MN Tech Mag is a Concord publication devoted to improving the relationship between business and technology, starting our home state of Minnesota.
A CONCORD PUB L I CAT I ON
Culture- Driven Leadership
Rod Young CEO, Delta Dental of Minnesota
The New Wave of Ops PAGE 20
The Grocery Store of the Future PAGE 28
FALL/WINTER 2021 | ISSUE 4
What’s Inside
Editor’s Note
I t’s hard to believe we’re entering the winter season again. Perhaps the pandemic has morphed my sense of time, but the weeks and months seem to be ticking away faster than before. Just a few short weeks ago, I was relishing warm days spent grilling on the deck or taking walks through the neighborhood. Now it’s time to break out warmer jackets (an activity I secretly enjoy for fashion reasons) and start planning for the holidays. In a way, it’s comforting that time marches on. Things may seem difficult in a moment, but moments never last very long. Whether it’s a challenge at work, at home, or with the world at large, I like the idea that none of it endures forever. We can become stronger and more resilient, if we just keep pushing forward. Resiliency is a strong theme in the pages of this issue. Leaders across organizations are advancing through tough times and coming out better on the other side. Mark Wehde shared how innovation thrives at Mayo, despite, or perhaps partially driven by, the adversity of the pandemic (page 16). Claire Pedersen conveyed a similar sentiment, describing how Driving Forward formed due to the pandemic canceling countless internships (page 38). Today, their organization is helping students across the country successfully launch from college to a meaningful career. A conversation with Rod Young revealed the importance of controlling what you can and using time wisely (page 10). As the CEO of Delta Dental of Minnesota, he helped the organization weather COVID well by leaning into teamwork and maintaining culture remotely. He even let me in on one of his secrets to productivity – an app called Blinkist. It’s like Cliffs Notes for business books, and I’m officially hooked. Before you know it, we’ll be turning the page on 2021. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, and here’s to hoping next year is a little less eventful.
ISSUE 4 | FALL / WINTER 2021
6 TRENDING TECHNOLOGY Pioneering Change in Integrated Education Edmentum is paving a path in virtual data-driven education solutions as the global pandemic drives massive changes across the education sector. 9 BY THE NUMBERS Organizations around the country are facing employee shortages. We dive into some trends across the United States workforce. 16 INOVATING THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE Mark Wehde, Chair of Mayo Clinic Engineering, shares the organization’s secret to fostering innovation – and what’s next for the healthcare powerhouse. 20 THE NEWWAVE OF OPS The tides of business are turning towards greater operationalization across functions. Concord’s Chief Delivery Officer, Eric Carr, shares how to prepare for what’s next.
PUBLISHER Stu Nutting
28 THE GROCERY STORE OF THE FUTURE Chris Walton shares how Amazon grocery stores could change the future of shopping in the Twin Cities and beyond.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Natalie Sheffield
DESIGN Steve Bubb Brea Marsh
32 RELEVANT HEALTH ROUNDTABLE Q+A: Tanya Rylee
PHOTOGRAPHY Joe Lemke
As the Chief Administrative Officer at OneOme, Tanya shares the importance of human connection in her role.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chris Walton Claire Pedersen Eric Carr Laura Woodward Mark Wehde
34 RELEVANT HEALTH ROUNDTABLE The Pharmacy of the Future
Morgan O’Brien Natalie Sheffield Tanya Rylee Tim Crawford
Experts discuss the evolving role of the pharmacist and new strategies to connect with clients in our latest panel.
37 BRAINS IN IT Afraid of the unknown? Laura Woodward, CEO of The Disruptive Element, shares how to think like a cybersecurity expert to mitigate daily threats. 38 PHILANTHROPY RULES! Building Next Generation Leaders Through Adversity Driving Forward is helping first- generation and under-served students successfully navigate the transition from college to a meaningful career.
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24 MASTERING YOUR CIO TO-DO LIST
Culture-Driven Leadership 10 Rod Young is leading Delta Dental of Minnesota
CIOs have a growing list of priorities. Strategic Advisor Tim Crawford shares how to balance competing initiatives and deliver better results.
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26 THE TOP 12 The future of healthcare is changing fast. We curated a list of experts to follow in the healthtech space.
43 QUIPS & QUOTES As the temperature starts to dip across the Midwest, readers share their favorite vacation spots near and far.
