Innovation

Gofore uses an ethical approach in their digitalization projects which is innovative in itself. This unique approach makes the company a pioneer in ethical digitalization. Through the use of ethical standards, Gofore aims to have a positive impact and achieve sustainable digital development. The company uses self-determined ethical guidelines and related tools to assess whether a new project aligns with its values and views. Based on that, a potential collaboration is either rejected or accepted. Gofore believes that ethical design is a value-based approach that motivates reflection as well as enhances awareness of the innate notion of what is perceived as good.

For Gofore, it is central to not only talk about this ethical approach but also to act in accordance with it. This is why they have created several tools that allowed them to fully integrate the approach within the structures and fundaments of the company. For instance, Gofore offers ethics training for its staff members, trains ethics experts, and has created an ethics booklet that offers theoretical background and tools to implement ethics in one’s work. Moreover, the company continuously creates new organizational structures and tools that facilitate the use of ethical conduct. Hence, Gofore not only discusses ethical work practices and approaches but also implements them in their work.

Inspiration

Overall, the innovation followed a rather bottom-up approach that involved several staff members. Employees at Gofore started to get interested in ethics and how it could be integrated into their work life, as our interviewee Michelle, who works at Gofore as a service designer, described:

“Things {started to} bubbl(e) under the surface”

The initial interest and passion of some staff members resulted in the formation of a smaller group of employees who thought about how ethics could be united with the digital service of the company. The chief sustainable officer quickly realized the potential of the idea as well and started to support the idea. Over time, the interest in the ethical digitalization approach grew bigger, and more structure was needed to enable other employees to join. The overall goal of the employees was to make the fast-paced digitalization of society as inclusive and equal as possible, as Michelle put it:

“there are a lot of inequalities in the physical world that do not have to come over in the digital world”

Gofore believes that being ethical in their services is simply the right thing to do and the employees value that they are able to contribute to something good as well as have meaning in their work. Hence, the staff-based approach made Gofore a pioneer in an ethical, digital world.

Overall impact

The overall effect of the innovation can mainly be seen in societal change, as diverse values from different people are included. The ethical approach does not only make Gofore experts question how they can meet the expectations of their clients in an ethical manner, but also makes companies and their employees think in ethical terms.

This way of thinking has triggered something bigger, which can be seen in the growing interest in the approach. Stakeholders such as clients repeatedly reaching out to Gofore since they know the company addresses these issues, is evidence of the impact provided.

Business benefit

The main benefit of following this ethical approach as an innovation is that it makes Gofore stand out from other consultancy agencies and potential competitors. During the interview, three examples of why this is an advantage for the company have been discussed.

First of all, several service designers interested in working with and for Gofore have reached out to the company, stating that in today's world, employees want to align their personal values with the values of the company they are working for. An internal Gofore survey found that this is indeed exactly what makes its staff happier. In that regard, the ethical approach attracts talents who want to align their ethical values with those of the company they work for.

Secondly, the ethical approach also attracts potential clients. In a world full of attractive consulting agencies, this stand-alone feature of designing digital services that, for instance, account for diversity, equity, and inclusion, quite often forms the basis for collaboration.

Thirdly, Gofore is also regularly invited to give speeches at bigger events. They conclude that this is because of the ethical approach and the story they have to tell in that manner. It is clear that this is beneficial for the reputation of the company.

Watch video on Vimeo

Social and environmental benefit

Applying an ethical approach and helping several companies to do so helps to positively affect the way society as a whole is thinking. Companies, and with that also people, are made aware of issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With its work, Gofore shapes the digital society, and it wants to do so the right way, namely ethical and inclusive. That is why new services created with the help of Gofore are developed in a way that they can be used by everyone. Nobody should be purposefully excluded from society.

A study Gofore experts examined shows that over 1 million people in Finland cannot use digital services – which is a high number of people that are excluded from digital services according to the experts. Considering these people, for instance, have a hard time managing specific affairs and cannot participate in matters handled digitally, Gofore decided to keep these people in mind whilst carrying out projects. By doing so, Gofore is reshaping digital society.

In the meantime, Gofore aims to minimize its impact on the environment, and that of the projects they undertake. Consultants applying the ethical approach are aware of the environmental effects of the company's operations and try to take these into account. However, in the end, the ethical approach as an innovation is focused on social sustainability rather than environmental sustainability.

Interview

Michelle Sahal Estimé, Service designer