To Merriam-Webster of dictionary fame, innovation means the introduction of something new; a new idea, method, or device. To today’s enterprise organization, it means updating operational processes for boosting efficiency and reducing manual overhead. To some it means taking R&D to new heights to ensure product relevance in the marketplace. And yet to other businesses, innovation means the introduction of emerging technologies into their business mix for digital transformation. In fact, innovation means all these things and more. And it can have different meanings to different organizations depending on their business need and strategy. Staying ahead of the competitive curve with relevant and useful outcomes, or the need to keep up with evolving customer requirements are forcing companies to work smarter. With innovation top of mind and digital transformation at their core, the challenge is often implementation – making it all come together with positive client experience being a major focus.

At the Think 2019 conference, Amit Jain, who heads Benefit Administration and Talent Solutions business at major accounts for ADP, shared his view on how innovation is changing the technology landscape . To Amit, innovation means looking at all your internal processes regularly, and to always be thinking about new ways of doing business with customers.  “Having a good grasp of current technology is beneficial – how you apply that technology to create solutions that are easier for your associates and your clients is huge.”, said Amit.

A snapshot of the 1:1 discussion with Amit outlines his outlook for innovation at ADP and the ways they are working smarter.

Q: What are some of the business changes that have impacted ADP in recent years?

Competition has been increasing and the majority of the impact has been regarding product innovation. Secondly, customer service and onboarding improvements. Going forward, I think technology is starting to play a huge role. AI, machine learning, cognitive, APIs and robotics, for example. I think we can really leverage these to reinvent our internal processes and also impact the client experience in a very positive way. And lastly, I would say I think there is an opportunity for us to continue to develop our people, continue to empower them for innovation. Because innovation is really the best way to keep ahead of competition.

Q: What are the most important elements in a partnership you’ve found to help you address these challenges?

I would say first is probably having a shared set of goals with the partners. Secondly, I would say making sure that the partnership brings complementary strengths to the table, so both partners are contributing proactively. The third thing I would say that’s important is having accountability on both sides to delivering results and the commitment around that. And then lastly, I would say probably the most important aspect of any given partnership is trust.

Q: What’s been the most meaningful element of working with IBM so far?

IBM definitely has a great skill set of digital technologies and data-driven solutions that we can leverage at ADP. IBM has been helping us with cognitive technology assets. Without IBM, it would take a really long time to understand these new technologies come up to speed and start developing solutions.