model. By living and working alongside our clients, we can create a different level of partnership and intimacy in those relationships. We also have a [Slalom Build](http://slalombuild.com/) Center in Charlotte. Slalom Build Centers are locally based engineering hubs where we rapidly create modern technology products alongside our clients. Slalom Build is a key differentiator for Slalom, and I’m excited to show our Charlotte-based clients how to use Build to unlock their full business potential. Are there specific types of projects or industries you’ll be pursuing this year? Slalom will be involved in a range of projects and industries in Charlotte. I anticipate building out our capabilities across high-demand areas, like data and analytics, organizational effectiveness, experience design, and technology enablement. We’ll work across the diverse range of industries that thrive in Charlotte. What’s one key trend that’s impacting banks right now? For a number of years following the 2008 financial crisis, banks were focused on regulatory compliance, safety, and soundness. While that’s still a priority for the C-suite, we’ve seen a shift over the past couple of years to a more transformative, digitally focused strategic agenda. Consumers now expect their financial products to be delivered in the same way they get a product or service from Amazon, Apple, or Facebook. Banks have recognized the need to meet consumers where they are and are investing in designing and creating experiences that enable them to compete more effectively for consumer wallet share. There’s also tremendous pressure on many of the banks to drive down their efficiency ratios to more sustainable and competitive levels. Banks will continue to invest in opportunities that reduce operating costs while delivering competitive products and services. Unlocking the benefits of the cloud and new technologies—including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and open-banking enrollment through APIs—will be critical to achieving those objectives. And Slalom is the perfect partner to help. What are the qualities you’re looking for as you’re building your team? It’s important to me that we build a team of A-level talent with deep industry and functional expertise from the onset of our launch. I am focused on versatility, looking for team members who can apply deep skills to a variety of industries. Specifically, I’m looking for capabilities within organizational effectiveness, data and analytics, and technology delivery. I’m also looking for team players that want to collaborate and engage in the Slalom office and Charlotte community. Any favorite tips or life hacks for balancing parenthood with a demanding career? There are so many life hacks required for managing a demanding career with small kids at home. I do everything via online ordering and delivery. Groceries, dry cleaning, household items, clothing, gifts—you name it, it gets delivered. That way we can focus our downtime on family and friends instead of running errands. I honestly don’t know how people managed life before Amazon Prime. I’m also big on prioritizing time to exercise. It’s a significant stress relief and makes me feel healthy overall. I enjoy taking the time to run or go to a barre or cycle class—even if that requires an early morning wakeup. Do you have a mantra or favorite quote? I’m not big on quotes, but I thought about this concept a lot as I embarked on this new adventure with Slalom: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” from Wayne Gretzky. Leaving Accenture after a long, successful career with the company was not an easy decision, but I felt confident that Slalom was the shot worth taking. --- title: Q&A with Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls: Chief People Officer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kristine-santa-coloma-rohls source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kristine-santa-coloma-rohls locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls: Chief People Officer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kristine-santa-coloma-rohls - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/kristine-santa-coloma-rohls - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Summary Our Chief People Officer talks about embracing her culture, building trust with clients, and leading with empathy and inclusion. ## Body Q&A with Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls: Chief People Officer Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls | Slalom Our Chief People Officer talks about embracing her culture, building trust with clients, and leading with empathy and inclusion. Tell us a bit about your journey to Slalom. When I left Andersen Consulting [now Accenture], I joined a startup. This was back in the late ‘90s, and it showed me how exciting a startup could be. I caught that entrepreneurial bug—fly by the seat of your pants, build something from scratch. Then I moved to DC for my husband’s job with the government, and I wanted to get off a plane. So I started working in federal consulting, with a large firm, and I loved it. They were very good to me, but I always had this itch to start something on my own. I just never had the guts to go hang my own shingle. When I had the opportunity to build Slalom’s Washington DC market in 2016, it just seemed too good to be true—the idea that I could flex those entrepreneurial muscles while standing on the shoulders of an incredibly strong firm with fantastic values. I kept asking them, “So, you're going to let me make the decisions about how we open and shape the business and who our clients will be?” And [Chief Growth Officer] Troy Johnson kept saying to me, “Yep. Yep.” I knew I would regret it if I let the opportunity pass me by, and I’ve never looked back. At the start of 2022, Slalom challenged me again with the incredible opportunity to lead our US Human Resources; Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity; and Sustainability and Social Impact teams. With close mentorship from our Chief People Officer over the last two years, I am honored to be stepping into this role as Lucy Hur retires from Slalom. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn from a tremendous leader and human like Lucy. I grew up in a large Cuban family in Miami, and when I look back, the culture I grew up in is absolutely what shaped and prepared me for the person I show up as today at work. What's your favorite Slalom core value and why? That’s easy: “Do what is right, always.” If you keep that value in front, it’s easy to make the right decision. I've sat down with clients that we’ve had to walk away from, and it’s not easy. Always having that value in my mind—knowing it’s what my team is expecting of me—forces me into some tough conversations. But it leads me to the right decision because I know I’m doing what's right. I remember Slalom leaders saying to me, “You do the right thing. The business results will follow.” Holding this value at the center of my current role has helped guide our decisions around our people-centric culture. What if it’s hard to know what’s right? How do you decide? Oh, I’ve had many, many sleepless nights. I’ve tried to figure out, for example, when to call it if a situation is not working for a team. Or, we’ve had situations where we were struggling to really come through for our client. I had a client one time who said he almost fell out of his chair because he had never had a vendor or partner admit that they had not met the mark and take full responsibility for ensuring we got it right. There have certainly been some calls I’ve looked back and gone, “I jumped too soon, or I jumped too late.” And the only thing you can do is look back, learn, and move forward. I don’t think there’s a science to it. Today, I’m really proud that Slalom’s executive leadership team now has a CCO, CPO, CIO, and CMO who are all women. It took intentional effort to get there, but now it underscores our industry leadership in executive diversity. You started out as Slalom’s first executive sponsor of Unidos, Slalom’s Hispanic/Latinx employee resource group. What inspired you to take that on My culture. I grew up in a large Cuban family in Miami, and when I look back, the culture I grew up in is absolutely what shaped and prepared me for the person I show up as today at work. There are a lot of characteristics of my culture that led me toward being an empathetic and communicative leader. At my previous firm that I was with for 13 years, I led our Hispanic agenda there, and it made a large organization feel much smaller and more intimate. We would get together and we had that automatic, common bond. It was the only place I went where everybody kissed and hugged hello and no one worried about how loud we talked! That inclusion is part of my DNA and directly influences how I operate I received great coaching on how to use some of what I learned in my culture to my advantage. I am passionate, open, and direct (and at times loud!) in engaging with others. I look you in the eye and say what I mean, with a strong sense of who I am and who I come from. I believe in paying some of these skills forward to others—things like executive presence, communication, and relationship-building skills. How do you keep your team motivated and inspired? I think a big part of keeping people motivated is being as honest and transparent as I can be. It’s creating a safe place where people trust that I’m going to tell them the truth—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and that we’re in it together. A lot of folks come to Slalom from very competitive firms, where if you show that you’re challenged with anything, it comes back to bite you. You hear about it later in some formal assessment or promotion process. At Slalom, we give people a safe place to try new things, fail, learn, and keep going. Everything is going to be on the table to be talked about in an honest and transparent way. I think if people know you’re putting it all out there, they will trust you. Whether we’re growing like crazy or running into a tough spot, we’re in it together. Have you had any great mentors in your life? How have they influenced you? I have been blessed with incredible mentors. I found people who were willing to be honest with me and kick me in the rear when I needed it. Early in my career, my passion led me to get a bit self-righteous. I remember one of my mentors taking me aside and helping me understand what I might have been doing that really was not drawing people in. They helped me channel that passion to influence my colleagues rather than getting up on my soap box. I meet people today, especially senior women, who say they have never been given honest feedback or they’ve never had coaching. My mentors advocated for me to take advantage of coaching programs and outside leadership development programs, and it made all the difference with how I developed as a leader. What keeps you grounded? Raising two teenagers with my amazing partner of 27 years is what keeps me anchored. My kids keep me humble and focused on what’s most important—if they are ok, all is ok. What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time? I’d tell myself not to take everything so seriously. There were things that didn’t work out in my career that I look back on and I’m so grateful. I’d tell myself to have a little faith that sometimes, when you let things play out, they work out—or they don’t work out—the way they’re supposed to. You can't control every single step. Do you have thoughts on how to recruit and retain a diverse workforce? Accept that it’s going to be hard work—especially in a company that has historically grown so aggressively. It may take some extra steps and extra time. We have to hold one another accountable for ensuring that we don’t make key hiring decisions without assessing if we’ve looked at a diverse set of candidates. It starts with getting involved with college and university programs to get young adults interested in consulting. When I was starting my career, I had no idea what consulting was. If you’re in an MBA program, you certainly know what consulting is, but outside of that, we need to make the effort to reach people before they’re making career decisions—and then, ensure, even as we hire experienced folks, that we’re absolutely measuring and assessing the diversity of our candidate pool. Today, I’m really proud that Slalom’s executive leadership team now has a CCO, CPO, CIO, and CMO who are all women. It took intentional effort to get there, but now it underscores our industry leadership in executive diversity. How do you recharge outside of work? All of my team members know how much I love dancing. With my kids, we turn on music in the kitchen and dance. At every single Slalom party, we have to have dancing. We had a Slalom party at a bowling alley, and I said, “Fine, as long as they put in a dance floor.” I will get out there and dance by myself if I need to. I just love music. It brings me joy. It’s not that I have any skill. It's just good for my soul. What’s one rule you live by? Practice gratitude every day. I don’t let a day go by without reminding myself, especially this year, what’s important and all that I have to be grateful for. --- title: Letter from our Japan GM url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/letter-from-our-japan-gm source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/letter-from-our-japan-gm locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Letter from our Japan GM - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/letter-from-our-japan-gm - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/letter-from-our-japan-gm - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Letter from our Japan GM Leading Through Change, Together In a world where change is the only constant, the ability to evolve isn’t just an advantage—it’s essential. At Slalom, we see this as both a responsibility and an opportunity. Technology remains at the heart of this evolution, but real transformation starts with people. As a team of strategists, technologists, and creatives, we partner with organizations to harness the power of modern technologies—artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and data analytics—to streamline operations and build adaptable, future-ready business portfolios. These capabilities don’t just improve efficiency; they open the door to entirely new ways of doing business. But technology alone isn’t the answer. Breakthroughs happen when people from diverse backgrounds connect, collaborate, and co-create. That’s where the magic of transformation truly begins. We’re on that journey too. At Slalom, we continue to evolve—alongside our clients—toward a future of sustainable growth, shared purpose, and lasting impact. Let’s shape that future, together. Satoshi Watanabe --- title: Q&A with Lindsay Sharrock: General Manager, Austin url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lindsay-sharrock source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lindsay-sharrock locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Lindsay Sharrock: General Manager, Austin - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lindsay-sharrock - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lindsay-sharrock - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Lindsay Sharrock: General Manager, Austin As Slalom opens its doors in Austin, we spoke with Lindsay Sharrock, the office’s general manager, about why Austin is the perfect fit for Slalom and what she’s looking for as she grows the Slalom Austin team. We’re so excited to have you here at Slalom. Will you tell us a little bit about your career before joining us? Thank you, I’m very excited too. I began my career with Accenture in the Dallas office and over time made my way to Chicago, then New Jersey, working in the communications and high-tech practice. In 2003, my husband and I decided to make Austin our home, so for the next few years I worked mainly with communications clients in San Antonio. Then in 2011, I decided it was time to focus locally. I joined Bazaarvoice, a successful, well-known digital marketing startup based in Austin, and I focused on client services. In 2013, I joined Iodine Software, a high-growth startup in the healthcare space, and spent the next five years building the organization and serving our rapidly expanding client base. Both parts of my career journey have been fun and rewarding, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring experiences from both the consulting and startup world to Slalom and Austin. What made you choose Slalom? For me, it’s the chance to build something from the beginning, but to do so knowing that there’s an extended network and support system. It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity—and also incredibly rare! Combine that with Slalom’s clear and sustained focus on our people, and the decision was really easy. Why is Austin a great fit for Slalom? I believe there’s a gap in the market in Austin, and Slalom is uniquely positioned to fill it. Austinites are all about Austin and “keeping it local.” There are some really interesting companies here that are innovating at a rapid clip, and they’re hungry for a partner to help them achieve their visions. Beyond that, Austin is a high-energy city, and I think Slalom will be able to tap into that energy and use it to bring value to a wide variety of Austin companies. From a people perspective, Slalom will provide a really interesting option for talented professionals in the area. Austin continues to be on most Best Places to Live lists and is filled with really smart, motivated people who want to do amazing things. I think the opportunity to work for a company like Slalom, while living in a great city like Austin, will be tremendously appealing to many people. When you think about Austin, are there specific types of projects or industries you’ll likely be targeting? Austin is home to an array of industries, many of which I think would be a potential fit for Slalom. Initially, software, retail, and business and consumer services all stand out as areas of focus. I’m also excited about Slalom’s focus on mid-market and believe Austin fits in nicely with that strategy. What are the qualities you’re looking for as you build your team? I’m looking for people who are passionate about helping companies solve their biggest challenges, and energized and excited by the opportunity to create and build the Austin office. Starting something new is challenging, but it’s also some of the most rewarding work there is! I’m looking for people who can be brand ambassadors for Slalom in Austin, people who represent the culture and values of Slalom—putting people first and being true partners with our clients—and who are passionate about getting that message into the market. What do you love most about consulting? For me, it’s the opportunity to serve clients and deliver value beyond their expectations. I also really enjoy the variety of work that comes with consulting. It’s fun to always have new and different projects and challenges—never a dull day in consulting! Outside of work, what’s your life like? What do you enjoy doing? I love spending time with my family. My husband, Clint, and I have three daughters and a dog and cat. We have a very busy household with a lot of soccer, music, and theater activities. I practice yoga as a way of staying grounded and I daydream about picking up my camera again and continuing to learn more about photography. Additionally, we travel with our kids as much as we can and are excited to be taking them to Europe for the first time this fall. We heard that you’re a big reader and podcast fan. Any favorites? It’s true. Podcast-wise, some of my current favorites are Reboot, Hidden Brain, Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History, and of course This American Life. I try all the Gimlet Media podcasts at least once, but my favorite is the original StartUp, especially season one. In terms of books, I alternate between entertainment books, usually memoirs (just finished Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, starting Tara Westover’s Educated), non-fiction centered around acts of bravery and achievement (The Boys in the Boat, Unbroken, about to start Endurance), and leadership/self-inquiry/business books (Thinking Fast and Slow is a recent favorite, and Work Rules). I’m also eagerly anticipating Brené Brown’s new book, Dare to Lead. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Lionel Pimpin: General Manager, Montréal url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lionel-pimpin source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lionel-pimpin locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Lionel Pimpin: General Manager, Montréal - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lionel-pimpin - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/lionel-pimpin - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Lionel Pimpin: General Manager, Montréal As Slalom Montréal opens its doors, we sat down with general manager Lionel Pimpin to talk about the qualities that make a good leader, his love of endurance sports, and why a bilingual office is an exciting opportunity for Slalom. You started your career as a consultant and then moved to banking. What brought you back to consulting—and to Slalom? I’ve always liked the speed, the culture, and the velocity of consulting companies. I went to Seattle to meet the Slalom team and I found amazing people with an amazing culture, a lot of drive, and a fantastic attitude. The opportunity to join the team and open an office in Montréal where I could recruit and grow my own team was just too exciting not to jump on. What are your favorite Slalom values? First, do what is right, always. This is important! Never mind the timing, the pressure, or the budget, if you always do what is right for your client, your employees, and your community then you will always receive more than you give. Second, inspire passion and adventure. This is the signature of my leadership style. I believe that you can achieve the impossible with passion and that adventure is just the icing on the cake. What other qualities make a good leader? Leadership is all about innovation, clarity, confidence, trust—and friendship. I put a lot emphasis on creating a team of friends, and transparency is key. I’ve also been privileged enough to work in three continents with many diverse people and I’ve learned that listening skills are important if you want to benefit from the experience and knowledge of others. What I find the most pleasure in is taking a consultant or manager, or a senior manager, moving them up the ladder with new responsibility and helping them achieve their full potential. Engaging the whole team in a clear vision is also very exciting. A leader is someone who not only mobilizes people but also articulates very clearly where to go. Slalom can be the best team in this city and become one of the leading consulting and technology partners across the entire region of Québec. We can grow with our clients. As you think about the next five or ten years in Montréal, what are your goals? Québec has been growing at a great pace in Canada for the past five to eight years. I want to build up a team to support the leading companies that we have here. To name just a few, there are industry experts in aeronautics, retail, banking, technology, and AI. I was a client for six years. During my time at the National Bank of Canada I worked on over 50 projects with different consulting companies. I believe that now is the right time to reinvent local consulting. Slalom can be the best team in this city and become one of the leading consulting and technology partners across the entire region of Québec. We can grow with our clients. That excites me. Montréal will be Slalom’s first French-speaking office. What kind of opportunities do you think that might create for Slalom? Montréal is unique in the world. It’s really a city with two cultures—North American and European—and with two languages—French and English. You need to be bilingual to succeed here. As we expand in Europe and throughout the world, that deep understanding of different cultures and mixed cultures is unique. The second thing, which is important for Slalom’s growth in Montréal, is the connection to companies and talent in France. I do strongly believe that opening an office in Montréal is a gateway to France. Tell us about your life outside of work. What are your hobbies? What’s great about Montréal is that it’s like a natural theme park to play in. I do sports maybe five times a week and I cycle a lot. I’m a big fan of endurance sports. I take part in the longest cross‑country ski marathon in North America every year, the Canadian Ski Marathon. It’s 160 kilometers [100 miles] over two days, and the fun part is that we sleep outside and carry all our stuff. I completed my first Ironman two years ago. Last year, I qualified for the ITU Multisport World Championship in my class age and I’m proud to be representing Canada in 2020. Endurance sports are an amazing way to manage your energy level, to stretch yourself further than you could ever imagine, and to better understand yourself and the people around you. test Icon What else do you like to do? It’s very simple. I obviously love sports. And I’m very curious, so I love reading newspapers. Every day, I read The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Globe, Le Monde et La Presse. And the rest is family time. I love cooking, so I cook for the entire family. I love cooking for people I love. Montréal has a very good—this is important to me—culinary history. We have a lot of great food, and you can find some very, very good products. Grocery shopping in markets like Jean Talon or Atwater is something that I really like to do and it’s a great way to connect with the community. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done? Adding a dog, an English springer spaniel puppy, to the family when my youngest son was only four! Bringing a dog into the house at that time wasn’t the best idea in the world and for a year our life was like a cartoon. Joking aside, close to brave was moving my entire family to another part of the world, to Canada [from France]. In retrospect it’s a decision that’s paid us back a million times, so it doesn’t feel as brave now. It’s amazing to settle in a new country. Eighteen months in I knew I would stay much longer than the three years we’d originally planned because I liked the culture here, the people, and the pace. My youngest son was born here, and six months ago I had the privilege of being granted Canadian citizenship. What do you consider your greatest achievement? My greatest achievement, by far, is that I met my wife. She was a consultant at Andersen Consulting [now Accenture] in London too. We managed to become adults together and found a family and be really happy living in three different countries together. And I think the second thing is being able to combine hard work, family life, and sports. Being well-balanced is something I’m proud of. --- title: Q&A with Michael Shimota: Country Lead, Australia url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/michael-shimota source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/michael-shimota locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Michael Shimota: Country Lead, Australia - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/michael-shimota - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/michael-shimota - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Michael Shimota: Country Lead, Australia Michael Shimota | President and Regional APAC Leader | Slalom Q&A with Michael Shimota: President and Regional APAC Leader We sat down with the President and Regional APAC leader to find out where he came from, what motivates him, and the differences in work culture between APAC and the US. Can you tell us a bit about your career in consulting? Wow, it’s tough to summarize 30 years of consulting! I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some of the most interesting and largest transformation programs across the globe—all over the US, in Germany, Japan, Australia, and throughout APAC (Asia Pacific). All these experiences, especially the exposure to diverse cultures, languages, approaches, and styles, have shaped me both personally and professionally. Tell us about any lessons you’ve learned along the way. There have been so many, but here’s an important one: I started my career in the US working in what was very much a command-and-control environment. Working in other countries—especially Japan, where consensus is key and I was a minority and unfamiliar with the language and the culture—taught me to observe, listen, adapt. That’s enabled me to evolve and be more effective across APAC. It’s helped me work with the next generation of people and with collaborative methods and approaches too. How about your life outside of work? My life revolves around my family: my wife Kelly, our boys Lucas, 19, Adam, 17, and Aaron, 15. Our latest addition is Olive, a groodle (goldendoodle) puppy. We’re kept busy around the boys’ interests in sports, art, and dance. We love to take advantage of the spoils of Melbourne outdoor life. Living a five-minute walk from the water, we enjoy starting our day with a walk, a run, or a paddle along the bay or maybe some golf or mountain biking. Where do you see Slalom 10 years from now? Slalom will have expanded its footprint to all major markets across the world. Any fun facts to share? Here’s a fun fact: I am the great-great-grandson of a Japanese princess, and fourth in line to the throne. OK, not really. That’s just the story I tell when asked “Where did the name Shimota come from?” The truth is not as cool. It was a translation error. Dad’s side is Bohemian (Western Czech) and my grandparents got the spelling from immigration. --- title: Q&A with Nick Walton: Country Lead, New Zealand url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/nick-walton source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/nick-walton locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Nick Walton: Country Lead, New Zealand - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/nick-walton - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/nick-walton - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Nick Walton: Country Lead, New Zealand Q&A with Nick Walton: Country Managing Director, New Zealand Nick Walton shines a light on his goals for the next five years, the importance of smiling, and why success is all about hiring the right people. What makes the New Zealand business community unique? The New Zealand [NZ] business community is innovative, creative, and highly resourceful. Historically New Zealand’s remoteness meant Kiwis needed to come up with creative fixes and solutions to problems. Resources, for example spare parts, would take months to come by sea. In the last 20 years, through technology, the world is smaller and NZ is much better connected, but this resourcefulness lives on as something we refer to as “Kiwi ingenuity”! Secondly, doing business in New Zealand is fun and collaborative. There’s a very high degree of trust and Kiwis are always looking to help each other out. We take work seriously but don’t take ourselves too seriously. There’s almost always time to smile and have a laugh! That sounds like incredible energy to have around. A real people-first environment? Absolutely. I also love the diversity of people and ideas that’s characteristic of the New Zealand business community today. There are amazing female leaders across the New Zealand business landscape and a growing number of Māori Pacifica leaders who are having an impact. Then there’s a great mix of local and international talent across both traditional companies and innovative technology companies. Don’t underestimate the power of a word of encouragement. As you think about the next five years here in New Zealand, what are your goals? What are you most excited about? Have fun. That’s my entire answer. But seriously though, I believe Slalom’s global experience combined with our local presence will position us to help customers in New Zealand to leverage the very latest in cloud and emerging technologies. I think in general NZ has been slower to adopt technologies like cloud and advanced analytics than some other global markets. This presents fast follower opportunities in many cases as New Zealand companies will have the opportunity to jump a full generation to the very latest thinking and technologies in these areas. That means Kiwi customers can get maximum benefit and cost savings from the very best capabilities. What have you been hearing from Slalom’s customers lately? Market conditions are pretty tough right now with some segments of the economy facing headwinds. That’s put a strong focus on managing costs and an emphasis on return on investment. Projects are still going ahead but there’s also a lot of rethinking business models. Our more progressive customers are making strategic investments that not only better position them in the short term but will also help them thrive when market conditions improve … which they inevitably will . Slalom has a role to play across customers however they are responding but especially those who are looking to innovate through adversity. Which Slalom core value speaks to you the most, and why? Stay humble and curious is my favorite of Slalom’s core values. Thinking you have all the answers is a sure-fire way to achieve irrelevance, especially with the pace of change in business and technology today. I always try to challenge myself and my thinking and catch myself when I get too attached to ideas and beliefs asking – but what if I’m wrong and what if my assumptions no longer hold true? If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice at the beginning of your career, what would you say to young Nick? Earlier in my career I was much more focused on business ideas or delivering an outcome. Naively, I thought the best way of achieving results was to do it yourself. As I’ve built more experience, I’ve learned that you can of course do much, much more for customers by creating and empowering high performing client focused teams. In my opinion helping team members grow and develop and building and contributing to high performing teams is the most important thing in business. Now that I have a bit more career experience building high performance teams is what I am most passionate about. So how would you sum up your leadership style now? That’s easy. Hire great people and create the right conditions for them to do amazing work. The thing I am most proud of in my career so far is the teams I’ve been a part of and had an opportunity to contribute to. Another highlight is seeing great people I’ve hired develop, take on big challenges and achieve amazing things. I’m proud if I’ve played a small role in helping them achieve things they didn’t think possible. I believe in hiring for culture, then making culture an integral part of what we do and how we do it. That’s what makes a company thrive. What’s a challenging but important thing to do as a leader? Challenging yourself and others—sometimes customers, sometimes internal teams—to go faster than I or they think is possible. A deadline can be a powerful thing in helping to challenge assumptions and think of faster ways of getting things done with both quality and speed. Okay, enough business talk. What does life outside of work look like? I spend time with my family—my wife Hannah and kids Frank [7 yrs], Harry [11 yrs], and Georgia [13 yrs] and (of course!) our dog, Winnie. My kids are pretty keen on sports especially football [soccer] for the boys and field hockey for Georgia so I enjoy spending a bit of time on the sideline supporting them. I also love catching up with good friends and having a laugh! I have recently taken up wing foiling. I love the freedom of being out on the water in the Hauraki gulf of Auckland. There’s nothing like it. That sounds adventurous! How else do you like to recharge? I love listening to music and the way a great song can make you feel. Music can be relaxing, it can be energizing, it can be emotive, and it can bring back great memories. My favorite band of all time is the Beastie Boys. I’m very passionate about music across lots of genre’s from hip hop, techno and indie rock! What’s something about you that would surprise us? As a child I was acutely shy—I was scared of my own shadow! As I got older I built more confidence and I now love meeting and getting to know new people. I even get a buzz from presenting to large groups most of the time. More recently I’ve come to recognize that I’m an extroverted introvert which has been a helpful learning. I’m comfortable in my own company but I also get energy from interacting with others. What books or thought leaders have influenced you most, or most recently? I loved The Tools by Phil Stutz Barry Michels. It’s all about using your problems as levers to propel you into action. Basically, obstacles can become new chances to find your courage, creativity, and willpower. What’s a rule that you live by? “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch as they might hatch into ostriches and kick the fowl house down.” Okay, okay. Kidding again! But seriously … “Don’t underestimate the power of a word of encouragement.” I can think of a few pivotal times in my career when I’ve been faced with challenges and had self-doubt. At these times, I’ve been lucky to have great managers and/or mentors who have encouraged me, helped me focus on the positives to help push forward and overcome these challenges. In general, I do not think we are encouraging enough! Our purpose-driven and fiercely human approach to consulting is the ideal fit for the strategy, technology, and business transformation needs of New Zealand companies. --- title: Q&A with Paul Schur, General Manager, Atlanta url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/paul-schur source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/paul-schur locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Paul Schur, General Manager, Atlanta - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/paul-schur - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/paul-schur - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Paul Schur, General Manager, Atlanta Q&A with Paul Schur: General Manager, New York Paul Schur is the head of Slalom's New York offices. He spoke with us about building future leaders and what his dad taught him about leading by example. You’ve said in the past that one of your goals as a leader is to build future leaders. What do you mean by that? I’m a believer that your impact and your success as a leader is not measured on what you do while you’re actually there. It’s a component. I think the true testament of great leaders is the impact they have on an organization after they leave. And so a big part of that is creating a legacy of all the leaders that continue to evolve the business and evolve the people in it. How do you measure success in creating future leaders? One way is to see our consultants move up and through the organization. A few years ago, I was asked for one of my proudest moments, and although we accomplished a lot in business, I answered it was seeing our Consultants being promoted into leadership positions. But that (is) just one way. You know, leadership is more about behavior and the opportunities we get, versus just a title, so seeing that is really cool. I’m curious what other goals you’ve set for yourself, either personally or professionally. As I became GM of Atlanta, and then later on New York, I always knew it was, for me, a temporary move. This isn’t a finish line. It’s just yet another step in my journey. I love being with consultants and with clients, and, so personally, I want to stay connected to our business. That’s where I’ll ultimately be—just getting back and doing consulting work—and that’s my passion. Most people, I think, would look at the job you have as the pinnacle. It’s unusual for someone to say, “I want to go back down to the front lines.” Tell me a little bit more about why that’s important to you. I guess I’m just not done. My goal is not to be in this role for 20 years, but I also know that I’m built to work. I was raised that way. You know, in Cleveland, which is where I was born and raised, there’s kind of a blue-collar mentality. You’ve just got to keep working, and help and make things better. For every milestone you reach, it’s a new start for something else. I just see it as yet another step in what hopefully becomes just an overall great career of serving others. Thinking back to your own childhood, what were some of the early experiences you had that taught you about leadership? My dad was extremely smart and extremely successful, and he was also extremely humble. You know, leadership is more about what you do versus what you say, and I guess I just remember him working hard. He was always an honest man, and he was a hard worker, and I guess I just absorbed that. For me, he lived by example. Tell me about a mistake you made in your career and what you learned from it. I was given an opportunity—this was many years ago—to take over a project that was failing. And I was given a choice to either take what was there (and) work with it, or throw the whole thing away and start over. At the time, I guess, the easy thing to do was just to say, “We can work with this, and we can make it better.” And in retrospect, we would’ve been better just to scrap the whole thing and take the initial hit on the chin early on. And so, what did I learn from it? You know, there are times where you just need to stop and say, “Wait a minute. This is not working.” It’s given me self-awareness (and the ability to) take a critical lens even to my own decisions. I’m going to switch gears a little bit because I want to talk about your local markets. Tell me a little bit about some of the cool stuff Slalom Atlanta’s doing. I think one of the things we will be known for in Atlanta—or I hope that we’re known for—is our innovation work. In Atlanta, we don’t have an innovation team. It’s almost like an ideal that we incorporate into everything we do. The concept of innovation is actually in all the practices, and I think that’s been a big, big change for us. Does that innovation ring true across Slalom New York as well? Yes, just as much so. In our New York office, our clients can step right into our Slalom Element Lab, which is quite literally an innovation hub that allows our organizations to explore the future of technology through hands-on experimentation. The lab gives our teams a way to not only inspire innovation but bring it to life. Powered by multiple clouds and our private 5G network, we are able to provide working examples of GenAI real-time for our customers. What else are you doing in your markets that you’re excited about right now? We have a big, big push (around) our connection with our communities and our ability to partner with our clients in their philanthropies. It sounds like you see community work as beyond just donating money to a philanthropy or something like that. Is that right? Yeah. In Atlanta, our backpack drive is one of the best things that we do. Our consultants collected over 250 backpacks that were each filled with an entire year’s worth of school supplies, and we worked with another nonprofit to actually work with inner-city schools in Atlanta and give those who are underprivileged their own backpacks and their own school supplies. We’re also doing a lot of philanthropic work in New York. Our consultants have been dedicated to helping our homeless populations, preparing meals and care kits to support over 500 homeless individuals. So, I mean, a $10,000 donation (to a nonprofit) is certainly nice. It’s good. But changing the lives of the kids who got free backpacks or offering hands-on support to our communities – that’s the stuff that we talk about most. Why is it important to you that the folks that are in your offices have a connection to their community? I think that just grounds us. I mean, we are doing some really cool, awesome work (with) big-profile, global companies. And then (there are) times, where you go back and say, “Well, let me help a high school rebuild their website.” It just—it brings it back to our own backyard. I think that fits our style, as a company. You know, we talk about being local, and the best thing you can do is, literally, help your neighbor. When people have a passion for that, we could never get in the way. --- title: Q&A with Pritha Sridharan: General Manager, Orange County url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/pritha-sridharan source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/pritha-sridharan locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Pritha Sridharan: General Manager, Orange County - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/pritha-sridharan - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/pritha-sridharan - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Pritha Sridharan: General Manager, Orange County Slalom General Manager Pritha Sridharan Pritha Sridharan talks about leading by example, the power of not fitting in, and the incredible startup energy in Orange County. You went to college at just 16 years old. Tell us about that. Yes, I went to UC Irvine, which is in Orange County and a great place to be a computer science major! When I was young, my father worked for the United Nations. I was born in a small village in India, and then we moved to Nigeria, then to Laos, then to the UK. And when we got to the US, we moved to a bunch of different states. Because we moved around a lot, I skipped grades. I was always two years younger than my classmates. Even though I was able to keep up academically, I was never able to keep up socially. I was 10 years old in seventh grade. The girls in seventh grade are 13 years old. That’s a big difference. I had to try and keep up, but I also stopped caring about fitting in as much. How have those experiences shaped your career and your leadership style? They forced me to adapt to being uncomfortable and taught me that discomfort doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean you’re going to fail. It just means something’s new. That’s all. There’s a freedom in not belonging because you realize it’s overrated. When you never quite belong anywhere, you realize you belong everywhere. That’s not to minimize kids who go through experiences where they’re bullied. I’ve certainly been bullied, being younger, and being an immigrant here and an immigrant in other countries. Nobody has the right to tell you whether you belong or not. That’s actually pretty ridiculous. So stop asking them. Stop asking for permission. Stop waiting to be invited. Create your own space. Nobody can tell you what your potential is; it’s on you to discover that for yourself. Other people don’t know their own potential either. So, since nobody really knows anything, you may as well just go for it. Don’t limit yourself. Is there an example of a time you’ve successfully moved through discomfort? Embracing new levels of responsibility, especially senior executive–level responsibility, was initially uncomfortable. My approach to my career has always been focused on feeling a sense of purpose and fulfillment, to be open to what feels right intuitively, and to spend my time doing what I enjoy. When I joined Slalom and began working with [Don Piluso](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/don-piluso), I learned not to put labels on things. Moving into leadership is not what you think it’s going to be, because everyone’s style is so different. It’s what you make of it; it’s what you bring to it. Nobody can tell you what your potential is; it’s on you to discover that for yourself. test Icon What makes the business community in Orange County unique? Companies are going to go where they can find talent. In Orange County, we’re surrounded by many different universities. Those academic institutions produce really intelligent, driven people who are going to be making an impact across the world. And there’s amazing venture capital funding coming into Orange County. It doesn’t get the attention that Silicon Valley gets, and I think that’s on purpose. It’s more about the work and creativity here than the glitz. We attract companies that want the innovation of Northern California without all the attention. We haven’t started working with them yet, but I found one potential client, a startup, with a high valuation. I was driving when I saw their office and I said, “We have to do work there!” As a leader, how do you know when to pursue new opportunities like that? It’s a combination of genuine curiosity for the unexplored, coupled with a sense of confidence that we can be valuable to that particular client. So much of the work we do is exploration, showing our clients what’s possible and walking beside them through their journey. Whether it’s a client that you’ve done work with before or a new company, it’s all really the same mindset. How do you inspire that same sense of curiosity in your teams? I really believe in leading by example. Leaders have to be in the trenches, carving the path forward. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about creating experiences that can be improved upon. The people who walk behind you, who follow you, are the ones who make the path bigger and better and greater. You have to know your people are going to be better than you, that your successors are going to be better than you. And you have to want that. I’m always blown away by how talented and creative our people are across Slalom. Particularly in Orange County, it’s a highly collaborative team. I’m impressed by how humble our people are, given how talented they are, and how much they’re willing to help other people. You post on social media about inclusion, diversity, and equity. Why is it important for leaders to address these topics publicly? I believe leaders have such a great responsibility over the well-being of other people, and it’s a serious responsibility. If you want your people to be authentic, you have to protect the space that allows them to be vulnerable. I feel we did that at Slalom [by declaring that we’re an anti-racist](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/slalom-stands-protest-equality-and-humanity-and-against-racism) company. I feel if we hadn’t taken that stand, we would have jeopardized our culture. I think that we would have been making it unsafe for people to be vulnerable, therefore to be authentic—and that goes against Slalom’s values. Our clients and so many other companies are asking, “How do I create a company that will attract future generations?” and I can’t emphasize enough that what people are looking for in terms of their leaders has changed dramatically. We live in a very polarized time, and we can’t pretend that we’re not there. Leaders have to lead with courage. I believe if we don’t speak up and stand up against things that make people feel unsafe, we’re not protecting them; therefore we’re not really leading. For me, speaking up is a worthwhile risk and I will never apologize for standing up for the things I believe in. Because if I can’t stay true to myself, I can’t do a great job. What does life outside work look like? I live a very simple life. I work out and I hang out with my family. Family time is taking my two kids to the park, getting frozen yogurt, cooking, running errands with my husband. Just doing very simple things. I love the fact that I can spend time with my children that way because of Slalom’s flexibility. What podcasts are inspiring you right now? Malcolm Gladwell! I love his podcast, Revisionist History. Malcolm takes something that you think is a certain way, and then he breaks it down. And you realize it’s nothing like what you thought it was. And I go up and down with meditation, so I love Dan Harris’s Ten Percent Happier podcast. He’s an ABC anchor who had an anxiety attack on camera. He turned to meditation, and now he interviews a lot of different people about self-awareness and meditation. Let’s wrap up this Q&A with a quick-fire round. Cats or dogs? Dogs. We have a black Labrador. Sweatpants or suit? Sweatpants. I’m wearing them right now. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you be? Florence, Italy. Favorite TV show? The Wire. Favorite movie? Forrest Gump. The whole beauty of that movie is that he gets put in all these situations, and then they work out or they don’t, and he just moves on. He just moves forward. Even though he’s so innocent and unassuming, he’s so resilient. He doesn’t fight the changes in his life. There’s something very poetic about that story. --- title: Q&A with Brian Turner: Executive President, Americas url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/q-a-with-brian-turner--executive-president--americas source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/q-a-with-brian-turner--executive-president--americas locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Brian Turner: Executive President, Americas - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/q-a-with-brian-turner--executive-president--americas - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/q-a-with-brian-turner--executive-president--americas - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Summary We talked to our leader for the United States, Canada, and Latin America about how clients’ needs are changing, how Slalom is evolving to meet those needs, and why curiosity is essential in a consultant. ## Body Q&A with Brian Turner: Executive President, Americas Brian Turner | Executive President, Americas | Slalom We talked to our leader for the United States, Canada, and Latin America about how clients’ needs are changing, how Slalom is evolving to meet those needs, and why curiosity is essential in a consultant. What does the president of the Americas do at Slalom? You know, it’s different every day. Ultimately, you’re connecting with our clients to tailor our business to create measurable value and impact to help them be greater. I also connect with our people to achieve the same thing—connecting to drive our strategy and work to rally as a team while also trying to understand what they’re feeling and going through. So if you really look at what I consider my job, it’s two things. First, help us execute on our vision for our clients. Then it’s to grow, protect, and support our people and take down any barriers that are keeping them from helping us get there. Tell us a little about your first role at Slalom. I came to Denver in 2008 to help start and build the Slalom Denver office. It was so amazing to build a team to serve our community, and it was one of the most challenging and rewarding roles I’ve had. I’ve always loved building teams, but this took another level of strategy, discipline, and planning. There was so much to learn about growing a holistic business all while Slalom was maturing and finding its way as a company. During those start-up days, your hands are in everything from recruiting to marketing and sales, while also establishing your long-term culture. It was such an amazing journey—going from 10 to 50 people to 100—it was a special time. We built a really connected, fun thing in our community, going from nobody knowing our name to creating true impact. It’s just amazing, the run we’ve been on. What about your career prior to Slalom? I grew up always having a job of some sort, and I learned something in every job I had. I was always experimenting and learning before entering the corporate world, and that’s something I’m passionate about in my current roles. I spent a summer taking care of kids, running camps, coaching sports teams. I ran a fruit stand on the side of the highway at one point, which was pretty lucrative. And then I did a run in construction, drove a truck, and even worked as an assistant in a medical lab. Working across industries teaches you to respect a strong worth ethic, how to work with a variety of teams and leaders, and how to take pride in doing the best at whatever you take on. Every job I’ve held adds to who I am and want to be in my current role with Slalom. What do you think makes a great consultant? What are some of the qualities that you look for when you’re hiring? For me, curiosity and accountability. You’ve got to truly be curious and want to help your clients with their problems. You need to truly understand the business value to the clients. From an accountability perspective, we as consultants are paid for results. Talk is cheap—we’re paid to bring more, and that is what we always need to remember. Your reward for your hard work and for solving complex problems is getting to work on even more complex problems. To get to help our clients with their most transformational work is an honor. You have to treat it like that and realize the work, the experiences, and your learnings are the tools that will be invaluable to your clients. It’s sort of the circle of life in the consulting world. Can you tell us about one of your first career mistakes and how you learned from it? One of the first mistakes I made in my career involved dropping the ball on a client delivery that was really high-profile. There were C levels in the room asking if I could get it done and I faked that I knew the answer and could get there. I thought I could figure it out if I just put in the effort. A few 18-hour days later, I had to tell that same room I had promised I would come through that we were going to come up short—really short. Early in my career, I assumed I needed to know everything—that I needed to have the answer—and if I didn’t, I needed to simply work harder, figure it out, and push through the challenge. That “knower” mentality slowed down my ability to grow. We learn the most from our mistakes, and while I still make mistakes, I’m blessed to work in an environment that allows for those mistakes and values learning. I regret how much I missed out on by not being curious in the spirit of protecting myself in those early days. I always hold this up with my teams and am conscious of what an environment looks like that pulls value from mistakes rather than shaming them. What keeps you motivated or gets you fired up? I get fired up by my teams—specifically in our growing to take on real challenges and create real impact. This is happening in a huge way right now with Slalom. Changing consulting and being the firm that helps people move faster and dream bigger will pave the way for a new type of consulting. It’s about how we create measurable impact together. This means creating a new consulting model that brings the best of our local connections and commitment to our clients with our global experiences and skills to deliver the best of all. What local used to be is gone, and that’s a good thing. Our local model is so much more than a geographic connection—it now means you know your clients and are driving long-term value to their needs. This means you’re trusted to bring informed value and impact every time. And global now enables us to deliver at the top level across industries, partnerships, and skill sets in a consistent, impactful way. Our clients deserve to be taken care of in a long-term, intimate, and meaningful way with the global reach of all 14,000 of our people and client experiences. We create this model in a consistent way and the impact we’ll have is going to be amazing. If it wasn’t challenging and if we weren’t solving big problems, it wouldn’t be fun—it would just be a paycheck. What’s most important to you outside of work? Family is everything to me. I was blessed to grow up in a family that always included us. From a young age, my parents said, “Hey, to be clear, you joined our life. We didn’t join yours.” But along with them charging ahead and looking for new experiences, they always included us. So I got to experience some pretty interesting things. My mom was an artist in Berkeley in the 1960s. She was a teacher, an oil painter, a sculptor, and an amazingly powerful mama bear. And then my dad was a self-made businessman who put himself through Stanford and Harvard, then moved to Northern California to be a venture capitalist in the technology space. He’s always been a learner and an amazing example of how work ethic, passion, and curiosity are foundational to creating impact while having a great time along the way. Both of them balanced living in the moment and creating amazing experiences with being true civil servants and leaving the world better than they found it. It was always about the experience they were making and the difference they were making. What about hobbies? Playing the piano is my meditation. You can’t play the piano and be grinding on that issue that you’ve got in the back of your head—those emotions can come out in the piano. It’s a completely different part of your brain, so you have to turn off the other part. It’s both a meditation and a form of expression. All three of my boys play, and I kept the piano in my office during COVID. They know the rule—if I’m not on camera or on a meeting, they can bang away on that thing. It’s amazing to watch them because I can see their emotions and see what they’re going through. It’s the same for me—just a complete release where I get to be in another world and have some fun. What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with everyone at Slalom? To have fun and to hold yourself accountable. Remember, this is freaking fun. If it wasn’t challenging and if we weren’t solving big problems, it wouldn’t be fun—it would just be a paycheck. If it’s already figured out, then you’re just a cog in the wheel. So build trust that enables you to take on the biggest challenges and do everything you can do to come through for those who trusted you to take it on. And then have fun no matter what you’re doing. That’s on you. Competitiveness is in our DNA and that will help us win, but it’s who we are when we get there and how we got there that you will remember. --- title: Q&A with Reedhima Mandlik: Founder of Slalom Hacktober url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/reedhima-mandlik source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/reedhima-mandlik locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Reedhima Mandlik: Founder of Slalom Hacktober - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/reedhima-mandlik - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/reedhima-mandlik - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Summary A senior analyst talks about Hacktober, hedgehogs, and her journey to tech. ## Body Q&A with Reedhima Mandlik: Founder of Slalom Hacktober Reedhima Mandlik | Slalom A senior analyst talks about Hacktober, hedgehogs, and her journey to tech. How did you get the idea for Slalom’s Hacktober celebration? It started while I was at my first tech internship job. A person I worked with ran many of the security initiatives there. She was heading up something they called Hacktober—but it was so different. It focused on fear and catching employees in a mistake—or even breaking into the company’s headquarters! I envisioned a more fun, collaborative experience—like finding bugs and identifying phishing emails. I brought my idea up to Michele Bleser, our VP of IT, who leads the [Women in Tech](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-women) group at Slalom. I said, “Hey, it would be really cool if we could create a program that focuses on cybersecurity in a way that’s fun—not fearful.” With Hacktober, we’re able to operate it like an incubator lab. You can try new things, test out cool stuff, and if it doesn’t work, it’s fine because it’s an internal initiative. What attracted you to Slalom? I had previously been at a startup and was doing all the product marketing. I knew I didn’t want to do it anymore—I wanted to work in true product, but I didn’t know what kind I was interested in. My friend worked here, and she said, “Well, I think you’d be a really great fit.” Consulting is a great way to get to know different tech stacks and different types of technology, and learn what you like. But the reason I picked Slalom was because of the culture. Everyone I met was so kind. About Hacktober At Slalom, Hacktober is the gamification of cybersecurity—an annual, monthlong educational celebration. Team members across the company answer daily questions on the topic to earn points and participate in challenges like “See Something, Slay Something,” which involves documenting the physical security risks they witness in TV shows and movies. There’s a code hunt, team hackathons, and “lunch and learns.” Every year the event draws more participants. This (third) year we had the highest number of players in Hacktober’s history—all within the first week. Top point earners win Hacktober merch and Slalom Gear gift cards. Learn more How has your role in Hacktober evolved? At the beginning it felt like a scrappy startup. A few other folks I knew from Technology Enablement in Chicago helped me out. We all believed in it, and we built this huge thing out of thin air. Last year was the first year we had a full-on platform of events. For the first time, I was running a global program! I learned so much leading 60 market leads. This year my goal was for everyone building the Hacktober site to try something new, or something that they’ve always wanted to do. Oftentimes on client projects you have to do the work that’s in the area of your expertise. It’s very difficult to be able to try new things and fail fast when you’re on a client project, because there isn’t really room for it. But with Hacktober, I’m able to operate it like a startup. You can try new things, test out cool stuff, and if it doesn’t work, it’s fine. It’s so interesting that you have two journalism degrees and you went into tech. For my master’s in journalism, I specialized in media innovation and entrepreneurship—it was basically UX/UI research, startup development, and product management—oddly, very little to do with journalism. But it worked out really well. It’s what led me here. I thought I was going to be a tech journalist. I really wanted to work at TechCrunch or something like that. Then, in my last quarter of getting my undergrad degree in journalism and psychology, I interned at a tech company—that was when I realized you can work in product and that you don’t have to know how to code. Describe your perfect weekend day. Wake up really late. Have pancakes for breakfast because that’s the best kind of breakfast. See my friends, whether that’s going apple picking, which is what I’m doing this weekend, or going to a haunted house, or anything that’s exciting in Chicago. Then coming back to my hedgehog—she’s very sweet—and snuggling with her while watching some [K-dramas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_drama), and then playing some video games before going to bed. Hedgehogs are snuggly? If they like you, they are. They’re very consent-based animals, so you really have to earn their trust. Her name is Kupo—it comes from Final Fantasy VII. The idea of women in technology should not be a rarity for the generation after me, and for the generation after that it should be the norm. Have you had any great mentors in your life? How have they influenced you? One of my best mentors is here at Slalom—Michele Bleser. She’s been one of my greatest advocates, and she’s also the kind of person I can talk to about things going on in my life or things happening with my career. She’ll give me a straightforward, honest answer every single time. She’s someone who really believes in building people up. She’s amazing. What about books or thought leaders? I’m a very imaginative person and I love fiction writing. I always learn my lessons best when they come from a fictional place, because fiction teaches you about people and life in a way that’s different from a self-help book. My favorite book of all time is The Name of the Wind , by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s an incredible story focused on perseverance. It’s helped me through a lot, and it’s beautifully written. What’s been the best and worst part of being a woman in tech? The best part of being a woman in tech is that because you’re a minority you feel a responsibility to help lift other people up. The idea of women in technology should not be a rarity for the generation after me, and for the generation after that it should be the norm. I have a chance to make that change, but the hardest part is that it feels like I have to be the one to make that change. So it’s kind of a double-edged sword, right? You get to be able to influence and change the world, but at the same time it’s a huge burden to bear. And it’s really difficult unless you have other women helping you out, or you have allies. I’m grateful to have that at Slalom. What’s your experience been like negotiating being a woman and a woman of color in tech? It adds another layer of complexity. My name isn’t Ashley. Or Jane. It’s not easy to pronounce. It takes effort. But I deserve to have my name pronounced correctly. A woman outside Slalom once wanted to talk to me and another Women in Tech lead about potentially being on a panel. When we met she went on and on about “offshore folks” working with her, talking down about them. And I said, “Hey, you know I’m Indian, right? You can’t say that about people.” She said, “You’re not Indian. You have green eyes, your skin’s a different color. You’re not Indian.” I told her there are lots of different skin tones and eye colors in India, and that my hair is blond because I dye it blond. She kept insisting I wasn’t Indian and then she committed another microaggression toward my colleague, who also happens to be a woman of color. We declined her offer—I’m glad Slalom supports us in never having to work with her. These kinds of interactions are just another layer of struggle that we have to go through. That’s a great quote—“My name isn’t Ashley.” I grew up thinking, “I wish my name were easier to pronounce.” I’m unlearning a lot of internalized racial oppression that I grew up with. I’m grateful that Slalom takes these situations so seriously and that I do feel supported by my peers when it does happen. What’s your favorite part of your job and why? My favorite part of my job is being able to build up a team from scratch and create that team culture every single time. I figure if someone isn’t happy, then working is going to be infinitely harder for everyone. Every time I get on a new project, being able to create that sense of family and camaraderie with people is truly my favorite part. --- title: Q&A with Rich Coughlin: President, US Central Region url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/rich-coughlin source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/rich-coughlin locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Rich Coughlin: President, US Central Region - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/rich-coughlin - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/rich-coughlin - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Rich Coughlin: President, US Central Region Q&A with Rich Coughlin: Chief Operating Officer The consulting veteran shares key lessons from his career, a compelling vision for Slalom’s future, and insight on being true to yourself and others. To start, what do you love most about Slalom? Where do I start? Top of the list is the opportunity to work with talented and passionate people. Our culture and core values are incorporated into how we work with our clients and treat our people. I’ve always said our core values aren’t something created for the company—they are truly a definition of our people and culture, created from the bottom up. Our people care about Slalom, they care about each other, and they care about our clients and communities. That is special. Slalom also has a very entrepreneurial culture. That really attracted me when I joined. Our people are empowered to make decisions, grow the business, and act in the best interests of both employees and clients. This empowerment is both permitted and actively encouraged. Can you share a bit about your career in consulting? I’ve been a consultant since day one of my career. I started at another firm straight out of college and was there for over 20 years before coming to Slalom in 2013. I’ve been privileged to work with some of the world’s largest multinational private and public companies during my 30-plus-year run. One of the reasons I’ve stayed in consulting is the dynamic nature of what we do, the pace of change, and the new challenges we face and solve every day. I feel like I’ve had 30 different careers over the years. Tell us about any lessons you’ve learned along the way. I would answer that in two parts. First, I would emphasize our core value of “doing what is right always,” whether in interactions with our clients, colleagues, or in my personal life. Over the years, I have learned that what is “right” is often not the easiest or most comfortable choice. Ultimately, I have gained confidence in doing what is right, even when it feels uncomfortable or the difficult thing to do. The second part is to embrace curiosity. While it sounds straightforward, cultivating curiosity as a skill can be challenging, especially in the consulting industry, where we often feel pressure to have all the answers. However, through my experiences, my perspective has shifted. Our role as consultants is to be inquisitive, ask questions, and use that curiosity to guide teams to address and solve their most pressing opportunities and challenges. Approaching this from a place of understanding rather than simply providing answers or opinions is much more powerful. I think this is equally important in the growth and development of people. Can you tell us about one of your first career mistakes and how you learned from it? One of my earliest lessons was to be mindful of Reply versus Reply All. Joking aside, this taught me attention to detail and thoughtfulness before reacting. The bigger lesson was that words matter—use them wisely and speak with intention and purpose. If you can be your authentic self and allow others to do the same, it’s amazing the relationships you’ll build and things you’ll accomplish. What do you think makes a great consultant? What are some of the qualities that you look for when you’re hiring? A few that are top of mind include listening, curiosity, and the ability to take ownership and quickly adapt to changing and ambiguous environments. I look for people who want to succeed while helping others succeed. Everybody we hire at Slalom needs to have a sense of community and engagement with our people—treating others with respect and giving others an opportunity to grow. And, of course, great consultants should be truly obsessed with customers, as that is who we serve. “Being a father to three amazing daughters is my number one accomplishment. I’m so proud of the young women they’ve become.“ As you build out the office of the Chief Operating Officer, what is most important to the team’s culture? There are several key priorities that come to mind. First, fostering a results- and outcomes-driven culture is essential. I aim to ensure that we focus on driving and achieving results, and empowering our people to take action. Second, promoting a culture of adaptability and evolution is crucial. The consulting landscape is transforming at an unprecedented pace. We must develop the organizational agility and vision to anticipate and adapt to these changes and do so with speed. Lastly, collaboration is vital. This role involves integrating and supporting the orchestration of our business, necessitating a high level of collaboration and alignment across all teams. It is not one person or one function that has made or will make us successful—it is the entire organization working in unison for a specific goal or objective. As you think about the next five years, what are your goals and what are you most excited about? Over the next five years, my goal is to build and efficiently run a well-architected company. Our ability to build an organization that can deliver with excellence to our clients in an efficient, scalable, and consistent way is critical to our success and growth. Our achievements to date have been fueled by determination, talent, and innovation. As we continue to grow and evolve, it is essential to develop our focus, discipline, agility, and speed to respond to the market changes, client demands, and our own goals and objectives. What excites me is the opportunity we have in front of us that we have yet to take advantage of, and the tremendous upside we have as a company. My immediate objective, however, is to ensure that we concentrate on the priority areas over the next 12 to 18 months. I firmly believe that focus yields results, and my goal is to help us identify and execute a few key initiatives to effectively support our growth and profitability goals. From your perspective, what makes a great leader? When I think about the leaders I’ve admired in my career, a few traits stand out. First, a great leader is someone you can trust because they always act with integrity and take accountability for their actions. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Next, they have a clear vision that inspires the team and keeps everyone focused on common goals. They also focus on developing and empowering their team, creating a supportive atmosphere where everyone can grow and do their best. Lastly, they show commitment and resilience, leading by example and tackling challenges with confidence, from the front. Everybody we hire at Slalom needs to have a sense of community and engagement with our people—treating others with respect and giving others an opportunity to grow. Where do you see Slalom 10 years from now? It’s a bit hard to guess what Slalom will look like in 10 years, as 10 years ago I’m not sure I would have been very accurate as to where we are today. What I do know is that in our business the only constant is change. I do believe we have the ambition, vision, and resiliency to change to become the world’s most customer-obsessed, employee-empowered services companies. My goal would be in 10 years to tell Brad, our CEO, “You were right, we can get there and we did!” I’m proud of the growth and evolution of our company over the past 20+ years, and in my expanded role, I feel an obligation to help guide us in the right direction over the next decade to truly achieve our vision as a company. What’s your ideal weekend day? Wake up before sunrise (I’m a morning guy and love a sunrise over a sunset), grab a coffee, catch up on the news and some current events, and head out to play a round of golf. Then come home, maybe hop on the bike with my wife, and spend time grilling dinner (it’s a bonus if it’s for the whole family). Then, close the day down with a great bourbon or whiskey, get to bed early, and repeat on Sunday! What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to share with everyone at Slalom? “Be who you are.” If you can be your authentic self and allow others to do the same, it’s amazing the relationships you’ll build and things you’ll accomplish. And another great piece of advice, as my father told me often: “The one thing you have that you can always rely on is your word.” Do everything with integrity. --- title: Q&A with Russell Norris: General Manager, Boston url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/russell-norris source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/russell-norris locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Russell Norris: General Manager, Boston - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/russell-norris - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/russell-norris - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Russell Norris: General Manager, Boston Russell Norris is the general manager of Slalom’s Boston office. Russell talked to us about his approach to hiring, the importance of supporting colleagues, and his mantra of “seek to understand.” What attracted you to Slalom in the first place, Russell, and what’s keeping you here now? I’ve always been intrigued by what Slalom is doing. When I looked at the opportunity to bring so many parts of my life together, for me it was family; it was the not-for-profit sector; it was building and growing people. And the opportunity to bring those together in a single space, and then share that with other people, is what really inspired me. What keeps me going is that really every day is different. And when I come in, no matter what it is, I’m inspired by the people when I walk into my office. That’s what fires me up. Slalom Boston had seen some pretty incredible growth since it opened. What do you attribute that growth to? I think it’s the people we hire. We’re pretty specific about who we bring into our market. Everyone comes in with that same approach of “we know we’re going to build and grow something special, and it’s our own.” Boston is home to many bio-pharma companies. What opportunities and challenges are you seeing in that space right now? The bio-pharma market in Boston is phenomenal. The only thing I can compare it to is my early experience with the .com days, in that these companies are growing so fast with such unique challenges and such great focus on innovation—only they do it in a way that’s really changing the world. We meet them where they need help. We aren’t coming in to bring big, oversized structure to their problems. We’re bringing real, thoughtful approaches and great people who are willing to work hard. So for us, keeping pace with them is a big part of it. And living their ups and downs is a big part of it. And then being able to pick up what we’ve learned from one to the next. What are some of the most interesting business trends that you’re seeing right now? On the technology side, the cloud is certainly coming to light. We’re seeing a lot of activity with AWS, as well as the Azure capabilities. So a big help in moving companies to the cloud and how they leverage that piece in their business day to day. On the business side we’re also seeing a lot of leverage out of the information management and analytics space. Predictive analytics has been a growing practice and opportunity for us. And lastly, folks are recognizing the impact of change on their organization. So our change management organization has been certainly having a big uptick as well. What motivates you both personally and professionally? I love to see people grow. I love to align people with their passions and interests. I view many of the folks that I work with, both clients and our consultants, as lights and how do you turn their lights on so that they get more excited about what they’re trying to do and energize. I also love to watch us work together as a team and see people accomplish things that they didn’t think possible. Can you recall an early experience that taught you something about good leadership? One was when I talked to a mentor of mine early on about my career development and growth. And a piece of feedback he gave me is, “If you want to be at the next level, act like you’re already there.” The second one was [when a manager and I] couldn’t agree on what approach to take on a very critical next step. After several hours of arguing, we took it to the parking lot … and he said to me, “You know what, it’s your problem. You decide which way you want to go, and if you’re wrong, just know that I’ve got your back.” And that’s something that I’ve carried with me. It’s just important to really vet the ideas, but at the end of the day, support your folks. What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever given? I’d share a mantra that I live with, which is “seek to understand.” There are always many sides to a story and many sides to the reason people are doing it. If you can understand or put yourself in someone else’s place, you’re much more capable of relating to them. What one person, past or present, would you like to have dinner with and why? I’ll go with two: Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie. I’ve always been fascinated by his ability to lead in an environment where there was so much oppression and how he kept himself steady through those difficult times. --- title: Q&A with Saint Fults: General Manager, St. Louis url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/saint-fults source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/saint-fults locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Saint Fults: General Manager, St. Louis - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/saint-fults - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/saint-fults - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Saint Fults: General Manager, St. Louis Q&A with Saint Fults: General Manager, St. Louis & Kansas City Our St. Louis and Kansas City GM discusses community, lessons from mentors, and integrity in leadership. What was your path to St. Louis? What distinguishes the community here? I’ve been in St. Louis over 15 years. My wife is from St. Louis and thus I am also from St. Louis! I absolutely love it here—it’s a metropolitan small town. The sense of community is strong, and people are very connected. A lot of folks stay here for generations. We have people who’ve lived in the same neighborhood their entire lives, and their parents and grandparents live in the neighborhood. It makes St. Louis unique. The network of relationships is always very strong as people grow and move throughout their lives and careers. The concentric circles of who you know overlap more and more as time progresses. We joke a lot in the office that doing careless work isn’t an option because the chance that you’re going to be at a soccer game on Saturday and see your clients is super high. And does the St. Louis business community have that same sense of connection? St. Louis gets overlooked and is too often seen from the outside as an old Rust Belt city. But there are massive companies here that do amazing work. There are so many branches of national corporations and regional headquarters located here. There’s a huge biotech footprint. There’s a huge technology footprint. We have a thriving startup community and a thriving university community doing incredible work. There are innovative forces at work here that people from the outside miss. People love to live here and want it to be the best place it can. The business and nonprofit communities here are symptoms of the real thing: we want St. Louis to do well. St. Louis is also a very diverse community, and Slalom is a diverse company. What’s important in building a diverse team and work culture? St. Louis has a history that’s heavily based in racism. The Dred Scott case was decided here. The Missouri Compromise is literally named for our state. It permeates everything in the city, down to the way neighborhoods are laid out and the way school systems have worked. For us to be passive about this is not an option. In the last couple of years, we’ve made diversity and representation a major pillar of our market. We continue to put initiatives in place so that we can best represent the community. We are continuously trying to improve our internal systems to avoid systemic bias, to get a more diverse slate of candidates, and to diversify the way we recruit. We’ve analyzed title and pay equity across different demographics. And now we’re looking to build even better relationships in the community. Tell us a bit about your pathway to consulting. I started out in health and human services and social work right out of college. I worked a lot with kids in juvenile corrections and rehabilitation, and then for the state government performing child abuse investigations. Afterward, I moved into privatized foster care and spent over a decade of my life in that sector—investing in people and making people better, whatever shape that took. I had focused much of my career on building these programs to create better outcomes for people in communities when an opportunity with a technology company came up. They were looking for somebody to run projects. I learned a ton with them and ended up thriving in the Agile and digital product space. Eventually, Slalom came to town. It felt entrepreneurial and vested in doing the right things and not just trying to get the next dollar. Work that starts locally and remains focused on our community speaks to my soul and to why I like this city. test Icon Do you still get to use some of those social work skills? Every day. The core of any business is people, and everything I experienced was about building systems around people as they really are. And I think that naturally infuses its way into our business. We focus on customers. It’s really about the person, what they experience, what they get out of it. Describe your personal leadership style. I’m direct and transparent. I believe in being straightforward, and I’m a big advocate of data-driven, data-informed work. I also place a lot of importance on integrity. Let’s do what we say we’re going to do, admit when we didn’t get it done, and then figure out how to get better after that. It boils down to being honest with where you are, where you’re going, and then trying to openly acknowledge if you fell short. Everyone else on the team succeeding—that’s the true reflection of leadership. What do you look for in a mentor? I’ve had many mentors. I think the folks I gravitate to usually have the same kind of persona: someone who is very direct, who challenges and pushes me toward what more I can possibly do. And I am drawn to mentors who will gut-check my BS, for lack of a better term. Can you tell us about a lesson you learned from a mentor and how it shaped your own leadership style? One of my most impactful mentors was also one of my first—an amazing nurse manager who I worked with in children’s psychiatric. It was one of my first opportunities in a leadership role, and I came in with an attitude and an ego. I wanted to move people off the team. He pulled me aside and said, “Listen, we’re asking you to be a leader because you can work with people on this team. We’re not asking you to cut people. We’re asking you to build people. That’s what we need in a leader. We think you’re that person, but the way that you’re acting tells me you’re not. Which one is it? Because a real leader takes the people around them and works to make them better.” It fundamentally changed my entire perception of my role and myself. Leadership isn’t about me getting the limelight. It’s the results of all the folks around me that speak to who I am. Everyone else on the team succeeding—that’s the true reflection of leadership. How do you spend your time away from work? I have two very active children who love activities of every nature, so I spend a lot of time going to grade-school and middle-school sports games. I’m the over-zealous parent on the sidelines, much to the chagrin of both my children. A lot of my downtime is with just my wife and kids. We like to go to parks, go outside, and play. My family is awesome. --- title: Q&A with Sam Andrews: General Manager, Dallas-Fort Worth url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sam-andrews source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sam-andrews locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Sam Andrews: General Manager, Dallas-Fort Worth - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sam-andrews - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sam-andrews - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Sam Andrews: General Manager, Dallas-Fort Worth Our Dallas-Fort Worth leader opens up about her greatest mentors, always looking ahead, and why she never settles for the status quo. What makes the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) business community unique? The sheer size of the metroplex creates a mega-hub of businesses that span across pretty much every industry one could imagine! I don’t see a trend of one industry over another—it’s everything from the startup community to technology, financial services, distribution, manufacturing, energy, and retail. Texas is also known as a friendly state when it comes to taxes and conducting business. That is evident due to the number of companies that have either brought major aspects of their business here or centralizing their headquarters in the greater DFW area. We’re starting to see a lot of investment going into the universities as well, supporting the transformation in areas such as engineering. As you think about the next five years, what are your goals for DFW? What are you most excited about? First, I’d like us to be known as Slalom’s most customer-centric market. It is important for us to show up in an innovative, personal way for our customers. Second, I plan to focus on our commitment to our community, so that we can be more involved in the economic development of our metroplex. We can help with the adoption of new technologies, ways of working, cultural dynamics in the business place, and support our nonprofits as they grow and expand. We have an opportunity to bring our customers together across industries and create community amongst them in a more deliberate way. You moved here from Seattle to DFW back in 2013. How do you like living in DFW? I love it. I love the community. It is incredibly diverse, with people who have moved here from all over the world. I love the closeness of my community, schools, and the abundance of amenities and resources in the state. Everyone I met when I moved into town was welcoming and genuinely happy to treat their community like family. I love the opportunities my kids have here. If we’re not always looking ahead at where the world is going, we can’t help our customers prepare to serve their customers. We should always be thinking with a growth and future mindset. You began your professional career at AT&T and spent 17 years there. What brought you to consulting—and why Slalom? Being at AT T was the greatest learning opportunity as I had exposure to all parts of the brand. It couldn’t have been a better education for me to learn how a company really operates and all the different facets of creating an employee and customer experience. I had been a customer of Slalom for several years and had built some great relationships here. When it was time to move on, I thought, well, why don’t I go to Slalom? That led me to join our cross-market digital strategy team. I started to demonstrate success and move up. Before I knew it, I had progressed to being one of the main leaders in our strategy practice. I absolutely loved that team. We started Slalom’s primary research capability, opened [Slalom Element](https://www.slalom.com/element), and established [Slalom Ventures](https://www.slalom.com/ventures). When I was approached about this role as market leader, I was very humbled and incredibly inspired by the opportunity. Local markets are the heartbeat of Slalom. Being close to our customers and our business is something I really am excited to be a part of. What was the most satisfying project you’ve ever worked on? The futurism sessions my counterpart and I would hold with our customers. We would take customers on a curated workshop journey of the political, economic, legislative, technological, environmental, and social trends around them to help paint new future scenarios. We’ve done that with some of the largest telecom and wealth management companies to help them really think about what they could become and how to prepare for those futures. They were very satisfying engagements. I enjoy thinking about the future and then taking all those potential futures and applying a pragmatic lens on how to get there. We should be pushing ourselves and customers to be more than we are today. Who are the great mentors in your life? I think one of my most influential mentors was a former boss. At the time we were in a very male-dominated organization. What fueled her was her ability to break through the glass ceiling and really be heard, as well as to maintain the integrity of what we were delivering. I learned how important it is to always be advocating for your team and managing upwards as well as across, letting people know the great things your team is doing. And that when something goes wrong you don’t take it out on your team. Another mentor of mine is my mom. She is a self-made entrepreneur in social work. Her tenacity and drive and what she did in the community was impressive. She was so self-motivated and had to overcome a lot of red tape. I got a lot of my drive from her and from seeing how hard she worked. I think it’s made me a better professional and inspired me in my career. What’s your favorite Slalom core value? It’s hard to pick a single core value, so I am going to choose two. I would say the first one is fuel growth and innovation . I feel if we’re not always looking ahead at where the world is going, we can’t help our customers prepare to serve their customers. We should always be thinking with a growth and future mindset. I think that is bound by another core value, do what is right, always . If we keep that mindset and show up every day doing what is right for each other, then it will reflect how we grow and evolve our culture and how we create customer lifetime value. Finally, what’s one rule that you live by? Always be pushing the boundaries of what is possible ... never settle for the status quo. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Sarah Duffy: General Manager, Northern California url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-duffy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-duffy locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Sarah Duffy: General Manager, Northern California - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-duffy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-duffy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Sarah Duffy: General Manager, Northern California Sarah Duffy talks about being brave early in her career, the importance of non-negotiable time, and her biggest goals for Slalom Northern California. You lived in Brazil for 12 years. Tell us what took you there. I was a gymnast in college, and they cut gymnastics. So I started looking for a new hobby and discovered capoeira. It’s Brazilian, and it’s a mix of martial art and dance. I fell in love with it to the point that I thought, I’ve got to find a way to get myself to Brazil. So, I applied for a scholarship and got it, and I went there to study my last year of school. I was studying political science and international relations, but I spent most of my time playing capoeira and then I became a capoeira teacher. I loved Brazil and I ended up starting my business career there when everything in the country was privatizing and the currency was stabilizing. I knew nothing about business back then, but I was learning it quickly and learning it in another language. What’s a valuable lesson you learned during that chapter of your life? You can learn so much and grow as a person if you’re willing to say yes to things even if you’re uncomfortable with them, even if you don’t necessarily know what you’re doing. And that’s one of the things that I learned in Brazil—to say yes to uncomfortable situations. It gave me all kinds of growth opportunities—to be a translator, to become a consultant for an American company opening its doors in Brazil. I had to be brave to navigate an ambiguous situation in a different culture and language. And I leaned into it and just loved it. It reminds me of something I heard recently. Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, spoke at R4 [Slalom’s strategy conference]. She said we need to teach girls to be brave, not perfect. I’ve been talking about that with everyone in our office and everywhere I go since I heard it. I realize, looking back on my time in Brazil, when I was just starting my career—I was willing to be brave and not perfect, and that put me on the path to where I am today. Why has Slalom been the right fit for you? Slalom has always put people first. We want to help our clients, as people, succeed. And we want every one of our employees to love their work and life. Slalom’s focus on people is what drew me here, and it has made the last six years here incredibly fulfilling. You know, when I’m having a bad day—which, let’s be real, we all have them—you know what I default to? I say, “I’m going to go work with our consultants and our clients.” The antidote to a rough day is to be with my team, working with our clients, in a delivery situation. I love the work. I love our people. That’s pretty special. That’s why I know I’m in the right place. I realize, looking back on my time in Brazil, when I was just starting my career—I was willing to be brave and not perfect, and that put me on the path to where I am today. How do you organize your time? Very carefully. I think about this a lot. I organize my time into two big buckets: client-facing and non-client facing. Then, of my non-client facing time, I have time on my calendar called Sarah time. This is time for me to think about new ideas, read, write, or create. Of the 50% of my non-client facing time I’d say Sarah time is about 15% of that. Then I have my team time, which is almost everything else. That’s my work life, but it’s important to think about your whole life. In our office, we talk about non-negotiable time. I think everyone needs to have non-negotiable time and it needs to be fit right into your schedule. My non-negotiable time is my exercise time. Nothing is going to get in the way of that. Because if I don’t do that self-care first, I can’t be there for my clients, I can’t be there for my team, and I certainly can’t create anything. For example, on Mondays during the summer, I ride my bike 25 miles home to my house over the Golden Gate Bridge with my Slalom jersey on. I’m here really early on Monday mornings and at 4pm I’m busting out to ride two hours home, and everyone knows this. One of the reasons Slalom has really worked for me is because of how important my family is to me. I’m a stepmom, I’m a wife, I have siblings and nieces and nephews near me. These are important people to me, and I want to be there for them. My stepson is captain of the JV football team, and I’m committed to going to his games at 4pm on Fridays. So, my team knows that this is one of my non-negotiable things. And I encourage everyone on my teams to tell each other what their non-negotiables are. test Icon What’s your vision for Slalom Northern California over the next few years? We have three core goals. The first is to achieve overall gender equality in terms of the composition of our team. We’re really close—it's within reach next year. And while there are a lot of other diversity goals that are equally important, I think this is the one that we need to just get done. I know that if we’re not constantly keeping our eyes on this and having honest conversations, then we won’t make progress. One way to get to gender equality is to increase the number of qualified women in our pipeline overall, because we know that we will hire equally through the pipeline. It’s a high priority to me to make this happen. The second thing we’re focusing on is partnering with more technology industry companies. There are so many clients in Northern California that are redefining the future of work. And as we, at Slalom, have redefined consulting—there’s so much potential for what we can do together. We haven’t yet reached as many of these companies as I think we could. The impact that we can have on the future, for example the use of technology for good, gender equality in technology—it’s very exciting. We really want to deepen our client partnerships and our alliance partnerships because of the importance that technology has on the future. And overall, I’m really committed to every individual at Slalom Northern California loving their work and life. It’s always at the forefront of everything we do. Who has been a big mentor to you? My Aunt Mary, my mom’s sister. Mary is the person who taught me to be brave, not perfect. I have a recollection of when I was young, maybe I’d just graduated from college, and I said, “I don’t know if I could read Dostoevsky. I don’t know if I could read Russian literature.” And I remember showing up at her house she’s like, “All right, here’s a copy of The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky and we’re going to read it.” And I got deep into literature as a result of that. She taught me to try things before I thought I was ready. The other thing that Mary taught me is to see every single person as an individual, and to meet them where they are. She taught me the importance of recognizing people’s unique strengths. It's about reaching in and discovering what’s unique about each person through great questions, deep listening, and engaging conversations. --- title: Q&A with Sarah Moesker: General Manager, Phoenix url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-moesker source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-moesker locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Sarah Moesker: General Manager, Phoenix - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-moesker - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/sarah-moesker - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Sarah Moesker: General Manager, Phoenix Sarah Moesker talks about helping Phoenix companies embrace change, what she looks for when she’s hiring, and the importance of being more than a coach and mentor. What makes a great consultant? Forever learners. Folks who are curious, humble, who have tremendous grit, and are consummate team players. Tell us more about why humility is important. When you think about your best friend, the best team you’ve ever worked on, your favorite boss, and you describe why those people and those experiences were so great—it’s usually because you were dedicated to a higher purpose together. It’s rarely because the person leading them was sure that they were the best in the world. If we want to produce the best teams and the best outcomes, there’s a certain amount of our own personal pride that we have to give up in service of the best solution for everyone. I’m not looking for a bunch of star players who cannot collaborate. I look for great collaborators who happen to be star players. What else are you looking for when you’re hiring? So, I have four tests. The first is the coal mine test. If both of us were locked in a coal mine for a week, would we both come out alive? If you pass that one, then you move to, would I let my child work for you? If you pass that one you move to the third which is, would I let you run the business without me? And then, my last criterion for hiring someone is, what’s the secret superpower that you’ll bring to Slalom Phoenix? What will you bring that will help us be better together tomorrow than we are today? Have you lived in Phoenix for a long time? What do you love about it? I moved to Phoenix twenty years ago, mostly for the weather. And certainly, this time of year, in the fall, in the winter, in the spring, it doesn’t disappoint. But really, the reason I’ve stayed in Phoenix for the last 20 years is, in addition to our enviable winter weather, is our great and dynamic mix of people. We really have a thriving innovation space. It’s driven, in large part, by Arizona State University. For the fifth year running, it has bested MIT and Stanford to be the most innovative university in the country. In addition to that, it’s really hard to top the Arizona sunsets. And the tacos—the tacos are delicious. Tell us about Slalom Phoenix. What’s special about the team there? I could go on and on about this one. What’s different about Slalom Phoenix is fundamentally the people. I have certainly, in my career, worked with companies that might have larger name recognition, but I have never worked with a better group of people in my life. They are consistently smart, ambitious, hardworking, but most of all, they’re incredibly kind and wonderful people. And without the kind part, none of the other characteristics really matter. I’m convinced that as we continue to recruit and hire folks who share and hold dear those characteristics, we will do unparalleled work right here at home, in the Valley of the Sun. What kind of work are you focused on in Slalom Phoenix? What trends are you seeing with clients? Phoenix is typically not on the leading edge of technology adoption. So, we’re helping our clients catch up in that great digital race. We’re helping our clients leverage their data, build technology solutions, and migrate to more robust and flexible cloud-based solutions so that they can be dominant players as we head into the next century. Shifting to the cloud is a lot of work for organizations. There are the technical aspects of the work, the migration. But the most challenging piece is the people and the process. People are having to come to terms with these big changes and shift their mindset—and then go from shifting their mindset to wholeheartedly embracing those changes. We love partnering with our clients to help them make these changes and seeing their organizations transform to be faster, more efficient, and set up for success in the future. How do you build diverse teams? The first thing you do is look at your community and ask yourself, What do our customers look like? What is our make up? And then, you turn the mirror on yourself and look in your office and ask, How well are we reflecting our customers in our community? You might notice some gaps. Then you have to proactively say, How am I going to go about addressing this gap? Often, your first, your second, and sometimes your third attempt don’t work. So you have to continue to measure and say, Okay, if this isn’t working, what am I going to try that’s different? If I am looking for Hispanic engineers, where do I find them? Maybe I go to my local universities and hire analysts out of the university that matches a Latinx subset of our Phoenix population. Maybe we change up our recruiters and make sure that we have adequate diversity in our recruiting team. Maybe we leverage our diverse employees to look for folks who look like them to tell their stories so that we can unlock across all segments of our cities and states. In addition to that, the other piece that’s really important from an inclusion and diversity standpoint is, it’s not just about gender, it’s not only about ethnicity. It’s also socioeconomic, it’s also based on sexual orientation. There’s more to inclusion and diversity than just a handful of factors. And then, to really make it work, you’ve got to go one click down and work together to solve challenges of unconscious bias. Because you can get the diversity piece through looking at the numbers, adjusting your tactics, but if you want the inclusion piece, as you start to resemble your community and the metrics that you’re looking for, you have to say, Okay, it’s not enough just to get to the numbers. Does everyone feel included? Which is really going to be the key to retaining and having that diverse workforce actually thrive. We’re working hard to pilot a series of trainings about unconscious bias. I’m not looking for a bunch of star players who cannot collaborate. I look for great collaborators who happen to be star players. How would you describe your leadership style? I was a rower in college, and I’m a triathlete today, so I see myself first as a coach, and second as a mentor. One of the things I’ve come to realize over the last couple of years is that those two things are not enough. In many cases I also need to step up into the role of a sponsor. Because there are a number of folks who are very worthy and who are incredibly hard workers but have blockers on their path forward. Sometimes coaching and mentoring are, quite frankly, not enough. So, I make sure to be a coach, mentor, and a sponsor. How do you define that, being a sponsor? What do you do in that role? I’ve been examining my own unconscious bias and my own privilege. I have a renewed awareness that some of the privilege that I have been granted doesn’t exist for other people. So, my job as a sponsor is to deeply understand an employee, a direct report, or a team member. Understand their strengths, their weaknesses, understand where they come from, and what they’re all about. And understand where there may be icebergs in their path to where they want to go and helping forcibly remove some of those. Because fundamentally, if they’re doing all the right behaviors and they’re not getting the results they need and deserve, sometimes they need somebody to forklift a barrier out of the way. It’s one thing to catch a fish for somebody. It’s another thing to teach somebody how to fish. But sometimes you can’t even get to the river. And sometimes my job is to drive you to the river so that I can teach you how to fish. That’s really powerful. Can you give an example? I realized about ten years ago—and it still gives me chills to say it—that I am capable of being a sexist even though I’m a woman. My second in command on a very large program—a quarter of a billion-dollar implementation—was a woman. I was coaching her to be bold. I was giving her specific direction about how to manage people, but fundamentally, no one had ever taught her the business. No one had taught her the finances. They were teaching her to be loud and speak bold but not how to play the game. I realized that even though I was of the same gender, her gender was a blocker for her to become a leader on our team, and I wasn’t helping to remove it. I realized that what I needed to do was create a safe space to teach her the business side of our program, as well as create a space for her at the table in those executive-level finance conversations. I’m pleased to say she became a leader. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? For me, it’s pretty simple. Remember who you are, where you came from, and what you’re all about. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Stephanie Van Eyk: General Manager, Western Canada url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/stephanie-van-eyk source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/stephanie-van-eyk locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Stephanie Van Eyk: General Manager, Western Canada - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/stephanie-van-eyk - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/stephanie-van-eyk - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Stephanie Van Eyk: General Manager, Western Canada We spoke to the leader of our Vancouver and Calgary teams about why Slalom stood out when she was a client, her passion for creating positive change, and her thoughts on courage. What attracted you to Slalom? The short answer is Slalom’s culture. I first got to know Slalom when I was a client working at an online travel startup [now a Fortune 500 company] building a technology organization. Over the six years I worked with Slalom, I was so impressed by the people and culture. The Slalom team was not only incredibly smart and innovative; they stayed laser-focused on the outcomes I needed. Slalom came through time and again with exactly the skills and experience I needed and delivered positive impacts in a collaborative, fun way. When I later decided to pursue a consulting career with a focus on our local community, Slalom was my top choice. Now, over 11 years later, I’m still incredibly impressed by, and proud of, our people. I get to work alongside leading industry professionals, innovators, and entrepreneurs. They are the best and brightest at what they do and have contagious passion and curiosity. You were the first General Manager of the Vancouver office in 2020 and recently expanded into Calgary. Tell us more about your approach to growth in Western Canada. Slalom started our first market in Western Canada in Vancouver because of the region’s vibrant economic landscape. Vancouver is a leading city for green job growth and quality of life. It’s a forward-thinking and global-minded city with a fantastic balance of thriving, innovative businesses and breathtaking natural beauty and active lifestyles. Calgary ranks in the top 100 emerging and tech start up ecosystems in the world. There’s such an exciting and diverse mix of industries with a focus on sustainability, specifically agribusiness and energy. Finding sustainable solutions for global challenges aligns with Slalom purpose to create better tomorrows for all. Both Vancouver and Calgary, with their thriving economies and great outdoors at our fingertips, align with Slalom’s vision to 'love your life and work.’ I couldn’t be more excited about making Slalom the top consulting employer for people who love this region and want to build an even brighter future. You mentioned sustainability aligning with Slalom’s purpose. Tell us more about your vision for supporting ESG [environmental, sustainability, governance] initiatives. I believe true success is measured in environmental and social terms, not just financial results. Helping our clients dream bigger and progress their ESG initiatives creates a better future for our communities and our team members. Although our focus is deeply rooted in Western Canada, we’re part of Slalom’s global force helping communities drive positive economic, social, and environmental change. To avert the worst impacts of climate change, the Canadian government is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal requires support and engagement from all Canadians, including provinces and territories, cities, indigenous peoples, Slalom, and our clients. We support this goal and creating sustainable solutions for ourselves, our clients, and our communities. I acknowledge that Slalom is on the traditional territories of the Indigenous Peoples. We are committed to building a better world, and that includes becoming one of the leading professional services partners for ESG and indigenous community-related work. One example is helping companies create ESG roadmaps with a focus on positive impact, which includes working with indigenous communities. Although our focus is deeply rooted in Western Canada, we’re part of Slalom’s global force helping communities drive economic, social, and environmental positive change. Trust is foundational. Trust unlocks people’s potential and gives them permission to be messy. Innovation comes out of the chaos, not when someone is afraid of failure. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Early on in my career, a fantastic mentor told me, “What got us here won’t get us there.” I challenge myself to think differently and introduce change, especially when it seems like we’re at our best. This stuck with me and aligns to who we are as a modern consulting company. It’s critical for us to evolve to our people’s and clients’ needs as they change, and to keep our work and perspectives driving for the best outcomes. As individuals, teams, and markets, we have a learner’s mindset, are always evolving to dream bigger and move faster, and are constantly striving to build a better future with our people and clients. As individuals, teams, and markets, we dream bigger, move faster, and are constantly striving to build a better future with our people and clients. What do you look for in new hires? I look for people who are not afraid to be their authentic selves at work, who are collaborative and passionate about doing what is right, and who embrace a learner’s mindset. I look for people who cultivate team excellence across differences and empower innovation. I’m looking for people who are highly adaptive and curious, because our clients’ and communities’ needs evolve quickly. I look for people drawn to building an exciting career with Slalom. I also consider our existing team and how someone new will help make us stronger through diversity and a new perspective, and foster our inclusive culture. In terms of skills and experience, I’m looking for people with expertise in strategy, technology, and transformation. What does it take to build a diverse and inclusive team? How are you approaching this? It’s important to start by attracting diverse candidates. We engage with community organizations and local universities. We seek to attract and retain a team with diverse backgrounds and experience. Gender diversity is also important. We participate in several women’s business and technology events to connect and explore topics people care about. I’ve heard from women in Western Canada that if there are no women in leadership at a company, and few females on the team, they won’t apply for a job there. Being a woman in technology leadership roles for 20-plus years, often the only female in the room, this is something I’m passionate about. In addition to bringing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the team, we strive to create an environment where people feel welcome and bring their whole, authentic selves—their best selves—to work every day. I want to build teams that are diverse and inclusive, because it allows every person the opportunity to love their life and work, in addition to driving great results for all. test Icon What do you love about leading? I love empowering others, helping them find the greatness in the themselves, and building confidence and trust in my team, because it inspires people to do their best work and take risks. Trust is foundational. Trust unlocks people’s potential and gives them permission to be messy. Innovation comes out of the chaos, not when someone is afraid of failure. Fear of failure hampers what people are capable of. What role has courage played in your life? I love the Anais Nin quote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I really believe that. I’m proud of being courageous in my career. For example, being a female executive in historically male-dominated industries, standing up for what I knew was the right thing to do, and moving to Canada to lead our markets in Western Canada. Outside of work, I love challenging myself through fitness, including competing in triathlons since 2004. I enjoy the discipline and pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. One thing that tested my courage was an open water swim from Alcatraz into the San Francisco Bay, with a small group of swimmers. It was a benefit for an organization dedicated to curing and preventing blindness and visual impairment. The swim from Alcatraz is infamous for frigid water, poor visibility, strong currents, and the presence of sharks. Thinking about the potential breakthroughs in research this fundraiser could support for people losing their vision, including other swimmers that morning, gave me the courage I needed that day. --- title: Q&A with Todd Christy: General Manager, Raleigh url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-christy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-christy locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Todd Christy: General Manager, Raleigh - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-christy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-christy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Todd Christy: General Manager, Raleigh We spoke to Todd Christy about what makes Raleigh unique, his entrepreneurial career path, and the one rule he lives by. You’ve been at Slalom since 2013 and were a founder of a software company before that. What can you tell us about your career before you came to Slalom? I graduated college as an engineer and took a pretty traditional software job for the first couple of years. I was definitely a low man in that group but learned a ton from those around me. I had a bunch of friends who were flying all over the world doing consulting, and I thought that was kind of a cool thing at the time. My fiancée was one of those. And I said, “Hey, this Andersen Consulting [now Accenture] thing looks pretty interesting.” I joined Andersen, was there for about four years, and I really liked it. But at the time, the dot-com boom was rising, and there were a lot of startups. I wanted to get in on that, so I left with a colleague of mine and we started a consulting company, which transformed into an enterprise mobility software company. I came up with a software idea and did a lot of the early engineering. I was a founder and CTO of that business and built a large team. We had about 200 employees. We were writing software for Pocket PCs, which was one of the very old-school devices. These were the very early days of enterprise mobility before companies were using mobile devices for anything other than email at best. Most mobile devices at the time weren’t even connected. We eventually sold that business, and I was on the sidelines for a bit. I was honestly not looking to get back into consulting. Then the GM of Slalom Boston, called me. And he said, “I’ve got this thing going on called Slalom. Not sure if you’ve heard of us, but I need a tech leader.” And that’s what led me here. Congrats on your success. You’re obviously an entrepreneurial person. How does that itch get scratched at Slalom? I was really interested in building another business, and it turned out leading the tech team in Boston was very much what I was looking for—not brand-new, about 30 people, a little over a year in, about $10 million in revenue. I was very fortunate to get in early, and the business grew 10 times in headcount and revenue before I left to start Slalom Raleigh. I loved the team in Boston and love the business there. But I was excited about the very different challenges of Slalom Raleigh—the excitement, opportunity, innovation, entrepreneurialism, and terror all rolled into one that is starting a new business from the ground up It’s hard to find an opportunity like that. It’s pretty darn entrepreneurial. I was excited about the very different challenges of Slalom Raleigh—the excitement, opportunity, innovation, entrepreneurialism, and terror all rolled into one that is starting a new business. What makes Raleigh a unique place to live and work? Raleigh is a vibrant commercial marketplace with a strong tech and life sciences segment. The commercial manufacturing industry is also quite significant here, as well as public sector and higher education. These are all industries that we have deep expertise in. There’s also tremendous access to talent through the universities here and through the lineage of RTP, the Research Triangle Park, which for decades has been a foundational infrastructure for companies to develop innovative and breakthrough technologies. It has a sort of campus-style setting for advancing business and tech and life sciences. That has fostered a real growth of entrepreneurialism and innovation and talent in this area. Combine that with the cost of living and a quality of life here and Raleigh is compelling. I think people will continue moving to Raleigh from high-density cities, and from a business standpoint, I’m very excited about that. Personally, I don’t have deep roots in Raleigh. But my youngest daughter was a competitive soccer player, and there’s a national tournament here that she was involved in for a few years. That led to her applying to Duke. So my wife, my daughter, and I have spent quite a bit of time in the Triangle. And getting away from harsh New England winters is never a bad thing. Combine those things, and we ended up in a good place. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten? One of my colleague’s hallmark statements is “Let’s build a great team, and good things will happen.” If you stick to the fundamental mantra of hiring amazing people and building a great team, you can weather an awful lot of adversity and also capitalize on an awful lot of opportunity. I hold that very close to heart and try to keep that bar very high. test Icon Have you made a mistake at some point in your career? If so, what did you learn from it? For sure. We could spend a long time on this one. One of the things I got completely wrong was when I was at my startup. When the iPhone came out in 2007, BlackBerry ruled the roost in the enterprise. Apple comes out with this new device, and it was very buzzworthy and garnered a lot of attention. I was convinced it was going to be a consumer-only device, that business activity would still take place on non-Apple devices. And I was very wrong about that. That was a painful lesson in the rapidity and the relentless force of innovation and technology in business. I try to remind myself when I feel like I’m getting confident or comfortable with tech or with business innovation, whatever it might be. Like, “Hey, it wasn’t that long ago you made a really bad prediction. Keep that in mind. Stay grounded.” What’s a rule that you live by? I’m a big believer that work ethic can overcome nearly all. You may not be the smartest or the first. There may be other barriers and limits. But you can usually work your way through most problems by bringing that amazing work ethic. I’ve seen so many people succeed that way. Is there a book or podcast that’s inspired you recently? I once listened to an interview on Jocko Willink’s podcast. It’s a four-and-a-half-hour interview, so this is a labor of love to get through, but he’s interviewing a guy named Jonny Kim, a Korean American who grew up in a very difficult life situation with an abusive father and joined the navy to escape. He became a Navy SEAL and served in combat on multiple tours. That’s a hell of an accomplishment in itself. Then he decided, “Yeah, that’s not enough.” He went to Harvard Medical School and became a doctor. Most of us would’ve said, “I’ve checked enough boxes.” But he then decided, “I’m going to be an astronaut.” So he’s now a NASA astronaut. He’s at the pinnacle of his third career. It’s very inspiring. He’s pretty physically slight but has been an amazing warrior and patriot, and is a humble guy who’s giving back through medicine and service—and now through science. Describe your perfect weekend day. I’m a big cyclist, so it starts out with a long bike ride in the morning. A couple of years ago I got captivated by car detailing, so I bought all this crazy car-cleaning equipment. I love to detail cars. If I ever leave Slalom, it might well be to run my own car-detailing business. But I don’t think I can do that just yet. So in my ideal day, I detail my car in the afternoon for a couple of hours. I love to cook. So my wife and I would cook an amazing dinner, barbecuing or something like that, and just hang out. That would be a good day for me. --- title: Q&A with Todd Sink: General Manager, London url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-sink source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-sink locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Todd Sink: General Manager, London - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-sink - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/todd-sink - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Todd Sink: General Manager, London Our leader in London opens up about where he gets his energy, staying curious, and finding a new home. Todd, you’re at the helm of Slalom’s London office, which was our first office in Europe. How do you see Slalom’s presence growing in London? We’re often described as the ‘best kept secret’ in business and technology consulting in London. As we help deliver transformative impact to more and more organisations, the secret won’t be kept for much longer! We offer an alternative to the norm: Slalom is human-centric and purpose-driven in our approach. This resonates in London, a thriving and diverse community with a lot of heart. Our fiercely human approach really must be seen in action, so it's important for us to create fresh environments for collaboration. Since we expanded our London Bridge office space in early 2023, we have made our office ‘home’ to our Slalom teams but also to our clients and partners too. It’s a thrill to watch the happy faces as they work together. What drives you? Time with our clients. Nothing gives me more energy than talking to clients and other business leaders about the transformations they wish to make. If we can help them grow and transform, that’s even better! I’m in a privileged position to be able to connect peers from a variety of industries, which helps them build greater momentum together. We have a community-focused approach. For our Slalom team, I can say I’m driven – hand-on-heart – when I see everyone around me having a great day. Anyone in business will tell you how easy that is to say, and how hard it is to actually make possible. How many great days have we had in recent years? There’s an imbalance due to factors we can’t control. I am driven more than ever to regain that for as many people as possible. The more smiles I see on others, the more I’ll smile in turn! What’s your leadership style? Being a leader is a privilege. As leaders, we are in a unique position to be able to make a positive impact on someone’s career and overall life. How can I help every individual to find their voice? Or realise their strengths, even if they weren’t aware of them themselves? Leadership is about supporting each and every individual. Next-level leadership is helping your teams to push past any doubts and go for it! You joined Slalom in 2006, what first attracted you? Slalom’s approach with people and with the local communities we work in. We meet to build relationships, not opportunities. If we focus on long-term positive impact for our clients, the purpose-driven opportunities will follow. You have over 30 years of experience. How did you get your start in consulting? I started as a developer in systems integration, and I wanted to fully understand the impact of the outcome we were creating with our clients, not just the job at hand. Great consultant and technologist behaviour puts the client at the centre of all we do, and that’s what brought my career to this industry. When you get close to feeling the impact you have on clients, you cannot go back. It’s energising and exhilarating. Circumstances change around us, ambitions grow, opportunities appear. Slalom’s here when organisations need help. You moved to the UK during a pandemic. How have you found it? In just two years, London has truly become my home. I worked in Seattle for the previous 15 years. There are certainly similarities in weather but big differences in the public transportation and history of these cities. My wife and I have been so struck by how friendly and open Londoners are. We really feel welcomed everywhere we go, and we take advantage of the buzzing restaurant and theatre scene. London is also a fantastic gateway to the rest of Europe. We have family in France and try to take advantage of the proximity to the many other wonderful sights in Europe. Each trip we explore and learn. I try to take what I learn back into my work life – building a broader understanding of European community and culture. In 2022 I had the privilege of running the London Marathon. This event gives all competitors and supporters an opportunity to experience the historic and modern aspects of London as well as the community aspects of the city. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? My dad used to always say, “You have two ears, and one mouth; use them proportionately.” Listening to a wide range of stakeholders is going to lead to a more purpose-driven outcome. My own interpretation of my father’s words: be curious. test Icon --- title: Q&A with Tom Kearney: General Manager, Portland url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/tom-kearney source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/tom-kearney locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Tom Kearney: General Manager, Portland - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/tom-kearney - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/tom-kearney - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Tom Kearney: General Manager, Portland As he leaves Seattle to lead the Portland office, Tom Kearney talks about staying energized, connecting with his team, and making an impact in the mid-market. Tell us about your journey to Slalom 10 years ago. I’ve been in consulting virtually my entire career and had heard about Slalom in the marketplace—particularly its reputation for having a fun culture and a bit of a different feel from the classic Big Four model. At one point, I had friends who were here and encouraged me to come over, but the timing just wasn’t right for me to leave my old company. About a year later, I started to see that in my role I’d need to start traveling quite a bit more. But my kids were in grade school, and it was important to me to be home for dinner every night, to coach their basketball games—all that good stuff. So Slalom’s no-travel model became super appealing to me. I reengaged with the folks I’d spoken with, and luckily the opportunity was still there. Before coming here, you’d heard great things about the culture. How have you found Slalom builds that in an authentic way? For me, it was apparent in the first meeting I ever attended here. It was clear that the decisions people made were tied to the culture that Slalom professed to have. It happened to be a staffing call, where we went through all the open opportunities to match consultants with upcoming projects. I had literally been with the company for thirty minutes, so I was just an observer at that point. And what struck me was that the conversations were about “Well, this role, or this project, really isn’t what that person is looking for. Why don’t we hold off to see if it’s a better fit for someone else.” Or “This person has been in this role for twelve months and really wants to do something different. How can we transition them out of that role and into something new?” At companies where I’d worked in the past, that was a conversation we rarely had. It was often, “Even if you’re a square peg in a round hole, that’s where you’re going, and we’ll check in on you in eighteen months.” So from the get-go, it was very apparent that Slalom is willing to walk the walk in terms of staffing. The mentality is that it’s better to lose an engagement than a consultant. test Icon What kind of trends are you seeing in the market right now? The biggest trend we’re seeing is that there’s an incredible demand for talent as well as a shortage of it, particularly in technology and consulting. There are companies that will allow you to work wherever you want in the world so long as you’ve got a Wi-Fi connection. Not everyone is at that point yet, but I think the pebble has started to roll down the hill and there’s potential for a tipping point at which everybody decides that in order to attract and retain talent, they need to provide that option. How do you keep your team motivated and inspired? I think you have to be intentional about making personal connections. As I’ve transitioned from the Seattle office down to Portland, I’ve spent most of my time reaching out individually and connecting with people to make sure we build one-on-one relationships. I want to know where they grew up and how they ended up at Slalom and in Portland. So far, I’ve met with 60 people and have about 60 more to go. To some degree, I’m regimented about it because that organic interaction we’re accustomed to isn’t going to happen remotely. We won’t bump into each other in the hall. I think that now we need to remember to make the time, put it on the calendar, and catch up. Otherwise, we lose sight of the importance of those connections. It’s one of the things we’ve lost in this virtual hybrid world—asking about soccer games, that kind of stuff. What’s energizing you and your work right now? What energizes me is meeting new people and learning about them, especially as I work to understand and explore the Portland office, the culture of the city, and the differences between Seattle and Portland that I’d never fully appreciated before. The client base is different as well. In Seattle, my focus had always been on large technology companies. Here, most of our clients are mid-market, and that means the work we do can be a big investment—and have an incredible impact. They’re betting on Slalom, and that’s powerful. What do you look for in a new hire? Most importantly, you need to be a team player. You need to be energized and enthusiastic about working with other people and playing a role that contributes to the whole. You want people to like you and see that you’re adding value, not wasting their time or money. Those are the intangibles—you just need to be wired that way. I think you also need to be comfortable with ambiguity. Consultants are often thrown into chaotic situations where it can take a few weeks to get their bearings, get organized, and learn the context of the situation. Being able to do that—to not know exactly what the end vision is but begin to shape it—is a really important skill in a consultant. On top of that, you need to be curious and have a desire to learn new things. Obviously, you need to work hard—but I don’t regret any of the time I spent with my kids in exchange for not doing something at work. Tell us what you do to maintain work-life balance. I make a point to really disconnect from work and occupy that headspace with other passions and interests. I’m an outdoors person, so I get up into the mountains or out on the water. Those are the things that motivate me. When five o’clock rolls around, I know I’ve got to get outside and go for a run and force myself to take that break. I’m not too bothered about cleaning up emails at night because I don’t burn the midnight oil all the time. So I keep a good energy level, I think. Tell us about a mistake you made and what you learned from it. We all make mistakes all the time, and the most important thing is to have perspective. When something goes wrong, one of the biggest mistakes is getting too wrapped up in feeling that people don’t understand your side of the story. You can get so focused on defending yourself that you don’t hear valuable feedback that you can learn from. Have you had any great mentors? The best mentor I had was my father. He wasn’t necessarily one to give advice, so it was more about observing what he did. He went about his business in a very disciplined, ethical, and thoughtful way. He had the biggest influence on me. If you could go back in time and give yourself career advice, what would it be? I think it’s the advice I gave myself, and I’m glad I did: Don’t invest all your time in work. Have balance. Your family needs to be your number one priority, because especially with kids you’ve got to treat your time as precious. They grow up really fast. Obviously, you need to work hard—but I don’t regret any of the time I spent with my kids in exchange for not doing something at work. --- title: Q&A with Wayne Ingram: President and Regional Leader, Canada and EMEA url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/wayne-ingram source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/wayne-ingram locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Wayne Ingram: President and Regional Leader, Canada and EMEA - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/wayne-ingram - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/wayne-ingram - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Wayne Ingram: President and Regional Leader, Canada and EMEA Welcome to Slalom! You’re at the helm of Slalom’s first Canadian office and second international office. How have you gone about diving into your new role so far? I’ve had the great fortune to start many different types of practices around the globe. But, Canada is my home, so I’m even more committed to this. I’ve raised four rather fantastic and very different children, so I’m applying my learnings to this journey. I’m really trying to learn. I’m asking a ton of questions and gaining so much insight from clients, vendor partners, and Slalom folks new and old. My goal is to understand what resonates best in Canada, and make sure that we create something that’s uniquely Canadian and uniquely Slalom. What does “uniquely Canadian” mean to you? Canada is a unique country, and we love to be Canadian. Our clients want to see the industry and technical expertise and knowledge of functional domains, but they also want a local team. We have the opportunity to do that. We’re part of a global entity, but we’ll be a very Canadian face. The goal is to build something that’s unique to Canada and serves the market here—which is exactly what Slalom’s all about. We’ll bring the experiences and global perspective from these different industries, but put a Canadian lens on it. If you could generalize based on the conversations you’ve had with clients—what types of solutions are they looking for? There’s a thirst for a refreshing alternative. Clients realize that we’re truly there to help with their agendas and focus on their business and technology challenges. The big trend we’re seeing is how to continue leveraging technology to drive business opportunity. It’s an area where we can bring a lot of value to the market. Slalom’s right at the sweet spot where business and technology converge. Almost every conversation we have, it may not start there directly, but it ends up there. On the advisory services side, they’re asking: help me think through this problem, help me use your expertise to make the right decisions. That’s coupled with wanting something that’s executable. Oh, and everybody wants it yesterday. There’s a thirst for a refreshing alternative. Clients realize that we’re truly there to help with their agendas and focus on their business and technology challenges. You’re building a solid team. What strengths are emerging? It’s about both breadth and depth. Canada has a strong workforce, and we’re attracting top talent. There are a few areas that stand out. First, customer experience. We’ve brought people from very diverse backgrounds, from marketing and brand loyalty to consulting and technology, and that’s an area where we’ve seen a huge impact right away. Also, the information management and analytics space. We’ve got quite a strong team with decades of experience with consulting and the actual hardware and software vendors, so they bring a very holistic view. We also have very strong industry expertise in healthcare, financial services, retail, and telecommunications, to highlight a few. For me, it’s about finding people that have the skills, but also have the passion and the desire to build this Canadian entity within Slalom. People who are really looking for the opportunity to set history because we are starting a company here, and that’s not something you do every day. How do you foresee Slalom’s presence growing in Canada? We are launching in Toronto to start. I look to see us grow across the major cities in Canada—as far west as Vancouver where we’re already gaining client interest and traction, the oil and gas centers of Calgary, and ultimately into Ottawa and Montreal. When you look across Canada and the make-up of each city, each has a unique business community. And that’s the beauty of Slalom: We have the opportunity to be locally focused and still leverage broader aspects of the company’s expertise. That’s really important, because regardless of where you live, you’re competing in global economy. In your short time with the company, what’s been the highlight? In an odd way, it feels like home. The Slalom culture is very embracing and that DNA really resonates with me. Secondly, what we’re doing and what we stand for is impressive. Slalom is still a relatively young company in the big picture, but we’re doing some really innovative work with a vast cross-section of clients. It’s exciting to see the work that’s going on and how leading edge it is. We are already leveraging that in Canada. You have more than 25 years of experience: How did you get your start in consulting? I feel I was somewhat wired for this job, though it was unbeknownst to me as a kid. I had a high-school teacher who strongly suggested that I get into computer science, and I had a father that strongly suggested I get into business. So, I did both: I have a business and a computer science degree. That’s augmented by my passion for working with great people to solve challenges that sometimes seem really daunting at first. A good day for me is a day that I get to spend time with our clients figuring out their business problems and with our teams, working through that and seeing the value that everybody brings to the table. What are you driven by? I love to solve problems. A good day for me is a day that I get to spend time with our clients figuring out their business problems and with our teams, working through that and seeing the value that everybody brings to the table. I’ve seen my teams do incredible things when minds with vastly different perspectives come together to solve complex problems. What’s your leadership style? I’m more of a player coach. I played a lot of team sports growing up, and I was a quarterback. I learned that you may be the star player, but it’s the ability to see the combined power of all positions that is so important. I’ve always believed the best leaders are the ones who push the team to achieve results that they couldn’t achieve individually, and enable people to achieve beyond their perceived abilities. If we can build a great team, it always delivers. What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given? My father’s advice was a question which is, “Why not?” We often look at things negatively and remain too focused on the downside. I consciously try to invert my thinking to, “Why not try it?” This way of thinking seems to be very prevalent at Slalom. --- title: Q&A with Yolanda Scott Weston: General Manager, Washington, DC url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/yolanda-scott-weston source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/yolanda-scott-weston locale: us/en content_type: Culture --- # Q&A with Yolanda Scott Weston: General Manager, Washington, DC - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/culture/yolanda-scott-weston - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/culture/yolanda-scott-weston - Locale: us/en - Content type: Culture ## Body Q&A with Yolanda Scott Weston: General Manager, Washington, DC Our DC leader talks Slalom’s secret sauce, celebrating yourself, and completing two half-marathons when you don’t actually like distance running. What attracted you to Slalom? I saw colleagues from my prior firm who had joined Slalom post about the company on social media. They talked about authenticity. Everyone seemed to be smiling and happy. And I felt this twinge of jealousy because it seemed like they had figured out how to have fun at work. I was intrigued and started to follow Slalom on LinkedIn. I met a former colleague for what I thought was a quick happy hour—and it turned into a three-month process that landed me here. Over those three months, I had the opportunity to meet with several of the DC office leaders, and I realized that everything I was seeing on social media truly represents what this company is about—from the people, to the culture, to the commitment to authenticity. The more I talk to people and experience Slalom, the more I fall in love with it. Slalom has figured out how to grow and thrive—and do it with heart, compassion, respect, and kindness. That, to me, is the Slalom secret sauce. What do you consider your greatest achievements? Becoming Slalom’s first female Black general manager is a huge accomplishment. I smile when I say that because I am so proud of myself, and so happy and full of hope for what’s to come in this role. Sometimes you’ve got to pat yourself on the back. I don’t celebrate myself often, but I stepped back and took stock of the fact that I worked really hard in my consulting career to get to this moment. It’s a big deal. On the personal side, I am very proud of the life I’ve built. I have a lot of love in my life, tons of support, and a lot of grace. There’s power in having that village of people who carry you and are always there. And I completed two half-marathons and a marathon relay. Wow! That’s huge. It’s huge for me considering I don’t like long-distance running! I wanted to push myself to see if I could. I thought, “If I do it, maybe I’ll love it.” And let’s be clear. I didn’t. But I felt accomplished because I stepped out of my comfort zone and pushed myself to do something. Slalom has figured out how to grow and thrive—and do it with heart, compassion, respect, and kindness. That, to me, is the Slalom secret sauce. What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever received—either from a colleague or someone who mentored you? Be who you are. Honor yourself. Celebrate your successes—because not everyone will. There’s a woman I follow named Carla Harris. She was the first African American to join Morgan Stanley’s management committee. She’s also a professional speaker and a staunch advocate for women and women of color. She says, “Sometimes you’ve got to take your hand, reach behind, pat yourself on the back, and say, ‘You go, girl.’” That pat on the back is your strength to keep moving forward. And for me, as an African American woman, I almost feel like you have to be fearless, because even with all the African American talent out there, you are oftentimes stepping into a space where you’re the first. The first or the only. Or the only. Right. And so, I think about that—even on this journey at Slalom. I am the first, and therefore the only, African American female GM here, and that comes with a tremendous responsibility to others who look like me. And a tremendous weight to want to do right by them and everyone else in this firm. test Icon Do you feel like you’ve had to compromise anything to succeed in your role? The answer to that is no. I’ve always been clear about who I am and what I bring to this space. If the market or the people I’m around don’t respect and honor that, then it’s not a place for me. Being Black and being female are the essence of who I am. I can’t change any of that to fit into a culture that doesn’t understand or respect that—and I wouldn’t want to be a part of it. What is your leadership style? Servant leadership is the umbrella over everything. Part of that servant leadership is me asking myself, “What am I doing for you?” and “How do we do this together?” I am extremely collaborative. My vision serves as a North Star, and I cultivate it within groups by asking opinions and listening deeply to the answers. It’s important to tap into the collective wisdom of the group to discover the next best step, or to make sure that we’re all in it together. My style is also very transparent. And to borrow Brené Brown’s words, “Clear is kind.” So I will always be honest and clear with you. And it may not always be what you want to hear, but I’ll deliver that message with empathy and with kindness. What does it take to build a diverse and inclusive team? And how are you approaching this in your DC market? As a leader, you have to believe that it makes your business better—that it’s not just a box-checking thing. The only way it works is if there is an authenticity to your belief—that’s number one. And then other things follow: We have to focus on our recruiting, sourcing, and selection practices. We’ve got to think differently about where we’re connecting for diverse talent and pipelines. The other day someone said something that stuck in my head: “You can’t find what you're not looking for.” Our talent acquisition team spends a lot of time training for unbiased interviewing and selection processes—there is a commitment from our group to do that. The second piece is developing a shared understanding that achieving diversity takes commitment and hard work from everyone—it doesn’t just happen organically. How are we engaging in open, honest, and multidirectional dialogue? How are we celebrating differences? Do we have a zero-tolerance mentality for behavior that’s not true to who we say we are? I will always be honest and clear with you. And it may not always be what you want to hear, but I’ll deliver that message with empathy and with kindness. What books, podcasts, or thought leaders have influenced you? My all-time favorite is Brené Brown. In 2010, I had the opportunity to listen to her speak on vulnerability. And I will tell you, it changed me forever—how I show up at home and at work, and my willingness to tell my stories and speak my own truth. I’ve read all her books and every morning I listen to her podcast. Simon Sinek is another favorite. The person who speaks most to my soul is Maya Angelou—from her poetry to her books and how she lived her life. I am truly inspired by her. It sounds like authenticity is important to you. Authenticity is really important to me. It took me a while to trust that Slalom wouldn’t hold it against me when they said, “Be authentic.” I spent 17 years at a company I loved prior to coming to Slalom. But my two and a half years here have truly taught me the meaning of authenticity. What’s your favorite Slalom core value, and why? I used to say the bookends Do what is right, always and Smile. But I think my favorite core value is Smile. There is power in the smile—it’s contagious, and it can turn someone’s day around. --- title: Slalom Reach url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-reach source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-reach locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Reach - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-reach - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-reach - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary We strive to build awareness by attracting, connecting, retaining, and advancing Black team members, as well as expanding REACH’s networking relationships for the betterment of Slalom, our brand, our people, and our Black community. ## Body Slalom Reach We strive to build awareness by attracting, connecting, retaining, and advancing Black team members, as well as expanding REACH’s networking relationships for the betterment of Slalom, our brand, our people, and our Black community. Salesforce REACH (Recruiting, Education, Authenticity, Community, Heritage) is a community of engaged team members creating an empowered community for Black employees and allies to learn, share, and succeed professionally and personally. Mission REACH builds awareness and connection by fostering relationships that strengthen our people, our communities, and the future of Slalom—creating space for growth, authenticity, and collective impact. Objectives - Create a purpose-driven company of connected, empowered, and engaged team members who collaborate with the communities in which we live and work. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. This is a place where I feel that I can be open about my experiences as a Black man in a way that I have not before. Cyrell Williams Senior Director, Los Angeles Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. It’s the ability to be around community, and for them to inspire, challenge, and unlock unrealized potential. Slalom promotes this connection that drives authentic Slalomers to show up and be there—and when it’s a person that looks like you, it elevates the experience even more. Dwayne King Project Manager, Seattle Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Every day I learn something new about myself, the business, or our people. To be in constant learn mode and to be open to what that unlocks for you and others—that’s the Slalom difference. Yolanda Scott Weston General Manager, Washington, DC Learn more about Yolanda AfroTech, 2022 Icon REACH senior leaders were honored with stoles during AfroTech’s Professional Development Day. REACH Professional Development Day, Huston-Tillotson University, 2022 REACH members gather for an epic group photo during Professional Development Day at AfroTech. Global REACH Meetup, 2019 REACH members from across Slalom markets unite in a powerful celebration of community. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Environmental Impact url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact locale: us/en content_type: Environmental Impact Template --- # Environmental Impact - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact - Locale: us/en - Content type: Environmental Impact Template ## Summary We’re committed to operating every part of our business sustainably and responsibly, while creating innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. ## Body Environmental Impact We’re committed to operating every part of our business sustainably and responsibly, while creating innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. environmental hero Environmental impact At Slalom, we believe it’s our collective responsibility to be good stewards of the planet. That’s why we’re advancing our own sustainability efforts and scaling our expertise to help our customers do the same. Protecting the environment for future generations directly ties to Slalom’s purpose and core values. We believe embracing sustainability will enable us to improve the health of the planet and help meet the challenges of our customers and communities where we work and live. Tony Rojas President Slalom president Tony Rojas is passionate about health and fitness, a proud parent of three adult daughters pursuing careers in special education, and a tireless advocate for activating Slalom’s vision for a world where every person has the opportunity to love their life and work—through the work we do, the stories we tell, and the impact we make. Tony Rojas Our planet goals Our 2020-2030 goals seek to minimize Slalom’s operational and supply chain environmental footprint in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals for affordable and clean energy, climate action, and responsible consumption and production. Goal 1 Achieve carbon neutrality in our operations emissions and shift to 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Goal 2 Implement waste reduction programs across all Slalom offices. Our decarbonization journey so far picture 1 In 2020, we conducted our first environmental impact assessment We engaged with employees, customers, communities, suppliers, and partners to review our 2019 practices and set a baseline. The assessment affirmed what we were already doing well and revealed significant opportunities for us to improve. As a result of the assessment, we set a goal. To embrace sustainability, including achieving carbon-neutral emissions and shifting to 100% renewable energy by or before 2030. In 2021, we joined The Climate Pledge [The Climate Pledge](https://www.theclimatepledge.com) is a call to businesses and organizations to take collective action on the world’s most pressing crisis and work together for a safe and healthy planet for future generations. As a signatory, Slalom is committed to measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis, implementing decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2024, our near-term Science-Based Targets were approved by SBTi The Science Based Targets initiative has validated that the science-based greenhouse gas emissions reductions target(s) submitted by Slalom Inc. conform with the SBTi Criteria and Recommendations (Criteria version 5.1). SBTi has classified Slalom’s scope 1 and 2 target ambition as in line with a 1.5°C trajectory. Slalom commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 46.2% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Slalom also commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions 55% per FTE within the same timeframe. In 2025, we committed to eliminating single-use plastics from our operations Our plastics commitment is aligned to the [Global Plastics Pact Network](https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-plastics-pact-network) which brings stakeholders together to implement solutions for a circular economy. At Slalom, we commit to eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic materials from our operations—and will fully transition to reusable or compostable alternatives by 2030. slalom renewable energy initiative In 2026, we secured renewable energy We secured renewable energy through a new solar project in North Carolina, allowing us to match our U.S. electricity needs through 2030. This milestone advances our commitment to be 100% renewable while supporting domestic manufacturing, fair labor practices, and economic growth in a local community. Learn more [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-solar-project-in-north-carolina). Play Video Emily Salamander Integrating sustainability into business planning allows you to manage risks and add new value in a rapidly changing world. Sustainability challenges you to be a long-term thinker; it fosters a mindset where you consider the impacts of your actions and decisions in the present and the future. Each year, we report on our planet, community, and people impact Reports statements Want to learn more about our commitment and journey? - [2025 Impact Report Highlights (PDF)](https://www.slalom.com/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/2025_Slalom_Highlights_Report-13.pdf) - [2025 TCFD Report (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/Slalom%202025%20TCFD%20Report%20Final.pdf) - [2025 GHG Verification Statement (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/2025_GHG_Verification_Statement.pdf) - [2019 GHG Verification Statement (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/2019%20Slalom%20GHG%20Reissued%20Verification%20Letter.pdf) - [Slalom Environmental Statement (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/SlalomEnvironmentalStatement2025.pdf) - [Slalom Responsible Sourcing Policy](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/Supplier%20Responsible%20Sourcing%20Policy%2010.03.2025.pdf) - [Climate Transition Plan (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/Slalom_ClimateTransitionPlan_2025.pdf) - [2024 Impact Report (PDF)](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2024-Impact-Report) - [2023 Impact Report (PDF)](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2023-Impact-Report) - https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2022-Impact-Report.pdf [2022 Impact Report (PDF)](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2022-Impact-Report.pdf) - [2021 Impact Report (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/environmental-impact-slalom-impact-report-2021-en-us.pdf) - [2020 Impact Report (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/environmental-impact-slalom-impact-report-2020-en-us.pdf) - [2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report (PDF)](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/environmental-impact-slalom-corporate-social-responsibility-report-2019-en-us.pdf) - [Greenhouse Gas Emissions Base Year and Recalculation Policy](/content/dam/slalom/scom-site/us/home/who-we-are/environment-assets/SlalomBaseYearPolicyvF9.10.24.pdf) iy1jocgsxa --- title: Adobe Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/adobe-summit source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/adobe-summit locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Adobe Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/adobe-summit - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/adobe-summit - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Meet us at Adobe Summit to explore integrated marketing solutions powered by AI, digital experience technology, and connected data. ## Body Adobe Summit Adobe Summit | Slalom Meet us at Adobe Summit to explore integrated marketing solutions powered by AI, digital experience technology, and connected data. Today’s customers interact in moments, not funnels. We’re attending Adobe Summit 2026 to help business leaders build a foundation for growth by connecting strategy, data, and digital experience technology. From analytics and AI-powered personalization to customer journey orchestration, we design experiences that turn fragmented signals into meaningful, one-to-one engagement—and real business impact. Exclusive Slalom events These exclusive, curated events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts attending Adobe Summit. Accelarated Engineering Image Future of Marketing When backed by connected data, technology, AI, and operating models, growth becomes something repeatable—not reactive. We help marketing leaders cut through complexity to meet their customers where it matters most. Read story How we help teams turn experience into growth: We partner with organizations to build experience‑led growth engines on Adobe-connecting data, content, and journeys to drive impact faster. 01. Activate real‑time customer intelligence Unify, govern, and activate customer data to power personalization without compromising trust. 02. Scale content without sacrificing quality Modernize your content supply chain to deliver high‑impact, personalized experiences at speed. 03. Orchestrate experiences that promote loyalty Design and optimize journeys that respond to customers in real time-across every channel. Connect with an expert Our offerings Not every engagement needs to start from scratch. Our focused, outcome‑driven offerings help teams launch, optimize, and unlock value from Adobe technologies without long timelines or heavy lift. Visit our booth to learn more through live demos and personalized discussions. Adobe QuickStarts These are pre‑defined, short‑term engagements designed to help teams launch Adobe capabilities quickly and confidently. Using proven patterns and best practices, we help you move from zero to value in weeks-not months. Capabilities: - GenStudio - Customer Journey Analytics - Experience Manager - Marketo - Adobe Target - Workfront Additional QuickStarts coming soon Adobe Health Checks Health Checks are focused assessments for organizations already using Adobe, but not seeing the value they expected. We diagnose what's holding you back, identify quick wins, and deliver a clear, prioritized roadmap to improve performance. Capabilities: - Customer Journey Analytics - Experience Manager - Marketo Engage - Real-Time CDP - Workfront Additional Health Checks coming soon. Value Accelerators These short, targeted engagements help teams operationalize Adobe capabilities beyond their initial setup. Our solutions focus on governance, enablement, and activation so teams can move faster with confidence. Capabilities: - Experimentation personalization practices - Analytics enablement - Content and journey operations Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love We helped Pathward build an Adobe-powered integrated marketing technology foundation to support its brand relaunch, boosting digital engagement, enhancing customer experiences, and streamlining internal processes. Meet our leaders We’re here to help you design for real customer moments and go from planning growth to proving it. Connect with Slalom leaders at Adobe Summit for thoughtful, one-on-one conversations about the challenges shaping marketing today. Pre-book your appointment Joaquim Vilella Gallart Joaquim leads Slalom's Adobe practice, driving large-scale marketing technology transformations that enable personalization at scale through the strategic orchestration of data, journeys, and AI-drive experiences. Connect with Joaquim Sridhar Andavar Sridhar leads the Journey and B2B pillar within Slalom's Adobe practice, helping organizations connect data, identity, and content to deliver personalized journeys at scale. Connect with Sridhar Kristen Fox Kristen specializes in implementing enterprise-scale Adobe solutions by bridging the gap between technical strategy and business goals to transform complex client challenges into high-impact partnerships. Connect with Kristen Tim Furlow Tim specializes in leveraging Adobe Experience Cloud to design and deliver highly personalized, data-driven customer experiences that connect strategy, technology, and execution. Connect with Tim Thomas Wellvang Thomas is a marketing technology leader who has helped some of the largest companies in the world deliver innovative customer experiences and scalable solutions. Connect with Thomas Mike Dunnigan As the alliance lead, Mike is committed to driving collaboration across Adobe and Slalom to ensure customer success, innovation, and capability growth. Connect with Mike Frequently asked questions Find answers to common questions about our presence at Adobe Summit 2026: Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: AWS re:Invent url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/aws-reinvent source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/aws-reinvent locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # AWS re:Invent - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/aws-reinvent - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/aws-reinvent - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Body AWS re:Invent Las Vegas, NV December 1 – 5, 2025 We’re bringing more to AWS re:Invent 2025 At Slalom, we help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Few places are more conducive to those goals than AWS re:Invent. This annual conference hosted by AWS brings together tech enthusiasts, professionals, and experts for a week of innovation and exploration in cloud technology. This year, Slalom is a Gold sponsor and you can find us at booth 625. Outside of the Expo, we’re hosting customer meetings, exclusive customer events, participating in speaking sessions, and gathering insights from an eventful week. Deploying a global event-based app built on GKE Enterprise In this session, Slalom and Bayer AG will discuss how Bayer AG leverages GKE Enterprise, to build an internal developer platform, integrating Anthos features like Config Sync and Service Mesh. You’ll hear how the implementation, automated through Cloud Build and Terraform, empowered Bayer AG to establish robust security and DevOps practices to support its data engineering teams. Stay tuned for the date! Read story Find us at booth 625 near the AWS for Industries Pavilion If you’ve got a ticket into the expo hall this year, visit us at booth 625. We’ll be there and ready to talk about all things legacy modernization with you. We’ll also have some lip balm for you (it’s a desert out there after all) and a raffle for you to enter. Hosting colleagues and customers at LAVO Planning on meeting with a Slalom team member during re:Invent? We’re back at LAVO hosting meetings with colleagues and customers. Meetings are by appointment; please schedule in advance with your Slalom contact. Join us for BOBS Bash in Vegas! BOBS isn't just a Big Old Backend System—he’s a legend. Built on uptime, trust, and decades of service. But even legends need a next chapter. Join us at Happy Camper to toast to BOBS and celebrate what’s next. Read more Accelerate Legacy Modernization with Slalom AWS Start engineering for the future. Learn how Slalom combines AWS-native AI tooling like Amazon Q and Amazon Transform, modern delivery, and human-centered change to turn legacy from a liability into a launchpad. Building enterprise-grade Agentic AI factory Join Stefan Buchman to learn how to master the art of building enterprise-scale Agentic-AI factories. Through detailed architectural discussions and demonstrations, explore secure agent-to-agent communication through MCP protocol implementation. Featured Story Placeholder La-Z-Boy: A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future From legacy to agility. With Slalom and AWS, La-Z-Boy is retiring its mainframe to cut costs, reduce technical debt, and build a faster foundation for growth. See all AWS stories Learn more about our AWS expertise solutions Zero Legacy guide Mainframe modernization with Slalom & AWS Start engineering the future. Slalom combines AWS-native AI tooling like Amazon Q, modern delivery, and human-centered change to turn legacy from a liability into a launchpad. Whether you're dealing with aging applications, growing mainframe risk, or siloed data platforms, we help you modernize on AWS with clarity, safety, and speed—without disruption or delay. Learn more Generative AI with Slalom & AWS For many organizations, the cloud is the only place where it makes sense to use emerging technologies like AI. Here are the AI-powered solutions we create with our customers on AWS, as well as the approaches we recommend for responsible AI implementation. Browse AI insights Proud to be an AWS Partner As a member of the AWS Partner Network since 2010, we’ve been helping organizations achieve measurable business impact with AWS for well over a decade. Learn more about our award-winning relationship with AWS and the work we do with our shared customers. WD Land Leader Placeholder WD leads our global AWS business team and has been at Slalom since 2007. With 20+ years in business and technology consulting, he’s skilled at—and passionate about—leveraging modern technology trends and Slalom capabilities to accelerate business outcomes and goal completion for clients. Liz Lounsbury Leadership Liz is a leader on our global AWS business team, focused on collaborating with AWS to help customers solve their toughest challenges. She helps customers with their cloud journeys—whether they’re migrating to the cloud or building modern products in the cloud. Jeff Kempiners Jeff leads the Amazon Center of Excellence for Slalom. His team uses AWS technology to deliver solutions spanning cloud infrastructure, development, data, AI, modernization, optimization, and security. Walt Austin Walt leads our AWS solution sales team and has been at Slalom for over 17 years. Guiding our largest implementations in cloud, software engineering, and mainframe modernization has fueled his passion to help organizations transform and grow during their cloud journey. Don Piluso Rob Koch A tech enthusiast and AWS Data Hero who thrives when steering projects from initial spark to successful fruition, Rob’s expertise in architecting event-driven systems is rooted in the belief that data should be harnessed in real time. Rahul Grover Rahul loves to provide performant, reliable, and scalable solutions to complex business problems. He's successfully delivered cloud-native, globally scalable, and distributed applications on AWS for customers from startups to large enterprises. --- title: Data + AI Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/data-and-ai-summit source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/data-and-ai-summit locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Data + AI Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/data-and-ai-summit - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/data-and-ai-summit - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Databricks Data + AI Summit 2026. Discover AI solutions, Lakehouse innovation, live demos, and real-world industry use cases. ## Body Data + AI Summit Data + AI Summit | Slalom Join Slalom at Databricks Data + AI Summit 2026. Discover AI solutions, Lakehouse innovation, live demos, and real-world industry use cases. Connect with us at Data + AI Summit Slalom is proud to be an Innovator Sponsor at Data + AI Summit and to connect with leaders putting data and AI to work at scale. Visit our booth for hands-on demos and see how Databricks enables data, analytics, and AI that runs across your business—from data and analytics to decisions and workflows. Hear real customer stories on what it takes to move from experimentation to production with the governance, ownership, and confidence to scale. Throughout the week, we are hosting events at Minna Gallery and showcasing industry-specific solutions and Brickbuilder accelerators designed to bring AI to life in real-world contexts. As a Databricks Platinum partner with over a decade of partnership, we combine deep industry expertise with proven technical capabilities to turn platform potential into AI that operates across the business and delivers measurable outcomes. Speaking sessions Join our experts as they share insights on the latest trends in scaling AI through modern data platforms, trusted governance frameworks, and agent-driven delivery models on Databricks. All sessions are open to Data + AI Summit attendees. Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Data + AI Summit. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Featured solutions Join us at Minna Gallery to experience live demos and connect with our team about how our solutions can move your business forward. GenDocIQ GenDocIQ enables enterprises to extract, reason, and act on insights from unstructured documents using generative AI. Built on Databricks, it unifies data, accelerates analysis, and streamlines decisions across regulated and unregulated industries. Get faster insights AI Value Platform Discover Slalom’s AI Value Platform to see how it helps organizations realize the full potential of their AI investments by forecasting total cost of ownership, return on investment, and risk. Built for Databricks, the platform enables smarter prioritization and confident scaling of AI initiatives. Connect AI to ROI Insurance 360 Built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, Insurance 360 unifies policyholder data to build better experiences, reduce friction, and support smarter decisions across policy and claims. Start optimizing Accelarated Engineering Image Kawasaki Heavy Industries Learn how Kawasaki is leveraging intelligent products to make it easier and less expensive for U.S. rail companies to keep their tracks safe—with help from Slalom, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Databricks. Read story Meet our leaders Connect with Slalom executives attending Data + AI Summit. Our leaders are available for one-on-one discussions about your business challenges and opportunities. Ryan Gifford Ryan leads Slalom’s global data and AI practice, partnering with clients to unlock value through modern data platforms and AI-driven transformation. Connect with Ryan Sebastian Richters Sebastian leads Slalom’s global Databricks Business Unit, helping organizations modernize their data platforms and scale AI through strategic partnerships. Connect with Sebastian Soumya Ghosh Soumya is the head of Slalom’s Databricks Center of Excellence, delivering impactful data and AI solutions across industries through deep technical and domain expertise. Connect with Soumya Noel Anson Noel leads Slalom’s Databricks Business Unit in the U.S., helping organizations deliver large-scale data and AI transformations that drive measurable impact. Connect with Noel Cameron Shotwell Cameron designs data and AI architectures that integrate generative intelligence into enterprise systems to enhance decision-making and improve how organizations operate. Connect with Cameron Pragathi Sharma Pragathi is a Databricks Champion who helps teams solve complex challenges and accelerate delivery through scalable data and AI solutions. Connect with Pragathi AMER Industries Business Unit Partner of the Year 2025 Canada Partner of the Year SLED Partner of the Year databricks healthcare partner slalom Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year 2024 See all awards FAQs Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Dreamforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/dreamforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/dreamforce locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Dreamforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/dreamforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/dreamforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Dreamforce and dive into a world where data cloud, AI, and hyperscalers converge to unlock endless possibilities. ## Body Dreamforce Dreamforce 2026 Join Slalom at Dreamforce and dive into a world where data cloud, AI, and hyperscalers converge to unlock endless possibilities. Set AI in motion at Dreamforce Let's talk about what's standing between your Salesforce investment and measurable AI value. Every organization arrives at Dreamforce with ideas for what's possible. The challenge is turning those ideas into secure, scalable outcomes that improve customer experiences, empower employees, and drive measurable business results. That's where Slalom comes in. As a top global Salesforce partner and founding member of the Agentforce Partner Network, we help organizations connect trusted data, Agentforce, modern customer experiences, and AI-powered workflows into solutions people actually use. Whether you're just getting started or scaling AI across the enterprise, meet with our experts to explore practical strategies, real customer stories, and proven approaches for putting Salesforce AI into motion. Speaking sessions Hear from our experts as they share insights on the latest trends in Agentforce, Data Cloud, Industry Clouds and Headless 360. All sessions are open to Dreamforce attendees. Catch Your Complaints: Agentforce for Financial Services Learn how Slalom built agentic complaints detection on Agentforce for Financial Services that catches under-reported complaints across voice and digital channels and cuts QA time by 15 min per case. Register Mirum’s Connected Patient Services Journey Discover how Mirum Pharmaceuticals built its first owned patient services platform on Agentforce for Life Sciences, unifying patient journey data and laying the foundation for Agentforce. The AI Will See You Now: Penn Medicine Agentforce Lessons Learn how Penn Medicine deployed Agentforce across patient-facing and internal workflows to improve patient and contact center experiences, scale responsibly, and manage consumption and quality. Headless AI for High-Stakes Work See how regulated enterprises turn signals into governed, auditable actions—before AI speaks to a customer. Learn how headless AI reduces risk, preserves human authority, and scales with confidence. Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Dreamforce. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Continue the conversation beyond the conference floor. Slalom is hosting curated Dreamforce experiences designed for deeper connection, practical discussion, and industry-focused networking. Featured solutions Discover the Salesforce solutions and accelerators we're showcasing at Dreamforce, and how they're helping organizations set AI in motion. Visit our booth for live demos and personalized consultations. Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Experience the transformative capabilities of combining Salesforce's Data Cloud and Agentforce to unlock deeper insights from your customer data, empowering you to deliver highly personalized experiences driven by predictive and generative AI insights.​ Personalize every moment AI Value Platform Focus your AI investments on the opportunities that matter most. Our AI Value Platform helps organizations prioritize, evaluate, and measure AI initiatives from strategy through execution. Focus your AI strategy Salesforce Data Cloud Readiness Workshop Prepare for success with our interactive Salesforce Data Cloud Readiness workshop. Discover the power of customer data, gain insights and strategies to optimize data utilization, and leave with tangible next steps. Plan your next move How Agentforce streamlines customer experience and operations Avetta wanted to scale its AI offerings to deliver even better ​​​​internal and external customer support experiences while boosting internal efficiency for its team’s live agents. Meet our leaders Connect with Slalom executives attending Dreamforce. Our thought leaders are available for one-on-one discussions about your business challenges and opportunities. Sarah Duffy Sarah leads Slalom’s global Salesforce team, NorCal market, and our global enterprise portfolio from San Francisco. She advances strategic partnerships and spurs transformational growth, helping organizations build future-ready capabilities to deliver measurable outcomes. Jim Clarke Jim is a Denver-based leader in Slalom’s Salesforce practice. He leads strategy, growth, and delivery across a global enterprise platforms organization. He helps leaders scale Salesforce business planning capabilities to drive measurable client outcomes while building durable, adaptive operating models. Mike McNeal Mike is a Denver-based leader in Slalom’s Salesforce practice. He brings 20+ years of experience at the intersection of technology, data, and growth, helping enterprises translate customer engagement into measurable business outcomes. Dan Pinto Dan is a NYC Metro–based leader in Slalom’s Salesforce practice. He partners with some of the world’s most influential organizations to turn complex challenges into growth, scaling high-performing teams and driving exceptional client outcomes. Awards & recognition 10x Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Winner 2025 2025 Partner of the Year 2025 Snowflake Global AI Partner of the Year 2025 AMER Industries Business Unit Partner of the Year See all awards Frequently asked questions Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Google Next url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-cloud-next source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-cloud-next locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Google Next - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-cloud-next - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-cloud-next - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Google Cloud Next to explore AI-powered modernization, cloud-native transformation, and our Zero Legacy strategy. ## Body Google Next Google Next | Slalom Join Slalom at Google Cloud Next to explore AI-powered modernization, cloud-native transformation, and our Zero Legacy strategy. Google Cloud Next Let’s connect at Google Next Slalom is proud to be a Velocity sponsor at Google Cloud Next, where we're showcasing how we help companies modernize for what's next using Google Cloud. Visit us at booth #3017 to see hands-on demos and hear real customer stories that show how AI-driven modernization accelerates delivery, improves decision-making, and drives measurable business impact. Throughout the week, we're meeting with customers and hosting events to exchange insights and practical strategies for moving beyond legacy systems. Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Google Cloud Next. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Featured solutions Stop by booth #3017 to experience live demos and connect with our team about how these solutions can move your business forward. MarTech Agent Turn unstructured chat history into structured, actionable insights in BigQuery so marketing, analytics, and product teams can make faster, more informed decisions. See overview Video Transcoding Agent Automates video localization with AI-powered transcription, translation, and transcoding to reach global audiences with speed and consistency. Learn more Zero Legacy Move beyond outdated systems with speed and clarity. Through AI-assisted modernization, we help transform legacy technology into secure, cloud-native foundations built for continuous evolution. Explore how Accelarated Engineering Image PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI We partnered with PUMA to launch AI Creator—an innovative experience that invited fans worldwide to cocreate Manchester City jerseys and compete in a landmark contest that fueled record-breaking engagement. Read story Meet our Google Cloud leaders Connect with the Slalom team at Google Cloud Next. Our leaders are available for one-on-one conversations about your business priorities, challenges, and opportunities. Dr. Randi Cowin, Ph.D. Randi is a leader in Google Cloud data, analytics, and AI services. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics and brings deep technical and analytical expertise to help clients unlock value from Google Cloud data and AI solutions. Connect with Randi Daniel Prager Daniel leads strategic cloud partnerships that drive growth and transformation. With a background in data and analytics consulting, he specializes in building go-to-market strategies and high-performing alliance teams. Connect with Daniel Sean Everhart Sean leads Slalom’s strategic partnership with Google, helping clients deliver high-impact AI and cloud transformation initiatives. He brings deep experience in technology strategy and enterprise transformation. Connect with Sean Don Piluso Don is a technology and business leader with deep expertise in cloud transformation, enterprise consulting, and business strategy. As Global Cloud Leader at Slalom, he drives the vision, strategy, and execution of the company’s cloud platform business, overseeing delivery, community, growth, partnerships, and large-scale cloud transformations for Fortune 500 clients. Connect with Don Marcus Forman Marcus brings over 20 years of federal service in U.S. Army Special Operations, combined with consulting experience in the public and social impact sector. He partners with leaders to solve complex challenges and deliver mission-driven transformation. Connect with Marcus US State & Local Government (SLG) Partner of the Year Award 2026 Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector 2025 Partner of the Year Award for Services in the United States 2024 Infrastructure Partner of the Year 2023 North America Services Partner of the Year 2022 Frequently asked questions Find answers to common questions about Google Cloud Next and Slalom’s presence: Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Google Next url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-next source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-next locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Google Next - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-next - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/google-next - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Google Cloud Next to explore AI-powered modernization, cloud-native transformation, and our Zero Legacy strategy. ## Body Google Next Google Next | Slalom Join Slalom at Google Cloud Next to explore AI-powered modernization, cloud-native transformation, and our Zero Legacy strategy. Google Cloud Next Let’s connect at Google Next Slalom is proud to be a Velocity sponsor at Google Cloud Next, where we're showcasing how we help companies modernize for what's next using Google Cloud. Visit us at booth #3017 to see hands-on demos and hear real customer stories that show how AI-driven modernization accelerates delivery, improves decision-making, and drives measurable business impact. Throughout the week, we're meeting with customers and hosting events to exchange insights and practical strategies for moving beyond legacy systems. Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Google Cloud Next. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Featured solutions Stop by booth #3017 to experience live demos and connect with our team about how these solutions can move your business forward. MarTech Agent Turn unstructured chat history into structured, actionable insights in BigQuery so marketing, analytics, and product teams can make faster, more informed decisions. See overview Video Transcoding Agent Automates video localization with AI-powered transcription, translation, and transcoding to reach global audiences with speed and consistency. Learn more Zero Legacy Move beyond outdated systems with speed and clarity. Through AI-assisted modernization, we help transform legacy technology into secure, cloud-native foundations built for continuous evolution. Explore how Accelarated Engineering Image PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI We partnered with PUMA to launch AI Creator—an innovative experience that invited fans worldwide to cocreate Manchester City jerseys and compete in a landmark contest that fueled record-breaking engagement. Read story Meet our Google Cloud leaders Connect with the Slalom team at Google Cloud Next. Our leaders are available for one-on-one conversations about your business priorities, challenges, and opportunities. Dr. Randi Cowin, Ph.D. Randi is a leader in Google Cloud data, analytics, and AI services. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics and brings deep technical and analytical expertise to help clients unlock value from Google Cloud data and AI solutions. Connect with Randi Daniel Prager Daniel leads strategic cloud partnerships that drive growth and transformation. With a background in data and analytics consulting, he specializes in building go-to-market strategies and high-performing alliance teams. Connect with Daniel Sean Everhart Sean leads Slalom’s strategic partnership with Google, helping clients deliver high-impact AI and cloud transformation initiatives. He brings deep experience in technology strategy and enterprise transformation. Connect with Sean Don Piluso Don is a technology and business leader with deep expertise in cloud transformation, enterprise consulting, and business strategy. As Global Cloud Leader at Slalom, he drives the vision, strategy, and execution of the company’s cloud platform business, overseeing delivery, community, growth, partnerships, and large-scale cloud transformations for Fortune 500 clients. Connect with Don Nima Niakan Nima brings more than 15 years of experience in technology and consulting, helping organizations navigate complex change, accelerate growth, and optimize operations. He partners with clients to turn strategic priorities into measurable outcomes. Connect with Nima Marcus Forman Marcus brings over 20 years of federal service in U.S. Army Special Operations, combined with consulting experience in the public and social impact sector. He partners with leaders to solve complex challenges and deliver mission-driven transformation. Connect with Marcus Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector 2025 Partner of the Year Award for Services in the United States 2024 Infrastructure Partner of the Year 2023 North America Services Partner of the Year 2022 Frequently asked questions Find answers to common questions about Google Cloud Next and Slalom’s presence: Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/jp-morgan-healthcare source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/jp-morgan-healthcare locale: us/en content_type: Event --- # Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/jp-morgan-healthcare - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/jp-morgan-healthcare - Locale: us/en - Content type: Event ## Summary Join Slalom at Money 20/20 , where we’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and insights that are shaping the future of the financial industry. ## Body Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance Slalom at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference | Innovating the future of healthcare We’re headed to San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Connect with us throughout the week and explore our latest innovations and insights shaping the future of healthcare services. Join Slalom at Money 20/20 , where we’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and insights that are shaping the future of the financial industry. New York city skyline at sunset January 12–15, 2026 San Francisco Innovating the future of healthcare We’re headed to San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Connect with us throughout the week and explore our latest innovations and insights shaping the future of [healthcare](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/healthcare) and [life sciences](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/life-sciences) services. Connect with us at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Join our Endpoints panel session From data to differentiation: How the future is transforming customer and patient experiences Join experts from AstraZeneca, Salesforce and Slalom to hear how AI and data-driven strategies can address business needs, drive innovation and productivity, and deliver patient-focused experiences. We'll explore how hyper-personalization can help pharma companies accelerate their work. Monday, January 12 9:55–10:20 a.m. [Marriott Marquis](https://maps.app.goo.gl/qaUZbSgddApPSzJ2A) Secure your seat Key focus areas: - Business needs and market trends: How teams can achieve more with less by automating processes to drive productivity and improve commercial outcomes. - Data interoperability: Leveraging enterprise data hubs to power AI agents that unlock productivity, accelerate innovation, and create better customer and patient experiences. - Patient focus: How modern patient services deliver differentiated, person-centered experiences supported by Life Sciences Cloud. Tuesday, January 13 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Shack 15 Join our networking roundtable event Beyond efficiency: Transforming every function into a growth engine with AI Join Slalom, OpenAI, Snowflake, Salesforce, and your executive peers for a series of small-group roundtable conversations on how AI is transforming healthcare and life sciences— turning every function into a catalyst for growth and measurable value. Building on the momentum of JPM 2026, we’ll explore how AI is reshaping innovation, strategy, and execution across the industry. Enjoy cocktails, appetizers, and conversation with leaders shaping what’s next. J. P. Morgan Healthcare Conference --- title: Microsoft Ignite url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/microsoft-ignite source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/microsoft-ignite locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Microsoft Ignite - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/microsoft-ignite - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/microsoft-ignite - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where we are proud to be a sponsor. This year, we are excited to present four dynamic sessions tailored to different industries, showcasing our expertise and innovative solutions at the Minna Gallery. ## Body Microsoft Ignite Microsoft | Slalom Join Slalom at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where we are proud to be a sponsor. This year, we are excited to present four dynamic sessions tailored to different industries, showcasing our expertise and innovative solutions at the Minna Gallery. Join Slalom at Microsoft Ignite 2025, where we are proud to be a sponsor. This year, we are excited to present four dynamic sessions tailored to different industries, showcasing our expertise and innovative solutions at the Minna Gallery # Microsoft Ignite 2025 San Francisco, California / November 18–21, 2025 Modernize without Limits Slalom is proud to sponsor this year’s Microsoft Ignite. Beyond the Expo, we’re connecting with customers through private meetings, thought-leading sessions, and exclusive industry experiences. In partnership with GitHub, we’re co-hosting two exclusive events that celebrate innovation, AI, and the future of technology. Visit us at Booth 5313 to see how Slalom helps organizations move beyond legacy, modernize with confidence, and build what’s next. Visit our booth #5313 and meet our team. Find out how we can help you modernize your business. Hosting colleagues and customers at Minna Gallery Planning on meeting with a Slalom team member? We will be at the Minna Gallery across from the main event. Meetings are by appointment only; please schedule in advance with your Slalom contact. Accelarated Engineering Image Ignite the Future with GitHub Slalom Wednesday, November 19th 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM PST Join us at Minna Gallery for a future-focused event celebrating innovation and the freedom to build what’s next. Connect with developers, decision-makers, and partners over great food, drinks, and conversations on AI, open source, and breaking free from legacy systems. Space is limited. Reserve your spot today! Read story Building Together: Slalom × GitHub Exclusive Dinner Join GitHub and Slalom for an exclusive VIP dinner! Enjoy great food, engaging conversation, and insights on how AI and innovation are transforming engineering, accelerating development, and reshaping team collaboration at scale. Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM PST Minna Gallery People networking at a Slalom event in a lounge with a screen and artwork on the walls. AI in Action: Transforming the Future of Financial Services Join us for a forward-looking fireside chat with RBC and Slalom leaders as they explore how AI agents and human teams can coelevate the future of financial services. Discover how leading institutions are redefining transformation in an AI-native world. Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 5:00 PM PST Minna Gallery Advancing Healthcare with AI and Data Innovation Join healthcare leaders for breakfast and roundtable discussions on harnessing AI and unified data to transform productivity, outcomes, and patient experience. Explore strategies to bridge discovery and care through trusted insights and data-driven innovation. Wednesday, November 19th, 2025 8:00 AM PST Minna Gallery Airplane wing looking out airplane window The Modernization Mindset: Conversations Over Coffee Start your day with great coffee, fresh insights, and meaningful conversation. Join Slalom and Microsoft for a networking breakfast focused on modernization and the journey to Zero Legacy — where leaders from across industries come together to explore how technology, data, and AI are powering transformation and innovation. Thursday, November 20th, 2025 8:00 AM PST Minna Gallery Meet Us at Ignite Don't miss the chance to connect with our team at Microsoft Ignite. Our sessions will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to stay ahead in your industry. Come meet us, learn from our experts, and discover how Slalom can help you transform your business. Tony Rojas Don Piluso Leader Placeholder Erik Johnson Leadership Gaston Cruz See all Microsoft stories Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/money-20-20 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/money-20-20 locale: us/en content_type: Event --- # Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/money-20-20 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/money-20-20 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Event ## Summary Join Slalom at Money 20/20 , where we’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and insights that are shaping the future of the financial industry. ## Body Money20/20 Innovating the future of finance Join Slalom at Money 20/20 , where we’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and insights that are shaping the future of the financial industry. Slalom at Money20/20 | Innovating the future of finance New York city skyline at sunset October 26–29, 2025 Las Vegas Innovating the future of finance Join Slalom and our partner Adyen at Money20/20 USA 2025, where we’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and insights shaping the future of [financial services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services). From exclusive events to groundbreaking technology, we have something extraordinary lined up for you. Featured Story Placeholder Slalom at Money20/20 Experience what’s next in finance with Slalom at Money20/20. Learn how enterprises are approaching payments modernization and fintech innovation to improve customer experiences, increase efficiency, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. This year, we’re proud to partner with Adyen, a global leader in payments, to highlight how enterprises can move beyond modernization to embrace a true fintech mindset. Connect with us at Money 20/20 Join our Lunch Session Beyond Modernization: The Enterprise Fintech Mindset Enterprises have modernized their systems—now they’re reimagining their future. The most innovative organizations are adopting a fintech mindset , transforming payments from a back-office necessity into a strategic driver of growth, customer loyalty, and competitive advantage. In this session, leaders from The Home Depot, Adyen, and Slalom will share how they are rewriting the rules of enterprise payments, building bold partnerships, and charting a course toward the next era of commerce innovation. Tuesday, 10/28 — 1:00 PM Galileo 902 Speakers: - John Laffoon , Distinguished Engineer, Payments IT, The Home Depot – bringing deep expertise in payments technology, cloud-native architecture, and enterprise-scale transformation. - M. Hans Delly , Managing Director, Payments Fintech, Slalom – advising global enterprises on their payments modernization journeys and helping them embrace fintech-inspired innovation. - Trevor Nies , SVP and Global Head of Digital, Adyen – leading digital commerce strategy and helping global businesses optimize payments and enhance customer experiences. - Moderator: Richard Winston , Financial Services Global Industry Lead, Slalom – a seasoned industry leader guiding the discussion with perspectives from banking, insurance, and capital markets transformation. The financial sector faces new challenges. From rising customer expectations to disruptive market entrants, financial services organizations are under pressure to transform faster than ever. Slalom can help you innovate ahead of disruption, win your most critical competitive battles, and deliver integrated, future-focused services. Learn more Learn more about our partnership Slalom and Adyen are helping enterprises unlock seamless digital commerce by combining strategy, technology, and execution. Together, we empower organizations to reimagine payments as a catalyst for customer loyalty, agility, and long-term growth. Bridge across channel at sunset --- title: NVIDIA GTC url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/nvidia source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/nvidia locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # NVIDIA GTC - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/nvidia - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/nvidia - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Dare to rethink the impossible with AI ## Body NVIDIA GTC NVIDIA GTC | Slalom Dare to rethink the impossible with AI March 18–21, 2024 San Jose, CA Dare to rethink the impossible with AI Slalom and NVIDIA are on a path delivering intelligent products and experiences while unlocking the power of cloud-platforms and digital-native businesses. A partnership to take on the world’s greatest challenges, together with our customers. Featured Story Placeholder Join us March 18–21 at NVIDIA GTC, the premier event where industry luminaries, developers, researchers, and business strategists gather to shape what’s next in AI and accelerated computing. Connect with us at GTC Slalom is a proud sponsor of the 2024 GTC AI conference. Come find us at Booth #1819 to connect with our experts and see how Slalom and NVIDIA are partnering to take on the world’s greatest challenges, together with our customers. We’ll be demoing the power of NVIDIA cuOpt through the Kawasaki Track Rail Maintenance Platform. You’ll also have the opportunity to experience “Stella,” Slalom’s generative AI avatar leveraging technologies from NVIDIA and Convai and participate in a live research study on the viability and impact of digital people. Off the expo floor we’ll be diving deep into how IoT and edge technologies, along with AI and machine learning (ML), are making it easier and less expensive for US rail companies to keep their tracks safe at our speaking session with Kawasaki, throwing a client party with Snowflake and Dataiku, and publishing insights you won’t want to miss! See below for details on where to find Slalom throughout the conference. Evaluation of RAG-based LLMs and automatic prompt engineering using Bedrock Claude – 5:55-6:25pm Tuesday Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is a widespread solution, but there are still concerns with evaluation. Join Slalom’s David Frigeri and Etienne Ohl on the expo floor at the AWS booth to learn about a new way to evaluate the quality of a RAG-based LLM using RAGAS with Bedrock Claude, along with autoprompting, to achieve the highest quality RAG for your unique use cases. Best Practices for Building LLM RAG Using NVIDIA AI – 3:00-5:00pm Tuesday Join this session to watch the most inventive developers pitch their cutting-edge approach to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) using NVIDIA AI Foundation models. Sips at the Square – 8:30-10:30pm Tuesday Join Slalom, Snowflake, and Dataiku after hours at District to connect with the brilliant minds helping shape the future of AI. Read more Speaking Session – 10:00–10:50am Wednesday Learn from Ryoji Negi (Kawasaki) and Chaffee Burke (Slalom) how Kawaski is deploying IoT and edge technologies along with AI and machine learning (ML) to increase railway safety while saving time and money. Read story Live demo with Kawasaki – 3:00–4:00pm Tuesday, 1:00–2:00pm 5:15 – 6:15pm Wednesday Stop by our booth to experience the power of NVIDIA cuOpt in our demo of the Kawasaki Track Rail Maintenance Platform. Live avatar demo – 5:00-7:00pm Monday, 1:00-2:00pm Tuesday, 3:00-4:00pm Wednesday Join us on the expo floor to experience the latest in Generative AI with “Stella” from Slalom Hotel. Interact with Slalom’s avatar experience leveraging technologies from NVIDIA and Convai. You can also participate in a live research study on the viability and impact of digital people. NeMo SFDC demo – 12:00-12:45pm Tuesday Thursday, 4:00-5:00pm Wednesday Elevate your Salesforce Experience using the combined power of NVIDIA’s cloud-native NeMo framework, RAG, and Salesforce. Come see how this framework allows users to deploy chatbots, assistants, cross-object summarizations, and knowledge-gap identification tools across the Salesforce platform powered by NeMo. Schedule a meeting Sign-up to meet with one of our on-site experts to talk about your next big project. Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Learn how Kawasaki is leveraging intelligent products to make it easier and less expensive for US rail companies to keep their tracks safe—with help from Slalom, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Databricks Insights (coming soon!) #GTC24 Wrapped Check back for the key takeaways from GTC. Slalom experts Adam Limoges and Teddy Crane share news and insights from their time on the ground in San Jose. Read more on Medium Headline 1 --- title: Reuters Pharma 25 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/pharma-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/pharma-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Event --- # Reuters Pharma 25 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/pharma-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/pharma-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Event ## Summary Join Slalom at Reuters Pharma 2025, where we’re bringing industry-leading insights and cutting-edge innovations to help life sciences organizations navigate the future of the industry. ## Body Reuters Pharma 25 Reuters Pharma 25 | Barcelona | Slalom Join Slalom at Reuters Pharma 2025, where we’re bringing industry-leading insights and cutting-edge innovations to help life sciences organizations navigate the future of the industry. New York city skyline at sunset Pharma 2025 April 9 - 11, 2025 Barcelona Innovating the future of life sciences Join Slalom at Reuters Pharma 2025, where we’re bringing industry-leading insights and cutting-edge innovations to help life sciences organizations navigate the future of the industry. From AI-powered strategies to data-driven solutions, our expert-led sessions, interactive workshops, and hands-on demos will explore what’s next for the industry. Featured Story Placeholder Attend our keynote panel session with Salesforce, participate in our interactive workshop with Databricks, and visit our booth in the expo hall to experience a hands-on demo and meet the Slalom team. AI generated gamer image Keynote panel AI: From promise to practice Date: 9 April (Day 1) Time: 10 am Location: Keynote Room In this keynote panel, Slalom’s global life sciences industry lead Johanna DeYoung, alongside senior leaders from top pharma companies—Joe Ferraro of Salesforce; Jörg Schüttrumpf of Grifols; Alyssa Fenoglio of Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Chetak Buaria of Merck Healthcare—will share strategies to supercharge AI innovation and agility. We’ll discuss: - How pharma companies are deploying AI today to drive real-world impact - Strategies to ensure long-term AI adoption by forming cross-functional taskforces - How to overcome adoption barriers and address resistance within your organization Read story Fire fighter giving youg girl a high-five Executive workshop Drive AI Powered Innovation by Harnessing Data Interoperability Date: 10 April (Day 2) Time: 12:10 pm Location: Room 120 on P1 level of CCIB Join Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung and Databricks’s Oleksandra Bovkun for an interactive workshop designed to help business and technology executives unlock AI-powered innovation through data interoperability. Attendees will explore how leading pharma companies are leveraging these capabilities to drive measurable business impact. We’ll cover: - Key trends shaping data interoperability and AI adoption in pharma - Live demo of real-world applications, showcasing business value and outcomes - Hands-on exercise to apply insights and spark collaboration Read more Booth #27 Visit us in the expo hall 9-11 April Stop by our booth to see AI and data-driven innovation in action. Experience hands-on demos, connect with our life sciences experts, and explore how Slalom is helping organizations modernize operations, enhance patient engagement, and drive breakthroughs and people-centric innovations. Slalom x Salesforce on the future of life sciences AI is reshaping life sciences, driving new levels of efficiency, precision, and personalization. In this exclusive piece, Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung and Salesforce’s Joe Ferraro explore how AI-enabled operations, healthcare data modernization, and hyper-personalized experiences are transforming the industry. Coming soon Revolutionizing clinical trials for speed, efficiency, and patient impact Clinical trials are complex, costly, and often slow, but AI and data are changing the game. In this conversation from Fierce JPM Week, Slalom’s Johanna DeYoung, Protas CEO Sir Martin Landray, and Salesforce’s Dr. Fatima Paruk discuss how automation, real-world data, and patient-centric design can improve trial efficiency, reduce costs, and accelerate life-changing therapies. Watch now 2025 industry outlook: Life sciences trends The life sciences industry is evolving faster than ever. Our latest outlook explores the biggest trends shaping the future—covering everything from AI adoption to commercial and clinical innovation. Discover key insights to help your organization navigate what’s next. About our partnerships As the #3 global Salesforce partner, we leverage Salesforce technology to push boundaries and deliver innovative industry solutions that transform our customers’ businesses. Whether you’re optimizing clinical workflows, modernizing commercial strategies, or personalizing patient experiences, we can help you harness Salesforce capabilities to drive meaningful change. Slalom and Salesforce As a 2X Databricks health and life sciences partner of the year, we help organizations harness the power of AI and data to drive smarter decisions and accelerate innovation. By unifying data, analytics, and machine learning with Databricks, we enable real-time insights that improve research, operations, and patient outcomes for life sciences organizations. The Slalom and Databricks partnership can help you maximize your data’s value, reduce complexity, and turn insights into impact. Slalom and Databricks Johanna DeYoung Leader Placeholder With nearly two decades of experience in life sciences, Johanna is passionate about human impact. She takes pride in Slalom’s pragmatic, evidence-driven, and human-centric approach to solving customers’ most pressing challenges. Andrew Stevenson Drawing on 30 years in life sciences, including 15 in executive roles, Andrew delivers growth and value via innovation in MedTech, biotech, and digital health. He is passionate about transforming healthcare for patients and providers. Jacque Myers Leadership Jacque creates solutions for healthcare’s toughest challenges. She’s worked with some of the largest healthcare systems in the nation, with a focus on using technology to improve healthcare experience and outcomes. Bridge across channel at sunset --- title: Salesforce Connections url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/salesforce-connections source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/salesforce-connections locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Salesforce Connections - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/salesforce-connections - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/salesforce-connections - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Join Slalom at Salesforce Connections, the premier marketing and AI event where marketers and technologists learn agentic AI, data-driven strategies, demos, and hands-on sessions. ## Body Salesforce Connections Salesforce Connections | Slalom Join Slalom at Salesforce Connections, the premier marketing and AI event where marketers and technologists learn agentic AI, data-driven strategies, demos, and hands-on sessions. Put agentic marketing in motion with Slalom at Salesforce Connections We're proud to return as a sponsor of [Salesforce Connections 2026](https://www.salesforce.com/connections/)! Let us help you bring Agentforce to life. From smarter personalized journeys to predictive commerce, Slalom helps brands harness the power of data, AI, and agents. Together, we'll help you design AI-powered customer journeys and lead the future of customer engagement. Get to know us Workshop sessions Join one of our sessions to see how to unlock growth with AI-powered customer experiences, and learn how Agentforce is reshaping marketing, commerce, and customer service. Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Connections. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Meet our leaders Stop by our booth to experience live demos and [connect with Slalom executives](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Our thought leaders are available for one-on-one discussions on challenges like: Marketing Cloud Next ∙ Agentforce implementations. ∙ Modernizing Salesforce ∙ AI strategy ∙ Commerce solutions ∙ Customer engagement ∙ Personalization ∙ Data and analytics Sarah Duffy Sarah leads Slalom's global Salesforce team, NorCal market, and our global enterprise portfolio from San Francisco. She advances strategic partnerships and spurs transformational growth, helping organizations build future-ready capabilities to deliver measurable outcomes. Connect with Sarah Jim Clarke Jim is a Denver-based leader in Slalom's Salesforce practice. He leads strategy, growth, and delivery across a 500-person global enterprise platforms organization. He helps leaders scale Salesforce business planning capabilities to drive measurable client outcomes while building durable, adaptive operating models. Connect with Jim Laura Lourenco Laura is a Boston-based digital leader at Slalom. She partners with CMOs and CDOs to turn strategy into reality, scaling modern marketing, experience, and commerce ecosystems that connect data, technology, and operations to deliver measurable business impact and lasting transformation. Connect with Laura Ben Ashenburg Ben is a Boston-based leader in Slalom's Salesforce practice. He collaborates with and advises retail and consumer goods executives on how to leverage enterprise business applications, like Salesforce, to drive transformative change in their organizations. Connect with Ben Mike McNeal Mike is a Denver-based leader in Slalom's Salesforce practice. He brings 20+ years of experience at the intersection of technology, data, and growth, helping enterprises translate customer engagement into measurable business outcomes. Connect with Mike Dan Pinto Dan is a NYC Metro-based leader in Slalom's Salesforce practice. He partners with some of the world's most influential organizations to turn complex challenges into growth, scaling high-performing teams and driving exceptional client outcomes. Connect with Dan Accelarated Engineering Image Future of Marketing When backed by connected data, technology, AI, and operating models, growth becomes something repeatable—not reactive. We help marketing leaders cut through complexity to meet their customers where it matters most. Read story FAQs Thought Leadership 12/12 Headline 1 Read more on Medium --- title: Smart City USA url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/smart-city source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/smart-city locale: us/en content_type: Event --- # Smart City USA - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/smart-city - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/smart-city - Locale: us/en - Content type: Event ## Body Smart City USA New York city skyline at sunset May 22-23, 2024 Pier 36, NYC Let’s build better tomorrows, together. At Slalom, we help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Few events are more aligned with those goals than Smart City Expo USA, which brings together industry leaders and government officials to explore and discuss cutting-edge technologies and ideas in government, finance, transportation, infrastructure, digital transformation, public safety and security, AI, healthcare, and clean energy. This year, Slalom is a Disruptor sponsor of Smart City Expo USA. Find us at booth 403—and on the keynote and breakout stages—throughout the event! Featured Story Placeholder Transport yourself to the cities of the future and discover how technology and forward-thinking are bringing together experiences that solve the most critical challenges in our communities. Smart City Expo is the premier event focused on building smart, equitable, and sustainable cities for all. Join us in NYC! Get 20% off your ticket with code SLALOM20. AI generated gamer image AI, SciFi, or Real Life? Have you ever watched a science fiction movie and wondered, “When will our world look like this?” We do all the time and believe that time is now for many experiences. From a connected world filled with digital humans and augmented experiences to robotics and our relationships with AI, join us and hear how a group of technologists and creative professionals have joined forces to create that future world today. John Tomik, founder of Element lab212 at Slalom, will be speaking about that future along with some special digital and robotic friends that you won’t want to miss. Read story Fire fighter giving youg girl a high-five Safe Cities: Public Safety and Emergency Management Smart cities are safe cities. This panel features leaders who are using cutting-edge technologies such as drones and robots to address public safety emergency management issues. Read more Promising Future: STEM Students of NYC Experience a showcase of student projects from NYC’s youngest residents about the city that will one day be theirs. These projects illustrate how kids can make NYC even smarter and more efficient. Discover how our youth can affect meaningful change and how STEM tools can be employed to share their ideas. Presented by Chloe Taylor Technology and Slalom, hear from some of our city’s brightest young minds and explore their designs to learn more. Meet the Slalom team Spot, the agile mobile robot From education to healthcare, working conditions, and transportation, Slalom is dedicated to building better tomorrows for all—and that begins with the cities in which we live, work, and enjoy. Learn how we're solving our communities' most critical challenges and catch a live demo of Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot, showcasing its ability to use computer vision to understand and respond dynamically to its surroundings, giving you a glimpse of what the future holds. Find us at the expo! Thought leadership 2024 industry outlook: Government Discover the future of digital government and cross-sector collaboration in Slalom’s 2024 government industry outlook. See how agencies are embracing human-centered innovation and customer-centric digital services, putting people at the heart of their delivery. Find out Digital government that’s inclusive and accessible for all Digital accessibility is an essential and central component for serving all constituents in an evolving digital world. If government agencies are to be truly inclusive, it’s time to make digital services accessible. Woman wearing virtual reality headset at event Transforming industries through innovation What does innovation look like in more traditional and highly regulated industries? Learn how Slalom customers like Broadbridge and Cal Water are driving change. Learn more John Tomik John Tomik headshot John is the creator of Element Laboratories and a managing director in Slalom’s global strategy group. He created Slalom Element Laboratories to provide an inspirational and innovative physical space to fulfill Slalom’s purpose of helping people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Gretchen Peri Leader Placeholder With vast experience in government consulting, Gretchen empowers better public service delivery with technology. She serves on the King County Strategic Advisory Council and is a Consulting Women Leaders in Technology honoree. Stephen Walsh Stephen Walsh headshot Stephen is an accomplished executive and pioneer of transformation in government, education, and healthcare, including for the City and State of New York that resulted in a positive, lasting impact in the lives of residents. Nate Higgins Nate leads Slalom s public sector work in Massachusetts, transforming agencies by bringing the best emerging tech and innovative practices, pulling from his experience as a traffic engineer, asset manager, and transportation performance management. Bridge across channel at sunset --- title: Snowflake Data Cloud Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/snowflake-summit source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/snowflake-summit locale: us/en content_type: Single Partner Events Template --- # Snowflake Data Cloud Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/events/snowflake-summit - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/snowflake-summit - Locale: us/en - Content type: Single Partner Events Template ## Summary Explore Slalom at Snowflake Summit 2026. Discover AI-driven data transformation, sessions, demos, and events shaping enterprise AI. ## Body Snowflake Data Cloud Summit Snowflake Data Cloud Summit | Slalom Explore Slalom at Snowflake Summit 2026. Discover AI-driven data transformation, sessions, demos, and events shaping enterprise AI. Meet Slalom at Snowflake Summit 26 Slalom is proud to be a Green Circle sponsor at Snowflake Summit and to connect with leaders who are shaping the Era of Enterprise AI. Visit us at booth #1109 to experience hands-on demos that show how Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud drives trusted decisions, faster outcomes, and scalable impact. See how enterprises are putting AI in motion, and hear customer stories about what it takes to move from experimentation to execution. Throughout the week, we’re meeting with customers and hosting events at Minna Gallery to share practical strategies and real-world insights for making AI work in the business. As a long-time Snowflake partner and seven-time Partner of the Year award recipient, including Global AI Partner of the Year, we’re excited to share what’s working, what’s next, and how to turn AI into results. Speaking session Join Slalom and Capital One to learn how they partnered with Snowflake to design and execute a strategic migration across Capital One’s Snowflake environment. This session is open to all Snowflake Summit attendees. Driving Efficiency and Cost Savings with Snowflake Native to Iceberg Snowflake summit conference Driving Efficiency and Cost Savings with Snowflake Native to Iceberg Learn how Capital One migrated Snowflake workloads to Iceberg to cut costs, simplify governance, and scale open data with minimal disruption. Speakers: - Karpagam Balakrishnan Architect, Slalom - Temesgen Meheret Director, Software Engineering, Capital One Details: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. PT at Basecamp South Theater 4 (Basecamp, South Hall C) Add to schedule Exclusive Slalom events Join us for curated networking experiences during Snowflake Summit. These exclusive events offer deeper engagement opportunities with Slalom thought leaders and industry experts. Featured solutions Stop by booth #1109 to experience live demos and connect with our team about how these solutions can move your business forward. Enterprise AI on Snowflake Explore how Snowflake Intelligence and Cortex Code capabilities are enabling natural language insights, intelligent applications, and faster decision-making across the enterprise. Discover what’s possible AI Value Platform Discover Slalom’s AI Value Platform to see how it helps organizations realize the full potential of their AI investments by forecasting total cost of ownership, return on investment, and risk. Built for Snowflake, our platform enables smarter prioritization and confident scaling of AI initiatives. Connect AI to ROI Zero Legacy Ready to move beyond legacy data systems with speed and clarity? With AI-assisted modernization on Snowflake, we help you reduce risk and build a secure, scalable data foundation ready for enterprise AI. Get started Snowflake Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation With Slalom and Snowflake, Keywords Studios transformed its data strategy and deployed AI-powered sentiment analysis to deliver real-time insights, streamline reporting, and personalize player experiences. Meet our leaders Connect with Slalom executives attending Snowflake Summit. Our thought leaders are available for one-on-one discussions about your business challenges and opportunities. Ryan Gifford Ryan leads Slalom’s global data and AI practice, partnering with clients to unlock value through modern data platforms and AI-driven transformation. Connect on LinkedIn S. A. Batla S.A. Batla Batla leads the Snowflake Business Unit. The BU is chartered with building Snowflake pipeline, and partnering with industry leaders and alliances to develop and deliver GTM material, demos, QBRs and conferences. Bronson Shafer Bronson Shafer leads the Snowflake Delivery Center of Excellence. Their mission is focused on developing industry solutions, repeatable best practices, and leveraging GenAI powered tools to drive high quality Snowflake delivery at scale. Colton Dealy Colton leads Slalom’s global Snowflake alliance, driving strategic collaboration to deliver innovative data and AI solutions. Britt Brannon Britt leads the Snowflake BU's FSI pursuits, with Slalom and Snowflake industry leaders and ensuring client teams are up to speed on solutions and Snowflake capabilities in FSI. Karpagam Balakrishnan Karpagam is a senior leader in the CoE focusing on enterprise modernizations and enabling scalable, secure, and high-performant Snowflake solutions. Snowflake Global AI Partner of the Year 2025 Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year snowflake partner of the year 2024 Americas GSI Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2022 Partner of the year Icon of a trophy. 2021, 2018 Solution Integrator Partner of the Year, North America 2020, 2019 FAQs --- title: Our leaders url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/leadership source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/leadership locale: us/en content_type: Leadership Template --- # Our leaders - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/leadership - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/leadership - Locale: us/en - Content type: Leadership Template ## Body Our leaders We lead with our heads and our hearts. Slalom leaders live our values every day as they work tirelessly to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Together, we learn, share, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Meet our CEO “Like all Slalom team members, I work each day to advance our vision toward a world where each person has the opportunity to love their life and work. Our commitment to Slalom’s vision-led, purpose-driven, values-based culture has earned us a consistent reputation as one of the best places to work.” Brad Jackson CEO Cofounder, Slalom Connect with Brad Outside of Slalom, Brad is raising four wonderful children with his amazing wife, Jill. Committed to leaving the world a better place than they found it, Jill and Brad are actively involved in and support many community and education organizations. Brad Jackson Meet more of our leaders Amy Loftus Leadership Amy brings more than 30 years of experience working in the consulting and health care sectors in a variety of national and global leadership roles. As Slalom’s first CCO... Brian Turner Brian works with clients, leaders, and consultants across the globe to continuously help drive success for Slalom customers. Brian has held roles... Dan Garrison Dan leads Slalom’s overall AI strategy and vision with a focus on bringing together the company’s talented capabilities, markets, and technology partnerships teams to help customers move from AI ambition... Denis Gassmann Denis joined Slalom in October 2022, shortly after Slalom opened its offices in Munich, Germany. Previously, Denis spent 24 years working with Accenture... Jila Javdani Jila Javdani is the president of Slalom’s US West region, a fiercely human business and technology consulting company. She leads strategic growth initiatives, fosters client partnerships, and champions a people-first culture to drive successful business outcomes across the western United States. Jim Mitchell Jim has served as Slalom’s chief legal officer since 2011 and has been recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a finalist in the “outstanding corporate council” category... John Tobin John Tobin Slalom consulting leadership As Co-Founder and Executive President, John Tobin is focused on driving Slalom’s consulting business worldwide. In 2001, John joined Slalom to establish the... Kelly Adkisson Kelly Adkisson is East Region President at Slalom, where she leads teams that help organizations accelerate business transformation through Salesforce, AI, data and digital innovation... Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls Kristine is committed to driving the changes we must make as a dynamic, growth-minded organization to meet the shifting needs of Slalom’s diverse team members and... Mike Heffernan As CFO and treasurer of Slalom since 2008, Mike is responsible for assessing and managing risks and opportunities as they pertain to the finances and operations of Slalom... Mike Shimota Mike has over 30 years of consulting and professional services experience running teams and client accounts in the United States, Germany, Japan, and Australia... Rich Coughlin Our COO Rich is a testament to the power of passion in the professional world. With over 30 years of experience in consulting... Rob Potter Rob ensures Slalom’s financial processes and practices are in place so the company can grow with purpose and care on a global scale. Rob also leads Slalom’s accounting, treasury, procurement... Sangeeta Prasad Sangeeta leads external and internal marketing for Slalom. She is a creative marketer and intrapreneur who previously held leadership roles at Russell Reynolds Associates... Tony Rojas Tony provides the strategic direction and vision driving Slalom’s growth, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability. He also oversees Slalom's... Wayne Ingram Wayne is a global visionary and passionate thought leader in the tech industry. Since 2015, Wayne has helped Slalom Canada expand from three employees to nearly 1,000 employees... --- title: Locations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/locations locale: us/en content_type: Location --- # Locations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/locations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations - Locale: us/en - Content type: Location ## Summary Global scale, local soul. We’re invested in our communities and backed by the strength of a global organization with experts all over the world. Explore our locations. ## Body Locations Local soul, global scale. With Slalom’s fiercely human approach, you get both. We’re fully invested in our communities and there for you in real time. We’re also backed by the connected strength of a global organization with experts all over the world. Locations | Slalom Global scale, local soul. We’re invested in our communities and backed by the strength of a global organization with experts all over the world. Explore our locations. Earth from space Our locations Local soul, global scale. With Slalom’s fiercely human approach, you get both. We’re fully invested in our communities and there for you in real time. We’re also backed by the connected strength of a global organization with experts all over the world. Our locations around the world Australia Based in Melbourne and Sydney, our reach stretches all the way across Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Australia locations Canada From coast to coast, you’ll find us in Canada’s most vibrant cities and tech hubs. Canada locations Colombia Welcome to Slalom Colombia, where our priority is always people. Colombia locations Germany Serving German companies and our international clients with interests in the EMEA region. Germany locations Ireland Bringing strategic solutions to life in Dublin and beyond. Ireland locations Japan We’re here, based in Tokyo, always ready to help your business transform for the future. Japan locations Mexico United States Welcome to Slalom Mexico, where our culture is lively, inclusive, and entrepreneurial. Mexico locations Netherlands Slalom is excited to have arrived in the Netherlands. We can’t wait to meet you. Netherlands locations New Zealand Kia ora! Slalom is excited to have arrived in New Zealand. We can’t wait to meet you. New Zealand locations Singapore Where tradition meets innovation. Located in the heart of Southeast Asia's bustling business hub, our diverse team combines global expertise with Singaporean insights to deliver tailored solutions for your organization. Singapore locations United Kingdom From London to Manchester, across the UK and into Europe, we’re leading the way with people-first transformations. United Kingdom locations Home to our global headquarters and offices that stretch all the way from sea to shining sea. United States locations All locations Country Each of our offices celebrates the local culture and community. Learn more by choosing a location to explore. A modern approach to consulting that meets the needs of startups, German Mittelstand, and international enterprises. Download impact report Focusing on growth, innovation, and close relationships with our clients. We’re all in. Making a rapid impact locally and across the Asia-Pacific region. Los Angeles city skyline Serving world leaders in everything from motion pictures and music to healthcare and higher education. fhmzdi22kw 1xg4pxi5ew 7je0t5zen0 --- title: Slalom achieves a 1400% increase in AI Certifications to drive Salesforce Agentforce in Australia and New Zealand url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/news/agentforce-australia-new-zealand source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/locations/news/agentforce-australia-new-zealand locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom achieves a 1400% increase in AI Certifications to drive Salesforce Agentforce in Australia and New Zealand - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/locations/news/agentforce-australia-new-zealand - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/news/agentforce-australia-new-zealand - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom Australia and New Zealand complete a company-wide certification drive to upskill employees in Salesforce AI solutions. ## Body Slalom achieves a 1400% increase in AI Certifications to drive Salesforce Agentforce in Australia and New Zealand Slalom Australia and New Zealand complete a company-wide certification drive to upskill employees in Salesforce AI solutions. Back to newsroom Share Slalom Australia and New Zealand complete a company-wide certification drive to upskill employees in Salesforce AI solutions. Sydney, Australia – January 16, 2025 — Slalom, a $3bn global business and technology consulting company, today announced an expansion of its AI-driven customer service solutions using Agentforce. As a founding member of Salesforce’s AI partner advisory board, Slalom is uniquely positioned to deliver transformative solutions enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency through innovative AI technology. Every Slalom team member, including executives and consultants, are pursuing Salesforce AI certifications across all Slalom offices. This investment in Agentforce underscores its commitment to helping clients leverage advanced AI technology, improving customer satisfaction, cost efficiency, service scalability, and 24/7 support capabilities. “At Slalom, we are dedicated to helping organisations across ANZ lead in the AI revolution by transforming their customer experiences with Agentforce,” said Michael Shimota, Slalom President Asia Pacific and Japan. “Since launching Slalom in Australia in 2020, we’ve focused on building a culture of innovation, which is reflected in our work with Agentforce and AI solutions. Our partnership with Salesforce positions us to lead our clients into the future with confidence.” [Agentforce](https://www.salesforce.com/agentforce/) is the agentic layer of the Salesforce platform for deploying autonomous AI agents across any business function. For Slalom clients, Agentforce unlocks an array of benefits: from enhanced customer engagement and improved efficiency, to scalable, data-driven insights for long-term growth. Slalom’s commitment to Agentforce aligns with its broader mission to make AI accessible and actionable for businesses in ANZ. Rowena Westphalen, SVP, Innovation, AI and Customer Advisory, for Salesforce ANZ said, “Agentforce represents a monumental shift in the industry, enabling humans with AI to redefine how businesses achieve customer success. Our partners play a crucial role in helping our customers realise the transformative power of AI agents, by providing a vast catalogue of trusted and ready-to-deploy partner agents and agent actions.” Slalom Empowers ANZ Businesses Across Industries In leading the AI revolution with clients like [Xero](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/xero-customer-service-ai), [Virgin Voyages](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages), Purina and Southwest Airlines, Slalom is equipped to help organisations leverage AI to achieve their strategic goals. Slalom’s “Impossible Factory” offers AI testbed accelerators, AI business value mapping, AI solution building, and more, empowering companies at every stage of their AI journey. You can learn more about Slalom’s AI expertise and solutions [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/gen-ai-salesforce), their partnership with Salesforce [here](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), or contact the Slalom team at [agentforce-anz@slalom.com](mailto:agentforce-anz@slalom.com). --- title: Newsroom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Template --- # Newsroom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Template ## Summary Things move fast around here. Check out the latest news from Slalom. ## Body Newsroom Things move fast around here. Check out the latest news from Slalom. Media asset inquiries For media and asset inquiries, please contact us at [press@slalom.com](mailto:press@slalom.com). Slalom is a fiercely human business and technology consulting company that leads with outcomes and teams with leaders, bringing more together. From strategy through delivery, our agile teams across 54 offices in 12 countries collaborate with clients to bring powerful customer experiences, innovative ways of working, and new products and services to life. We are trusted by leaders across the Global 1000, many successful enterprise and mid-market companies, and 500+ public sector organizations to improve operations, drive growth, and create value. At Slalom, we believe that together, we can move faster, dream bigger, and build better tomorrows for all. Slalom in the news --- title: 2023 Databricks Health & Life Sciences Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2023-databricks-health-and-life-sciences-partner-of-the-year source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2023-databricks-health-and-life-sciences-partner-of-the-year locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # 2023 Databricks Health & Life Sciences Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2023-databricks-health-and-life-sciences-partner-of-the-year - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2023-databricks-health-and-life-sciences-partner-of-the-year - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom has been named a Partner of the Year for the fifth consecutive time by Databricks, the Data & AI company, this year for Health & Life Sciences. ## Body 2023 Databricks Health & Life Sciences Partner of the Year Slalom has been named a Partner of the Year for the fifth consecutive time by Databricks, the Data & AI company, this year for Health & Life Sciences. Slalom named 2023 Databricks Health & Life Sciences Partner of the Year Back to newsroom Share San Francisco – June 27, 2023 – Slalom has been named a Partner of the Year for the fifth consecutive time by Databricks, the Data AI company, this year for Health Life Sciences. As a top Databricks partner, Slalom leads the way with its strong go-to-market alignment and technical expertise. The company was presented with the award at Databricks Data AI Summit 2023 this week. Renowned for helping companies embrace “The Art of Possible”, Slalom has supported customers on their data lifecycle journey to reach greater heights together through the Databricks Lakehouse. With more than 250 Databricks-certified consultants, Slalom has delivered over 300 projects. Slalom launches Healthcare Life Sciences Lakehouse Accelerator Slalom’s newly launched Healthcare Life Sciences Lakehouse Accelerator empowers customers with the tools to design, develop and deploy data engineering infrastructure in the cloud to help meet business critical needs while expanding innovation and research capabilities. By harnessing the power of Databricks’ complete Lakehouse platform, organizations can reap the benefits of user satisfaction, improved efficiency, and time-to-market, gaining an invaluable competitive edge in today’s information landscape. Key features of Slalom’s Healthcare Life Sciences Lakehouse Accelerator include: - Databricks Workflows - Configuration-driven pipelines used to manage the orchestration of data - Delta Live Tables Expectations - Persist and validate data into medallion architecture, utilizing built-in data validations and automated consent qualifications - Databricks Workspace Cluster Terraform Templates – Infrastructure as code, driving promotion of all aspects of the Lakehouse platform to upper environments - Databricks Repos CICD Pipelines – Integration to codebase management processes to maintain and version control complex logic Slalom and Databricks Recent Customer Success The digital health division of a leading biotechnology company had a need to transform their legacy data platform. Used to manage research, data publication, and collaboration among real-world research networks involving neurodegenerative diseases. The data platform transformation would introduce a robust and modular system to ingest, validate, and harmonize data in a variety of formats. The solution served as a unified analytics platform enabling application developers, data engineers, and algorithm designers to collaborate. “We were tasked to leverage Databricks to its full potential” said Satya Kamarajuggada, Director, Boston Build Center at Slalom. With close coordination among Databricks partner solution architects, “The solution design responded and adapted to updates released to General Availability hot-off-the-press” said Siddharth Thiruvalluvan, Solution Architect, NYC Data Analytics at Slalom, ensuring the most contemporary rendition of the lakehouse was delivered. A recent Foundry [report that surveys 400+ IT Leaders on the state of the data stack](https://www.databricks.com/resources/building-a-modern-data-stack-of-the-future) finds that two-thirds (66%) are using a data lakehouse, and 84% of those who aren’t; are likely to consider doing so. To this end, the delivery team packaged lessons learned to develop the novel solution accelerator. Slalom’s Partner of the Year Award showcases the success of the shared vision Slalom and Databricks have to accelerate science, enabling life science organizations to build best-in-class analytics environments, transforming business and lives. Learn more about the Slalom + Databricks partnership [here](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/databricks). --- title: 2024 AWS Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2024-aws-partner-of-the-year source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2024-aws-partner-of-the-year locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # 2024 AWS Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2024-aws-partner-of-the-year - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2024-aws-partner-of-the-year - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom was named a winner of three 2024 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for eight awards. ## Body 2024 AWS Partner of the Year Slalom Awarded 11 2024 AWS Partner Award Acknowledgments Including GenAI Global Consulting Partner of the Year Slalom was named a winner of three 2024 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for eight awards. Slalom Awarded 11 2024 AWS Partner Award Acknowledgments Including GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year - Global Back to newsroom Share Las Vegas, NV—December 2, 2024 — Announced today at the Partner Awards Gala at AWS re:Invent 2024, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was named a winner of three 2024 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for eight awards. Finalists represent the top-three-ranked AWS Partners across any data-driven award set. The awards recognize leaders around the globe playing a key role helping customers drive innovation and build solutions on AWS. Slalom has built deep relationships with customers in 52 markets around the world, such as AWS customers [United Airlines](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai) and [Glenmark](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/glenmark-pricing-data-integration-solution). The Geography and Global AWS Partner Awards that Slalom received for 2024 are: - GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year – Global: Recognizes top consulting partners with the Generative AI Competency that have deep expertise working with businesses to help them adopt and strategize generative AI, build and test generative AI applications, train and customize foundation models, operate, support, and maintain generative AI applications and models, protect generative AI workloads, and define responsible AI principles and frameworks. Slalom’s work with United Airlines was considered in its evaluation for this award. United partnered with Slalom to operationalize its use of GenAI and bring its first two GenAI use cases to production, halving United’s mean time to resolution for customer inquiries and enabling its teams to customize 35% more flight updates for travelers. - Industry Partner of the Year – Retail – North America: Recognizes top AWS Partners with the AWS Retail Competency who provide innovative technology offerings that accelerate retailers’ modernization and innovation journey across all areas in the enterprise. Slalom’s work with a leading maker of pet care products was considered in its evaluation for this award. The company turned to Slalom for help creating universal customer profiles, which integrate pet and consumer data to provide pet parents a more integrated, personalized experience. - Industry Partner of the Year – Travel Hospitality – North America: Recognizes top AWS Partners with the AWS Travel and Hospitality Competency who provide technology products and services to accelerate the industry’s modernization and innovation journey from behind-the-scenes operational efficiencies to guest-facing customer experiences. Slalom’s work with a major airline was considered in its evaluation for this award. Similar to United, Slalom also helped the company implement GenAI, and also leveraged the [Slalom AWS GenAI Testbed](https://go.slalom.com/GenAI-Testbed-AWS) to do so. The airline’s first GenAI-powered solution has allowed hundreds of customer service agents to reduce response times from an average of 30 minutes to five. “From helping global airlines harness generative AI to deliver exceptional service to supporting retailers in creating integrated customer experiences, we’re focused on meaningful innovations that shape the future,” said Ali Minnick, Slalom’s general manager of business advisory services and solution innovation. “Our AWS Partner Award wins demonstrate how the successful collaboration between Slalom and AWS drives success and growth for our customers across industries.” Slalom was named a finalist for eight additional awards: - Security Global Consulting Partner of the Year – Global - Migration Global Consulting Partner of the Year – Global - GenAI Industry Solution Partner of the Year – Global - Public Sector Global Consulting Partner of the Year – Global - Public Sector Consulting Partner of the Year – North America - Industry Partner of the Year – Energy Utilities – North America - Industry Partner of the Year – Healthcare Life Sciences – North America - Industry Partner of the Year – Media, Entertainment, Gaming Sports – North America Slalom has been a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) since 2010 and is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner. The APN is a global program focused on helping partners innovate, accelerate their journey to the cloud, and take full advantage of the breadth and depth of AWS. The Geography and Global AWS Partner Awards included a self-nomination process across several award categories. Award submissions were reviewed by a third-party, Canalys, and winners were selected with special emphasis placed on customer success use cases presented in the nomination form. --- title: Slalom Named 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2026-global-snowflake-services-innovation-partner-of-the-year source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2026-global-snowflake-services-innovation-partner-of-the-year locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Named 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2026-global-snowflake-services-innovation-partner-of-the-year - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/2026-global-snowflake-services-innovation-partner-of-the-year - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced at Snowflake’s annual user conference, Snowflake Summit 26, that it has been named the 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. ## Body Slalom Named 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced at Snowflake’s annual user conference, Snowflake Summit 26, that it has been named the 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, June 2, 2026 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced at Snowflake’s annual user conference,[Snowflake Summit 26](https://www.snowflake.com/en/summit/), that it has been named the 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year by [Snowflake](https://www.snowflake.com/en/), the AI Data Cloud company. Slalom was recognized for its commitment to helping customers turn data into meaningful outcomes by combining deep technical expertise with a people-first approach to deliver innovative and scalable solutions on Snowflake. By working side by side with customers, Slalom helps organizations move faster, unlock insights, and build data-driven experiences that create lasting impact. “Being named 2026 Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year reflects how we show up for our customers. We lead with curiosity, collaboration, and a focus on outcomes that matter,” said Samir Batla, Global Leader, Snowflake Business Unit at Slalom. “Together with Snowflake, we are helping organizations not only modernize their data platforms but also reimagine what is possible with data, AI, and the people who bring it to life.” “Slalom stands out for its ability to bring innovation to life in ways that are practical, scalable, and aligned to customer needs,” said Amy Kodl, SVP, Worldwide Alliances and Channels, Snowflake. “Their focus on combining technical expertise with a human-centered approach helps organizations realize the full value of the AI Data Cloud, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.” Slalom and Snowflake collaborate to help organizations accelerate their data journeys from strategy through delivery, enabling customers to harness the power of the AI Data Cloud to drive better decisions, improve operations, and create new opportunities for growth. To learn more about Slalom and Snowflake, visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake). --- title: Slalom Named a Major Contender in Everest Group’s Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® 2025 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/adobe-services-peak-matrix source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/adobe-services-peak-matrix locale: us/en content_type: Award --- # Slalom Named a Major Contender in Everest Group’s Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® 2025 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/adobe-services-peak-matrix - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/adobe-services-peak-matrix - Locale: us/en - Content type: Award ## Summary Recognition reflects Slalom's growing role in accelerating AI-powered digital transformation and personalized experiences at scale to maximize the value of Adobe investments ## Body Slalom Named a Major Contender in Everest Group’s Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® 2025 Slalom Named a Major Contender in Everest Group’s Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® Recognition reflects Slalom's growing role in accelerating AI-powered digital transformation and personalized experiences at scale to maximize the value of Adobe investments Slalom Named in Everest Group’s Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® 2025 Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, December 17th, 2025 - Slalom, a purpose-driven business and technology consulting firm, announced its recognition as a Major Contender in the Everest Group Adobe Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025. This recognition reflects Slalom's growing role in accelerating AI-powered digital transformation and personalized experiences at scale to maximize the value of Adobe investments. Everest Group's PEAK Matrix® provides an independent, comparative assessment of service providers based on vision, capabilities, and market impact. Slalom's approach to Adobe services is built on: • Human-centered design: Creating experiences that put people first, from strategy through delivery. • End-to-end expertise: Combining deep Adobe platform knowledge with industry and functional insight. • Local teams, global scale: Delivering with local market understanding, backed by a global network and over 700 technology partnerships. To learn more about Slalom's Adobe services, visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe) The full Everest Group report is available for download or purchase: [https://www.everestgrp.com/report/egr-2025-55-r-7580/](https://www.everestgrp.com/report/egr-2025-55-r-7580/) Disclaimer: Licensed extracts taken from Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix® Reports may be used by licensed third parties for use in their own marketing and promotional activities and collateral. Selected extracts from Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix® reports do not necessarily provide the full context of our research and analysis. All research and analysis conducted by Everest Group’s analysts and included in Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix® reports is independent and no organization has paid a fee to be featured or to influence their ranking. To access the complete research and to learn more about our methodology, please visit [Everest Group PEAK Matrix® Reports](https://www.everestgrp.com/research/). Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year --- title: Slalom recognised as an AFR BOSS Best Places to Work 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/afr-boss-best-places-to-work source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/afr-boss-best-places-to-work locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom recognised as an AFR BOSS Best Places to Work 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/afr-boss-best-places-to-work - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/afr-boss-best-places-to-work - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom recognised as an AFR BOSS Best Places to Work 2023 Back to newsroom Share Australia – 20 April 2023 – For the second consecutive year, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognised as one of Australia and New Zealand’s Best Places to Work by the Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine. Slalom earned a top ten spot on the list in the Professional Services category. Slalom employees helped inform this honour by sharing their thoughts on our culture, which is grounded by our [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. Slalom has offices in [Melbourne](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/melbourne), [Sydney](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/sydney), and [Auckland](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/new-zealand). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms in several industries url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/americas-best-management-consulting-firms-forbes-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/americas-best-management-consulting-firms-forbes-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms in several industries - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/americas-best-management-consulting-firms-forbes-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/americas-best-management-consulting-firms-forbes-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms in several industries Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – March 15, 2023 – For the sixth year in a row, Slalom has been recognized as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes and Statista. Slalom has been included on the list every year it has been published, and this year received three-star category ratings for its expertise in Human Resource Consulting, Innovation Growth, and IT Technology. The list of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms spotlights the highest-regarded companies based on results of nationwide expert and client surveys. - Expert Survey: More than 10,000 partners or executives were invited to make recommendations for consultancies in 16 industries and 16 functional areas. Self-recommendations were not accepted or included in the results. - Client Survey: Over 1,200 clients who collaborated with a management consultancy in the past four years were surveyed. Respondents were asked which industries and functional areas they had collaborated, and then were presented with a unique shortlist per industry or functional area based on last year’s results and the recommendations collected from the expert survey. - Category Ratings: The top 199 of the most recommended management consulting firms were sorted into three different star classes, based on the data derived from the two surveys. You can review the [results of the awards here](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-management-consulting-firms/?sh=66213d992b87). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). http://slalom.com/ --- title: Slalom Appoints Amy Loftus as Chief Customer Officer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/amy-loftus-cco source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/amy-loftus-cco locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Appoints Amy Loftus as Chief Customer Officer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/amy-loftus-cco - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/amy-loftus-cco - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Appoints Amy Loftus as Chief Customer Officer Amy Loftus | CCO | Slalom Back to newsroom Share Loftus is the company’s first CCO and brings more than 30 years of experience as a consulting leader and business executive Seattle – January 16, 2024 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Amy Loftus will serve as the company’s first Chief Customer Officer. Bringing a wealth of experience and innovation to the position, Loftus will play a pivotal role in steering the company in a recommitment to customer-centricity. Loftus will also continue to serve as President of the US East Region for Slalom. With a focus on enhancing Slalom's strengths in discovering, designing, and building powerful customer experiences, new ways of working and business model breakthroughs, Loftus will lead new industry investments to help customers adapt and thrive as businesses undergo dynamic changes. Her overarching responsibilities encompass delivering a more consistent and enriched customer journey across the diverse global markets in which Slalom operates. “Amy's appointment marks a significant milestone for Slalom as we reinforce our commitment to deliver unparalleled customer experiences. Her strategic vision and leadership will help us set a new standard for excellence in the professional services industry,” said Brad Jackson, Slalom co-founder and CEO. “Amy is known as an authentic leader, and someone who takes extraordinary care in building close relationships with our customers. She’s the perfect choice to lead us in this next stage of Slalom’s evolution.” With a focus on the future, Loftus will drive increased investment in industry skills to deeply understand Slalom’s customers' needs and deliver practical, end to end solutions relevant to their operating sectors. Furthermore, she will lead efforts to enhance the company's focus on delivering customer solutions through accelerators that incorporate cutting-edge technologies. These enable Slalom’s customer-centric approach that aligns with the ever-evolving needs of its clients. ”This is a transformative journey for Slalom, with the end goal of empowering all our employees to bring the best of Slalom and help our customers build better tomorrows faster,” said Loftus. “By the end of 2024, the majority of our leaders will be focused on helping their teams drive towards a customer’s specific agenda. By cultivating a culture of organizational excellence, our people will be better equipped to deliver the unmatched level of service that Slalom provides as an industry leader in innovation and growth.” Loftus has over 30 years of experience working in the consulting and health and life sciences industry sectors in a variety of national and global leadership roles across North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to Slalom, she led significant global customer relationships and industry teams at Accenture and was an executive for an award-winning health engagement start-up that went public. In addition to her professional experience, Loftus is active in her local community and serves on the executive committee of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the board of Compass Pro Bono and is a Vice Chair on the Board of Trustees of Bryn Mawr College. --- title: Slalom receives Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year award for FY23 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anaplan-partner-fy23 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anaplan-partner-fy23 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom receives Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year award for FY23 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anaplan-partner-fy23 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anaplan-partner-fy23 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom receives Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year award for FY23 Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – March 13, 2023 – [Anaplan](https://www.anaplan.com/) this month announced the winners of its annual Partner Awards, recognizing Slalom as the FY23 Partner of the Year for the Americas. This achievement is a testament to Slalom’s role in driving customer value and transformation via Connected Planning. “We continue to be impressed by Slalom’s technology-enabled approach and customer-first mentality,” said Ray Curbelo, VP America’s Partners Alliances, Anaplan. “The team has delivered meaningful customer value through Anaplan solutions and implementations, and we’re thrilled to acknowledge their continued success with this recognition.” As a leading Anaplan partner, Slalom brings expertise in innovation, thought leadership, business value mapping, and industry and domain specialty to help enable business agility and performance for customers. To date, Slalom has delivered more than 175 Connected Planning solutions in partnership with customers across the Retail, Technology, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Resources, and Financial Services industries. Ryan DuBiel, Slalom’s Global Anaplan Practice Lead, said “At Slalom, we’re focused on helping our clients thrive in uncertainty, and Anaplan’s market-leading platform, combined with our strategic capabilities, has been integral in helping our clients do just that. We’re thrilled to accept this award as recognition of both the value we have delivered to our joint customers and the caliber of the teams we have working together to make these outcomes possible.” Learn more about Slalom and Anaplan on our [partnership page](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/anaplan). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). About Anaplan Anaplan is a transformative way to see, plan, and lead your business. Using our proprietary Anaplan Polaris™ Calculation Engine and Hyperblock™ technology, Anaplan lets you contextualize real-time performance, and forecast future outcomes for faster, confident decisions. Anaplan enables connected strategy and planning across your enterprise to move your business forward. Based in San Francisco, Anaplan has over 200 partners and more than 2,000 customers worldwide. To learn more, visit [www.anaplan.com](http://www.anaplan.com/). --- title: Angel City Football Club welcomes Slalom as a new team-level and business transformation partner url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/angel-city-football-club-welcomes-slalom-partner source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/angel-city-football-club-welcomes-slalom-partner locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Angel City Football Club welcomes Slalom as a new team-level and business transformation partner - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/angel-city-football-club-welcomes-slalom-partner - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/angel-city-football-club-welcomes-slalom-partner - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced a multi-year Team Level Partnership with Slalom today. ## Body Angel City Football Club welcomes Slalom as a new team-level and business transformation partner Angel City Football Club | Slalom Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced a multi-year Team Level Partnership with Slalom today. Back to newsroom Share LOS ANGELES - [Angel City Football Club](http://www.angelcity.com/) (ACFC) announced a multi-year Team Level Partnership with Slalom today. Slalom is a next-generation professional services company, and is now ACFC’s official business transformation partner. Slalom is renowned for its success in helping organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. In this partnership, Slalom will leverage its strategy expertise to support ACFC in identifying and prioritizing growth opportunities for the club and its global brand. Slalom has a proven track record of success, having collaborated with companies such as the Chicago Cubs, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Southwest Airlines, among others, to drive transformation and growth for their businesses. ACFC’s conversations with Slalom began in May 2021, when both organizations discussed a shared vision for supporting the growth of Angel City and the broader realm of women's sports. This partnership is unique as Slalom has committed to deliver both a sponsorship and consulting services to help ACFC accelerate its goals, underscoring its dedication to ACFC and its commitment to community impact. As with all Angel City partnerships, 10% of the partnership will directly benefit local community organizations. Angel City and Slalom will aid ACFC non-profit partners by providing them with the strategic resources necessary for navigating critical and timely business strategy projects. This initiative exemplifies ACFC’s commitment to leveraging partnerships for the greater good, ensuring our non-profit allies are well-equipped to advance their missions amidst change and challenges. Julie Uhrman, Co-Founder and President of Angel City, expressed her enthusiasm about the partnership: We welcome Slalom to Angel City and believe that their commitment to supporting our growth and being champions for women's sports is what makes them a natural fit. This partnership represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to redefine the future of sports and improve our community, and we look forward to the remarkable impact we will achieve together. Karl Mehu, General Manager of Slalom in Los Angeles, shared his perspective: “Slalom and Angel City’s success is rooted in our mutual love for community. Slalom’s purpose is to help organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all, and with ACFC, we share a commitment to innovation, purpose-driven values and driving equity on and off the field. We look forward to showcasing the impact of our work together and are so glad this further strengthens ACFC’s ability to empower women in sports.” About Angel City Football Club Angel City Football Club (ACFC), a member of the National Women's Soccer League, has completed its second season at BMO Stadium in downtown Los Angeles. The team is founded by Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Angela Hucles Mangano is the team’s General Manager. Becki Tweed serves as Head Coach. Group ticket sales of 10+ mini-plans offering discounted tickets to multiple matches of your choice, and single-match tickets are now available. Season tickets for the 2024 season are still on sale in limited quantities. Fans are encouraged to purchase soon at[https://angelcity.com/tickets](https://angelcity.com/tickets). Learn more about ACFC at [www.angelcity.com](http://www.angelcity.com/) and follow the team on social media @weareangelcity. --- title: Anthony Flot joins Slalom as Senior Director for Medicaid & Integrated Eligibility url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anthony-flot-joins-slalom source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anthony-flot-joins-slalom locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Anthony Flot joins Slalom as Senior Director for Medicaid & Integrated Eligibility - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anthony-flot-joins-slalom - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/anthony-flot-joins-slalom - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, welcomes Anthony Flot to its Global Public and Social Impact Health and Human Services Leadership team as Senior Director for Medicaid & Integrated Eligibility. ## Body Anthony Flot joins Slalom as Senior Director for Medicaid & Integrated Eligibility As featured in Harvard Business Review, Slalom outlines how adaptive organizations can close AI skills gaps and turn agentic AI into business value. Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, welcomes Anthony Flot to its Global Public and Social Impact Health and Human Services Leadership team as Senior Director for Medicaid & Integrated Eligibility. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, March 23, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, welcomes Anthony Flot to its Global Public and Social Impact Health and Human Services Leadership team as Senior Director for Medicaid Integrated Eligibility. Modern technology gives states the ability to deliver dramatically better outcomes for the people they serve through simpler access to benefits, faster eligibility decisions, more seamless experiences across programs, and clearer pathways to health and economic stability. In this role, Anthony will lead Slalom’s Medicaid and Integrated Eligibility portfolio, accelerating our work with states to realize these resident‑focused outcomes through modern, human‑centered, and transparent approaches. His leadership will help states adopt innovative delivery models that deliver measurable impact while enabling greater ownership of their data, systems, and long‑term technology strategies. “Anthony is practical, bold, and deeply committed to reshaping what’s possible in Medicaid and Integrated Eligibility,” said Andrea Danes, Global Leader for Health Human Services at Slalom. “His vision directly supports our belief that states should be empowered to build, modernize, and own the systems that serve their residents.” Anthony joins Slalom with over two decades of experience in the technology sector and extensive expertise leading large‑scale Medicaid and eligibility modernization across multiple states. His background spans strategic roadmap development, modular system transformation, and delivery of resident‑centered solutions that improve operational performance and experience. His work has earned national visibility, with numerous states seeking his guidance on how to modernize more effectively and sustainably. More information, visit our page on [public and social impact](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact) at Slalom. slalom anthony flot --- title: Slalom named one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work® url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/australia-best-workplaces-great-place-work-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/australia-best-workplaces-great-place-work-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work® - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/australia-best-workplaces-great-place-work-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/australia-best-workplaces-great-place-work-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work® Back to newsroom Share August 18, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognised by [Great Place to Work](https://greatplacetowork.com.au/awards-list/australia-best-workplaces-2023-medium-companies/)® as one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™. The #2 ranking in the large organisations category is based on analysis of survey responses from those who know Slalom best—our employees. Great Place to Work® determined Slalom’s placement on the list by reviewing confidential feedback from employees who were asked to describe the extent to which their organisation creates a ‘great place to work’ for all. To be considered for Best Workplace™ recognition, Slalom Australia also earned the Great Place to Work-Certified™ standard of accreditation. Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. Slalom has offices in [Sydney](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/sydney) and [Melbourne](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/melbourne). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our nearly 13,000 strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Announces Joint Offering with AWS to Accelerate Mainframe Modernization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-accelerate-mainframe-modernization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-accelerate-mainframe-modernization locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Announces Joint Offering with AWS to Accelerate Mainframe Modernization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-accelerate-mainframe-modernization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-accelerate-mainframe-modernization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Announces Joint Offering with AWS to Accelerate Mainframe Modernization Slalom announces joint offering with AWS to accelerate mainframe modernization Back to newsroom Share Offering provides joint customers with end-to-end process, technology, and organizational guidance for retiring mainframe monoliths and driving business outcomes Seattle, WA — November 22, 2022 — Today, Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, announced a new joint offering with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to accelerate the migration of customers’ mainframe architectures to the cloud. This offering combines proven methodologies, tools, and approaches from Slalom and AWS to tackle customers’ challenges with mainframe modernization more holistically than traditional approaches. The joint capability will combine Slalom consulting services with AWS Mainframe Modernization. Instead of migrating individual mainframe components to the cloud using platform emulation—an approach known as “at parity”—Slalom and AWS focus first on working backwards with customers starting from their desired business outcomes. “For more than a decade, we’ve worked with AWS and supported the company’s vision, building a slate of incredible tools for our customers who are moving to AWS and modernizing there,” said Mike Cowden, executive president of global technologies at Slalom. “The next step is to innovate and help organizations optimize their core business systems with stable, cloud-supported mainframe backbones that are more efficient to run.” Too often, an “at-parity” approach to mainframe migration only transfers the complexity of on-premises mainframes to the cloud, keeping the business from transforming. Using the global footprint and combined strengths of AWS and Slalom, this new offering helps to remove the constraints of traditional mainframe technology and give customers the ability to quickly, predictably, and cost-effectively accelerate modernization. Slalom and AWS have a history of customer success helping customers modernize their mainframes, and our work with [LoyaltyOne](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/loyaltyone) serves as an example. Strategically, we made the decision to completely change the course of what we were doing from a technology perspective and rethought, redesigned, and re-architected the Airmiles loyalty platform from a monolithic mainframe system to a cloud-native, API-enabled micro service on AWS,” said Harry Yu, director of enterprise architecture at LoyaltyOne. “Slalom partnered with us on what, I would say, is the biggest technology implementation we've ever done in LoyaltyOne’s 30 years of history, and it was as close to perfect as anyone could ever expect it to be. Consisting of a set of managed tools, AWS Mainframe Modernization provides infrastructure and software for migrating, modernizing, and running mainframe applications. Together with Slalom’s fiercely human approach to consulting, the companies will help customers achieve their innovation goals and build cross-functional alignment among business and technology teams. “Enterprises of all sizes are looking to outpace their competitors using technology,” said Bill Platt, general manager of Migration Services at AWS. “To help our customers become modern technology companies, AWS has invested in solutions for balancing businesses aspirations against the legacy limitations of mainframes.” About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,500 strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Achieves the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-advertising-and-marketing-technology-competency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-advertising-and-marketing-technology-competency locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-advertising-and-marketing-technology-competency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-advertising-and-marketing-technology-competency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Achieves the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, WA – November 29, 2023 - Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency in the categories of Digital Customer Experience and Audience and Customer Data Management. This is the fourth AWS Competency that Slalom has earned in 2023. As advertisers and marketers look to leverage the cloud to innovate and achieve digital transformation, they are increasingly in need of partners with services and solutions that are purpose-built to meet their needs. AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Partners provide these customers – including advertising agencies, marketers, publishers, advertising and marketing technology providers, and analytics service providers – with AWS-validated solutions and services, helping to accelerate their transformation. Recent changes to privacy laws and platform modifications have resulted in signal loss and made it much harder to track and target prospects across digital channels. Slalom helps customers leverage the power of AWS Advertising and Marketing technology to unlock first party insights and navigate addressability with services offerings including: - AWS Customer 360 Accelerator - AWS Clean Room Accelerator - Amazon Marketing Cloud Accelerator First Party Data Uploader These Advertising Marketing Transformation services help brands unlock the value of first-party data, build authentic 1:1 interaction with prospects and customers, and boost Return-on-ad-Spend (RoAS). Slalom acts as an extension of the client-agency team and helps brands stay ahead of the latest challenges and innovations in an ever-evolving consumer, regulatory, and technical world. Achieving the [AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency](https://aws.amazon.com/advertising-marketing/partners/) differentiates Slalom in the AWS Partner Network (APN) with demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success in running cloud solutions on AWS for the advertising and marketing industry. To achieve the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency, AWS Partners must undergo rigorous technical validation by AWS solution architects and have verified customer references. ”Slalom achieving the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency means we can help clients navigate changes by leveraging the agility, breadth of services, and pace of innovation that AWS provides,” said Rio Longacre, Managing Director at Slalom. “Advertising and Marketing Transformation has been a big area of investment for us over the past couple years, especially as major changes continue to occur with the emergence of new technologies, evolving privacy laws, and an ever-evolving digital landscape.” AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, the [AWS Competency Program](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/programs/competencies/) helps customers identify validated AWS Partner solutions and services for specific industry use cases. Explore AWS Partner solutions or APN Partners, including [Slalom](https://partners.amazonaws.com/partners/001E000000NaBI0IAN/). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 12,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Achieves Cloud Financial Management and Cloud Governance Distinction in AWS Cloud Operations Competency url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-cloud-operations-competency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-cloud-operations-competency locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves Cloud Financial Management and Cloud Governance Distinction in AWS Cloud Operations Competency - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-cloud-operations-competency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-cloud-operations-competency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Achieves Cloud Financial Management and Cloud Governance Distinction in AWS Cloud Operations Competency Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – April 6, 2023 – Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Operations Competency in the Cloud Governance and Cloud Financial Management categories. The new AWS Cloud Operations Competency allows customers to select validated AWS Partners who offer comprehensive solutions with an integrated approach across all five solution areas of Cloud Operations: Cloud Financial Management, Cloud Governance, Monitoring and Observability, Compliance and Auditing, and Operations Management. As an AWS Cloud Operations Competency Partner, Slalom has demonstrated expertise in helping customers build a strong and scalable foundation for their end-to-end Cloud Operations. IT Operations are at the heart of every organization. It can be time-consuming and challenging for customers to determine the best way to set up their organization for operational excellence. Without the right model for operating at cloud scale, organizations can struggle to balance their needs for security, compliance, and operational safety with their responsibility to boost innovation, speed, and agility. Builders can run into inefficient and siloed application development, difficult deployments that result in errors, and downtime in mission-critical applications. Many of these issues are caused by customers focusing on one area of Cloud Operations over others, resulting in them missing the opportunity to generate a larger ROI during their digital transformation. AWS Cloud Operations Competency Partners have proven success in delivering solutions with customers that help them set up, build, migrate, and operate securely and efficiently with an integrated approach to Cloud Operations. “Slalom has been privileged to support our customers at various points in their cloud adoption stories, from foundational governance and organizationally aligned answers to ‘why cloud?’ to post-migration optimization in areas like observability or cost management,” said Scott Hankinson, Director of Technology Enablement at Slalom. “When we learned that AWS was launching the AWS Cloud Operations Competency, we knew being included as a Launch Partner would help us highlight the benefits of these solutions for our customers around the world.” The AWS Cloud Operations Competency recognizes AWS Partner Network (APN) members who have significant expertise in providing cross-functional guidance across the five solution areas of Cloud Operations. Slalom follows AWS best practices and has proven experience in Cloud Financial Management and Cloud Governance. Ralph Casadei Earning our distinctions in Cloud Governance and Cloud Financial Management highlights Slalom’s ability and commitment to helping our customers leverage modern cloud best practices and AWS services to operate efficiently in the cloud, and in doing so, fully realize the value of AWS. Cloud Governance: AWS Partners in this solution area have a proven track record of helping customers plan, build and manage hybrid cloud environments that are secure, scalable, and cost-efficient from the start. Customers can address potential threats, leverage best practices, and meet compliance requirements, even as customers integrate with other services and third-party tools. When customers set up an environment that is optimized for governance, they increase their productivity and operational efficiency. Slalom works alongside its customers to assess their cloud capability maturity across core pillars including strategy, finance, development, architecture, operations, and information security. Slalom teams have developed a foundational engagement that builds on the results of customers’ cloud maturity assessments and works to establish the processes, controls, automation, and skills that organizations need to govern, develop, and operate in the cloud. Slalom teams leverage templates to prescribe cloud principles and standards, design the cloud infrastructure scaffolding and environment blueprints leveraging Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) assets, help incorporate security and compliance into the toolchain, design an operating model, and stand up a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE), creating a foundation upon which the cloud journey can safely continue. Cloud Financial Management (CFM): AWS Partners in this solution area have a proven track record of helping customers plan for optimized cloud spend management from day one with services, tooling, and resources. Customers can organize and track cloud cost and usage, implement cost controls, plan better through budgeting and forecasts, and further improve cost efficiency with resource utilization and purchase strategy optimizations. Slalom helps guide its customers to assess, design, and implement cloud spend management and optimization capabilities. Irrespective of where an organization is on their journey of CFM, Slalom brings expertise to establish clarity, accountability, and financial governance to truly realize the value of the cloud. Slalom teams take a three-phase approach to establishing CFM, first by developing a holistic cloud spend strategy, then by optimizing through the creation of infrastructure to gain visibility into cloud spend and execute cost-saving strategies, and finally by operationalizing CFM through data visualization, which makes cloud costs visible and predictable, empowering teams to make data-driven decisions for cloud value realization. “Slalom is proud to achieve the AWS Cloud Operations Competency,” said Raph Casadei, Global Director of Business Advisory Services at Slalom. “Earning our distinctions in Cloud Governance and Cloud Financial Management highlights Slalom’s ability and commitment to helping our customers leverage modern cloud best practices and AWS services to operate efficiently in the cloud, and in doing so, fully realize the value of AWS.” AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the [AWS Competency Program](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/competencies/) to help customers identify AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 12,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Achieves All Five AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Distinctions url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-five-advertising-marketing-competencies source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-five-advertising-marketing-competencies locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves All Five AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Distinctions - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-five-advertising-marketing-competencies - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-five-advertising-marketing-competencies - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced today that we have achieved the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology (AMT) Competency distinctions in the categories of Privacy Enhanced Data Collaboration, Advertising Intelligence and Measurement and Advertising Platforms. ## Body Slalom Achieves All Five AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Distinctions AWS All Five AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competencies | Slalom We announced today that we have achieved the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology (AMT) Competency distinctions in the categories of Privacy Enhanced Data Collaboration, Advertising Intelligence and Measurement and Advertising Platforms. Back to newsroom Share Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) [Advertising and Marketing Technology (AMT) Competency](https://aws.amazon.com/advertising-marketing/partners/) distinctions in the categories of Privacy Enhanced Data Collaboration, Advertising Intelligence and Measurement and Advertising Platforms. Slalom has now achieved distinctions in all five AMT Competency distinctions after being previously recognized in the Digital Customer Experience and Audience and Customer Data Management categories. The [Advertising and Marketing Technology (AMT) Competency](https://aws.amazon.com/advertising-marketing/partners/) recognizes Slalom’s expertise in providing customers with strategy and technology consulting services that empower organizations to reinvent workloads and deploy next-generation AWS-validated solutions and services. As advertisers and marketers look to leverage the cloud to innovate and lean into digital transformation, they are increasingly looking for partners with services and solutions purpose-built to meet their needs. “Slalom is thrilled to achieve these latest AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency distinctions,” said Rio Longacre, managing director of Advertising Marketing Transformation for Slalom. “Our goal is to be the go-to technology consulting company for brands and agencies looking to future-proof their organizations using AWS solutions.” AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Partners provide advertising agencies, marketers, publishers, ad technology providers, and analytics service providers’ customers with AWS-validated solutions and services that help accelerate their advertising and marketing transformation. Last year, Television New Zealand (TVNZ), New Zealand’s state-owned, commercially funded television broadcaster, became the first media company in the region to adopt the AWS AMT solution AWS Clean Rooms to transform the way it manages advertising. TVNZ worked with Slalom to implement AWS Clean Rooms in just six weeks. “Slalom understood our requirements and deployed AWS Clean Rooms to enable TVNZ and our advertisers to deliver personalized content more securely and cost-effectively,” said Rob Hutchinson, general manager of Digital, Commercial at TVNZ. Key benefits: - Slalom’s solution featured an API-driven ETL process for advertisers to load data into the clean room to match 1 st -party (1P) data against the broadcaster’s 1P data to create impact segments to drive high-performance ad placements. - Slalom’s solution gave brands the ability to anonymize and deploy 1P data across advertising channels, generating unique customer insights to help advertisers drive audience engagement and deploy more personalized advertising programs. - Following its launch, more than a dozen brands, including McDonald’s, signed on to launch advertising campaigns using the new platform. Achieving the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency differentiates Slalom as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member with demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success in running cloud solutions on AWS for the advertising and marketing industry. This program showcases Advertising and Marketing Technology consulting and software AWS Partners who have domain knowledge and are providing cloud services powered by AWS technology. To receive the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency designation, AWS Partners must undergo a rigorous technical validation by AWS solution architects and have verified customer references. This means those who choose to partner with or use a solution provided by one of these select partners can be assured that the offering has been validated by AWS and is considered to be following all best practices for building secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient cloud infrastructure for industry applications. “This achievement recognizes the amazing work Slalom has achieved with clients over the past few years,” said Longacre. “This is an amazing accomplishment – Slalom is only the second partner to hold all five category designations within AMT. Our team is dedicated to helping organizations future-proof their advertising and marketing capabilities by leveraging the agility, breadth of services, and pace of innovation that AWS provides.” One added benefit of migrating or building advertising and marketing workloads on the most widely adopted cloud is the number of integrations and distribution channels connecting shared data with flexibility and interoperability. Whether seeking third-party data or tools for better managing first-party data or a specific industry solution to meet a need, there are AWS and partner solutions and/or services offered in AWS Data Exchange, AWS Marketplace, or via AWS Partner Network (APN) partners. For more information, visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws). --- title: Slalom Achieves the AWS Generative AI Competency url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-gen-ai-competency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-gen-ai-competency locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves the AWS Generative AI Competency - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-gen-ai-competency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-gen-ai-competency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced today that we have achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Generative AI Competency. ## Body Slalom Achieves the AWS Generative AI Competency AWS Generative AI Competency | Slalom We announced today that we have achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Generative AI Competency. Back to newsroom Share Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services ([AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws)) Generative AI Competency. This specialization recognizes Slalom as an AWS Partner that helps customers and the AWS Partner Network (APN) drive the advancement of services, tools, and infrastructure pivotal for implementing generative AI technologies. Achieving the AWS Generative AI Competency differentiates Slalom as an AWS Partner that has demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success building tailored generative AI solutions for customers across the enterprise. Slalom possesses experience and expertise demonstrated through successful projects addressing customer challenges using generative AI solutions. These solutions help enable digital transformation strategies for augmenting the customer experience, delivering hyper-personalized and engaging content, streamlining workflows, and delivering actionable results powered by generative AI technology from AWS. Slalom is thrilled to achieve the new AWS Generative AI Competency at launch. By working with AWS, we're dedicated to addressing our customers' most progressive opportunities with generative AI, said Tony Ko, Managing Director of AI at Slalom. Our commitment is unwavering in supporting our customers with successfully integrating generative AI into their business strategy to redefine their relationships with customers, employees, and industries. The AWS Competency Program aims to assist customers in connecting with AWS Partners who possess extensive knowledge and technical expertise in using AWS technologies and best practices to adopt generative AI. These AWS Partners facilitate the seamless integration and deployment of AWS-based solutions to meet the unique needs of all customers, from startups to global enterprises. Slalom helps its customers use AI to automate repetitive processes, challenge conventional constraints, and reimagine experiences in a responsible and ethical way that keeps people doing what only humans can: thinking creatively and innovating boldly. Whether it’s exploring and experimenting with generative AI use cases, establishing a generative AI governance plan, or executing on a real-world generative AI solution, Slalom helps customers enable, measure, and scale the positive impact of AI. Slalom supports companies across industries from Energy Utilities to Healthcare, to Travel Hospitality. --- title: Slalom Achieves AWS Life Sciences Competency Status url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-life-sciences-competency-status source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-life-sciences-competency-status locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves AWS Life Sciences Competency Status - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-life-sciences-competency-status - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-life-sciences-competency-status - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Achieves AWS Life Sciences Competency Status Back to newsroom Share September 25, 2023 – Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Life Sciences Competency, its eighteenth AWS Competency designation to date. Achieving the AWS Life Sciences Competency verifies that Slalom’s life sciences solutions that leverage AWS follow architectural and operational best practices. Slalom’s AWS-supported life sciences solutions have been used by customers like [ElevateBio](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/elevate-bio), [TAE Life Sciences](https://pages.awscloud.com/apn-tv-842.html), and [Sygnomics](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/sygnomics). Achieving the AWS Life Sciences Competency differentiates Slalom as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that has demonstrated technical expertise and customer success in building life sciences solutions on AWS. These solutions have helped life sciences companies increase their ability to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize therapeutics while driving top-line revenue and improving patient experiences. “The life sciences industry does profoundly personal and impactful work,” said Johanna DeYoung, Managing Director and Global Life Sciences Industry Lead at Slalom. “We’re proud to achieve the AWS Life Sciences Competency because it recognizes our deep industry expertise and proven success delivering customer—and, ultimately, patient—value. The agility and speed of AWS pairs well with our pragmatic approach to helping our life sciences customers achieve their transformational goals.” Slalom has been working with AWS within the life sciences industry for some time. Recently, Slalom launched an [accelerator to help life sciences organizations](https://go.slalom.com/l/209772/2023-04-24/3jl2j2) deploy next-best-action technology, an innovative machine learning approach to understanding customer interactions. Next-best-action technology helps commercial teams determine the impact of all touchpoints within a patient’s or healthcare provider’s journey, enabling them to create the next best experience for maximum impact. AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for customers ranging from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the [AWS Competency Program](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/competencies/) to help customers identify AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. In a [Slalom case study](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/sygnomics), Sygnomics founder Ashutosh Tiwary had these words to say about working with us: “You should be incredibly proud of all the work that you did. Hopefully someday you can see an oncologist using a piece of software and say, ‘I helped that patient get better.’ And that will be powerful.” About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Achieves the AWS Mainframe Modernization Competency url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-mainframe-modernization-competency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-mainframe-modernization-competency locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves the AWS Mainframe Modernization Competency - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-mainframe-modernization-competency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-mainframe-modernization-competency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Mainframe Modernization Competency. ## Body Slalom Achieves the AWS Mainframe Modernization Competency Slalom announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Mainframe Modernization Competency. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, June 6, 2025 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services ([AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws)) Mainframe Modernization Competency. This specialization recognizes Slalom as an AWS Partner that helps customers migrate and modernize applications and legacy infrastructure to AWS. Achieving the AWS Mainframe Modernization Competency differentiates Slalom as an AWS Partner that has demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success helping its clients modernize their mainframe systems and data to the AWS platform. Slalom possesses experience and expertise demonstrated through successful projects, helping unlock the extensive benefits of scalable cloud technology. These modernized systems allow Slalom’s clients to move faster, save costs, and pursue new cloud and AI enabled activities. ”Achieving the AWS Mainframe Modernization competency marks an exciting milestone for Slalom, underscoring our dedication to transforming legacy workloads with AWS as our premier cloud partner,” said Jeff Kempiners, Managing Director at Slalom. “This accomplishment builds on our past successes and highlights our focus on delivering innovative modernization solutions.” The AWS Competency Program aims to assist customers in connecting with AWS Partners who possess extensive knowledge and technical expertise in AWS technologies and are then able to leverage best practices to modernize mainframe systems into AWS. These AWS Partners, like Slalom, facilitate the seamless integration and deployment of AWS-based solutions to meet the unique needs of all customers, from startups to global enterprises. Slalom helps its customers modernize mainframe systems to unlock the vast potential of cloud technology. This journey enables companies to automate and leverage the best of the cloud, reduce risk, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce costs. Once migrated, customers can quickly respond to new ideas and access a wider pool of technology and team members to support their systems. Slalom's expertise in mainframe modernization includes industries from Retail to Financial Services, Telecommunications to Travel Hospitality, as well as the Public Sector, helping them move faster and adapt to new technological advancements with confidence. --- title: Slalom Achieves AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-media-entertainment-competency source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-media-entertainment-competency locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-media-entertainment-competency - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-media-entertainment-competency - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Achieves AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – April 14, 2023 – Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media Entertainment Competency. This is the 17th AWS Competency designation earned by Slalom, which is a two-time recipient of AWS Partner of the Year awards for system integrators. The AWS Competency verifies that Slalom’s media and entertainment services follows architectural and operational best practices, is being actively used by customers in production environments, and customers advocate for these services. “Slalom is proud to achieve the AWS Media Entertainment Competency, which recognizes our industry expertise and success in delivering value for our customers in this space,” said Anthony Marquardt, General Manager of Global Industry at Slalom. “We are committed to helping media and entertainment organizations achieve their business transformation goals by leveraging AWS for its breadth of services, agility and speed.” The media and entertainment industry is evolving as companies reinvent how they create content, optimize media supply chains, and compete for audience attention across streaming, broadcast, and direct-to-consumer platforms. The types of content that people want to consume are changing, with growing demand for more engaging experiences. The AWS Media Entertainment Competency recognizes Slalom for helping customers address these changes by modernizing their highest-priority workloads and streamlining the production and distribution of engaging content for their audiences. Achieving the AWS Media Entertainment Competency differentiates Slalom as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member with validated expertise and proven customer success delivering transformative media workloads for companies ranging from established global studios, streamers, and production companies to those nascent in their cloud journey. Slalom’s team of industry experts deliver end-to-end solutions on AWS that can drive meaningful impact, including in data and analytics, advertising and marketing technology, media supply chain, and content production. Recently, Slalom signed a three-year strategic collaboration agreement with AWS to accelerate building industry-specific solutions to jointly meet customer needs, including solutions for media and entertainment. “It’s really quite simple,” said Aaron Atkins, Slalom Senior Sales Executive focused on media and entertainment. “With AWS, Slalom has helped many media and entertainment leaders accelerate content production, reduce subscriber churn, and leverage analytics to identify cost savings.” AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for organizations ranging from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. [Learn more](https://go.slalom.com/aws-media-entertainment) about Slalom’s media and entertainment practice. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Awarded Five 2023 AWS Partner Awards and Named a Finalist for Four url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-awards-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-awards-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded Five 2023 AWS Partner Awards and Named a Finalist for Four - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-awards-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-awards-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Awarded Five 2023 AWS Partner Awards and Named a Finalist for Four Back to newsroom Share Slalom receives nine 2023 AWS Partner Award acknowledgments, including AWS SI Partner of the Year – Global Las Vegas, NV – November 27, 2023 – Announced during a Partner Awards Gala at AWS re:Invent 2023, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, is a winner of five 2023 Geo and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for four Awards. Finalists represent the top-three-ranked AWS Partners across any data-driven award set. The Awards recognize leaders around the globe playing a key role helping customers drive innovation and build solutions on AWS. The Geo and Global AWS Partner Awards that Slalom received for 2023 are: - System Integrator (SI) Partner of the Year – Global: Honors top AWS SI Partners that have provided significant contributions related to revenue, launched opportunities, net-new certified individuals, and AWS designations earned - SI Partner of the Year – UKI (UK and Ireland) – Recognizes AWS Partners in the UK and Ireland as leaders in helping customers drive innovation. This is the first time Slalom has won this award in the UK and Ireland and represents Slalom’s close alignment with AWS focusing on industry solutions to drive value for joint customers - SI Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Partner of the Year – Global: Acknowledges top AWS Partners with the AWS Machine Learning Competency that have demonstrated machine learning expertise through the amount of competencies they hold, the value they’ve provided to customers, and the revenue they’ve helped generate - SI Migration Partner of the Year – Global – Showcases top AWS Partners with the AWS Migration Competency and their ability to execute customer migrations based on quantity of migrations, value delivered, and punctual delivery - Industry Partner of the Year – Travel and Hospitality – Global: Recognizes top AWS Partners with the AWS Travel and Hospitality Competency that are helping to drive results in the modernization and innovation journeys of customers in the industry, from behind-the-scenes operational efficiencies to guest-facing customer experiences “I give credit to the collaborative and customer-focused teams at Slalom for the global recognition that we received as a winner in these AWS Partner Award categories this year,” said Mukesh Kumar, General Manager of Slalom’s global technology team. “We’re honored to be acknowledged and grateful for our relationship with AWS, which empowers us to provide an award-winning experience to our mutual customers.” Dave Williams, President UK and Ireland at Slalom, had this to say about the AWS SI Partner of the Year – UKI win: “Helping organizations to transform through the use of cloud technologies is something we love doing, and it’s always humbling to hear customers or partners giving recognition for the work we do together with them. Collaborating with AWS is really refreshing—its teams are so customer-centric in how they think, super innovative in what they can offer, and really in sync with our own bias for action to get things done, properly. It’s so exciting to think about the impact we can continue to have together for our mutual customers.” The UKI win is Slalom’s second location-specific AWS Partner Award win in 2023 after receiving AWS SI Partner of the Year – US [earlier this year](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/aws-us-partner-award-2023). This puts Slalom’s total number of 2023 AWS Partner Awards at six. Slalom was also named a finalist for four 2023 Geo and Global AWS Partner Awards: - Application Modernization SI Partner of the Year – Global - SI Data and Analytics Partner of the Year – Global - SI Security Partner of the Year – Global - Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Partner of the Year – North America For the second year in a row, Geo and Global AWS Partner Awards included a self-nomination process across several award categories. Award submissions were reviewed by a third-party, Canalys, and winners were selected by a panel of AWS experts based on strict criteria, with special emphasis placed on customer success use cases presented in the nomination form. Slalom has built deep relationships with customers in 45 markets around the world, such as AWS customers [Smith Optics](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/smith-optics) and [TUI Group](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/tui-group-cloud). Slalom has been a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) since 2010 and is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner. The APN is a global program focused on helping companies build successful AWS-based businesses or solutions by providing business, technical, marketing, and go-to-market support. The APN includes independent software vendors (ISVs) and SIs around the world, with AWS Partner participation growing significantly during the past 12 months. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 12,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Awarded 13 2025 AWS Partner of Award Acknowledgements url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-of-the-year-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-of-the-year-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Award --- # Slalom Awarded 13 2025 AWS Partner of Award Acknowledgements - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-of-the-year-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-partner-of-the-year-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Award ## Summary At the Partner Awards Gala at AWS re:Invent 2025, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was named a winner of four 2025 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for nine awards. Finalists represent the top-three-ranked AWS Partners across any data-driven award set. ## Body Slalom Awarded 13 2025 AWS Partner of Award Acknowledgements Slalom Awarded 13 2025 AWS Partner of the Year Award Acknowledgements Slalom named a winner of four 2025 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for nine awards. At the Partner Awards Gala at AWS re:Invent 2025, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was named a winner of four 2025 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for nine awards. Finalists represent the top-three-ranked AWS Partners across any data-driven award set. Back to newsroom Share Las Vegas, NV – December 1, 2025 - Announced today at the Partner Awards Gala at [AWS re:Invent 2025](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/aws-reinvent), Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was named a winner of four 2025 Geography and Global Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Awards and a finalist for nine awards. Finalists represent the top-three-ranked AWS Partners across any data-driven award set. The awards recognize leaders around the globe that are playing key roles in helping their customers drive innovation and build solutions on AWS. “These AWS Partner of the Year awards celebrate what’s possible when passionate teams come together with a shared purpose,” says WD Land, Senior Managing Director, AWS Cloud Team, Slalom. “At Slalom, we’re driven to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Our collaboration with AWS enables us to make that purpose real every day—through innovation that empowers customers across industries and communities.” The Geography and Global AWS Partner Awards that Slalom received for 2025 are: Industry Partner of the Year - Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods – Consulting – Global: Recognizes top [AWS Partners](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) with the AWS Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Competencies who provide innovative technology offerings that accelerate retailers’ modernization and innovation journey across all areas in the enterprise. Slalom’s work with a leading outdoor retailer was considered in the evaluation of this award. The company decommissioned its data centers by migrating core servers and applications to AWS. This initiative avoided a $20M+ hardware refresh that would have been required to maintain aging on-prem infrastructure. Industry Partner of the Year - Travel and Hospitality – Consulting – Global: Recognizes top AWS Partner with the AWS Travel and Hospitality Competency who provide technology products and services to accelerate the industry’s modernization and innovation journey from behind-the-scenes operational efficiencies to guest-facing customer experiences. Slalom’s work with [Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL)](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/norwegian-cruise-line-generative-ai) was considered in the evaluation for this award. Slalom worked with NCL to develop Nora, a GenAI-driven itinerary search assistant to help guides navigate the complex process of booking a cruise. With Nora, guests are 58% more likely to enter the booking funnel at a 16% higher rate. State or Local Government Consulting Partner of the Year – NAMER: Recognizes top AWS Public Sector Partners with the Government Competency who has delivered innovative mission-based wins for State and/or Local Governments. Slalom’s work with a nonprofit organization working with a State Department of Health was considered in the evaluation for this award. Slalom worked with the company to architect, execute, and support a solution for migrating large and complex clinical datasets to a modern cloud platform, allowing them to have a better understanding of health disparities and future public health crises. Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Consulting Partner of the Year – NAMER: Recognizes top AWS Partners who have delivered innovative mission-based wins for a Non-Profit. Slalom’s work with [The Network](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/the-network-slalom/) was included as part of the evaluation for this award. Slalom worked with the Network and leveraged AWS technology to help combat trafficking in the illicit massage industry. Through this work, The Network was able to find and remove 9,000 duplicate records, 25% of its database. Slalom was named a finalist for nine additional awards: · Migration Global Consulting Partner of the Year – Global · GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year – Global · Application Modernization Consulting Partner of the Year - Global · Industry Partner of the Year - Advertising Marketing Tech (AMT) – Consulting - Global · Industry Partner of the Year - Healthcare Life Sciences (HCLS) – Consulting – Global · Industry Partner of the Year - Telco, Media, Entertainment, Gaming Sports -Consulting – Global · Industry Partner of the Year - Travel and Hospitality - NAMER · Public Sector Global Consulting Partner of the Year - NAMER · Public Sector Migration Modernization Global Consulting Partner of the Year - Global The AWS Partner Network (APN) is a global program focused on helping partners innovate, accelerate their journey to the cloud, and take full advantage of the breadth and depth of AWS. Slalom has been a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) since 2010 and is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner. The APN is a global program focused on helping partners innovate, accelerate their journey to the cloud, and take full advantage of the breadth and depth of AWS. The Geography and Global AWS Partner Awards included a self-nomination process across several award categories, awarded at both the geographic and global level. All AWS Partners were invited to participate and submit a nomination. Award submissions were reviewed by a third-party, Canalys, and selected with special emphasis placed on customer success use cases. In addition, there were several data-driven award categories, which were evaluated by a unique set of metrics that helped measure AWS Partners’ performance over the past year. Canalys audited the datasets used to ensure that all measurements and calculations were objective and accurate. Finalists represented the top three ranked AWS Partners across each category. Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year --- title: Slalom Awarded 2023 US AWS Partner Award url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-us-partner-award-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-us-partner-award-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded 2023 US AWS Partner Award - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-us-partner-award-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/aws-us-partner-award-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Awarded 2023 US AWS Partner Award Back to newsroom Share New York City – August 2, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, received a 2023 Amazon Web Services (AWS) US System Integrator (SI) Partner of the Year Award. The award recognizes AWS Partners in the United States that play a key role helping customers drive innovation and build solutions on AWS. Announced during the 2023 AWS Partner Summit in New York, AWS Partner Awards recognize the Top AWS Partners of the Year, whose business models have embraced specialization, innovation, and collaboration over the past year. SI Partner of the Year in the United States recognizes Slalom as a top AWS SI Partner that has provided significant contributions related to revenue, launched opportunities, net-new certified individuals, and AWS designations earned. “This award underscores Slalom’s dedication to treating the cloud as a catalyst for business transformation and growth,” said Mukesh Kumar, General Manager of Slalom’s global technology team. “We are grateful to both AWS and our amazing customers, whose trust and collaboration have been instrumental in our work together to elevate their businesses to new heights.” Slalom has been a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) since 2010 and is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner. Slalom continues to be recognized for having a thorough understanding of AWS technologies and how to best apply them to meet customer priorities and business needs. The APN is a global partner program focused on helping partners build successful AWS-based businesses or solutions by providing business, technical, marketing, and go-to-market support. The APN includes independent software vendors (ISVs) and SIs around the world, with AWS Partner participation growing significantly during the past 12 months. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Colombia recognized as a 2025 Best Place to Work url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-place-work-colombia source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-place-work-colombia locale: us/en content_type: Award --- # Slalom Colombia recognized as a 2025 Best Place to Work - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-place-work-colombia - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-place-work-colombia - Locale: us/en - Content type: Award ## Summary Slalom Colombia has been recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the top ten Best Places to Work in Colombia 2025 in the up to 100 employees category. ## Body Slalom Colombia recognized as a 2025 Best Place to Work Slalom Colombia recognized as a 2025 Best Place to Wor Slalom Colombia has been recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the top ten Best Places to Work in Colombia 2025 in the up to 100 employees category. Back to newsroom Share Bogotá, Colombia – November 27, 2025 – Slalom Colombia has been recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the top ten [Best Places to Work in Colombia 2025](https://www.greatplacetowork.com.co/es/lists/listas/los-mejores-lugares-para-trabajar-en-colombia/2025?category=hasta+100+colaboradores) in the up to 100 employees category. This honor is awarded to organizations that demonstrate outstanding workplace culture and exceptional employee trust and engagement. Organizations were rated based on quantitative and qualitative data, with the greatest weight on employee feedback. Slalom launched in Colombia in 2024 and has quickly grown its local presence, helping customers solve complex business and technology challenges through outcomes-focused teams that combine strategy, technology, and delivery. Slalom is actively [hiring](https://jobs.slalom.com/#/?locations=Bogot%C3%A1,Guadalajara,Medell%C3%ADn,Mexico%20City,Monterrey) across the region. Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year --- title: Slalom debuts on the list of Best Workplaces™ in Canada url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom debuts on the list of Best Workplaces™ in Canada - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom debuts on the list of Best Workplaces™ in Canada Back to newsroom Share Canada – April 14, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has made its debut on the list of Best Workplaces™ in Canada by [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees-or-more-gptw)®, earning the #6th spot. Slalom was also the sole recipient of an additional special award – the 2023 Dimension Award for Camaraderie. This award recognizes Slalom Canada as a community where colleagues are friendly, supportive, and welcoming. “We are humbled to be recognized for the first time as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ and honoured to place in the top 10,” said Wayne Ingram, Country President, Slalom Canada. “This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to our company culture, values, and the hard work and dedication of our teammates across Calgary, Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver.“ Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. The 2023 Best Workplaces™ in Canada list is compiled by the Great Place to Work® Institute. Inclusion on this list is based on the results of anonymous responses by Slalom team members to the Trust Index® Survey, as well as the programs and policies that support Slalom’s people and workplace culture. The study evaluated companies on five trust-building dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. Learn more about our Canada teams at these links: [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/locations/calgary), [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/locations/montreal), [Toronto,](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto) and [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/locations/vancouver), and more about our recognition on the [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en)® page. In 2023, Slalom has been included on the lists for [Canada’s Top Employer for Young People](https://reviews.canadastop100.com/top-employer-slalom), [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-for-women-2023), and [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). Media contact: Susie Ibbotson Senior Director, Marketing Communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com%E2%80%AF) --- title: Slalom honoured with spot on Best Workplaces™ in Europe 2023 List url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-europe-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-europe-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom honoured with spot on Best Workplaces™ in Europe 2023 List - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-europe-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-europe-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom honoured with spot on Best Workplaces™ in Europe 2023 List Back to newsroom Share London, UK – 22 September 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognised by [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces-international/best-workplaces-in-europe/2023?category 50-499 employees)® as one of the Best Workplaces™ in Europe. Great Place to Work® determined Slalom’s placement on the list by reviewing confidential feedback from UK employees who were asked to describe the extent to which their organisation creates a ‘great place to work’ for all. To be considered for Best Workplace™ recognition, Slalom earlier earned the Great Place to Work-Certified™ standard of accreditation. In addition to the UK ([London](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/london), [Manchester](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/manchester)), Slalom has offices in Ireland ([Dublin](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/dublin)), and [Germany](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/germany) (Munich, Berlin, and Düsseldorf). About Slalom: Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-for-women-2023-uki source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-for-women-2023-uki locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-for-women-2023-uki - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-for-women-2023-uki - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 Slalom honoured among the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 Back to newsroom Share July 20, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by [Great Place to Work® UK](https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/awards/women/uks-best-workplaces-for-women-2023/) for being one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023. “We’re humbled that our colleagues shared in the Great Place to Work® survey what an amazing culture we have for women and for us all,” said Dave Williams, President and Country Leader, Slalom UK I. “We strive to create space to hear and celebrate all voices—we know it’s diversity of thought and experience that allows us to help people and organisations dream bigger.” “At Slalom I can balance my life as a working parent as well as an interesting, challenging career,” said Catherine Wilks, Senior Director. “It's such a great culture that is super supportive and inclusive and I believe it would be difficult to have my quality of life working elsewhere.” Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. Slalom UK also supports women in technology and data more broadly through its partnerships with Code First Girls, Salesforce Supermums, and Women in Data.https://www.slalom.com/locations/london Earlier this year, Slalom earned the #2 spot on the list of [UK’s Best Workplaces™](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/gptw-uk-best-workplaces-2023?utm_campaign=11f46d7a-4636-4744-8e22-d70d1aa1f5ec utm_medium=dynamicsignal utm_source=None utm_term=0) and ranked #4 on the list for [UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-wellbeing?utm_campaign=cb55ae95-d517-450c-b5c5-d02c00f14631 utm_medium=dynamicsignal utm_source=None utm_term=0). You can learn more about Slalom UK at these links: [London](https://www.slalom.com/locations/london) and [Manchester](https://www.slalom.com/locations/manchester). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-giving-back-canada source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-giving-back-canada locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-giving-back-canada - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-giving-back-canada - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back Slalom among Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back 2023 Back to newsroom Share Canada – May 16, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Great Place to Work® for being one of [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back 2023](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees-or-more-gptw#2023-best-1000-employees2/view-sub-list-details60/63597da816ca460021e6972f/).https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees-or-more-gptw#2023-best-1000-employees2/view-sub-list-details60/63597da816ca460021e6972f/ Slalom received this honour based on thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work®, which included direct feedback from Slalom employees on how they feel about contributions to the communities where they live and work. What makes this award truly special is that it recognizes how Slalom Canada employees are living their purpose to build better tomorrows for all. We're committed to making a positive impact on our people, customers, community, and environment. This honour best reflects how Slalomers lead with their heads and hearts each and every day. Thank you to our employees for their kindness and compassion within Slalom and in the communities we live.” - Wayne Ingram, Country President, Slalom Canada Slalom helps customers and communities build better tomorrows for all. This May, Slalom Canada is participating in its Global Annual Food Drive with the following organizations to help fight food insecurity across Canada, where Slalom team members live and work. - [Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids](https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/slalom-calgary-annual-food-drive/) to provide nutritious lunches to kids in schools. - [Sun Youth in Montreal](https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/slalom-calgary-annual-food-drive/) to fight food insecurity in support of the mental and physical well-being of children and teens. - [Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto](http://support.dailybread.ca/site/TR?team_id=17899 fr_id=1722 pg=team) to help run innovative programs that support individuals living on low income and experiencing food insecurity. - [United Way Food Hubs in Vancouver](https://secure.qgiv.com/for/slalomconsulting) to offer direct food distribution, food literacy and wellness programming, and more services to improve food insecurity. In 2023, Slalom has been included on the lists for “[Best Workplaces™ in Canada](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada),” “[LinkedIn’s Top Companies in Canada](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada),” “[Canada's Top Employer for Young People](https://www.canadastop100.com/young_people/),” “[Canada's Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team), and “[Canada's Best Workplaces™ for Women](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023).” You can learn more about Slalom Canada at these links: [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/locations/vancouver), [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/locations/calgary), [Toronto](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto), and [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/locations/montreal) as well as our [LinkedIn page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting/). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). Media contact: Susie Ibbotson Senior Director, Marketing Communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com%E2%80%AF) Slalom est parmi les Meilleurs lieux de travail au Canada pour l’engagement communautaire en 2023 (Canada) le 16 mai 2023 – Slalom, une société mondiale de services-conseils en affaires et en technologie, a été reconnue par Great Place to Work® comme étant l’un des meilleurs lieux de travail au Canada pour l’engagement communautaire pour l’année 2023. Slalom a reçu cet honneur sur la base d'une analyse approfondie et indépendante menée par Great Place to Work®, qui comprenait des commentaires directs des employés de Slalom sur la façon dont ils se sentent par rapport à leurs contributions aux communautés où ils vivent et travaillent. Ce qui rend ce prix vraiment spécial, c'est qu'il reconnaît la façon dont les employés de Slalom Canada vivent leur objectif de bâtir de meilleurs lendemains pour tous. « Nous nous engageons à avoir un impact positif sur nos employés, nos clients, notre communauté et notre environnement. Cet honneur reflète bien la façon dont les employés de Slalom s’investissent d’esprit et de cœur chaque jour. Merci à nos employés pour leur bienveillance et leur compassion au sein de Slalom et dans les communautés où nous vivons. » – Wayne Ingram, président national, Slalom Canada Slalom aide ses clients et les communautés à bâtir de meilleurs lendemains pour tous. En mai, Slalom Canada participe à sa campagne annuelle mondiale de collecte de denrées avec les organisations suivantes pour aider à lutter contre l'insécurité alimentaire au Canada, où les membres de l'équipe Slalom vivent et travaillent. - [Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids](https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/slalom-calgary-annual-food-drive/) offre des repas nutritifs aux enfants dans les écoles. - [Jeunesse au Soleil à Montréal](https://www.imakeanonlinedonation.org/jeunesseausoleil-sunyouth/campaign/defi/defi/bddca291-90d4-45a6-abcc-28f31c525482) lutte contre l'insécurité alimentaire en faveur du bien-être mental et physique des enfants et des adolescents. - [Daily Bread Food Bank à Toronto](http://support.dailybread.ca/site/TR?team_id=17899 fr_id=1722 pg=team) contribue à la mise en œuvre de programmes novateurs destinés à aider les personnes à faible revenu et souffrant d'insécurité alimentaire. - [United Way Food Hubs à Vancouver](https://secure.qgiv.com/for/slalomconsulting) offre une distribution directe de denrées alimentaires, des programmes d'alphabétisation alimentaire et de bien-être, ainsi que d'autres services visant à réduire l'insécurité alimentaire. En 2023, Slalom s’est également taillé une place sur les listes des [Meilleurs lieux de travailMC au Canada](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/newsroom/meilleurs-lieux-travail-canada/?lp=1), des [25 meilleures entreprises au Canada en 2023 par LinkedIn](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada?lp=1), des [Meilleurs employeurs pour les jeunes au Canada 2023](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/newsroom/meilleurs-lieux-de-travail-au-canada-pour-les-femmes), des [Meilleurs lieux de travailMC au Canada avec les équipes de direction les plus fiables](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/newsroom/meilleurs-lieux-de-travail-canada) et des [Meilleurs lieux de travailMC au Canada pour les femmes](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/fr/listes/meilleurs-lieux-de-travail-pour-les-femmes-2023). Pour en savoir plus au sujet de Slalom Canada, cliquez sur les liens suivants : [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/locations/vancouver), [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/locations/calgary), [Toronto](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto), et [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/emplacement/montreal/?lp=1), ainsi que [notre page LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting/). À propos de Slalom Slalom est une société-conseil mondiale animée par sa raison d’être, qui offre des technologies et des services de consultation aux entreprises. De la stratégie jusqu’à la mise en œuvre, notre approche est résolument humaine. Étant présents dans 8 pays et 45 marchés, nous avons une compréhension approfondie des besoins de nos clients (et de ceux de leurs clients) qui nous permet d’offrir des solutions complètes et pratiques ayant un impact véritable. Grâce à des partenariats étroits avec plus de 400 grands fournisseurs de technologies, notre équipe de plus de 13 000 employés travaille en partenariat avec des personnes et des organisations pour les aider à voir plus grand, à avancer plus vite et à bâtir de meilleurs lendemains pour tous. Nous sommes honorés que l’entreprise soit reconnue, année par année, comme un merveilleux endroit où travailler, notamment dans le palmarès du magazine Fortune où nous avons été classés parmi les 100 meilleures sociétés où travailler, huit années de suite. Pour en savoir plus, visitez [www.slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/fr-ca/?lp=1). Relations avec les médias : Susie Ibbotson Directrice principale, Marketing et communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com) --- title: Slalom Awarded Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-in-latin-america-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-in-latin-america-2026 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-in-latin-america-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-in-latin-america-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary This recognition is especially meaningful because it is our first year eligible for the regional list. Just two years after expanding into Latin America ## Body Slalom Awarded Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026 This recognition is especially meaningful because it is our first year eligible for the regional list. Just two years after expanding into Latin America Slalom recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026 Back to newsroom Share August 12, 2026 – Slalom has been recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026. This is the company's first year eligible for Great Place to Work's Best Workplaces in Latin America list, and its first time earning a spot among the region's best workplaces. The Best Workplaces in Latin America list recognizes organizations with exceptional workplace cultures, based primarily on confidential employee feedback. Just two years after expanding into Latin America, Slalom has grown to more than 650 team members across Mexico and Colombia, said Chema Rancano, Latin America Lead. Everything we've accomplished in Latin America starts with our team. We've built a culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and genuine care for one another. I'm incredibly proud to see that culture recognized across the region. The regional recognition builds on a year of Great Place to Work honors, with Slalom also ranking among the top 10 on the: - Best Workplaces in Mexico - Best Workplaces for Women in Mexico - Best Workplaces for Professional Services in Mexico - Best Workplaces in Colombia Together, these recognitions reflect the culture Slalom's people have built across Latin America. --- title: Slalom named a Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-millennials-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-millennials-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named a Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-millennials-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-millennials-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named a Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2023 Back to newsroom Share July 18, 2023 - For the eighth year in a row, Great Place to Work® has included Slalom on its [list](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/millennials/2023) of Best Workplaces for Millennials™. This year Slalom ranked #3 among a list of top companies nationwide. The list is based on Slalom employee feedback, which is compared to data from companies representing over 413,000 Millennials, who answered questions about the quality and consistency of their experiences compared to other generations. Feedback is measured according to its relevance in describing the most important aspects of an equitable workplace to Millennials. Collectively, these statements describe Slalom as having a great employee experience, defined by high levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion)that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom is one of the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2023 by Great Place to Work® url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-women-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-women-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Slalom is one of the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2023 by Great Place to Work® - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-women-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/best-workplaces-women-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Body Slalom is one of the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2023 by Great Place to Work® Share Back to newsroom October 24, 2023 – For the seventh year in a row, Slalom has been selected by [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/1260827)® as one of the [Best Workplaces for Women™](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/women/2023). Great Place to Work analyzed the survey responses of over 600,000 women who work for Great Place to Work-Certified companies that employ at least 50 women. Companies must have least 20% of non-executive managers who are women, and at least one executive who’s a woman. Great Place to Work measures the differences in women’s survey responses with those of their peers and assesses the impact of demographics and roles on the quality and consistency of women’s experiences. Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 12,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Box and Slalom Partner to Drive Enterprise Digital Transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-and-slalom-partner-to-drive-enterprise-digital-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-and-slalom-partner-to-drive-enterprise-digital-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Box and Slalom Partner to Drive Enterprise Digital Transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-and-slalom-partner-to-drive-enterprise-digital-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-and-slalom-partner-to-drive-enterprise-digital-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Companies to collaborate on solutions powered by advanced AI and machine learning Box names Slalom AI Innovation Partner of the Year at BoxWorks 2024 ## Body Box and Slalom Partner to Drive Enterprise Digital Transformation Box and Slalom Partner to Drive Enterprise Digital Transformation with Intelligent Content Management Companies to collaborate on solutions powered by advanced AI and machine learning Box names Slalom AI Innovation Partner of the Year at BoxWorks 2024 Back to newsroom Share Companies to collaborate on solutions powered by advanced AI and machine learning Box names Slalom AI Innovation Partner of the Year at BoxWorks 2024. Redwood City, CA, and Seattle, WA – (November 12, 2024) – Box, the leading Intelligent Content Management (ICM) platform, and Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a partnership to help customers leverage advanced AI and machine learning to unlock valuable insights from their content. Box and Slalom will work together on enabling enterprises to modernize workflows, enhance collaboration, and transform their content management processes with AI. The collaboration will combine the Box ICM platform with Slalom's extensive business transformation expertise. Box and Slalom will collaborate on developing solutions and accelerators to help customers quickly and effectively deploy AI-powered content solutions. Additionally, they will work jointly on specialized workshops to provide customers with hands-on experiences using AI and machine learning for content management and collaboration. The companies will focus on a variety of industries – including financial services, healthcare, retail, and the public sector – helping organizations streamline processes, improve operational efficiency, and derive insights from their content that drive faster and better decisions. Content is the foundation of almost every business process, and AI is transforming how organizations interact with and derive value from their content, said Olivia Nottebohm, Chief Operating Officer of Box. Box enables customers to work smarter and unlock new levels of productivity by applying powerful generative AI to enterprise content. By partnering with Slalom, we're providing enterprises with the tools and expertise they need to leverage AI to its fullest potential, enabling them to work smarter, move faster, and stay secure. Box and Slalom will share the news of their partnership and discuss how they will work together today at BoxWorks, the Box annual global user conference, which takes place in San Francisco and brings together IT leaders from around the world to network with each other and learn about exciting innovations and best practices in the world of content and AI in the enterprise. Box named Slalom as the company’s AI Innovation Partner of the Year for Slalom’s impactful contributions to advancing how organizations unlock value from their content. Box recognized Slalom for their leadership in enabling customers to better understand and manage their content at scale, powering smarter decision-making and operational efficiency. The partnership between Box and Slalom is a game-changer because together, we’re helping customers embed AI into their core business processes in a meaningful way, said Sarah Duffy, General Manager at Slalom. We’re seeing a significant shift in how our customers approach their unstructured data and content management challenges. AI is helping them unlock valuable insights from their content, enabling smarter decision-making and operational efficiencies. This partnership is about creating flexible, future-ready solutions that allow companies to innovate and adapt as AI evolves.” The partnership leverages Box AI's advanced capabilities, including intelligent content summarization, contextual insights, metadata extraction, and content creation, which are seamlessly integrated into users' workflows. To view the BoxWorks keynote live and on demand, please visit the [BoxWorks website](https://boxworks.box.com/boxworks?). --- title: Box Names Slalom its GSI Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-slalom-gsi-partner-of-the-year source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-slalom-gsi-partner-of-the-year locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Box Names Slalom its GSI Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-slalom-gsi-partner-of-the-year - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/box-slalom-gsi-partner-of-the-year - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Box and Slalom work together to enable enterprises to transform their business processes, automate manual work, and unlock the value of their unstructured content with AI. ## Body Box Names Slalom its GSI Partner of the Year Box and Slalom work together to enable enterprises to transform their business processes, automate manual work, and unlock the value of their unstructured content with AI. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – September 10, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named the Box Global System Integrator (GSI) Partner of the Year by Box. Box and Slalom work together to enable enterprises to transform their business processes, automate manual work, and unlock the value of their unstructured content with AI. The partnership between Slalom and Box is powerful because together, we're moving beyond content storage and helping clients activate their data in a meaningful way. We see a fundamental need to connect siloed applications and unstructured content. AI is the key to unlocking that value, said Katie Dunlap Slalom General Manager, Global Enterprise. This partnership delivers practical, integrated solutions that allow our clients to harness their data securely and build a foundation for innovation. The partnership combines the secure, AI-ready Box Intelligent Content Management platform with Slalom's deep industry and implementation expertise. Slalom and Box collaborate on delivering high-impact solutions and accelerators that help joint customers quickly deploy intelligent content workflows. The partnership focuses on key industries including financial services, life sciences, and the public sector, to help organizations to automate document generation, enrich content with metadata intelligence, and integrate systems for seamless process flows that drive better business decisions. Slalom tailors solutions by combining the powerful capabilities of Box, Salesforce, and Google, including integrations between Box AI, Agentforce, and Agentspace. This enables joint customers to enhance data integrity across their systems and empower their teams to focus on higher-value, strategic work. --- title: Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams for 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams for 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams for 2023 Back to newsroom Share Canada - February 28, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named [one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams for 2023 by Great Place to Work®](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-with-most-trusted-executive-teams-2023#2023-most-trusted-executive-teams/view-sub-list-details70/63597da816ca460021e6972f/). The award recognizes executive teams who have excelled in their management abilities by building effective relationships and confidence among their employees. Inclusion in the list is entirely based on the results of anonymous responses to the [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/)®’s Trust Index by Slalom employees, which measures leadership effectiveness and employee trust in their executive teams. “For our Canada leadership team, one of our greatest privileges is to work alongside our 900+ employees across Canada, building an amazing culture where we can all love our life and work. We are incredibly honoured to foster an environment where our people feel both supported and motivated to dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all,” says Wayne Ingram, President, Slalom Canada. You can learn more about our Canada teams at these links: [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/calgary), [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/montreal), [Toronto,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/toronto) and [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/vancouver), and more about our recognition on the [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en)® page. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023 Back to newsroom Share Canada – March 7, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women for 2023 by [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/)®. Inclusion in the list is entirely based on the results of anonymous responses to the [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/)®’s Trust Index by Slalom employees. To be eligible for this list, a minimum of 90% of all respondents must agree that people are treated fairly regardless of their gender. “Slalom is committed to being an employer of diverse talent—empowering, elevating, and celebrating women’s careers in technology,“ says Stephanie Van Eyk, General Manager, Slalom Canada. “This recognition is so meaningful because it comes from employee feedback. We are incredibly proud to build a place where everyone has the opportunity to love their life and work.“ Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. [The Slalom Women’s Group](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/slalom-women) focuses on dedicated communities, open to all genders, committed to helping women pursue their passions, reach their full potential, and shape the future. You can learn more about our Canada teams at these links: [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/calgary), [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/montreal), [Toronto,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/toronto) and [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/vancouver), and more about our recognition on the [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en)® page. Earlier this year, Slalom also earned a spot on the list for [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Canada’s Best Workplaces in Professional Services List for 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-professional-services-list-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-professional-services-list-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Canada’s Best Workplaces in Professional Services List for 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-professional-services-list-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-professional-services-list-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Canada’s Best Workplaces in Professional Services List for 2023 Slalom honoured on Canada’s Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services List for 2023 Back to newsroom Share Canada – June 6, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Great Place to Work® for being one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services 2023. Slalom received this honour after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work®. Inclusion on this list is based on the results of anonymous responses by Slalom team members to the Trust Index® Survey. Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are.html#ourCoreValues) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. In 2023, Slalom has been included on the lists for “[Best Workplaces™ in Canada](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada),” “[LinkedIn’s Top Companies in Canada](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada),” “[Canada's Top Employer for Young People](https://www.canadastop100.com/young_people/),” “[Canada's Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team), and “[Canada's Best Workplaces™ for Women](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023).” You can learn more about Slalom Canada at these links: [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/vancouver), [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/calgary), [Toronto](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto), and [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/montreal). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). Media contact: Susie Ibbotson Senior Director, Marketing Communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com%E2%80%AF) --- title: Slalom appoints Caroline Grant as Managing Director of Slalom Manchester url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/caroline-grant-managing-director-slalom-manchester source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/caroline-grant-managing-director-slalom-manchester locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom appoints Caroline Grant as Managing Director of Slalom Manchester - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/caroline-grant-managing-director-slalom-manchester - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/caroline-grant-managing-director-slalom-manchester - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom appoints Caroline Grant as Managing Director of Slalom Manchester Back to newsroom Share Manchester, 12 June 2023 - [Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/), the purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, today announces the appointment of ex-Accenture executive Caroline Grant, as Managing Director of Slalom Manchester. Caroline is responsible for building Slalom’s relationships with clients and its brand presence across the region, overseeing the growth of Slalom Manchester’s diverse set of consulting and technology capabilities, as well as continuing to connect Slalom with the wider community. With more than 18 years of experience working both within and outside consulting, Caroline has developed an array of specialist expertise which will be paramount to leading Slalom’s fiercely human approach to business and technology driven transformation. Slalom Manchester opened its new offices earlier this year and was recently named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work®. Speaking on her appointment, Caroline said: “I've been watching with interest since Slalom’s inception in the UK. The culture – living purpose-driven values – has become increasingly important to me. It’s easy to say you’re a people-first organisation but it’s rare to see it evidenced in real life as it is at Slalom.” “I’m thrilled to be part of the brilliant Manchester team, continuing to connect Slalom’s business and technology consulting with local organisations and wider community, as we’re still a relative newcomer to the market. I’ve been working in and around Manchester for the past four years and I think both the passion and talent of the teams, coupled by the dynamism of local business, creates a unique and exciting environment for growth.” Commenting on Caroline Grant’s appointment, Slalom UK Ireland President, Dave Williams, added: “I’m so excited to welcome Caroline into the Slalom UK and Ireland business. She strongly represents Slalom’s purpose-focus and people-first culture and, as we look to grow our presence in the North, her people skills and client expertise will be invaluable. We look forward to the positive impact she will provide for our team and customers.” Caroline is taking over from Paul Squire, who founded the Slalom Manchester office in 2019 and has grown the business to a 120-person team serving organisations throughout the northwest, and beyond. Paul will be moving to a new role as Director of Transformation; supporting Slalom’s client experience for UK and Ireland-based organisations, as they adopt rapidly emerging technologies, develop their talent, and enable business transformation. Paul will serve as the leader for the company’s ambition that customers love working with Slalom, as they support them to dream bigger and move faster. Paul Squire comments: “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in Slalom Manchester over the past four years. Starting a business in 2019, just before the pandemic, made for unpredictable challenges, but the tenacity and adaptability of our people has helped us grow organically to a 120-strong team today. I’m excited for Caroline to continue building on Slalom Manchester’s momentum and vision to build better tomorrows for all.” “In my new role I will be working closely with Caroline, as well as leaders in our London and Dublin businesses, to shape and deliver some of our clients’ most impactful initiatives. At Slalom, we take love seriously, and our focus on our customers and their customers is unwavering. We measure the results through our proprietary 10-dimensions of customer love, which help us to remain purpose-driven and human-centric.” Originally launched in Seattle in 2001, Slalom has since grown organically to 45 markets and now eight countries. Slalom’s global team of 13,000 is an award-winning partner to 400 of the most innovative technology companies in the world, including AWS, Salesforce, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Tableau. It has been recognised as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine, and Human Rights Campaign. About Slalom: Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/us/en). For further information, or to organise a chat with Caroline direct, please contact [Slalom@thePHAgroup.com](mailto:Slalom@thePHAgroup.com) --- title: Slalom and Chicago Cubs announce formal two-year partnership url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/chicago-cubs-partnership source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/chicago-cubs-partnership locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom and Chicago Cubs announce formal two-year partnership - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/chicago-cubs-partnership - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/chicago-cubs-partnership - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom and Chicago Cubs announce formal two-year partnership Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – August 31, 2021 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, and the Chicago Cubs, one of the most storied franchises in sports and winner of the 2016 World Series, today announced a formal partnership that will utilize Slalom’s consulting and advisory services to help support future Cubs strategic initiatives. “We’re excited to announce a new strategic partnership with Slalom, one of Chicago’s top employers and a national best place to work, to bring their consulting expertise and services to the Chicago Cubs,” said Cubs and Marquee 360 Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Alex Seyferth. “We’ve long been impressed with their ability to invest in the Chicago community and look forward to building a successful long-term partnership as we continue to innovate on all sides of our business.” This partnership will bring in Slalom’s expertise to inform and support Cubs’ business and baseball operations. “Slalom and the Cubs share values around innovating new approaches, growing future leaders, and investing in our community. With nearly one thousand Slalom team members working and living in Chicago, this partnership is a natural extension of our roots and the meaningful impact we seek to make in the lives of our communities,” said Brad Jackson, Slalom CEO and Co-founder. “Our work together will focus on the whole Cubs organization to help improve connection and experiences for players, associates, and the fans. This work resonates here in Chicago as well as the 40+ other cities where we have Slalom offices around the globe,” said Carrie Steyer, Chicago native and Slalom General Manager. About the Chicago Cubs: The Chicago Cubs franchise, a charter member of Major League Baseball’s National League since 1876, has won the National League pennant 17 times and was the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles in the 1907 and 1908 seasons. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history again when the team won its first World Series in 108 years, ending the longest championship drought in North American sports. Known for its ivy-covered outfield walls, hand-operated scoreboard and famous Marquee, iconic Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916 and is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. In 2009, the Ricketts family assumed ownership of the Chicago Cubs and established three main goals for the organization: Win the World Series, Preserve and Improve Wrigley Field, and Be a Good Neighbor. For more information, visit [www.cubs.com](http://www.cubs.com/). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Awarded 2024 Databricks Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year at Data + AI Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-healthcare-life-sciences-poy-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-healthcare-life-sciences-poy-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded 2024 Databricks Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year at Data + AI Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-healthcare-life-sciences-poy-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-healthcare-life-sciences-poy-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced at Databricks Data + AI Summit that we have been named Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year by Databricks for the second year running and sixth consecutive time as a Databricks Partner of the Year award winner. ## Body Slalom Awarded 2024 Databricks Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year at Data + AI Summit We announced at Databricks Data + AI Summit that we have been named Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year by Databricks for the second year running and sixth consecutive time as a Databricks Partner of the Year award winner. Back to newsroom Share SAN FRANCISCO — Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, today announced at [Databricks Data + AI Summit](https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit) that it has been named Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year by [Databricks](https://www.databricks.com/) for the second year running and sixth consecutive time as a Databricks Partner of the Year award winner. The Databricks Global Partner Awards recognize exceptional accomplishments and joint collaboration between Databricks and its partners. The Industry Leaders Awards for Healthcare and Life Sciences celebrate outstanding achievements in building and delivering world-class data and AI solutions for mutual customers in the industry. “This award recognizes our mutual commitment with Databricks to deliver leading healthcare and life sciences solutions,” said Mukesh Kumar, Global President of Technology at Slalom. “It underscores our innovative, data-driven offerings that create meaningful impact for researchers, clinicians, and patients.” Slalom’s success was showcased in its recent work with a health data utility to build a transformative Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Slalom adeptly integrated industry-specific data formats to utilize Databricks’ cutting-edge data and analytics technology and manage complex healthcare data requirements. This provided the organization with a single source of truth for data access, helping to drive better cross-team collaboration through enhanced data accessibility and performance. By improving data quality feedback loops, accelerating data onboarding and analysis, and achieving scalable, real-time data processing capabilities, this solution has enabled the client to deliver higher quality data and more timely insights to providers and patients. We are thrilled to award Slalom the 2024 Databricks Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year, said Roger Murff, VP of Technology Partners at Databricks. In an era where data and AI are pivotal to innovation, Slalom's partnership with Databricks is essential to delivering data intelligence. Together, we’ll ensure our joint customers can harness the full potential of their data. We eagerly anticipate further achievements in our partnership with Slalom, as we continue to empower organizations to transform data into actionable insights. As a six-time Databricks Partner of the Year, Slalom is committed to advancing analytics capabilities for healthcare and life science organizations and beyond by bringing data and AI to the forefront. Slalom's [Digital Patient 360 Accelerator](https://go.slalom.com/databricks_digital_patient_360), a transformative clinical data management solution built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, is another example of how Slalom is empowering breakthroughs and driving accelerated value for life sciences clients. By consolidating clinical data into a unified platform, Digital Patient 360 enables a complete patient-centric view to accelerate research, streamline clinical trials, ensure compliance, maintain data quality, and drive innovation in developing new therapies and improving patient outcomes faster than traditional methods. By combining Slalom’s expertise in strategy, technology, and business transformation with Databricks’ powerful data intelligence technology, the companies deliver industry-leading analytics platforms that accelerate insights, catalyze innovation, and deliver competitive advantage. To learn more about how Slalom and Databricks are partnering to help customers rethink the impossible with AI and the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks). --- title: Slalom Awarded Three Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2025 Data + AI Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-poy-ai-summit-awards source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-poy-ai-summit-awards locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded Three Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2025 Data + AI Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-poy-ai-summit-awards - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/databricks-poy-ai-summit-awards - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom is honored to announce its recognition as the 2025 Databricks SLED Partner of the Year, Databricks Canada Partner of the Year, and Databricks AMER Industries Business Unit Partner of the Year. ## Body Slalom Awarded Three Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2025 Data + AI Summit Slalom is honored to announce its recognition as the 2025 Databricks SLED Partner of the Year, Databricks Canada Partner of the Year, and Databricks AMER Industries Business Unit Partner of the Year. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, June 10, 2025— Slalom, a leader in business and technology consulting, is honored to announce its recognition as the 2025 Databricks SLED Partner of the Year, Databricks Canada Partner of the Year, and Databricks AMER Industries Business Unit Partner of the Year. Presented at the annual , these awards highlight Slalom's exceptional contributions and innovations in state and local government, Canada and across all industries. Over the past year, Slalom has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to helping enterprise organizations build data intelligence through its collaboration with , the Data and AI company. Slalom's approach to developing innovative solutions, enhancing capabilities, and ensuring client success has positioned it as a key partner in the industry. Joint efforts with [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks) have included creating cutting-edge solutions that improve data accessibility and enable organizations to make informed decisions. Our partnership with Databricks is vital to delivering transformative data solutions for our clients, and these awards underscore the impact of our collaboration, said Joe Berg, General Manager, Data and AI at Slalom. We are proud to be recognized for our achievements and look forward to continuing to drive innovation in the field. “We are thrilled to recognize Slalom with not one but three Partner of the Year awards,” said Kori O’Brien, SVP of Global Partnerships at Databricks. “Over the past year, Slalom has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to helping enterprises unlock data intelligence through innovative, client-focused solutions built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. Their dedication and impact make them an invaluable partner as we continue to empower enterprises across industries to turn data into actionable insights.” To learn more about the partnership with Databricks, please visit Slalom at booth #642 at [Data + AI Summit](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/data-and-ai-summit) in San Francisco, June 9-12. --- title: New Synergy Tracker from Slalom and DealRoom Empowers M&A Teams to Maximize Synergy Realization on Every Deal url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dealroom-new-synergy-tracker source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dealroom-new-synergy-tracker locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # New Synergy Tracker from Slalom and DealRoom Empowers M&A Teams to Maximize Synergy Realization on Every Deal - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dealroom-new-synergy-tracker - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dealroom-new-synergy-tracker - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We have partnered with DealRoom, the leading provider of M&A lifecycle management software, to launch an innovative new Synergy Tracker for M&A. ## Body New Synergy Tracker from Slalom and DealRoom Empowers M&A Teams to Maximize Synergy Realization on Every Deal We have partnered with DealRoom, the leading provider of M&A lifecycle management software, to launch an innovative new Synergy Tracker for M&A. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has partnered with DealRoom, the leading provider of M A lifecycle management software, [to launch an innovative new Synergy Tracker for M A](https://dealroom.net/product/synergy-tracker). This groundbreaking add-on capability to the DealRoom M A Optimization Platform combines Slalom’s proven value-based integration methodology with DealRoom’s software expertise to revolutionize synergy realization in mergers and acquisitions. Today’s M A teams face challenges with realizing the full value of their integrations due to fragmented processes and siloed information. Traditional methods, such as spreadsheets for tracking synergies, can lead to misalignment and inefficiencies. Synergy Tracker addresses these issues by providing a central location that enables teams to define, track, and report synergies with full visibility and alignment to the original goals. “Our focus for any M A integration is to help our customers be value-centric, people-focused, and enabled by technology,” said Chris von Bogdandy, global M A lead at Slalom. “The new Synergy Tracker capability will enable that focus through a centralized platform for deal management – helping them work quickly and efficiently to realize more value through their deals.” By linking integration plans directly to synergy targets, Synergy Tracker allows teams to focus on real-time value realization. This approach streamlines the integration process and accelerates synergy realization compared to traditional methods. Key features of the Synergy Tracker capability include: - Centralized synergy management: A single location to define synergies, connect integration plans, and track progress. - Customizable tracking: Flexible fields and data points tailored to the unique needs of each deal. - Visibility and alignment: Clear insights into how individual tasks contribute to overall synergy goals, fostering collaboration and eliminating silos. - Robust reporting: Comprehensive tools to monitor synergy targets, costs, and achievements over time. - Enhanced collaboration: Permissions settings to control access and ensure relevant team members can view and edit necessary information. Early users of the Synergy Tracker capability have reported significant improvements in their M A processes, highlighting enhanced alignment and quicker realization of synergies. This feedback underscores the platform’s powerful impact on achieving successful integrations. “Synergy Tracker provides the connective tissue between corporate development and integration teams who are usually siloed due to separate trackers, tools, and processes,“ says Kison Patel, CEO Founder of DealRoom. “By empowering teams with Slalom's value-based methodology and DealRoom's synchronized approach to diligence and integration, Synergy Tracker drives visibility, alignment, and ensures that M A teams maximize synergy realization on every deal.“ [Learn more](https://dealroom.net/product/synergy-tracker) about the Slalom and DealRoom Synergy Tracker. About DealRoom DealRoom is the leading provider of end-to-end M A lifecycle management software and home to the #1 community for M A professionals to earn and connect. Our purpose-built M A Optimization Platform empowers acquisitive companies to optimize the way they do M A, from pipeline to due diligence to integration. With DealRoom companies can execute deals more efficiently and realize synergies faster. Learn more at www.dealroom.net. --- title: Denis Gassmann named President and Country Leader for Germany url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/denis-gassmann-president-germany source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/denis-gassmann-president-germany locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Denis Gassmann named President and Country Leader for Germany - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/denis-gassmann-president-germany - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/denis-gassmann-president-germany - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Denis Gassmann named President and Country Leader for Germany Slalom Welcomes Denis Gassmann as President and Country Leader for Germany Back to newsroom Share Currently in Munich, the global consulting firm plans to expand to Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Berlin Munich – October 4, 2022 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Denis Gassmann has joined as President and Country Leader of its business in Germany. His arrival comes shortly after Slalom [opened offices in Munich.](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/slalom-expands-in-germany) With more than 25 years of experience in IT and technology digital transformation, Denis joins Slalom from Accenture. In his two decades with his prior company, he held many leadership positions, most recently Managing Director - Industry Platforms Lead, Europe. “All over the world, Slalom is guided by dedication to living our values and providing unmatched customer focus,” says John Tobin, Slalom co-founder and Executive President, EMEA APAC. “Denis has a reputation for building high-performing teams and bringing enormous passion for how technology can transform business. We are delighted to welcome him to our global leadership team.” Slalom offers consulting and advisory services to local German clients in a range of industries, including Life Sciences, Media and Communications, Technology, Manufacturing, and Financial Services. “Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world and its needs are rapidly expanding. Slalom has a unique people-first approach and expertise in using tech solutions to help our clients innovate, and we find our success by recruiting strong teams and delivering solutions to clients in new ways,” said Denis. Denis is taking over from Heather Sneddon, the interim market leader for Slalom Germany. Slalom expects to hire up to 75 employees in its Munich office by the end of the year and plans to expand to other regional locations including Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Berlin. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000 strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom welcomes new global manufacturing leader, Don Rogers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/don-rogers-manufacturing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/don-rogers-manufacturing locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom welcomes new global manufacturing leader, Don Rogers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/don-rogers-manufacturing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/don-rogers-manufacturing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom welcomes new global manufacturing leader, Don Rogers Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – May 21, 2025 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Don Rogers has joined the company and will lead its Manufacturing Industry Practice. In this role, Rogers will partner with manufacturing customers to design and implement strategies that drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency, safety, product quality, and cost optimization. Slalom’s clients represent a broad range of manufacturing-oriented industries, including Automotive, Aerospace Defense, Chemicals, Heavy Machinery, Pharmaceuticals, Food Beverage, Consumer Packaged Goods, High-Tech, and Semiconductors. The Manufacturing Industry Practice has expertise in both process and discrete manufacturing, with advanced capabilities in Data Science AI, IT/OT Convergence, User Customer Experience, and Digital Twin technologies. Looking beyond the digital to the human aspects of transformation, the team also partners with customers to ensure organizational alignment and readiness for the journey ahead. “At Slalom, our approach is rooted in true partnership with our manufacturing clients to co-create solutions that deliver real and lasting value,” said Don Rogers. “Together, we’ll leverage emerging technologies and proven strategies to solve complex business challenges, improve operations, and help our clients achieve sustained success in an ever-evolving market.” Prior to Slalom, Don spent nine years at World Wide Technology (WWT), a $20B technology integrator, where he founded and led its Manufacturing Industry Practice. Under his leadership, the practice became a trusted partner to global manufacturers, integrating consulting, solution development, partner alliances, and delivery execution. Throughout his career, Don has held leadership roles across consulting, sales, engineering, and operations. For the past 15 years, he has focused exclusively on helping manufacturing organizations digitally transform their operations to reduce risk and unlock new value. Outside of work, Don is an avid traveler and enjoys an active lifestyle. He is also a passionate aviator and a Certified Private Pilot. --- title: Slalom expands European presence with new Dublin office url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dublin-new-office source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dublin-new-office locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom expands European presence with new Dublin office - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dublin-new-office - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/dublin-new-office - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom expands European presence with new Dublin office Back to newsroom Share Dublin, Ireland – 2 May 2023 – Purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, Slalom, today announces the opening of its new office in [Dublin](https://www.slalom.com/locations/dublin). Located on St. Stephen’s Green, this will be Slalom’s first office in Ireland, following the firm’s impressive growth to multiple cities in Europe. Originally launching in Seattle in 2001, Slalom has since grown organically to 45 markets across eight countries worldwide. Slalom Ireland will serve customers throughout Ireland and Europe, alongside Slalom’s current global partners such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google Cloud. To support continued growth across the country, Slalom plans to hire more than 50 team members over the course of its first year, who will support customers seeking help to accelerate their growth and transformation, embrace emerging technology, and deliver initiatives more efficiently. Slalom’s presence in Ireland, supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, will also see the launch of Slalom Build, Slalom’s capability for builders of digital products. Slalom’s Build-as-a-Service offering will blend design, product engineering, analytics, and automation to create the modern technology products of tomorrow. David Gregg, previously of Accenture and Vodafone Ireland, has joined as Slalom Build’s Managing Director, and will lead the technology implementation for Irish clients and build a world class team of product focused engineers based in Dublin. Jane Dawson-Howe, Country Leader - Slalom Ireland comments: “At Slalom, people are at the core of everything we do. We base our decision-making and strategy on creating meaningful impact for our clients, to allow them to connect more deeply with their customers. Our presence in Dublin allows us to reach more businesses who want to achieve better outcomes - an exciting prospect for us all - and will be a home for a team of industry leading consultants who are truly experts in their fields.” Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD said: “I warmly welcome Slalom’s announcement that they are opening their first Irish office in Dublin as part of their European expansion. This investment will create 50 jobs initially, with plans to significantly increase this figure over the next few years. Slalom are leaders in business and technology consultancy and already work with numerous big name global companies. This news demonstrates Ireland’s position as an excellent strategic choice for global business and also highlights our talented workforce as being major factor in attracting FDI. I wish the team the very best in this exciting new project and ongoing success with their Dublin office and European operations.” Michael Lohan, CEO IDA Ireland said: ”The arrival of Slalom in Dublin is a welcome addition to Ireland’s technology sector. Ireland is an ideal location in terms of talent from which Slalom can grow and expand their offering in Europe. I wish the team success here.” Slalom’s global team of 13,000 is an award-winning partner to 400 of the most innovative technology companies in the world, including AWS, Salesforce, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Tableau. It has been recognized as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine and Human Rights Campaign. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organisations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work for seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: First Certified Amazon Ads Clean Room Solution url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/first-certified-amazon-ads-clean-room-solution source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/first-certified-amazon-ads-clean-room-solution locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # First Certified Amazon Ads Clean Room Solution - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/first-certified-amazon-ads-clean-room-solution - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/first-certified-amazon-ads-clean-room-solution - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body First Certified Amazon Ads Clean Room Solution Slalom is the first certified consulting partner for Amazon Marketing Cloud, Amazon Ads’ Clean Room Solution Back to newsroom Share Seattle, Washington – October 26, 2022 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced it is the first certified consulting service partner for Amazon Marketing Cloud in providing clean room analytics and development services. The collaboration between Amazon Ads and Slalom will help mutual customers better utilize Amazon Marketing Cloud, which gives advertisers the ability to create their own custom aggregate and anonymous analytics using signals from Amazon Ads as well as their own optional inputs. Slalom helps customers implement popular Amazon Marketing Cloud use cases including Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), consumer journey analysis, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) analysis, conversion rate comparison, touchpoint frequency distribution, and much more. “As a certified Amazon Marketing Cloud partner, Slalom helps brands use tools by Amazon Ads to activate on a broad range of use cases, all while safeguarding customers’ privacy,” explained Rio Longacre, Managing Director at Slalom. “Up to 80% of large brands will have a clean room in place by the end of 2023, so we are helping companies get ahead of the trend.” Clean rooms like Amazon Marketing Cloud allow marketers to analyze signals from multiple parties in a secure workspace. Clean rooms offer a safe place to bring signals together for joint analysis without revealing the underlying user information with other collaborators. Launched in early 2021, Amazon Marketing Cloud offers brands a turn-key clean room solution that enables advertisers to perform custom analytics within a secure workspace and optionally add their own signals too. Slalom, with extensive Amazon Marketing Cloud knowledge and proven engagement experience, aims to help more brands rapidly implement Amazon Marketing Cloud to deliver more relevant audience experiences and to maximize value of paid media spend. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Forbes recognizes Slalom as a 2026 America’s Best Management Consulting Firm url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-2026 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-2026 locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Forbes recognizes Slalom as a 2026 America’s Best Management Consulting Firm - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-2026 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-2026 - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary For 11 years in a row, Slalom has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms. ## Body Forbes recognizes Slalom as a 2026 America’s Best Management Consulting Firm For 11 years in a row, Slalom has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, WA – March 26, 2026 – For the 11th year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of [America’s Best Management Consulting Firms.](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-management-consulting-firms/) This honor is awarded based on survey results from market research firm Statista—who queried partners and executives at consulting firms as well as customers who had worked with management consulting firms in the past four years. This year, Slalom was recognized for its expertise in: - Innovation, Growth, New Business Models - IT, Technology, Telecommunications Forbes also recognized Slalom on the 2026 list for [America’s Best Companies](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-companies/). slalom foundation --- title: Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-20262 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-20262 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-20262 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-20262 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary For the fifth year in a row, Slalom, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the best consulting firms in the world. ## Body Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm Slalom Awarded Best Workplaces in Latin America 2026 For the fifth year in a row, Slalom, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the best consulting firms in the world. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – August 24, 2026 – For the fifth year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the [World’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/worlds-best-management-consulting-firms/). This honor is awarded based on feedback from thousands of consultants and customers around the world. Slalom was recognized for its expertise in two functional areas and industries, including: - Innovation, Growth, New Business Models - IT, Technology, Telecommunications [Innovation, Growth, New Business Models](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/strategy) Working closely with client teams, Slalom consultants help organizations understand evolving customer expectations, evaluate new markets, design differentiated products and services, and create operating models that support sustainable growth. This approach connects strategic direction to the people, processes, data, and technology required to make change successful. [IT, Technology, Telecommunications](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/cloud) Slalom helps clients establish strong data foundations, modernize applications and cloud environments, implement enterprise platforms, and apply artificial intelligence to meaningful business opportunities. Its digital product teams combine product strategy, experience design, product engineering, platform engineering, data engineering, and machine learning to build solutions that can evolve with the business. This is the third Forbes recognition of Slalom in 2026, following the inclusion on the [Forbes America’s Best Companies](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-companies/) and [Forbes America’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-management-consulting-firms/) lists. --- title: Forbes recognizes Slalom as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Forbes recognizes Slalom as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary For the fourth year in a row, we have been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. ## Body Forbes recognizes Slalom as one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms A World’s Best Management Consulting Firm | Forbes | Slalom For the fourth year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. For the fourth year in a row, we have been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of [America's Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-management-consulting-firms/). The 2025 ratings are based on two surveys conducted by the market research firm [Statista](https://r.statista.com/en/) from mid-November 2024 to mid-January 2025. The first surveyed over 1,200 partners and executives at management consulting firms, and the second surveyed more than 1,150 customers who had engaged with management consulting firms in the past four years. Slalom was recognized for its expertise in five functional areas and industries, including: - Data Analytics Big Data - Human Resource Consulting Coaching - Innovation, Growth New Business Model - IT, Technology Telecommunications - IT Strategy Implementation For a full list of Slalom’s services and industries, visit [Slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/us/en). In 2024, Forbes [recognized Slalom](https://www.forbes.com/companies/slalom-consulting/?list=worlds-best-management-consulting-firms sh=22bb5bfb1ae7) on several other awards lists, including [World’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/worlds-best-management-consulting-firms/), [Best Employers for Diversity](https://social.slalom.com/widget/sharing/20572b01-5c8a-4874-be4f-de53f11c8ddc), and [America’s Best Large Employers](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-large-employers/). --- title: Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-recognizes-slalom-as-a-world-s-best-management-consulting source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-recognizes-slalom-as-a-world-s-best-management-consulting locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-recognizes-slalom-as-a-world-s-best-management-consulting - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-recognizes-slalom-as-a-world-s-best-management-consulting - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary For the third year in a row, we have been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. ## Body Forbes recognizes Slalom as a World’s Best Management Consulting Firm A World’s Best Management Consulting Firm | Forbes | Slalom For the third year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. For the third year in a row, we have been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – For the third year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the [World’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/worlds-best-management-consulting-firms/). This honor is based on feedback from thousands of consultants and customers around the world. Slalom was recognized for its expertise in eight functional areas and industries, including: - Construction Infrastructure - Data Analytics Big Data - Healthcare Life Sciences - HR Coaching - Innovation, Growth New Business Models - IT, Technology, Telecommunications - IT Strategy, IT Implementation Marketing - Operations Management This year, Forbes [recognized Slalom](https://www.forbes.com/companies/slalom-consulting/?list=worlds-best-management-consulting-firms sh=22bb5bfb1ae7) on several other awards lists, including the Best Employers for Diversity , America’s Best Large Employers, and [America’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-management-consulting-firms/?sh=7927c1b42b87). --- title: Slalom named a Forbes World’s Best Management Consulting Firm url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-worlds-best-management-consulting-firm-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-worlds-best-management-consulting-firm-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named a Forbes World’s Best Management Consulting Firm - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-worlds-best-management-consulting-firm-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-worlds-best-management-consulting-firm-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named a Forbes World’s Best Management Consulting Firm Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – August 16, 2023 – For the second year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. This honor is based on feedback from thousands of consultants and customers around the world, and Slalom earned a three-star, “recommended” rating across the industries of: - IT, Technology Telecommunications - Innovation, Growth New Business Models - Human Resources Coaching Earlier this year, Slalom was [recognized by Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/companies/slalom-consulting/?list=worlds-best-management-consulting-firms sh=22bb5bfb1ae7) for being a 2023 Top Employer for Diversity, and for being one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our nearly 13,000-strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2024 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-to-work-for-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-to-work-for-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2024 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-to-work-for-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-to-work-for-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We have been recognized by GPTW and Fortune® magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®, earning the #17 spot on the list and securing inclusion for the ninth year in a row. ## Body Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2024 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For We have been recognized by GPTW and Fortune® magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®, earning the #17 spot on the list and securing inclusion for the ninth year in a row. Fortune® 100 Best Companies to Work For | Slalom For the ninth year in a row, Slalom recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – Slalom has been recognized by Great Place to Work® and Fortune® magazine as one of the [100 Best Companies to Work For®](https://fortune.com/ranking/best-companies/2024/search/), earning the #17 spot on the list and securing inclusion for the ninth year in a row. The 100 Best Companies to Work For® award is based on analysis of survey responses from those who know Slalom best—our people. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience regardless of job role, race, gender, sexual orientation, work status, or other demographic identifiers. Great Place to Work® is also the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. In 2024, Great Place to Work® has recognized Slalom for its success in other global locations, with inclusion in Best Workplaces™ in Germany, Best Workplaces™ in Consulting in Germany, Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women, Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Today’s Youth, Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams, and UK’s Best Workplaces™. --- title: Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-work-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-work-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-work-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-100-best-companies-work-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2023 For the Eighth Year in a Row, Slalom Recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – April 4, 2023 – Slalom has been recognized by Great Place to Work® and Fortune® magazine as one of the [100 Best Companies to Work For®](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/100-best/2023), earning the #12 spot on the list and securing an inclusion for the eighth year in a row. The 100 Best Companies to Work For® award is based on analysis of survey responses from those who know Slalom best—our people. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience regardless of job role, race, gender, sexual orientation, work status, or other demographic identifiers. Great Place to Work® is also the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. In 2023, Great Place to Work® has recognized Slalom for its success in other global locations, with inclusion in Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women, Canada’s Best Workplaces ™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams, and UK’s Best Workplaces ™ for Wellbeing. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom honoured with top spot on inaugural Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ in Europe 2024 List url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-best-companies-europe-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-best-companies-europe-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom honoured with top spot on inaugural Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ in Europe 2024 List - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-best-companies-europe-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/fortune-best-companies-europe-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom honoured with top spot on inaugural Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ in Europe 2024 List Back to newsroom Share London, UK – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognised by Great Place To Work® and Fortune Europe as one of the [Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ in Europe](http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-companies-to-work-for-europe) for 2024. To select companies for the list, Great Place To Work® surveyed more than 1.3 million employees across the region, representing the experiences of more than 2 million European workers. Great Place to Work® determined Slalom’s placement on the list — #XX — by reviewing confidential feedback from UK and Germany employees across the 60 statements that comprise the [Trust Index™ Survey](https://www.greatplacetowork.com/solutions/employee-surveys?utm_campaign=bw2024-europe100best utm_medium=referral utm_source=press-release utm_content=text-link utm_term= utm_audience=all). In addition to the [UK](https://www.slalom.com/language-masters/en/who-we-are/locations.html#united-kingdom) (London, Manchester) and [Germany](https://www.slalom.com/language-masters/en/who-we-are/locations.html#germany) (Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich), Slalom has an office in [Ireland](https://www.slalom.com/language-masters/en/who-we-are/locations) (Dublin). --- title: Slalom launches global InnerSource platform designed to bring reusability to clients url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-innersource-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-innersource-platform locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom launches global InnerSource platform designed to bring reusability to clients - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-innersource-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-innersource-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom launches global InnerSource platform designed to bring reusability to clients Back to newsroom Share The Showcase was officially launched by Slalom’s global engineering teams to support the company’s engineering community. The new InnerSource platform is designed for the exchange of reusable assets that each of Slalom’s 43 markets can leverage with clients. Seattle, WA—July 21, 2022— Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, has launched a new capability within its global engineering organization: the Showcase. The Showcase is an [InnerSource](https://www.infoworld.com/article/3638692/inner-source-in-the-enterprise-gains-momentum.html) platform that acts as a centralized hub for Slalom’s entire engineering community to share best practices, lessons learned, and reusable code in areas such as serverless development and business intelligence. While the Showcase is designed to be used by Slalom’s consultants, Slalom’s leaders predict major end benefits for clients. “Repeatable approaches and reusable assets allow us to deliver initiatives better and faster with our clients,” said Dave Cutler, global general manager of Slalom’s cloud business. “While no two client problems are the same, many of our clients have common challenges that can be addressed effectively in repeatable ways.” How the Showcase works Slalom’s engineers, industry leaders, partner teams, and client delivery teams can all participate in the Showcase through an InnerSource model. Code and delivery assets are organized in a common platform accessible by all. Feedback and contributions are reviewed by Slalom’s engineering leaders, who ensure that quality is maintained across assets and the vision for each asset is clear. “Slalom has some of the best engineers in the industry with truly innovative ideas grounded in our experience with clients,” said Mike Cowden, executive president of global technology at Slalom. “We wanted to create a platform that allowed them to publish their work with global visibility.” The key intended outcomes of the Showcase include enabling Slalom’s clients to: - Deliver initiatives faster and better — Each of Slalom’s clients has problems and challenges unique to them as well as problems shared by others. Slalom engineers can solve common problems more quickly and effectively with the Showcase. - Fuel innovation — The more time and effort spent on common and repeatable engineering work takes time and budget away from what Slalom’s clients truly need—innovative engineering. - Embrace emerging technology — Slalom has some of the best, most passionate engineers in the industry. The Showcase gives them the ability to experiment and create with new and emerging technology that we can then bring directly to our clients. About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom’s teams have autonomy to move fast and do what’s right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world’s top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: Slalom Opens Global Technology Center in Mexico, Expands Worldwide Reach With New Allshore Offering url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-technology-center-in-mexico source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-technology-center-in-mexico locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Opens Global Technology Center in Mexico, Expands Worldwide Reach With New Allshore Offering - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-technology-center-in-mexico - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/global-technology-center-in-mexico - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Allshore delivery model provides customers with national and global talent for specialized and scaled impact ## Body Slalom Opens Global Technology Center in Mexico, Expands Worldwide Reach With New Allshore Offering Allshore delivery model provides customers with national and global talent for specialized and scaled impact Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced it has opened a Global Technology Center in Mexico and plans to hire more than 500 professionals in LATAM by 2025 to support customer demand. Mexico is the first LATAM country to support Slalom’s new delivery model, named Allshore. Allshore combines local, national, and global talent with digital delivery tools like AI to help companies customize their teams to fit the most advantageous time, place, and price. “To be truly customer obsessed means we must be able to consistently customize our solutions to their unique situation, so that we deliver on the value they want and need. This means being agile, having deep knowledge of their business and how they serve their customers, and offering multiple options to shape their solution. Slalom is a global company, and Allshore gives our customers access to customized delivery solutions that optimize speed, cost, and quality simultaneously,” said Brian Turner, Executive President of the Americas. “Slalom consultants excel in building products and delivering on solutions that enable our customers to connect more deeply and best serve their customers. Allshore allows companies to reach their goals more quickly and successfully by using talent from around the globe.” In LATAM, Slalom plans to hire more than 500 professionals through the next year to support Allshore customers who want help accelerating their growth and transformation, embracing emerging technology, and delivering initiatives faster and better. The company is encouraging engineers, senior engineers, and architects across software engineering, data engineering, platform engineering, and quality engineering in Mexico to apply at [jobs.slalom.com](https://jobs.slalom.com/#/). Slalom looks to hire those with specific experience in product engineering, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and GCP), D A, and AI. To grow the Slalom team in Mexico, the company has hired Jose “Chema” Rancano, an experienced professional with over two decades of experience in consulting. He's led teams at McKinsey and Accenture and lived in 13 cities across seven countries, providing him with a global perspective and professional experience. “Great solutions come from smart and experienced consultants. Slalom is known globally for its culture of nurturing professionals who thrive in challenges and find joy in helping their clients solve complicated issues,” said Rancano. “Mexico’s talent is unique due to a combination of tenacity, innovation, and a strong work ethic deeply embedded in our culture. We have a certain ‘picardia’ or cleverness, a tendency to think differently, which translates into unique solutions and business models. Work in Mexico is not just a job; it's a part of who we are, which means we bring our whole selves and cultural strengths to our work.” Slalom has nearly 12,000 professional consultants across 10 countries and most recently opened offices in New Zealand, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Ireland, and Japan. Slalom is an award-winning partner to 700 of the most innovative technology companies in the world, including [AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws), [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/sg/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce), [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud), [Microsoft](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft), [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake), and [Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks). It has been recognized as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine, and Human Rights Campaign. --- title: Slalom Wins 2025 Google Cloud ​Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-ai-public-sector source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-ai-public-sector locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Wins 2025 Google Cloud ​Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-ai-public-sector - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-ai-public-sector - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Wins 2025 Google Cloud ​Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector Slalom Deepens Partnership with Google Cloud to Accelerate Customer Adoption of Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has achieved the 2025 Google Cloud ​Artificial Intelligence ​Partner of the Year for Public Sector. This award recognizes partners that have helped their public sector customers leverage generative AI to achieve outstanding success through Google Cloud. It is the eighth Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award that Slalom has earned since 2017.