The power of numbers: how to make a company invulnerable to crises of any scale COVID-19

pandemic is a difficult test for leaders around the world. But some do better than others. Companies that can combine technological and human competencies win. BCG - about what specific features distinguish successful companies from lagging behind

During the pandemic, those companies that managed to combine technological capabilities with organizational structures that are receptive to digital innovations performed much more efficiently than competitors.

We call such companies bionic : these are companies in which technological and human competencies merge into a single whole around a consistently formulated goal / strategy, bringing tangible practical results, indicating high efficiency. These include resilience, distinct competitive advantages, higher market shares and attractiveness to consumers, all of which together lead to impressive financial results.

The concept of a bionic company and research methodology

BCG has developed its own concept that characterizes various aspects of bionic companies. We highlight eight aspects of a bionic company:

strategy and purpose; bionic workflows; personalized customer experience and relationships; new offerings, services and business models; data and artificial intelligence; modular technologies; organizations on dynamic platforms; digital frames.

The main premise here is that companies that invest not only in technology but also in their own people generate more value. This value translates into higher business performance.

We used AI and machine learning to analyze the financial statements of public companies in the Brazilian Ibovespa stock index at scale. Our goal was to identify evidence of the company's simultaneous investment in technology and people.