IT&Telecom companies - straight through the noise
"Without hope, and with no real plan anymore, Arthur and Fenchurch tried to push their way through the crowd, but as the whole crowd tried to push their way through the crowd, they got nowhere"
The quote above is from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and illustrates quite well the challenge that IT&Telecom companies are facing. A few years ago, the industry was struggling not to be seen as a special interest - because even then, digitalization was an all-encompassing and society-changing force that could not be confined to a particular part of the economy - but today it's more about finding the right way forward without getting stuck in the crowd. This task is absolutely central to us at IT&Telecom. Because that's how we deliver value to our members; we need to be the best at cutting through the noise, being at the center of events and setting the agenda.
In the midst of this hustle and bustle, I have now had the privilege of serving as the Association Director at IT&Telecomföretagen for a year. In addition to being great fun, it has been both a challenging and educational year.
Looking back, there is much to be proud of: the level of activity of IT&Telecom companies over the past year has been very high, and you can read all about it in our annual report. It's clear that we're getting access to the right forums, we're being recognized for what we do and we're seeing results. As a trade association, we are able to do things that are difficult, if not impossible, for individual companies. Diversity and community give our organization tremendous strength, which gives us a lot of bang for our buck, and that is necessary for us to fulfill our mission well.
A fundamental prerequisite for our ability to change society for the better is that we represent many companies. A high level of member benefit is therefore crucial, not only for existing members but also for future ones. It is important that more companies become part of our organization, and we need to adapt to meet a broader need. We note a number of relevant trends to keep an eye on: on the one hand, we see a transformation where large companies with many employees are rationalizing and becoming more sophisticated; on the other hand, we see a development where many new startups are being founded. These new companies will be an important part of the future, so we need to make it easier for them to become part of our community. The discount on membership fees decided by the Annual General Meeting is an expression of this. But we need to do more. We need to adapt our offer to their daily lives. The difficulties they often face, in terms of time and resources, is an issue that will need to be addressed in the future.
But I am also convinced that it is important to focus more on getting our messages out to a wider audience. The work done in our member councils or in the office is world-class. It's when we talk about it that we really get a return on investment, and that's when we are able to set the agenda. A clear example is the report that the IT Skills Council helped produce last fall, which has now taken on a life of its own. The statement that there will be a shortage of 70,000 IT experts by 2022 can now be found everywhere. Sometimes we are referred to, sometimes not. What is crucial, however, is that we are involved and successful in raising the right issues on the agenda. The IT skills shortage is one such issue, but there are others that need to be put in the spotlight.
Our recipe for success lies in constantly evaluating the value we add, and not shying away from the new. It is by letting creativity and innovation inform our work that we can find innovative ways through the noise and the crowds. That is what we will be doing in the year ahead. And I cannot stress enough how much we welcome input from you, our members, on what our priorities should be going forward and what paths we should take.