What is Practia Global and what role do you play in digital transformation for companies?
Practia Global is an Argentine company with over 30 years of experience, acquired by Publicis Sapient in 2023. The company specializes in helping businesses navigate digital transformation by offering a comprehensive range of services, including process management, software engineering, project management, and system testing. Initially focused on Argentina, Practia expanded across Latin America, providing tailored solutions to address business challenges specific to the region's volatile economic environment. Our approach is centered around close relationships with clients, ensuring high customer loyalty. As the company integrates into Publicis Sapient, its strategy continues to focus on offering holistic, modular solutions for digital transformation.
How does Practia assist companies in creating and implementing digital strategies?
Practia helps businesses formalize their digital strategies, moving beyond mere technology adoption. Our approach is holistic, linking technological integration with concrete, measurable business outcomes. We work closely with clients to define clear objectives, whether the aim is improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experiences, redesigning business models, or developing new products and services powered by technology. The company focuses on aligning technology initiatives with strategic business goals, ensuring that digital transformation projects not only bring technological upgrades but also drive tangible improvements in business performance.
What are the main technologies and services that Practia provides for digital transformation?
Practia provides a range of services essential for digital transformation, including modernizing legacy systems, implementing world-class solutions, and developing core systems. The company has a strong focus on API integration, automation, and adaptive leadership, helping organizations become more agile and responsive to changing market conditions.
Practia also emphasizes the importance of leadership development in complex environments like Argentina's, fostering organizational agility alongside technological progress. Additionally, Practia invests heavily in talent management, reskilling, and building digital capabilities within organizations to ensure that clients are equipped to lead their digital transformations effectively.
How does Practia approach talent management in the context of digital transformation?
Talent management is a critical component of Practia’s digital transformation strategy. The company views talent as a strategic asset and has implemented various initiatives to develop and retain top talent. Practia places a strong emphasis on reskilling and digital literacy, working with clients to enhance their teams' capabilities. We also support the creation of Centers of Excellence (COEs) to foster expertise in emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing. In addition, Practia has a proactive approach to hiring, focusing on individuals with not only the necessary skills but also the curiosity, passion, and drive to learn and grow within the company.
What is Practia’s approach to creating a culture of innovation in digital transformation projects?
Practia fosters a culture of innovation by encouraging collaboration across various disciplines, including design, engineering, and psychology. This interdisciplinary approach helps generate creative solutions and ensures that the company can tackle complex digital transformation challenges. The company’s innovation lab, established in 2017, allowed clients to experience emerging technologies firsthand. Through hands-on experimentation, clients were able to better understand how new technologies, such as augmented reality and computer vision, could benefit their business models. This approach of "evangelizing" new technologies has been key to Practia’s success in driving digital transformation for its clients.
How did Practia’s acquisition by Publicis Sapient impact its approach to digital transformation?
The acquisition by Publicis Sapient introduced a more defined operational model for Practia, aligning the company with Publicis' broader strategy of delivering integrated digital solutions. The partnership enabled Practia to refine its approach, combining its deep expertise in digital strategy, systems integration, and leadership with Publicis' global capabilities. Practia now integrates its methodologies with Publicis’ SPIT framework, which focuses on strategy, product development, experience, engineering, and data analytics. This framework ensures that digital transformation projects are not only innovative but also scalable and aligned with business objectives, allowing Practia to offer a comprehensive solution to its clients.
What does Practia believe is the key to successful digital transformation?
We believe that the key to successful digital transformation lies in strategic alignment, governance, and clear value creation. Many organizations start digital initiatives that fail to produce tangible results because they lack a structured plan and proper oversight. We work with clients to create a roadmap that aligns their digital projects with their business strategy, ensuring that each initiative adds real value. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of governance to ensure that digital transformation efforts are well-coordinated across the organization and deliver measurable business outcomes. By focusing on these elements, Practia helps businesses maximize the impact of their digital transformation.
Can you provide an example of a successful digital transformation project that Practia has led?
One notable example of Practia’s success in digital transformation is its work with a major financial institution. The client had several digital initiatives underway but lacked a cohesive strategy to align them with its business objectives. Practia helped the bank establish a clear framework for implementing artificial intelligence across various departments, ensuring that each initiative was in line with the company’s overall business goals. We also provided guidance on prioritizing initiatives, deploying them efficiently, and preparing the necessary infrastructure. Our work led to significant improvements in operational efficiency and customer experience, showcasing the value of strategic alignment and governance in digital transformation.
How has the political and economic environment in Argentina affected Practia’s operations and growth strategy?
The political and economic challenges in Argentina have always been a consideration for Practia’s operations, but the company has adapted by focusing on the stability provided by its international clients. With a decentralized revenue model that spans Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico, Practia has reduced its exposure to the economic volatility of any one country. However, the recent shift towards lower inflation and fiscal surplus in Argentina has created a more favorable environment for business growth. Practia is now more focused on competitiveness and efficiency, ensuring that it can continue to offer high-quality services at a competitive price while adapting to the evolving economic landscape.
What makes Argentine talent unique in the context of digital transformation and technology?
Argentine talent stands out due to its adaptability, curiosity, and passion for learning. Despite the challenges posed by the country's economic instability, Argentina continues to produce highly skilled professionals who are quick to adapt to new technologies. Practia invests in developing this talent through initiatives like its "school" program, which provides training to new recruits. The company also focuses on addressing the gap between formal education and the rapidly evolving tech industry by offering opportunities for continuous learning and growth. Argentina’s talent pool, combined with the country’s unique work ethic and creativity, gives Practia a competitive advantage in the tech industry.
How does Practia see its future growth and expansion in the global market?
With its acquisition by Publicis, Practia is focusing on consolidating its presence in Latin America while maintaining strong ties with its global clients. The company is not currently focused on expanding into new geographies but rather on deepening its engagement with clients in existing markets. Practia’s goal is to leverage its expertise in digital transformation and innovation to drive growth and create value for clients across various industries. By continuing to emphasize the importance of strategic alignment, governance, and agility, Practia aims to stay at the forefront of the digital transformation space, helping businesses adapt to new technologies and thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.
