In this second of a three-post series, we’ll explore the next step in achieving digital transformation: establishing goals and milestones.
Goal setting is an often overlooked process of the digital transformation journey; yet, it’s arguably the most important part. While business teams may say they want to grow revenue, automate processes, or improving the user experiences, these statements are merely a starting point.
To achieve digital transformation, teams must have specific, well-defined goals and the steps to reach them. According to research, goals that are written down, tracked, and shared are much more successful than those that are not, particularly in a business setting. Yet, in a study of more than 300 business, more than 80% stated they do not record or track business goals. It’s clear that businesses who do plan and track business goals have a clear advantage–especially with digital transformation projects.
In this second blog post discussing the path to digital transformation, we’ll discuss how to set and track detailed goals that increase chance of project success. Additionally, we’ll review how JourneyTEAM helps in the goal setting process to ensure teams are set up for success.
Establish Goals and Milestones
Using the flag plant as a guide, teams must establish a plan as to how they will reach both short- and long-term goals. Next, teams need to set end dates for each goal or milestone as well as determine how each one is going to be tracked. From here, project leaders or managers will need to assign specific people to each goal. This ensures that each step will be seen through to completion. Finally, teams should regularly measure progress to keep projects moving forward and to make any necessary adjustments.
To illustrate, let’s consider a retail store wants to improve their customer experience (this would be their flag plant). To do this, retail executives must determine a few things:
Which areas of the customer experience need to be improved, and which is the most important?
What specific tools does the company already have in place or need to implement to effectively track and measure goals?
Which individuals should be assigned to each project?
What is the end date for each short-term goal?
What specifically will determine whether the project was successful?
How will the store continue to improve the customer experience?
Once these questions have been answered, teams can then move onto the third and final part of the digital transformation project: creating a roadmap and getting started.
Establish Clear Digital Transformation Goals with JourneyTEAM
As previously mentioned, it’s crucial for business teams to set goals that are specific, measurable, and realistic. For many business teams, this can be challenging and leave teams feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start.
At JourneyTEAM, we work closely with businesses to build smart goals. We listen carefully to teams’ goals and objectives and together, brainstorm solutions to challenges. Once we’ve settled on a solution, we put pen to paper and begin building a plan with specific goals and milestones, recommendations for product or process improvements, and establishing clear expectations for outcomes.
Throughout the entire process, we keep teams’ flag plant in mind, ensuring we’re working towards it every step of the way. Additionally, this helps teams to clearly understand how each recommendation and change is intended to solve specific challenges or meet specific goals. This helps to increase user adoption and keeps team members engaged in the project.
To learn more about how JourneyTEAM empowers organizations to achieve digital transformation, contact a representative or view our previous post on getting started with digital transformation.
Stay tuned for our third and final installment of this blog series: What to Expect in Your Journey to Digital Transformation | Part Three.