Digital transformation

Digitalization can unleash the power of information across the process chain, thereby improving customer experience as well as operational efficiencies and optimization of resources, all at the same time. With the usage of Internet, social platforms, mobile, cloud computing, analytics, AI & machine learning, block chain, advance networks, sensors and smart devices, etc.  digitalization is at its tipping point. With the advent of experiential economy and proliferation of apps to market products more quickly leading to business disruption, is imperative for organizations to design and drive a full scale digital transformation not only in its core but all related functions.

In large or legacy organizations, finding a balance between legacy systems and digital systems of work, block chain, IOT, etc is both a formidable challenge and a tightrope walk. On one side as digital transformation unfold and organizations want to stay ahead of the game, they also have to continue to spend a considerable amount of IT budgets on current systems, leaving very little to driving new digital initiatives. Keeping critical systems up and running is the most important KRA for any IT head. The current core systems and the accompanying vendor based business models consumes a majority of resources and by the same measure preventing investments for digital transformation. This could be partly due to individuals natural defense in unlearning what we think we know best or ability to discard what we have ourselves built and choose from the multiple technology choices in front of us.

All said, organizations have to quickly analyses future gaps in their legacy systems which perhaps were designed for static market (and of course augmented over time) and articulate a digital transformation agenda in a manner that will embrace existing systems that is required to keep business running and adopt new technologies and skills to support digital growth on new devices and platforms such as cloud, Mobil apps, virtual desktops, etc. This will need 'hip curve' avoidance, but innovation that combines the best of new technologies and processes with trusted core systems and IT operations management and will enable new delivery models. This is going to be exponentially complex and a tightrope walk.

Fundamentally DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION agenda is not just technology. It’s about customers autonomy and freedom. It's about vision, flexible mindset, attitudes, perceptions, smart execution and not just about technology. Pig Headed approach towards digital transformation and trying to perfect something elusive may not be the answer. We need to take advantage of advance network connectivity at the point of impact of the system with customers, employees and partners to configure and operate tomorrow's enterprise and not just upgrade existing systems.