For Many CIOs, 2020’s Digital Acceleration Is Only the Beginning

Edward Wagoner, digital chief information officer at commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., said sensors are now helping ensure that cleaning protocols are being followed across all offices. JLL has also implemented a new reservation system for booking desks when employees are interested in working from the office, Mr. Wagoner said. Work orders are sent automatically to a cleaning company when a desk is reserved, in order to sanitize the area.

“Thoughtful technology implementation has never been more important than it is today,” he said.

While the pandemic accelerated digital initiatives, many IT executives already had so-called digital transformation projects underway before 2020.

“We are seeing companies push through three years’ worth of digital transformation in three months,” said Penelope Prett, CIO at consulting firm Accenture Plc.

Ernst & Young accelerated its move to cloud services and implemented digital tools such as Microsoft Corp.’s workplace collaboration software, Microsoft Teams, for its 300,000 employees—many of whom were working remotely for the first time, said Jeff Wong, EY’s global chief innovation officer.

Many retail companies accelerated e-commerce initiatives in part to keep up with the rush toward online shopping caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Walmart Inc. developed more than 70 new technology features in the early months of pandemic including a two-hour delivery service that was conceived and launched in about two weeks, said Suresh Kumar, the company’s global chief technology officer and chief development officer.

His team also expanded a capability that allows shipment of products directly from stores instead of from fulfillment centers to meet “a massive jump in demand,” he said. The ship-from-store feature was expanded to 2,400 stores earlier this year, up from 130 stores. Shipping products from stores near customers ensures that their orders arrive quickly—either the same day the order is placed or the next day, according to Walmart.

A technology team at Target Corp. built within a few days the first version of a new mobile app that helped employees in stores manage customer flow, said Mike McNamara, the company’s CIO. Home Depot Inc. quickly developed a feature on the company’s mobile app and website to let customers pick up items in front of the store if they didn’t feel comfortable going inside.

And Lowe’s Cos. used Google Cloud services to rapidly scale the user interface for a curbside pick-up app that was originally planned for release by early 2021. The app was deployed in April and lets customers pick up their purchases in front of the store if they choose, WSJ previously reported. Lowe’s was one of several companies that sped up technology projects that were planned for much later.

United Airlines Holdings Inc., in an effort to reduce the transmission of germs at airports, rolled out touchless kiosks to more than 300 airports this year. The technology allows customers to print bag tags using a mobile phone code, bypassing the need to physically touch the machines.

Touchless kiosks went from an idea to a prototype in less than 30 days, said Linda Jojo, executive vice president of technology and chief digital officer of United Airlines. The company also recently launched “Agent on Demand,” through which customers at airports can start a video chat with a United Airlines agent by scanning a code with their mobile phone. “We have accelerated both ideation and delivery of technology that makes travel less stressful in today’s environment,” she said.

In order to lessen the possibility of germs spreading in factories, GlaxoSmithKline Plc increased the use of so-called smart glasses, which are wearable devices that allow someone to remotely view what another person is seeing on a factory floor. “They have helped us reduce the number of people needed on-site,” said Karenann Terrell, chief digital and technology officer for the pharmaceutical firm.

Write to Sara Castellanos at [email protected]