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TRENDING TECHNOLOGY
E dmentum has expanded even further during the last three years, acquiring Calvert Learning and Apex Learning to become the premier provider of blended education programs. The mission has remained the same through these evolutions: to empower educators and help millions of students worldwide maximize their learning potential. From shipping CDs to software a s a service, delivering top- notch online learning solutions to K-12 students has always been the top priority. Software as a service products have the same benefits for school districts as they do for many businesses. Schools had to manage the operational, administrative, and overhead aspects of running their servers during the CD era. Today, Edmentum takes on the structure, function, and maintenance of educational products to help educators and school districts spend their time where it matters most: teaching students. TECHNOLOGY BUILT FOR TEACHERS Edmentum’s software design allows students to perform independent learning and facilitates more meaningful engagement between teachers and students. The platform identifies who needs additional help and provides the resources to facilitate that help. As a result, Edmentum can provide increasingly customized education tailored to individual students’ specific needs without compromising teacher-led education. Paul Johansen, Chief Technology Officer at Edmentum, shared, “We still firmly believe that, even though we’re a technology provider for education solutions, the best thing that can happen is the connection between an educator and a student.” Edmentum’s software tracks and assesses student progress across courses to provide their teachers with insightful information. When students struggle with a lesson or fall behind in a skill, the software alerts their teacher and offers additional resources to help the teacher address that gap. If several students struggle with the same lesson, Edmentum can help teachers facilitate extra group lessons for those who need it most. This insight allows educators to direct their time and attention where it’s most impactful. Underpinning Edmentum’s successes are rigorous research and validation processes. Their software must provide educational material that is research-based and effective. At the same time, their assessment tools need to have strong efficacy to provide teachers with meaningful information to direct their time and
resources. In other words, they need to continuously validate that their courses and assessment tools are teaching and testing the skills they claim and that the insights derived from those performance assessments are an accurate representation of each student’s learning to be a trusted resource for educators. Edmentum’s Research and Learning Engineering Team led by Dr. Michelle Barrett guides research policies, agenda, and the design and instrumentation of technologies that improve learning outcomes. The robust team of psychometricians test product efficacy. They examine the curriculum, learning measurements from assessments, and how those assessments are delivered to ensure that the outcomes reflect unbiased learning. CATALYST FOR CHANGE The education sector is notoriously slow to change, but the pandemic caused significant disruptions to the status quo. School boards worldwide reimagined how to educate students during the COVID-19 pandemic to help slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe. As schools went virtual, Edmentum leaned into their propensity for innovation to tackle the challenges of keeping up with exploding demand for their products while ensuring that those products are effective and accessible for the teachers and students who depend on them. “Our team had to design solutions to manage a seventy-five times year-over-year jump in growth virtually overnight,” emphasized Johansen.
PIONEERING CHANGE IN INTEGRATED EDUCATION
Inside Edmentum’s History of Reimagining Education
BY: MORGAN O’BRIEN A s a pioneer of e-learning, Edmentum is paving a path in virtual data-driven education solutions as the global COVID-19 pandemic drives massive changes across the education sector. Formerly PLATO Learning (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations), the organization began in the 1960s as a research project at the University of Illinois. The company soon became the first computer- assisted learning system, driven by improving access to high-quality education. In 2011, PLATO Learning acquired Educational Options Academy, which created some of the first fully online courses. In 2012, PLATO added Study Island, which built the first online formative assessment tool, serving 40,000 students across the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Finally, through a series of additional acquisitions, PLATO formed Edmentum by merging each organization’s unique history of innovative education solutions.
Our team had to design solutions to manage a seventy-five times year-over-year jump in growth virtually overnight. “
One of the solutions they designed is an AI-powered chatbot for onboarding teachers, which reduced onboarding time from half an hour to just four minutes. Both the insights produced by AI tools and the ongoing testing of product efficacy require rich data sets, which leads to challenges related to student data privacy. Striking a balance between functional, research-backed products and privacy is a challenge that Edmentum welcomes. A lot of work goes into the backend of their software to anonymize and de-identify data so the research team can utilize a rich data set while aligning with ethical obligations and privacy regulations.
Paul Johansen Chief Technology Officer at Edmentum
06 | Trending Technology
Trending Technology | 07
TRENDING TECHNOLOGY
BY THE NUMBERS
The
INNOVATING INTO THE FUTURE While the pandemic drove the explosion in demand for digital learning tools, Johansen predicts their traction will continue even as schools go back to in-person learning. The pandemic challenges showed teachers and school boards how valuable it is to integrate digital learning tools into the foundation of education to serve every student rather than as a supplemental tool for a handful of students with exceptional circumstances. At scale, the impact of using proven educational software to help students learn in optimal customized ways is profound. “It really opens up the opportunity for an equal playing field in terms of the opportunities students have. Edmentum gives them access to a wide variety of courses, teachers, and learning experiences that aren’t available when they’re constrained to a physical space,” explained Johansen. From a technological perspective, the future of education involves more and more intelligent information for teachers. The software aggregates data from each student’s courses and identifies patterns to help direct resources in the most valuable way. This level of holistic visibility into each student’s learning is only available through digital tools. Edmentum is building on its history as a leader and innovator in the e-learning space by becoming the trusted partner for teachers and school districts around the globe. Their research- backed approach delivers quality education in line with state- by-state curriculum expectations and privacy regulations while simultaneously providing solutions customized to students’ needs. The ability to deliver on that promise at an ever-growing scale is a testament to their technical chops. As education software as a service products become increasingly integrated into the core model for teaching and learning, Edmentum is pushing education forward with innovative solutions.
