Innovation Inc: Harnessing the surge and prepping for the future

There is no shortage of stories highlighting just how much the coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged innovation.

The NFL, for instance, completed its first-ever completely virtual draft with the help of Amazon and an army of smartphones. Companies are executing initial public offerings without setting foot on the iconic trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

And organizations are rapidly retooling operations and installing new safety measures like plexiglass dividers to make it safe for employees to continue to work in offices or manufacturing plants.

These changes will ultimately affect the daily lives of millions of Americans.

The challenge now becomes harnessing that innovation and maintaining it during the difficult recovery period ahead.

It's one reason why chief digital officers will be so in demand, according to one top headhunter.

But it's not just the C-Suite. Businesses like Citizens Bank are rushing to beef up on tech talent as the world pivots to digital at an unprecedented pace.

Below are several other stories from around the Business Insider newsroom that offer a small window into the bonanza of innovation under way around the globe.

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• Demand for artificial intelligence-backed conversational agents is booming as companies grapple with a predominantly remote workforce, according to KPMG's Traci Gusher. She unpacked the other key areas that businesses are seeking to use the advanced tech right now — and why those who waited to adopt it are at a huge disadvantage.
• With more companies offering employees the option to permanently operate remotely, executives are facing the difficult task of managing a workforce split between the physical and virtual worlds. RingCentral outlined to me the new features it is considering to help empower those participants dialing in from home to contribute more effectively in meetings.
• As nearly every firm contemplates its digital transformation journey in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, many will face the problem of making the cultural change necessary to make the pivot. Deluxe, the 105-year-old company that invented the checkbook, walked my colleague Paayal Zaveri through the shifts it made to accompany a streamlined tech portfolio.

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