Effective Digital Transformation has everything to do with the people!

Yes, the headline is punchy! But, for every 20 online pieces on a company's recent digital transformation, 19 of them will be mostly about technology. Whether it's upgrade, development, integration, or implementation, everything’s been covered. At odds with common beliefs, this is not the ONLY aspect of digital change.

Every aspect of a business is affected by digital. The prospect of effectively adopting, adapting, and altering a company might be a daunting task. However, while examining one online piece after another, two similar threads emerge.

·??????First, digital is a full-fledged business problem. Changing particular processes, working in silos, or in isolation will not work.

·??????Second, the user experience or customer experience, if you may, must be the principal motivator for change.

Every time, resurfacing new technology on top of existing business structures, techniques, and culture yields the same result. Money was squandered and the outcomes were mediocre. Technology has made it possible to reach out to people, be an employee or a customer. However, we can only fully engage with them if we focus on user experience – people still must come first!

For years, the term "digital transformation" has remained a corporate buzzword for global enterprises. A quick glimpse at Google Trends reveals that digital enterprise creation is a popular topic. Digital has disrupted every industry, from entertainment to government, to retail, to banking, every work process is compromised if you are not digital. Yet if the customer (or internal teams for that matter) is not walked through a seamless process – you may as well forget about your strategy being widely adopted!

Subjected to how well a business is prepared, the digital disruption may bring tremendous growth opportunities, or devastate the business. But, there is a role a top-down approach plays in the success-failure ratio. It is imperative all staff are comfortable with skills such as project management, business relationship management (from a digital perspective), user support, success measurement, and risk management. Product management, cost management and vendor management?are also top priorities! As for whom to teach, well, ideally it would be your entire workforce as everyone will be impacted by digitisation. However, if you have to prioritise, start with the groups who will be interacting with new technology and processes day in and day out. If you’re encouraging your workforce to upskill, make sure it’s in skills that align with their interests and career goals. People will be much more likely to engage with your upskilling plans if they have a vested interest in it.?

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Moving to a wider picture, the competitive spirit of Dubai's business landscape may be a barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs, but the Emirate's commitment to nourish start-ups, SMEs, and large enterprises, substantiated by its sophisticated digital reformation drive, may allow them to realize profitable rewards. Last December, Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged business owners to consistently redefine themselves in the era of the modern economy recharged by innovative trends and to find innovative solutions to resolve growing economic demands not just for Emirates, but also for the Middle Eastern region, and the rest of the world. Buamim highlighted at the TiE Global Summit that "Dubai is not easy. There's quite a lot of competition being an open city and this creates challenging yet very rewarding entrepreneur journeys."?

Dubai's financial prosperity has been mirrored in worldwide indices, owing to government initiatives and the tenacity of the corporate sector. The kingdom was recently listed among the top 35 metropolises for obtaining large-scale start-up investment and?venture capital, according to the first?Innovation in Business Index published by the Netherlands-based financial platform Finom. "Dubai is recognised in this market for its diversified and developing business environment, whether it is the accelerators or incubators. The country strives to promote entrepreneurship by providing funding and incubation, education, networking, and mentoring, with an emphasis on giving back to society and developing the next wave of innovative business leaders - which many should take a leaf from.

In closing, digital transformation can be comprehended as a continuous process of climbing the scale of digital maturity by employing digital and other technologies along with organizational practices to create a digital culture. Ultimately, this maturity enables the company to provide better services, gain a competitive advantage, and effectively respond to actions in a complex environment. Companies that successfully employ digital transformation with a customer experience mindset will enjoy better returns on their assets.

The key is to have a holistic approach and upskill your entire workforce!