This three part blog series explores the steps to successful digital transformation. In this first post, we examine the importance of defining the purpose and understanding primary goals.
The journey to digital transformation is not an easy one. The path requires working with enormous amounts of data, technologies, and people. Yet, digital transformation has become the centerpiece of organizational innovation and operational efficiency. It’s for this reason and a myriad of others that 56% of companies worldwide prioritized digital transformation in 2021.
When done correctly, the method can empower organizations to create new, innovation solutions that provide customers with a superior experience, streamline operations, create sustainable development processes, and stay ahead of competitors.
Yet, the stream of new and emerging technologies can make it difficult for companies to know where to begin their digital transformation strategy. For many, the process can feel so overwhelming that businesses continue to rely on legacy processes or outdated software.
At JourneyTEAM, we understand the challenges surrounding digital transformation. Most digital projects take significant planning and preparation before any work can be done. Additionally, it can be difficult to get team members to adopt new processes or even understand why change is needed.
To help organizations on their path to digital transformation, we’ve created a three-part blog series that breaks down the steps to successful digital projects. In this post, we’ll be discuss the importance of defining the purpose of digital transformation and the specific business goals the project will meet.
Before we begin our discussion, a quick refresher on what digital transformation is.
What is Digital Transformation?
IBM defines digital transformation as “a customer-driven, digital-first approach to all aspects of business, from its business models to customer experiences to processes and operations.” The method relies on artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, the cloud, and numerous other technologies to leverage data and create faster, more intelligent workflows and decision-making.
Ultimately, the process is all about building a flexible, agile business that can easily evolve as customer expectations and values change. The goal is to quickly meet these rapidly changing needs; yet, most projects begin with resolving specific problems, including:
Automating business processes
Safeguarding processes and applications from market disruptions
Creating flexible, agile processes
Providing users with on-demand access to business resources
As previously mentioned, digital transformation is a complex undertaking, but when done correctly, it yields significant benefits to business. Higher customer satisfaction, increased collaboration and communication, higher agility, increased operational efficiency, more opportunities for digital growth are just a few of the advantages of the process.
Starting the Process
To increase the chances of completing successful digital transformation projects, businesses must have a clear strategy in place. Too often, innovation projects fail due to a lack of a clear strategy or implementation plae. This usually results in projects not living up to the full potential of their investment or leaving businesses in a worse position than before.
Businesses looking to carry out digital transformation should start with these two steps: defining a purpose and understanding primary goals.
Define the Purpose
The first step to achieving successful digital transformation starts with understanding the ‘why’ behind the project. Why is change needed? What benefits will the new technology or process bring to organizations? Are current processes preventing business teams from reaching their full potential?
At JourneyTEAM, we define the ‘why’ as a ‘flag plant’. In mountain climbing, the flag plant refers to the physical flag climbers plant on the summit once they’ve reached the top. It symbolizes the accomplishment achieved by climbers and is a reminder of climbers’ dedication and determination to reach the summit.
By helping organizations understand their ‘flag plant’, both internal and external teams are able to understand the target and direction of digital projects. Additionally, they’re able to better understand the specific challenges facing teams and why change is needed. This transparency results in an increase of user adoption and boosts project success.
Understand Primary Goals
With the flag plant in mind, teams can then move on to determining specific goals of the project. The process begins with defining what a successful project looks like. Whether it be faster processes, increased revenue, decreased customer retention, or a more secure network, businesses must first determine what the end result will look like.
To help businesses determine what goals they’d like to achieve, JourneyTEAM asks the following questions:
Are there gaps in existing tools and capabilities that need to be resolved?
What efficiencies need to be created to improve ROI and streamline operations?
Is there lack of visibility/insight into data that’s preventing decision-makers from making timely decisions?
How and where is data stored and is it secure?
Are systems integrated and communicating with each other?
What does customer interaction currently look like?
How can teams better track and improve customer interactions?
Do teams have detailed insight into customers and their preferences?
While goals will look different for every organization, it’s crucial to understand the main drivers of the project. Understanding and communicating these drivers to business users will keep projects moving forward, particularly if disruptions or delays occur.
JourneyTEAM provides as much support and direction during this process as needed, ensuring both teams and projects are set up for success.
Ready to Get Started?
With project drivers defined and a clear understanding of project goals, teams are ready to move on to the next step of digital transformation: establishing project goals and milestones. This step will be discussed further in our post: What to Expect in Your Journey to Digital Transformation | Part Two.
For more information on how JourneyTEAM empower teams to complete even the most complex digital transformation projects, contact a representative.