Edmentum customizes its products to align with state curriculums, so teachers avoid the extra hurdle of adjusting lesson plans to fit state standards. For example, a teacher with a class of thirty fourth-grade students could have reading levels ranging from a second-grade level up to a fifth-grade level. Edmentum’s software will assess each student’s skill level and adapt to where they are, so those behind can catch up and those ahead can continue to accelerate within the curriculum standards of the state and school district. These data-driven insights help educators optimize teaching according to the group of students they’re working with at a given time. Overcoming technical challenges, like scaling products while remaining customizable, is the kind of work that motivates the team at Edmentum and leads them to become a trusted partner of school districts and educators. Johansen elaborated, “We have a deep connection to our core mission of helping students, partnering with educators, and being resources for teachers. I absolutely love being part of a very mission-driven organization with extremely talented and passionate people. We get to create systems and technology solutions that can scale to millions of students and hundreds of thousands of teachers. We are serving over eight thousand districts in the United States – it’s an incredible combination.”
161 . 54
6 . 7 MILLION
MILLION
Total civilian labor force in the United States in August 2021.
Total number of hires in the United States during July 2021.
5 . 4 %
Percent employment fell during the COVID-19 pandemic.
749K
Total increase in job openings to 10.9 million during July 2021.
24 WEEKS
The average length of time it takes for an individual to go through the hiring process and find a job.
DAYS DAYS DAYS
The average length of time it takes to complete the interview process within an organization.
135,368 Total number of jobs Amazon posted in September 2021.
90 S E C O N D S
56 %
Percent incease in nationwide job openings since before the pandemic.
Edmentum’s Office
The time during which 33% of interviewers decide whether or not they want to hire a candidate during an interview.
60 % Percent of recruiters who use video technology to interview candidates remotely.
90 . 8 % Percent of Americans with access to the internet.
2025
Year by which Millennials and Gen Z will make up 75% of the global workforce.
08 | Trending Technology
By the Numbers | 09
COVER STORY
Culture-Driven Leadership
INTERVIEW BY: NATALIE SHEFFIELD
Rod Young is leading Delta Dental of Minnesota with an emphasis on collaboration, culture, and inclusion. With distinct dedication, Rod Young set his sights on becoming a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) early on during his career. He achieved his goal – three times over – and leads Delta Dental of Minnesota with a people-first mentality. We caught up with the Twin Cities Business 2021 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame inductee to reflect on his career and gain insight into his leadership approach.
Left to Right: Dr. Reena Gajjar, Sarah Leeth, Rod Young, Douglas Harrison, Peter Vladimirov
10 | Culture-Driven Leadership
Culture-Driven Leadership | 11
COVER STORY
Our culture is the most important asset of the organization. “
THE EARLY YEARS “Well, first of all, I wanted to be a professional basketball player. Let’s be clear about that!” Rod Young says with a laugh. In reflecting on his career in healthcare, it’s clear that Rod approaches every facet of his life with purpose and dedication. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Centreville, Illinois, Rod grew up in an athletic family with two older brothers. “My mom and dad were significantly important in all of our lives. We [received] great love, great discipline, and great guidance,” Young shares. His father worked in the construction equipment industry for forty years, and his older brother focused on sales. “My second choice [as a career] was to go into business based on what I saw from my dad and brother,” explains Young. Rod started his healthcare career in pharmaceutical sales for Uptown Pharmaceutical. It required tremendous dedication and studying to be successful. “To get into the pharmaceutical industry and do fairly well was quite a personal accomplishment. There were a lot of days and late nights spent at the medical library trying to get a grasp on various disease states. It was enjoyable and rewarding and gave me a good foundation for where I’m sitting today,” Young says.
