Digital Transformation - One Time or All the Time?
William Tran
CxO Advisor | CxO Event Host | CxO Connector | ORBIE Corporate CIO of the Year
In my previous articles I started to address What is Digital Transformation and whether it is Hype or Reality.
In this article I am expanding my thoughts on Digital Transformation and its life-cycle.
To keep things simple let’s assume there are only 2 possible life-cycles
1) Digital Transformation is continuous and has no start or end.
or
2) Digital Transformation has a start and an end - like a project.
Which one is more accurate in describing Digital Transformation?
By definition, can you have Transformation that happens all the time? I don’t think so, because if true, wouldn't that just mean business as usual - there's nothing transformational about BAU is there? So saying Digital Transformation is continuous goes against the nature of transformation. That is, you can’t transform all the time and forever! If you disagree and believe Digital Transformation is continuous and evolving, I would suggest using the phrase “Digital Evolution” instead.
If Digital Transformation is not continuous, does that mean that Digital Transformation has a beginning and end? Not necessarily, because if true, it would be nothing more than a high profile project or program. Digital Transformation is more than just a set of projects or programs, it has the word Transformation in it for crying out loud. If you disagree and believe it has a beginning and end then I would suggest using the phrase “Digital Revolution” instead.
Where does that leave Digital Transformation? Hmmm?
From my perspective, companies today exist in the current "Digital Revolution Era" where successful implementations of projects and technologies drive their success (as long as they don't get disrupted).
In the future, however, success won't be measured by what projects or technologies companies implemented but by the abilities/capabilities of the companies to implement them.
In other words, success in the future is not defined by what companies do but what they can do (that is, who they are - their intrinsic value).
I would call this future the "Digital Evolution Era".
Digital Transformation then can be defined as the transformation of companies from the Digital Revolution Era into the Digital Evolution Era.
Got questions? Too high level? Too theoretical? Too deep?
Feel free to comment or ask questions and I will be more than happy to elaborate.
Relationship Builder | Trusted Partner | Solution Provider
6 年Another great take. I appreciate the awareness you are bringing to the word "transformation."? I often see people using "transformation" to make it seem like they are making sweeping changes. Instead they are often evolving the business and not transforming it. At the end of the day it's whether or not the changes they are making will bring value to the business with new revenue opportunities or cost savings. ROI!!!! I believe "transformation" is widely overused and misused.
Senior Director of Architecture
6 年There is a big difference between training for a race and running it vs. being a runner. Once an organization has transformed a piece of itself, why would digital first not just be the new normal?
Data Centre | IT Infrastructure | Colocation Service Provider | Global Switch | CloudEdge | Investor | Entrepreneur
6 年Digital transformation is essential in so many businesses William!