​​ Google Cloud’s Partner Awards recognize partners who have created outsized value for customers through the delivery of innovative solutions and a high level of expertise,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem, Google Cloud. We're proud to announce Slalom as a 2025 Google Cloud Partner Award winner and celebrate their impact enabling customer success over the past year. ​​ This latest recognition comes less than six months after the announcement of the expansion of Slalom’s [partnership with Google Public Sector](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-forges-growth-agreement-with-google-public-sector). Slalom managing director Gretchen Peri explained, “This award recognizes the joint value Slalom and Google Public Sector are creating with government and education clients by helping them leverage the power of AI safely, effectively, and responsibly to further their missions and build better tomorrows for all.” An institution that has already benefited from this innovative co-creation is [Rutgers Business School](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rutgers-business-school-partners-with-google-to-enhance-teaching-and-learning-experiences-with-generative-ai-302312743.html). Slalom partnered with ​Google Public Sector​ to provide students and faculty with access to Google Cloud​’s​ ​Vertex ​AI platform and more than 150 AI foundation models from Google Cloud and its partners. With these tools, the school can now offer valuable hands-on experience with AI and its potential applications in teaching, learning, and across a wide variety of other disciplines such as business management, accountancy, and marketing. As a result, the school has completely revamped its curriculum to incorporate AI concepts and tools with a focus on practical uses and responsible AI. --- title: Slalom partners with Google Cloud to launch a new Google Generative AI Center of Excellence url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-generative-ai-center-excellence source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-generative-ai-center-excellence locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom partners with Google Cloud to launch a new Google Generative AI Center of Excellence - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-generative-ai-center-excellence - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-generative-ai-center-excellence - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom partners with Google Cloud to launch a new Google Generative AI Center of Excellence Google Cloud to Launch A New Google Generative AI Center of Excellence Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – June 28, 2023 – Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, is thrilled to announce an expanded collaboration with [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/google-cloud) to introduce its new Google Cloud Generative AI Center of Excellence (CoE) by enabling more than 600 employees with advanced Google Cloud AI skills. This collaboration is already furthering the consultancy’s Generative AI (GenAI) capabilities, bringing the adoption of Google Cloud’s GenAI technologies to customers faster. The CoE assists customers in navigating from ideation to sustained value by helping identify how to best leverage Google Cloud’s enterprise-ready generative AI capabilities, providing businesses with enterprise-level capabilities they can implement in a controlled way. Slalom provides a fiercely human approach to supporting businesses looking to tap into AI technologies through GenAI. With active Google Cloud collaboration and the new Google Cloud GenAI CoE, Slalom is positioned to accelerate customer impact. Google Cloud GenAI workshops, demos, and accelerators enable solutions tailored to each organization’s use cases, empowering people to develop and deploy GenAI models at scale. Participants can learn about Google Cloud’s GenAI capabilities, explore practical use cases, and gain insights into implementing AI solutions to solve complex challenges. “Google Cloud’s GenAI tools help bring the best solutions to our customers in a secure and responsible way. At Slalom, we believe that across industries, from financial services to life sciences, and retail to non-profits, GenAI will revolutionize the way teams work. And we are committed to helping our customers realize the full benefits of these powerful new tools to build better tomorrows for all,” said Tony Rojas, President of Slalom. The new Google Cloud GenAI CoE is part of Slalom’s Global Google practice, which encompasses a wide range of capabilities. The global team serves as a group dedicated to Slalom’s strategic perspective and technology expertise on Google Cloud’s products. The practice has experienced rapid growth and attracted top talent to ensure the development and deployment of human-centered solutions for customers. “Generative AI has the potential to significantly improve business processes, such as streamlining time-consuming tasks or enriching the insights customers get from their data,” said Kevin Icchpurani, Corporate VP, Global Partner Ecosystem Channels, Google Cloud. “Slalom will provide organizations with the expertise needed to successfully identify and deploy generative AI projects with Google Cloud technology, enabling long-term value for customers and improving everyday experiences for their employees.” The Slalom team will continue to gain insights into AI best practices, develop AI models, and find new ways to leverage Google Cloud’s AI technologies effectively, to support our customers. In addition, Slalom will be hosting AI roundtables and hackathons to foster innovation. These events will bring together talented individuals, encouraging them to unleash their creativity and problem-solving abilities. Attendees will work toward developing innovative AI use cases that address real-world challenges and create tangible value for customers. With the new GenAI workshop and expanded advanced Google Cloud GenAI skills, Slalom is poised to help customers significantly increase their time to value. To learn more about how Slalom can help you apply Google GenAI productively and responsibly, please visit [slalom.com/ai](https://www.slalom.com/ai). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: Slalom Achieves Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-machine-learning-specialization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-machine-learning-specialization locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-machine-learning-specialization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-machine-learning-specialization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Achieves Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – October 18, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced that it has achieved the [Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization](https://cloud.google.com/partners/specializations-expertise). Through an audit by Google Cloud and a third-party assessor, this achievement signifies that Slalom has demonstrated an established Google Cloud service practice, consistent customer success, and proven technical capabilities within machine learning (ML) as a solution. This designation is Slalom's fourth specialization for Google Cloud, following previous accolades received for data and analytics, infrastructure, and [cloud migration](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization). With this latest milestone, Slalom further demonstrates a commitment to helping customers dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. In the past two years, Slalom has completed 17 machine learning projects across 11 different companies ranging in size from leading global brands to ambitious startups. The Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization recognizes Slalom's exceptional proficiency in harnessing the power of machine learning within the Google Cloud ecosystem. This specialization acknowledges the team's in-depth knowledge and experience in creating machine learning models, developing AI-driven applications, and utilizing Google Cloud's advanced tools to derive actionable insights from data. “We are incredibly proud to have achieved the Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization, said Steve Sroka, Sr. Director of Slalom’s Google Business. This accomplishment not only highlights our team's expertise but also reaffirms our dedication to offering our customers advanced machine learning solutions that drive innovation and business growth. Slalom’s machine learning expertise was evident when working with [Hologic](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all). Hologic looked to further advance cervical cytology analysis to aid in disease detection. The [Slalom Build](https://www.slalombuild.com/) team worked to develop a prototype machine learning algorithm. This prototype could help enable future digital cytology iterations to autonomously detect cancerous or precancerous cells in patient samples. To train the model, the Slalom Build team and Hologic worked with more than 50,000 images. Building on Google Cloud gave the teams an edge on massive HIPAA compliant data storage and ML research, which helped establish an infrastructure capable of processing thousands of images in seconds. The initial tests, the proof-of-concept algorithm exceeded expectations with ~70% relative sensitivity compared to human review. “Our partners like Slalom are helping customers accelerate their digital transformations with Google Cloud products and services,” said Kim Lasseter, Global Director, Partner Advantage Program Design Strategy, Google Cloud. “Slalom has achieved the Machine Learning Specialization, recognizing their high level of technical expertise and experience adding value within Google Cloud.” To learn more about our data and analytics business, check out [Slalom’s AI solution page](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Google Cloud Memorandum of Understanding url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-memorandum-of-understanding source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-memorandum-of-understanding locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Google Cloud Memorandum of Understanding - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-memorandum-of-understanding - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-memorandum-of-understanding - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Google Cloud Memorandum of Understanding Slalom Deepens Partnership with Google Cloud to Accelerate Customer Adoption of Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Slalom deepens partnership with Google Cloud to accelerate customer adoption of Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Back to newsroom Share Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced a new strategic partnership to accelerate customers’ adoption of [Google Distributed Cloud](https://cloud.google.com/distributed-cloud?hl=en) (GDC) by combining Slalom’s expertise in GDC with its industry-specific knowledge. As part of its strategic partnership with Google Cloud, Slalom has developed a solution practice on GDC to best serve Slalom and Google Cloud’s joint customers. This practice is working collaboratively with Google Cloud’s product and GTM teams to rapidly take customers from initial inquiry to implementation and deployment of GDC at scale and will focus on two main themes: cost savings and new revenue stream creation. Specifically Slalom will support customers with: design and integration pattern best practices, data management and governance, devops and and continuous delivery enablement, industry-specific customization, analytics and AI integration, as well as training and change management best practices. Google Distributed Cloud is a fully managed hardware and software product that extends Google Cloud’s AI-enabled infrastructure and services to locations outside of traditional data centers. It leverages Google Cloud’s AI technologies, security, and open ecosystem to scale while maintaining high service quality for customers in industries such as retail and manufacturing, which can run applications on-premises, thereby improving regulatory, connectivity, and latency performance. By combining Google Cloud's proficiency in industry-leading distributed cloud technology and Slalom’s industry experience and advisory capabilities, this collaboration will provide customers with a holistic understanding of how to evaluate and implement GDC at scale. “Google Distributed Cloud is positioned to significantly improve businesses’ ability to extract insights from places that were previously difficult to access, such as the manufacturing floor or in-store experiences,” explained Dave Cutler, general manager of technology enablement at Slalom. “Slalom will provide organizations with the expertise needed to successfully identify and deploy distributed cloud projects with Google Cloud technology, enabling long-term value for our customers and improving everyday experiences for their employees.” One such recent implementation resulted in a semiconductor equipment manufacturer realizing significant advancement in operational efficiency, quality assurance, and data-driven decision-making capabilities. By leveraging real-time data from the edge, the company achieved substantial improvements in production processes while maintaining high standards of data security and scalability for future growth. “We’re excited to recognize Slalom as one of our key collaborators for GDC. Slalom’s teams are known for cultivating deep relationships with their customers and delivering excellent, high value services,” shares Andrea Gallego, global managing director, go-to-market incubation, at Google Cloud. “Through working closely with our product and go-to-market teams, they’ve delivered high value to our customers and significantly accelerated those customers’ journey to Google Distributed Cloud. We look forward to collaborating more with Slalom and scaling customer adoption in a fast and friction-free way.” Slalom is a 2024 Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for the United States and is one of the first global systems integrators in North America to be recognized for having [Google Distributed Cloud Expertise](https://cloud.google.com/find-a-partner/partner/slalom). To learn more about how Slalom can help your business unlock new possibilities with Google Distributed Cloud, contact us at [googlecloud@slalom.com](mailto:googlecloud@slalom.com). --- title: Slalom achieves Google Cloud Migration Specialization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization locale: us/en content_type: Insight Article Template --- # Slalom achieves Google Cloud Migration Specialization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization - Locale: us/en - Content type: Insight Article Template ## Body Slalom achieves Google Cloud Migration Specialization Share Back to newsroom Seattle, WA – July 10, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, today announced that it has achieved the [Google Cloud Migration Specialization](https://cloud.google.com/partners/specializations-expertise). This signifies that Slalom has the necessary expertise and success with clients in migrating a significant number of customer workloads from either on-premises or other cloud providers to Google Cloud. Google Cloud Specializations are awarded to partners that have successfully undergone a third-party vetting process. Slalom passed a rigorous technical assessment that proved the work done by its certified technical professionals resulted in real customer value. With this achievement, Slalom is recognized as having Google-validated skills around the services it provides for migrating workloads to Google Cloud. “Slalom achieving the Google Cloud Migration Specialization means that we bring a deep level of commitment and top tier set of cloud migration skills to the market,” said Christophe DeMoss, managing director of Slalom’s Google business. “This specialization, combined with our participation as an early adopter partner of Google Cloud’s [RaMP](https://go.slalom.com/e/209772/apid-migration-program-or-ramp/3jtjht/967383570?h=XVdNa1UMvnQD3UbxzqeKrjOaAqoPAbVl90-bYWjhqFg) program, is a strong endorsement of our comprehensive approach to migrations. We are scaling and operationalizing this success via Amped on RaMP, a joint program to bring high-quality migration experience to more of our customers.” Slalom’s know-how and client-oriented mindset were evident when working under tight deadlines and some challenging technical requirements with its client [Viant Technology](https://cloud.google.com/customers/viant-slalom/). With the combination of Google Cloud technology and Slalom’s expertise in addressing the challenges and devising intelligent solutions, Viant was able to migrate 600 virtual machines, 200+TB of data, 80+ MSSQL databases, and 100 physical servers in just seven weeks, which was three weeks faster than required. “Slalom has proven its ability to migrate customer workloads to Google Cloud environments,” said Kim Lasseter, Global Director, Partner Advantage Program Design Strategy, Google Cloud. “We’re proud to recognize Slalom with this specialization and are happy to work together to help customers migrate their workloads and set a strong foundation in the cloud.” Moving an organization’s data and applications to a new cloud architecture can deliver significant benefits, including lower costs, enhanced performance, and greater flexibility. Any migration, no matter the amount or complexity of the data being moved, needs to be undertaken with strict attention to the many variables involved, both technical (dependencies, application mapping and testing) and human (change management, retraining and staffing). Working with a certified partner like Slalom can give leaders the peace of mind that they are engaging with a highly skilled and dedicated team. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award for Services 2024 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-of-the-year-award-for-services-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-of-the-year-award-for-services-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award for Services 2024 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-of-the-year-award-for-services-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-of-the-year-award-for-services-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We have achieved the 2024 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Services in the United States. ## Body Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award for Services 2024 We have achieved the 2024 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Services in the United States. Google Cloud | POY | Services | Slalom Slalom Wins 2024 Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award for Services in the United States Back to newsroom Share Slalom, a next-generation professional services company, announced today that it has achieved the 2024 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Services in the United States. This is the seventh Google Cloud partner of the year award that Slalom has earned since 2017. The award recognizes Slalom for outstanding contributions in driving joint customer success and delivering exceptional benefits through a combination of Google Cloud solutions. “Google Cloud's Partner Awards celebrate the transformative impact and value that partners have delivered for customers, said Kevin Ichhpurani, Corporate Vice President, Global Ecosystem and Channels at Google Cloud. We're proud to announce Slalom as a 2024 Google Cloud Partner Award winner and recognize their achievements enabling customer success from the past year.” Slalom's dedication to pushing the boundaries of what's possible with Google Cloud is demonstrated through the work it’s done with joint customers like [Hologic](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/using-ai-to-advance-cervical-cancer-screening-for-all). Slalom was asked by Hologic to advance the development of their digital cytology platform, which is designed to improve cytology lab efficiency, help promote earlier diagnosis and treatment, and advance efforts to eradicate cervical cancer everywhere. In initial tests, the proof-of-concept algorithm that Slalom created exceeded expectations. “This recognition highlights the impactful collaboration between us and Google Cloud. Together, we’re paving the way for a new era in cloud computing,” said Christophe DeMoss, Managing Director of Slalom’s Google Cloud Business. “We’re particularly excited for organizations to leverage the transformative power of Gemini on Google Cloud – a tool that opens up unprecedented opportunities for our shared customers.” Leading up to this Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award, Slalom has demonstrated a series of notable achievements throughout 2023 that contributed significantly to this award. From achieving our [Google Cloud Machine Learning Specialization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-machine-learning-specialization) and our [Google Cloud Migration Specialization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization) tripling the number of Google certified practitioners, to launching the [Google Generative AI Center of Excellence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-generative-ai-center-excellence) and bringing GenAI demos to 100+ accounts and executing over 20 GenAI projects. These accomplishments showcase our unwavering commitment to driving innovation, optimizing cloud solutions, and ultimately exceeding the expectations of our clients. --- title: Slalom Named a Google Cloud Partner of the Year in Two Categories url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-year-two-categories source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-year-two-categories locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Named a Google Cloud Partner of the Year in Two Categories - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-year-two-categories - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-partner-year-two-categories - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Named a Google Cloud Partner of the Year in Two Categories Back to newsroom Share In the past five years, Slalom has been named as Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America and as Google Cloud Breakthrough Partner of the Year for North America. August 29, 2023 – Slalom today announced it has been awarded two prestigious 2023 Google Cloud Partner of the Year awards - Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for Canada, and Google Cloud Specialization Partner of the Year for Infrastructure - in honor of its contributions to Google’s Cloud business and the team’s significant impact on driving real value to customers. The Google Cloud Partner of the Year awards honor organizations that have demonstrated sustained excellence in delivering services and driving results through Google Cloud technologies and solutions. The awards recognize partners who have gone above and beyond in helping businesses thrive in a dynamic digital future. “Google Cloud’s partner awards recognize the significant impact and customer success that our partners have driven over the past year, said Kevin Ichhpurani, Corporate Vice President, Global Ecosystem and Channels at Google Cloud. We're delighted to recognize Slalom as a 2023 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, and look forward to a continued strong partnership in support of our mutual customers.” “At Slalom, our goal with Google Cloud technologies has always been to help organizations of all sizes harness the full potential of cloud technology,” said Christophe DeMoss, managing director of Slalom’s Google business. “These awards are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and expertise of our talented team members, who continuously strive to deliver exceptional solutions to our clients.” The Google Cloud Specialization Partner of the Year for Infrastructure Award acknowledges Slalom's proficiency in architecting, implementing, and managing cutting-edge Google Cloud solutions globally. Slalom achieved[Google Cloud Migration - Services Specialization](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/google-cloud-migration-specialization) earlier this year. Slalom teams have shown their proficiency with Google Cloud migration tools with organizations like[Ware2Go](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/ware2go-helping-smbs-scale-and-grow). Together with Ware2Go, Slalom built a robust solution on [Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/google-cloud) that provides first-party software and an entirely new integration service layer that easily connects to a wide variety of third-party logistics warehousing programs. Slalom also gave the merchant’s interface a fresh redesign. The new platform enables Ware2Go to expand its client network and services in a way that wasn’t possible on the last platform. By moving to Google Cloud, Ware2Go is reducing spend by 75 percent—while doing twice the business. The Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for Canada Award celebrates Slalom's strong contributions to the Canadian market. Through strategic insights, data-driven approaches, and a commitment to understanding the unique challenges of Canadian businesses, Slalom has significantly impacted clients' growth and success across the country. As a Google partner, Slalom has access to a wide array of resources, such as[Google Cloud’s rapid migration program (RaMP)](https://cloud.google.com/solutions/cloud-migration-program) and support from Google Cloud enables Slalom to stay at the forefront of digital innovation and provide clients with best-in-class solutions. These recognitions further solidify Slalom’s position as a trusted and reliable consulting firm. With a commitment to delivering personalized solutions and exceptional customer experiences, Slalom continues to be a premier partner for businesses seeking to leverage the power of Google Cloud's technology to drive growth, improve efficiency, and achieve strategic objectives. Learn more about how Slalom and Google Cloud are helping companies [innovate for the future](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/google-cloud). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom named Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-poy-north-america-2021 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-poy-north-america-2021 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-poy-north-america-2021 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/google-cloud-poy-north-america-2021 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – June 14, 2022 — Slalom has been honored as the 2021 Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America for the second year in a row. The global consulting firm—which helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows—earned the award for providing exceptional service and enabling joint customer success by innovating, building, and delivering the right combination of Google Cloud and Slalom solutions. In the last five years, Slalom has been named twice as Google Cloud Services Partner of the Year for North America and twice as Breakthrough Partner of the Year. “We are honored to again be recognized by Google Cloud for our work together. For us, though, it’s all about our joint customers – and their customers,” said Christophe DeMoss, Managing Director at Slalom. “Through Google Cloud’s open cloud technology, integrated data platform, and our human-centric approach, we are guiding customers to thrive in a dynamic digital future.” Slalom has delivered hundreds of Google Cloud projects, for companies across many industries, including retail, financial services, healthcare, and life sciences. “We’re excited to recognize Slalom as our Services Partner of the Year North America based on their rich relationships with customers and excellent services that help customers implement Google Cloud solutions,” said Bronwyn Hastings, VP of Global ISV Partnerships and Channels, Google Cloud. “Slalom has played an important role in helping businesses build and innovate in the cloud over this past year, and we’re excited to expand our work together to help customers as they move along their digital transformation journeys.” Learn more about how Slalom and Google Cloud are helping companies [innovate for the future](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/google-cloud). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom honoured with #2 spot on UK’s Best Workplaces™ url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-uk-best-workplaces-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-uk-best-workplaces-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom honoured with #2 spot on UK’s Best Workplaces™ - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-uk-best-workplaces-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-uk-best-workplaces-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom honoured with #2 spot on UK’s Best Workplaces™ Back to newsroom Share London, UK – 25 April 2023 – For the second year in a row, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been recognised by [Great Place to Work](https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/awards/uks-best-workplaces/uks-best-workplaces-2023/)® as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™. The #2 ranking in the large organisations category is based on analysis of survey responses from those who know Slalom best—our employees. We are committed to making our people and their wellbeing a top priority, with market-competitive benefits and flexibility to define their own best ways of working. Great Place to Work® determined Slalom’s placement on the list by reviewing confidential feedback from 60+ survey questions, where employees were asked to describe the extent to which their organisation creates a ‘great place to work’ for all. To be considered for Best Workplace™ recognition, Slalom also earned the Great Place to Work-Certified™ standard of accreditation. Slalom UK has offices in [London](https://www.slalom.com/locations/london) and [Manchester](https://www.slalom.com/locations/manchester). About Slalom: Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: Slalom earns workplace honors from Great Place to Work® US and Consulting Magazine url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-workplace-honors-consulting-magazine source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-workplace-honors-consulting-magazine locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom earns workplace honors from Great Place to Work® US and Consulting Magazine - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-workplace-honors-consulting-magazine - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/gptw-workplace-honors-consulting-magazine - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom earns workplace honors from Great Place to Work® US and Consulting Magazine Back to newsroom Share September 16, 2022 – With a continued commitment to building a culture in which every person has the opportunity to love their life and work, Slalom has been awarded two consulting workplace awards. Slalom was today named one of Consulting Magazine’s Best Firms to Work For 2022, an honor the company has earned for eight years running. And just last week, the company was included as a Best Workplaces in Consulting Professional Services™ 2022 by Great Place to Work® US —third year in a row being recognized in this way! These awards are particularly meaningful as they’re based on employee feedback related to company culture, career development, client engagement, compensation and benefits, and leadership. About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 41 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For six years running and is regularly recognised by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Grant-making to support social and racial justice url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/grant-making-social-racial-justice-slalom-foundation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/grant-making-social-racial-justice-slalom-foundation locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Grant-making to support social and racial justice - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/grant-making-social-racial-justice-slalom-foundation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/grant-making-social-racial-justice-slalom-foundation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary The Slalom Foundation completed its grant-making for 2024 by awarding $420,000 to organizations who are improving equitable access to education and economic opportunity for underrepresented communities. ## Body Grant-making to support social and racial justice The Slalom Foundation completed its grant-making for 2024 by awarding $420,000 to organizations who are improving equitable access to education and economic opportunity for underrepresented communities. Slalom Foundation Announces 2024 | Slalom Slalom Foundation Announces 2024 Grants Awarded to Support Equity and Racial Justice Back to newsroom Share The Slalom Foundation, established in 2019 with a founding focus on racial justice and equity, completed its grant-making for 2024 by awarding $420,000 to organizations who are improving access to education and creating economic opportunity for underrepresented communities. The organizations that received funds from the foundation have diverse goals, including some who are bridging key gaps in educational advancement for indigenous and aboriginal students; supporting justice-system affected youth and people at-risk for job loss and homelessness due to interaction with the criminal justice system; and building pathways for career advancement and education for youth of color. “Empowering these community organizations reflects the Slalom Foundation’s continued commitment to racial justice and equity and aligns to our company’s business and values,” said Rob Potter, chief accounting officer at Slalom. “These grant recipients have a culturally informed approach to justice, workforce development, and education, and are providing access and vision for more to leverage modern technology like AI to support our society.” Some organizations have been extended additional grant funding from past year awards due to their consistent and sustained community impact. For example, Youth Represent, received their second Slalom Foundation grant and are using the funds to support legal services and policy advocacy for youth of color in New York. “This funding will significantly enhance our ability to serve young people impacted by the criminal legal system and invest in innovative approaches to achieve justice and equity,” said Michael Pope Esq., executive director of Youth Represent. Micky Wolf, the CEO of Dent Education, an organization that supports students in Baltimore, said, “Slalom's unrestricted grants are extremely generous - honestly, substantially more than larger corporate donors. While many corporations are disappointingly choosing to cut back or shut down racial equity initiatives, we have been so grateful that Slalom's commitment has not only continued but has grown.” 2024 Grant Recipients These organizations were provided grants by the Slalom Foundation to drive impact across education, technology, and justice: - [Dent Education](https://www.denteducation.org/): Promotes equity and upward mobility by empowering students to be empathetic, creative, and proactive leaders equipped with the skills, mindsets, and support to succeed in the 21st century. - [Detroit Justice Center](https://detroitjustice.org/): Works alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities and taking a defense, offense, and dreaming approach to racial and economic justice. - [IndigiGenius](https://www.indigigenius.org/): Runs the Lakota AI Code Camp (LAICC), a three-week code camp for Lakota high school students. The LAICC aims to inspire Lakota students to pursue pathways into higher education and careers in advanced technological fields and preserve their Lakota language. - [Living with Conviction](https://livingwithconviction.org/): Secures economic and racial justice with and for marginalized communities, especially formerly incarcerated individuals, through community-driven research, storytelling, and legal empowerment strategies. - [Melbourne Indigenous Transition School](https://www.mits.vic.edu.au/): Creates pathways to greater opportunity for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities, so that they may lead lives full of choice and opportunity. - [Michigan Hispanic Collaborative](https://www.mihc.org/): Works to break the cycle of Hispanic poverty through education and early career program support by helping to navigate the complexity of college access through early career by providing support, resources, and opportunities to students and their families. - [Youth Represent](https://youthrepresent.org/): Uses legal services, policy advocacy, peer education, and other tools to build power and opportunity for Black, Latiné, and other youth of color with experience in the criminal justice system. The Slalom Foundation will continue efforts to support local communities with future campaigns to support and build better tomorrows for all. To learn more about Slalom’s impact on people, the planet, and communities, please visit our website and review our annual [Impact Report.](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2023-Impact-Report) For more information contact: [Foundation@slalom.com](mailto:Foundation@slalom.com) --- title: Slalom’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets Approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/greehouse-gas-emission-reduction-sbti source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/greehouse-gas-emission-reduction-sbti locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets Approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/greehouse-gas-emission-reduction-sbti - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/greehouse-gas-emission-reduction-sbti - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved its near-term greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets. ## Body Slalom’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets Approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative We announced that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved its near-term greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced that the [Science Based Targets initiative](https://sciencebasedtargets.org/) (SBTi) has approved its near-term greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets. The SBTi is a global initiative that aligns with the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement - to reduce the impacts of GHGs on human society and nature. Slalom commits to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% and reducing scope 3 GHG emissions by 55% per FTE by 2030 from a 2019 base year. “At Slalom, we hold ourselves accountable for the commitments we make regarding our people, our communities, and our planet,” said Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls, Slalom’s Chief People Officer. “Having our climate action targets validated by SBTi is another step on our journey. We now have a credible target, aligned to science, to manage and measure against, and transparently communicate with our stakeholders.” The SBTi’s Target Validation Team has classified Slalom’s scope 1 and 2 target ambition and has determined that it is in line with a 1.5°C trajectory. “At the core of our growth strategy lies a deep-seated commitment to climate action. Through collaboration and partnership with our customers and vendors, we’re determined to drive change and pave the way towards a sustainable future and better tomorrows for all,” said Tony Rojas, Slalom President and board co-sponsor for sustainability initiatives. For more information on Slalom’s environmental commitments, please visit [slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact) or contact [sustainabilityandimpact@slalom.com](mailto:%20sustainabilityandimpact@slalom.com). --- title: As seen on Harvard Business Review: Close Your Workforce’s AI Skills Gap by Designing an Adaptive Organization url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/hbr-workforce-ai-skills-gap source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/hbr-workforce-ai-skills-gap locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # As seen on Harvard Business Review: Close Your Workforce’s AI Skills Gap by Designing an Adaptive Organization - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/hbr-workforce-ai-skills-gap - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/hbr-workforce-ai-skills-gap - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary As featured in Harvard Business Review, Slalom outlines how adaptive organizations can close AI skills gaps and turn agentic AI into business value. ## Body As seen on Harvard Business Review: Close Your Workforce’s AI Skills Gap by Designing an Adaptive Organization As featured in Harvard Business Review, Slalom outlines how adaptive organizations can close AI skills gaps and turn agentic AI into business value. Back to newsroom Share February, 27 2026 - By Barry Scharfman, Ph.D., Diana Saravelas, and Ryan McCreedy, Psy.D. [As seen on Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/sponsored/2026/02/close-your-workforces-ai-skills-gap-by-designing-an-adaptive-organization) While “unprecedented change” is by now the default description of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, disruption is hardly new. Organizations have long faced technological, economic, and social upheaval. What is new is the speed at which those forces now collide and the strain that speed puts on how organizations operate. In this context, it’s not change that’s unprecedented but the demands of adapting to change. In the rush to adopt AI, many organizations mistake momentum for progress. Tools roll out, pilots multiply, and confidence rises—but the capabilities necessary to achieve results remain underdeveloped. The dissonance is striking: 68% of leaders and employees surveyed in Slalom’s [2026 AI Research Report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) say they can keep pace with AI, yet 93% report that such workforce barriers as underdeveloped skills and inadequate training limit their progress. To overcome this capability gap, organizations must first redesign themselves to adapt at the rate AI demands. However, that level of adaptability doesn’t emerge on its own; it’s built through a series of deliberate steps to align leadership, talent, and value creation. Step 1: Develop leaders who embrace exploration over expertise. Today’s leaders were largely taught to be operators, rewarded for their knowledge, efficiency, and decisiveness. Adaptive organizations need something different: leaders who can think beyond their domain, challenge assumptions, and guide teams with clarity, not control. This requires a new set of leadership muscles that prioritize: - Curiosity over certainty. - Sense making over jumping to solutions. - Co-creation over top-down direction. - Comfort with saying, “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out.” But these skills don’t come from a three-day off-site retreat or a commoditized AI tool. To develop leaders who can think critically and tackle complex challenges, organizations must invest in real-world learning, executive coaching, and intentional cross-functional collaboration. Adaptability is developed through repeated experience, and embedding learning into real decision making creates leaders capable of sustaining innovation over time. Step 2: Turn agentic AI into a catalyst for human potential. As leaders become stewards of adaptability, they must also reshape work around the new division of labor. While agentic AI helps organizations move more quickly and efficiently, the human advantage lies in orchestrating how these systems are adopted, interpreted, and refined. AI expands capacity, but people bring the context, judgment, and accountability to drive the right outcomes. Instead of replacing roles, the real value of AI comes from automating the routine tasks within them, freeing people to focus more on creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. To make that shift, organizations must: - Reassess how work is shared. Regularly evaluate which tasks AI can handle today, which are automatable within the next 18 to 24 months, and which will reshape roles over time based on feasibility, human nuance, and business value. - Redesign processes first. Simplify end-to-end workflows before automating them. Otherwise, AI will scale broken processes faster, leaving teams to handle the fallout. - Make [AI outcomes](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) core to the job. Redefine responsibilities to prioritize owning AI results, rewarding this shift through recognition or career advancement. - Allow for experimentation. Enable teams with hands-on training, guardrails, and feedback loops to test, learn, and iterate safely. With this foundation in place, introducing agentic AI can strengthen, rather than sideline, human potential. Step 3: Treat value creation as a portfolio. While agentic AI raises the ceiling of value for many organizations, it often emerges in ways no spreadsheet can predict. Traditional return-on-investment (ROI) models collapse under that speed and fluidity, whereas adaptive models thrive in it. Instead of relying on fixed business cases, [adaptive organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/building-adaptive-organizations-with-ai) take a more iterative approach, using rough estimates, small tests, and results measured in ranges. ROI then evolves through iteration, and teams can double down as evidence appears. However, there are some ways to increase value up front: - Assess readiness first, for such factors as data, architecture, and governance, and decide on build-or-buy approaches based on speed, risk, and long-term value. - Prioritize viability over novelty, avoiding impressive but unrealistic use cases. - Pilot quickly and measure early, using tight feedback loops to refine ROI. - Evaluate outputs throughout the agentic process, creating step-level guardrails so results remain reliable as AI scales. - Treat enablement as its own source of value, since adoption unlocks returns that licenses alone cannot. Using these tactics as a baseline, leaders can then develop a balanced portfolio of ROI built on two approaches: AI solutions applied to specific use cases and broader enablement that embeds AI into daily work. Use cases deliver early returns, while enablement compounds value over time. Both are essential. Building an Adaptive Future AI is no longer about rethinking technology; it’s about leaders and teams rethinking how to drive meaningful innovation together. The organizations that embrace adaptability as a defining part of how they learn, operate, and grow will be the ones to turn capability gaps into the capacity to truly transform. Contributors: - Barry Scharfman, Ph.D. leads Slalom’s Data AI New England practice. - Diana Saravelas leads Slalom’s Transformation New England practice. - Ryan McCreedy, Psy.D. leads Slalom’s Talent Culture discipline for the Americas. slalom foundation --- title: Slalom appoints Jane Dawson-Howe as Country Leader of Slalom Ireland url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jane-dawson-howe-country-leader source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jane-dawson-howe-country-leader locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom appoints Jane Dawson-Howe as Country Leader of Slalom Ireland - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jane-dawson-howe-country-leader - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jane-dawson-howe-country-leader - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom appoints Jane Dawson-Howe as Country Leader of Slalom Ireland Back to newsroom Share Dublin, Ireland – 11 April 2023 – Slalom, the purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company, today announces the appointment of ex-LinkedIn, ex-Accenture executive, Jane Dawson-Howe as Country Leader of [Slalom Ireland](https://www.slalom.com/locations/dublin). Jane, who grew up in County Wicklow, and now resides by the seas in Shankill County Dublin, will be responsible for overseeing the launch and growth of Slalom’s new Dublin team and office, building relationships with clients across Ireland and Europe. With more than 30 years’ experience working both within and outside consulting, Jane has the modern leadership skills needed to lead large teams of sales and consulting professional across multiple markets, building deep client relationships and implementing new go-to-market solutions. Jane will be bringing Slalom’s human-first approach to consulting to Ireland for the first time. Originally launched in Seattle in 2001, Slalom has since grown organically to 45 markets and now eight countries, with Ireland its latest target for international expansion. Jane Dawson-Howe, Slalom Ireland Country Lead, said: “I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as Country Leader for Slalom Ireland. As a proud Irishwoman, I am passionate about investing in people, in our community and in our clients’ success, both in our local market and beyond. “Although Slalom is relatively new to Europe, its best kept secret status won’t last for long. Slalom’s modern, purpose-driven approach to consulting feels like a natural fit for Ireland. I look forward to bringing our fiercely human approach and cutting-edge engineering capabilities to help our clients fuel growth and innovation in their businesses and to work with them to build better tomorrows for all.” Commenting on Jane Dawson-Howe’s appointment, Slalom UK Ireland President, Dave Williams, said: “Slalom Ireland has a brilliant and considerate leader in Jane, and we can’t wait to see how she brings her consultancy and people skills to the business - she matches Slalom’s purpose-focus and people-first culture to a tee. Ireland is a huge opportunity for Slalom as an innovation hub of the EU with tons of investment in infrastructure and we look forward to mirroring the success of our other markets right here in Dublin.” Slalom’s global team of 13,000 is an award-winning partner to 400 of the most innovative technology companies in the world, including AWS, Salesforce, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Tableau. It has been recognized as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine and Human Rights Campaign. About Slalom: Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/) For further information, or to organise a chat with Jane direct, please contact [Slalom@thePHAgroup.com](mailto:Slalom@thePHAgroup.com) --- title: Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/job-experience-chatgpt source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/job-experience-chatgpt locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/job-experience-chatgpt - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/job-experience-chatgpt - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill Back to newsroom Share Business Insider wrote about Slalom’s early interest in finding candidates with AI experience to support their job. Copywriters who know how to use ChatGPT to efficiently produce content are in demand. An understanding of ChatGPT helps candidates contribute innovative ideas and solutions that can help our teams better explain the benefits of AI to our customers, Ted Zahn, the creative lead for global partner marketing at Slalom, told Insider. Candidates with AI-chatbot experience often also possess skills in natural language processing, conversation design, and user experience, which can enhance their ability to create engaging and user-friendly content, he added. Read on Business Insider --- title: Slalom appoints tech and business executive John Connors to its Board of Directors url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/john-connors-board-directors source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/john-connors-board-directors locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom appoints tech and business executive John Connors to its Board of Directors - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/john-connors-board-directors - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/john-connors-board-directors - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom appoints tech and business executive John Connors to its Board of Directors Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – April 16, 2025 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced John Connors has joined the company’s board of directors. Connors brings extensive experience in the technology industry, having held leadership roles at Microsoft and as a venture capitalist at Ignition Partners. As a former CFO of Microsoft, Connors has a deep understanding of financial management and corporate governance, and his expertise in AI, enterprise software, and high-growth tech companies will provide valuable insights for Slalom's strategic planning and growth initiatives. ”With John Connors joining our board of directors, we're poised to accelerate our path to becoming the world's most customer-value-obsessed and employee-empowered services company,” said Brad Jackson, CEO of Slalom. ”His proven leadership and strategic vision align perfectly with our ambition to double in scale by 2029 and lead our industry's reinvention at the intersection of strategy and execution. John's expertise will be instrumental as we continue building a company that creates extraordinary value for our clients, team members, partners, communities, and shareholders.” Connors has decades of expertise serving on public and private company boards and is a member of the board of directors of Carbon Robotics, Icertis, Forward and Tractable. He was a 16-year board member of Nike (NKE), and 13-year member of Splunk’s Board of Directors. “As someone who’s spent a career building and growing companies, I’m inspired by Slalom’s commitment to excellence and purpose,” said Connors. “Slalom leads with ambition and integrity to make the world better for its people and customers, and I’m looking forward to helping the company expand its impact in a financially sustainable way.” --- title: Jumpstart your data lake with the Slalom and Databricks AI Lakehouse Accelerator url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jumpstart-your-data-lake-slalom-and-databricks-ai-lakehouse-accelerator source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jumpstart-your-data-lake-slalom-and-databricks-ai-lakehouse-accelerator locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Jumpstart your data lake with the Slalom and Databricks AI Lakehouse Accelerator - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jumpstart-your-data-lake-slalom-and-databricks-ai-lakehouse-accelerator - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/jumpstart-your-data-lake-slalom-and-databricks-ai-lakehouse-accelerator - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Jumpstart your data lake with the Slalom and Databricks AI Lakehouse Accelerator Back to newsroom Share Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, is excited to announce that the popular AI Lakehouse Accelerator has been selected for the new Databricks’ Brickbuilder Accelerators program, a collection of vetted and proven partner accelerators designed to help businesses get up and running on the Databricks Lakehouse Platform quickly. As technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the AI Lakehouse Accelerator is an excellent way for businesses to quickly modernize their data estates and get started with generative AI and machine learning, regardless of where they are in their data modernization journey. “What we're hearing loud and clear is that our clients are yearning for a more simplified approach to data and AI, said Tony Ko, managing director of global data + AI at Slalom. Customers are buzzing around the Databricks Lakehouse Platform and its ability to bring modern data analytics to enterprises, natively supporting the whole machine learning process from start to finish. By partnering and leveraging the AI Lakehouse Accelerator, we're saying: 'Let's not just talk about the future – let's enable businesses to get there faster, gearing up for all the exciting AI and ML breakthroughs in record time.' Slalom’s AI Lakehouse Accelerator is an eight-week engagement where a team of Slalom data architects, engineers, and analysts stand up a production-grade data lakehouse and test high-value machine learning use cases. The engagement includes configuring cloud infrastructure, setting up development operations (DevOps) pipelines, setting up data pipelines, orchestrating data, and curating a use case framework to enable organizations to onboard new data sources in under an hour. This is made possible using metadata driven pipelines that reduce the time and effort needed to ingest data sources, which in turn allows data teams to spend more of their time creating value by curating business-ready datasets. “The AI Lakehouse Accelerator simplifies loading data into a Lakehouse so data teams can focus on what really matters—extracting value from data​. As a trusted partner, Slalom is well placed to help our customers get value from their data quickly” said Christine Gauthier, Databricks senior director and Brickbuilder Program lead. [Learn more about how Slalom customers have leveraged the AI Lakehouse Accelerator during uncertain times, reaping immediate rewards and planting the seeds for long term growth.](https://go.slalom.com/genai-slalom-azure-databricks) About Databricks Brickbuilder Accelerators Databricks Brickbuilder Accelerators pairs the expertise of consulting partners with the Databricks Lakehouse Platform to offer innovative accelerators for setting up and hydrating the lakehouse in weeks, not months. With Brickbuilder Accelerators, you get: - Trusted Partner: Databricks partners with Slalom for their extensive knowledge across industries to help you build and execute your lakehouse strategy to solve critical analytics challenges, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. - Credible Frameworks: The Slalom team is trained and certified on the Databricks Lakehouse Platform to deliver best-in-class accelerators that address your biggest data, analytics and AI needs. - Accelerated Value: Accelerate time to value with Slalom’s services and automated frameworks that seamlessly integrate with the Databricks Lakehouse Platform to quickly hydrate the lakehouse. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Hires New Global Retail and Consumer Goods Leader, Ken Dickman url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/ken-dickman-retail-consumer-goods source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/ken-dickman-retail-consumer-goods locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Hires New Global Retail and Consumer Goods Leader, Ken Dickman - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/ken-dickman-retail-consumer-goods - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/ken-dickman-retail-consumer-goods - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Hires New Global Retail and Consumer Goods Leader, Ken Dickman Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – January 8, 2024 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Ken Dickman has joined the company and will lead its global Retail and Consumer Goods Industry group. Slalom helps retail and consumer goods customers transform their businesses with agility and speed, by delivering growth through solutions that drive consumer loyalty. ”Our customers are transforming to meet the demands of a dynamic marketplace,” said Dickman. “Slalom has decades of industry expertise that our customers leverage to innovate boldly, drive business impact, and deliver results. Together, we will shape the future of retail by delivering meaningful, lasting change through business and technological innovation.” Dickman is an expert in transformational business leadership, with experience spanning management consulting, venture capital, private equity, and business services across retail and consumer goods. He has more than 20 years of experience in consulting leadership roles at Accenture, EY, Blue Ridge Consulting, Genpact, and The Propel Labs. Dickman holds an MBA in Finance and Policy Studies from the University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business, and a BA in Applied Economics from the University of Michigan. --- title: Slalom Announces Launch Pad for Salesforce’s Agentforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/launch-pad-for-agentforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/launch-pad-for-agentforce locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Announces Launch Pad for Salesforce’s Agentforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/launch-pad-for-agentforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/launch-pad-for-agentforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom expands partnership with Salesforce to help customers navigate their agentic transformation and scale their digital labor workforce ## Body Slalom Announces Launch Pad for Salesforce’s Agentforce Slalom expands partnership with Salesforce to help customers navigate their agentic transformation and scale their digital labor workforce Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, JUNE 25, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced the expansion of its partnership with Salesforce by offering the new [Launch Pad for Agentforce](https://go.slalom.com/launch-pad-for-agentforce) that guides clients through prioritizing, selecting and launching their first agents. With Slalom’s Launch Pad for Agentforce, customers can quickly gauge the benefits and challenges to overcome from using agentic AI in their front office. Early adopters who use Agentforce with Slalom can experience rapid adoption, fast payback and a minimized risk profile. [Agentforce](https://www.salesforce.com/agentforce/) is a digital labor platform for enterprises to augment teams with trusted autonomous AI agents in the flow of work. With Salesforce’s [AgentExchange](https://agentexchange.salesforce.com/), the leading AI agent ecosystem for enterprises, customers have access to hundreds of ready-to-use actions, topics, and templates built by partners, and will have access to pre-validated Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers , that have passed rigorous security reviews to quickly create and deploy their digital workforce of AI agents. Customers can now launch fast and plan a 3-year AI roadmap with Slalom’s Launch Pad for Agentforce. - With a large inventory of industry use cases and a method to prioritize Agents across your enterprise, Slalom’s Launch Pad for Agentforce helps you start fast, capture the forecasted value of the technology, while educating your leadership and workforce on the power of Agentforce. - Whether you’re looking to build a few agents to start, or hundreds of agents to transform your business, Launch Pad for Agentforce helps you rapidly build your roadmap and business case to move fast. - Salesforce’s latest Agentforce release provides an enterprise-grade platform to manage human-AI collaboration, connect agents to tools via open standards, and rapidly deploy industry-ready agents with the trust, scale, and performance enterprises demand. - Agentforce supports MCP and A2A standards, allowing AgentExchange agents to connect to external systems and agents through a trusted AI agent gateway for safe interoperability. “At Slalom, we are approaching the three-year anniversary of ChatGPT and have deployed hundreds of agents across regulated and unregulated B2B and B2C enterprises,” said Katie Dunlap, General Manager at Slalom. “With Launch Pad for Agentforce, we’ve packaged these lessons into an actionable, affordable method to bring agentic AI to live in your front office.” “Organizations need a new labor model that unlocks the full potential of humans with AI at work. Slalom is a critical partner for identifying and developing specific use cases with our joint customers across industries, helping to ensure tailored and effective AI solutions for scaling digital labor,” said Phil Samenuk, SVP of Global Alliances Channels and Outsourcing Service Providers, Salesforce. “With Agentforce constantly evolving and expanding, Slalom’s Launch Pad for Agentforce demonstrates the company’s commitment to empowering customers to deliver success with Agentforce.” Additional Resources - Follow Slalom on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting/posts/?feedView=all) and [X](https://x.com/Slalom?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) - Follow Salesforce on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesforce/) and [X](https://twitter.com/salesforce) - Learn more about [Salesforce’s Agentforce](https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2024/09/12/agentforce-announcement/) Salesforce, Agentforce and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. --- title: Microsoft and Slalom Partner to Accelerate Microsoft Entra External ID Migrations from Azure AD B2C url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/microsoft-slalom-accelerate-microsoft-entra-migrations source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/microsoft-slalom-accelerate-microsoft-entra-migrations locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Microsoft and Slalom Partner to Accelerate Microsoft Entra External ID Migrations from Azure AD B2C - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/microsoft-slalom-accelerate-microsoft-entra-migrations - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/microsoft-slalom-accelerate-microsoft-entra-migrations - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom brings deep expertise in complex B2C environments to help organizations modernize customer identity with speed, reduced risk, and operational continuity. ## Body Microsoft and Slalom Partner to Accelerate Microsoft Entra External ID Migrations from Azure AD B2C Slalom brings deep expertise in complex B2C environments to help organizations modernize customer identity with speed, reduced risk, and operational continuity. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE March 17, 2026 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a migration services partnership with Microsoft focused on accelerating Azure AD B2C migrations to Microsoft Entra External ID. Slalom brings deep expertise in complex B2C environments to help organizations modernize customer identity with speed, reduced risk, and operational continuity. Microsoft Entra External ID represents the evolution of customer identity, providing a modern, unified platform to securely manage external identities at enterprise scale. Built natively into Microsoft Entra, External ID provides advanced security, governance, and developer capabilities designed to power seamless digital experiences. Microsoft Entra External ID replaces its predecessor Azure AD B2C and will provide a richer set of functionality with easier configuration. However, migrating existing B2C tenants, including custom policies, user directories, application integrations, and downstream services, may require careful planning and deep technical expertise. To help organizations navigate this transition, Microsoft and Slalom are collaborating to support customers throughout the migration journey, from early assessment and architecture planning to implementation and production cutover. “Microsoft Entra External ID provides significant advantages for organizations migrating from Azure AD B2C,” said Pawan Nrisimha, Principal Product Manager. “With built-in Conditional Access and MFA, modern developer SDKs, integrated security protections that help organizations stay secure by default, and simplified policy management, Microsoft Entra External ID delivers a unified identity platform for modern customer identity experiences. Partners like Slalom play a critical role in helping organizations plan and execute these migrations with the architectural rigor and delivery expertise required for complex identity environments.” “Organizations migrating from Azure AD B2C are navigating both technical complexity and business continuity requirements,” said Betsy Pridmore, Managing Director, Slalom - Microsoft Cloud. “Through our partnership with Microsoft, Slalom is supporting customers across the full migration lifecycle — from readiness assessments and migration strategy to architecture design, phased implementation, and production cutover.” By combining Microsoft’s strategic identity platform with Slalom’s migration expertise, organizations can reduce risk, simplify complexity, and accelerate their transition to a modern external identity architecture. [Learn more about Microsoft and Slalom’s Entra External ID migration services](https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/product/slalom.slalom_entra_external_id). slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Canada named a Best Workplace™ for Today’s Youth 2023 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/named-best-workplaces-youth-canada-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/named-best-workplaces-youth-canada-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Canada named a Best Workplace™ for Today’s Youth 2023 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/named-best-workplaces-youth-canada-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/named-best-workplaces-youth-canada-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Canada named a Best Workplace™ for Today’s Youth 2023 Back to newsroom Share July 11, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized by [Great Place to Work® for being one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Today’s Youth 2023](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-for-todays-youth-2023). The list is based on Slalom employee feedback, which recognizes that people are treated fairly regardless of their age at the company. At Slalom Canada, more than 30% of employees are in the Millennial or younger demographics. Slalom is known for its caring and collaborative culture, grounded in the company’s [core values](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are) and nurtured through people-centric programs like our [Employee Resource Groups](https://www.slalom.com/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion) that inspire, foster learning, and promote conversations that matter. In 2023, Slalom Canada has been included on the lists for [Best Workplaces™ in Canada](https://www.greatplacetowork.ca/en/best-workplaces/best-workplaces-in-canada-2023-1000-employees-or-more-gptw%22%20/t%20%22_blank), [Canada’s Top Employer for Young People](https://reviews.canadastop100.com/top-employer-slalom), [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Women](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023), [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/best-workplaces-giving-back-canada), [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-professional-services-list-2023), and [Canada’s Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team). You can learn more about Slalom Canada at these links: [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/locations/vancouver), [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/locations/calgary), [Toronto,](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto) and [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/locations/montreal) as well as our [LinkedIn page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting/). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). Media contact: Susie Ibbotson Senior Director, Marketing Communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com%E2%80%AF) --- title: Slalom expansion continues with new market opening in Kansas City, MO url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/new-market-kansas-city source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/new-market-kansas-city locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom expansion continues with new market opening in Kansas City, MO - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/new-market-kansas-city - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/new-market-kansas-city - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom expansion continues with new market opening in Kansas City, MO Back to newsroom Share General Manager Daniel Cross leads local office as global consulting firm expands to help customers grow Kansas City, MO - April 14, 2022 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, today announced its newest market opening in Kansas City, MO. General Manager Daniel Cross joined Slalom in February 2022 and is leading the expansion into Kansas City. Daniel’s background straddles the worlds of technology and strategy, having worked both as an advisor and technology provider to leading organizations in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific. “Kansas City is such a relationship- and family-oriented town,” said Cross. “People are proud to live here. I want to take that and the Slalom culture–which focuses on people and community–and build a team that loves this city and is passionate about making an incredible impact on organizations here.“ Slalom is known for building deep relationships with clients in local markets, while sharing insights across the company to bring the full breadth of its innovation to every engagement. Slalom has strong experience in consulting and advisory services for Financial Services, Health, Retail Consumer Goods, and Public Sector industries, making it an exceptional partner to help companies in Kansas City reach for and realize their visions. “Our expressed purpose at Slalom is to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all,” said Rich Coughlin, Slalom’s US President, Central Region. “We are already working with notable companies in Kansas City and looking forward to expanding our presence as we enable transformation that will help our customers help their own customers and offer new career opportunities for local talent.” Learn more about [Slalom Kansas City](https://www.slalom.com/locations/kansas-city) and [Daniel Cross](https://www.slalom.com/culture/qa-daniel-cross-general-manager-kansas-city). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 42 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. --- title: AWS and Slalom Expand Next-Generation Strategic Collaboration Agreement url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/next-generation-strategic-collaboration-agreement source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/next-generation-strategic-collaboration-agreement locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # AWS and Slalom Expand Next-Generation Strategic Collaboration Agreement - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/next-generation-strategic-collaboration-agreement - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/next-generation-strategic-collaboration-agreement - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body AWS and Slalom Expand Next-Generation Strategic Collaboration Agreement AWS and Slalom expand next-generation strategic collaboration agreement Back to newsroom Share Renewed agreement supports global expansion, strengthens Slalom’s collaboration with AWS Professional Services, and positions both companies to deliver innovative technology and industry-specific solutions to more joint customers LAS VEGAS—Nov. 30, 2022 —At AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Slalom, LLC (Slalom), a global business and technology consulting company, announced a multiyear extension to the companies’ global Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA). The two companies will work together to develop vertical solutions and accelerators on AWS for customers in the energy, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, public sector, and media and entertainment industries, delivering specialized end-to-end cloud migration and modernization services to help accelerate their cloud journeys. In addition to supporting accelerated growth in Slalom markets in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand, AWS and Slalom in 2023 will jointly create go-to-market strategies and make co-investments in support of Slalom’s continued expansion into Ireland, and the Netherlands, followed by additional countries in Latin America, Asia Pacific, and through Europe over the next three years. As part of the agreement, AWS and Slalom are expanding upon their 2019 announced collaboration to deliver [AWS | Slalom Launch Centers](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/slalom-and-aws-announce-launch-centers) (Launch Centers) that help enterprises accelerate their business transformations and modernize information technology services. Launch Centers provide customers with access to the unique combination of AWS Professional Services—a global team of AWS experts who help customers reach their desired outcomes with the cloud—and Slalom’s expertise in business transformation, software engineering, and analytics capabilities. Over the last three years, more than 160 customers have migrated and modernized to AWS through their work with Launch Centers. AWS is working with Slalom to develop solutions to help customers solve specific industry challenges. For example, Slalom offers the Slalom Meter Data Analytics solution on AWS, which uses [Amazon SageMaker](https://aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/) (AWS’s service for building, training, and deploying machine learning models in the cloud and at the edge) to help utility and renewable energy customers improve billing and energy efficiency, and forecast power outages. In addition, the companies collaborated to introduce in 2022 [Slalom Agile Supply Chain](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-npga32xbkukyk), a solution aimed at helping manufacturing customers build agility and resiliency into their supply chains to reduce costs, increase capacity, and improve their customers’ experiences. “This agreement enhances our relationship with AWS and serves as a key growth driver for Slalom’s business over the next three years,” said Brad Jackson, CEO of Slalom. “Through the expansion of our AWS practice, we will be better equipped to help our customers find new ways to use AWS technologies to dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all.” “Slalom has a proven track record and is a trusted partner in providing innovative business and technology consulting services to our mutual customers, helping them accelerate their transitions to the cloud and leverage the vast portfolio of AWS products and services to drive innovation,” said Ruba Borno, vice president, Worldwide Channels and Alliances at AWS. “By extending our collaboration with Slalom, expanding more broadly into markets together, and combining Slalom’s consulting and technical skills with our leading cloud services and migration expertise, we are giving customers a broader range of capabilities and offerings to better support their cloud strategies and digital transformation journeys.” TC Energy is a North American energy company headquartered in Canada. Working with AWS and Slalom, TC Energy used the Amazon Working Backwards method to envision and then build a new business intelligence application that maximizes capacity in its network of gas pipelines. Maximizing pipeline capacity helps TC Energy avoid the years-long process, capital expenditures, and environmental impact associated with building new pipelines. “We will save millions of dollars in greenhouse gas emissions costs by innovating on AWS,” said Peter Jarmola, TC Energy’s director of enterprise innovation, in an AWS-published [case study](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/tc-energy/). “That’s an important benefit because it helps us demonstrate to our customers, our regulators, and the government that we are a responsible operator.” Slalom—an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner in the AWS Partner Network for over a decade, was named the 2021 National Systems Integrator Partner of the Year in the US, the 2022 global Education Partner of the Year and the 2022 Systems Integrator (SI) Partner of the Year in North America in the Regional and Global AWS Partner Awards. Slalom holds 15 AWS competencies and seven AWS service delivery designations. In addition to the more than 160 customers who have migrated and modernized with Launch Centers, more than 500 customers have optimized their business in the cloud by working together with AWS Professional Services and Slalom. About Amazon Web Services For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offering. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any cloud workload, and it now has more than 200 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 96 Availability Zones within 30 geographic regions, with announced plans for 15 more Availability Zones and five more AWS Regions in Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and Thailand. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit [aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/). About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit [www.amazon.com/about](https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id smartlink url http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fabout esheet 52826550 newsitemid 20220824005685 lan en-US anchor www.amazon.com%2Fabout index 3 md5 bf8cf377dc04d6179544b0eb6903b41b) and follow AmazonNews. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In six countries and 43 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,500 strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom announces new strategic partnership with Orgvue url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/noindex/slalom-announces-new-strategic-partnership-with-orgvue source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/noindex/slalom-announces-new-strategic-partnership-with-orgvue locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom announces new strategic partnership with Orgvue - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/noindex/slalom-announces-new-strategic-partnership-with-orgvue - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/noindex/slalom-announces-new-strategic-partnership-with-orgvue - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced today a new partnership with Orgvue, the leading organizational design and planning software platform. ## Body Slalom announces new strategic partnership with Orgvue We announced today a new partnership with Orgvue, the leading organizational design and planning software platform. Back to newsroom Share Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced today a new partnership with Orgvue, the leading organizational design and planning software platform. This collaboration enables Slalom’s customers to benefit from powerful data visualizations and modeling that will help them make faster workforce decisions in a constantly changing world. By integrating Orgvue's innovative platform into their work, Slalom can offer customers a more streamlined approach to workforce planning. The Orgvue platform enables businesses to adapt proactively to changing environments, whether it's through designing new organizational frameworks, managing mergers and acquisitions, or embracing AI-driven workforce transformations. “One of Slalom’s top priorities is helping our customers become more adaptable organizations, so they can thrive in today's evolving business environment, especially with the opportunities brought through AI,“ says Ali Minnick, Slalom General Manager of Business Advisory Services. “This partnership with Orgvue allows us to pair our advisory services with the industry’s leading workforce transformation platform to help our customers more quickly reach greater organizational resilience and success.“ “In the past few years, we’ve seen organizations of all shapes and sizes disrupted by economic pressures and are now seeing those same organizations paying closer attention to topics that once felt futuristic. AI’s impact on capacity and skills and how to deal with an aging workforce are now reality and something businesses must respond to,” says Mike Bobek, Orgvue’s VP Alliances in North America. “Our partnership brings together Slalom’s human-centered and technology-enabled approach to serving its customers with Orgvue’s powerful analytics and planning platform, so organizations can fully prepare their workforce for the future.” Slalom is already working with customers to leverage Orgvue’s platform to strengthen their organizations and drive workforce changes. For more information on Slalom’s organization and workforce capabilities, visit [Slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent). About Orgvue Orgvue is an organizational design and planning platform that empowers your business to transform its workforce by understanding the work people do and the skills they have. Our platform connects strategy to structure, providing clarity of vision, so you can build a more adaptable, better performing organization that thrives in a constantly changing world of work. The world’s largest and best-known enterprises and consulting firms use Orgvue to visualize and model current and future states of the organization and make faster, more informed decisions. The company is headquartered in London, with offices in Philadelphia, The Hague, Toronto, and Sydney. --- title: NVIDIA Partner Network to Deliver Intelligent Products with AI and Cloud Servicess for Customers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/nvidia-partner-network source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/nvidia-partner-network locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # NVIDIA Partner Network to Deliver Intelligent Products with AI and Cloud Servicess for Customers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/nvidia-partner-network - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/nvidia-partner-network - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body NVIDIA Partner Network to Deliver Intelligent Products with AI and Cloud Servicess for Customers Slalom joins NVIDIA partner network to deliver intelligent products with AI and cloud services for customers Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – June 29, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, announced today that it has been recognized by NVIDIA as the newest Service Delivery Partner - Cloud Services (SDP-CS Program) within the [NVIDIA Partner Network](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/about-nvidia/partners/) (NPN). Slalom has also earned the NVIDIA Technologies Competency within the NPN program. The SDP-CS Program is designed for partners whose core competency is cloud business and technology consulting and can provide services that deliver innovative solutions to solve customer business challenges. The NVIDIA Technologies Competency provides Slalom with early and extensive access to NVIDIA platforms, software and technologies, enabling Slalom customers to scale their investments in NVIDIA technology more quickly. “Slalom is thrilled to further elevate our relationship with NVIDIA, so we can drive more impactful outcomes for our customers. Across various sectors, companies are embracing intelligent products, generative AI solutions, and cutting-edge platforms like [NVIDIA Omniverse](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/) to create and operate digital twin versions of their physical assets,” said Ian Cook, President of Slalom Build. “By combining NVIDIA’s advanced technology and Slalom’s comprehensive suite of cloud, AI, IoT, and product engineering services, we are able to address our customer’s greatest challenges.” Intelligence built into products is no longer just a competitive advantage for companies, it’s a competitive necessity. Businesses need new ways to design and develop intelligent products and services that evolve alongside customer needs. Businesses also recognize that modern applications built with machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics yield data and insights that can be significant differentiators in the marketplace. “NVIDIA’s SDP-Cloud Services partner program was created with companies like Slalom in mind,” said Craig Weinstein, Vice President of the Americas Partner Organization at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI are today’s most powerful tools to help our customers reimagine their own products and services to advance their industries.” To learn more about how Slalom collaborates with NVIDIA to deliver innovation-driven solutions for customers, visit [slalombuild.com/nvidia](https://www.slalombuild.com/nvidia). Slalom、NVIDIAとパートナーシップを締結し、AIを活用した事業設計やプロダクト開発を通じて顧客の変革支援を強化 2023年6月30日 – Slalomは、NVIDIAのパートナープログラム「[NVIDIA Partner Network](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/about-nvidia/partners/)（以下NPN）」におけるService Delivery Partner – Cloud Services（以下SDP-CSプログラム）の認定を受け、同社とのパートナーシップを締結したことを発表しました。同時に、NPNのNVIDIA Technologiesコンピテンシーを取得しています。 SDP-CSプログラムは、コンサルティングおよびテクノロジーを主力分野の強みとして、企業がこれまで培ったビジネスを変革するための革新的なソリューションを提供できるパートナーを対象としています。本パートナーシップにより、SlalomはNVIDIAのプラットフォーム、ソフトウェア、テクノロジーに早期かつ広範囲にアクセスできるようになり、Slalomのお客様はビジネス変革の推進にあたりNVIDIAテクノロジーをより迅速に活用できるようになります。 SlalomのBuild担当PresidentであるIan Cookは次のように述べています。 “Slalomは、NVIDIAとの関係を強化することで、お客様の変革により貢献することができます。具体的にはビジネスプロセスを再設計し、Intelligent Productを開発、さらには生成AIアプリケーションや、[NVIDIA Omniverse](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/)などの最先端プラットフォームを活用した物理資産のデジタルツインを実現することが容易になります。つまりはNVIDIAの先進技術と、Slalomのコンサルティングサービスならびにクラウド、AI、IoTを活用したプロダクトエンジニアリングサービスの組み合わせにより、お客様の変革を加速することができるのです。” Intelligent Product、すなわちインテリジェンスが組み込まれたプロダクトは、顧客価値や競争優位性の向上にますます重要な要素となってきています。顧客のニーズは日々進化する訳で、これに呼応するプロダクトやサービスの設計・開発には革新的なメソドロジーが必要となり、さらには、機械学習アルゴリズムや予測分析の活用は、意味のあるインサイトを提供するうえで重要な差別化要素となっていくでしょう。 NVIDIAのVice President of America’s Partner OrganizationであるCraig Weinsteinは次のように述べています。 “NVIDIAのSDP-Cloud Servicesプログラムは、Slalomのようなパートナーのためにデザインされています。彼らがNVIDIAのアクセラレーテッド コンピューティングというAIの世界では最先端のツールを利用することにより、お客様のプロダクトやサービスの再構築をより迅速かつ効率的に推進していくことができます。” 本リリースに関する詳細は、[slalombuild.com/nvidia](https://www.slalombuild.com/nvidia)をご覧ください。 --- title: Slalom appoints Rich Coughlin as Chief Operating Officer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/rich-coughlin-chief-operating-officer source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/rich-coughlin-chief-operating-officer locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom appoints Rich Coughlin as Chief Operating Officer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/rich-coughlin-chief-operating-officer - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/rich-coughlin-chief-operating-officer - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom appoints Rich Coughlin as Chief Operating Officer Back to newsroom Share Coughlin’s commitment to delivering exceptional results for Slalom’s customers has been a driving force of success for the company’s growth Seattle, WA – March 17, 2025 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Rich Coughlin will serve as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer. With over 30 years of consulting experience, Rich has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering exceptional results and has earned a reputation for driving operational excellence while focusing on the growth and profitability of Slalom. He will continue as President of the US Central Region for Slalom, to lead expansion in the rapidly evolving area. “Rich is the clear choice to lead the effort in improving operations as we accelerate the growth of our business,” said Tony Rojas, Slalom President. “Since joining Slalom in 2013, he’s played a pivotal role in helping us grow into a thriving multinational organization. Rich embodies our company’s core values and works with intentionality to build a culture of operational excellence. His big heart and dedication to our team make him the perfect fit for this role.” Coughlin’s career spans over 30 years in consulting, where he has demonstrated a consistent commitment to delivering exceptional results for customers. He joined Slalom in 2013 and founded the company’s Minneapolis office, serving many Fortune 500 organizations and other iconic brands. He was promoted to the Central Region president in 2022, overseeing offices in major markets including Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City. “This is a critical time of growth and transformation for the professional services industry,” said Coughlin. “Slalom is a special company, and I’m dedicated to helping our teams work more efficiently and effectively, so we can meet our strategic goals and foster an environment where our consultants can bring more to our customers.” --- title: Slalom Debuts Salesforce AI Accelerator, Enabling Customers to Create Innovative AI-Powered Bots url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-accelerator-enabling-customers-create-innovative-generative-ai-purpose-built source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-accelerator-enabling-customers-create-innovative-generative-ai-purpose-built locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Debuts Salesforce AI Accelerator, Enabling Customers to Create Innovative AI-Powered Bots - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-accelerator-enabling-customers-create-innovative-generative-ai-purpose-built - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-accelerator-enabling-customers-create-innovative-generative-ai-purpose-built - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Debuts Salesforce AI Accelerator, Enabling Customers to Create Innovative AI-Powered Bots Back to newsroom Share Seattle – June 15, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, today unveiled a new AI accelerator for businesses using Salesforce – revolutionizing the way companies leverage generative AI. Available now, Slalom’s new technology empowers businesses using Salesforce to build AI-generated bots on the Salesforce platform – enabling organizations to harness the power of AI today to help enhance exceptional customer experiences, all natively within Salesforce. Generative AI has the power to improve customer experiences and transform how companies do business. Most [senior IT leaders](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/generative-ai-research/?d=cta-body-promo-8) (84%) say generative AI will help their organization better serve customers, and 67% are prioritizing generative AI for their business within the next 18 months. With the exponential growth of generative AI and its potential to disrupt customer service, Slalom and Salesforce are helping companies use generative AI to provide the personalized customer interactions that help businesses grow. Slalom’s new generative AI accelerator provides companies using Salesforce technology with the tools to design, develop, and deploy AI-powered bots to help meet business’ unique needs, while expanding their customer service operations. By building on the power of Salesforce with generative AI-powered bots, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in today's digital landscape. Key features of the Slalom generative AI accelerator for Salesforce include: - Generative AI-Powered Bots: Organizations can create AI-powered bots to generate responses that enhance customer interactions and provide dynamic support – giving organizations the ability to better train and tailor the chatbot to their specific needs and the customer experience they want to provide. - Built Natively on Salesforce: The generative AI accelerator is built on Salesforce, enabling businesses to leverage their data, workflows, and processes to enhance their customer service operations. - Extend to Salesforce Clouds: Customers have flexibility to connect their own Large Language Models (LLM) today – with future compatibility to connect with Salesforce Einstein GPT, Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Revenue Cloud, and Experience Cloud. This allows companies to harness the power of Salesforce's advanced AI capabilities to deliver even more intelligent and context-aware interactions. “We are actively showcasing the value of GPT in the Salesforce environment through our generative AI accelerator. Slalom is eager to help customers start their AI journey as soon as possible, so companies can better understand the promise of AI tools and experience the power of innovation in their own world immediately, said Katie Dunlap, Global Salesforce General Manager at Slalom. To learn more about the Slalom accelerator for Salesforce and how it can transform your customer service operations today, visit [Slalom’s Digital Service YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@SlalomDigitalService) and contact us at [Slalom.com/Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). Salesforce and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: Slalom becomes first Salesforce partner to earn Full Stack Marketing Cloud Designation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-full-stack-marketing-cloud-designation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-full-stack-marketing-cloud-designation locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom becomes first Salesforce partner to earn Full Stack Marketing Cloud Designation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-full-stack-marketing-cloud-designation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-full-stack-marketing-cloud-designation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom becomes first Salesforce partner to earn Full Stack Marketing Cloud Designation Back to newsroom Share May 30, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced it is the first worldwide [Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) partner to achieve Full Stack Designation on the Salesforce Marketing Cloud suite of products. Slalom is the second-ranked Salesforce Marketing Cloud partner in North America with over 500 Salesforce Marketing Cloud certifications and more than 8,000 Salesforce certifications globally. The Salesforce Full Stack Marketing Cloud Designation helps organizations easily identify partners with the largest number of certifications across the full suite of Marketing Cloud products. Slalom has proven skills and demonstrated experience in complex cross-cloud implementations. They help customers optimize marketing campaigns, maximize budgets, and make decisions faster across the entire Marketing Cloud suite of capabilities – from Engagement to Intelligence – in harmony with Salesforce Data Cloud. “Slalom is focused on driving meaningful impact through end-to-end solutions that benefit our customers – and their customers,” said Jim Clarke, managing director at Slalom. “In the marketing ecosystem, our Salesforce architects build digital marketing strategies with enhanced data acquisition and storage approaches to set up our customers for future success.” Laura Lourenco, Slalom senior director, adds, “we take an experience-led approach, ensuring our practitioners have the skills needed to implement the full ecosystem of Salesforce Marketing Cloud capabilities. This enables us to provide our customers greater speed to value, maximized ROI, industry customizations, and innovative cross-cloud use cases to drive robust data-driven experiences.” Learn more about [our partnership with Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/au/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce) and [Marketing Cloud assessment workshop](https://go.slalom.com/salesforce-marketing-automation-assessment). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom recognized as Salesforce's 2027 Partner of the Year for work with Pets at Home url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partner-of-the-year-2027 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partner-of-the-year-2027 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom recognized as Salesforce's 2027 Partner of the Year for work with Pets at Home - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partner-of-the-year-2027 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partner-of-the-year-2027 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom will build new industry accelerators utilizing Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform with an initial focus on Financial Services. ## Body Slalom recognized as Salesforce's 2027 Partner of the Year for work with Pets at Home Slalom will build new industry accelerators utilizing Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform with an initial focus on Financial Services. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE – September 10, 2026 - Slalom, the fiercely human business and [technology consulting company](https://www.slalom.com/us/en), has been named Salesforce's 2027 Partner of the Year for Systems of Agency, recognizing its work with Pets at Home, the UK's leading pet care business, to transform customer and colleague experiences with Agentforce. The award highlights Slalom's role in helping Pets at Home enhance customer support across its connected ecosystem of veterinary services, retail experiences, grooming, subscriptions, and digital channels. Together, the organizations implemented Agentforce to streamline service operations, improve access to information for frontline teams, and create more responsive experiences for pet owners. On its first full day in production, the Pets at Home agent reduced inbound case volume by approximately 30%, a decrease from around 1,300 typical daily cases down to 900, while customer satisfaction remained above target. Working alongside Salesforce, Slalom helped [embed AI-powered capabilities](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation) into customer service workflows, enabling teams to resolve inquiries more efficiently while focusing more time on high-value customer interactions. The result is a more connected support experience for customers and colleagues alike. Agentforce had been generally available for less than 18 months when this project began, and production headless deployments supporting both anonymous and authenticated journeys were still uncommon in the ecosystem. Slalom delivered a live, decision-making, headless agent in a complex retail environment, providing immediate business value. The customer service team reported that the solution was performing better than expected. The recognition also reflects the strength of the longstanding relationship between [Salesforce and Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). As Salesforce's first strategic systems integrator partner for Data Cloud and AI, Slalom helps organizations translate advances in data, artificial intelligence, and Agentforce into practical business outcomes. Through deep industry expertise, cloud-native delivery, and a fiercely human approach to consulting, Slalom works with customers to modernize operations, improve experiences, and create lasting business value. “Pets at Home is an example of deep collaboration across domains to deliver a first of its kind, complex and unique headless solution. And our learning informed pattern standards that persist”, said Sarah Duffy, Head of Enterprise Applications at Slalom. “The agent helps customers get what they need faster while preserving the care and judgment that an elevated service experience requires. On the first full day in production, inbound cases dropped by approximately 30% while customer satisfaction remained above target. The positive impact to the Customers and employees of Pets at Home is significant. It’s what we mean when we say fiercely human consulting. I’m so proud of Slalom’s long-time partnership with the team at Pets at Home and honored that Salesforce has recognized what we accomplished together.” As organizations look for ways to move beyond experimentation and realize measurable value from AI investments, the Pets at Home engagement demonstrates how AI can be integrated into day-to-day operations to support employees, improve customer experiences, and drive business results. By combining Salesforce's Agentforce platform with deep operational and industry expertise, Slalom helps organizations create sustainable value through technology that works in service of people and outcomes. The Salesforce Partner of the Year award recognizes partners that deliver exceptional customer outcomes, innovative Agentforce implementations, and meaningful business transformation. Through its collaboration with Pets at Home, Slalom demonstrated how organizations can use AI to create more seamless experiences while delivering measurable business impact. Slalom will celebrate the recognition at [Dreamforce 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/dreamforce), where it is participating as an Innovation Sponsor. During the event, Slalom leaders and industry experts will share perspectives on Agentforce, Data Cloud, the agentic enterprise, customer experience transformation, the future of CRM, and industry-specific applications of AI. --- title: Slalom and Salesforce expand partnership to unleash the power of data for customers’ AI transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partnership-customer-ai-transformation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partnership-customer-ai-transformation locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom and Salesforce expand partnership to unleash the power of data for customers’ AI transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partnership-customer-ai-transformation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/salesforce-partnership-customer-ai-transformation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced at World Tour London the expansion of its partnership with Salesforce, the #1 AI CRM, empowering joint customers to drive the value of AI across the enterprise. ## Body Slalom and Salesforce expand partnership to unleash the power of data for customers’ AI transformation We announced at World Tour London the expansion of its partnership with Salesforce, the #1 AI CRM, empowering joint customers to drive the value of AI across the enterprise. Back to newsroom Share Slalom is the first strategic System Integrator partner for Salesforce Data Cloud and Einstein 1; debuts a fully integrated AI Accelerator with Data Cloud London, UK – June 6, 2024 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced at [World Tour London](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/events/world-tour-london/) the expansion of its partnership with Salesforce, the #1 AI CRM, empowering joint customers to drive the value of AI across the enterprise. As the first strategic SI partner for Salesforce Data Cloud and Einstein 1, Slalom will co-develop new solutions geared toward helping organizations activate data and AI use cases in Salesforce at speed. Slalom will also expand its use of the Salesforce platform to drive AI transformation for its sales operations. It will also use Salesforce [Data Cloud](https://www.salesforce.com/data/) with [Einstein 1 Platform](https://www.salesforce.com/platform/?d=cta-body-promo-8), [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/), [Slack](https://slack.com/), and [Revenue Lifecycle Management](https://www.salesforce.com/sales/revenue-lifecycle-management/?d=7013y000002ExyEAAS nc=7013y000002EykhAAC utm_content=7013y000002ExyEAAS utm_source=google utm_medium=paid_search utm_campaign=21143718938 utm_adgroup=164795026790 utm_term=revenue%2520lifecycle%2520management utm_matchtype=e gad_source=1 gclid=Cj0KCQjwpNuyBhCuARIsANJqL9Nk_EBY0v9B8BNHLwTb8KCfSQFMgIRG3elTyCuzRXBgA22Lwx7H6rIaAsSJEALw_wcB gclsrc=aw.ds) to enhance its ability to support customers. As part of the expanded partnership, Slalom is launching its [AI Accelerator with Data Cloud](https://go.slalom.com/Salesforce_AIDataCloud) - a new solution aimed at helping organizations implement Salesforce Data Cloud to unlock customer data that powers predictive and generative AI across the Einstein 1 platform. Salesforce Data Cloud unlocks an organization’s siloed data to build a 360-degree view of the customer to help teams make smarter decisions, power automation, and build trusted AI. “We’re growing our partnership with Salesforce to build and deliver cutting-edge AI solutions that create new possibilities for customers,” said Katie Dunlap, General Manager of Global Salesforce at Slalom. “AI also plays a critical role in Slalom’s transformation, and we are committed to becoming an AI enterprise by incorporating innovative solutions and capabilities into our go-to-market and delivery teams. Slalom is a pioneer in creating generative AI solutions on Salesforce and, most [recently, teamed up with Virgin Voyages to develop Vivi](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/virgin-voyages), one of the first generative AI-powered chatbots built on Salesforce that set a new standard for online customer service. Since the launch of Vivi, Virgin Voyages has elevated its customer experience, alleviated management costs, and reduced call center escalations by more than 20%. Slalom is a longstanding Salesforce customer and partner, said Steve Corfield, EVP GM, Global Alliances, Channels Emerging Products at Salesforce. By deepening our partnership, we are poised to help customers unlock and unify trapped data to transform customer experiences with the power of Data Cloud, leveraging innovative data capabilities and AI to propel enterprise growth and success.” For more information about how this partnership can benefit your organization, please visit [www.slalom.com/salesforce](http://www.slalom.com/salesforce). You can learn more about Slalom’s AI Accelerator with Data Cloud at this year’s [Salesforce London World Tour](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/events/world-tour-london/). --- title: Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-10-years-with-databricks-expands-ai-capabilities source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-10-years-with-databricks-expands-ai-capabilities locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-10-years-with-databricks-expands-ai-capabilities - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-10-years-with-databricks-expands-ai-capabilities - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks By Expanding Capabilities to Accelerate Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers ## Body Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks Slalom Marks 10 Years with Databricks By Expanding Capabilities to Accelerate Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers Slalom’s expanded Databricks capabilities enable clients to reduce time to insight and accelerate the path from data modernization to production AI. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE - April 15, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced an expansion of its long-standing partnership with Databricks, the Data and AI Company, introducing new capabilities designed to help customers accelerate data modernization and AI adoption at scale. This announcement also marks the companies’ 10th year of partnership, underscoring a decade of collaboration helping organizations modernize data foundations and unlock value from advanced analytics and AI. As organizations face growing pressure to modernize legacy data platforms and operationalize AI, Slalom’s expanded Databricks capabilities enable clients to reduce time to insight and accelerate the path from data modernization to production AI. With a dedicated global team focused exclusively on Databricks, customers benefit from deeper technical expertise, faster delivery, and direct alignment with Databricks product and partnership leaders. This model creates a connected network of specialists that enables clients to move from strategy to execution with greater speed and confidence. “Our partnership with Databricks is rooted in a shared belief that intelligence transforms work when paired with deep business context and well implemented, frontier technology,” said Joe Berg, Data and AI Lead at Slalom. “Together, we help organizations unlock the full value of their data and AI investments, delivering outcomes faster and at enterprise scale.” Slalom has also expanded its portfolio of Databricks-based accelerators to help organizations deliver outcomes faster. New solutions such as [Clinical Data 360](https://go.slalom.com/clinical-data-360), [Insurance 360](https://go.slalom.com/insurance-360), and [Lakespeak](https://go.slalom.com/lakespeak) enable clients to rapidly modernize data platforms, unlock insights, and operationalize AI. These accelerators are already delivering measurable impact. For example, working with a Fortune 500 Financial Services firm), Slalom leveraged its [Unity Catalog Migration Accelerator](https://go.slalom.com/databricks-unity-catalog-accelerator-workshop) to automate large-scale data migration, helping reduce data processing times from two hours to 18 minutes, resulting in more than 40 percent cost savings. As part of this momentum, Slalom achieved multiple Databricks Industry Specializations in February 2026, reinforcing its position as one of the most mature and skilled partners in the ecosystem. Slalom is now ranked among the top 10 partners globally across Databricks’ 6,000+ partner network, a distinction that signals proven delivery excellence and deep technical capability. These advancements are supported by continued growth in Slalom’s Databricks Business Unit and global Center of Excellence, including expanded headcount, increased specialization, and ongoing investment in industry and horizontal solutions. Slalom’s Databricks momentum includes: - Top 10 global Databricks partner across a 6,000+ partner ecosystem - Industry Specializations across Financial Services, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Communications, Media and Entertainment, Retail and Consumer Goods, Manufacturing and Energy, and Public Sector - Six new Databricks-based offerings and Brickbuilder solutions launched, with additional accelerators planned in 2026 - More than 900 consultants earning Databricks sales badges - Databricks Lakebase launch partner “We are so grateful for our partnership with Slalom,” said Sabina Shaikh, Vice President of Global System Integrators at Databricks. “Our shared commitment to help companies build bigger and [innovative data solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data) utilizing Databricks Lakebase, while democratizing data within their four walls, is the cornerstone of our partnership. We look forward to the next ten years.” By combining Databricks’ Lakehouse and AI platform with Slalom’s deep industry expertise and end-to-end delivery capabilities, from strategy through implementation, customers can move beyond experimentation to achieve durable, enterprise-wide impact from their data and AI investments. Learn more about our [partnership with Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks). slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Target Five Years Ahead of Schedule url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-achieves-renewable-energy-ahead-schedule source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-achieves-renewable-energy-ahead-schedule locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Target Five Years Ahead of Schedule - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-achieves-renewable-energy-ahead-schedule - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-achieves-renewable-energy-ahead-schedule - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom has reached its goal of 100% renewable energy in operations five years early, a major milestone in its commitment to climate sustainability ## Body Slalom Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Target Five Years Ahead of Schedule Slalom has reached its goal of 100% renewable energy in operations five years early, a major milestone in its commitment to climate sustainability Back to newsroom Share Seattle, June 20, 2025 - Slalom has achieved its goal of being 100% powered by renewable energy in its operations, five years ahead of the 2030 target announced in its 2020 goals. This milestone underscores Slalom's commitment to sustainability and its proactive approach to environmental stewardship. In alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Slalom made a commitment five years ago to minimize emissions generated by its operations and supply chains. Slalom completed its transition to 100% renewable energy by moving to renewable energy plans in offices worldwide where they were available. In the locations where renewable energy plans were not available, Slalom has purchased high quality, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from wind or solar sources that are either Green-e® certified or carry the EKOenergy ecolabel. These certifications ensure the environmental integrity of the renewable electricity and prevent double-counting. At Slalom, it's our collective responsibility to be great stewards of our planet,” said Brad Jackon, CEO of Slalom. “That's why we're both advancing our own sustainability efforts and scaling our expertise to help our customers do exactly the same Slalom's efforts extend beyond its own operations. Teams worldwide are actively involved in environmental initiatives, from cleaning rivers, protecting habitats, and connecting with the ecosystems they depend on. Slalom also worked with partners and customers to align on shared values and engage in responsible supplier programs. Moreover, Slalom multiplies its impact through its clients. The firm has helped the [Forest Stewardship Council protect millions of acres](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/forest-stewardship-council), assisted [Kiwi Harvest in reducing food waste in New Zealand](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/kiwiharvest-systems-integration-salesforce), and co-created [VML’s Vanishing Emails solution](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/vml-aws-vanishing-emails), that automates the deletion of expired promotional emails from inboxes, thereby reducing the demand for data storage, its CO2 intensity, and setting a new standard for sustainable digital communications. Vanishing Emails is such a no-brainer of an idea; people wonder why it hasn’t been done before. In fact, it took a lot of creative brains partnering across sustainability research, experience design, and AI engineering to make it work. With more global brands signing up to join this movement, we can really make a significant difference by reducing the impact of expired promotional emails, said Bas Korsten, chief creative officer of Innovation at VML. Slalom’s Commitment to Reducing Problematic Plastics Slalom has also launched a new commitment to eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastics from its operations by 2030, aligning with the [Global Plastics Pact](https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-plastics-pact-network). This initiative, driven by internal waste audits and sustainability goals, includes transitioning to reusable and compostable alternatives, revising procurement policies, and fostering a culture of reuse across its offices. With early success in regions like Australia and New Zealand, Slalom is demonstrating that meaningful environmental change is both achievable and essential. At Slalom, taking environmental action is also taking business action, preserving the longevity of business operations given the planetary constraints we have, said Meagan Breidert, Director of Sustainability Impact at Slalom. --- title: Slalom Addresses Legacy Tech Modernization With a Humorous Campaign url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-addresses-legacy-tech-modernization-with-a-humorous-campa source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-addresses-legacy-tech-modernization-with-a-humorous-campa locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Addresses Legacy Tech Modernization With a Humorous Campaign - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-addresses-legacy-tech-modernization-with-a-humorous-campa - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-addresses-legacy-tech-modernization-with-a-humorous-campa - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary ‘Big Old Backend Systems’, aka BOBS, are on their way out as Slalom helps companies modernize with AI-powered solutions that cut costs and boost capabilities ## Body Slalom Addresses Legacy Tech Modernization With a Humorous Campaign ‘Big Old Backend Systems’, aka BOBS, are on their way out as Slalom helps companies modernize with AI-powered solutions that cut costs and boost capabilities Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE – July 28, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today debuted a campaign called Zero Legacy spotlighting the importance of legacy modernization solutions [through a commercial titled ‘BOBS’](#bobs) - short for “Big Old Backend System.” Airing on CNBC and online, the spot shows a comical farewell party for BOBS, a trusted but aging tech system, as coworkers honor its legacy and acknowledge that it’s time to transition to more modern solutions. The campaign speaks directly to the many organizations still reliant on dated backend systems, illustrating the human side of innovation and transformation in the enterprise. “This is a bold moment for Slalom,” said Sangeeta Prasad, Slalom’s Chief Marketing Officer. “BOBS isn’t just a character; it’s a symbol of the comfort zone many companies need help moving beyond. Our campaign reflects Slalom’s human-centric approach to innovation. By choosing to address the elephant in the room with humor and nostalgia, we’re showing how Slalom shows up differently, and how we’re bringing more value by helping customers evolve, not just transform.” According to Gartner, 70% of enterprise workloads still reside on legacy systems, consuming up to 80% of IT budgets and stifling innovation. For organizations still running critical workloads on-premises or with outdated infrastructure, Slalom’s legacy modernization solutions offer a strategic path forward. Slalom helps customers overcome these barriers through AI-assisted modernization strategies that retain uptime and unique logic while eliminating the costs, complexity, and risks of maintaining legacy systems. Customers can leverage Slalom’s phased, low-risk approach to reimagine their future without compromising stability or performance. “Legacy systems helped build today’s leading companies, but the future demands agility, scalability, and modernization,” said Amy Loftus, Chief Customer Officer at Slalom. “With Slalom’s legacy modernization solutions, we’re helping customers move from outdated infrastructure to cloud-native platforms through AI-powered tooling and phased, low-risk approaches that preserve what works while enabling growth. This campaign is about empowering our customers to dream big without being held back.” Created in partnership with [Special Operations](https://www.special-operations.co/), the commercial takes the much discussed topic of legacy modernization and flips it with humor and heart in a bold departure from the often-rigid style of traditional consulting firms. The ad is designed to resonate with business and IT leaders by personifying the pain and humor of dealing with legacy systems, while highlighting the benefits of achieving Zero Legacy. The campaign debuts this July on TV and digital platforms. Legacy systems have had their run. See what’s next at [slalom.com/ZeroLegacy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy). 82husg9tia --- title: Slalom and AMD Announce Strategic Collaboration to Help Enterprises Become Data and AI-Driven Organizations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-and-amd-strategic-collaboration source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-and-amd-strategic-collaboration locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom and AMD Announce Strategic Collaboration to Help Enterprises Become Data and AI-Driven Organizations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-and-amd-strategic-collaboration - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-and-amd-strategic-collaboration - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Global consulting leader and semiconductor innovator join forces to enable enterprise-wide AI transformation at scale ## Body Slalom and AMD Announce Strategic Collaboration to Help Enterprises Become Data and AI-Driven Organizations Global consulting leader and semiconductor innovator join forces to enable enterprise-wide AI transformation at scale Slalom and AMD Announce Strategic Collaboration to Help Enterprises Become Data- and AI-Driven Organizations Slalom and AMD Announce Strategic Collaboration Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE – April 10, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a strategic collaboration with AMD, a leader in high-performance computing and AI. Slalom aims to help organizations deploy leadership solutions powered by AMD and move beyond experimentation to embed generative AI into the core of their business and expand how they operate, compete, and create value. As organizations race to adopt generative AI, many struggle to translate promising pilots into durable business impact. Slalom will address this challenge by delivering integrated solutions, powered by AMD, that connect data platforms, AI models, and business workflows—enabling clients to [operationalize AI](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) across functions such as customer experience, software engineering, operations, and Enterprise intelligence. “Becoming a truly data- and AI-driven enterprise requires more than powerful technology—you need a clear strategy, trusted data, responsible AI practices, and new ways of working,” said Rick Koppin, managing director at Slalom. “Our partnership with AMD allows us to combine enterprise-grade AI infrastructure with Slalom’s [human-centered approach to transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/experience-strategy-design), helping clients scale AI with confidence and achieve measurable outcomes.” Slalom has built a leading [data and AI practice](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data), partnering with organizations to modernize data platforms, design AI-ready architectures, establish governance and responsible AI frameworks, and embed AI into day-to-day business operations. AMD has rapidly emerged as a leader in AI infrastructure, with its end-to-end portfolio of enterprise and AI solutions and open software ecosystem supporting some of the world’s most demanding AI workloads. “AMD is focused on enabling the next generation of AI-driven enterprises with high-performance, efficient, and open AI infrastructure,” said Derek Dicker, corporate vice president, Enterprise and HPC Business Group at AMD. “Our work with Slalom brings deep [industry expertise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries) and transformation capabilities to their customers, helping them turn advanced AI technologies into real business value—faster and at scale.” This collaboration combines Slalom’s end-to-end capabilities across data strategy, AI engineering, cloud platforms, and [organizational change](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/organizational-change-talent) with leadership AMD AI and enterprise technologies. Together, Slalom and AMD will help organizations build the modern data foundations, operating models, and scalable infrastructure required to deploy and govern AI responsibly across the enterprise. slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Awarded Two Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2026 Data + AI Summit url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-awarded-two-databricks-partner-of-the-year-awards source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-awarded-two-databricks-partner-of-the-year-awards locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Awarded Two Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2026 Data + AI Summit - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-awarded-two-databricks-partner-of-the-year-awards - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-awarded-two-databricks-partner-of-the-year-awards - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was recognized as the 2026 Data + AI Platform C&SI Partner of the Year and 2026 Databricks C&SI Insurance Partner of the Year by Databricks. ## Body Slalom Awarded Two Databricks Partner of the Year Awards at 2026 Data + AI Summit Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was recognized as the 2026 Data + AI Platform C&SI Partner of the Year and 2026 Databricks C&SI Insurance Partner of the Year by Databricks Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was recognized as the 2026 Data + AI Platform C&SI Partner of the Year and 2026 Databricks C&SI Insurance Partner of the Year by Databricks. Back to newsroom Share Databricks Data + AI Summit – June 15, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, was recognized as the 2026 Data + AI Platform C SI Partner of the Year and 2026 Databricks C SI Insurance Partner of the Year by Databricks at the annual [Data + AI Summit](https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit). These awards recognize Slalom’s exceptional contributions and innovations in delivering industry-leading data, analytics, and AI solutions across the Databricks platform. This is Slalom’s 11th Databricks Partner of the Year award. Our partnership with Databricks helps organizations unlock the full value of their data and AI investments, said Joe Berg, Senior Managing Director, Data AI at Slalom. These awards reflect the strength of our collaboration and the meaningful outcomes we’re delivering together for clients across industries. Over the past year, Slalom has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to helping enterprise organizations build and scale data analytics and AI applications and agents through its collaboration with [Databricks](https://www.databricks.com/). Through its Databricks Center of Excellence, Slalom helps organizations modernize legacy data environments, establish governed AI-ready data foundations, and operationalize AI at enterprise scale. Joint efforts with Databricks have included delivering AI and data modernization solutions powered by the Databricks platform, including governed GenAI frameworks, AI-powered document intelligence, enterprise lakehouse modernization programs, and industry-specific Brickbuilder accelerators. Together, Slalom and Databricks are helping organizations accelerate AI adoption, improve operational efficiency, and unlock faster access to trusted insights. One example of this innovation is Slalom’s [Insurance 360 solution](https://go.slalom.com/insurance-360), a Databricks Brickbuilder accelerator purpose-built for the insurance industry. Developed by Slalom’s Databricks Center of Excellence, Insurance 360 helps insurers rapidly establish governed, AI-ready data foundations with Databricks-native analytics and AI capabilities. The solution enables organizations to accelerate data democratization, modernize analytics environments, and support future AI-driven customer and operational experiences. “The most successful organizations today are those that can turn raw data into real business impact. Slalom, our 2026 Insurance Partner of the Year and 2026 Data + AI Platform Partner of the Year, stands out in helping customers make that leap,” said Kori O’Brien, SVP, Global Partnerships at Databricks. “Their ability to execute complex transformations on the Databricks platform helps our joint customers move faster and put AI to work in meaningful, measurable ways.” Learn more about the [Slalom and Databricks](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks) and visit Slalom at Booth #645 at [Data + AI Summit](https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit) in San Francisco, June 15-18. --- title: Slalom joins AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-gen-ai-innovation-center source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-gen-ai-innovation-center locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom joins AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-gen-ai-innovation-center - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-gen-ai-innovation-center - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom is advancing its collaboration with the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance, demonstrating proven success in delivering real-world, business-driven generative AI solutions ## Body Slalom joins AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance Slalom is advancing its collaboration with the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance, demonstrating proven success in delivering real-world, business-driven generative AI solutions. Slalom is advancing its collaboration with the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center Partner Innovation Alliance, demonstrating proven success in delivering real-world, business-driven generative AI solutions Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, May 5, 2026 - Slalom, Inc., the global business and technology consulting company, has announced new progress in its work with the [AWS Generative AI Innovation Center](https://aws.amazon.com/ai/generative-ai/innovation-center/) (GenAIIC) Partner Innovation Alliance (PIA). The AWS GenAIIC PIA designation recognizes a select number of partners with proven success in harnessing generative AI to tackle complex, real-world business challenges. Since joining the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center (GenAIIC) Partner Innovation Alliance (PIA), Slalom has collaborated on multiple engagements with strong business-driven results for clients. The collaboration spans Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), ISV Pods, Expert Science Advisory, and Co-Selling engagements. Slalom also participated in an AWS GenAIIC PIA FDE bootcamp, enabling 50 consultants on AWS GenAI best practices, toolkits and AWS GenAIIC methodology. Recently, Slalom teams worked with a wealth management firm to deliver an AI-powered advisor preparation assistant, which acted as a digital research and briefing partner for financial advisors. This solution has resulted in an up to 18x reduction in prep time, allowing advisors to enter meetings more prepared and the overall standard of client engagement improved without increasing overall operational risk. “Generative AI is no longer about proving what’s possible, it’s about imagining and building for what’s next,” said WD Land, Senior Managing Director at Slalom. “The real differentiator now is an organization’s ability to adapt, scale, and innovate at the speed of change. As part of the AWS GenAIIC PIA, we’re helping customers lead with AI and turn bold ideas into solutions that drive real business impact.” The AWS GenAIIC brings together scientists, strategists, and AI experts to help rapidly build, deploy, and scale AI solutions. The AWS GenAIIC turns AI potential into measurable business results while maintaining security and compliance. With 1,000+ customers served from startups to enterprises in a variety of industries, 73% of initiatives have moved from proof of concept to production, with certain solutions in production in as little as 45 days. As part of the AWS GenAIIC PIA, Slalom has and will partner with AWS to design and deliver [generative AI solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) that transform customer vision into tangible, quantifiable outcomes. Learn more about [Slalom’s AI and AWS expertise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws) and Slalom’s AI perspectives in the [2026 Slalom AI Research report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026). iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom is named the first AWS National System Integrator Partner of the Year in the US url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-national-system-integrator-poy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-national-system-integrator-poy locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom is named the first AWS National System Integrator Partner of the Year in the US - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-national-system-integrator-poy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-aws-national-system-integrator-poy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom is named the first AWS National System Integrator Partner of the Year in the US Back to newsroom Share Global consulting firm becomes first recipient of new US award for AWS Partners Seattle, WA – November 29, 2021 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, today announced that it has been recognized by Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) with the AWS National System Integrator (NSI) Partner of the Year – US award, a new distinction reserved for NSIs in the AWS Partner Network (APN). Slalom was presented the award on Monday afternoon by Doug Yeum, Global Head of Channel Program on the first day of the annual AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. Slalom, an inaugural member of the APN since 2010, when it was in its infancy, and a Premier Tier Partner, is one of the most experienced AWS Consulting Partners amongst a dynamic community of over 100,000 partners from more than 150 countries. NSI partners provide a full spectrum of services—consulting migration, modernization, digital product development—and deep knowledge of AWS native services, and they play a crucial role in helping enterprises across North America accelerate their journey to the cloud. “Slalom became one of the very first AWS Partners in the beginning days of cloud over ten years ago, and together we have helped more than 500 organizations dream bigger, move faster, and create lasting impact,” said Brad Jackson, Chief Executive Officer at Slalom. “Today, Slalom is a $2.8 billion company with more than 11,000 team members, and this would not have happened without the remarkable relationship with AWS. We are grateful and humbled to be named as the AWS NSI Partner of the Year in the United States and I believe it is still ‘Day One’ in our shared passion to build better tomorrows for all.” “AWS Partners are critical to our customers’ success, and we are pleased to recognize Slalom as a 2021 AWS Partner of the Year US winner,” said Rachel Mushahwar, Head of Channel and Partner Sales – Americas at AWS. “I continue to be impressed by the commitment and innovation that AWS Partners offer our customers and how they are uniquely positioned to help accelerate our customers’ digital transformation journey. I look forward to working together and a great 2022.” This award recognizes AWS Partners’ exceptional performance and commitment to AWS customers. Slalom has built deep relationships with customers in 41 markets around the world, such as AWS customers [Securian Financial](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/securian-financial-aws) and [LG CNS](https://www.slalombuild.com/our-work/lg-cns). Slalom has also deepened its relationship with AWS throughout the years, [reaching gender parity in AWS certifications in 2020](https://www.slalom.com/culture/project-ada-journey-gender-equity) after launching a joint training initiative with AWS in 2018. Then in 2019, Slalom and AWS announced [AWS | Slalom Launch Centers](https://www.slalom.com/aws-slalom-launch-centers), a joint delivery model in which Launch Center teams staffed by AWS and Slalom work alongside customers to rapidly advance the goals of their digital transformations. “Since before the start of the AWS Partner Network, Slalom’s people have strived to continuously improve how we collaborate with AWS, our mutual customers, and each other to make the seemingly impossible a reality,” said Dave Cutler, general manager of Slalom’s global AWS team. “My sincerest appreciation goes out to AWS for this honor and every Slalom team member for their dedication to helping our customers achieve their goals with AWS.” Learn more about [AWS and Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/aws-cloud-consulting). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 41 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For six years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at slalom.com. --- title: Slalom and Cancer AI Alliance Unveil First Collaborative AI Platform for Cancer Research url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom and Cancer AI Alliance Unveil First Collaborative AI Platform for Cancer Research - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-cancer-alliance-ai-platform - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Secure, scalable, multi-cloud platform using federated learning aims to accelerate cancer discoveries and treatments. ## Body Slalom and Cancer AI Alliance Unveil First Collaborative AI Platform for Cancer Research Secure, scalable, multi-cloud platform using federated learning aims to accelerate cancer discoveries and treatments. Slalom Unveils Collaborative AI Platform for Cancer Research Secure, scalable, multi-cloud platform using federated learning aims to accelerate cancer discoveries and treatments Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, October 1, 2025 - The Cancer AI Alliance (CAIA) - a research collaboration of top cancer centers - today announced the first scalable platform using federated learning for cancer research. CAIA’s work with Slalom was recently featured in the [TIME100 AI 2025 list](https://time.com/collections/time100-ai-2025/7305795/jeff-leek/). CAIA is comprised of National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins with financial and technical support from technology industry leaders Amazon Web Services (AWS), Deloitte, Ai2 (Allen Institute for AI), Slalom, Google, Microsoft and NVIDIA. At Slalom, we see the future of health as being the convergence of technology, data, and strategy to build better tomorrows for all, said Brenda Young, managing director at Slalom. CAIA demonstrates how collaboration between leading cancer centers and technology partners can unlock new insights and reshape the use of Data AI to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. We look forward to our continued partnership as we pave the way for transformative breakthroughs in health. The platform serves as the technological foundation of CAIA's aim to save more lives by enabling researchers and clinicians to train AI models that learn from participating cancer centers' millions of clinical data points while maintaining data security, privacy and adherence to regulatory and ethical standards. While federated learning - a machine learning method that preserves anonymity of individual data - has been gaining steam for nearly 10 years, adapting the technology for multi-institution use in cancer research has proved elusive due to significant technological, regulatory, patient privacy and data harmonization challenges, as well as the coordination effort necessary to bring together organizations of this scale and complexity. Development of CAIA's platform was possible due to an intense focus on collaboration and a drive for collective action across the participating cancer centers and technology companies, resulting in a unified technical, legal and governance structure. The federated learning platform works like this: participating cancer centers implement federated learning technology at their institutions, each connecting to a centralized orchestration component of the platform. Using this architecture, AI models travel to each participating cancer center's secure data to learn from it locally, generating a summary of its learnings without individual clinical data ever leaving institutional firewalls. The insights gained from training the model on each cancer center's de-identified data are then aggregated centrally to strengthen the AI models to uncover patterns, maximizing the value of the collective knowledge base. Eight unique projects are being launched by researchers across the participating cancer centers. These initial projects aim to tackle some of oncology's most persistent challenges, from predicting treatment response to identifying novel biomarkers and analyzing rare cancer trends. The projects use the federated learning platform and structured, de-identified data housed securely by participating cancer centers, which collectively provides a diverse and representative foundation of over 1 million patients for modeling and analysis. The platform's true power, however, lies in its potential to scale up. Over the next year, CAIA plans to enable dozens of research models and add more participants to the alliance. For more information, visit [https://www.canceralliance.ai/blog/caia-federated-learning-cancer-ai](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.canceralliance.ai/blog/caia-federated-learning-cancer-ai__;!!Jrgwm_wKFTPpVg!ORtmQ4l16qpo6BIeNQgwqkx9U46QOMNFLCpN9J2KMTRngok_MvMUnKcU7TZPAVRlPaxexqCCD9ew-tYYOmOtilTAfw$) Cancer AI Alliance --- title: Slalom Comes To New Zealand With New Office in Auckland url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-comes-new-zealand-new-office-auckland source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-comes-new-zealand-new-office-auckland locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Comes To New Zealand With New Office in Auckland - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-comes-new-zealand-new-office-auckland - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-comes-new-zealand-new-office-auckland - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Comes To New Zealand With New Office in Auckland Back to newsroom Share ‘Fiercely human’ consultancy arrives to support local and global customers Auckland – February 7, 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced the opening of a new office in New Zealand. Slalom’s office in Auckland will serve customers throughout the country, including notable local companies Air New Zealand, Fidelity Life and Vector, and global partners such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Salesforce, and Snowflake. Slalom expects to hire more than 50 professionals through the next year to support customers who want help to accelerate their growth and transformation, embrace emerging technology, and deliver initiatives faster and better. Slalom’s initial service offering for New Zealand includes a range of industries, including agriculture, technology, manufacturing, financial services, health, and life sciences. “Slalom New Zealand sets itself apart from competitors because our consultants are local, but our capabilities are global and we can help New Zealand customers expand their reach around the world,” said Michael Shimota, President and Country Leader, Australia and New Zealand. “We offer clients end to end services, from strategic consulting to building amazing products, so they can connect more deeply and best serve their customers.” Auckland is the fourth Asia-Pacific office to open in the past three years following Melbourne, Sydney, and Tokyo. “Customers like to work with Slalom because we are different,” said John Tobin, Slalom Co-Founder and Executive President of EMEA and APAC. “Our purpose-driven, fiercely human approach is how we can help New Zealand companies address their strategic, technological, and business transformation needs.” Slalom’s global team of 13,000 is an award-winning partner to 400 of the most innovative technology companies in the world, including AWS, Salesforce, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Tableau. It has been recognized as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine, and Human Rights Campaign. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Boston market’s record revenue increase spurs new investments in expansion to the Northeast region url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-continues-growth-and-expansion-portland-maine source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-continues-growth-and-expansion-portland-maine locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Boston market’s record revenue increase spurs new investments in expansion to the Northeast region - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-continues-growth-and-expansion-portland-maine - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-continues-growth-and-expansion-portland-maine - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Boston market’s record revenue increase spurs new investments in expansion to the Northeast region Slalom continues growth and expansion into Portland, Maine Back to newsroom Share Boston, MA – February 2, 2022 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, today announced plans to grow its Northeast presence by expanding into Portland, Maine. As the fourth largest IT provider in the Greater Boston Area, Slalom plans to continue growing both the business and the positive impact on the community of Portland as it has done for the past ten years in Boston. Slalom’s Boston employees have invested more than 11,000 hours of community service projects and raised more than $357,000 to support non-profits in the Greater Boston Area. The firm plans to continue its deep commitment to the communities, where their employees live, work and play. “We are excited to announce plans to both expand and invest in the Portland, Maine marketplace while creating 100 jobs over the next 12-18 months with immediate hires across sales and delivery roles,” said [Russell Norris](https://www.slalom.com/culture/qa-russell-norris-general-manager-boston), General Manager for Slalom Boston. “The New England area is a growing market, and our research has shown Portland aligns closely with our existing businesses both within the Boston market and the global Slalom market.” Slalom recognizes the needs of the growing Portland market, which is facing increased demand for digital acceleration and business transformation services. The consulting firm is helping to address those needs by bringing a deep depth of industry expertise across the retail, financial services insurance, healthcare, life sciences, public sector, and hospitality verticals to Portland. The rise in demand is also driving investment for Portland jobs across both technical and non-technical skills that utilize Slalom’s deep relationships with key partners such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Salesforce, Microsoft, Snowflake, Google, and Tableau. Slalom has recently been recognized as Partner of the Year and received Innovation Excellence Awards from AWS, Salesforce, Snowflake, Tableau, Boomi, Databricks, Google, and was named one of the Top 21 Companies at the Forefront of Tech Innovation. Slalom launched its [Boston office](https://www.slalom.com/locations/boston) in 2012 and is celebrating its decade milestone this year. It has consistently been recognized and awarded a best place to work, most recently by both the Boston Business Journal, where it placed second among top large companies, and the Boston Globe, placing fourth among top large companies. The company continues to focus on contributing to the future growth and commerce rooted in Boston, extending into Portland. For general inquires, reach out to Chris Harding at [Christopher.Harding@slalom.com](mailto:Christopher.Harding@slalom.com) and for job related inquiries reach out to Elise Schoch at [Elise.Schoch@slalom.com](mailto:Elise.Schoch@slalom.com). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 41 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For six years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at slalom.com. --- title: Slalom Debuts Partnership with Anthropic url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-debuts-partnership-with-anthropic source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-debuts-partnership-with-anthropic locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Debuts Partnership with Anthropic - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-debuts-partnership-with-anthropic - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-debuts-partnership-with-anthropic - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary The collaboration supports company compliance and regulatory efforts to put artificial intelligence into action ## Body Slalom Debuts Partnership with Anthropic The collaboration supports company compliance and regulatory efforts to put artificial intelligence into action Slalom Debuts Partnership with Anthropic to Help Businesses Implement AI Faster, Improve Customer Experiences, and Ensure Responsible AI Adoption Back to newsroom Share The collaboration supports company compliance and regulatory efforts to put artificial intelligence into action Seattle, WA— November 12, 2024 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a partnership with [Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/) to help mutual customers accelerate the ethical development and adoption of AI-powered solutions on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Customers can implement AI solutions faster and more effectively by accessing Slalom's deep AI and digital experience expertise, Anthropic's advanced Claude models, and AWS' comprehensive cloud platform. Slalom and Anthropic will collaborate to help customers achieve: - Faster development of AI solutions. Joint offerings will include services for quickly turning high-value concepts into working solutions, from AI strategy services to services for operationalizing AI and machine learning development - Better customer experiences with AI. Emphasizing digital customer experience, the companies will help businesses use AI to deliver exceptional customer experiences and help drive higher AI return on investment - Responsible AI adoption. Responsible AI assessments and ongoing monitoring of AI systems are some of the joint offerings designed to help reduce regulatory risk and support transparency, security, robustness, and positive societal impact Slalom’s partnership with Anthropic is a big step forward in helping businesses use AI faster, said Amy Loftus, Chief Customer Officer of Slalom. By combining Slalom's knowledge with Anthropic's advanced AI models, we help businesses adopt AI quickly and improve digital customer experiences, leading to higher returns. This collaboration also supports organizations’ compliance and regulatory efforts to put AI into action.” The formal partnership enhances Slalom’s collaboration with Anthropic to help businesses that want to bring more AI-enabled experiences to customers through responsible AI. For example, United Airlines partnered with Slalom to use Amazon Bedrock and Anthropic’s Claude family of AI models to develop multiple solutions that build trust and affinity with United’s customers. One AI-powered solution will enable United to customize 50% of all flight updates to travelers—up from 15% without AI—resulting in United’s customers receiving high-quality, accurate, and timely flight status notifications. United also created a customer care copilot that uses generative AI to help agents provide faster and more empathetic responses to the thousands of email inquiries they receive from customers every day. “The insight we believe is that no matter the situation, if you’re honest, empathetic, and transparent about what’s happening, the experience for people is better,” said Jason Birnbaum, CIO of United, in a [recent case study](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai). For those interested in learning how Slalom and Anthropic can help them, the two companies are hosting a [webinar](https://us.resources.cio.com/resources/enhance-customer-experiences-with-responsible-ai-4/) with AWS on November 14, 2024, at 11 a.m. ET. Titled Realizing AI's Full Potential: A Responsible Path Forward.” Attendees will learn how to navigate their AI journey responsibly to drive transformative business impact. This partnership between Slalom and Anthropic isn't just about advanced AI—it's about rapidly delivering responsible, high-impact AI solutions that produce positive business outcomes, said Dan Rosenthal, global head of partnerships at Anthropic. By combining Anthropic's AI capabilities with Slalom's expertise on AWS, we're allowing businesses to transform customer experiences and operations while upholding the highest accuracy standards. It's about making AI work for business, responsibly and at scale. For more information about Slalom’s work with Anthropic please visit [go.slalom.com/anthropic](https://go.slalom.com/anthropic). --- title: Slalom Earns Microsoft Frontier Partner Badge url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-earns-microsoft-frontier-partner-badge source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-earns-microsoft-frontier-partner-badge locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Earns Microsoft Frontier Partner Badge - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-earns-microsoft-frontier-partner-badge - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-earns-microsoft-frontier-partner-badge - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary The Microsoft Frontier Partner badge recognizes partners that demonstrate advanced AI driven capabilities and meet rigorous badge requirements. ## Body Slalom Earns Microsoft Frontier Partner Badge The Microsoft Frontier Partner badge recognizes partners that demonstrate advanced AI driven capabilities and meet rigorous badge requirements. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, March 26, 2026 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced today it has earned the Microsoft Frontier Partner badge through the [Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program](https://partner.microsoft.com/en-US/partnership). The Microsoft Frontier Partner badge recognizes partners that demonstrate advanced AI driven capabilities and meet rigorous badge requirements. Slalom earned the Frontier Partner badge by attaining the badge requirements among Slalom’s six Microsoft Solutions Partner designations and14 specializations. This recognition highlights Slalom’s leadership in delivering AI-first solutions and advancing innovation across Cloud and AI Platforms, AI Business Solutions, and Security. Achieving Microsoft Frontier Partner status differentiates Slalom as a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program member that has demonstrated advanced technical expertise and proven customer success in delivering AI-driven solutions across the Microsoft ecosystem. Frontier Partner status recognizes partners who meet rigorous requirements, including attainment of Solutions Partner designations in AI Business Solutions or Business Applications, Security, and a Cloud and AI Platform aligned designation, along with specializations in Microsoft Copilot, AI Apps or AI Platform or Accelerate Developer Productivity, and Data Security. “Achieving Microsoft Frontier Partner status reflects our deep commitment to helping organizations responsibly harness the power of AI,” said Betsy Pridmore, managing director at Slalom. “This recognition underscores the strength of our Microsoft collaboration and our ability to deliver AI-first, secure, and scalable solutions that accelerate innovation and create meaningful business impact for our customers.” “Frontier Partners stand apart for their ability to operationalize AI at scale and deliver outcomes that truly change how customers work. Their leadership is central to our mission of enabling every organization to benefit from the next wave of AI innovation,” said Julie Sanford, Vice President, Partner GTM, Programs and Experiences at Microsoft Corp. Slalom has been working to help organizations integrate AI into real-world delivery across AI Business Solutions, Cloud and AI Platforms, and Security. From deploying Microsoft Copilot and building AI-powered applications to modernizing data estates and strengthening security posture, Slalom helps clients move from experimentation to enterprise-scale adoption with confidence and speed. slalom foundation --- title: Slalom expands global footprint with new country opening in Germany url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-in-germany source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-in-germany locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom expands global footprint with new country opening in Germany - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-in-germany - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-in-germany - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom expands global footprint with new country opening in Germany Back to newsroom Share Recognized by its customers and partners for its strategy, technology, and business transformation expertise, consulting firm also brings reputation as a best place to work Munich, Germany – 4 May, 2022 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, today announced its country opening in Germany. Slalom has strong experience in consulting and advisory services in, among other industries, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Media and Communications, Technology, Manufacturing, and Financial Services, making it an exceptional partner to help German companies reach for and realize their visions. “We approach our growth in a uniquely Slalom way, guided by our values and unwavering customer focus,” says John Tobin, Slalom co-founder and Executive Vice President, EMEA APAC. “Our partners and clients have asked us to join them in the markets where they’re in around the world. We’re excited to expand our global presence as we live our purpose to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all.” Slalom also brings to Germany its reputation as a best place to work; the culture has earned numerous awards informed from feedback of those who know the company best—its people. “We aspire for each team member to love their work and life—empowered to bring their authentic selves to our inclusive, flexible environment,” adds interim Germany leader Heather Sneddon. Already working with notable companies in Germany, Slalom expects to hire up to 75 employees by the end of the year to support customer transformation initiatives, including development of new digital products leveraging modern and agile ways of working. Slalom Germany will serve customers throughout the country, with the office opening today in Munich and quickly expanding to other locations including Frankfurt, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Berlin. Slalom has established strong partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Tableau, along with regional innovation hubs. Slalom has been recognized as a best company to work for by Fortune Magazine, Glassdoor, Forbes Magazine, Human Rights Campaign, and more. With its expansion into Germany, Slalom now has offices in six countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States. Learn more about [Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. --- title: Slalom Expands LATAM Reach Into Colombia url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-latam-reach-into-colombia source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-latam-reach-into-colombia locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Expands LATAM Reach Into Colombia - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-latam-reach-into-colombia - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-expands-latam-reach-into-colombia - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Expands LATAM Reach Into Colombia Back to newsroom Share Dec 9, 2024 —Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced it has opened a Global Technology Center in Colombia, with offices coming to Medellin and Bogota. The company plans to hire more than 500 professionals in LATAM through 2025 to support customers who want help accelerating their growth and transformation, embracing emerging technology, and delivering initiatives faster and better. Colombia is the newest LATAM country to support Slalom’s new delivery model, named Allshore. Earlier this year, Slalom opened offices in Mexico and began to hire engineering talent with the goal of empowering the careers of local consultants who excel in building products and delivering solutions. Allshore combines local, national and global talent with digital delivery tools like AI to help companies customize their teams to fit the most advantageous time, place and price. Carl Newton, Managing Director at Slalom, has overseen the expansion to Colombia as part of his role leading Allshore. The opening of our Global Technology Center in Colombia marks a significant milestone in Slalom's global growth journey. This expansion demonstrates our commitment to investing in the vibrant Latin American market and reflects our dedication to hiring exceptional talent in the LATAM region,” said Newton. “We look forward to building strong partnerships and contributing to the dynamic business landscape in Colombia. Slalom encourages engineers, senior engineers and architects based in Bogota and Medellin to apply for jobs in software engineering, cloud platforms (GCP, AWS and Azure), Data and AI. In addition, Colombia will serve as the LATAM hub for Slalom's Salesforce offering, and Slalom is looking to hire experienced team members with expertise across all areas of the Salesforce ecosystem. To apply for open positions at Slalom, please visit [jobs.slalom.com](https://jobs.slalom.com/#/?locations=Guadalajara%20%28Mexico%29,Monterrey%20%28Mexico%29). For more information on Slalom, please visit Slalom.com. --- title: Slalom Forges Agreement with Google Public Sector to Deliver Digital Transformation to State and Local Governments and Educational Institutions url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-forges-growth-agreement-with-google-public-sector source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-forges-growth-agreement-with-google-public-sector locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Forges Agreement with Google Public Sector to Deliver Digital Transformation to State and Local Governments and Educational Institutions - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-forges-growth-agreement-with-google-public-sector - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-forges-growth-agreement-with-google-public-sector - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary The collaboration empowers SLED organizations with the technology and capabilities needed to enhance their services, improve operational efficiencies, and achieve their missions more effectively. ## Body Slalom Forges Agreement with Google Public Sector to Deliver Digital Transformation to State and Local Governments and Educational Institutions The collaboration empowers SLED organizations with the technology and capabilities needed to enhance their services, improve operational efficiencies, and achieve their missions more effectively. Slalom forges agreement with Google Public Sector to deliver digital transformation to state and local governments and educational institutions Back to newsroom Share Collaboration to drive innovation and transformation through joint delivery of solutions Seattle, WA – October 16, 2024 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, today announced an agreement with Google Public Sector to drive innovation and transformation via U.S. state and local government and education (SLED) initiatives. This expanded partnership will focus on the development of cutting-edge AI solutions, leveraging Google Public Sector's Rapid Innovation Team, and Google Career Certifications to help drive exceptional delivery and customer success. The collaboration empowers SLED organizations with the technology and capabilities needed to enhance their services, improve operational efficiencies, and achieve their missions more effectively. We're excited to expand our collaboration with Google Public Sector, bringing the transformative potential of AI to state and local governments and educational institutions,” said Kory Kimball, GM, Global Public and Social Impact at Slalom. “This partnership will enable these organizations to leverage technology to address critical challenges, elevate the services they provide, and ultimately build a better future for their communities. Transformation tailored to the Public Sector The partnership will prioritize the development of 12 Google AI solution accelerators tailored to SLED clients. These accelerators will address critical areas, including: - Cloud migration: Helping organizations seamlessly transition to the cloud for enhanced agility and cost savings. - Data and AI offerings: Empowering organizations to harness the power of data and AI to gain insights and make informed decisions. - Generative AI: Supporting research grant applications and enhancing campus environments with innovative AI tools. - Document and website translation: Breaking down language barriers to improve accessibility and communication. Google Public Sector is committed to partnering with organizations like Slalom to deliver innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of the public sector, said Brent Mitchell, Vice President, Go-to-Market at Google Public Sector. By combining Slalom's deep industry expertise with Google Cloud's cutting-edge technology, we can help SLED organizations achieve their digital transformation goals and better serve their constituents. Demonstrated success The partnership is already generating tangible results for customers, showcasing the potential of this expanded collaboration: - At an academic medical center, Slalom and Google Public Sector implemented clinical data warehouses and leveraged Google Cloud APIs for digital pathology studies, improving patient care and research capabilities. - At a higher education institution, the partnership helped researchers pursue additional funding and more ambitious research agendas using Google AI for research grant applications. - At a leading research university, Slalom and Google Public Sector provided multiple large language models (LLMs), enabling access and innovation in a secure environment to advance education and research opportunities for students and faculty. Looking ahead This expanded partnership builds upon Slalom and Google Public Sector’s previous collaborations, including work focused on Google Distributed Cloud and Slalom’s expanded Google GenAI Center of Excellence. This latest extension of the agreement demonstrates a shared dedication to driving innovation and delivering value to the public sector. Slalom is confident that this agreement with Google Public Sector will help accelerate the adoption of AI and other transformative technologies in the SLED space. By working together, the two companies can empower public sector organizations to build better support for their communities. --- title: Slalom Foundation Announces 2025 Grantees across Climate, Workforce Development & Education, and Social Justice url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-foundation-2025-grantees source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-foundation-2025-grantees locale: us/en content_type: Who We Are --- # Slalom Foundation Announces 2025 Grantees across Climate, Workforce Development & Education, and Social Justice - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-foundation-2025-grantees - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-foundation-2025-grantees - Locale: us/en - Content type: Who We Are ## Summary The Slalom Foundation, established in 2019 with a founding focus on social justice, has completed its grant-making for 2025 by awarding over $200,000 to organizations. ## Body Slalom Foundation Announces 2025 Grantees across Climate, Workforce Development & Education, and Social Justice Slalom Foundation 2025 Grantees The Slalom Foundation, established in 2019 with a founding focus on social justice, has completed its grant-making for 2025 by awarding over $200,000 to organizations. Back to newsroom Share The Slalom Foundation, established in 2019 with a founding focus on social justice, has completed its grant-making for 2025 by awarding over $200,000 to organizations. In 2025 the Foundation expanded its giving to cover three key pillar areas – Climate, Workforce Development Education, and Social Justice. “Expanding our giving to three pillars is meaningful because these focus areas were shaped directly by where our team members see the greatest need—and the greatest opportunity for Slalom to make a difference in our communities,” said Meagan Breidert, Director of Sustainability and Impact at Slalom. “Ensuring team member voices informed our pillar areas was a critical part of this work.” The organizations who were awarded grants are starting up first of its kind conservation and ecology programs; helping women and families gain access to essential services for job readiness and technology certifications for wealth-building and economic advancement; and creating safe spaces for mental health and movement, as well as early childhood development and parent connection. Some organizations have extended additional grant funding from past year awards due to their consistent and sustained community impact. “Since 2014, Slalom has stood alongside Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship as a true partner in creating opportunities for youth. In addition to Slalom providing critical support through sponsorships and grants, Slalom’s employees show up as mentors, judges, volunteers, and board leaders—bringing real-world experience and heart to our classrooms and pitch competitions,” said Jane Walsh Executive Vice President, Chief Advancement Officer Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. At Slalom building the workforce of the future means expanding access to skills and opportunities that drive economic mobility. Through investments in job readiness, technology training, and entrepreneurship education, the Slalom Foundation supports programs that prepare individuals—especially those from historically excluded communities—for in demand careers while strengthening talent pipelines. “Investing in ACHIEVEability's TechUp job training program open doors to advancement, financial security, and opportunity. Slalom’s support of TechUp creates real pathways for West Philadelphia residents to access in-demand careers, increase their earning power, and build long-term stability for themselves and their families. This funding helps ensure our community is not left behind in a rapidly evolving digital economy.” Jamila Harris-Morrison, Executive Director, ACHIEVEability 2025 Grant Recipients These organizations were provided grants by the Slalom Foundation to drive impact across Climate, Workforce Development Education, and Social Justice: - [ACHIEVEability,](https://achieveability.org/) training families with technology skills to break generational cycles of poverty in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - [EmpowHERto,](https://www.empowherto.org/fort-lauderdale/) reimagining what it means to educate the next generation through real-world skills, representation, and holistic support that reflects who they are in Florida - [Families Forward Charlotte,](https://www.familiesforwardcharlotte.org/) providing financial literacy and job readiness training for families experiencing hardship in North Carolina - [Forest Stewardship Council Investments Partnerships](https://fsc.org/en/about-us) , protecting conversation areas and certifying additional forests across Latin America and Africa - [Fresh Start Women’s Foundation,](https://freshstartwomen.org/) bridging gaps for women and their families by delivering services to create economic independence in Phoenix - [Fundaction PECH. Creando Impacto Social](http://www.naranja.org/fundacionpech/about-us.html) , amplifying and supporting community-based climate action in the Colombian Caribbean - [HelloBaby](https://hellobabychgo.org/) , creating a community that offers parents the tools needed and babies a safe and nurturing environment to play and develop in Chicago - [Hope for Youth (HYPE)](https://www.gethype.org/) , eliminating sociological, educational, and financial barriers that hinder entry into computing careers for young women and girls of color in Atlanta - [Literacy for Environmental Justice](https://www.lejyouth.org/), supporting workforce development, ecology, and apprenticeship programs for youth in the Bay Area, California - [Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship,](https://www.nfte.com/) investing in youth by providing a robust curriculum that develops the entrepreneurial mindset and connects classroom learning to future careers and business startup opportunities - [New Friends New Life,](https://www.newfriendsnewlife.org/) restoring and empowering trafficked and sexually exploited teen girls, women, and their children by ensuring survivors have tangible tools to escape and recover from the industry in Texas - [ReDI School of Digital Integration,](https://www.redi-school.org/) enhancing access to free, digital education programs for refugees, migrants, and underserved locals in countries across Europe - [Sea Change Yoga,](https://www.seachangeyoga.org/) increasing access to yoga for those healing from trauma and oppression to build thriving communities in Maine - [SisterHouse,](https://www.sisterhousechicago.org/) eliminating barriers to quality mental health care while empowering women to seek recovery from substance abuse disorders in Chicago The Slalom Foundation will continue efforts to support local communities with future giving aligned to our three pillars to build better tomorrows for all. To learn more about Slalom’s impact on people, the planet, and communities, please visit our website and review our annual [Impact Report.](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2023-Impact-Report) For more information contact: [Foundation@slalom.com](mailto:Foundation@slalom.com) slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-github-partner-award source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-github-partner-award locale: us/en content_type: Award --- # Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-github-partner-award - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-github-partner-award - Locale: us/en - Content type: Award ## Summary As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. ## Body Slalom Named AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. A As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – October 28, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, announced today it has received the AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year for exceptional performance and commitment to its GitHub partnership. The AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year award recognizes a global GitHub partner that has driven meaningful customer outcomes and advanced GitHub adoption through strategic services, innovation, and collaboration across North America. Congratulations to Slalom. AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year winners were selected because of their strategic vision and their exceptional work on behalf of our joint customers. We look forward to building on our partnership and continuing to deliver strong results together,” said Elizabeth Pemmerl, GitHub’s Chief Revenue Officer. The GitHub Partner Awards honor distinguished global and regional partners who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to collaboration and innovation. The awards celebrate organizations that, through their partnership with GitHub, empower customers to achieve meaningful business outcomes and advance their mission to drive positive change in the world. Award recipients were carefully selected by a panel of GitHub executives, regional leaders, and GitHub’s global partner organization. --- title: Slalom expands Workday relationship, joining its Application Management Services Partner program url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-joins-workday-ams-partner-program source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-joins-workday-ams-partner-program locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom expands Workday relationship, joining its Application Management Services Partner program - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-joins-workday-ams-partner-program - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-joins-workday-ams-partner-program - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom expands Workday relationship, joining its Application Management Services Partner program Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – June 2, 2022 – A longtime [Workday Advisory Partner](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/workday), Slalom has expanded its relationship with Workday, a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources. The global consulting firm has joined Workday’s Application Management Services (AMS) Partner program. This elevation in status is recognition of the impact Slalom and Workday are already delivering for its joint customers – and those customers’ end users. “We are pleased to welcome Slalom to Workday’s AMS (Application Management Services) Partner program. Over the years, Slalom has helped many Workday customers with strategy, selections, business consulting and digital transformation,” noted Webb Armentrout, Group Vice President, Global Partners at Workday. “As an AMS Partner, Slalom will enhance their offerings and help our joint customers realize the full potential of the Workday Platform. We look forward to working with Slalom to delight our customers and help them gain the full value of Workday for success and growth.” Slalom meets its customers where they are, combining its own suite of strategy, technology, and business transformation solutions with breadth of knowledge in Workday optimization, implementation, integration, and data and analytics capabilities. “At Slalom, we listen to our customers and provide guidance based on what’s right for them – we don’t bring a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Erin Larson, Slalom’s Workday practice leader. “The expansion of our relationship with Workday means we can further accelerate truly customized transformations which drive impactful outcomes.” About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at slalom.com. About Workday Workday (NASDAQ:WDAY) is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, helping customers adapt and thrive in a changing world. Workday applications for financial management, human resources, planning, spend management, and analytics have been adopted by thousands of organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 50% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com. --- title: Slalom Launches 2026 Outlooks url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-2026-outlooks source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-2026-outlooks locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Launches 2026 Outlooks - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-2026-outlooks - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-2026-outlooks - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom's 2026 industry outlook reports are designed to help leaders in key industries navigate the trends shaping the strategies for success in the year ahead. ## Body Slalom Launches 2026 Outlooks Slalom Launches 2026 Industry Outlooks Slalom's 2026 industry outlook reports are designed to help leaders in evolving industries navigate the trends shaping the strategies for success in the year ahead. Slalom's 2026 industry outlook reports are designed to help leaders in key industries navigate the trends shaping the strategies for success in the year ahead. Slalom Launches 2026 Industry Outlooks - Featuring Insights from Slalom Industry and AI Experts Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, December 19, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, released insights for its 2026 Outlook reports, which are designed to help leaders in key industries navigate the trends shaping the strategies for success in the year ahead. Slalom’s insights are grounded in original and third-party research and informed by subject-matter experts with decades of experience. Together, the 2026 Outlooks provide a clear, strategic view of what’s next, offering leaders a catalyst to explore emerging opportunities, challenge assumptions, and engage more deeply in conversations about AI and industry transformation throughout the year. You can view all eight [2026 Outlooks here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries#outlooks) or access them individually through the links below: - [Slalom's AI Research report: 6 key findings](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) - [6 Financial Services industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/financial-services-outlook-2026) - [7 Government industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026) - [7 Healthcare industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/healthcare-outlook-2026) - [7 Life sciences industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/life-sciences-outlook-2026) - [6 Manufacturing industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/manufacturing-outlook-2026) - [6 Media communications industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/media-communications-outlook-2026) - [7 Retail consumer industry trends for 2026](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/retail-outlook-2026) slalom ai research report 2026 findings --- title: Slalom Launches Gemini Enterprise Team to Help Organizations Deliver AI That Reaches Their Customers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-gemini-enterprise-team source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-gemini-enterprise-team locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Launches Gemini Enterprise Team to Help Organizations Deliver AI That Reaches Their Customers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-gemini-enterprise-team - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-launches-gemini-enterprise-team - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary New team will help companies build AI solutions on Google Cloud that can improve customer and employee experiences . ## Body Slalom Launches Gemini Enterprise Team to Help Organizations Deliver AI That Reaches Their Customers New team will help companies build AI solutions on Google Cloud that can improve customer and employee experiences New team will help companies build AI solutions on Google Cloud that can improve customer and employee experiences . Slalom Launches Gemini Enterprise Team Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE — June 11, 2026 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced the launch of a new team dedicated to helping businesses adopt and scale Gemini Enterprise, built through a deep collaboration with Google Cloud. The team is designed to help organizations integrate the latest Gemini Enterprise capabilities into the products, services, and experiences that shape how their customers engage. Slalom’s relationship with Google Cloud spans more than decade, during which Slalom has received nine Google Cloud Partner of the Year Awards, earned an [advanced competency in Artificial intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) and built a team of more than 500 certified Google Cloud consultants. “Slalom’s new team focused on Gemini Enterprise is helping customers tackle one of their most urgent questions, ‘How do we use AI to deliver something better to the people we serve?’” said Sean Everhart, Managing Director at Slalom. “Google Cloud’s investment, enablement, and support help us bring the right resources to clients and answer this question at scale.” The enterprise AI conversation to date has largely focused on internal efficiencies, transforming business processes, and reducing cost. An even larger opportunity, and harder problem to solve, is using agentic AI to reimagine the employee and customer experience. The organizations getting there fastest are tackling three things at once: - Modernizing legacy systems so AI has the right foundation to scale - Building AI-ready data pipelines that turn enterprise context into real-time intelligence - Creating adaptive operating models that [move AI from pilot to production](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation) in weeks instead of quarters. Success shows up in AI that reaches customers and employees, agentic workflows that accelerate how products are designed and brought to market and modernized platforms that give development teams the context they need to ship faster. Slalom's Gemini Enterprise team brings these elements together, helping clients realize outcomes that can drive real, measurable benefits for the people they serve. Organizations are moving past AI experimentation and demanding solutions that deliver tangible value for their customers, said Victor Morales, Vice President, Global System Integrators Partnerships, Google Cloud. By deepening our partnership with Slalom, we will help businesses build and deploy enterprise-grade AI solutions that drive real growth and transformation. “Backed by Gemini Enterprise, our relationship with Google Cloud, and go-to-market support, and amplified by Slalom’s industry expertise and presence across 30+ markets, the collaboration helps clients build and scale enterprise-grade agentic solutions that can deliver measurable impact,” said Everhart. Learn more about [Slalom’s collaboration with Google Cloud](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud). --- title: Slalom Mexico Recognized as a 2026 Best Place to Work for Women url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-mexico-best-workplaces-for-women source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-mexico-best-workplaces-for-women locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Mexico Recognized as a 2026 Best Place to Work for Women - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-mexico-best-workplaces-for-women - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-mexico-best-workplaces-for-women - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom Mexico has been recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Places to Work for Women in Mexico 2026, honoring organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. ## Body Slalom Mexico Recognized as a 2026 Best Place to Work for Women Slalom Mexico has been recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Places to Work for Women in Mexico 2026, honoring organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. Back to newsroom Share Mexico City, Mexico – April 17, 2026 – Slalom Mexico has been recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Places to Work for Women in Mexico 2026, honoring organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and trust in the workplace. This recognition is based on Great Place to Work’s global methodology, with a strong emphasis on employee feedback, and highlights companies that foster fair practices in areas such as pay, professional growth, recognition, and career opportunities, while supporting flexibility and balance. “At Slalom Mexico, this award reflects an ongoing commitment to creating a workplace where women feel supported, valued, and empowered—not only as professionals, but as individuals. The firm recognizes the many roles women play in society and remains focused on building an environment where they can grow, lead, and thrive at every stage of their careers,” said Chema Rancano, Latin America Lead. Slalom continues to expand its presence in Mexico, helping clients solve complex business and technology challenges through outcomes focused teams that bring together strategy, technology, and delivery. slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Named an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Advancing Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-named-openai-advanced-partner source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-named-openai-advanced-partner locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Named an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Advancing Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-named-openai-advanced-partner - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-named-openai-advanced-partner - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary As an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Slalom strengthens its ability to help customers move from AI ambition to enterprise execution by combining OpenAI's frontier technology with deep industry expertise, modern engineering, and organizational transformation. ## Body Slalom Named an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Advancing Enterprise AI Outcomes for Customers Slalom Named an OpenAI Advanced Partner As an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Slalom strengthens its ability to help customers move from AI ambition to enterprise execution by combining OpenAI's frontier technology with deep industry expertise, modern engineering, and organizational transformation. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, July 24, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced it has been named an OpenAI Advanced Partner within the OpenAI Partner Network. As an OpenAI Advanced Partner, Slalom will continue working with OpenAI to help organizations build, deploy, and scale AI solutions responsibly and effectively. Customers gain access to a growing team of OpenAI-trained consultants with deep industry and solution expertise, helping organizations move from AI ambition to enterprise execution with confidence. Using ChatGPT Work, Codex, GPT-5.6, and the OpenAI API, Slalom supports customers across the full AI transformation journey, from identifying high-value opportunities and shaping AI strategy to engineering production-ready solutions, establishing governance, enabling employees, and driving adoption at scale. The result is AI that becomes embedded into how work actually runs, creating lasting business value across the enterprise. Together, Slalom and OpenAI help organizations move from AI aspirations to measurable impact. Slalom’s AI factory provides the trusted patterns, guardrails, and governance needed to scale AI,” said Joe Berg, Sr Managing Director of Data AI at Slalom. “Our Forward Deployed Expertise teams work alongside clients to embed AI into critical workflows and drive the change required to realize outcomes. Combined with OpenAI’s frontier models and platforms, we help organizations adopt AI rapidly, responsibly, and consistently. The OpenAI Partner Network is a global program for partners to build, sell, and deliver AI solutions with OpenAI. It brings together organizations with deep industry expertise, delivery capabilities, and customer relationships while providing the enablement and support needed to help enterprises adopt OpenAI's frontier models and products and turn them into measurable business impact. Slalom will continue working with OpenAI to help customers operationalize AI by building the foundations, operating models, and capabilities needed to scale AI responsibly across the enterprise. As AI continues to evolve, Slalom will continue investing in OpenAI expertise, AI engineering capabilities, and industry-focused solutions that help customers turn AI ambition into lasting business value. To learn more about the partnership, visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai.](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai) --- title: Slalom Customers Get Access to New Google Cloud Gemini Accelerators for Financial Services url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-new-google-cloud-gemini-accelerators source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-new-google-cloud-gemini-accelerators locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Customers Get Access to New Google Cloud Gemini Accelerators for Financial Services - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-new-google-cloud-gemini-accelerators - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-new-google-cloud-gemini-accelerators - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom will build new industry accelerators utilizing Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform with an initial focus on Financial Services. ## Body Slalom Customers Get Access to New Google Cloud Gemini Accelerators for Financial Services Slalom will build new industry accelerators utilizing Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform with an initial focus on Financial Services. Back to newsroom Share Seattle - August 28, 2026 — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named a Google Cloud Launch Partner for Gemini Enterprise for industries, with an initial focus on [Financial Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services). As a launch partner, Slalom will build new industry accelerators utilizing Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, industry specific Gemini models, and Gemini enterprise app enablement. By combining Google Cloud’s industry-specific AI capabilities with Slalom’s deep financial services expertise and dedicated Gemini Enterprise practice, Slalom will help customers transform complex workflows into secure, scalable solutions that drive meaningful scientific and business outcomes. “This launch represents an important milestone in making industry-specific AI more accessible and actionable for financial services organizations,” said Sean Everhart, Google Cloud Leader at Slalom. “By combining deep industry expertise with Gemini Enterprise capabilities, we can lead with industry and help financial services organizations move beyond isolated AI. We will address the unique challenges and opportunities of our customers in Financial Services, such as consumer loan origination, and deliver AI innovation that creates meaningful business outcomes.” Learn more about Slalom’s work in [regulated industries](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) and in [Google Cloud expertise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud). --- title: Slalom named Number One Consultancy on Forbes 2022 list of America’s Best Large Employers url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-number-one-consultancy-forbes-2022-list-americas source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-number-one-consultancy-forbes-2022-list-americas locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named Number One Consultancy on Forbes 2022 list of America’s Best Large Employers - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-number-one-consultancy-forbes-2022-list-americas - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-number-one-consultancy-forbes-2022-list-americas - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named Number One Consultancy on Forbes 2022 list of America’s Best Large Employers Back to newsroom Share Employee feedback also informs overall ranking of 53rd across all industries Seattle, WA – February 10, 2022 – Slalom, a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, has been ranked number one in professional services on[Forbes 2022 list of America’s Best Large Employers](https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-large-employers/?sh=62266da17b66) and 53rd overall across 25 industries. “I am excited and humbled that our own Slalom team members recognized us as the top employer amongst professional services on the Forbes list,” said Brian Turner, Slalom’s Executive President of the Americas. “This recognition is inspiring as we are constantly striving to create real impact for our people, customers, and communities, while having fun along the way.” With roots in Seattle, Slalom’s offices across the US and in four other countries have repeatedly been recognized as employers of choice and great places to work with a strong, positive culture that’s guided by a vision of a world in which every person loves their work and life. The Forbes 2022 list of America’s Best Large Employers is based on an independent and anonymous survey of over 60,000 US employees who work at companies employing more than 1,000 people. The list is further categorized into 25 industries such as Aerospace Defense; IT, Internet Services; and Professional Services, where Slalom placed first. About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 41 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For six years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom OpenAI Enable US Government url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-enable-us-government source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-enable-us-government locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom OpenAI Enable US Government - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-enable-us-government - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-enable-us-government - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom teams up with OpenAI to empower U.S. federal agencies with free one-year ChatGPT Enterprise access. ## Body Slalom OpenAI Enable US Government Slalom teams up with OpenAI to empower U.S. federal agencies with free one-year ChatGPT Enterprise access. Slalom Collaborates with OpenAI to Enable AI Offerings for the U.S. Government Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, AUGUST 6, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced an expansion to its services partnership with OpenAI. Today, [OpenAI for Government](https://openai.com/global-affairs/introducing-openai-for-government/) announced a new partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to launch a transformative initiative. For the next year, ChatGPT Enterprise will be available to the entire federal executive branch workforce for the nominal cost of $1 per agency. In collaboration with OpenAI, Slalom experts will help federal agencies bring AI into their everyday work in a smart and responsible way. At Slalom, we’ve spent decades helping organizations deploy technology responsibly, and we’re channeling that experience into helping government employees innovate sustainably, scale efficiently, and love what they do,” said Brian Turner, Executive President at Slalom. “People trust Slalom because we have an unwavering commitment to do what’s right. We prioritize dependable, ethical deployment and enablement every step of the way. Slalom will guide agency leaders with AI coaching and workshops, teach teams how to best leverage ChatGPT, and support them with playbooks, training sessions, and hackathons to spark innovation. In addition, Slalom will track progress, measure results, and help agencies build and use AI to make government services faster, smarter, and more efficient. To learn more about OpenAI’s partnership with the GSA, visit [https://openai.com/news/](https://openai.com/news/) To learn more about Slalom’s AI solutions, visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) --- title: slalom-openai-partnership url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-partnership source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-partnership locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # slalom-openai-partnership - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-partnership - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-partnership - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Available today, Slalom customers can realize the full potential of OpenAI by integrating AI into human processes quickly and effectively ## Body slalom-openai-partnership OpenAI and Slalom Collaborate to Deliver Industry Leading AI Offerings to Enterprise Customers Available today, Slalom customers can realize the full potential of OpenAI by integrating AI into human processes quickly and effectively OpenAI and Slalom Collaborate to Deliver AI Offerings to Enterprises Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, August 4, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a services partnership with OpenAI. The collaboration will bring OpenAI’s AI models and products together with Slalom’s delivery expertise to help customers deploy AI solutions across their organizations. “Slalom has a history of working with the most impactful partners in the world to bring immediate impact and measurable value to our customers. With OpenAI, we’re equipping our customers with a powerful AI platform that sits at the center of their business,” said Brian Turner, Executive President at Slalom. “Our experts at Slalom can use a strategic set of ChatGPT-enabled offerings to help companies make faster decisions, scale measurable success with confidence, and thrive amid constant change.” Slalom and OpenAI have a deep understanding of where the biggest opportunities lie for customers, from turning AI potential into measurable value, to tackling the complexity of building AI solutions from scratch, to bringing clarity on how to deploy AI at scale. “OpenAI’s models, products, and platform capabilities are helping businesses integrate powerful AI across their workflows,” said Ksenia Chumachenko, Head of GTM Partnerships at OpenAI. “We look forward to partnering with Slalom to help companies explore AI-enabled solutions. Slalom and OpenAI collaborated to create a set of modular offerings designed to meet customers where they are in their AI journey, including solutions for early experimentation and enterprise-wide transformation. These offerings are built to scale, with the flexibility to support both pilot programs and complex, cross-functional rollouts, and are configurable by industry and maturity level. Offerings include: - ChatGPT Enterprise Enablement: A launch program that accelerates secure, responsible deployment of ChatGPT Enterprise across the customer’s organization, focusing on broad enablement and value creation - AI Solution Studio: A program for customers looking to integrate OpenAI’s APIs into proprietary workflows, products or systems – rapidly moving from idea to production - Role-based support and co-creation: For customers ready to scale, Slalom offers longer-term support and co-creation across a wide range of capabilities from ongoing hands-on coaching, to advanced custom GPTs and prompt libraries for specialized roles or workflows Each solution works alongside Slalom’s deep experience in business process transformation, technical architecture, industry expertise, and people enablement, so the results are adopted and scaled across the enterprise for the long haul. Together, both companies already begun to help organizations bridge these gaps and move forward with confidence on their AI journeys. For example, Slalom and OpenAI assisted Madrigal, a global biopharmaceutical company, to transform the company’s business using AI tooling. What began as a technology deployment quickly evolved into a strategic capability that is now embedded across our business and has fundamentally changed the way our teams work, said Parth Patel, Global Head of AI at Madrigal. By personalizing ChatGPT Enterprise to fit our unique environment, we empowered our teams to work more efficiently, make faster decisions, and unlock new levels of productivity. Partnering with Slalom and OpenAI has been truly transformational for our organization.” To learn more about the partnership, visit [https://go.slalom.com/openai-solutions](https://go.slalom.com/openai-solutions) --- title: Slalom Builds Momentum with 2026 Tech Trends, Future of Marketing Solution, Strategic Partner Milestones, and Community Investments url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-q1-momentum-release source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-q1-momentum-release locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Builds Momentum with 2026 Tech Trends, Future of Marketing Solution, Strategic Partner Milestones, and Community Investments - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-q1-momentum-release - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-q1-momentum-release - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Recent company milestones include new Microsoft and Snowflake partner recognitions, continued workplace accolades, and more than $200,000 delivered in Slalom Foundation grants. ## Body Slalom Builds Momentum with 2026 Tech Trends, Future of Marketing Solution, Strategic Partner Milestones, and Community Investments Recent company milestones include new Microsoft and Snowflake partner recognitions, continued workplace accolades, and more than $200,000 delivered in Slalom Foundation grants. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE - April 23, 2026 — [Slalom,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en) the global business and technology consulting company, is entering Q2 2026 with new partner milestones, workplace recognitions, thought leadership launches, and expanded social impact investments. In the first quarter of the year, Slalom earned new recognition from Microsoft and Snowflake, was named a top workplace in multiple markets, awarded more than $200,000 in foundation grants worldwide, and launched new insights and solutions to help leaders navigate rapid change. The company also debuted its [2026 Tech Trends perspective](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-2026) and introduced [Future of Marketing](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/future-of-marketing), a new solution designed to help CMOs optimize human-centered, AI-powered marketing strategies that drive measurable growth and business impact. A key theme of the quarter was Slalom’s momentum across leading technology ecosystems. Slalom earned the [Microsoft Frontier partner badge](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-earns-microsoft-frontier-partner-badge) and announced a migration services partnership focused on accelerating Azure AD B2C migrations to [Microsoft Entra External ID](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/microsoft-slalom-accelerate-microsoft-entra-migrations), helping customers modernize identity experiences more quickly and effectively. Slalom also became a [Snowflake Cortex Code preferred partner](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/slalom-consulting_slalom-is-now-a-snowflake-cortex-code-preferred-activity-7445903986483888128-MA46/), further expanding its capabilities in AI, data, and modern platform delivery. Slalom also received significant external recognition for its culture and workplace experience. Forbes named Slalom one of [America’s Best Management Consulting Firms](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/forbes-best-management-consulting-firms-2026) for the 11th consecutive year, underscoring the company’s sustained reputation in a highly competitive market. Internationally, Slalom was named to the [UK’s Best Workplaces list](https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/best-workplaces/2026?size=large) for the fifth year in a row, listed in Ireland’s 2026 Best Workplaces for Women list, and recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the [Best Workplaces in Ireland](https://greatplacetowork.ie/best-workplaces/ireland/2026?utm_campaign=9793297-Best%20Workplaces%20in%20Ireland%202026 utm_content=371073396 utm_medium=social utm_source=linkedin hss_channel=lcp-3286483) and [Best Workplaces in Germany.](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/slalom-consulting_slalom-germany-als-great-place-to-work-activity-7440729045060902913-KgNi?utm_source=share utm_medium=member_desktop rcm=ACoAAAF9vfgB5tO9WSbCXYuAMkY38lixLM3N_iY) Beyond its business and workplace milestones, Slalom continued to deepen its community impact. The Slalom Foundation completed its 2025 grantmaking by [awarding more than $200,000 to organizations](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-foundation-2025-grantees) across the globe. As part of Slalom’s good purpose work, the foundation focuses on three key pillars: climate, workforce development education, and social justice. Together, these milestones reflect a company continuing to invest in partnerships, culture, and community commitments that support long-term growth. As organizations across industries respond to rapid shifts in technology and customer expectations, Slalom remains focused on helping clients move with clarity while building a business defined by innovation, inclusion, and impact. iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Management Landscape url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-recognized-in-forrester-report source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-recognized-in-forrester-report locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Management Landscape - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-recognized-in-forrester-report - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-recognized-in-forrester-report - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. ## Body Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Management Landscape Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Management Landscape​ As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. A As one of only 26 Notable Providers featured, this recognition reflects Slalom’s growing impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. Slalom Recognized in Forrester’s Q4 2025 Organizational Change Report Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, December 8, 2025 - Slalom, a purpose-driven business and technology consulting firm, announced its inclusion in the Forrester Organizational Change Management Landscape, Q4 2025. Slalom is growing its impact in helping organizations embrace continuous change through human-centered, data-driven, and AI-augmented transformation. As companies face cultural shifts, digital reinvention, and leadership transitions, Slalom partners with them to design and deliver change that lasts. Slalom’s approach to organizational change is built on: - Empathy and purpose: Understanding each client’s “why” and translating it into scalable solutions. - End-to-end thinking: From strategy through design and engineering, Slalom equips clients for future success. - Local soul, global scale: With local teams rooted in their markets and backed by a global network and over 700 technology partnerships. To learn more about Slalom’s organizational change services, visit [https://www.slalom.com/gb/en/services/organizational-change-talent](https://www.slalom.com/gb/en/services/organizational-change-talent) The Landscape is available to Forrester subscribers and for purchase: [https://www.forrester.com/report/RES187027](https://www.forrester.com/report/RES187027) Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity [here](https://www.forrester.com/about-us/objectivity/) . --- title: Slalom is Helping Customers Unlock More Value Across Salesforce and Contentful url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-contentful source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-contentful locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom is Helping Customers Unlock More Value Across Salesforce and Contentful - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-contentful - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-contentful - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom helps customers connect Salesforce and Contentful to deliver faster, more personalized, and more governable digital experiences across web, portal, commerce, and AI-enabled channels. ## Body Slalom is Helping Customers Unlock More Value Across Salesforce and Contentful Slalom helps customers connect Salesforce and Contentful to deliver faster, more personalized, and more governable digital experiences across web, portal, commerce, and AI-enabled channels Slalom helps customers connect Salesforce and Contentful to deliver faster, more personalized, and more governable digital experiences across web, portal, commerce, and AI-enabled channels. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE — July 1, 2026 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, is helping customers bring Salesforce and Contentful together to modernize how digital experiences are created, managed, and delivered. Following [Salesforce’s definitive agreement to acquire Contentful](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/salesforce-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-contentful/), customers have a clearer path to connect content, customer data, and AI-enabled experience delivery across Agentforce Experience, Agentforce Commerce, Agentforce Marketing and Data 360. For organizations using Agentforce Experience, content teams often face rigid content models, slow publishing cycles, limited SEO support, fragmented search, and content governance gaps. Slalom’s headless CMS integration framework helps address those challenges by connecting enterprise-grade CMS platforms, including Contentful, with Agentforce Experience, enabling marketers and business teams to manage rich content with less reliance on technical release cycles. The framework includes pre-built content models, automated integration webhooks, dynamic content page components, SEO-inclusive architecture, compatibility with Salesforce Search, and multi-language support. “Customers are looking for more than a platform connection, they want a practical path to create better experiences faster,” said Sarah Duffy, Slalom’s Global Leader for Salesforce Integrations. “Slalom brings deep Salesforce expertise, Contentful services, and proven delivery patterns together so customers can connect their content and customer data, give business teams more autonomy, and build digital experiences that are personalized, governed, and ready for the AI era.” Customers can work with Slalom to assess readiness, define the right Salesforce and Contentful architecture, and accelerate delivery with proven patterns for content modeling, integration, personalization, search, digital asset workflows, and modern front-end delivery. Whether modernizing an aging CMS, launching a new Experience Cloud portal, preparing for agentic marketing, or building a composable commerce experience, Slalom gives customers a practical path to make Salesforce and Contentful work together and to build a content foundation ready for what comes next. Learn more about [Slalom, Salesforce and Contentful](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). --- title: Slalom Recognized in Salesforce 2025 Partner Innovation Awards url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-partner-innovation-2025 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-partner-innovation-2025 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Recognized in Salesforce 2025 Partner Innovation Awards - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-partner-innovation-2025 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-salesforce-partner-innovation-2025 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom Demonstrates Excellence in Enabling Agentic Enterprise Transformations within Salesforce Ecosystem ## Body Slalom Recognized in Salesforce 2025 Partner Innovation Awards Slalom and Cancer AI Alliance Unveil First Collaborative AI Platform for Cancer Research Slalom demonstrates excellence in enabling agentic enterprise transformations within Salesforce ecosystem Slalom Demonstrates Excellence in Enabling Agentic Enterprise Transformations within Salesforce Ecosystem Back to newsroom Share Seattle, October 14, 2025 – Slalom has received a Salesforce Partner Innovation Award in the technology industry category, due to its successful and collaborative partnership with Avetta, a global leader in supply chain risk management. Slalom helped Avetta transform its business by implementing Agentforce as a next-generation chat deflection tool and ​​​​Service Cloud Voice, so the company’s agents can better assist customers in real time. Avetta has more than 130,000 businesses in more than 120 countries using its platform, so the worldwide impact on these improvements is monumental. With these new tools, Avetta achieved a 25% decrease in service rep handle time, its containment rate more than doubled from 20% to 49%, and it secured a 38% improvement on chat deflection, increasing the company’s customer satisfaction and net promoter scores. “From the very beginning, we were focused on reducing Avetta’s call handle time and increasing chat containment, transferring fewer chats to a live human agent. We’ve accomplished both of those,” said Marcus Bruninghaus, Director at Slalom. Agentic AI represents a [$6-trillion dollar opportunity](https://www.salesforce.com/form/agentforce/maximizing-roi-with-agentforce/?ve=g-recaptcha-response) that Salesforce partners like Slalom are helping to drive by enabling agent-first businesses. By leveraging the full power of the Salesforce ecosystem to solve complex business challenges, innovate with new technologies, and drive customer transformation, Slalom is a prime example of a partner delivering creative solutions to help customers navigate their biggest hurdles. [Salesforce partners](/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce.html) are helping customers build their digital labor with Agentforce and realize the full value of their agent implementations, said Jim Steele, President, Global Strategic Customers and Partners, Salesforce. The Salesforce 2025 Partner Innovation Awards recognize like Slalom that are driving agentic enterprise transformations for customers by delivering industry-specific Agentforce implementations and innovative agentic solutions. The thirteenth annual Partner Innovation Awards recognize the significant contribution Salesforce partners have made through AI agent implementations, measurable Agentforce success stories, and the broader partner program – including consulting firms, digital agencies, resellers, and ISV partners. See the full list of this year’s Partner Innovation Award winners [here](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/learn/partner-innovation-award-winners). Salesforce --- title: Slalom and San Diego Wave FC to co-host event for Mental Health Awareness Month url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-san-diego-wave-mental-health-awareness source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-san-diego-wave-mental-health-awareness locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom and San Diego Wave FC to co-host event for Mental Health Awareness Month - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-san-diego-wave-mental-health-awareness - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-san-diego-wave-mental-health-awareness - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom and San Diego Wave FC co-host “Making Waves” on May 12 for Mental Health Awareness Month, featuring Kennedy Wesley and HereForward. ## Body Slalom and San Diego Wave FC to co-host event for Mental Health Awareness Month Slalom and San Diego Wave FC co-host “Making Waves” on May 12 for Mental Health Awareness Month, featuring Kennedy Wesley and HereForward. Back to newsroom Share SAN DIEGO, CA- April 22, 2026 — Slalom, the global business and technology company, is bringing together business, sport, and community for [Making Waves in Mental Health Awareness](https://go.slalom.com/MHAMSD), a special event hosted on May 12 with Slalom’s newest partner, the [San Diego Wave FC](https://sandiegowavefc.com/). The event will feature a powerful conversation with Wave FC co-captain Kennedy Wesley and Anne Marbarger, executive director at HereForward. “This event is about showing up for our community in a real and human way,” said Chris Reyes, Managing Director at Slalom. “By partnering with the Wave and highlighting voices like Kennedy Wesley’s, we’re creating opportunities to foster connection, awareness, and inclusion—while celebrating the positive influence women’s sports has on our city.” Wesley, drafted in the NWSL Draft in 2024 by San Diego, is a strong advocate for mental health. A NCAA National Champion at Stanford University, Welsey was teammates with former Cardinal Katie Meyer, who passed away by suicide in March 2022. Katie’s Save, a non-profit organization founded by Gina and Steve Meyer, the parents of Katie, was created in her honor, as the organization advocates for systemic changes within colleges and universities to better support student mental health, improve communication between institutions and families, and help prevent future tragedies. As a true advocate for mental health awareness, Wesley brings an authentic and impactful perspective to the discussion. Hosted in San Diego, Making Waves in Mental Health Awareness will spotlight the importance of mental wellness on and off the field while creating space for honest dialogue, shared experiences, and meaningful community connection. The event reflects Slalom’s ongoing commitment to supporting mental health awareness, advancing women’s sports, and investing in the well-being of the communities it serves. “I’ve always hoped San Diego would be a leading city in sports and community,” said Zach Wheatley, Slalom San Diego office lead. “The Wave brought an incredible energy back to this city, and through events like Making Waves in Mental Health Awareness, we’re proud to amplify conversations that matter—especially around mental health, resilience, and support.” Aligned with San Diego Wave FC initiatives including Wave Cares, Rising Tides, and Waves of Service, Slalom’s partnership with the club continues to open doors for community-focused programs centered on wellness, youth empowerment, and social impact across the San Diego region. Slalom is a business and technology company known for helping organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Its partnership with San Diego Wave FC underscores a shared mission to create meaningful impact through sport, leadership, and community engagement. Community members, clients, and partners are invited to attend Making Waves in Mental Health Awareness on May 12 and join the conversation. Learn more and RSVP here: [https://go.slalom.com/MHAMSD](https://go.slalom.com/MHAMSD). Additional collaborative initiatives between Slalom and San Diego Wave FC will be announced later this year. renewable energy slalom In 2026, we secured renewable energy We secured renewable energy through a new solar project in North Carolina, allowing us to match our U.S. electricity needs through 2030. This milestone advances our commitment to be 100% renewable while supporting domestic manufacturing, fair labor practices, and economic growth in a local community. Learn more here. About Ever.green [Ever.green](https://ever.green) is committed to accelerating the transition to a decarbonized world by making renewable energy investments accessible and impactful. By providing both high-impact renewable energy certificates and transferable tax credits, Ever.green brings companies and clean energy projects together. iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Help Organizations Transform into AI-First Enterprises url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-signs-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-signs-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-aws locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Help Organizations Transform into AI-First Enterprises - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-signs-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-signs-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary The collaboration will help organizations modernize, transform, and innovate through a comprehensive program that connects modernization, adoption, and differentiation into a unified journey. ## Body Slalom Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Help Organizations Transform into AI-First Enterprises The collaboration will help organizations modernize, transform, and innovate through a comprehensive program that connects modernization, adoption, and differentiation into a unified journey. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE - April 16, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a new four-year global strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The collaboration will help organizations modernize, transform, and innovate through a comprehensive program that connects modernization, adoption, and differentiation into a unified journey. This recognizes that building an AI-first enterprise requires both a modern foundation and a culture of continuous innovation. With this SCA, Slalom aims to guide customers through every stage of their transformation. “Becoming an AI-first enterprise requires more than technology; it demands a culture of continuous innovation, an adaptive mindset, and a clear strategic vision,” said John Tobin, executive president at Slalom. “Our collaboration with AWS enables organizations to harness the power of AI responsibly and effectively, providing the foundation, strategy, and tools needed to accelerate transformation with confidence.” The SCA brings together three interconnected initiatives into a single, scalable framework, meeting enterprises where they are at in their AI journey. - Zero Legacy | Modernize All Legacy Systems : [Modernizing outdated infrastructure](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy) with AI-powered automation and AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q, and AWS Transform to accelerate migrations, reduce cost and risk, and unlock cloud scalability. This will aim to reduce timelines on multi-year modernization efforts by 50-70%. - AI Everywhere : Creating a culture that understands and embraces the power of AI within the organization to ensure adoption that elevates the employee experience through four integrated pillars: Adaptive Organizations, AI Office, A-Teams, and Agent Factory - AI-Native Differentiation : Innovating and building [AI solutions](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) that elevate the company's ability to elevate their customer's experiences. By using AI-first engineering methods, Slalom will improve development speed by 30-50%. Organizations today need a clear path from legacy infrastructure to AI-ready operations. This collaboration gives customers a proven framework to modernize their foundation, adopt AI at scale, and build differentiated capabilities that drive competitive advantage. We're seeing enterprises across every industry accelerate time to value while reducing risk, moving from pilots to production AI that delivers measurable impact on revenue, efficiency, and customer experience,” said Chris Sullivan, vice president, Americas Partner Sales Development at AWS. Through this agreement, Slalom and AWS are creating a new model for enterprise transformation — one that helps organizations move beyond adoption to true AI-first capability, where human potential and intelligence combine to drive agility, innovation, and measurable growth. For example, [La-Z-Boy collaborated with Slalom and AWS](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/la-z-boy-mainframe-modernization) to map decades of mainframe dependencies and de-risk modernization with AI-assisted analysis, creating a clear path to full decommission and freeing teams to focus on growth. By shutting off the mainframe, La-Z-Boy plans to reduce annual run costs by more than $1M, while strengthening resilience and innovation agility. This created the foundation for La-Z-Boy to become an AI-first enterprise. “Slalom was an incredibly aligned partner for La-Z-Boy, bringing fresh eyes and deep AWS expertise that helped us chart a clear path off the mainframe. By leveraging AWS, the Slalom team accelerated discovery, de-risked our modernization approach, and drove forward a productive, collaborative engagement. As we approach our 100-year milestone, reducing technical debt and modernizing our technology remain central to our strategy, with retiring the mainframe serving as a key driver of our long-term success. Modernizing on AWS not only supports that strategy but unlocks flexibility and innovation that will serve us well into the future.” Mark Carrier, director of Delivery Operations at La-Z-Boy. Slalom has been a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) since 2010 and is an [AWS Premier Tier Services Partner](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws). The APN is a global program focused on helping partners innovate, accelerate their journey to the cloud, and take full advantage of the breadth and depth of AWS. Slalom has received 15+ AWS awards including being named the 2025 Industry Partner of the Year - Travel and Hospitality – Consulting – Global, the Industry Partner of the Year - Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods – Consulting – Global, and 2024 GenAI Consulting Partner of the Year – Global. Slalom holds 20 AWS Competencies, has delivered over 3,000 AWS projects in the last two years, and has over 1,300 experienced AWS consultants. slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Debuts Solar Project in North Carolina to Reach 100% Renewable Power Goal by 2030 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-solar-project-in-north-carolina source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-solar-project-in-north-carolina locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Debuts Solar Project in North Carolina to Reach 100% Renewable Power Goal by 2030 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-solar-project-in-north-carolina - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-solar-project-in-north-carolina - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced its invested in a solar energy project in North Carolina that will allow it to match the company’s expected electricity needs from 2026 through 2030. ## Body Slalom Debuts Solar Project in North Carolina to Reach 100% Renewable Power Goal by 2030 Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced its invested in a solar energy project in North Carolina that will allow it to match the company’s expected electricity needs from 2026 through 2030. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, WA – April 22, 2026 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced its invested in a solar energy project in North Carolina that will allow it to match the company’s expected electricity needs from 2026 through 2030. The Baron project uses US manufactured panels, supports fair labor practices, and creates jobs in a rural community while helping lower the cost of energy and reduce air pollution. “In 2020 Slalom set multiple environmental goals, one of which was to be 100% powered by renewable energy by 2030. We made this commitment because it aligns to our value of do what is right, always , but also the expectations of our people and of our customers. This new development will ensure we have secured energy to meet our commitment far in advance of our 2030 goal timeline and demonstrate that impact-driven action is possible for companies of any size,” said Meagan Breidert, senior director of Sustainability Impact at Slalom. Slalom’s efforts will translate into significant progress towards reaching the 2030 goal to be 100% powered by renewable energy and reduce the company’s operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 46%. “Through our Supplier Code of Conduct sustainability expectations, Microsoft aims to enable large and small suppliers to take action to reduce their carbon emissions. We appreciate the efforts of this group of suppliers to add new carbon-free electricity to the grid,” said Edmond Chan, Group Sustainability manager at Microsoft. Slalom is working with energy purveyor Ever.green on the project. “Ever.green’s project scorecard gave us confidence that this project upholds the highest social and environmental standards. We wanted to ensure our investment was aligned with our values and creating meaningful impact,” said Breidert. The energy produced by this project will also translate into supply chain emissions reductions for Slalom’s customers. “At Slalom, our environmental footprint extends well beyond our office doors. As a consulting partner to thousands of clients, we are deeply embedded in their supply chains,” stated John Poling, managing director, Client Leadership in the Carolinas for Slalom. “Our choices impact their choices. That represents great opportunity and great responsibility on our part to do what’s right.” For more information, contact Slalom at [sustainabilityandimpact@slalom.com](mailto:sustainabilityandimpact@slalom.com). renewable energy slalom In 2026, we secured renewable energy We secured renewable energy through a new solar project in North Carolina, allowing us to match our U.S. electricity needs through 2030. This milestone advances our commitment to be 100% renewable while supporting domestic manufacturing, fair labor practices, and economic growth in a local community. Learn more here. About Ever.green [Ever.green](https://ever.green) is committed to accelerating the transition to a decarbonized world by making renewable energy investments accessible and impactful. By providing both high-impact renewable energy certificates and transferable tax credits, Ever.green brings companies and clean energy projects together. iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Strengthens Calgary Presence with New Downtown Office to Support Growth and Hiring url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-strengthens-calgary-presence source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-strengthens-calgary-presence locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Strengthens Calgary Presence with New Downtown Office to Support Growth and Hiring - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-strengthens-calgary-presence - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-strengthens-calgary-presence - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Slalom today announced the grand opening of its new Calgary office, strengthening its footprint in the market to support increasing customer demand and continued investment in Western Canada. ## Body Slalom Strengthens Calgary Presence with New Downtown Office to Support Growth and Hiring Slalom today announced the grand opening of its new Calgary office, strengthening its footprint in the market to support increasing customer demand and continued investment in Western Canada. Slalom Strengthens Calgary Presence with New Downtown Office to Support Growth Back to newsroom Share CALGARY, Alberta — May 13, 2026 — [Slalom](https://www.slalom.com/us/en), a modern consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and transformation, today announced the grand opening of its new Calgary office, strengthening its footprint in the market to support increasing customer demand and continued investment in Western Canada. The 12,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art office, located in downtown Calgary’s core business district, marks a significant growth in Slalom’s presence in the region and is designed to support a growing local team and increased client engagement across Alberta. The new space provides enhanced capacity for collaboration and client delivery, with dedicated client areas and flexible workspaces to support hybrid work and future growth. This investment reflects the firm’s continued commitment to the Calgary community and its focus on attracting and retaining top talent in Alberta. “Calgary is one of Canada’s preeminent business and tech centres,” said Iaan McAullay, Managing Director and Alberta Market Leader, Slalom. “Slalom in Calgary has grown rapidly over the past few years to support customers in key sectors like aerospace, energy, financial services, and public sector as they modernize operations and adopt new technologies. This expansion allows us to better serve clients, support our growing local team, and create even more opportunities for innovation and partnership right here in Calgary.” “Slalom’s new space is a strong signal of Calgary’s evolving business landscape,” said Megan Zimmerman, VP, Trade and Investor Experience at Calgary Economic Development. “By investing in a space that can accommodate their growing team, Slalom is helping to drive local job creation and support our broader vision for a vibrant, innovative city.” We are excited to welcome Slalom into its new space in our Downtown Calgary portfolio, said Michael Rix from Brookfield Properties. Their expansion highlights the market's demand for high-quality, move-in-ready office space that supports growth, collaboration and talent development in our city. Slalom’s new office supports continued hiring in Calgary across consulting, technology, and business roles, enabling further growth of its local team and deeper client engagement in the region. The firm plans to use the space to attract new talent and provide an environment where teams can thrive, innovate, and collaborate with clients more effectively. For open job positions in Calgary visit [jobs.slalom.com](https://jobs.slalom.com/en_US/careersmarketplace/SearchJobs/) and learn more about [Slalom Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/locations/calgary) on our website. iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom supports Kawasaki's IoT innovation to address the challenge of rail track maintenance in North America url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-supports-kawasaki-iot-innovation source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-supports-kawasaki-iot-innovation locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom supports Kawasaki's IoT innovation to address the challenge of rail track maintenance in North America - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-supports-kawasaki-iot-innovation - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-supports-kawasaki-iot-innovation - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom supports Kawasaki's IoT innovation to address the challenge of rail track maintenance in North America Back to newsroom Share Slalom、川崎重工の北米で展開する鉄道軌道メンテナンス支援サービス開発と内製化を支援 Microsoft Azureプラットフォーム上でデータ・テクノロジーを活用した先進的なサービスの開発とエンジニアリングチームの内製化を共同で推進 2022年5月19日 – スラロム(Slalom)と[川崎重工業株式会社](https://www.khi.co.jp/) (川崎重工)は、川崎重工が北米市場で展開をはじめている鉄道の軌道メンテナンス支援サービスの開発を共同で進めることに合意しました。 川崎重工は昨年5月に北米における[軌道遠隔監視サービス](https://www.khi.co.jp/pressrelease/detail/20210531_2.html)の開始をリリースし、すでに北米の大手鉄道輸送会社に対してサービス提供を開始しています。すでに提供している顧客からはそのサービスの先進性と将来性に高い評価を得ており、Slalomとの協業を通してより顧客価値が高いプラットフォーム化を目指し、スピーディなプロダクトの開発とビジネス展開を目指します。 川崎重工、Slalom両社におけるこの取り組みでは、マイクロソフトのAzureプラットフォーム上で提供される先進的なIoT、機械学習、AIスタックを活用しプロダクト作りを進めます。また、この取り組みではSlalomが北米市場で培ってきた[プロダクトエンジニアリング](https://www.slalom.com/insights/product-engineering-methodology)のノウハウとアプローチを適用し、川崎重工内におけるプロダクトエンジニアリングチームづくりの支援を行います。 Kawasaki Rail Car, President 廣瀬雄介は次のように述べています。 “ この協業を通し、最先端の技術を活用したプロダクト開発を通じ、鉄道事業者に対して付加価値の高いサービスを継続的に提供することで、鉄道モビリティの安全安心な運行に貢献していきます。” Slalom Build 日本カントリーリード 保坂隆太は次のように述べています 。“ 川崎重工のビジネスのデジタルによるトランスフォーメーションと新規事業創出に参加できることにとても興奮しています。 この取り組みを通して、北米と日本をまたいだSlalomのグローバルネットワーク、モダンエンジニアリングのノウハウを活用し、川崎重工のデジタル・ソフトウェアエンジニアリング組織・人材育成を支援していきます。” 日本マイクロソフト株式会社 業務執行役員 エンタープライズ製造事業本部 製造営業統括本部長 横井伸好は次のように述べています 。 “ 日本マイクロソフトは、川崎重工様の軌道遠隔監視サービスにおける Microsoft Azure のご採用を心より歓迎いたします。弊社は、Slalom様との協業の元、鉄道モビリティの安全安心な運行に貢献する本サービス開発を引き続きご支援し、川崎重工様のデジタルトランスフォーメンションの推進、新たな事業の拡大に貢献できるように取り組んで参ります。” Slalomについて Slalomは、戦略、テクノロジー、ビジネス・トランスフォーメーションにフォーカスしたグローバル・コンサルティング・ファームです。世界における43の拠点とイノベーション・ハブを通じたグローバルにコラボレーションできる体制をもち、また世界トップレベルのテクノロジー・プロバイダーと幅広くパートナーシップを組んで総合的なサービスを提供しています。2001年に設立され、シアトルに本社をおくSlalomは、2021年現在で12,500人を超えるプロフェッショナル、エンジニアを擁しながらFortune誌の「働きがいのある会社ベスト100」に7年連続で選出されており「働きがいのある会社」として評価されています。詳細はslalom.comをご覧ください。 Global consulting firm Slalom is helping Kawasaki develop an advanced rail track monitoring and maintenance solution on the Microsoft Azure platform to make railways safer. Tokyo, Japan – May 19, 2022 – Slalom and [Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.](https://global.kawasaki.com/en/) (Kawasaki) have agreed to jointly develop a rail track maintenance support service that Kawasaki is beginning to deploy in the North American market. Kawasaki released the track remote monitoring service last May and has already begun providing the initial offering to major freight rail operators in North America. The service has been highly acclaimed by customers for its advanced and promising nature. In collaboration with Slalom, Kawasaki aims to develop the platform to offer even greater customer value and speed. Kawasaki and Slalom will work together to create products that leverage the advanced IoT, machine learning, and AI capabilities powered by Microsoft Azure. “Through this collaboration, we will contribute to the safe and secure operation of rail mobility by continuously providing value-added services to freight rail operators through product development utilizing cutting-edge technology,” says Yusuke Hirose, President of Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. Slalom will also provide its product engineering know-how and approach developed in the North American market to support the creation of a product engineering team within Kawasaki. “We are very excited to participate in the digital transformation of Kawasaki's business and the creation of new businesses,” says Ryuta Hosaka, Japan location lead for Slalom Build. “Through this initiative, we will leverage Slalom's global network and modern engineering expertise across North America and Japan to support Kawasaki's digital software engineering organization and talent development.” Nobuyoshi Yokoi, Microsoft Japan, general manager of enterprise manufacturing division, said, “In collaboration with Slalom, Microsoft continues to support the development of this service, which will contribute to the safe and secure operation of railroad mobility and will work to help Kawasaki promote digital transformation and expand new business.” About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). --- title: Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-accelerate-teams-dreamforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-accelerate-teams-dreamforce locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-accelerate-teams-dreamforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-accelerate-teams-dreamforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom announces Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 — forward-deployed teams that turn high-priority ideas into measurable outcomes faster. ## Body Slalom Unveils Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 Slalom announces Accelerate Teams for Salesforce at Dreamforce 2026 — forward-deployed teams that turn high-priority ideas into measurable outcomes faster. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE — September 14, 2026 - Slalom, the fiercely human business and technology company, today announced Accelerate Teams, a new outcome-focused model designed to help organizations turn their highest-priority opportunities into measurable business results faster. Slalom will show Accelerate Teams at Dreamforce 2026 as part of its AI in Motion experience, demonstrating how small, embedded teams can help organizations move beyond AI experimentation and accelerate the path from idea to production. “Every organization is looking for faster, more practical ways to put AI to work, but the real advantage comes from connecting bold ideas to the sales, marketing, service, and commerce actions that create measurable growth,” said Brad Jackson, CEO of Slalom. “Accelerate Teams for Salesforce reflect how Slalom helps customers move with speed and confidence, bringing together business, industry, technology, and human-centered expertise to help companies better serve their customers, unlock higher-value experiences, and turn Salesforce into a stronger engine for growth.” Typically made up of a select group of cross-functional Slalom experts, Accelerate Teams work side-by-side with customer teams around their most important priorities. They continuously help identify and prioritize opportunities, rapidly build and test solutions, and help move what’s working to production. Behind each team is the broader power of Slalom, including deep industry expertise, AI and technology capabilities, reusable IP and accelerators, and relationships with the world’s leading technology companies. Built To Turn Ideas Into Outcomes Accelerate Teams complement Slalom’s traditional project consulting by providing better continuity for priorities that require ongoing experimentation, iteration, and improvement. Rather than beginning with “What should we build?”, teams start with “What value do we need to unlock, and how quickly?” “Our customers need better ways to turn their boldest ideas into action,” said Sarah Duffy, Global Enterprise Business Applications leader at Slalom. “Accelerate Teams bring together trusted advisors who understand the customer’s business, stay close to their priorities, and are backed by the full power of Slalom. It’s about creating momentum and delivering outcomes our customers can see and feel.” Customers Gain: - Faster time to value: Rapidly move from ideas to working solutions and production. - Dedicated expertise: Work alongside a small, senior, cross-functional team focused on their priorities. - Greater continuity: Maintain business and technical context as priorities evolve, reducing repeated handoffs and restarts. - Access to the full power of Slalom: Tap into industry specialists, AI expertise, architecture, engineering, experience design, accelerators, and leading technology partners as needs change. - Confidence to scale: Validate business value, feasibility, and customer experience before making larger investments. - Stronger internal capabilities: Build alongside Slalom experts, transferring knowledge and new ways of working to customer teams. The model is designed to help organizations move quickly without sacrificing the architecture, governance, human-centered design, and technology foundations needed to scale successful solutions across the enterprise. Putting AI in Motion at Dreamforce At Dreamforce, through live demos and conversations with Slalom experts, attendees will see how these teams combine business, industry, experience, data, AI, and technology expertise to identify high-value opportunities, create working proofs of value, and accelerate the highest value solutions to production. The approach builds on Slalom being a [launch partner of Salesforce’s Forward Deployed Engineering Partner Network](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/salesforce-launches-forward-deployed-engineer-partner-network-announcement/) and extending it across broader technology ecosystems, helping organizations solve business challenges that increasingly span multiple platforms and capabilities. Learn more about on [Slalom and Salesforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce). --- title: Slalom Unveils Reimagined Denver Office, Reaffirming Commitment to Downtown and the Future of Work url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-reimagined-denver-office source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-reimagined-denver-office locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Unveils Reimagined Denver Office, Reaffirming Commitment to Downtown and the Future of Work - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-reimagined-denver-office - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-unveils-reimagined-denver-office - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a major investment in Denver’s downtown core and a new standard for collaborative workspace ## Body Slalom Unveils Reimagined Denver Office, Reaffirming Commitment to Downtown and the Future of Work Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a major investment in Denver’s downtown core and a new standard for collaborative workspace Back to newsroom Share DENVER, CO – May 15, 2026 — Slalom, a leading technology and business consulting firm, recently celebrated the opening of its newly reimagined office at 1899 Wynkoop Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Johnston, Kourtny Garrett, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce EDC and members of the firm’s leadership, staff, and clients. Slalom's commitment to Downtown Denver signals confidence in our urban core and meaningfully contributes to our center city's upward trajectory. When high-caliber companies like Slalom choose downtown, they're choosing to be part of a thriving, connected business community that drives opportunity for everyone and reinforces downtown as the economic and cultural heart of our city. We're proud to have Slalom as a close partner and grateful for their belief in what Downtown Denver is becoming,” said Kourtny Garrett, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership The remodel represents a significant investment in Denver’s downtown corridor at a pivotal moment for the city. “We are a Denver firm. That’s not just a geographic fact, it’s part of who we are,” said Binh Diep, senior managing director of Slalom. “When we made the decision to remodel and recommit to our space, it wasn’t just a real estate decision. It was a statement: we’re here, we’re staying, and we’re betting on this city.” “Denver’s future depends on a downtown that works for everyone, where businesses grow, workers connect and innovation thrives,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. “Slalom’s commitment brings that energy to life, strengthens the ecosystem that keeps our city moving and shows what’s possible when we work together to build a more dynamic and resilient Denver.” The redesigned office was built around a clear philosophy: create a space people want to come to. The firm invested in collaborative team zones, client-facing meeting spaces, and informal lounge areas to foster the in-person moments, whiteboard sessions, spontaneous hallway conversations, and client meetings where the firm’s best work is born. “The future of work is about what gets unlocked when the right people are in the same room, energized, and focused. We want this office to be that room.” “Slalom’s new space is more than a beautiful office; it’s a signal of real investment in Metro Denver’s future. As an engaged member of the Denver Metro Chamber, they’re not just operating here, they’re helping lead, shape policy, and strengthen the business community” said Cayti Stein, SVP of Customer Experience of Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. “Companies like Slalom bring clients, talent, and new ideas into our region, reinforcing why Metro Denver is a great place to do business. If we want to stay competitive, it takes more companies showing up like this, engaging, building, and leading. That’s exactly what this team is doing, and we’re proud to partner with them.” iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom Welcomes Dan Garrison as Chief AI Officer url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-dan-garrison-chief-ai-officer source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-dan-garrison-chief-ai-officer locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Welcomes Dan Garrison as Chief AI Officer - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-dan-garrison-chief-ai-officer - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-dan-garrison-chief-ai-officer - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary After years of helping customers turn AI ambition into business impact, the company is making a significant investment in dedicated executive leadership to advance its outcome-based approach to AI. ## Body Slalom Welcomes Dan Garrison as Chief AI Officer After years of helping customers turn AI ambition into business impact, the company is making a significant investment in dedicated executive leadership to advance its outcome-based approach to AI. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, WA – August 6, 2026 Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Dan Garrison has joined the company as its Chief AI Officer. After years of helping customers turn [AI ambition](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026) into business impact, the company is making a significant investment in dedicated executive leadership to advance its outcome-based approach to AI. Garrison will be charged with accelerating progress and unlocking even greater value from the company’s unique capabilities, partnerships, and market expertise. “AI is reshaping how organizations compete and create value, and our customers love Slalom because we don’t believe in a one-size fits all AI approach,” said Brian Turner, Slalom’s Chief Capability Officer and Executive President of Partnerships. “Dan has an incredible amount of hands-on technical depth, enterprise transformation experience, and entrepreneurial energy. His leadership will help our customers leverage Slalom’s capabilities and award-winning partnerships to secure better outcomes with greater confidence.” As organizations aim to for more measurable AI-driven value, Garrison will work directly with customers and partners to deploy AI responsibly, scale what works, and create lasting enterprise impact. He’ll also set Slalom’s overall [AI strategy](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation) and vision and bring together the company’s talented capabilities, markets, and technology partnerships teams, to help customers move from AI ambition to execution. “Slalom consultants are uniquely positioned to help customers deliver fiercely human AI,” said Dan Garrison, Chief AI Officer at Slalom. “An important part of my work will be to make sure we’re always ready for what’s next. By combining internal expertise with strong partner relationships, Slalom teams will be able to continuously deliver the latest AI-powered training, tools, and learnings in their work.” An experienced technologist and pragmatic business leader, Dan has played leadership roles across digital transformation, technology architecture, delivery excellence, quantum computing and generative AI. Garrison joins Slalom after nearly 30 years at Accenture, where he built a career at the intersection of technology, business leadership, and innovation. Most recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer for Accenture Song, guiding technology strategy, innovation, acquisition integration, and large-scale transformation across a global business. Throughout his career, he has led complex transformations, built and scaled high-performing global organizations, and advanced emerging technologies including AI. Learn more about Slalom's [AI offerings](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). --- title: Slalom Welcomes Nicole Michaels to Strengthen its Global Insurance Industry Practice url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-nicole-michaels source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-nicole-michaels locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Welcomes Nicole Michaels to Strengthen its Global Insurance Industry Practice - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-nicole-michaels - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-welcomes-nicole-michaels - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Nicole brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry and a proven track record of driving business and technology transformation across global organizations ## Body Slalom Welcomes Nicole Michaels to Strengthen its Global Insurance Industry Practice Nicole brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry and a proven track record of driving business and technology transformation across global organizations. Nicole brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry and a proven track record of driving business and technology transformation across global organizations Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – June 22, 2025 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Nicole Michaels has joined the company as its Global Insurance Leader. Nicole brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry and a proven track record of driving business and technology transformation across global organizations. In this role, Nicole will partner with Slalom teams and insurance customers to shape strategies, modernize operations, and deliver meaningful growth across the insurance ecosystem, including property casualty, commercial and specialty, personal lines, life, annuity, retirement, and employee benefits. “Insurers are at a pivotal moment and rethinking how they grow, modernize, serve customers, and build organizations ready for what comes next,” said Nicole Michaels. “Slalom’s fiercely human, outcomes-focused approach and its ability to bring strategy, technology, and change together with customers is unique. I look forward to partnering with our teams and customers to create practical, lasting value across the insurance ecosystem.” As insurers navigate a market shaped by shifting customer expectations, changing risk profiles, core platform modernization, and rapid advances in data, AI, and insurtech, Nicole’s experience adds additional depth to Slalom’s ability to help customers move from strategy through execution. She will work closely with market and account teams to understand customer priorities, expand relationships, and bring the full breadth of Slalom’s capabilities to the opportunities and challenges facing insurers today. “Our customers in the insurance industry are navigating an incredibly complex wave of change, from AI integration to shifting risk profiles, and they want to work with leaders who have indisputable experience in solving tough problems,” said Channie Mize, Global Industry Leader at Slalom. “Nicole knows how to turn big strategies into real, operational execution, and her results-based leadership will help our customers and teams accomplish their goals.” Prior to joining Slalom, Nicole held senior leadership roles at Ernst Young and Accenture, where she led large-scale transformation initiatives for property casualty and life insurers, delivered sustained growth, expanded customer portfolios, and built strategic alliances across the insurance ecosystem. Nicole is also a recognized industry leader and advisor and serves on the Board of Directors for West Bend Insurance. Learn more about [Slalom’s Financial Services team](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services). --- title: Slalom Wins the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State & Local Government (SLG) Partner of the Year Award url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-wins-google-cloud-public-sector-award source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-wins-google-cloud-public-sector-award locale: us/en content_type: News Article Template --- # Slalom Wins the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State & Local Government (SLG) Partner of the Year Award - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-wins-google-cloud-public-sector-award - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-wins-google-cloud-public-sector-award - Locale: us/en - Content type: News Article Template ## Summary At Google Cloud Next, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, received the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State & Local Government (SLG) Award ## Body Slalom Wins the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State & Local Government (SLG) Partner of the Year Award At Google Cloud Next, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, received the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State & Local Government (SLG) Award Back to newsroom Share Las Vegas, Nevada, April 21, 2026 — Announced today at Google Cloud Next, Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, received the 2026 Google Cloud Public Sector: US State Local Government (SLG) Award. It is the ninth Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award that Slalom has earned since 2017. This award reflects Slalom’s innovation, dedication to customer success, and meaningful impact within the Google Cloud ecosystem. From protecting children and empowering students, to pioneering new capabilities in HHS as a Gemini for Government Launch Partner, Slalom is defining agentic Public Sector, by using Google Cloud to address the issues that matter most - safety, education, and health. “We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Google Public Sector and honored by this recognition. In 2025, we proved what’s possible when Google’s innovation and secure AI— including Gemini for Government—meets [Slalom’s public-sector delivery](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/public-social-impact) depth: we showed up together to help agencies break free from legacy constraints, move faster with confidence, and deliver outcomes that people can feel. From modernizing mission critical programs like child welfare, to building scalable offerings that accelerate adoption through channels like Carahsoft, our shared focus is clear: make government more effective, more trusted, and more responsive—at scale,” Joe Kuntner, Managing Director of Public Sector at Slalom. “The Google Cloud Partner Awards honor the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud. “We are proud to name Slalom a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year.” In 2025, Slalom was selected as a Gemini for Government Launch Partner. This distinction validates Slalom’s ability to bring secure, compliant AI to the most regulated environments, positioning Slalom to lead the next wave of federal transformation at agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dive deeper into [Slalom’s Google Cloud expertise](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud) and our perspectives in our [2026 Slalom Government Industry Outlook](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/government-outlook-2026). iy1jocgsxa slalom foundation --- title: Slalom's 2024 Research Report Highlights Workplace Transformation url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slaloms-2024-ai-research-report source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slaloms-2024-ai-research-report locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom's 2024 Research Report Highlights Workplace Transformation - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slaloms-2024-ai-research-report - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slaloms-2024-ai-research-report - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom's research follows the debuts of its AI-powered customer solutions, including an AI Value Calculator and Slalom Chat, its employee AI tool ## Body Slalom's 2024 Research Report Highlights Workplace Transformation Executive Perspectives on AI: Slalom's 2024 Research Report Highlights Workplace Transformation and Importance of Cross-Functional Leadership Slalom's research follows the debuts of its AI-powered customer solutions, including an AI Value Calculator and Slalom Chat, its employee AI tool Back to newsroom Share Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced the results of its annual [AI Research Report](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024), which revealed the latest trends and insights from executives leading AI transformation at their companies. Slalom’s research is available for free to help customers and business executives make smarter decisions about AI investments. We are witnessing a transformative era where the integration of AI is reshaping industries and unlocking unprecedented opportunities and measurable value, said Amy Loftus, Chief Customer Officer at Slalom. “According to our research, 82% of executives are increasing their AI investments for 2025 compared to 2024, and 30% of companies plan to increase their AI investment by 25% or more, indicating robust confidence in AI’s future impact.” Slalom’s research revealed significant shifts and trends in AI adoption and integration, especially when compared year-over-year to its 2023 research results: - Responsibility Shift to Cross-Functional Teams : There’s a notable shift in the responsibility for driving AI transformation within companies. In 2024, 52% of respondents reported leveraging a cross-functional team of business and technology leaders, up from just 5% in 2023. Conversely, the responsibility of AI transformation to a single executive technology leader (e.g., CIO, CTO, CAO) has decreased from 84% in 2023 to 32% in 2024. - Top AI Skills Are Uniquely Human : The focus on AI skills is evolving. Companies are placing less emphasis on purely technical skills and more on critical thinking and problem-solving (52%), creativity and innovation (43%), and cognitive flexibility and learning agility (38%). This shift underscores the need for adaptable and innovative thinking in AI-driven environments. - AI Redefines Roles : Most executive respondents (57%) are redesigning roles to focus on higher-value tasks and automate repetitive tasks. Additionally, 31% are aligning performance metrics with AI-enhanced productivity goals, highlighting AI's tangible benefits in enhancing workforce efficiency. - Barriers Include Skilling and Resistance to Change : While AI's potential is immense, barriers remain. 42% of respondents cite inadequate workforce skills and training as a significant barrier to realizing productivity gains from AI, and 37% cite employee resistance to change. “There have been significant shifts in how executives lead, implement, and utilize AI within their organizations from just a year ago. We’re hearing from leaders firsthand the importance of redefining roles to drive culture change and AI business transformation better,” added Ali Minnick, General Manager at Slalom. “These results further showcase the value of human skills – like critical thinking and creativity – and collaboration as organizations take a cross-functional approach to AI decision-making.” You can access the full research report for free at [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/slalom-ai-free-research-report-2024). Slalom’s AI Value Calculator Can Help Customers Save Time and Money In addition to creating primary research, Slalom technologists have been hard at work in 2024 creating AI-based solutions to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. With the rapid advancements in technology, businesses across various industries are increasingly looking for ways to integrate AI into their operations. Slalom's AI solutions are tailored to meet clients’ unique needs, ensuring they can leverage AI to achieve their strategic goals. Recognizing the need for executives to have a clearer way to forecast the returns of their AI investments and maximize their quantifiable outcomes, Slalom developed a proprietary AI Value Calculator. When companies partner with Slalom, they can use the AI Value Calculator to forecast their total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) for AI use cases. The Calculator leverages Slalom’s AI use case library to help customers gather valuable insights, benchmark successes, explore what other experts at Slalom have delivered, and discover new strategies to make informed decisions. “We created the AI Value Calculator because often the hardest part of embracing AI change is estimating the unknown cost,” says Minnick. “Our advisory services and AI expertise, accelerated by this calculator, help customers forecast the return of their AI investments in minutes instead of days or weeks, enabling them to make faster, more confident decisions.” Slalom Chat Is The AI-Powered Secret Sauce For Consultants Slalom employees practice what they preach and use the latest AI tools to work better and more efficiently every day. To make the transition to an AI-skilled workforce more easily, Slalom technologists built a tool called Slalom Chat. Slalom Chat is a proprietary AI-powered work sidekick that has become an integral tool for enhancing collaboration and efficiency among Slalom employees. Built with access to the world’s leading large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Gemini, Slalom Chat addresses the evolving needs of a collaborative and adaptive workplace by enhancing communication and streamlining workflows across the company. “Slalom Chat is the secret sauce that our consultants are using to scale their natural abilities and work faster to deliver for our customers more effectively,” said Kevin McClelland, General Manager at Slalom. Slalom Delivers AI-Powered Wins to Customers in 2024 This year, Slalom has partnered with numerous companies to leverage AI-empowered solutions to meet their goals, including: - [United Airlines](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/united-airlines-gen-ai) : Slalom and United Airlines brought GenAI use cases to production that elevate United’s customer experience, and built an internal platform that enables teams to continue their innovation - Global Security Leader: Slalom helped a company create a fleet of AI-driven analysts, empowering a small team to efficiently analyze complex data and capitalize on untapped global revenue streams across 55+ countries - Healthcare : A leading healthcare provider leveraged Slalom's predictive analytics solution to improve patient outcomes by identifying high-risk patients and providing personalized care plans. - Retail : A global retail chain enhanced its customer service with Slalom’s NLP-powered chatbot, significantly reducing response times and increasing customer satisfaction. - Manufacturing : A major manufacturer implemented Slalom's computer vision solution to automate quality control, reduce defects, and increase production efficiency. For more information about Slalom's AI solutions and successes, please visit [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). --- title: Slalom Announces Collaboration with Snowflake to Power AI-Driven Transformation in AI Data Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-collaboration-power-ai-driven-transformation-data-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-collaboration-power-ai-driven-transformation-data-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Announces Collaboration with Snowflake to Power AI-Driven Transformation in AI Data Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-collaboration-power-ai-driven-transformation-data-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-collaboration-power-ai-driven-transformation-data-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We announced a collaboration with Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, aimed at driving innovation and fostering digital transformation for organizations across industries. ## Body Slalom Announces Collaboration with Snowflake to Power AI-Driven Transformation in AI Data Cloud We announced a collaboration with Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, aimed at driving innovation and fostering digital transformation for organizations across industries. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE — Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced a collaboration with [Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake), the AI Data Cloud company, aimed at driving innovation and fostering digital transformation for organizations across industries. Slalom has launched a new business unit dedicated to helping more customers achieve AI-driven transformations with Snowflake’s modern data and AI innovation platform. Slalom's strategic collaboration brings together its expertise in strategy, technology, and business transformation with Snowflake's industry-leading data foundation and cutting-edge AI Data Cloud platform. The partnership unlocks new possibilities for innovation and transformation with AI by reducing barriers to user readiness and adoption through new and enhanced solutions, expanded training and enablement, and generative AI (GenAI) and machine learning (ML) workshops. To drive value across industries, Slalom and Snowflake will develop vertical solutions for financial services, healthcare, life sciences, retail, public sector, telecommunications, technology, and media and entertainment customers. This includes the creation of a Risk Platform Accelerator to support financial services clients in accelerating implementation and speed to value of their platform modernization journeys. Expanding on the mutual commitment to help customers easily unlock AI/ML and apps innovation, Slalom is investing in the development of GenAI solutions and demos. For example, Slalom’s Zero to Snowpark solution helps customers adopt data engineering and data science workloads to reach business outcomes faster with new use cases, improved developer productivity, and reduced infrastructure cost. Slalom will also dedicate additional resources to develop and deliver customer workshops focused on GenAI and ML use cases. The workshops span the entire Snowflake GenAI journey, from learning and experimentation to implementation, to help joint customers achieve the full potential of AI with Snowflake. To support solution development and delivery excellence, Slalom is expanding its training and increasing the number of advanced certifications for its 650+ consultants trained on Snowflake through additional training vouchers, practice exams, and instructor training. Slalom will also receive access to Snowflake’s GenAI Innovation Lab sandbox to upskill its workforce and develop leading-edge, AI-powered industry solutions and accelerators to help even more customers achieve value from day one. Collaborating with Snowflake to help our clients realize the full potential of AI, said Mukesh Kumar, President of Global Technologies at Slalom. The strategic collaboration takes our partnership to the next level, allowing us to accelerate our customers’ adoption of AI and bring data to the forefront of their business strategies. In an increasingly data-driven world, we believe that expanded collaboration between Slalom and Snowflake will bring about transformative changes, said Amy Kodl, Head of GSI Americas Alliances at Snowflake. Together, we can provide solutions that empower organizations across industries to harness the full potential of their data assets and drive innovation at scale. Slalom is a five-time Snowflake Partner of the Year and holds seven Snowflake services competencies. Over six years of partnership, Slalom has helped over 270 customers embark on their data transformation journey with Snowflake. A proud Snowflake customer, Slalom is leveraging the AI Data Cloud to empower teams to collaborate with data, build data applications, and augment human potential with AI. --- title: Slalom Named Snowflake Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-global-data-cloud-services-ai-poy source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-global-data-cloud-services-ai-poy locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Named Snowflake Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-global-data-cloud-services-ai-poy - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-global-data-cloud-services-ai-poy - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Named Snowflake Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year Back to newsroom Share San Francisco, June 3, 2025 — Slalom today announced at Snowflake’s annual user conference, [Snowflake Summit 2025](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/), that it has been named the 2025 Global Data Cloud Services AI Partner of the Year by [Snowflake](https://www.snowflake.com/), the AI Data Cloud company. Slalom was recognized for its achievements in Snowflake's AI Data Cloud ecosystem, helping joint customers rapidly activate data and AI use cases that drive real-world outcomes. Through innovative design, strategic consulting, and deep implementat ion expertise, Slalom has helped enterprise organizations across industries leverage Snowflake to power AI-enabled insights, automate workflows, and modernize their data platforms at scale. “Slalom is proud to partner with Snowflake to bring practical, industry-focused AI to life,” said Joe Berg, General Manager, Data AI, Slalom. “This award reflects the strong collaboration between our teams and the impact we’re making for customers as they move from data strategy to AI execution. We’re honored to be recognized and excited to continue accelerating what’s possible.” Working together, Slalom and Snowflake have consistently delivered exceptional results for our customers, said Amy Kodl, Interim, Alliances Channels Leader, Snowflake. Their deep expertise in implementing our AI Data Cloud solutions has helped organizations unlock the full potential of their data and achieve remarkable business outcomes. We're excited to build on our shared success and continue creating impact for customers worldwide. Learn more about Slalom and Snowflake [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake). Check out keynotes from Snowflake Summit 2025 live or on-demand and stay on top of the latest news and announcements from Snowflake on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowflake-computing) and [Twitter/X](https://x.com/Snowflake)[.](https://x.com/Snowflake) --- title: Slalom Named Snowflake Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year 2024 url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-media-entertainment-cloud-services-poy-2024 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-media-entertainment-cloud-services-poy-2024 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Named Snowflake Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year 2024 - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-media-entertainment-cloud-services-poy-2024 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-media-entertainment-cloud-services-poy-2024 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary We have been named the 2024 Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year award winner by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. ## Body Slalom Named Snowflake Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year 2024 We have been named the 2024 Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year award winner by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. Back to newsroom Share SAN FRANCISCO - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named the 2024 Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year award winner by [Snowflake](https://www.snowflake.com/), the AI Data Cloud company. Slalom was awarded for its depth and expertise in data and AI solutions for the media and entertainment industry as part of the Snowflake AI Data Cloud, helping joint customers collaborate on content, integrate data and applications for real-time insights, develop and scale applications rapidly, and streamline the complexity of leveraging AI capabilities. Slalom’s recent success [partnering with the Chicago Cubs](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/chicago-cubs-snowflake) to analyze customer data and develop targeted customer segments and personas to create more engaging fan experiences showcases its ability to drive innovation within the industry and maximize the value of Snowflake. “We're honored for the impact we're driving for media and entertainment clients navigating consumer shifts in the attention economy,” said Mukesh Kumar, President of Global Technology at Slalom. “With Snowflake, we’re pioneering AI-driven solutions that unlock value, accelerate innovation, and drive growth amidst disruptions to traditional business models.” “Slalom’s recognition as Snowflake’s Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year is a testament to the value they deliver to the AI Data Cloud ecosystem, and our shared mission of empowering organizations to unlock their data for business value,” said Tyler Prince, SVP of Worldwide Alliances Channels, Snowflake. “We look forward to continuing to build our partnership with Slalom and are focused on the next generation of innovation.” This is the sixth Partner of the Year award for Slalom. Earlier this week, Slalom and Snowflake [announced a strategic collaboration between Slalom and Snowflake](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-collaboration-power-ai-driven-transformation-data-cloud) to drive transformative value for customers across industries by bringing data and AI to the forefront. With seven industry certifications and specializations, Slalom has consistently demonstrated expertise in delivering transformative solutions for customers. Together, these accomplishments underscore how Slalom is helping customers leverage Snowflake's AI Data Cloud platform to meet fast-changing needs of the industry to gain better insights and build intelligent, data-driven solutions to fuel growth, sustainability, and exceptional customer experiences. Learn more about Slalom and Snowflake’s award-winning partnership [here](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake). Be sure to check out the Snowflake AI Data Cloud Summit 2024 keynotes live or on-demand [here](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/?utm_source=pressrelease utm_medium=partner utm_campaign=--en- utm_content=-evv-) and stay on top of the latest news and announcements from Snowflake on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/3653845/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SnowflakeDB)/X. --- title: Slalom named Snowflake Partner of the Year url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-partner-of-the-year-2022 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-partner-of-the-year-2022 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom named Snowflake Partner of the Year - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-partner-of-the-year-2022 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/snowflake-partner-of-the-year-2022 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom named Snowflake Partner of the Year Back to newsroom Share Global consulting firm earns honor for fifth consecutive time Seattle, WA – June 13, 2022 — Slalom has for the fifth consecutive time been named a Partner of the Year by [Snowflake](https://www.snowflake.com/), the Data Cloud company—this year specifically as Snowflake’s Americas Global SI Partner. The global consulting firm, which is focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation, was presented with the honor at this week’s [Snowflake Summit 2022 ‘The World of Data Collaboration’](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/). Recognized for helping companies dream bigger and move faster, Slalom has, through the Snowflake Data Cloud, supported customers in designing, building, and migrating data to maximize value and drive rapid insights. With more than 450 Snowflake-certified consultants, Slalom has delivered over 1,500 Snowflake projects with leading companies such as [Pacific Life](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/pacific-life-accelerating-analytics-snowflake) and [Maravai LifeSciences.](https://www.slalom.com/case-studies/maravai-lifesciences-making-data-make-sense) “We have appreciated our partnership with Snowflake since its early days, and enjoyed growing together,” said Hilary Feier, General Manager, Global Data Analytics at Slalom. “From providing business-boosting insights for Pacific Life to helping Maravai LifeSciences better understand its own financial health, we are inspired to continue partnering for our clients’ long-term growth and sustainability.” “We’re proud to announce Slalom has been named as Snowflake’s Americas Global SI Partner of the Year,” said Colleen Kapase, SVP Global Alliances at Snowflake. “Slalom is enabling organizations to be data driven in partnership with Snowflake across industries to better activate and unlock their data for business value. We look forward to working with Slalom to continue empowering our joint customers with data insights.” As part of the Snowflake Partner Network, Slalom builds better tomorrows for its customers and their customers’ customers in industries such as financial services, healthcare life sciences, media, retail consumer packaged goods, technology, travel hospitality, and migration competency. This award recognizes a shared Slalom and Snowflake dedication focused on data modernization, enabling companies to build best-in-class analytic environments, transforming businesses and lives. Slalom is also a Snowflake customer, enabling the company to create its own modern culture of data with a secure, scalable, and highly accessible data platform. Learn more about Slalom and Snowflake [here](https://www.slalom.com/platforms/snowflake). About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom s teams have autonomy to move fast and do what s right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world s top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 12,500 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom Foundation awards USD$1M to support global and local social justice organizations through the Social Equality Initiative url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/social-equality-initiative source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/social-equality-initiative locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Foundation awards USD$1M to support global and local social justice organizations through the Social Equality Initiative - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/social-equality-initiative - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/social-equality-initiative - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Foundation awards USD$1M to support global and local social justice organizations through the Social Equality Initiative Slalom Foundation awards $1M to support global and local social justice organizations through the Social Equality Initiative Back to newsroom Share Photo Caption: Collaborative partnership with Hope for Youth Inc. (HYPE) to empower the youth in our communities. Featured: Left: Kirsten Hartley (Slalom) Middle: Ebony Dames Neal, MSW (HYPE), Right: Stephen Valrie (Slalom) social equality initiative The Slalom Foundation has completed its first grant-making milestone by awarding $1,000,000 to organizations working to promote social justice and fight racism. In 2020, the Slalom Foundation pledged to award grants to organizations dedicated to fighting racism, promoting social justice, and removing barriers to equity that affect under resourced communities. This campaign, called the Social Equality Initiative (SEI), was driven by nominations from local Slalom team members who wanted to recognize organizations aligned to Slalom’s mission, goals, and values. As a result, 33 organizations across the U.S., U.K., and Australia have received grants to support their communities. Grants ranged from $10,000 – $30,000, with each grantee self-selecting the best way to use the funds to support their cause. Example causes supported include organizations working to diversify the tech workforce, supporting youth navigating the legal system, and providing safe places for children and caregivers to play. “Through our three-year SEI campaign we made donations to organizations across the globe that are truly making a difference in the communities they serve,” said Rob Potter, Slalom’s Chief Accounting Officer. “Slalom’s partnership, and to a lesser extent, our financial support has contributed to meaningful and impactful change in the trajectory of the futures of many, both seen and unseen, within our underrepresented communities. In my view our work epitomized the spirit of Booker T. Washington’s quote, ‘if you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.’ Thank you to all of these organizations and thank you to our communities for helping us in our company’s pursuit of making ‘better tomorrows for all’.” The list of 2023 awarded organizations includes: - [Belafonte TACOLCY Center](https://tacolcy.org/) – cultivating community and support children in the Liberty City neighborhood in Miami. - [Black Men in Tech](https://www.blkmenintech.com/) – advancing diversity in technology careers by creating a global support community. - [Chris Gardner Foundation](https://www.chrisgardner.org/) – exposing youth to career opportunities using the latest technology in Detroit. - [Dent Education](https://www.denteducation.org/) – empowering teens in Baltimore to develop 21 st century skills through hands-on experiences. - [Hello Baby](https://hellobabychgo.org/) – supporting safe spaces for children to meet developmental milestones in neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side. - [Hope for Youth Inc.](https://gethype.org/) – improving equitable access and representation for women of color in STEM by engaging girls in middle and high school in computer science in Atlanta. - [Ignite Arts STEM](https://igniteartsandstem.org/) (formerly Ashe Arts STEM) – mentoring youth in arts and STEM in the Los Angeles community. - IndigiGenius – engaging future Indigenous computer scientists in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. - [Legacy of Equality Leadership and Organizing](https://lelo.org/) – building a multi-racial community coalition to address food security in the greater Seattle area. - [Living with Conviction](https://livingwithconviction.org/) – supporting those navigating the legal system with court fees, debts, and statutory changes in Washington State. Upon receiving a grant through the Slalom Foundation, recipients over the years have remarked: “As 2024 comes in Ignite Arts and STEM (formerly The Ashe Arts STEM) is excited to continue a beautiful and fruitful partnership with Slalom. Our partnership started with supporting services such as 48 in 48, where Slalom helped us to completely rebrand our organization with our website, to now receiving a grant from Slalom to continue our efforts in the community. We are humbled and grateful to have been selected for the Slalom SEI grant. We look forward to the partnership with Slalom and are beyond excited to continue moving forward with this very important work that we do. - Crystal Jones, Board President, of Ignite Arts STEM (2023 SEI award winner) “Your contributions of time, talent and financial resources are going a long way in addressing the systemic issues of racism and inequality that continue to plague our communities. Your dedication to creating a more just and equitable world is a testament to your values and vision. We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to continuing to work together towards a more just and inclusive society.” - Andrea Caupain, Former CEO, Byrd Barr Place (2022 SEI award winner) “Thank you so much for the incredibly generous donation in support of our work. We so appreciate to be able to collaborate with you all. We so appreciate the support. Truly thank you. - Mike Pope, Executive Director, Youth Represent (2022 SEI award winner) A principle of Slalom’s grant-making has been to direct funding to organizations that are representative of the communities they serve, empowering community leaders to direct resources to where they are most needed. The Slalom Foundation plans to continue efforts to support local communities with future campaigns to support and build better tomorrows for all. To learn more about Slalom’s people, planet, and community impact, please visit our [website](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/environmental-impact) and review our annual [Impact Report](https://go.slalom.com/Slalom-2022-Impact-Report.pdf). --- title: The Great AI Disconnect: Slalom’s 2025 Insights Survey Finds Executive Optimism Doesn’t Match Workforce Readiness url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/the-great-ai-disconnect source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/the-great-ai-disconnect locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # The Great AI Disconnect: Slalom’s 2025 Insights Survey Finds Executive Optimism Doesn’t Match Workforce Readiness - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/the-great-ai-disconnect - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/the-great-ai-disconnect - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary AI Insights survey reports AI investments will increase in 2026, and the next 3 years of growth will redefine the human skills that leaders value ## Body The Great AI Disconnect: Slalom’s 2025 Insights Survey Finds Executive Optimism Doesn’t Match Workforce Readiness AI Insights survey reports AI investments will increase in 2026, and the next 3 years of growth will redefine the human skills that leaders value The Great AI Disconnect: Slalom’s 2025 Insights Survey AI Insights survey reports AI investments will increase in 2026, and the next 3 years of growth will redefine the human skills that leaders value . Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, October 20, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today released early results from its [third AI Insights Survey,](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence.) revealing a sharp divide between executive optimism and workforce readiness. 2,000 C-Suite and leaders were surveyed about their current and expected future investments in AI, and results found that while AI has become the centerpiece of corporate strategy, gaps in skills, systems, and leadership alignment threaten to slow progress. Nearly all companies surveyed worldwide plan to increase AI spending in 2026, which is an acceleration from last year’s projections. Executives describe these investments as well-balanced, but 93% of organizations face workforce challenges, and half still run their core business applications on legacy platforms. “This is not the beginning of AI disruption. It’s the endgame of its first act,” said Amy Loftus, Chief Customer Officer at Slalom. “Global executives told us they expect most AI-driven transformation will be complete by 2030. The final surge of change across roles, workflows, and systems will peak between 2026 and 2028.” Slalom’s research points to a growing misalignment between strategy and execution, leaders and employees, optimism and operational reality. As AI investment accelerates, success will depend on bridging these divides with strong governance, workforce development, and people-centered innovation. “As executives push AI deeper into decision-making, the question becomes whether organizations have the data foundations and appropriate frameworks to ensure those decisions are trusted,” said Loftus. Some of the survey’s top findings: - AI investment is accelerating. Nearly all companies surveyed plan to increase their AI spending in 2026—an uptick from their 2025 projections. Most executives describe these investments as well-balanced against other organizational priorities. - Cost reduction remains the top driver for AI investments. For most leaders, AI’s strongest returns come from eliminating repetitive and manual tasks. However, just 38% report that AI is delivering higher-quality, more consistent outputs - a gap that highlights untapped potential. - Workforce readiness is a critical barrier to reaching AI goals. An overwhelming 93% of companies face workforce challenges that slow AI adoption, with skills gaps cited as the biggest obstacle. Compounding this, half of organizations still run more than half of their core business systems on legacy platforms. - Executives are decreasing their interest in traditionally human skills. Half of leaders now rank critical thinking and problem-solving as the most essential capabilities for high-performing teams. In contrast, fewer see value in traditionally human skills: only 22% cite communication and interpersonal abilities as a critical skill, and just 19% emphasize emotional intelligence or empathy. - AI is now central to executive decision-making. Two-thirds of companies already use AI assistants to address urgent business needs, and 95% of executives say they are comfortable with AI augmenting leadership and strategic decision-making. - Executives lead the way in AI confidence. Executives are consistently more optimistic about AI than mid-level leaders. They are more likely to view AI as having a very positive industry impact (42% vs. 36%), and more comfortable relying on AI to augment leadership and decision-making (61% vs. 49% ‘very comfortable’). - The C-Suite disagrees when it comes to workforce and AI goals. CEOs are the most bullish on AI’s transformative impact, with 51% viewing it as “very positive.” CHROs remain more cautious, with only 34% expressing the same optimism. Slalom’s research is available for free to help customers and business executives make smarter decisions about AI investments. This year’s survey was hosted and administered by GLG Insights. You can register to receive the full AI report, which publishes later this year, at [https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence). Slalom AI research 2025 --- title: Slalom Debuts on LinkedIn’s 2023 Top 25 Companies List in Canada url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom Debuts on LinkedIn’s 2023 Top 25 Companies List in Canada - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/top-companies-linkedin-canada - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom Debuts on LinkedIn’s 2023 Top 25 Companies List in Canada Back to newsroom Share Canada – April 19, 2023 – Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, has been recognized on [LinkedIn’s Top Companies list in Canada for 2023](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-companies-2023-25-best-workplaces-grow-your-career-canada/). This list is compiled of the top 25 companies that are investing in talent and helping their people build careers that will set them up for long-term success. Produced by the LinkedIn News team, this list celebrates the people and companies making an impact in the professional world. The ranking is solely determined by LinkedIn, which uses a data-driven methodology to measure companies that excel in things like stability, employee retention and satisfaction rates; professional advancement opportunities; and commitment to growth in inclusion and diversity. ”Slalom is honoured to make our debut as a Top Company in Canada by LinkedIn. At Slalom, our people come first. We’re proud to foster a culture of belonging and inclusion, where team members are empowered to build the future they dream of.” - Wayne Ingram, Country President, Slalom Canada Slalom opened its first office in Canada in 2015 and has since grown organically by hiring more than 900 professionals across four offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montréal. Slalom Canada has also been recognized in 2023 for its excellence as a “[Best Workplace](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/best-workplaces-canada),” “[Top Employer for Young People](https://www.canadastop100.com/young_people/),” “[Most Trusted Executive Teams](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canada-most-trusted-executive-team),” and a “[Best Workplace for Women](https://www.slalom.com/newsroom/canadas-best-workplaces-for-women-2023).” You can learn more about Slalom Canada at these links: [Calgary](https://www.slalom.com/locations/calgary), [Montréal](https://www.slalom.com/locations/montreal), [Toronto](https://www.slalom.com/locations/toronto), and [Vancouver](https://www.slalom.com/locations/vancouver), as well as our [LinkedIn page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting/). About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000+ strong team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com/). Media contact: Susie Ibbotson Senior Director, Marketing Communications Slalom Canada [susie.ibbotson@slalom.com](mailto:susie.ibbotson@slalom.com%E2%80%AF) --- title: Slalom honoured among the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-for-women-2022 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-for-women-2022 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom honoured among the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-for-women-2022 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-for-women-2022 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom honoured among the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women Back to newsroom Share London – 20 July 2022 – For the first time, Slalom has been named on the UK's Best Workplaces™ for Women list; the 2022 recognition was announced today by [Great Place to Work® UK](http://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/). The global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation was included among more than 260 ranked organisations. “We’re humbled that our colleagues shared in the Great Place to Work® survey what an amazing culture we have for women and for us all,” said Dave Williams, President and Country Leader, Slalom UK. “We strive to create space to hear and celebrate all voices—we know it’s diversity of thought and experience that allows us to help people and organisations dream bigger.” “It’s our people-first approach that has helped us welcome more than 80 people to Slalom UK in just this quarter. Half of our new employees are women, inspired to lead in an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and love their life and work,” said Annie Gardner, Managing Director, Slalom London. Slalom UK also supports women in technology and data more broadly through its partnerships with Code First Girls, Salesforce Supermums, and Women in Data. Earlier this year, Slalom earned the top spot on the list of UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing amongst medium organisations and ranked #12 on UK’s Best Workplaces™. The UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women list is determined by feedback from women themselves about their workplace experience, how well they are represented in the workforce and management, opportunities for fair access and advancement, and the organisation’s ability to foster a sense of value and empowerment in all employees. About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 43 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 13,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running and is regularly recognized by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing amongst medium organisations url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-wellbeing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-wellbeing locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing amongst medium organisations - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-wellbeing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uk-best-workplaces-wellbeing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing amongst medium organisations Back to newsroom Share Informed by those who know Slalom best—our people—we ranked #4 amongst large organisations. London, UK - 14 February 2023 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing (2023) by [Great Place to Work®](https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/) for the second year in a row. This honour is entirely based on feedback that our employees voluntarily and anonymously shared, giving our culture high marks across the board for providing positive work-life balance, a sense of fulfilment, job satisfaction, psychological safety, and financial security. Slalom was also recognised for its ability to deliver consistency of the employee experience across all departments and seniority levels. ”When you hire great people, and treat them fantastically well, they can do amazing things for our customers,” said Dave Williams, President UK and Ireland. “So being a Best Workplace for Wellbeing again this year is an accolade I'm super proud of.” Slalom UK has brand-new office spaces in London and Manchester, which are welcoming workplaces that promote healthy working practices. The company continually makes employees and their wellbeing a top priority, including available market-competitive benefits which employees can personalise themselves, such as private medical healthcare with unlimited mental health checks; flexibility for team members to define their own best ways of working (hours, locations, and more); and a benefits program to help improve physical, mental, financial and/or social wellbeing. You can learn more about Slalom at Slalom.com and our recognitions on the [Great Place to Work®](https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/workplace/item/4084/Slalom) page. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In seven countries and 44 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our 13,000 strong team helps people and organisations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honoured to be consistently recognised as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For seven years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uks-best-workplaces-wellbeing source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uks-best-workplaces-wellbeing locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uks-best-workplaces-wellbeing - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/uks-best-workplaces-wellbeing - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing Slalom earns top honours on UK's Best Workplaces for Wellbeing amongst medium organisations Back to newsroom Share London, UK – February 17, 2022 – Employees at Slalom have spoken, and today, the global consulting firm placed first amongst medium size organisations on UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing in 2022 by [Great Place to Work](http://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/). Slalom employees are noticeably happy at work; enjoy being part of a purpose-driven company; and feel cared for by a firm that delivers a holistic experience of wellbeing at work, across all departments and seniority levels. “At Slalom, we believe in providing our teammates the autonomy to move fast and trust that they will do what’s right. So, we support every employee to love their work and life, and empower each team member to do their very best work when, where, and how they want,” said Dave Williams, Country Managing Director, Slalom UK. “We’re just so proud to be recognised by our very own people as a best workplace for wellbeing.” Slalom UK has offices in Manchester and London. The company continually makes employees and their wellbeing a top priority, including available market-competitive benefits such as: private medical healthcare with unlimited mental health checks; flexibility for team members to define their own best ways of working (hours, locations, and more); and a Thrive program to help improve physical, mental, financial and/or social wellbeing. Great Place to Work’s culture experts analysed thousands of employee surveys to assess wellbeing at work based on five criteria: work-life balance; sense of fulfilment; job satisfaction; psychological safety; and financial security. This is Great Place to Work’s first-ever UK Best Workplaces for Wellbeing ranking. About Slalom Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. In 41 markets around the world, Slalom's teams have autonomy to move fast and do what's right. They are backed by regional innovation hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world's top technology providers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Slalom has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For six years running and is regularly recognised by employees as a best place to work. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Slalom and Virgin Voyages Set Sail into the Future with Revolutionary Gen AI-powered Customer Service Powered by Salesforce url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/virgin-voyages-gen-ai-powered-customer-service source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/virgin-voyages-gen-ai-powered-customer-service locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom and Virgin Voyages Set Sail into the Future with Revolutionary Gen AI-powered Customer Service Powered by Salesforce - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/virgin-voyages-gen-ai-powered-customer-service - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/virgin-voyages-gen-ai-powered-customer-service - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom and Virgin Voyages Set Sail into the Future with Revolutionary Gen AI-powered Customer Service Powered by Salesforce Back to newsroom Share Available today, the ”Vivi” chatbot aims to improve pre- and post-booking satisfaction by providing faster and more realistic solutions for Sailors. Seattle – September 8, 2023 – In a visionary move designed to transform the cruise industry, Slalom and Virgin Voyages have teamed up to launch one of the first generative AI-powered digital humans built on Salesforce named Vivi. The new chatbot will underpin Virgin Voyages’ online customer experience and help reshape the way Sailors can use technology to plan their perfect trip. Vivi bolsters Virgin Voyages’ commitment to innovation and was built using Slalom’s digital expertise with the goal of redefining customer satisfaction in the cruise industry by creating a more engaging and realistic customer service chat experience. ”At Virgin Voyages, we’re incredibly passionate about crafting our Sailors’ experiences and making them brilliant from start to finish,” said Michelle Bentubo, SVP of Service Excellence and Travel Operations. “The Vivi chatbot has incredible potential, and we’re working closely with Slalom to create a streamlined, more exciting booking experience for our Sailors. We ultimately want to harness this Gen AI technology to provide our Sailors with immediate answers so they can spend less time searching and more time dreaming about their getaway. Relaxed, flexible, and always authentic, Virgin Voyages is where laid-back tranquility meets exhilaration. Founded in 2014, Virgin Voyages’ goal is to be a leader within the cruise industry for pre- and post-booking Sailor satisfaction. Normally, customers spend several days researching competitive routes and offers before reservations are made. Most Sailors are looking for answers to commonly asked questions and can spend hours searching FAQ pages or engaging with basic chatbots in help centers. Vivi, the Gen AI-powered chatbot, is expected to significantly reduce the time it takes for Sailors to find the information they need. Vivi can provide seamless and natural answers to inquiries, in turn, helping Sailors expedite their decision-making process. Previous generation chatbots tended to provide prescriptive responses from a pre-determined list of topics. Now, Vivi embodies a human-like conversational experience, even enabling Sailors to engage in multi-faceted queries. For example, imagine a question like, ”I want to know if I can bring my service dog on the cruise, but I can’t find the right policies that showcase the differences between pets and service animals. Can you let me know where I can find the answer?” - A traditional chatbot could answer, ”Here’s a link to our Service Animal Policy.” - With Vivi, the answer can be more understanding of the Sailor’s concerns and respond with human-approved content, such as ”Hi Sailor, I’m sorry to hear you haven’t been able to find an answer to your question. Yes, your service dog is permitted on-board. Service dogs are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, etc. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.” Vivi uses Salesforce Einstein and Slalom’s Generative AI framework for Salesforce to fuel semantic knowledge retrieval and model training that delivers a truly AI-powered experience. ”Virgin Voyages came to us with a challenge to evolve their customer service experience and reduce the frustrations that Sailors may have with interacting with previous generation chatbots,” said Katie Dunlap, General Manager of Global Salesforce at Slalom. ”Built with Salesforce technology powered by generative AI, we designed Vivi with the ability to comprehend nuanced questions and respond with Virgin Voyages’ distinctive tone and language. This is a watershed moment in using generative AI to power customer interactions.” Improved interactions with Sailors also means less time managing common and repeated inquiries for Virgin Voyages’ Sailor Service department. It allows agents to spend more time helping Sailors curate their perfect vacation experience. Vivi is now live for Sailors to interact with on [Virgin Voyages’ website](https://www.virginvoyages.com/). Slalom will show a prototype of Vivi being used in a digital human form at [Dreamforce](https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/) this September. To learn more about Slalom’s approach to AI, please visit [www.slalom.com/ai](https://www.slalom.com/ai). Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. About Slalom: Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](https://www.slalom.com). About Virgin Voyages: Set Sail the Virgin Way with Virgin Voyages, the irresistible travel brand founded by Sir Richard Branson. Delivering epic vacations at sea, Virgin Voyages launched at the end of 2021. The brand's four Lady Ships – inspired by 50+ years of Virgin history – include Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady. Designed for discerning travelers, Virgin Voyages offers relaxing, exclusively adult (18+) sailings. Working with a Creative Collective of the world’s most sought-after designers, performance artists and architects, Virgin Voyages delivers an enchanting boutique hotel at sea with fresh, elevated spaces that strike the perfect balance of nautical chic and glamour. Currently departing from the sun-soaked cities of Miami, Barcelona and Athens – and soon to include San Juan and Melbourne – the fleet offers itineraries to more than 100 awe-inspiring destinations across four continents. Virgin Sailors are spoiled for choice with 20 eateries offering Michelin-star culinary experiences all included, a festival-like line-up of entertainment, stylish and comfortable cabins, Rockstar Quarters, authentic and locally inspired shore excursions, and a dose of Vitamin Sea with well-being naturally intertwined throughout the experience. Promising to Create an Epic Sea Change for All, Virgin Voyages also puts sustainability front and center. --- title: Wayne Ingram to lead Slalom Canada and EMEA url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/wayne-ingram-to-lead-slalom-canada-and-emea source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/wayne-ingram-to-lead-slalom-canada-and-emea locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Wayne Ingram to lead Slalom Canada and EMEA - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/wayne-ingram-to-lead-slalom-canada-and-emea - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/wayne-ingram-to-lead-slalom-canada-and-emea - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Summary Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Wayne Ingram is now the President and Regional Leader for Slalom Canada and EMEA. ## Body Wayne Ingram to lead Slalom Canada and EMEA Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Wayne Ingram is now the President and Regional Leader for Slalom Canada and EMEA. Back to newsroom Share SEATTLE, AUGUST 13, 2025 – Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, today announced Wayne Ingram is now the President and Regional Leader for Slalom Canada and EMEA.. Wayne has more than 30 years of experience in the technology and consulting industry, holding significant global and international leadership roles throughout his career. He joined Slalom in 2015 to launch the company’s Canadian business, which has grown to nearly 1,000 team members across four offices (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montréal). Known for his empathetic, people-first leadership style, Wayne is passionate about creating collaborative environments where people and businesses can thrive together. --- title: Slalom earns 2023 workplace honors from Consulting Magazine and Great Place to Work® url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/workplace-honors-consulting-magazine-and-great-place-work-2023 source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/workplace-honors-consulting-magazine-and-great-place-work-2023 locale: us/en content_type: Newsroom Article --- # Slalom earns 2023 workplace honors from Consulting Magazine and Great Place to Work® - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/workplace-honors-consulting-magazine-and-great-place-work-2023 - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/workplace-honors-consulting-magazine-and-great-place-work-2023 - Locale: us/en - Content type: Newsroom Article ## Body Slalom earns 2023 workplace honors from Consulting Magazine and Great Place to Work® Back to newsroom Share Seattle, WA – September 14, 2023 - Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, has been awarded consulting workplace honors from Consulting Magazine and Great Place to Work®. Slalom was named one of Consulting Magazine’s Best Firms to Work For 2023 for the ninth year in a row and featured on the list of Best Workplaces in Consulting Professional Services™ 2023 by Great Place to Work® for the fourth year running. Both awards are given based on employee feedback measuring positive experiences with company culture, career development, client engagement, compensation and benefits, and leadership. About Slalom Slalom is a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. From strategy to implementation, our approach is fiercely human. In eight countries and 45 markets, we deeply understand our customers—and their customers—to deliver practical, end-to-end solutions that drive meaningful impact. Backed by close partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, our team helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. We’re honored to be consistently recognized as a great place to work, including being one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For eight years running. Learn more at [slalom.com](http://slalom.com/). --- title: Our people url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people locale: us/en content_type: Id E Template --- # Our people - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people - Locale: us/en - Content type: Id E Template ## Summary Embracing uniqueness and authenticity makes us better, and means better outcomes for our clients. ## Body Our people Our people | Slalom Embracing uniqueness and authenticity makes us better, and means better outcomes for our clients. Our people At Slalom, we value the uniqueness of every individual and strive for our employees to be both engaged and empowered. We also know that having strong teams, inclusive leaders, and a global mindset help us deliver more innovative and impactful solutions for our customers. As learners who respect, encourage, and celebrate different perspectives, we aspire for our team members to embrace the rich experiences of the global communities in which we live and serve. And we are steadfast in our commitment to justice and humanity. Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls Chief People Officer Kristine grew up in a large Cuban family in Miami, where she learned to look people in the eye and say what she means. She credits her culture with shaping her as a passionate, direct, and engaging leader. Kristine Rohls Employee empowerment Inspired by our vision to be the world’s most employee-empowered services company, we strive to give everyone a consistently positive employee experience at Slalom. We’re committed to making sure our people feel welcomed, valued, and connected to Slalom and to their communities. Our communities Slalom's communities help us foster belonging in our organization. Each community offers all team members a shared space to build connections, recognize the value of varied backgrounds, and drive change. We encourage all team members to participate, so that we all learn about each other’s experiences and grow together. Tab 1 Aspire Aspire brings together the various experiences, perspectives, and cultures of our Asian, Asian American, Native-Hawaiian and Pacific Islander employees and allies. Our focus: To connect, cultivate, and empower a community of Asian, Asian American, Native-Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) team members. Learn more Horizons Horizons is dedicated to creating a world where infinite variations in mind and body are represented, empowered, and celebrated. Our focus: We amplify the voices of disabled, neurodiverse, and mental health communities. We are committed to being educators and advisors to Slalom through best practice development, user experience enhancements and learning opportunities through cross-functional partnerships. Prism Prism seeks to increase awareness and understanding while removing workplace barriers for all orientations, identities, allies, and those interested in learning more. Our focus: To build and shape a better future for LGBTQ+ Slalomers and our allies by cultivating fiercely human authenticity in our lives and work. REACH REACH (Recruiting, Education, Authenticity, Community, Heritage) is a community of engaged team members creating an empowered community for Black employees and allies to learn, share, and succeed professionally and personally. Our focus: REACH builds awareness and connection by fostering relationships that strengthen our people, our communities, and the future of Slalom—creating space for growth, authenticity, and collective impact. Slalom Military Slalom Military creates space for military veterans, reservists, team members with military family, or anyone passionate about engaging with this community. Our focus: To be a catalyst for the global military community to build meaningful connections, accelerate individual growth, demonstrate leadership, serve our local communities, and inspire our clients. Slalom Women Slalom Women connects, elevates, and celebrates women and allies to enable an equitable voice throughout Slalom—creating an exceptional place to work by building community. Our focus: To help women and allies pursue their passions, reach their full potential, and shape the future. Slalom Women brings together voices from the following communities: Women in Technology, Women's Leadership Network, Women in Data, and Women Who Build. Unidos Unidos provides community for Slalom's Hispanic and Latine team members, allies, and those interested in learning more. Our focus: To grow a vibrant community of Hispanic and Latine professionals who build relationships, share knowledge, and empower each other to thrive - within Slalom, in our communities, and beyond. Ebony Williams Leadership Slalom has allowed me to be the person that I am because they've encouraged me to be myself, to walk in my truth, to improve in the areas that I want to improve. Binh Diep Leader Placeholder I’m super passionate about creating an environment that is inclusive … I want individuals to be really proud of who they are and not have to cover up what’s true about themselves. Meet Binh Each year, we report on our planet, community, and people impact azsi03k3ub --- title: Slalom Aspire url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-aspire source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-aspire locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Aspire - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-aspire - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-aspire - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary To connect, cultivate, and empower a community of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (API) team members. ## Body Slalom Aspire To connect, cultivate, and empower a community of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (API) team members. Salesforce Aspire brings together the unique experiences, perspectives, and cultures of our Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander team members, allies, and those interested to learn more to attain new heights. Mission To connect, cultivate, and empower a community of Asian, Asian American, Native-Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) team members. Objectives - Raise awareness and celebrate cultural heritage. - Drive internal connection and collaboration globally at Slalom. - Create a sense of belonging. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. I wholeheartedly love being Asian! I really love the community and connection we have and how easily it is to relate to others even if they are from a different country. Paulina Le Senior Engineer, Charlotte Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Celebrating the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has always been extremely important to me. Brenda Young Managing Director, Seattle Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. My ultimate goal in this lifetime is to contribute to laying the foundation for fostering healing and empathetic growth within our community, even if it's just a small step forward. Tiffany Shen Consultant, Seattle NAAAP Leadership Convention, Washington DC, 2022 test Standing tall and united, Aspire members proudly display their solidarity at the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Leadership Convention. Diwali Event, Slalom Charlotte, 2023 Icon Aspire members in Charlotte smile big as they celebrate the Festival of Lights, Diwali. Diwali Event, Slalom New Jersey, 2023 Aspire members in New Jersey embrace the spirit of Diwali in color and style. Members from Aspire New Jersey capture the joy of Diwali in a single frame. Lunar New Year Event, Slalom Toronto, 2024 Aspire members in Toronto show off their Chinese paper cutting skills during a Lunar New Year celebration. Potluck Event, Slalom Denver, 2023 Aspire members in Denver come together for a potluck filled with laughter, friendship, and tasty treats. Lunch and Learn, Slalom Charlotte, 2023 In Charlotte, Aspire members honor Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month through meaningful discussion of immigration and intersectionality at a lunch and learn. Lunar New Year Lunch and Learn, Slalom Charlotte, 2023 Aspire members ring in the Lunar New Year with a blend of flavor and learning in our Charlotte office. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Horizons url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-horizons source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-horizons locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Horizons - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-horizons - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-horizons - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary We amplify the voices of disabled, neurodiverse, and mental health communities, and we are committed to being educators and advisors. ## Body Slalom Horizons Horizons | Slalom We amplify the voices of disabled, neurodiverse, and mental health communities, and we are committed to being educators and advisors. Salesforce Horizons is dedicated to creating a world where infinite variations in mind and body are represented, empowered, and celebrated. Mission We amplify the voices of disabled, neurodiverse, and mental health communities. We are committed to being educators and advisors to Slalom through best practice development, user experience enhancements and learning opportunities through cross-functional partnerships. Objectives - Community: We work to build community, network, and foster spaces of collaboration both within and external to Slalom. This includes building bridges across other Slalom communities, as our team member experiences are unique and deeply personal. - Impact Educate: We develop, support, and lead internal educational programs and campaigns. We also serve in an advisory capacity to Slalom. We seek to create a healthier workplace that promotes and protects the health and safety of all team members. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. Because we live in a different space, we have challenges that people who don’t live with a disability or who are not a neurodivergent have. We see the world differently, and we interact differently. Nabou Dieng-Strife Senior Consultant, Kansas City Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Once I learned about my diagnosis, everything just clicked, and it really did save my life. So now whenever people ask me about it, I'm very open and honest around, ‘Yes, I am disabled, I am neurodivergent. This is my story.’ Leslie Dill Senior Consultant, Boston Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. On being diagnosed at 45 with ADHD, I took the decision that I would live my journey in the open in the hope that my experiences would help others along theirs. Martin Gale Senior Director, London I joined Slalom because I could tell they valued me as a whole person. It’s also the reason I’m still here ten years later! Harlan Smith Senior Director, Seattle Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Military url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-military source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-military locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Military - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-military - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-military - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary We create space for military veterans, reservists, team members with military family, or anyone passionate about engaging with this community or supporting veterans’ initiatives. ## Body Slalom Military We create space for military veterans, reservists, team members with military family, or anyone passionate about engaging with this community or supporting veterans’ initiatives. Salesforce Slalom Military creates space for military veterans, reservists, team members with military family, or anyone passionate about engaging with this community. Mission To be a catalyst for the global military community to build meaningful connections, accelerate individual growth, demonstrate leadership, serve our local communities, and inspire our clients. Objectives - Connect the military community by being a pivotal bridge for service members and their supporters. - Strengthen community ties through dedicated service that fosters meaningful local change. - Empower growth by harnessing and expanding resources for career progression, well-being, and overcoming obstacles to success. - Lead by example, motivating others through our resilience, unique value, and exemplary leadership skills. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. Being a veteran affects our daily life. Slalom is really good about this, understanding what people have been through. Michelle Labritz Principal Consultant, Boston Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. I learned patience in the military. People ask how I’m not frustrated by certain things. Patience allows me to see the bigger picture and realize that it’s just the moment that we’re in. Christina Santos Consultant, San Diego Minneapolis, 2024 test The Governor of Minnesota declares Slalom Minneapolis an official Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Company, helping to establish and sustain a comprehensive community and corporate support network for Minnesota’s military veterans, service members, and families. Minnesota, 2023 Icon Slalom Military members join the Minnesota Polar Plunge in support of the Minnesota Special Olympics. Dreamforce, 2022 Slalom’s Chris Floyd accepts the Salesforce Military Amplify Award at Dreamforce 2022 in San Francisco. The Honor Foundation Trek Stop, Slalom San Diego, 2022 Slalom San Diego hosts a Trek Stop for The Honor Foundation with representation from other Southern California offices and Slalom clients. Trek Stops are opportunities for individuals who are transitioning into civilian life to visit companies and learn more about the companies and the work they do. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Prism url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-prism source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-prism locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Prism - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-prism - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-prism - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Prism seeks to increase awareness and understanding while removing workplace barriers for all sexual orientations, gender identities, and allies. ## Body Slalom Prism Prism seeks to increase awareness and understanding while removing workplace barriers for all sexual orientations, gender identities, and allies. Salesforce Prism seeks to increase awareness and understanding while removing workplace barriers for all orientations, identities, allies, and those interested in learning more. Mission To build and shape a better future for LGBTQ+ Slalomers and our allies by cultivating fiercely human authenticity in our lives and work. Objectives - Partner with local community organizations supporting all orientations, identities, and allies. - Create engaging educational experiences for all Slalom employees to deepen their understanding of LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and history. PMake space for a workplace culture of belonging and authenticity through coaching and collaboration. - Drive internal connection and collaboration globally at Slalom. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. The LGBTQIA+ community has seen a lot of positive change in recent years, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Emily Sinclair Consultant, Seattle Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. We want our allies to know that the change does not happen overnight within the community. You really see drastic change when you recognize and embrace intersectionality. Diarte Jeffcoat-McLeod Associate Consultant, Charlotte Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. When I came to Slalom, I wondered how I would come out. 10 years later, I have a hard time imagining a time when I was ever worried about being my authentic self at Slalom. Dan Yurcovic Senior Product Manager, Chicago test Icon Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Reach url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-reach source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-reach locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Reach - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-reach - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-reach - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary We strive to build awareness by attracting, connecting, retaining, and advancing Black team members, as well as expanding REACH’s networking relationships for the betterment of Slalom, our brand, our people, and our Black community. ## Body Slalom Reach We strive to build awareness by attracting, connecting, retaining, and advancing Black team members, as well as expanding REACH’s networking relationships for the betterment of Slalom, our brand, our people, and our Black community. Salesforce REACH (Recruiting, Education, Authenticity, Community, Heritage) is a community of engaged team members creating an empowered community for Black employees and allies to learn, share, and succeed professionally and personally Mission REACH builds awareness and connection by fostering relationships that strengthen our people, our communities, and the future of Slalom—creating space for growth, authenticity, and collective impact. Objectives - Create a purpose-driven company of connected, empowered, and engaged team members who collaborate with the communities in which we live and work. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. This is a place where I feel that I can be open about my experiences as a Black man in a way that I have not before. Cyrell Williams Senior Director, Los Angeles Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. It’s the ability to be around community, and for them to inspire, challenge, and unlock unrealized potential. Slalom promotes this connection that drives authentic Slalomers to show up and be there—and when it’s a person that looks like you, it elevates the experience even more. Dwayne King Project Manager, Seattle Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Every day I learn something new about myself, the business, or our people. To be in constant learn mode and to be open to what that unlocks for you and others—that’s the Slalom difference. Yolanda Scott Weston General Manager, Washington, DC Learn more about Yolanda AfroTech, 2022 Icon REACH senior leaders were honored with stoles during AfroTech’s Professional Development Day. REACH Professional Development Day, Huston-Tillotson University, 2022 REACH members gather for an epic group photo during Professional Development Day at AfroTech. Global REACH Meetup, 2019 REACH members from across Slalom markets unite in a powerful celebration of community. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Unidos url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-unidos source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-unidos locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Unidos - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-unidos - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-unidos - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Unidos provides community for Slalom's Hispanic and Latine team members and their allies. ## Body Slalom Unidos Unidos provides community for Slalom's Hispanic and Latine team members and their allies. Salesforce Unidos provides community for Slalom's Hispanic and Latine team members, allies, and those interested in learning more. Mission To grow a vibrant community of Hispanic and Latine professionals who build relationships, share knowledge, and empower each other to thrive - within Slalom, in our communities, and beyond. Objectives - Connect: Build connection between Unidos team members, Slalom communities, and the local communities where we live and work. - Educate: Lead global cultural awareness and education initiatives, holding space for all team members to explore and engage with Hispanic and Latine cultures. - Cultivate: Partner to identify and expand access to opportunities at Slalom and within our communities for qualified professionals. Slalom employee Philip works in the Slalom office. I feel a natural connection to the Hispanic/Latinx community at Slalom because growing up in the Cuban culture made me who I am today. Being a part of this community at Slalom feels like coming home. Kristine Santa-Coloma Rohls Chief People Officer, Washington DC Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Unidos has allowed me to meet people from my cultural background and also helped me understand other folks’ culture. I’ve met many allies who are truly interested in the Hispanic culture and looking to understand how we are all different. Karen Juarez Lawson Senior Consultant, Toronto Explore Unidos events and milestones Unidos Chapter Leads across North America got together in Chicago for the first time to talk about Unidos strategy, vision, and 2023 planning. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Slalom Women url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-women source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-women locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Slalom Women - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-women - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/our-people/slalom-women - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Body Slalom Women Salesforce Slalom Women connects, elevates, and celebrates women and allies to enable an equitable voice throughout Slalom—creating an exceptional place to work by building community. Mission To help women and allies pursue their passions, reach their full potential, and shape the future. Slalom Women brings together voices from the following communities: Women in Technology, Women's Leadership Network, Women in Data, and Women Who Build. Objectives - Inspire and nurture careers in technology and consulting. - Support the growth of technical and business skills among women and allies at Slalom. - Create a thriving community of technical best practice and thought leadership across Slalom. - Drive internal connection and collaboration globally at Slalom. - Foster external partnerships that amplify our voice and create visibility for our community. Slalom employee Jenae looks at the camera while in the office. I feel empowered by other women when I see folks standing up for what they believe in and being able to share their thoughts. We help lift each other up. Maiko Aratake Director, Tokyo Slalom employee Angela stands with a group of employees. Something my mentor once said has stuck with me for years now - Challenges are our gateway to growth. In the face of any challenge, I like to step-backstep back remind myself of my why's, think about what I had hoped to achieve and what I can learn from the situation. And leaning on my trusted support circle, talking to my friends, family and mentors, help me evaluate the situation with different viewpoints, and their encouragement gives the push to keep moving forward. Deepa Manghnani Principal, Solution Ownership, Boston Grace Hopper Celebration, 2022 test Slalomers show up strong at the world’s largest annual gathering of women and non-binary technologists. Atlanta Community Service Day, 2023 Icon Slalom team members Leanna Dailey and Ana Karen Perez Garcia help clean up a community garden in Atlanta during a day of volunteering. AfroTech, 2022 Slalom women show their pride at AfroTech, the premier tech, investing, and wealth-building conference for the Black community. Slalom Hartford A group of Women’s Leadership Network members enjoy a gathering in Slalom’s Hartford office. Ready to love your future? See open roles --- title: Partners url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners locale: us/en content_type: Partners Template --- # Partners - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partners Template ## Summary Our partnerships with 700+ of the world’s leading technology providers help us fuel innovation and sustainable growth for our customers. Explore our partners. ## Body Partners Partner | Slalom Our partnerships with 700+ of the world’s leading technology providers help us fuel innovation and sustainable growth for our customers. Explore our partners. partners and employees collaborating over a laptop Our technology partners At Slalom, we know that co-creation leads to better outcomes. Our partnerships with over 700 of the world’s leading technology providers help us fuel innovation and sustainable growth for our customers. Technology is a catalyst for transformation. We partner with the world's leading and emerging technology companies to deliver the best outcomes for you. Explore our partner network Let’s go further, together. Learn about some of our top partnerships. AWS alt text Google Cloud Tableau We harness the best of technology to solve your biggest challenges Inside Slalom’s Partner Love Survey Learn more about how we nurture exceptional relationships with our technology partners. earth Pathward: Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love We partnered with national bank Pathward, N.A., to leverage Adobe marketing technology for a brand transformation that enhanced customer experience, increased digital engagements, and streamlined internal processes. slalom values employee Uncovering the next generation of technology partners Find out how Slalom Ventures is working to identify, nurture, and de-risk early-stage startups with the potential to bring breakthrough value to our customers. 2023 PARTNER LOVE SURVEY We take our relationships seriously, and our annual partner survey proves it. Indira Gillingham I am thrilled to support Slalom as a top partner of Salesforce. We value their deep industry expertise and investment in talented people to create and innovate on our platform, delivering extraordinary outcomes for our joint customers around the world. Together, we are shaping the future of technology and revolutionizing the way businesses connect with their customers. Julia Chen Over a decade strong, the partnership between AWS and Slalom has consistently evolved to meet customer needs—from migration to modernization, analytics and cloud native development—always keeping customer success as the north star. I am excited about our future together, as joint investments in industry solutions, machine learning and generative AI unlock ever-greater value for customers across the world. Sabina Shaikh We are proud to partner with Slalom to help our joint customers drive business value through data, analytics, and AI. We have shared values that emphasize the importance of customer success and helping organizations as they navigate this new wave of data and AI. Together, we will help companies democratize data to every employee and work to democratize AI in every product. Krishnan Parasuraman Our relationship with Slalom has allowed us to unlock new value for our mutual customers in the data and AI space. We are excited to continue to partner to maximize value and drive actionable insights on the Snowflake Data Cloud. Nina Harding nina harding Slalom’s partnership with Microsoft is an alliance that doesn t just create solutions, but crafts shared value. Through Slalom s people-first approach and Microsoft s innovation, together we jointly navigate the landscapes of Azure, AI, security, data, modern workplace, and business applications, illuminating pathways to success that resonate across industries and elevate the standards of excellence. Lee Fisher Our partnership with Slalom has been a game-changer for Docusign. Their deep expertise in government agencies and customer-first mindset have helped agencies tackle workflow friction and drive meaningful results. From complex digital transformation to AI integration, Slalom has been more than a partner to Docusign and our consituents—they’ve become an invaluable extension of our team. Awards & recognition System Integrator Partner of the Year AWS partner of the year logo 2023 Partner Innovation Award Winner: Platform Canada Analytics Impact Award 2022 Infrastructure Partner of the Year Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year Partner of the Year: Americas GSI Services Partner of the Year --- title: Adobe Partner | Adobe Consulting Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Adobe Partner | Adobe Consulting Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/adobe - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is an expert Adobe Partner in providing Adobe Consulting Services that maximize the benefit of your Adobe platforms and deliver optimal results. ## Body Adobe Partner | Adobe Consulting Services | Slalom Slalom is an expert Adobe Partner in providing Adobe Consulting Services that maximize the benefit of your Adobe platforms and deliver optimal results. Salesforce Adobe Slalom Your customer experiences are the lifeblood of your company. Slalom’s partnership with Adobe is powered by our expertise in data and analytics, strategy and design, CRM, and operational excellence. We can help you make the most of the Adobe platform to deliver the experiences your customers want, need, and have come to expect. Featured Story Placeholder Pathward: Rebranding with Adobe and a dose of customer love Read story Adobe and Slalom share a passion for customer centricity, delivering personalized insights and engagement for every project. Our adobe expertise - Customer Data Segmentation - Digital Asset Management - Digital Strategy and Org Design - Display Ads and SEM - E-Commerce and Retail - Experience and Content Management - Marketing Automation - Solution Owner and Delivery Partner - Web Analytics and Data Capture woman tablet Slalom named a Major Contender in Everest Group's Adobe services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025. We’re proud to be recognized for our commitment to helping organizations unlock the full potential of Adobe solutions through human-centered, data-driven, and innovative transformation. Read Story See you at Adobe Summit 2026! Learn from Slalom's experts how Adobe can help you boost marketing performance to new heights in 2026. Learn more Meet our Adobe leaders We’re here to help you design for real customer moments and go from planning growth to proving it. Connect with Slalom leaders for thoughtful, one-on-one conversations about the challenges shaping marketing today. Joaquim Vilella Gallart Joaquim leads Slalom's Adobe practice, driving large-scale marketing technology transformations that enable personalization at scale through the strategic orchestration of data, journeys, and AI-drive experiences. Connect with Joaquim Sridhar Andavar Sridhar leads the Journey and B2B pillar within Slalom's Adobe practice, helping organizations connect data, identity, and content to deliver personalized journeys at scale. Connect with Sridhar Kristen Fox Kristen specializes in implementing enterprise-scale Adobe solutions by bridging the gap between technical strategy and business goals to transform complex client challenges into high-impact partnerships. Connect with Kristen Tim Furlow Tim specializes in leveraging Adobe Experience Cloud to design and deliver highly personalized, data-driven customer experiences that connect strategy, technology, and execution. Connect with Tim Thomas Wellvang Thomas is a marketing technology leader who has helped some of the largest companies in the world deliver innovative customer experiences and scalable solutions. Connect with Thomas Mike Dunnigan As the alliance lead, Mike is committed to driving collaboration across Adobe and Slalom to ensure customer success, innovation, and capability growth. Connect with Mike --- title: Anaplan Partner | Anaplan Consultant | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Anaplan Partner | Anaplan Consultant | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/anaplan - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom helps our customers reimagine the way they make connected and continuous planning decisions as an Anaplan Partner and Anaplan Consultant ## Body Anaplan Partner | Anaplan Consultant | Slalom Anaplan | Slalom Slalom helps our customers reimagine the way they make connected and continuous planning decisions as an Anaplan Partner and Anaplan Consultant We help our customers reimagine the way they make connected and continuous planning decisions to help them transform into agile, connected enterprises. Salesforce Anaplan Slalom Driving faster, better, and more collaborative decisions across the enterprise. In a time when macroeconomic pressures, supply chain disruptions, and a renewed focus on profitable growth have become the norm, time-to-decision has shifted from a competitive advantage to a competitive imperative. We help our customers reimagine the way they make connected and continuous planning decisions to help them transform into agile, connected enterprises. Featured Story Placeholder Daikin Comfort: Keeping cool with unified sales and operations planning Read story We deliver connected planning solutions that help our customers shift their planning processes from insights to impact. Our Anaplan expertise Finance - Driver-based Planning - Financial Statement Modeling - LRP/Strategic Planning - Opex Capex Planning - Sales Revenue Planning HR - Headcount Indirect Labor Planning - Strategic Workforce Planning - Workload Management IT - Budgeting Forecasting - IT Project Prioritization - Variable Consumption Cost Planning Sales - Account Segmentation - Incentive Compensation Management - Marketing Resource Management - Sales Forecasting Performance Management - Territory Quota Planning Supply Chain - Assortment Replenishment Planning - Control Tower/S OE - Demand Planning - Merchandise Financial Planning - S OP - Supply Planning Like Anaplan, Slalom is a customer-first organization, and we are proud to work with the team to help business leaders transform planning into a competitive edge for their companies. Together, we will continue to deliver high-impact outcomes for our joint customers through unique planning solutions, so they can address their most critical and complex planning challenges. Ray Curbelo VP Partners Alliances Our featured solutions Solution Workforce planning We help organizations see a holistic view of workforce management and implement strategic plans to unlock the power of their employees. Learn more Finance planning We help finance teams access collaborative budgeting and forecasting techniques to improve margins and drive growth. Workshop Sales planning To optimize sales, businesses need to be able to react quickly to market changes. We help organizations leverage key data and KPIs to help drive sales strategy. Supply chain planning We partner with organizations to optimize inventory levels, streamline demand forecasting, and enhance logistics coordination, ultimately enabling efficient supply chain management. Ryan DuBiel Leader Placeholder Ryan and his team leverage their experiences in both industry and consulting to drive thought leadership, solutioning, and global delivery of Connected Planning solutions. Connect with Ryan Carter Saunders Leadership Carter and her team have breadth across business and technology. The pillars of strategy, operations, application development, and data enable business planning across complex business environments. Connect with Carter Kate Trenchard Kate is a people and process- oriented thinker focused on crafting user-centric connected planning experiences. She drives delivery excellence across our teams, leveraging Agile methodologies to drive iterative value and long-term adoption for our Anaplan customers. Connect with Kate Yan Lau Yan is a seasoned retail lead in Slalom’s Anaplan practice, leveraging his business background to optimize operations. With expertise in finance and retail, he drives efficiency and optimization in complex business environments. Connect with Yan Anaplan awards recognition Anaplan Impact Partner of the Year 2020 Regional Partner of the Year, AMER FY23 Anaplan badges --- title: AWS Partner | Award Winning System Integrator | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # AWS Partner | Award Winning System Integrator | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/aws - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is an award winning AWS partner of the year system integrator who adds deep technical and strategic expertise to any AWS project. ## Body AWS Partner | Award Winning System Integrator | Slalom Slalom is an award winning AWS partner of the year system integrator who adds deep technical and strategic expertise to any AWS project. Salesforce AWS Slalom Getting serious business outcomes from cloud technology takes serious humanity. Since 2010, Slalom and AWS have helped organizations modernize critical systems, accelerate cloud adoption, and build more adaptable businesses. Now the challenge has shifted from experimenting with AI to operationalizing it, We help customers embed AI into the core of how they operate, make decisions, and deliver customer value, through AWS-native platforms, modern data foundations, and products designed for real-world scale. Technology alone doesn’t make organizations AI-first. People do. That’s why we focus equally on adoption, skills, operating models, and measurable outcomes. Featured Story Placeholder La-Z-Boy : A mainframe modernization for a more comfortable future Read story Wherever you are on your cloud journey, Slalom brings curiosity, passion, and deep technical and strategic expertise to every AWS project. OUR AWS COMPETENCIES AND DESIGNATIONS - Advertising/Marketing Technology Services - AI Services - AWS Microsoft Workloads - Cloud Operations - Data Analytics - DevOps - Education - Energy Utilities - Financial Services - Government - Healthcare - Life Sciences - Mainframe Modernization - Media Entertainment - Migration and Modernization Services - Machine Learning - Nonprofit - Retail - SaaS - Security - Supply Chain - Travel Hospitality Services The AWS and Slalom partnership always keeps customer success as the North Star. I‘m excited about our future together, as joint investments in industry solutions, machine learning, and generative AI unlock ever-greater value for customers across the world. Julia Chen Vice President, Partner Core AWS Our featured solutions Legacy modernization We modernize and scale legacy systems on AWS-native platforms using agentic tooling and phased, low-risk approaches that preserve what works while enabling growth. Using AI agents, we rapidly analyze and refactor legacy code, strategically eliminating outdated systems to build AI-ready, AWS-native applications, and transform COBOL and other legacy platforms into modular microservices with minimal business disruption. Explore Zero Legacy AI transformation We help organizations become AI-first enterprises by combining human expertise with AWS-powered intelligence to embed AI into how they operate, innovate and deliver measurable business value. From identifying and prioritizing high-ROI AI opportunities, assessing task-level AI readiness and impact with our EnhanceIQ Accelerator, to helping scale AI responsibly with our proven framework and establishing centralized governance and operational maturity with AI Office Enablement, we partner with you at every stage of the journey. See TP ICAP’s transformation Data foundations Unlock the full value of data by designing, building, and scaling modern data ecosystems on AWS.​ We modernize legacy and fragmented data environments into AWS-native, AI-ready architectures while establishing compliance frameworks that support responsible AI. Through real-time analytics pipelines and integrated dashboards delivering predictive and prescriptive insights, we unite people, processes, and technology to build a truly data-driven organization. Unlock data’s value Product innovation We bring new product experiences to life through an AI-enabled software development lifecycle. From strategy through build and scale, we design, develop, and modernize digital products using cloud-native architectures, data-driven insights, and embedded AI. Our teams blend deep industry expertise with product management, design, and engineering to accelerate time to market, reduce technical debt, and create intelligent, secure, and scalable products customers love. Let's build together Contact center modernization We design and deploy cloud-based, omnichannel contact centers on AWS, integrating Amazon Connect, Salesforce Service Cloud, and AWS data services to deliver personalized customer experiences. Using Bedrock, Amazon Q, and Lex-powered voice and chat bots, we enable real-time insights, intelligent knowledge retrieval, and natural, automated interactions. Explore the solution WD Land WD Land headshot WD leads our global AWS business team and has been at Slalom since 2007. With 20+ years in business and technology consulting, he’s skilled at—and passionate about—leveraging modern technology trends and Slalom capabilities to accelerate business outcomes and goal completion for clients. Connect with WD Liz Lounsbury Liz leads our AWS GTM and ProServe business. For more than 13 years at Slalom, she has helped customers navigate transformations—whether migrating to or building modern products in the cloud. Liz brings deep experience in sales and account leadership along with a strong understanding of the AWS ecosystem. She helps shape Slalom’s largest AWS sales pursuits and projects, including our biggest Proserve partnered deals. Connect with Liz Adam Chadderdon Adam leads the AWS Partnership Development Manager team at Slalom and has been with Slalom for more than 6 years. He oversees the strategy, governance, and engagement model that powers Slalom’s global AWS partnership. Working closely with AWS field and partner leadership, his team focuses on scaling repeatable industry-led solutions, accelerating pipeline growth, and positioning Slalom as a high-impact, strategic AWS partner. Connect with Adam Walt Austin Walt leads our AWS solution sales team and has been at Slalom for over 17 years. Guiding our largest implementations in cloud, software engineering, and mainframe modernization has fueled his passion to help organizations transform and grow during their cloud journey. Connect with Walt Jeff Kempiners Jeff leads the Amazon Center of Excellence for Slalom. His team uses AWS technology to deliver solutions spanning cloud infrastructure, development, data, AI, modernization, optimization, and security. Connect with Jeff Industry Partner of the Year - Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods – Consulting – Global 2025 Industry Partner of the Year - Travel and Hospitality – Consulting – Global State or Local Government Consulting Partner of the Year – NAMER Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Consulting Partner of the Year – NAMER See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 Frequently asked questions --- title: Boomi Integration | Global Partner and Consultant | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/boomi source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/boomi locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Boomi Integration | Global Partner and Consultant | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/boomi - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/boomi - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is a global Boomi Partner and expert Boomi integration specialist with teams helping deliver numerous platform capabilities. ## Body Boomi Integration | Global Partner and Consultant | Slalom Slalom is a global Boomi Partner and expert Boomi integration specialist with teams helping deliver numerous platform capabilities. Salesforce Boomi Slalom Uniting everything in a digital ecosystem, so customers can achieve better outcomes, faster. With Boomi’s innovative integration platform, Slalom helps clients link data, systems, applications and processes, providing a robust fabric of connectivity that increases enterprise speed and agility. As a five-time Boomi Partner of the Year, we pair technical experts with business domain experts to strategically address the critical technological and cultural elements of our clients’ key initiatives. Featured Story Placeholder Vanguard Charitable: Increasing impact through improved donor experience Read story Slalom is a global partner with extensive expertise building solutions that leverage Boomi’s numerous platform capabilities including Integration, EDI, Flow, MDH, API Management, and Event Streams across all industry verticals. Our boomi expertise - Enterprise integration strategy - API design and management - Process orchestration - Modern data architecture - Cloud and data migration Our featured solutions ACCELERATOR Boomi for M&A Our accelerator for mergers and acquisitions can help you connect everyone to everything on day one of an M A transaction and realize synergies faster. Learn more Solution Workday + Boomi Looking to improve Workday adoption and connection across your enterprise? For complex enterprises, Boomi may be the key to realizing the potential of your data with real-time connectivity. Whitney Sabins Leader Placeholder Whitney collaborates closely with Slalom alliance partners to maximize synergy, keep Slalom on the forefront of cutting-edge technology, and ensure impactful solutions for customers. Connect with Whitney Leah Cole Leadership Leah is a business and technology leader who brings deep expertise in bridging business strategy with technology solutions across industries and business functions. Connect with Leah Jon Blinderman Jon is an outcome-oriented, collaborative leader who excels at aligning impactful business objectives with innovative technological solutions to drive value for customers across a wide range of industry sectors. Connect with Jon Partner Award Winner Icon of award. 2023 Icon of a trophy. 2021 2020 2019 2018 See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: Databricks Partners with Slalom to Drive Business Value url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Databricks Partners with Slalom to Drive Business Value - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/databricks - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is proud to be a Databricks Partner and Consultant in helping deliver exceptional customer experience through data and AI. ## Body Databricks Partners with Slalom to Drive Business Value Databricks Consulting Firm | Slalom Slalom is proud to be a Databricks Partner and Consultant in helping deliver exceptional customer experience through data and AI. Salesforce Databricks Slalom Reduce costs and complexity, while accelerating innovation. Your customers will thank you. Slalom helps organizations realize the full value of the Databricks Lakehouse platform. Unify your data, analytics, and AI workloads to support real-time, data-driven decisions that boost customer satisfaction. Featured Story Placeholder Kawasaki: Expanding horizons with intelligent track maintenance support Read story Slalom’s experts can help you empower your data teams to focus on what really matters—extracting value from data. Our Databricks expertise - Data Strategy - Industry Accelerators - Intelligent Products - Modernization slalom databricks partner We are proud to partner with Slalom to help our joint customers drive business value through data, analytics, and AI. We have shared values that emphasize the importance of customer success and helping organizations as they navigate this new wave of data and AI. Together, we will help companies democratize data to every employee and work to democratize AI in every product. Sabina Shaikh Vice President, Global Systems Integrators Databricks Our featured solutions Brickbuilder Accelerator AI Lakehouse Accelerator The AI Lakehouse accelerator is an all-in-one package for standing up a Data Lakehouse. We help our clients implement an analytical capability faster and provide a framework to grow their data estate. Learn more Brickbuilder Solution Clinical Data 360 Built on the Databricks Lakehouse, Clinical Data 360 seamlessly manages patient consent and data privacy while maintaining high-quality patient data for improved decision-making, faster diagnosis and more accurate treatment plans. Unity Catalog Accelerator + Workshop Spark your Data Journey with Slalom's Unity Catalog Accelerator Workshop. Seamlessly govern your structured and unstructured data, machine learning models, notebooks, dashboards, and files on any cloud or platform. We did the hard work so you don't have to. GenDocIQ GenDocIQ enables enterprises to extract, reason, and act on insights from unstructured documents using generative AI. Built on Databricks, it unifies data, accelerates analysis, and streamlines decisions across regulated and unregulated industries. Insurance 360 Built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, Insurance 360 unifies policyholder data to build better experiences, reduce friction, and support smarter decisions across policy and claims. LakeSpeak Built on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, LakeSpeak delivers governed access to Genie and Lakehouse data to improve decision-making, simplify automation, and scale intelligence across apps and workflows. Redefining Care with Data Leaders from Slalom and Databricks discuss transformative innovations in healthcare and life sciences, spotlighting the power of data and AI to unlock clinical insights, streamline operations, and accelerate drug discovery. The conversation highlights real-world use cases—from reducing ER wait times to enabling AI-driven clinical trial monitoring—and emphasizes how data platforms like Databricks are reshaping patient outcomes and provider experiences. As a trusted healthcare consulting partner, Slalom brings deep industry expertise to help organizations navigate this data-driven revolution with speed, security, and strategy. Johanna DeYoung our Global HCLS leader interviewed Harris Thayer and Michael Sanky, Databricks HCLS leaders about the Future of HCLS and data. oj6bwarglo Pragathi Sharma Leadership Pragathi believes great engineering goes beyond code—it’s driven by collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement. As a Databricks Champion, she simplifies complex problems, accelerates delivery, and empowers teams to harness data and AI for lasting impact. Connect with Pragathi Noel Anson Leader Noel Anson is a seasoned data and technology leader at Slalom with over a decade of experience in delivering data products and building high-performing teams. Based in Chicago, he serves as the Databricks Business Unit Lead for the US. In his role, Noel is responsible for delivering transformational outcomes using databricks and leading large-scale delivery efforts. Connect with Noel Sebastian Richters Sebastian leads Slalom’s global Databricks Business Unit, helping organizations transform through data modernization and AI innovation. He drives the global growth of Slalom’s Databricks partnership by developing and executing joint go-to-market strategies, guiding clients on their data and AI journeys, and fostering collaboration across industries. Passionate about empowering people, Sebastian enables Slalom’s local and global data practitioners to deliver meaningful outcomes and accelerate value for clients around the world. Connect with Sebastian Soumya Ghosh Soumya is a Data AI technology leader highly passionate about delivering impactful, high value Data AI solutions to Slalom’s strategic clients across a variety of industry verticals like Financial Services, Telecommunications, CPG, Manufacturing etc. As the Head of Databricks Center of Excellence at Slalom, Soumya is focused on building firm’s expertise and innovative solution offerings closely partnering with Databricks and Slalom’s strategic enterprise clients. Connect with Soumya Cameron Shotwell Cameron Shotwell develops data and AI architectures grounded in the belief that technology is most valuable when it enhances human decision-making. His work integrates agentic automation and generative intelligence into enterprise systems, enabling organizations to operate with greater speed, understanding, and purpose. Connect with Cameron Data + AI Platform C&SI Partner of the Year 2026 Databricks C&SI Insurance Partner of the Year Brickbuilder Specialization - Financial Services Brickbuilder Specialization - Media & Entertainment Brickbuilder Specialization - Healthcare & Life Sciences databricks healthcare partner slalom Brickbuilder Specialization - Manufacturing, Transportation & Energy Brickbuilder Specialization - Public Sector databricks partner government slalom Brickbuilder Specialization - Retail & Consumer Goods databricks partner retail slalom Partner of the Year: 3x Awards | Americas Industry Business Unit, Canada, and SLED databricks global elite partner badge 2025 Databricks awards recognition Databricks Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner of the Year 2023 National Partner of the Year 2020, 2021 Communications, Media, Entertainment Partner of the Year 2022 Partner of the Year 2019 --- title: Google Cloud Partner | Google Cloud Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Google Cloud Partner | Google Cloud Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/google-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is an award winning Google Cloud Partner with over 700 employees with Google Cloud Certifications and over 1000 Google Cloud engagements. ## Body Google Cloud Partner | Google Cloud Services | Slalom Slalom is an award winning Google Cloud Partner with over 700 employees with Google Cloud Certifications and over 1000 Google Cloud engagements. Salesforce slalom 2026 google cloud partner google cloud partner slalom consulting Google Cloud Slalom There’s no limit to what’s possible when deep technology experience meets genuine humanity. For over a decade, we’ve brought a people-first approach to helping our customers make the most of Google Cloud technologies. Whether you need modern analytics, AI-powered solutions, migration support, or full-scale cloud transformation, Slalom can help you drive rapid adoption and durable customer impact, while empowering your teams to work in new ways. Featured Story Placeholder PUMA: Activating customers worldwide with generative AI Read story Slalom helps you navigate the AI transformation journey 5vnbsmp6wy Slalom’s people-first approach combined with Google Cloud innovations set you up for success in today’s technology-driven world. Our google cloud Competencies - Artificial Intelligence - Apigee - [Application Modernization](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/zero-legacy) - Business Pro Services - Data Analytics - [Financial Services](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/financial-services) - Gemini Enterprise - Healthcare Life Sciences - Infrastructure - [Manufacturing Industrial](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/manufacturing) - [Retail Consumer](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/industries/retail-consumer) - Software Internet Slalom has the industry knowledge and technical expertise to create value for customers at every step of their digital transformation journeys. With innovative solutions that realize the potential of Google Cloud technology, Slalom helps businesses successfully modernize their infrastructure, optimize critical data, and improve everyday work with generative AI. Victor Morales Vice President, Global Systems Integrators Partnerships Google Cloud At Slalom, we’re proud to partner with leading organizations to accelerate innovation and drive measurable business outcomes on Google Cloud. From a major retailer achieving complete infrastructure modernization with zero business disruption while maintaining seamless operations to a leading auto manufacturer evolving from batch processing to real-time intelligence, these projects demonstrate how we help customers move from legacy to leadership. With Slalom’s expertise and Google Cloud’s technology, our customers are redefining what's possible in their industry. Don Piluso Senior Managing Director Slalom Our featured solutions Solution Zero Legacy: Accelerated Modernization We eliminate technical debt by migrating legacy systems to cloud-native, AI-ready architectures on Google Cloud. AI also helps to move away from data centers by accelerating the re-platforming of databases and modernization of legacy applications. On every migration or modernization engagement, we deliver durable, cloud-native infrastructure that brings value quickly and is built to last. Learn more solution AI Transformation We [create AI-first enterprises](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence) by combining Slalom strategy with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI ecosystem. Our offering accelerates value through rapid agentic AI prototyping with a clear value case so organizations can scale prototypes into production with a well-defined business process for accelerating the next group of use cases. Organization-wide Gemini Enterprise rollouts and workforce upskilling serve to embed AI across the business. See PUMA's journey New Products & Industry Solutions We build what’s next through [greenfield innovation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/digital-product-building) and specialized accelerators. This includes delivering event-driven, serverless platforms on Firebase and GKE, as well as industry-focused solutions such as the Public Records Response Engine for state and local governments. Modern Data We unlock the [value of enterprise data](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/data) by designing and scaling secure, intelligent data ecosystems, leveraging the latest in Google Cloud technology to help make organizations AI-ready. We leverage BigQuery and Spanner to provide a unified, scalable data layer with clear governance, observability, and responsible AI guardrails to drive strong performance and data integrity. Check it out Dr. Randi Cowin, Ph.D. Leadership A Google Cloud data and analytics expert in healthcare and life sciences, Randi holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics. She’s knowledgeable across the HCLS value chain, including HCLS-specific Google Cloud AI services. Connect with Randi Daniel Prager From data and analytics consultant to cloud partnership leader, Daniel found his passion in driving growth and transformation through strategic alliances. His expertise includes developing go-to-market strategies and building high-performing teams. Connect with Daniel Sean Everhart Sean leads Slalom’s strategic partnership with Google, helping clients deliver high-impact AI and cloud transformation initiatives. He brings deep experience in technology strategy and enterprise transformation. Connect with Sean Marcus Forman Marcus_Forman Marcus brings over 20 years of federal service in U.S. Army Special Operations, combined with consulting experience in the public and social impact sector. He partners with leaders to solve complex challenges and deliver mission-driven transformation. Connect with Marcus US State & Local Government (SLG) Partner of the Year Award 2026 Artificial Intelligence Partner of the Year Award for Public Sector slalom consulting award google cloud 2025 2025 United States Partner of the Year, Services 2024 Infrastructure Partner of the Year Icon of a trophy. 2023 Canada Services Partner of the Year Breakthrough Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2017, 2018 See all awards --- title: Microsoft Partner | Microsoft Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Microsoft Partner | Microsoft Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/microsoft - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom has been a Microsoft Partner for over 2 decades in designing and delivering exceptional solutions that drive business forward. ## Body Microsoft Partner | Microsoft Services | Slalom Slalom has been a Microsoft Partner for over 2 decades in designing and delivering exceptional solutions that drive business forward. Salesforce Microsoft Slalom For more than two decades, we’ve delivered innovation side by side with Microsoft, designing and deploying the solutions that allow big ideas to have an even bigger impact on our customers—and theirs. From global retailers to world-changing nonprofits, from tech giants to specialty restaurants, we’re reimagining the modern workplace to enable everyone on the planet to achieve more—and we’re doing it together. AEG Customer Story Hero SIEMENS: Turning AI potential into progress for developers Read story We partner with change-making clients to shape the future around Microsoft technology, because we know the future will be built with Microsoft. Microsoft Specializations - Adoption and change management - Copilot - Agentic DevOps with Microsoft Azure and GitHub - Microsoft Low Code Application Development - Intelligent automation - Infra and database migration to Microsoft Azure - AI apps with Microsoft Azure - Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure - Analytics on Microsoft Azure - AI platform on Microsoft Azure - Threat protection - Identity and access management - Cloud security - Data security Through Slalom’s people-first approach and Microsoft’s innovation, together we jointly navigate the landscapes of Azure, AI, security, data, modern workplace, and business applications, illuminating pathways to success that resonate across industries and elevate the standards of excellence. Nina Harding Corporate Vice President Microsoft, Americas Enterprise Partner Solutions Our featured solutions Accelerator Fabric and OpenAI Integration With the leading perspective on Microsoft Fabric, Slalom is ready to bring your business a unified analytics solution in the era of generative AI across every aspect of the Microsoft data platform. Learn more Azure - Data Lakehouse Accelerator This accelerator provides a framework for you to grow your data estate. It simplifies loading data into a Lakehouse, so your teams can focus on what really matters—extracting value from data. Azure - Landing Zone Accelerator This high-performance solution brings speed to delivery, efficiency to operational costs, and security to the end product and all other subsequent resources that interact with the Landing Zone. Offering Azure Zero Trust Assessment Create your Azure security foundation: We will work with your organization's security and infrastructure leaders to create a point-in-time snapshot of where you are in your security journey. Workshop Microsoft Copilot Workshop Join Slalom for a workshop focused on helping to identify the opportunities and use cases for Microsoft 365 Copilot within your organization. Solution Empower your team with Github and Azure Slalom can help you securely deliver high-quality code with faster release cycles by leveraging GitHub to orchestrate deployment of workloads into Azure. Learn More Heidi Lamar Heidi Lamar is a trusted leader known for her strategic vision and commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes. She leads Slalom’s Microsoft Modern Work practice, bringing clarity, purpose, and a results-driven approach that consistently creates lasting value and exceptional client experiences. Connect with Heidi Patrick B. Mackiney Patrick B. Mackiney is a seasoned technology executive with 20+ years leading digital transformation. At Slalom, he leads the Microsoft Business Applications practice, delivering enterprise solutions with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. His expertise spans architecture, cloud strategy, and CRM transformations across industries and sectors. Connect with Patrick Gaston Cruz A Microsoft MVP in Data Platform, Gaston leads the Microsoft COE Data AI Solution Area, overseeing the delivery of high-quality Business Intelligence solutions and analytics strategies using Microsoft technologies. Connect with Gaston Melissa Smith Melissa is a recognized expert in Microsoft security, compliance, and data governance, specializing in Microsoft Unified Security, Purview, and Azure. She helps organizations implement practical, scalable solutions with confidence — building the secure foundations needed for AI, regulatory readiness, and long-term trust. Connect with Melissa Bryant Boyer Bryant is a Power Platform and Copilot leader known for delivering scalable low-code solutions and governance strategies. He brings deep expertise in enterprise architecture and stakeholder alignment to drive impactful digital transformation outcomes. Connect with Bryant 2025 AMER GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year 2025 US Analytics Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2022 Canada Analytics Impact Award Icon of a trophy. Canada Public Sector Impact Award Canada Co-Sell Impact Award Power BI Partner of the Year 2020 Collaboration & Content Global Partner of the Year 2017 Office 365 Solution Partner of the Year award logo 2012 Online Services Solution Partner of the Year 2011 See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 Frequently asked questions --- title: OpenAI Partner | Open AI Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # OpenAI Partner | Open AI Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/openai - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Together with OpenAI, Slalom is helping businesses work in an AI-native way so they can move fast, scale AI responsibly, and achieve amazing things. ## Body OpenAI Partner | Open AI Services | Slalom OpenAI Partner | OpenAI Services | Slalom Together with OpenAI, we’re helping businesses work in an AI-native way so they can scale AI responsibly to achieve amazing things. Together with OpenAI, Slalom is helping businesses work in an AI-native way so they can move fast, scale AI responsibly, and achieve amazing things. OpenAI OpenAI Slalom​ A game-changing partnership for the future of work.​ Together with OpenAI, we are helping businesses learn how to work an AI-native way. Organizations using AI agents are achieving new levels of productivity, creating new experiences, and disrupting their industries.​ ​With OpenAI’s cutting-edge capabilities and Slalom’s expertise bring more to our customers so they can move fast, scale AI responsibly, and achieve things they never could before.​ Featured Story Placeholder Norwegian Cruise Line: GenAI guides guests to dream cruise vacations Read story Our goal is to bring immediate impact and measurable value to our customers. Together with OpenAI, we're doing just that. Our openai expertise - Enable organization-wide AI literacy and adoption - Create custom GPTs that solve real business problems - Build production applications using the openAI API - Platform, including Apps and agents SDK - Provide clear metrics to demonstrate success - Conduct executive alignment workshops - Train users with AI 101, 201, and 301 courses - Establish ROI tracking and impact reporting openai partner badge slalom Global Head of AI at a global biopharma​ What began as a technology deployment quickly evolved into a strategic capability that is now embedded across our business and has fundamentally changed the way our teams work. By personalizing ChatGPT Enterprise to fit our unique environment, we empowered our teams to work more efficiently, make faster decisions, and unlock new levels of productivity. Partnering with Slalom and OpenAI has been truly transformational for our organization. Our featured solutions SOLUTION ChatGPT Enterprise rollout​ Build organization-wide AI literacy and confidence to expand its impact and reach and develop a continuous innovation pipeline for AI. OpenAI API Platform build​ Build an AI-powered product experience from the ground up with clear roadmap, delivery plan, and success criteria. OnGoing Support Coaching and co-creation For customers ready to scale, Slalom offers longer-term support and co-creation across a wide range of capabilities from ongoing hands-on coaching, to advanced custom GPTs and prompt libraries for specialized roles or workflows. OpenAI and Slalom news events​ news [Slalom named an OpenAI Advanced Partner](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-named-openai-advanced-partner)​: The strengthened bond between will expand Slalom's ability to help organizations design, deploy, and scale AI solutions using OpenAI technologies with the governance, expertise, and adoption strategies needed for enterprise success. [OpenAI and Slalom partnership](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-partnership)​: The collaboration will bring OpenAI’s AI models and products together with Slalom’s delivery expertise to help customers deploy AI solutions across their organizations. [OpenAI for Government collaboration](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/slalom-openai-enable-us-government)​ : Together with OpenAI, Slalom experts will help federal agencies bring AI into their everyday work in a smart and responsible way. events [J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/events/jp-morgan-healthcare)​ January 12-15, 2026​ San Francisco​ Discover the future of healthcare and life sciences. [The New Way Forward: The Agentic Coworker](https://go.slalom.com/agenticcoworkers2026)​ March 11, 2026 San Francisco​ Join us to explore how AI agents are reshaping teams, workflows, and the way meaningful work gets done. Meet our OpenAI leaders Jessica Ferrell Will Thieme Jessica works with executive teams to turn the potential of OpenAI into practical, enterprise-wide advantages. She helps leaders translate emerging AI capabilities into scalable solutions that drive measurable business outcomes while strengthening governance and trust with teams. With a background in executive AI coaching change management and organizational transformation, she designs adoption strategies that enable responsible AI at scale. Jeff Rummel​ Jeff is a global alliances leader with over 15 years of experience building and scaling strategic partnerships. He is responsible for accelerating Slalom’s OpenAI partnership globally by aligning strategy, go-to-market execution, and industry solutions. He focuses on helping enterprises prioritize the right use cases, embed AI into real workflows, and responsibly scale adoption. Etienne Ohl Etienne leads West AI at Slalom, pioneering enterprise-scale AI for over 16 years. With a background in computer perception, he has led 50+ engagements across machine learning, generative AI, enterprise AI, AIOps, digital products, and modern data architectures, he helps organizations translate advanced intelligence into measurable business outcomes. Will partners with clients to define AI strategies, design operating models, and deliver solutions powered by OpenAI technologies. Drawing on experience in executive coaching, training at scale, and technical implementation, he helps organizations responsibly adopt generative AI to unlock measurable business value. He also stays current on emerging research in model mechanics. Emmett Tischmak Emmett helps organizations define clear AI strategies and translate them into practical plans grounded in measurable metrics that drive adoption and achieve business outcomes. He leverages experience leading enterprise technology implementation and adoption efforts across organizations ranging from several thousand employees to workforces of more than 100,000, spanning industries and functions. He combines AI expertise with a background in change management, transformation, operational planning, and organizational leadership to help clients move from AI ambition to outcomes at scale. --- title: Salesforce Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Salesforce Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is a multi-award winning Salesforce partner with over 7,400 completed projects as a Salesforce Consultant and holding more than 11,500 certifications. ## Body Salesforce Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom Slalom is a multi-award winning Salesforce partner with over 7,400 completed projects as a Salesforce Consultant and holding more than 11,500 certifications. Salesforce Consulting Services and Award-Winning Partner Salesforce Salesforce Slalom Slalom helps organizations turn AI ambition into measurable impact with Agentforce, Data Cloud, Headless 360, and Zero Legacy. Salesforce gives organizations a powerful foundation for AI, data, and customer engagement. The challenge is turning that potential into everyday ways of working that improve customer experiences, increase productivity, and create measurable business value. The CMO’s guide to the agentic enterprise Agentic AI can help marketing become a true growth engine—but only when the right data, governance, and operating models are in place. Get the four-phase playbook for moving from pilot to production. As a leader in every area of the Salesforce ecosystem, we'll work with you to customize the right technology solution stack tailored to your goals. Our salesforce capabilities & industries - Agentforce - Billing - Commerce - B2B Commerce Cloud - B2C Commerce - OMS - Storefront Next - Communications Cloud - Contract Lifecycle Management - Data Cloud - Education Cloud - Experience Cloud - Financial Service Cloud - Financial Services - Insurance - Headless 360 - Healthcare and Life Sciences - Agentforce 360 for Healthcare - Agentforce 360 for Life Sciences - High Tech - Marketing - Account Engagement (Pardot) - Advertising (Ad Studio) - Intelligence (Datorama) - Loyalty - Marketing Cloud (Engagement) - Personalization (Interaction Studio) - Manufacturing, Auto, Energy - Manufacturing Cloud - Media Communications - MuleSoft - Net Zero Cloud - Non-Profit Cloud - Platform - Public Sector Solutions - Retail Consumer Goods - Sales Cloud - Certinia - Revenue Cloud - Pricing - Service Cloud - Contact Center Modernization - Digital Engagement - Field Service Cloud - Slack - Tableau - CRM Analytics - Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality Zero legacy: Modernizing Salesforce for the Agentic Era Zero Legacy + Hubbl Slalom and Hubbl Technologies teamed up for an engaging conversation on simplifying, modernizing, and future-proofing Salesforce for the age of intelligent automation. Watch the webinar to learn how to modernize with Zero Legacy. Watch now Our featured solutions Accelerator Slalom's Agentforce Foundations Accelerator Unlock personalized experiences with Agentforce, powered by Salesforce Data Cloud and our proven delivery frameworks. Learn more Workshop Salesforce Data Cloud Readiness Workshop Prepare for success with our interactive Salesforce Data Cloud Readiness workshop. Discover the power of customer data, gain insights and strategies to optimize data utilization, and leave with tangible next steps. View PDF Salesforce AI Accelerator for Engaging Virtual Assistants Enhance your customer’s experience by providing personalized, dynamic, and conversational interactions with AI-powered assistants. Solution Knowledge-Centered Service powered by Generative AI By leveraging the power of generative AI and Salesforce Service Cloud, businesses can overcome the challenges of knowledge management and deliver exceptional customer experiences that drive success in today's digital era. Slalom's Amazon Buy with Prime Accelerator for Salesforce Commerce Cloud Convert new shoppers with the convenience of Amazon Prime, offering fast, free delivery, and a checkout experience that millions of shoppers' trust. HEALTH CHECK Slalom’s Quote to Cash Health Check As your QTC doctors, we’ll evaluate sales processes, diagnose pain points, and examine data quality and governance for gaps. Our prescribed recommendations, aligned with cutting-edge best practices, ensure a comprehensive quote-to-cash solution boost! Measuring Financed Emissions Slalom's prebuilt configuration of Salesforce Net Zero Cloud helps Financial Sector companies measure the climate impact associated with their services, evaluate risks, inform capital allocation, and accelerate sustainability goals. View pdf DocuSign Contract Lifecycle Management Accelerator for Salesforce The DocuSign Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Accelerator for Salesforce offers seamless integration, enabling swift deployment of CLM solutions. It optimizes CLM processes and facilitates AI integration for automated tasks, data analysis, and risk mitigation. Slalom’s Composable Commerce Accelerator Adapt quickly to changing market demands without overhauling your entire e-commerce infrastructure. Our Composable Commerce Accelerator provides a more modular, adaptable, and future-proof way of building and growing your online business. 2026 Webinar Salesforce Life Sciences Webinar faxergp6m1 Salesforce Healthcare Webinar iljdgy0von Sarah Duffy Leader Placeholder Sarah is the Enterprise Capability Leader and General Manager for Slalom’s Northern California market. She drives Slalom’s Salesforce and AI‑enabled strategy through her leadership of transformative solutions, strategic partnerships, and high‑performing teams that accelerate innovation and client impact across industries. Connect with Sarah Simon Strudwick Simon co-leads the UK I Salesforce business alongside Luke Emberton. He and his team focus on delivering transformational business results with Salesforce as the underlying technology. Connect with Simon Jim Clarke Jim leads Slalom’s global Salesforce capability teams. An accomplished leader with over 15 years of consulting experience, he focuses on helping companies engage and delight their customers through technology. Connect with Jim Stephanie Popper Stephanie helps public sector organizations address complex challenges to better support the communities they serve. With a consultative and outcomes-based approach, she leads our Global Salesforce Public Social Impact practice. Connect with Stephanie Mike McNeal Mike is a Denver-based leader in Slalom’s Salesforce practice. He brings 20+ years of experience at the intersection of technology, data, and growth, helping enterprises translate customer engagement into measurable business outcomes. Connect with Mike Dan Pinto Dan is a NYC Metro-based leader in Slalom’s Salesforce practice. He partners with some of the world’s most influential organizations to turn complex challenges into growth, scaling high-performing teams and driving exceptional client outcomes. Connect with Dan 2025 Partner Innovation Award Technology | Avetta Partner Innovation Awards Icon of award. 2024 (x2), 2023, 2022, 2021 (x2), 2018, 2017 Digital Revolution’s Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America Winner 2023 8X Tableau Innovation Partner of the Year AWS SI Partner of the Year logo 2022-2019, 2017-2014 See all awards Item 1 As one of Salesforce's leading global consulting partners, Slalom combines deep Salesforce expertise with business consulting, industry knowledge, engineering excellence, and [AI transformation](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/services/artificial-intelligence/ai-transformation) capabilities. We help clients move faster from strategy to implementation while continuously evolving their Salesforce platform as new innovations—including Agentforce and Data Cloud—become available. Many organizations have identified promising AI use cases but struggle to operationalize them across sales, service, marketing, and operations. Slalom helps clients establish the strategy, governance, trusted data, and operating model needed to scale AI with Salesforce. Our AI transformation offerings combine Salesforce technologies—including Agentforce, Data Cloud, and the Headless 360 platform—with business process redesign, organizational change, and measurable value realization. Item 2 Agentforce enables organizations to deploy autonomous AI agents that can assist employees and customers across sales, service, marketing, and commerce. Slalom’s offerings, including [Launch Pad for Agentforce](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/newsroom/launch-pad-for-agentforce), help clients identify high-value use cases, prepare trusted enterprise data, design secure agent experiences, integrate business systems, and establish governance so Agentforce delivers measurable business outcomes. Slalom helps organizations connect sales, service, marketing, commerce, and data into unified customer experiences. By combining Salesforce technology with customer strategy, experience design, integration, and organizational change, we help clients deliver more personalized, efficient, and connected customer journeys. Read how Slalom helped retailer [Hanna Andersson](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/hanna-andersson-ecommerce) modernized its ecommerce storefront with Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Customers expect connected experiences across every interaction. Slalom helps organizations integrate Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, and other Salesforce technologies into a unified customer platform that enables more consistent engagement, better collaboration, and smarter decision-making. Slalom works with clients to prioritize high-impact use cases, establish measurable success metrics, accelerate adoption, and continuously optimize Salesforce investments. Our approach helps organizations improve customer experiences while increasing productivity, efficiency, and revenue growth. Learn how [Avetta](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/customer-stories/avetta-agentforce-ai-customer-service-operations), a leader in supply chain risk management, uses Agentforce to enhance customer experience, drive efficiency, and achieve global scale. Salesforce delivers the greatest value when it works seamlessly with ERP systems, data platforms, productivity tools, and other enterprise applications. Slalom helps organizations design modern integration architectures that improve data quality, reduce manual work, and create connected digital experiences. 34ouc51bqv --- title: Healthcare Webinar url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/healthcare-webinar source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/healthcare-webinar locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Healthcare Webinar - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/healthcare-webinar - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/healthcare-webinar - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Body Healthcare Webinar SalesForce Healthcare Webinar Unlock Next Gen Healthcare Engagement with AI-Driven Insights, Actions, and Optimization Access the full webinar to learn how you can enhance the patient experience at every step of the care journey. Can AI make patient care more personal? Healthcare organizations are under pressure to deliver seamless experiences while improving access and outcomes. In this webinar, we explore how AI-powered intelligence and automation are helping providers rethink how they connect with patients and coordinate care. --- title: Life Sciences Cloud url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-cloud source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-cloud locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Life Sciences Cloud - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-cloud - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-cloud - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Body Life Sciences Cloud Reimagine life sciences with Salesforce We help biotech, clinical innovators, medtech, and pharmaceuticals modernize how they engage with HCPs, patients, sites, and stakeholders—powered by Salesforce and orchestrated by Slalom. Expertise & solutions Commercial excellence - Deliver smarter, more personalized HCP engagement at scale - Increase HCP productivity with AI-powered account planning and segmentation - Improve territory coverage and call planning through real-time data insights - Boost rep effectiveness with Agentforce-driven coaching and guidance - Accelerate brand execution with connected field, marketing, and service teams Patient services transformation - Reimagine support journeys from referral to adherence - Reduce time-to-therapy with automated intake, benefit verification, and prior authorization workflows - Improve service levels using AI-powered concierge and call center agents - Increase engagement and adherence with personalized, omnichannel patient journeys - Gain real-time visibility into patient status and program performance through unified data Medical engagement - Enable compliant, insight-rich scientific exchange - Surface actionable insights faster with AI-enabled medical content search and signal capture - Strengthen KOL and investigator relationships with targeted, data-informed outreach - Improve compliance and tracking across scientific interactions and consent - Connect medical affairs to commercial and R D with a unified engagement platform Clinical trials - Modernize trial execution with intelligence and automation - Speed site activation through AI-powered feasibility and automated onboarding - Accelerate participant enrollment with personalized, data-driven campaigns - Improve trial oversight with risk-based monitoring and real-time dashboards - Empower decentralized trials with AI copilots and consent management tools Field reimbursement engagement - Enable faster access, better support, and real-time visibility across access teams - Accelerate access resolution with intelligent workflows for benefit verification and prior authorization escalation - Improve field efficiency with AI-enabled guided case conversations and payer pull-through tools - Gain location-specific insights into payer trends, case aging, and resolution barriers - Drive visibility across access programs with real-time dashboards, powered by Data Cloud Man in front of computer laughing and holding coffee cup How Slalom can help Accelerate your life sciences transformation with targeted, high-impact offerings including: - Rapid CRM assessment to guide your Veeva transition - Data analysis and AI readiness to unlock insights and automation at scale - Organizational Effectiveness to align people process for next-gen CRM - Omni-channel readiness and content factory Female pharmacist stnading in front of shelf looking at medicine while holding book Why Slalom? - Top Salesforce consulting partner; #3 in North America and #4 globally - Deep cross-functional expertise across commercial, medical, patient services, and clinical trials - Proven playbooks for Veeva-to-Salesforce transition and in-housing patient support models - Accelerated offerings to activate Data Cloud, agentic AI, and Life Sciences Cloud quickly - Human-centered change and adoption strategies tailored to field, medical, and access teams - Award-winning collaboration model with Salesforce, including partner advisory board participation and co-innovation Let’s get started! Whether you're early in planning or facing a looming decision, we’re here to help. Ready to map your transition? Let’s have a 30-minute discovery conversation. We’ll walk through your current state and share a tailored roadmap to get you future ready. Book a readiness discovery call EBOOK Selecting the right deployment model and approach for Life Sciences Cloud Download whitepaper --- title: Life Sciences Webinar url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-webinar source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-webinar locale: us/en content_type: Industry Detail Template --- # Life Sciences Webinar - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-webinar - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/salesforce/life-sciences-webinar - Locale: us/en - Content type: Industry Detail Template ## Summary Watch life sciences industry leaders from Gilead share real-world AI use cases that transformed marketing performance for greater engagement. ## Body Life Sciences Webinar SalesForce Life Sciences Webinar Discover how AI is powering smarter, more personalized life sciences engagement—featuring real-world insights from Gilead. Watch life sciences industry leaders from Gilead share real-world AI use cases that transformed marketing performance for greater engagement. Unlock Next Gen Life Sciences Engagement with AI-Driven Insights, Actions, and Optimization Access the full webinar to learn how to turn AI into a competitive advantage by delivering a seamless, data-driven experience for patients and subscribers. Customer centricity in life sciences is an evolving journey. Are you on the right path? Life sciences marketers are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape where precision, personalization, and performance are critical to success. Join experts from Slalom, Salesforce, and Gilead for a must-watch webinar exploring how AI-driven insights, actions, and optimization are transforming engagement across the life sciences value chain. Hear real-world use cases of how AI enables smarter decision-making, scalable innovation, and measurable impact. --- title: ServiceNow Partner | ServiceNow Consulting Services | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/servicenow source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/servicenow locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # ServiceNow Partner | ServiceNow Consulting Services | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/servicenow - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/servicenow - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Partnering with ServiceNow, Slalom brings modern, AI-enabled enterprise solutions to streamline operations, elevate experiences, and drive meaningful outcomes. ## Body ServiceNow Partner | ServiceNow Consulting Services | Slalom Partnering with ServiceNow, Slalom brings modern, AI-enabled enterprise solutions to streamline operations, elevate experiences, and drive meaningful outcomes. ServiceNow ServiceNow Slalom Aligning technology with how teams actually work. With Slalom and ServiceNow, organizations get work done faster and more efficiently with clear, trackable processes. Leveraging lessons learned from 350+ implementations, we help our customers deploy faster, reduce risk, and establish a strong foundation for growth. Abstract lime green and navy design Zero Driving contact center transformation The modern service experience isn’t about choosing between people or technology—it’s about designing smarter systems where both work better together. Read story We take a holistic, people-first approach that goes beyond platform configuration, so workflows reflect your day-to-day reality. OUR SERVICENOW EXPERTISE ServiceNow product know-how - Customer workflows - Sales and Order Management (SOM) - Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) - Customer Service Management (CSM) - Field Service Management (FSM) - Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - IT workflows - IT Service Management (ITSM) - IT Assessment Management (ITAM) - IT Operations Management (ITOM) - Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) - Employee workflows - HR Service Delivery (HRSD) - Employee Center (EC) - AI - Now Assist - Agentic AI - AI Control Tower - Employeeworks - Industry solutions - High tech - Telecom - Financial services - Manufacturing - Healthcare life sciences - Retail - Public sector Execution expertise - - Elite ServiceNow Consulting Implementation Partner - Digital transformation - Strategic platform planning roadmapping - Advisory services - ServiceNow platform architecture design - Process optimization service design - Agile enterprise project management - AI-enabled workflows automation - Organizational change management workforce transformation - Data quality, performance, security governance - Employee experience optimization - Complex system integration master data management - Enhance Operate services for continuous improvement - ServiceNow Build Partner [Explore our ServiceNow profile](https://www.servicenow.com/partners/partner-finder/slalom-inc.html)[→](https://www.slalom.com/us/en/insights/technology-trends-value-realization) Slalom helped a national healthcare company transform its team member experience across pre-hire, onboarding, and service delivery. We worked side-by-side with our client to deliver the largest implementation and transformation in the organization’s history. Together we enabled modern ways of working, increased scale, and set the teams up for an AI-enabled future-state operating model. Elite Partner - Consulting & Implementation Icon of award. 2026 Validated Practice - Customer Service Management AMS Validated Practice - IT Service Management AMS AWS SI Partner of the Year logo See all awards David Peterson David brings 20+ years of Fortune 500 experience delivering measurable outcomes and business value by reducing ticket volumes, optimizing dispatch operations, and accelerating resolution across energy, telecom, and logistics enterprises. Connect with David David Broom Simon Strudwick With 29 years of IT and consulting experience, David has spent the last 15 years helping clients unlock the full power of ServiceNow to drive real business results. Ben Nuthak Jim Clarke Ben leads Slalom's ServiceNow employee workflows practice, enabling enterprise-wide AI strategic transformation across HR, legal, portal, health safety, and workplace service delivery. Connect with Ben 34ouc51bqv --- title: Snowflake Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Snowflake Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/snowflake - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is a multi-award winning Snowflake partner having delivered over 2,700 projects and employing over 650 certified Snowflake consultants. ## Body Snowflake Consultant and Award Winning Partner | Slalom Slalom is a multi-award winning Snowflake partner having delivered over 2,700 projects and employing over 650 certified Snowflake consultants. Salesforce Snowflake Slalom Take control of your data to drive growth, sustainability, and exceptional customer experiences. With the Data Cloud, Snowflake has rocketed into prominence as the leading real-time data platform for the modern enterprise, enabling customers to collaborate over content, integrate data and applications for fresh insights, develop and scale applications, and simplify the complexity of AI. As a five-time Snowflake Partner of the Year, we can help you make the most of Snowflake’s power to drive maximum value from your data. People playing video games together Keywords Studios: Leveling up the gaming industry with data and AI innovation Read story Slalom’s experts can help you use the Data Cloud to accelerate business decisions and improve customer experiences. Our Snowflake competencies and designations - Industry Competency – Financial Services - Industry Competency – Healthcare and Life Science - Industry Competency – Media and Entertainment - Industry Competency – Retail and CPG - Industry Competency – Technology - Industry Competency – Travel and Hospitality - Migration Competency Our relationship with Slalom has allowed us to unlock new value for our mutual customers in the data and AI space. We are excited to continue to partner to maximize value and drive actionable insights on the Snowflake Data Cloud. Krishnan Parasuraman VP, Head of Global Field CTO Office Snowflake snowflake from poc to production From POC to production: Accelerating AI with AIOps In this whitepaper, we explore how Slalom’s AIOps methodology and Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud can help overcome these barriers. By operationalizing AI, businesses can accelerate their AI initiatives from proof of concept to full-scale production, ensuring sustained value and scalability. Dowload the report Our featured solutions Workshop Zero to Snowpark We partnered with Snowflake to provide a simple, three-step process for getting started with Snowpark. Reach business outcomes faster with new use cases, improved developer productivity, and reduced infrastructure cost. Learn more Solution Modern Culture of Data Powered by Snowflake Address the common challenges organizations face when embarking on a data modernization journey. With Modern Culture of Data, we combine the capabilities of the Snowflake Data Cloud with the tools and processes to empower your teams to make data-driven decisions. Risk Platform Accelerator o Risk leaders are increasingly challenged to meet their obligations because of legacy risk processes and technology. As their teams face increased pressure to remain compliant, leaders must also modernize and streamline risk systems. Jumpstart your risk platform modernization with Slalom and Snowflake. Data Cloud Now with Anthony Marquardt and Ryan Green Anthony Marquardt, General Manager, Global Industry at Slalom sat down with Data Cloud Now anchor Ryan Green at the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas to discuss the characteristics of a rapidly evolving business landscape. As companies move aggressively to adopt AI, the art of mastering change management has never been more important. The conversation explores how Slalom is helping its customers develop that mastery, and explores some of the most exciting emerging technology developments, such as conversational AI and the growth in apps, that enable personalized customer experiences. Watch now Ryan Gifford Leader Placeholder Connect with Ryan Bronson Shafer Leadership Bronson Shafer is the Snowflake Center of Excellent Leader, building out Slalom's delivery arm to drive value across all Snowflake implementations. Connect with Bronson Samir Batla Samir is part of the Global Technology team leading and growing our Snowflake Business Unit, working with our Snowflake partner team. Connect with Samir Global Snowflake Services Innovation Partner of the Year 2026 Snowflake Global AI Partner of the Year 2025 Media and Entertainment AI Data Cloud Services Partner of the Year snowflake partner of the year 2024 Americas GSI Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2022 Partner of the year Icon of a trophy. 2021, 2018 Solution Integrator Partner of the Year, North America 2020, 2019 See all awards Go back to featured awards Item 1 Partner - Five9 Global SI Partner of the Year - Starburst Americas Consulting Partner of the Year - Anaplan AMER Partner of the Year - Matillion Americas Enterprise Partner of the Year - Stripe Consulting Partner of the Year - Digital Revolution Awards Best Salesforce Partner to Work For in North America - Databricks Health Life Sciences Partner of the Year - AWS SI Partner of the Year - US - Microsoft Canada Impact Award for Public Sector - Google Cloud Partner of the Year - Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Global - DealRoom Top 10 M A Consulting Companies in the World - Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms Australia and New Zealand - AFR BOSS Best Places to Work - Australia's Best Workplaces Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams - Canada's Top Employers for Young People - Canada's Best Workplaces for Women - Best Workplaces in Canada - LinkedIn Top Companies in Canada - Canada's Best Workplaces for Giving Back - Canada's Best Workplaces in Professional Services - Canada's Best Workplaces for Today's Youth - Best Workplaces in Ontario Award title - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder - Award description placeholder Item 2 --- title: North America's #2 Tableau Partner | Tableau Consultant | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # North America's #2 Tableau Partner | Tableau Consultant | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/tableau - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is a multi-award winner of Tableau Innovation Partner of the Year. As a Tableau Consultant we have delivered over 4000 successful projects. ## Body North America's #2 Tableau Partner | Tableau Consultant | Slalom Slalom is a multi-award winner of Tableau Innovation Partner of the Year. As a Tableau Consultant we have delivered over 4000 successful projects. Salesforce Tableau Slalom Harness the power of your data. Unleash the potential of your people. Building a data-driven organization requires a holistic approach that goes beyond just Tableau. It should transform your people, process, platforms, and insights. That’s our specialty. As an 8x Tableau Partner of the Year, we bring together our experts across data disciplines and industries to help you realize tangible outcomes that make a real difference for both your teams and customers. Featured Story Placeholder Southwest Airlines: Reimagining corporate travel experiences Read story Tableau and Slalom work together to transform the way your organization accesses and uses data. Our Tableau expertise - Advanced data and analytics - Cloud architecture - Dashboard design - Data architecture - Data Experience - Data strategy - Embedded analytics - Financial Services - Governance and organizational alignment - Healthcare Life Sciences - High Tech - Manufacturing, Auto, Energy - Media Communications - Retail Consumer Goods - Tableau Cloud Migrations - Tableau Pulse - Tableau Server - Travel, Transportation, Hospitality Our featured solutions Solution Data Cloud + Tableau Cloud QuickStart Seamlessly integrate Data Cloud and Tableau Cloud to gain actionable insights into the customer-360 with our expertly crafted visualizations. Learn more Tableau Pulse With Tableau Pulse, you can transform your data into actionable insights, enhance decision-making, and optimize performance across your organization. Accelerator Tableau Cloud migrations Migrate from Tableau Server to Tableau Cloud with Slalom's Accelerator. Gain faster insights, reduce costs, and empower collaboration. Modernize your data platform, seamlessly. Dave Dixon Dave Dixon Headshot With over 20 years of experience delivering solutions and leading teams, including 14+ years in the Salesforce ecosystem. Dave is committed to creating more intelligent data experiences for our customers. Connect with Dave Nicolai Johnson-Borelli Leadership With a passion for data visualization and AI, Nicolai is a leader in the Tableau practice. Helping customers solve the world’s largest problems with data is core to his DNA. Connect with Nicolai Travis O'Neill Travis O'Neill headshot Travis is a data and analytics leader with over a decade of experience delivering analytical solutions, integrating complex infrastructures, and driving data strategy as a thought leader. Connect with Travis Jim Clarke Jim leads Slalom’s global Salesforce capability teams, including Tableau. An accomplished leader with over 15 years of consulting experience, he focused on helping companies engage and delight their customers through technology. Connect with Jim Tableau Innovation Partner of the Year Icon of award. 2022 2021 2020 2019 2017 2016 2015 2014 Go back to featured awards Item 1 Item 2 --- title: Workday Consultant | Workday Implementation Partner | Slalom url: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday source_path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday locale: us/en content_type: Partner Details Template --- # Workday Consultant | Workday Implementation Partner | Slalom - Source path: /content/slalom/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday - Public URL: https://www.slalom.com/us/en/who-we-are/partners/workday - Locale: us/en - Content type: Partner Details Template ## Summary Slalom is a Workday Consultant and Workday Implementation Partner with over 125 projects and over 150 certified Workday consultants. ## Body Workday Consultant | Workday Implementation Partner | Slalom Workday | Slalom Slalom is a Workday Consultant and Workday Implementation Partner with over 125 projects and over 150 certified Workday consultants. We roll up our sleeves in partnership to help you get it done. Together, we can unlock the full value of Workday. Salesforce Workday Slalom Partnering for success and impactful outcomes with the Workday platform. Wherever you’re starting—building a strategy, implementing, driving adoption, or taking Workday to the next level—you can count on Slalom to bring solutions that fit the unique needs of your business. We roll up our sleeves in partnership to help you get it done. Together, we can unlock the full value of Workday. Featured Story Placeholder Salesforce featured story with headline Read story Realizing your HR and finance vision Through curiosity, passion, and deep technical and strategic expertise, we help our customers achieve greater value from Workday. Our workday expertise - Adaptive Planning - Aligned employee experience - Change management - Data insights strategy - Health checks - HR/Finance vision strategy - New capability implementation - Operating model design - Peakon Employee Voice - Platform optimization enhancement - Process optimization - Program management - Release management - Reporting strategy - Workday Finance - Workday HCM - Workday Payroll Slalom brings global cross-industry expertise to our joint customers, enabling customers to adapt and thrive in an evolving landscape. As part of our partnership, we are dedicated to helping customers streamline their HR and financial processes, enhance efficiency, and empower employees to gain access to tools and resources to support their skills journeys. We look forward to continuing to grow and evolve our partnership with Slalom to serve our customers. Webb Armentrout Group Vice President, Global Partners, Workday Our featured solutions Solution Workday Horizons What other firms call AMS, we call Workday Horizons. We’re thoughtful partners who approach configuration design with a focus on outcomes, employee experience, and HR service delivery. Workday Enterprise Integrations Hyperconnected enterprises maximize the potential of data by combining the power of Workday Integrations, iPaaS, and APIs. whitepaper Indirect tax software strategies with Workday Financials Vertex and Slalom can help you make the right decision for your indirect tax software to boost efficiency and compliance. Read whitepaper Workshop What's Possible with Workday Learn more Workday Value Realization Workshop Workday Adoption Workshop NIkki Radford nikki radford workday Nikki brings over two decades of experience guiding clients through the deployment and support of HR and Finance systems. For the past 10 years, she has been deeply embedded in the Workday ecosystem, helping organizations unlock the full potential of Workday’s capabilities to drive transformation and achieve strategic value. Connect with Nikki Alberte Faye Leadership With two decades of experience in the finance domain, Alberte is deeply passionate about helping finance and technology leaders harness the power of Workday to transform and modernize their organizations. Connect with Alberte Jodi Ballard-Beach HR professional turned Workday HCM Strategist, Jodi brings a people-centered approach to Workday design and operations. She leads a team of talented Workday Specialists who deliver a blend of strategy, advisory, and technical expertise. Connect with Jodi Peter Shepherd With 10 years of experience in the Workday ecosystem and 16 years building integrated solutions across a multitude of platforms, Peter is a skilled technology leader obsessed with data movement, strategy, and availability. Connect with Peter Workday awards recognition Workday Services Partner Sales Partner AMS Partner Advisory Partner