Officers and Chief Financial Officers of the largest hospital systems in the region. It was then that Rod set on his path to lead a healthcare company. “Based on those experiences, I said, ‘I’m interested in becoming a CEO to lead an organization.’ While working through a local executive search firm, I was successfully placed with LecTec Corporation in my first CEO leadership role – a small, publicly- traded med-tech company,” Young describes. Next, he led another medical technology, Angeion Corporation, before assuming the helm of Delta Dental of Minnesota. Rod believes his best preparation for becoming a CEO goes back to his family, specifically his parents’ guidance. “You work hard and treat people the way you prefer to be treated. When you show respect; you typically receive respect. My father particularly demonstrated that you do whatever it takes to get the job done – these core values have served me well throughout my career,” Young summarizes. LEADING DELTA DENTAL As a self-professed Star Trek nut, Rod likes to consider himself the Captain or Starship Commander of Delta Dental of Minnesota. His priority is to take care of the business, continue to grow it, and serve all of its constituents, including members, subscribers, dentist partners, brokers, and team members. Effectively balancing these priorities day-to-day is key to running the business well. “The most important factor in managing
priorities is having a great team. I’m fortunate that our executive leadership team is pretty, pretty cool. They’re talented, smart, bright, ambitious, dedicated, and fun!” Young emphasizes. It’s clear from watching the executive team interact and listening to Rod describe the organization’s inner workings that they are a close-knit team and genuinely enjoy working together. Leaning into teamwork allowed Delta Dental of Minnesota to weather the COVID-19 pandemic well. The team rallied together in March of 2020 to adapt to remote work while continuing to deliver quality care and support for all of the organization’s constituents. At the end of September 2019, Delta Dental of Minnesota opened a technology call center in Bemidji and hired new team members to run the operation. Just a few short months later, Rod made the decision that the entire organization would work remote. “It was a herculean effort by the Information Technology (IT) team. They converted our new technology call center, and everyone began working remotely from home immediately. [We] went from centralized management at our call center and Minneapolis headquarters and [became] very efficient in managing operations remotely. They really showed their strength – and continue to!” Young remarks. At the Delta Dental of Minnesota headquarters in downtown Minneapolis, they recently completed a massive renovation effort. “We created collaborative
Initially selling to physician and dental offices, he soon graduated to large hospital sales, with the ability to call on the operating room and multiple departments in the hospital. “I quickly learned that, although hospitals are where they treat people who are ill, they are a business amongst themselves,” Young shares. “Everything from Post-It notes to Scotch Tape – you can tell I used to work for 3M – to floor and window cleaners. All things that a business needs are also sold to hospitals. Those experiences provided me a much broader understanding of the healthcare industry,” Young recalls. From physician office pharmaceutical and hospital sales, Rod progressed on to marketing and corporate business development. He assumed an account executive role with Baxter International, a large healthcare manufacturer and medical products corporation headquartered in Chicago, with the responsibility of providing hospital distribution management solutions to Chief Executive
Rod Young Get to know
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY I have a wife, Carla, and two daughters, Lauren and Taylor. Both daughters are married, and I have one granddaughter named Willow. BEST WAY TO SPEND FREE TIME Playing basketball, going to restaurants, watching documen- taries, and visiting museums. COOL TRAVELS The first two companies I led happened to have manufacturing in Italy, so I spent a lot of time there. Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy is beautiful. FAVORITE RESTAURANT I love J.D. Hoyt’s in downtown Minneapolis. The food, the service, and the ownership are awesome.
MUST WATCH MOVIE I’m a big fan of Russell Crowe’s Gladiator .
Rod Young catches up with Dr. Reena Gajjar and Sarah Leeth.
12 | Culture-Driven Leadership
Culture-Driven Leadership | 13
COVER STORY
spaces, gathering spaces, and all the improvements you do to [promote] conversation. They’re gorgeous spaces, and mostly unoccupied now,” Young acknowledges. As a company that relied on in-person interaction before the pandemic, Rod is optimistic that one day the collective business landscape will get back to the vibrant, face-to-face operation of the pre-pandemic world. In the meantime, the team has remained tight as a group. “Interestingly enough, even on Zoom, we’ve been able to maintain connectivity. It’s obviously not the same, but we’ve occasionally taken advantage of being able to get together outside in small groups where possible,” says Young. When asked about the culture of the organization, Rod lights up. “Our culture is the most important asset of the organization,” he reveals. “We are an organization that rallies around common goals and objectives, we work really hard, and we embrace and celebrate success. We get rave reviews from our team members in internal surveys on the culture of the organization,” Young elaborates.
investments throughout the state, including a grant to build the Delta Dental Oral Health Center at Hennepin Health, a contribution to The Sanneh Foundation in East St. Paul to build a community center, and additional investments in the Twin Cities after the unrest following the death of George Floyd. Rod believes that a community focus is a win for everyone. “We have a purpose, and our team members embrace that purpose. It’s good for the community, good for us internally, and good for business,” Young posits. Likewise, in his focus on the Twin Cities, Rod emphasizes the importance of this region becoming a place that is inclusive for all. “I’m not speaking strictly of racial inclusivity, but inclusivity in general,” Young clarifies. As the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Minnesota Business Partnership, Rod is at the forefront of partnering with the largest businesses in the state to create an environment that will improve and address disparities. “There are gigantic values and benefits to living in Minnesota and the Twin Cities. We’ve got a way to go to make sure it’s inclusive for all, but there’s some fantastic work going on,” he emphasizes. Between driving the organization’s mission and serving the community, the resiliency of the business and the continued satisfaction of its members comes down to one thing – putting people first. It’s clear that Rod leads with this mindset. Whatever challenges may arise, the Delta Dental of Minnesota team will continue to work together to serve and support their members and the community at large.
