“A digital roadmap to promote the Group’s strategy”
Questions for Estelle Brachlianoff Senior Executive Vice-President, United Kingdom and Ireland, Veolia
What do you expect from Veolia’s digitalization?
Digitalization is not an end in itself. The big question is to know which tools we want to have at our disposal. What do we want to do with them to put them at the heart of our strategy?
How can we be in a position to respond better to market needs and make our staff’s job easier? First of all, these new resources must make us faster and more agile in terms of value creation for our clients and improving our mutual experience. The functions offered by digital are fast becoming indispensable. Nowadays, what would we do without Amazon, Uber, Airbnb and so many other apps? Internally, what we are looking for is greater efficiency at work and the ability to take better advantage of our strengths to keep one step ahead. Ultimately, the Group’s digitalization must be seen as a cultural and not simply a technical dimension.
What skills do you have to see the digitalization project through?
They are already in place, even if implementing our digital roadmap calls for additional talent, especially regarding data. This talent is often found in the upand- coming generation. To attract them, we are using millennials’ favorite codes and communication channels, hence our strong social media presence on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Our #WeAreResourcers hashtag fits in with this reasoning. It also gives meaning to what we do at Veolia, which is a high priority for younger generations.
Why are you prioritizing the theme of data?
For companies looking to grow and stay competitive, data is unquestionably the global raw material of the 21st century. Just like the natural resources that our Group strives to preserve and protect, data must be extracted, refined, distributed and used concertedly. These characteristics are not dissimilar to the “Resourcer” concept. Which is yet another reason for us to be the best in this area, too.
How has digitalization permeated the Group’s managerial culture?
Over and above technology, digital is imposing a new culture. By transforming the way we communicate, it lightens the traditional pyramid organization and encourages cross-sector interactions, which used to be more hierarchical between zones, entities and headquarters. Far from being reticent, our teams have warmly welcomed this new paradigm, as shown by the surveys conducted internally. It’s a key to success.
