The human side of digital disruption

The 25 April was an exciting day for the team as we launched JLAB 2018 — the John Lewis Partnership’s retail tech innovation programme. We spent much of the day sharing our hopes and aspirations for this year’s programme with journalists and revealed that JLAB will run throughout the year rather than as a one-off 12 week innovation programme. There will also be three chances in 2018 for both established businesses and new startups to participate, with the first pitch focused on health and wellbeing.

Our belief that we can move JLAB on is centred around our learnings from previous years programmes. We have always created huge excitement within the business from our sponsors, mentors and of course the creative entrepreneurial people we meet through the programme. However for the 12 week stint it has felt switched on and then off with some of the energy then lost before we start it all again the following year. Now we are going to be ‘always on’ and my hope is that it creates an environment for innovation to flourish for us, our business and our people and the innovation community we build. But my greatest reflection is the human side of our changing retail world.

Even in this digital age, when so much of what we are talking about is how technology is and will continue to change the shape of how we shop, eat and live our lives, fundamentally it is people and only ‘us’ that can produce the energy, oxygen and excitement. Our emotion invested in creating great environments for people to develop ideas for others whilst exchanging experiences and skills through the learning community we are creating is the most human part of it!

Applications to pitch ideas for JLAB’s first challenge of 2018 can be made via www.jlab.co.uk Entries close at midnight on 25 May 2018.