We are fortunate our IT team has a seat at the table to ensure our organization’s agility from a technology perspective. “
“Cutting the floss” celebration to open the Delta Dental Oral Health Center.
– ROD YOUNG
One of Delta Dental’s challenges toward improving oral and overall health is employees failing to utilize their employer sponsored dental benefits. “We’re working with our clients to inspire their team members to take advantage of their comprehensive Delta Dental benefits; the more people who regularly visit their dentist, the better,” Young says. Beyond its goal of excellent customer satisfaction, the organization aims to do right by the community. In 2009, Delta Dental of Minnesota’s parent sold a company and used 100 percent of the proceeds to establish and fund the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. This foundation funds organizations and initiatives to expand access to dental care for Minnesota’s underserved populations. “The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation is one of the largest – if not the largest – oral health foundations in the country,” explains Young. “We’ve helped thousands of individuals on their journey to improve or sustain their oral health,” he adds. In addition, the foundation made significant
ABOUT DELTA DENTAL OF MINNESOTA Delta Dental of Minnesota is one of the largest providers of dental benefits in the Upper Midwest, serving more than 9,100 Minnesota- and North Dakota-based purchasing groups and 4.3 million members nationwide. Founded in 1969, the company is an independent, nonprofit health service plan corporation.
Delta Dental Office in Bemidji, Minnesota
ADVANCING THE MISSION Delta Dental’s commitment to improving oral and overall health is the common objective that binds the team. They promote the vital connection in many ways. “One of the most notable initiatives we have taken was to employ a medical doctor (MD) physician to join our executive leadership team as the Vice President of Medical Services. One of the key roles of this position is to provide clinical education on the connection between overall and oral health,” Young expresses.
Effective operations contribute to Delta Dental’s ability to fulfill their mission. When asked about the relationship between business and IT, Young replies that they are as tight as fingers in gloves. “Our IT team members contribute in our product development meetings, when we’re creating new programs, and when we’re working with grantees through our Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation,” elaborates Young. Keeping open communication across the business enables the organization to become more agile. “We are fortunate our IT team has a seat at the table to ensure our organization’s agility from a technology perspective,” states Young.
14 | Culture-Driven Leadership
Culture-Driven Leadership | 15
THE I NNOVATORS
Innovating the Future of Healthcare
Undoubtedly, innovation thrives at Mayo Clinic . Here’s a look at the secret to fostering innovation – and what’s next for the healthcare powerhouse.
Mayo Clinic Engineering Machine Shop, circa 1950.
M
Connectedness. Many describe Mayo as an organization where the focus is on cooperative individualism. Mayo physicians earn a salary, rather than receive payment per procedure, leading to an environment that nurtures innovation through collaboration and cooperation. Mayo physicians rely on each other to take care of their patients. Diversity. Very few people are experts in everything, especially today. So, diversity in this context refers to the different disciplines and specialties within Mayo Clinic that collaborate on the care of patients. Healthcare is complex and hard to understand, but specialization enables an increase in efficiency and productivity. However, communication between specialists is difficult, and the role of the generalist becomes even more crucial. Mayo Clinic has the foremost experts in the world in a variety of disciplines. Further, we have people whose job is to coordinate that expertise to be most beneficial for the patient.
ayo Clinic has a long history of innovation. In 1889, Mayo formed the first group practice of medicine and by 1929 had grown to 386 physicians. As
BY: MARK WEHDE Chair of Mayo Clinic Engineering
ayo-trained physicians left the organization and traveled around the country, they frequently established their own group practices based on the Mayo model, forming over 125 around the country by 1932. Why did this group practice model spread? I believe a primary reason is that it was a successful incubator for innovation. With the advancement of healthcare, it was no longer possible for one physician to provide for all their patients’ needs. This model allowed physicians with different specialties to complement each other and turned Mayo Clinic into a place of firsts. The first group practice. The first program in graduate medical education, the first medical and research nonprofit, the first blood bank. The first commercial heart-lung machine. The first hip replacement. The first CT scanner. The list goes on! What makes Mayo Clinic so ripe for innovation?
WHY INNOVATION THRIVES AT MAYO CLINIC
There was an article in the Harvard Business Review a few years ago discussing why innovation thrives at Mayo, and they identified three unique conditions: Limited Resources. Healthcare is a low-margin business. Many healthcare organizations feel lucky to have margins around five percent. Technology companies, on the other hand, have margins of twenty percent or more. Even at a place like Mayo Clinic, the resources are limited, forcing us to innovate to succeed.
