There needs to be more clarity between the actual state of mature digital capabilities and what's being implemented as digital transformation.  

After spending many years traveling the world talking about the art of what's possible with digital transformation in the technology consulting business, I pondered what true transformation looks like—and if the consulting industry was delivering it. Clients embark on transformation projects, guided by consultants that should know what's possible. But do these projects genuinely lead to the improvements and differentiation clients aspire to achieve or that are truly reflective of the art of the possible today?  

This isn't another "thought leadership" piece on implementation challenges; it's more of a look at the industry and why so few transformation projects advance to the best possible state. Often, client and consultant settle on the reason that "the client is not ready for more change," leading to the implementation of a decade-old technology that ultimately ends up being more profitable for the consulting firm than the client. This approach is robbing clients—and the market—of the art of the possible.   

There needs to be more clarity between the actual state of mature digital capabilities and the digital transformation implementation. For instance, artificial intelligence empowers several vital cognitive services, yet some deem it needs to be more mature for public and private sector adoption. But think about this: AI-powered computer vision is mature enough to enable millions of Tesla owners to safely drive down a highway at 60 mph without touching the steering wheel; this is a powerful example of the adoption of new technology. So why does it seem futuristic to put cameras on local government vehicles to detect potholes, graffiti, and open parking spots?  

Instead, we continue implementing software platforms that put tiny little forms on our smart devices where we must input who we are, where we are, and what we need. We should leverage mature cognitive capabilities, like natural language processing, so we simply pull out our smart devices and say what we need. And why are we still entering information that the smart device already knows and can transmit because we "tell" it to? 

There are many more examples where clients don't harness mature digital capabilities because advisors would rather implement the technology they've built enormous capacity around. Suppose you have a team of a thousand developers trained to implement a specific technology platform software. In that case, there is little incentive to showcase other available, mature, and proven technology . When it comes to proposing a solution to a client. That's not what we're about.  

At 11:59, our vision and mission are to advise our clients on The Art of the Possible in digital transformation. We are not proposing risky, immature, bleeding-edge technology but are committed to ensuring our clients know what's possible today.   

To make the Art of the Possible a reality, we employ an agile talent model that operates with an innovative mindset and embraces today's and tomorrow's technology. We are not tied by resource capacities to one technology platform over another.    

Our leadership team is led by former Big 4 consulting executives who wanted to forge a new path—disrupt the consulting model that prizes capacity over capability. We know what true transformation looks like and understand why so many clients never reach the full potential of their digital transformation efforts.  

Our business and digital transformation service areas are focused on how technology can be leveraged today. For example, one of our focus areas is AI-powered cognitive capabilities. Adopting and applying cognitive capabilities won't dramatically change a business, but it will make it easier, more natural, and cognitively enabled. When you focus on AI, you also must focus on Cloud and Cyber since AI can't work without them.  

11:59 Labs examines a slightly more distant horizon that is beginning to be clearly visible and will likely cause significant disruptions in the future. This is tomorrow's Art of the Possible.  

Why rename our company 11:59? It signals the minute before a new day,  and we want to ensure you are ready for it. Here, we don't just discuss the Art of the Possible; we make it real. We're 11:59.