With digital transformation firmly at the top of the agenda are you asking the right questions?

With digital transformation firmly at the top of the agenda and the recognition that any delays to change can directly impact an organisations ability to act with agility, risking revenues, profitability and customer relationships, many of my contacts are wondering how best to embark on their digital transformation journey.

If you believe your current processes and operations are a risk factor in the development and sustainability of your organisation then developing a digital transformation strategy should be your first action.

In support of that I have detailed some key initial questions that I believe organisations should be asking themselves to ensure their strategy has a solid foundation;

Where are we now? By fully understanding your start point it makes it far easier to identify and prioritise change. Start by auditing your key processes and operations, describing your activities step by step. Do you have the inhouse expertise to execute this or does it make more sense to work with external business process experts?

Who should be responsible or own our process? Ideally the CEO should take charge, a helicopter view and understanding of how changes to process, operations and customer engagement will impact upon all areas of the organisation is critical.

Do we have the required competencies to develop and execute our strategy? If not, will you recruit or work with an outside organisation?

How far reaching will the changes be? Do you want to integrate new technologies with existing systems or will you start from scratch? Both options offer differing benefits, by integrating with existing infrastructures, restructuring will not require the same level of resource and could be easier to gain acceptance from board members and managers, however deploying new digital processes allows for a more precise capability which will offer greater flexibility and agility and deliver an improved ability to innovate.

How can we ensure our staff will support change? The most successful transformations come when everyone is engaged. Involve colleagues fully, they know where the problems are, ask them what they think your new infrastructure should look like. Include their views and perspectives when you audit your processes and operations.

Recognise that digital transformation is a continuing process? Digital transformation is a ongoing journey, you should constantly monitor your processes to ensure they remain relevant, agile and flexible. Your information infrastructure should always deliver:

1.     The ability to process and share incoming, created and outgoing information in the most efficient manner possible with minimal human intervention.

2.     Allow you to have personalised customer relationships and engage with them in the way they want to be engaged with.

3.     Accessing and understanding what your information is telling you about your organisation delivers agility, competitive advantage and the ability to innovate. The cost benefits of digital transformation are well understood however less so is the immeasurable value of your data.

CONTACT

Please contact me if you would like to discuss how Canon can support your organisation with the design and execution of your digital transformation strategy, I will be delighted to hear from you.

Phone 07800 701298