Novel spine stabilization device
Patient-matched implants
16 | The Innovators
The Innovators | 17
THE I NNOVATORS
THE ROLE OF ENGINEERING AT MAYO Dr. William Mayo once said, “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered, and in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, union of forces is necessary.” It’s as if we are declaring war on sickness and infirmity – in a sense, that is exactly what we have done here at Mayo Clinic. As part of our “union of forces,” Mayo combines medical disciplines with various other specialists, such as engineers, computer scientists, basic science researchers, and some of the top administrators in the world. Early in the organization’s history, we recognized the role of technology in healthcare. Mayo formed the first instrument shop in 1915, which ultimately turned into the Division of Engineering by 1948.
MOVING INNOVATION FORWARD TODAY Today’s challenges require an innovative mindset more than ever. In the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, the engineering team entirely refocused to help Mayo Clinic respond to the urgent and emergent needs brought on by the virus. The engineering team re-invented itself to focus on supply chain issues. These challenges include parts in short supply for respiratory therapy, various protective devices for patients and staff, tests of aerosol clearance times to ensure that operating and procedure rooms are safe, and much more. As we look to the future, Mayo Clinic is committed to home and remote healthcare and is working towards a digital platform transformation. If you want to measure the success of an innovative organization, you must look at its results. We know that innovation will shape the future, but often organizations don’t look at metrics on the results of their innovation programs. From creating a next-generation home health monitoring solution to helping develop the deep brain simulation system, innovation at Mayo is about results.
disclosure agreements, no contracts required. Simply give us a call, and we will stop by. We also provide an opportunity to centralize costly engineering services and provide cost savings by distributing overhead across multiple projects. The Mayo Clinic Engineering team continues to innovate both its business model and areas of focus. We align with Mayo’s strategic plan and major clinical initiatives, partnering with clinical innovation teams and colleagues in Mayo Clinic Ventures, the Mayo Clinic Office of Translation to Practice, the Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange, and the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship. We work with teams in transplant surgery, fetal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and cardiovascular diseases to develop the next generation of tools and devices. These advancements support our most at-risk patients to perform better, quicker, and more accurate diagnostics and to improve the therapy options available to our healthcare providers. Could there be a better partnership than one between the exceptional Mayo surgeons and a dedicated engineering team? Innovations from this clinician-engineer partnership have led to many licensed products and support the move towards personalized care. For example, our team is developing point-of-care printed patient-matched implants, leveraging its Additive Manufacturing Facility and stable 3D polymer and metal printers. The engineering team is also adapting to meet the organization’s changing needs by pushing toward rapid innovation and prototyping processes that support the changing pace of invention required to remain competitive and provide the best healthcare in the world.
InspireCIO’s Twin Cities CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards recognizes the Chief Information Officers who demonstrate excellence in technology leadership. The organization announced winners across nine categories based on the size and scope of their organization and responsibilities. Get to know the outstanding technology leadership across the great state of Minnesota. And the ORBIE goes to...
Robin Brown Chief Information Officer Cargill Super Global
Jamie Thingelstad Chief Technology Officer SPS Commerce Large Corporate
John Pelant Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer CWT Global Mike McNamara Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Target Large Enterprise Mike McGuire Executive Vice President and Chief Operations & Technology Officer Delta Dental of Minnesota Enterprise
Daniel Ritch Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer NorthMarq Corporate Alan Abramson Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (retired) HealthPartners Leadership
Diamond reactor
Rahoul Ghose Chief Information Officer ECMC Group Education
About Mark Wehde
Within our engineering team, we replicated the Mayo collaborative model by combining many engineering disciplines into one organization devoted to solving problems for the company. We looked around the country and found no other healthcare organization with an internal engineering team quite like ours. So, what makes engineering special at Mayo? We are accessible. Our physicians can talk to us today. There is no cost, no approvals, no non-
Mark Wehde is chair of the Mayo Clinic Division of Engineering, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and fellow in the Mayo Clinic Academy of Educational Excellence. Mark is the executive leader of a team of engineers, software developers, and project managers focusing on both product discovery and product delivery of solutions to problems faced by our healthcare providers.
This ORBIE journey profoundly impacted me in a way that I didn’t expect. It was such an honor to be nominated by Concord along with so many other distinguished CIOs in the Twin Cities. “
Sharon Kennedy Vickers Chief Information Officer City of St. Paul Nonprofit/Public Sector
– ROBIN BROWN
18 | The Innovators
Twin Cities CIO Winners | 19
THE NEW WAVE OF OPS
THE OPS MOVEMENT The Ops trend isn’t new. DevOps and Marketing Ops are both mature concepts that permeate the development and marketing functions, respectively. In early 2007, DevOps formalized as a significant influencer in the software development process when developers and IT professionals had separate, competing objectives. A discussion about the drawbacks of Agile between two developers, Andrew Clay Shafer and Patrick Debois, resulted in DevOps as we know it today – a blend of agile philosophy with lean thinking around processes and tools that unite every team involved in the project. DevOps represents a logical change in approach to age-old problems in IT. Likewise, Marketing Ops can be tied back to Peter Drucker’s vision of tightly integrating customer insights and analysis from the 1970s. More recently, Gary Katz published the first article citing Marketing Ops on MarketingProfs. While the average organization uses over ninety cloud services, Marketing Ops ensures these tools work together to reach critical goals, encompassing everything from planning and processes to technology and resource allocation. As we consider DevOps the software core of Tech Ops and Marketing Ops at the front of the funnel, we realize the benefits of new technologies, automation, analytics, governance, and enablement from an Ops perspective throughout digital domain touchpoints across the entire customer journey and lifecycle. The growing collaboration and coordination across these Ops domains enable companies to adapt to market and customer shifts more quickly by building on the data, tool, and process domains within their digital business.
