Here's how you can navigate the digital transformation of businesses as a consultant.

Take a hard look on your existing skills. Are they still relevant? Consulting is going via worst crisis in 150 years history. AI will replace or augment 40-80% of all consulting jobs. Remote work killed both customer intimacy and fees. Clients no longer are willing to pay for bunch of talking heads on MS Teams but same time “save” money on expenses. This doesn’t work. Only winner is AI because if all is remote - AI can replace all people. And it will. Hence you must either be extremely good in using, operating or building AI or you must be very good in selling so much that you can still charge premium for privilege talking to you in person. Only top people will pull it off majority of MS Teams talking heads will vanish. Find niche!

It is totally true, however the digital transformation path is a long and continue journey, sometimes this is against the company's interest, but the relevant outcome over this is as a consultant became yourself into a person with a clear position to help the company to understand that they will have some early wins but no all of those at the same time, with this statement the company and the board of director would understant what expect from this process. Keep doing the best.

Deep understanding is key: Start by conducting a thorough assessment of the client's business. This includes understanding their current digital maturity level, their existing technology infrastructure, and their business goals. Identify pain points and opportunities: Through interviews, data analysis, and workshops, identify the client's pain points and challenges related to digital transformation. At the same time, uncover potential opportunities for leveraging technology to improve operations, enhance customer experiences, or gain a competitive edge.

Do not ignore the current situation as changes affect the normal operations in a business. Cashflow and funding day to day as well as future are equally important

Setting a clear vision means starting with the end goal in mind. Knowing the desired outcome lets us plan backward, ensuring every decision aligns with achieving that vision. Aligning your team and stakeholders around a shared vision is critical. It provides direction, boosts motivation, and keeps everyone focused on the same destination. When everyone understands the "why" behind the work, it fosters collaboration and makes setbacks more straightforward to navigate.

The vision and North Star needs to be flexible enabling adaptability. The key consideration here is to ensure that the vision and outcomes are incrementally achievable and measurable. As teams collaborate and incrementally deliver toward these outcomes, each outcome becomes a milestone opportunity to review delivery impact for potential realignment of delivery to assure outcomes or reconsideration of outcome and vision to adapt as teams build.

Collaborative vision creation: Work collaboratively with the client to develop a clear vision for their digital transformation journey. This vision should be ambitious yet achievable and aligned with the client's overall business strategy. Define SMART goals: Break down the digital transformation vision into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This will provide a roadmap for success and enable you to track progress along the way.

A balanced strategy design involves assessing salvageable current products and technologies while incorporating new solutions that ensure financial stability, feature functionality, intuitive experiences, and interoperability. It’s crucial to avoid being tempted by any single solution as a silver bullet, as this can lead to long-term performance issues and potential vendor lock-in. It is imperative to determine where mutually distinct products and technologies are strategically needed when considering products and technologies that provide add-on or complimentary solution features. By considering a mix of technologies and hosting models, the strategy provides further assurance fostering effective, sustainable, and adaptable digital growth.

In digital transformation, design isn't just about looking good; it's about preventing the dreaded "crap in, crap out" scenario. Without thoughtful design, you risk recreating inefficient processes in a shiny new format. Think of it as a blueprint for your client's digital future: not just functional, but intuitive, efficient, and aligned with their vision.

Tailored solutions: Develop a customized digital transformation strategy that addresses the client's specific needs and goals. This strategy may involve recommendations for new technologies, process automation, data analytics implementation, or changes to the organizational structure. Phased approach is recommended: Break down the digital transformation strategy into manageable phases. This allows for a more controlled implementation, easier course correction if needed, and quicker wins to maintain momentum.

New tech is tempting, but it's not a magic bullet. Implementing without vision and design is like remodeling a house without a blueprint – it might look fancy, but you'll end up with a bathroom where the kitchen should be. This is where strategy comes to life. Your vision and design act as a blueprint, guiding technology choices and ensuring every tool serves a purpose and delivers the results you've envisioned.

Successfully managing change requires involving end users early on. Their insights from the requirements phase to use-case testing can really help ensure a smoother adoption. By including them, you make sure the design fits seamlessly into daily operations. It's not just about what the technology can do but how it will be used day-to-day. Prioritizing their input makes new systems functional, intuitive, and aligned with their workflows. This approach smooths the transition and leads to a more successful digital transformation.