Businesses of all sizes are bracing for a recession. Still, while it may sound counterintuitive, this is actually the right time to accelerate digital transformation. Historically, an economic downturn is a boon for innovation. According to Morgan Stanley, roughly half of Fortune 500 companies were founded in times of recession or economic crisis. Investing in digital transformation will help businesses overcome a slowdown and address talent shortages.

David Moise is CEO, and sometimes developer, of Decide Consulting, an executive search and recruiting firm for IT and Software roles. Even as it begins to look more promising that the pandemic will one day be behind us, we continue to move toward digital acceleration. We already knew that the companies that invested more in IT have a competitive edge and the pandemic doubled down on that concept. Across the country the phrase "digital transformation" is being repeated in the C-suite; projects are getting the green light, IT spending is getting priority, companies are hiring and the demand for talent is heating up. Digital transformation at many companies includes topics such as agile, DevOps and cybersecurity, while others are ready for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Until this highly unusual year, "digital transformation," while a priority for many companies, was a gradual process for most. The Covid-19 pandemic -- with most companies not fully prepared for sudden remote work for the masses -- has thrown transformation into hyperspeed, with automation as a key technology in that push. Automation uses software to create repeatable instructions and processes that monitor and control the production and delivery of products and services. In layperson's terms, automation makes routine tasks easier and more efficient. From customer service chatbots to self-generating finance reports or moving data from one system to another, automation reduces the manual labor of repetitive tasks. Experience shows that automating high-volume, repetitive manual tasks is a win-win-win: It drives value for customers, empowers employees to take on more challenging work and bolsters the bottom line.

TechRepublic's Karen Roby talked with Colson Hillier, the CMO at Alorica, provider of Business Process and Customer Satisfaction Outsourcing solutions, about digital transformation projects in the post COVID-19 era. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation. Karen Roby: Where should companies be focusing right now, and explain why omnichannel communications should be a priority. Colson Hillier: I think that the idea of omnichannel is really about customer empowerment. Today, you think about the way that we interact with the brands that we love, and almost all of it involves multiple channels.

The IT department's job has long been to give business a technology-powered edge over its competitors. Today, that mandate is expressed as "digital transformation," which emphasizes disruptive innovations over iterative process refinements. No matter what you call it or what you emphasize, today's technologies are fundamentally changing the way we do business. In turn, businesses need to fundamentally change the way they manage IT. Below, we'll take a look at the front lines of digital transformation and the IT management solutions needed to support it.

The next wave of IT innovation will be powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. We look at the ways companies can take advantage of it and how to get started. Inside the black box: Understanding AI decision-making Infographic: 50 percent of companies plan to use AI soon, but haven't worked out the details yet Five ways your company can get started implementing AI and ML Why AI and machine learning need to be part of your digital transformation plans Should Amazon be your AI and machine learning platform? Should Google be your AI and machine learning platform? Should Microsoft be your AI and machine learning platform?