Chains. Closing gaps, building value, making sense.

Often, organizations spend so much time and energy setting up their agile transformation program that they lose sight of organizational challenges such as breaking down silos between the business and IT functions or devising the right KPIs. By the time they reach the execution stage, it can be too late—and that’s where the problems emerge.

Technology, talent, and trust are top priorities for the coming year. Executives are rethinking how they operate all along the value chain. They’re finding ways to increase flexibility, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce environmental impact each step of the way. They’re also redefining how humans and technology work together—and creating organizational cultures that put people first.

Digital enablement was Weston’s answer. In Abidaoud’s words, the app allows customers ordering baked goods to make purchases using a mobile device. They can also track delivery and predict future orders—for example, a business carrying Weston baked bread may be notified it needs delivery of fresh bread that morning. The app called “Smart Order” gives independent distributors the ability to run their business efficiently, says Abidaoud. For example, if a distributor needs more of a product, it can increase its order from a mobile device using the app. He’s also improved the sharing of information between departments. That’s been especially important as Weston is a highly integrated business throughout North America. Even two to three years before Abidaoud joined, he says Weston’s information technology team was merging newly acquired departments with existing ones. For example, he says it’s better to have one overarching HR department than many. As of early August, the process was 60 percent complete.