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Digitalisation will power UAE’s national differentiation in 2023

The overarching theme is the integration of people, processes and technologies

The UAE’s national differentiation in 2023 will be underpinned by digitalisation, according to reasearch by Mast Consulting, a techno-consulting and advisory headquartered in Dubai.

Differentiation is often ascribed to a business’ competitiveness. Across sectors, brands strive to differentiate themselves from the competition through unique value propositions, products and services. In recent years, amid changing global order, differentiation is being pursued at the national level. Through investor-friendly reforms, sweeping measures, and aggressive branding, many nations are differentiating themselves on the world stage. The UAE’s hosting of a World Expo while navigating pandemic headwinds stands as a testament to the same, Mast research said.

The overarching theme is the integration of people, processes and technologies. Enterprise-level integration, previously limited to IT-related companies, is now being pursued in conservative sectors such as real estate. The resulting centralisation and analysis of organizational data are providing businesses with insights pertaining to inefficiencies, resource wastage, and revenue leakages. Acting on such insights, businesses — irrespective of sectors — are not only closing efficiency gaps but also identifying new opportunities to create value and differentiate themselves.

The institutionalisation of digitalisation in the UAE should be rooted in best-in-class cybersecurity practices. While digitalization pursued at scale could translate to national differentiation, haphazard practices could invite challenges. “So, there is an onus on all stakeholders to ensure that digitalization leads to positive, people-centric, and sustainability outcomes. Fortunately, digitalization inadvertently leads to more transparency and measurability, making all parties accountable for their actions and inactions. In 2023, with a whole-of-society approach gaining traction in the country through higher integration and collaboration, it is safe to expect the UAE to enhance its global competitiveness in 2023,” said Abhay Pandey, founder and chief executive officer of MAST Consulting.

A home-grown UAE start-up with a global footprint, Mast Consulting is a technology advisory and consulting firm. The company has over 100 clients in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa, and over 80 years of cumulative global experience.

In the UAE, retailers, in particular, are leveraging enterprise solutions to bridge value gaps and concurrently differentiate themselves through unique customer experiences across touch points. Mast Consulting’s Retail Intelligence and Analytics App (RIAA) was developed to enable such operations. RIAA is predicated on the rationale that good employee experience (EX) translates to superior customer experience (CX). RIAA provides single-window visibility into the workforce and workflows for leaders to make informed decisions, while automation-led optimization of repetitive retail operations, effective scheduling, and task management translate to a culture of empowerment.