CADENT GAS
“ The biggest change I have seen is that we now have a real startup mentality ”
James Houlton , CTO , Cadent Gas
Understanding and adopting practices followed by major technology players such as Amazon and Microsoft is one way we see giving Cadent a competitive edge , says Houlton .
“ The business can ’ t operate without technology and technology can ’ t operate without the business ,” says Houlton . “ There ’ s much less of a divide as there has ever been . When we devised the IT strategy we started by talking to our business colleagues to understand some of the challenges and the pain points they have and how we can serve our customers better .
“ It ’ s about understanding what we are we driving for , what our goals are and what type of organisation we want to be .”
Technology has , by all accounts , become a fundamental element of Cadent ’ s operations . It ’ s no longer the job of the IT department , it ’ s the responsibility of everyone in the organisation . It ’ s no longer a supplementary function , it ’ s a driver of change .
In many aspects , technology is changing the operating model of the organisation , says Houlton .
Driving efficiency and excellence “ In some cases where we ’ d traditionally turn to human resources to do things , we ’ re asking , ‘ could technology deliver that function in an easier , consistent and more efficient way ?’” Houlton says .
“ Through robotics and automation , for example , we ’ re looking at how we can be more effective and readily available because technology can run 24 / 7 , whereas humans can ’ t ,” he adds . “ It ’ s also about improving the quality and efficiency of delivery , so where a human could make errors , automation and robotics could eliminate these .”
92 April 2018