A journey on the digital bandwagon: part 1

Digital transformation means something different to each organization. As a basic definition, it’s about integrating technology across the board and altering the way business operates—creating fundamental changes so an enterprise can stay up to speed and become more customer-centric, more productive, more competitive, and more profitable.

It’s #1 on most executives’ hit lists—it’s a bandwagon. In fact, about 80 percent of organizations have undergone some form of digital transformation. Yet nearly that same percentage have not succeeded.

Apparently, the bandwagon needs a roadmap.

Although digital transformation may include AI or CRM or Cloud Security, it is not just about technology. And some get tripped up on that. Instead, successful organizations create a strategy tied to their business objectives and develop a roadmap with a series of stepped processes to get them to where they need to go.

Of course, there are about as many different types of digital transformation roadmaps as there are digital transformers. Which makes sense, because it’s a different journey for everyone.

However, MIT Sloan School of Management has defined its research-based roadmap as a series of building blocks with three overarching areas of focus—customer experience, operational process, and business model.

At a very high-level view, the customer category of the roadmap is built on foundational focus areas like analytics, growth, and interaction. For operations, components include process, workers, and management. And on the business side, building blocks incorporate digital augmentation, digital products, and globalization as supporting elements.

Galvanize will dedicate a series of posts to dive a little deeper into these mile markers that punctuate the roadmap—customers, operations, and the business model. In particular, these posts will focus on the technical skills of the workforce that relate to each focus area. Of course, workers don’t just implement the results of transformation, but they create the technology that makes it happen in the first place.

A study by McKinsey notes that success points to a litany of best practices and among them is the concept of empowering workers—with the upgrade of an organization’s talent and skills being one of the most important factors in a digital-change effort (training, upskilling, reskilling).

Click here to continue reading part two of our digital bandwagon series!

So, where is your digital bandwagon today?

Although there are many ways to navigate, having the right talent and skills on board will be essential in reaching your destination. Interested in learning how? Contact us today at enterprise@galvanize.com.