PICKING UP STEAM If DevOps and Marketing Ops signify “Wave 1” of the operational trend, we’re currently in the midst of “Wave 2” – and it’s about to get interesting! Many organizations are starting to pick up speed with DataOps, Product Ops, and RevOps.
The tides of business are turning towards more operationalization across departments– are you prepared for what’s next? THE NEW WAVE OFOPS
Let’s start with some definitions. 1) DataOps
Data Operations (DataOps) brings together DevOps teams with data engineer and data scientist roles to provide the tools, processes, and organizational structures to, in many cases, provide data as a product in a more consistent and consumable manner across the enterprise.
2) ProductOps Product Operations (ProductOps) is an
operational function that supports and accelerates the intersection of product, engineering, and customer success, by building and supporting more data-driven product management teams. 3) RevOps Revenue Operations (RevOps) describes the shift in B2B organizations to align sales, marketing, and customer support teams better to sustain and accelerate growth. The landscape in this area is still nascent – we see companies shift their focus to DataOps to mature data management in the organization. Every department depends on reliable data – and, more importantly, turning that data into usable information. DataOps takes an agile approach, prioritizing data automation and continuous analytic insight to satisfy customers internally and externally. Likewise, Product Ops is a related approach, where product management aims to equip the organization with relevant data for decision- makers and automate time-consuming tasks. The entire focus is to build products that delight customers. It’s no surprise that organizations are turning to this discipline as they seek to be product companies. The New Wave of Ops | 21
BY: ERIC CARR CHIEF DELIVERY OFFICER AT CONCORD
R egardless of industry, many companies aim to become more product- or data- driven companies. It’s no surprise that data is king. But how do companies achieve this goal? Automation. The movement from art to science is taking hold in every aspect of operations in big companies and startups alike. With the rise of cloud, data, and the tooling to support it, there are more opportunities than ever to create efficiencies, automate workflows, and manage functional areas with greater precision via automation. More companies are adopting this mindset – undoubtedly, you’ve heard of DevOps and Marketing Ops – but how about DataOps? PeopleOps? ProductOps? Business-supporting strategies continue to evolve, and a large part of that future is Ops. To understand the trend, let’s look back at how it all started.
Marketing Ops
Dev Ops
TECH OPS
BUSINESS OPS
20 | The New Wave of Ops
THE NEW WAVE OF OPS
On the other side of the house, the business is also getting in on the operationalization fun. RevOps is helping to generate more revenue and profits by better managing, measuring, and monetizing revenue- generating assets. With a shift in operations and the explosion of tooling, there also comes a shuffling of roles in the org chart. Leaders of RevOps are going by expanded C-suite titles, like Chief Growth Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, or even Chief Customer Officer. All represent the dramatic shift in focus from distinct siloed areas, like Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success, to a broader scope representing the entire customer experience.
The companies that stay ahead of the curve in operationalizing their business will be the first to enjoy the advantages of full-scale automation, making better use of their data, and a continued customer emphasis.
How do you take your company into the new era of Ops? We have a few recommendations to get started:
Build the Right Framework. Before you can move to the cutting edge of the Ops trend, you have to get the basics down. Digital businesses must continue to strive to capture and use data more effectively to improve decision-making across the enterprise. Marketing Ops and DevOps are two common starting points for Ops adoption and maturity. Operationalize the Enterprise. With the right datasets integrated across systems in the organization, it’s time to align executive leadership on an Ops mindset. An enterprise-wide approach to Ops will take advantage of the lessons learned in earlier Ops-domain thinking. It’s much easier to accelerate the adoption of tools and processes when the organization aligns on the outcome – that is, to drive more compelling customer experiences and internal operational efficiencies. Think Outside the Ops Box. Ultimately, operationalization is more than just tacking the word “Ops” to what you already do. Instead, the Ops mindset is approaching activities with scaling and efficiency in mind. Doing so can drive value in functions you might not normally consider, like people, finance, and business operations. –– CLOSING THOUGHTS Ops has some trendiness behind its naming convention, but early adopters have realized the value. A solid indicator of the importance of these ops domains is the growing organizational alignment many companies are adopting around these newer Ops areas (e.g., Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Data Officer, Chief People Officer). The ops roles and responsibilities, alongside the corresponding tools and processes, will continue to mature, and we are excited to be part of the Ops evolution.
