Digital Transformation Strategy & Recommendations

What is digital transformation and why is it important? what is the end result that organizations investing millions of dollars want to achieve out of digital transformation? Here are some recommendations for generalist digital transformation leaders.

Remember how all of us came a long way from using that brick-sized mobile phones to slick, fast and lightweight androids and iPhones? Do you remember how we moved away from physically meeting a friend to having virtual video talk with them although we live in the same city? And don't forget how easy it is these days to not just share but showcase life and ideas on FB, Instagram, Snapchat and more. All of these things are nothing but digitizing life.

In simple words, digital transformation in an organization can be defined as re-imaging business from traditional approaches to more digitized business that focuses on better and smarter ways of connecting with customers and vendors. Just like how grandma misses out on the Snapchat fun by not adapting to digitization, organizations also miss out on opportunities if digitization is not a part of organizational strategy.

It is important for organizations to foresee as clearly as may be possible, nature and probable impact of a rapidly growing digital technology. Digital transformation though sounds more like a technology challenge, it's actually a business challenge. Technology is the backbone of digital transformation but the driving force is the business strategy. Many organizations do not achieve desired results from digital transformation because it considers digital strategy as a major IT initiative instead of business strategy.

Here are 9 generalized digitization strategy recommendations for medium size and large enterprises.

1. Align the digital transformation to the vision and mission of your organizations. Be aware of the possible messages you are likely to be sending out with digitization. Recognize that with digitization you are also gaining a chance to re-image your organization.
2. Identify key social influences (human and non-human) and map the knowledge flow within the network using social media. Use the key influences to promote the business.
3. Transformative visions should encourage calculated risk-taking within employees and nourish innovation and this in-turn will build the culture of Digital Transformation.
4. Have a team of leaders that have digital skills. Displaying sophistication in both defining strategies and executing those using technology.
5. Digital Transformation is an ongoing program, funding for digital transformation always dries out sooner than planned. Aim for the low hanging fruit and reinvest the revenue generated from it to sustain the Digital Transformation program.
6. Track the transformation often. It is hard to observe the difference when looked too close however tracking the changes on regular basis will lead to making right decisions and not beading money in the wrong place. Be quick in changing the strategy if it proves to be failing. There is not one right rulebook for Digital Transformation that works best.
7. Take IT security seriously, you would not want leakages that bring more damage than goodness.
8. Match lower level goals of the organizations like tasks and missions to more high level like national, social goals.
9. Be intuitive but brainstorm and include Gen-Y in brainstorming sessions.