GAMELabsNET interviews Enguerran Charlopain, Algotech’s Commercial Director.

It is a reality that the pandemic has accelerated the process of digitization in the business environment, what do you think have been the main changes in the world?

EC: The pandemic has highlighted the gap in the digital maturity of companies. The rate at which teams are becoming more skilled as they take on new technologies and new working methods (video, drive, SaaS software, Cloud) has accelerated this transformation. A good digital transformation is also about gaining longevity and continuing to improve its employee support with new tools and interactive tools are crucial to fill-in this challenge.

Having a digital strategy in your business was already a competitive advantage. What role do ICTs play in this context of Covid-19? Are technologies a key driver of future economic recovery?

EC: Since 1970 we have managed to collect data from different databases: docs, excels, paper and software of all kinds. They are all difficult to interoperate with each other.

These historic software which oblige us to remain sedentary, have given way to new solutions such as no-code technology which allows us to work in a more agile and flexible way.

Being able to work remotely allowed many companies to continue working during the pandemic and to take the place of those who were not prepared at all, a big gap in the first moments of the pandemic was seen and as time went on it became thinner. But A good digital transformation is also about gaining longevity and continuing to improve its employee support with new tools and interactive tools are crucial to fill-in this challenge.

The uncertainty that has imposed itself may be a brake on digitization, how do you see it, others point out?

EC: Digital transformation was not a priority due to lack of time or budget for companies but in the face of uncertainty with the various confinements it is becoming more than important to sustain its remote working method. For more competitiveness, factories are also going digital to attract talent and to be more efficient.

The rise of these more agile solutions during the pandemic quickly enabled employees to increase their skills and added added value to economic competitiveness. Putting digitalization on the front line allows you to continue to support your business by catching up and opening new doors that were not exploited before the pandemic.

By breaking down internal silos, we are breaking down physical boundaries.

The Internet has become for many companies the only platform that offers them visibility and technology as an ally to ensure the continuity of their activities, what solutions or technologies do companies like yours have at their disposal to move towards? digital transformation and be more productive and competitive? Can you cite examples or real cases?

EC: Brand image and the ability to disseminate key company information are the two solutions that allow us to adapt and be more competitive, they can be accompanied by technologies such as a no-code CRM / ERP for example.

1- brand image: we have two levers, what we communicate on (we must therefore be relevant and use social networks and communication tools wisely) and the action of sales representatives directly with the targets (we must therefore use the Internet to target better, know how to stand out, find the relevant contacts). Linkedin has unfortunately become one of the only prospecting channels with COVID, which can eventually become dangerous.

2- dissemination capacity: here we must create a network of partners who are able to talk about us, our technology and its adaptation to needs. For this we must seek to connect with business experts or makers who are in contact with end customers and who already have notoriety, in order to take advantage of their communication capacities on a larger scale. In short, in our business, indirect sales are the key to achieving scale.

Algotech is linked to the transnational project GAMELabsNET via ESTIA, in particular, why did you decide to get involved in the Bidart showroom? Based on the exchanges you had throughout the project, what similarities and differences can you highlight between the ICT sectors of the three participating countries, Spain, France and Portugal?

EC: Each actor in the project brings their own business expertise, which makes it possible to understand and apprehend different ways of working. In our digital twin sector, we have a head start in France because the BIM project has become a legal obligation for constructions, which is not the case in other countries. Data circulation is the same for data on the other hand for our common projects such as virtual reality maintenance.

What services provided by GAMELabsNET’s Transnational Network of Video Game Technologies and Gamification Demonstration Centers (Labs) provide strong added value for an SME like yours?

EC: We strive to be as close as possible to young people because with the shortage of profiles in new technologies, it is important to motivate the new generation to invest in new sectors. Gamification makes maintenance and Industry 4.0 more fun and visual.

This ecosystem is booming. Thanks to the Lab, there is now this chance to be able to visualize (virtual reality glasses) a factory and to be able to move around freely while allowing its remote maintenance.

On the eve of the launch of the Metavers with Facebook, this is a universe that will take up more and more space. Indeed, digital twins as they already exist in architecture for BIM or in the factory of the future for preventive or remote maintenance are already a virtual world and already exist in many fields. Gamification has made them more accessible to different sectors.

Finally, what advice would you give to companies in general, and to companies in the ICT sector in particular after your involvement in ESTIA Lab?

EC: Belonging to a group like ESTIA Lab is an honor for us, we are like a family with goodwill between each of the participants. The aim is to be in a collaborative work environment where we learn from everyone, and this is in my opinion the best booster for companies.

We all know each other and value the companies in the collective to develop partnerships and get feedback on our common activities.

This synergy allows us to build a relevant Lab for those who visit it, whether they are companies looking for innovation or students looking for inspiration.

If over the last few decades competition has been put forward for business, a change in working methods seems to be taking place via this new trend towards partnership, as it is this that enables us to energize the new generation and our territories by giving real meaning to work.