Data Ops
Revenue Ops
Product Ops
Marketing Ops
Was it the pink or the donuts that caught your eye? Since we have your attention now, why not see yourself at Concord? WORK AT CONCORD
Dev Ops
TECH OPS
BUSINESS OPS
–– PREPPING FOR THE THIRD WAVE
So, what’s next? Clearly the trend doesn’t stop here – “Wave 3” will be upon us before you know it. As the Ops train keeps rolling, we believe the next five to ten years will see the operationalization of every business and technology area. Scott Brinker of ChiefMarTech shared a model that we believe nicely represents the future of Ops.
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Partner Ops
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Design Ops
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22 | The New Wave of Ops
MN Tech Mag | 23
MASTER I NG YOUR C I O TO - DO L I ST
Tim Crawford Answers Your Pressing Questions About Digital and Business Transformation
–– What is the difference between digital transformation and business transformation? How can companies leverage this transformation for success? Digital transformation often refers to the modernization of a company’s technology estate to more modern systems, architectures, and processes. Business transformation is essentially a transformation of how a company operates on multiple levels, including business operations and customer engagement. The danger is proceeding with digital transformation without considering business transformation. Business transformation provides the direction and context for digital transformation. The pandemic has forced most companies to rethink their business and, therefore, driven the need for transformation at a business level. Business transformation then provides the context for digital transformation. –– What are the most pressing challenges facing CIOs today? The most pressing challenges for CIOs are in the categories of supporting business transformation, customer engagement, and risk, including ransomware and cybersecurity. Secondarily, CIOs must consider hiring and retention in the realm of today’s remote work environment.
–– What should CIOs prioritize over the next 1-3 years? Number one needs to be alignment with business operations. Most businesses are demonstrably changing both internally and externally. Understand the changing role of the CIO and IT organization as it goes through this transformation and beyond. Understanding the role of the IT organization will provide the context needed to determine the right organizational structure, staffing, skills, technology, and processes needed. For many, this may run counter to cultures that have existed for decades. Change is hard, especially for people. CIOs must understand and adapt accordingly. –– Expectations have never been higher for CIOs. The key is delivering business results while balancing the needs of internal and external customers. It’s a massive undertaking, but, thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone. Don’t be afraid to lean on others within your organization and pursue expertise from transformational CIOs who have helped companies leverage technology to maximize business outcomes. Get started by following Tim Crawford. Find his strategic insights on: Twitter at @tcrawford Podcast The CIO In The Know More Insights to Help You at Every Step of the Way
how to leverage innovations in data management, artificial intelligence, edge, and cloud while managing the ever- changing regulatory, compliance, and privacy requirements. –– What can a CIO do to adapt to emerging technology and affect businesses positively? Always start with the business objectives. Understand the role of the CEO and their remit for the company. Then consider the changing role of the IT org and how…and where emerging technology can appropriately fit in. Remember that there is not a one-size- fits-all approach here. Best practices need not apply. As each company and how it operates is unique, so must the technology it uses. –– Do you have any advice for CIOs on balancing the need for stability and the desire to innovate? At the end of the day, stable operations are table stakes. There is a balance between invoking increased risk from innovation and emerging technology versus stable operations. The key is to understand the balance and impact. Consider the risk and impact to others for both sides. In addition, consider the decision-making approach to ensure that the CIO is not saddled as the only one making decisions that impact critical business functions.
‘‘ The danger is proceeding with digital transformation without considering business transformation.
Mastering Your CIO To-Do List Advice from Tim Crawford on balancing shifting priorities as a CIO. A s the technology landscape changes and evolves, so does the role of the CIO. Today’s CIO might have a long list of priorities that includes supporting a hybrid
AVOA. Tim is ranked as one of the most influential CIOs and has deep expertise in leveraging technology to transform business. He is the host of The CIO In The Know podcast, where he shares strategic insights and advice with business leaders. Given Tim’s impressive credentials, we’re pleased he could share his view on pressing issues facing CIOs. Read on to learn Tim’s thoughts about balancing business and technology needs and how to position your company – and yourself – for short-term and long-term success.
workforce, creating the ultimate end- user experience for employees and customers, and innovating through cloud solutions. With so many opportunities to shape the direction of your organization, how can you discern which strategies and tactics will deliver the most business value?
Tim Crawford CIO Strategic Advisor, AVOA
While these are top-line issues, the CIOs role is further challenged with
For inspiration, we looked to Tim Crawford, CIO Strategic Advisor for
24 | Mastering Your CIO To-Do List
Mastering Your CIO To-Do List | 25
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