Companies are using technology to enhance in-person sales conversations. For example, financial services companies are using tablet-based presentations instead of paper-based slide decks to make sales pitches. Insurance firms are introducing mobile tools to help salespeople and customers engage in analytics-based planning.

Automation can enable companies to refocus their people on more strategic tasks. A manufacturer has begun to centralize the HR function, allowing economies of scale through self-service while freeing HR people to “focus on enlarging manager skills, rather than counting days off.” A specialty materials company has automated many R&D processes.

Companies are introducing digital products that complement traditional products. For example, a sports apparel manufacturer started selling GPS and other digital devices that can track and report on a customer’s workout. Other companies are changing business models by reshaping their boundaries through digital.