Digital Transformation

I recently had a discussion with a colleague on the concept of digital transformation and what a successful digital transformation process would look like.  My email reply suggested the following:

Successful digital transformation focuses on the people issues.  The technology (hardware and software) is just the enabler. Successful digital transformation starts with leadership - the C-suite has to understand and support the digital transformation journey - and it is a journey.  Secondly, you need to look at your data culture:

• How are you using data now?  
• How do you need to use data in the future?  
• What are your near term and longer term goals for the transformation effort?  
• How are you going to communicate the process?  

Start with one key business process where digital transformation would make a major difference.  Work on that project alone to demonstrate that digital transformation can work.  Make lots of little adjustments - not a big moon shot.  Engage the participants that have a stake in the digital transformation as key enablers and team members.  The key here is to help them understand the benefits of using digital tools to do their work better.  

According to the experts (Deloitte et al) 80% of transformation projects fail.  The number one reason for failure is lack of C-suite support and ignoring the people side of the equation.  There are lots of successful digital transformation projects.  Look for the smaller examples - not the big huge ones.  Good Luck.

If you are engaged in a digital transformation project - you might want to ask yourself the same questions and focus on one project that can move the needle in a significant and positive fashion.  Don't try to boil the ocean - make incremental changes over time.  This is really a form of digital Kaizen.  

Feel free to contact me with questions or comments.  Sharing is caring!  To see my recent presentation to the Open Data Institute on Leveraging Data for Impact see the video here.