How can you involve stakeholders from different departments in IT scalability initiatives?

Across my 23 years of professional life as technologist, I have seen tech and data ( and of course now AI) to always have the ability to transform business and achieve business outcomes of a combination and variation of these types. Generate revenue or growth, provide compelling customer experience (methods could be many,servicing or these days hyper or even personalisation), improve colleague experience (in other words improve efficiency, productivity etc.) and most importantly but often understated Reduce cost (also referred at many places as "Capacity Creation"). Last but not least and again not be out of tune with the world, sustainability goals. These 5 business outcomes have been present and feature in all strategies ever since.

Involving stakeholders in digital transformation is key. Make them owners by actively engaging them in decision-making processes. Regular meetings and workshops should be held to gather their insights and address concerns. Transparent communication of goals, progress, and challenges helps them understand the impact of changes. Providing training and resources empowers them to contribute meaningfully. Their involvement not only enhances the transformation’s relevance to their needs but also fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the project's success.

You need buy in from multiple departments. I have found it is best to include a representative from each department. Without their input the initiative is likely to make someone unhappy.

Starting with incentives is always a great way. Understand each stakeholders needs and wants. See how the effort at hand affects those. At times there may be some "pain" involved before reaching a more effective state. Understanding at what point the effort will have those effects on each stockholder and setting expectations appropriately will go a long way to building trust and ultimately involvement. Ultimately, it's important to make sure we highlight the gains as much as possible, as well as the elimination of "pains" the end solution will remove from each stockholder's reality.

To identify any business' goals and benefits, you have to implement a framework. Be realistic in the goals you set. Being realistic will foster direction, focus and motivation for the interested parties. The goals also need to be measurable to enable you track the grogress. Ignoring this can be an expensive failure as it tends to undermine the efforts you have made rendering them useless. These goals also have to be relevant to foster growth in the business.

Training stakeholders and end-users through multimedia and interactive content is highly effective. Create engaging tutorials and demonstrations using videos and animations to illustrate complex processes in a simple, visually appealing way. Interactive modules, such as quizzes and simulations, can be incorporated to reinforce learning and gauge understanding. Webinars and live Q&A sessions provide opportunities for real-time interaction and feedback. Gamification elements, like rewards and leaderboards, can motivate and encourage participation. This approach caters to different learning styles, ensuring comprehensive understanding and skill development.

Regularly highlighting milestones, individual accomplishments, and collective efforts through awards, public acknowledgments, and internal communications fosters a sense of pride and motivation. It's crucial to appreciate the diverse roles and efforts that contribute to the project's success.

Incorporating AI based generation and automation is now critical more than ever. This is independent of any views one may have towards AI. If you don't automate where is possible, and do it in a stable and reliable way, you are not moving with the markets.

Understanding the business is crucial for aligning with stakeholders' needs. Knowledge of the business model, objectives, and challenges enables a more tailored approach to solutions. It fosters empathy and insight into stakeholders' perspectives, allowing for more effective communication and collaboration. This alignment ensures that IT initiatives are directly relevant and valuable, driving meaningful impact and ensuring stakeholder satisfaction.