Technology

Promoting the digital transformation

People and technology go hand in hand at PwC. We combine human ingenuity with technological and digital innovation and experience to achieve faster, smarter and better results for our people, our clients and society as a whole.

Digital innovations drive profound changes

Digital innovations are profoundly changing the world, simultaneously creating huge opportunities and major challenges. Cloud computing, for example, offers flexibility and easy access to data, but also involves cybersecurity risks. It was with good reason that CEOs worldwide said earlier this year that they saw cyber risks as the biggest threat to business operations (see PwC’s 25th CEO Survey, published before the war in Ukraine).

A dynamic world demands agility

Organisations are increasingly utilising technology to improve collaboration, quality and data use in order to achieve better insights. We guide our clients through their digital transformation and are also engaged in that transition ourselves. The dynamic world of today demands agility and digital skills, and we constantly adapt to meet the needs of clients and colleagues.

PwC is more and more focused on digitally oriented integrated solutions. To speed up the process we have invested in the creation of the Tomorrow 2.0 hub, where we develop scalable, multidisciplinary and innovative business cases that solve major business problems and have social relevance. Examples are the Environmental Footprint Insights tool and the Inclusion Insights strategy.

A future led by people and driven by technology

We believe strongly in a future led by people and powered by technology. That's why PwC has invested heavily in its own digital transformation. By enabling our teams to combine human ingenuity with technology, we can deliver faster and better data-driven results while simultaneously building trust across the entire value chain.

Our digital transformation comprises three dimensions:

assisting clients to become digital (or more digital);
digitising our services (including existing services); and
digitising our own processes and infrastructure.

A solid basis for transformation

Over the past few years, we have laid a solid foundation for a genuine business transformation. Our focus is now on reaping the commercial benefits of our investments and demonstrating improved client value.

Methods to establish that foundation include setting up a mandatory digital upskilling programme and a digital accelerator programme. These aim to ensure that all PwC employees have a basic level of digital skills and receive assistance in applying those skills where necessary. More than 175 ‘digital accelerators’ have completed the comprehensive training programme since 2019 and now play a key role in driving digital change within their teams and business units.

Optimising platforms

Other activities that we’ve developed include optimising and enhancing the platforms we use for sharing and creating digital assets and working with (client) data: our Digital Lab and Data Platform. We have added functionalities and made the platforms more user-friendly.

Restructuring systems

We've also started incorporating our Digital Lab into our core applications. One example is the link with AURA. Our auditors file all documentation in AURA, a system we use daily in serving our clients. For each specific item in the annual financial statements they are referred to the relevant asset compilation in the Digital Lab. Providing instant access to relevant digital assets saves time and encourages everyone to work digitally.

Another major investment has been in the implementation of SAP S/4HANA. This comprises restructuring systems and optimising processes within the organisation in order to achieve genuine integration of multiple state-of-the-art cloud platforms.

Bringing people and technology together is key

In our strategy The New Equation, bringing people and technology together is essential for building trust and creating sustainable results. It enables us to respond to the expectations and demands of our people, our clients and of society in general.

The issues facing our clients are becoming increasingly complex and can no longer be resolved with individual solutions. Clients expect us to provide integrated solutions that are data-based and, where relevant, include digital tools. In this process we also often collaborate with partners within our ecosystem such as our technology alliances.