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Enterprise Architecture and Engineering Excellence

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Behind the Growth, host Mudassar Malik chats with Hasan Jafri, VP Engineering, Digital Business Solutions at TELUS. As they explore Hasan’s extensive background, starting from his early days in Northern Virginia to influential roles in various major corporations, Hasan talks about his time at companies like IBM and Citibank, focusing on his experiences in handling large-scale operations and cloud-based initiatives.

Detailing his transition to TELUS and their strategic shift to a more integrated, API-driven approach, Hasan emphasizes the importance of enterprise architecture and engineering excellence in driving successful digital transformations. He also elaborates on innovative strategies like product-oriented architecture, stream-aligned teams, and the integration of AI and DevOps tools to boost both customer excellence as well as operational efficiency across business units.

As the conversation progresses, Hassan discusses the current state of digital transformation in Canada and the priority shifts that come with it, including a wider adoption of remote work, increase in e-commerce trends, and more focus on data privacy and security. Finally, he emphasizes the critical need for continuous learning and adaptation in the tech sector to meet changing business demands and stay competitive amidst emerging digital advancements.

Featured Guest

  • Name: Hasan Jafri
  • What he does: VP Engineering, Digital Business Solutions
  • Company: TELUS
  • Noteworthy: Hasan Jafri is an experienced IT strategist who drives transformative change by aligning business goals with IT initiatives. As VP Engineering, Digital Business Solutions at TELUS, he leads a digital transformation, emphasizing B2B, Agriculture, and Consumer Goods. Hasan’s career highlights include building world-class products, reducing costs, and enhancing profitability across sectors like Finance, Healthcare, and Retail. His ability to navigate complexities, foster relationships, and mentor teams underscores his commitment to success.

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Key Insights

Digital Transformation Drives Efficiency
Hasan Jafri discusses the pivotal role of digital transformation in improving business operations across industries. He emphasizes the integration of modern cloud technologies and agile methodologies to accelerate business processes and enhance productivity. By shifting to digital-first strategies, businesses are better positioned to respond to market changes and customer needs efficiently. This approach not only streamlines operations but also significantly reduces the time and resources required for traditional business functions, underscoring the importance of adopting new technologies to maintain competitive advantage.

Importance of Remote Work Adaptations
The transition to remote work has necessitated significant investments in collaboration and communication tools. Hasan highlights how COVID-19 has transformed the landscape, pushing companies to rapidly adopt technologies that support remote working environments. This shift is critical not only for maintaining continuity during disruptions but also for fostering a flexible work culture that can attract and retain talent. By embracing these tools, companies ensure operational resilience and prepare for future challenges that may disrupt traditional work settings.

Enterprise Architecture as a Strategic Asset
Hasan Jafri stresses the strategic importance of enterprise architecture (EA) in achieving successful digital transformation. He describes EA as a philosophy rather than just a set of guidelines, advocating for an API-first approach and engineering excellence to digitize systems and focus on customer needs. This proactive stance on architecture ensures that it contributes directly to business goals, facilitating better alignment between technology initiatives and business objectives. This alignment is crucial for companies looking to leverage their IT infrastructure as a competitive edge in rapidly evolving markets.

Enterprise architecture, married with engineering excellence, is a critical driver of digital transformation and success in the future.

Episode Highlights

Impact of Digital Transformation

Hasan Jafri emphasizes the accelerated adoption of digital technologies in Canada, noting significant impacts on customer experience and business efficiency. He highlights the role of cloud computing and AI in transforming the Canadian landscape.

“Canada has accelerated adoption of technologies […] It’s driving improvements in customer experience, productivity, and efficiency.”

Career Journey and Leadership Growth

Hasan shares his diverse career experiences from IBM to TELUS, focusing on how each role enriched his expertise, particularly in cloud technologies and leadership across different business scales.

“I had the largest organization I’ve ever run, over 1000 people. It covered the entire United States from Hawaii to the East Coast.”

Shift to Remote Work

Discussing the shift to remote work, Hasan underlines the need for robust collaboration tools and communication strategies. This shift is part of a broader transformation in workplace dynamics influenced by global events.

“Everybody’s working remotely, and so that requires investment in collaboration tools and communication tools.”

Strategic Role of Enterprise Architecture

Hasan elaborates on how enterprise architecture drives digital transformation, stressing the need for practical and executable strategies rather than purely theoretical approaches.

“Enterprise architecture married with engineering excellence is a critical driver of digital transformation and success for the future.”

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