We are amidst a fourth industrial revolution that, like the previous three industrial revolutions, will transform many key aspects of business and society. While the previous industrial revolutions were driven by single technological shifts (steam power, electricity, and computers), over recent years, we have seen amazing advances in technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality, the internet of things (IoT), 5G mobile networks, blockchains, intelligent robots, 3D printing, gene editing, and synthetic biology. Each of these trends could have triggered a new industrial revolution on its own, however, the simultaneous emergence of these technologies creates a perfect storm of unprecedented technology-driven innovation and transformation. The main consequence is that every single business, in every industry, has to become a technology business and a digital business. Any business that doesn't put technology and digitization at the center of their business strategy will simply be left behind.

The global coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated this transformation, as more business processes and customer interfaces needed to be digitized to enable organizations to carry on operating. It forced many organizations, even those that would not have focused on digital transformation, to prioritize it as a factor of survival. Over the past 12 months we have seen digital transformations that would have taken many years to complete under normal circumstances. As traditional channels to market got cut off as countries went into lockdown and as people required digital cloud-based working environments to carry on working from home, digital transformation was fast tracked. Today, we live in a digital-first environment that will never go back to what it was prior to the pandemic.

Therefore, every business needs to be decisively digital and create the culture and strategy to transform so it can thrive in the future. With this book, Alexander Loth has done an amazing job in creating a narrative that covers so many key aspects and challenges of this journey toward digitization. What's more, he has brought together some of the brightest voices and smartest thought leaders from leading organizations across many industries, to bring you unmissable insights and real-world examples to showcase how technology can improve your businesses and drive business results today and tomorrow.

This book is not only a joy to read, it is packed with invaluable advice for anyone who wants to lead an organization through the fourth industrial revolution. Enjoy!