| | September 2017ENTERPRISE SECURITY8By Brian Thomas, CIO, Swope Health Services1) What do you see as a big challenge in technology to meet the challenges of your industry? If you were to write down a wish list, what solutions do you look forward to and your expectations from technology providers for the enterprise?The big challenge in healthcare today is interoperability. Technology isn't the barrier at all, in fact, there are some really cutting edge technologies that could solve a lot of problems in the healthcare industry. Like any bureaucracy, typically the issue is around politics or financial barriers. While Interoperability has come a long way in recent years, it is still impeding quick, safe patient care.2) Organizations have to integrate data across the enterprise to have a 360-degree view of the customer, but it's not an easy thing to do. What are your thoughts on getting this act right?It's really important to build a strategy around every system or piece of data that touches your customer. What I found is it is important to move away from legacy systems and try your best to integrate as much of your technology as possible. One way this can be done is by developing an enterprise data mining strategy. Once you have developed your EDW, you should have a plan to give your users seamless access to this (their) data. There are several products out there to provide them easy access. One great product is Tableau. Tableau is a great visualization tool that has enough power yet easy for non-technical staff to use. It's crucial to implement these types of tools so you can develop a strong self-service strategy. Most customers today would rather go out and access their data on their schedule and not have to wait on IT to provide them a report.3) What specific types of technology will give leaders/ players within your industry the competitive edge?As we've all heard over the years we need to be better, cheaper, smarter, and faster when it comes to delivering technology. It's time for all business leaders to grasp the idea of innovation and digital transformation. Likewise, it's not the time to reinvent the wheel--it's important to look at emerging technologies (and your competition) and leverage these technologies to gain the competitive edge. Specifically, looking at artificial intelligence (AI) and chat bots to bolster turnaround times for your customers. With social media today, customers can be your toughest critic, and they can make or break your business.4) Despite the advancement in technology and availability of some cool technology solutions, there isn't a day when we can say `all is fine.' There are several pain points within the enterprise for which solutions do not exist yet. In your business environment, what are some of the solutions which are not available or not up to the mark and if available, would have made your job easier. Can you share 1-2 things on what keeps you awake at night?For my entire career, my focus has been on developing the best customer service strategy. Of course, this involves more than technology. However, without technology, you will quickly move to the last place in the competition line. The best thing a technology leader can do is ensure that the critical systems that support the business are given the attention and financial resources needed to keep the business running 24/7 without interruption. Once you know that you have a solid infrastructure environment, you can focus on more strategic goals around innovation and customer service. Today the focus is improving the service delivery to our customers in the most efficient and fastest time possible. One thing we Conquering Endpoint Security ChallengesIn My OpinionThe best thing a technology leader can do is ensure that the critical systems that support the business are given the attention and financial resources needed to keep the business running 24/7 without interruption
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