Why You Need A Transformation Dept And Transformation Associate On Your Team ASAP in 2020

Earlier today, I stumbled on a job post from MTN Nigeria that helped me understand why the company became the most valuable company on the Nigerian stock exchange just 3 months after listing in 2019.  This has also made me value the company more.

The job post was for a vacant position announced in 2018, a year before the Stock Exchange listing, for a Transformation Consultant to work in MTN's Transformation Department Office in Lagos, Nigeria.

Airtel (Econet), MTN Nigeria and MTEL were the first three companies that started together when Global Systems of Mobile Communications (GSM) was introduced into Nigeria on August 6th, 2001.

18 years later, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission, there are 178.9 million mobile GSM subscribers in Nigeria as of September 30, 2019.

As of the third quarter of 2019 (September 2019), MTN has the highest market share of 36.5% with a subscriber base of 65.33 million. With a subscriber base of 49.21 million and 48.91 million, Globacom Limited and Airtel Nigeria respectively control 27.5% and 27.3% of the market share as at the September 2019.

MTN Nigeria did not become a category king and have the highest market share by coincidence or mistake.

Unbeknownst to MTN Nigeria's competitors, MTN launched a programme and transformational units internally 10 years ago. The programme was tagged IGNITE, and a holistic/autonomous self transformational units for the group, with intent to shape the future of MTN, by proactively introducing specific measures to help accelerate the company’s business and financial performance.

MTN's Transformation Office is made up of consultants from MBB (McKinsey & Co, BCG, Bain & Co.) and Big Four ( E&Y, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG) firms.

These measures made the organisation more agile, and the business more sustainable, efficient, innovative and profitable.

In the same vein, one year ago, travel and tourism startup, Wakanow activated a recruitment campaign on LinkedIn for a set of Transformation Associates.

Wakanow is now a category king in the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria.

Another Nigerian company with a very strong Transformation department is Dufil Prima Food, makers of Indomie Noodles.

Dufil Prima Foods beat Dangote Group by using the same strategy that Dangote Group uses across industrial sectors to defeat Dangote Noodles.

Using the principles of Business Transformation, Dufil Prima Group has just gone in the way of Fintechs, by offering credit to enable people to buy its Indomie Noodles.

"Transformation Office or department", "transformation associates" and "business transformation" are not just a new set of buzzwords in today's business world.

When we consider MTN Nigeria, Dufil Prima Foods, even Wakanow, and some of the global businesses that have seen rapid growth in the past decade, many of them follow disruptive models and turn the way we traditionally considered running a business on its head.

So what exactly does Transformation in Business mean and how can you implement it?

What is Business transformation?

Business transformation is about intent; identifying what needs to change and strategically updating from within in a focused way.

Business transformation is about identifying techniques or processes that aren’t being serviced to their maximum capacity, and how alternate solutions can be applied to digitise or streamline technology, to further gain market share, increase revenue and customer satisfaction or reduce inefficient expenditure.

This strategy ensures that the absolute best processes and systems are being implemented within an organisation, in order to achieve measurable improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and, of course, satisfying shareholders.

 For many organisations, this is not a simple process, particularly if out-dated technological systems have been in place for decades and staff hold a mindset that fears change. Whilst leaders may need to make tough decisions relating to their business, ultimately it’s how you deal with the people that will dictate how successful a transformation is.

 Why Businesses need Business Transformation and Transformation Associates in 2020?

Every business can benefit from transformation – even the small and medium scale businesses.

But, what about for a traditional business which may have been running for decades, with all manner of issues and stakeholders?

Business transformation is a strategy that all CEOs need to embrace.

Why?

With our markets growing and expanding on a daily basis, prioritising effectiveness and efficiency in our systems and the employees who use them is extremely important. 

If we don’t embrace business transformation, we risk falling behind in the pack with a dwindling market share while competitors charge ahead with consistent updates and transformations.

With a business transformation plan that works effectively in your organisation, it can help drive lasting positive change in your people and their work through better leadership, strategy, and culture.

It’s important to think of business transformation as an evolving strategy – don’t implement a plan and then put it on a back burner for another decade. Take note of when your employees come to you asking for the budget to update their software or when they pitch the idea to overhaul your business processing technology.  

Since business transformation is about changing mindsets and putting people first to affect real change, Transformation Associates (TAs) are the main drivers of the change in any organisation.

1. Transformation Associates (TAs) help to direct the business in the way of a newly identified goal. In many cases, advances in technology dictate the need for organisations to create new goals. Introducing new systems can create friction within areas if not executed properly. A good TA will ensure a carefully thought out people-first strategy of business transformation must be introduced.
2. Transformation Associates help to keep innovation at the forefront of the business. Without pushing boundaries and trying new things, we wouldn’t have the amazing technology and infrastructure that we see around the world today. TAs are continuously on the lookout at how to achieve better results not only for their own corporation but for the world.
3. TAs can reduce costs where possible. Businesses using outdated tech or systems could be slowing down work pace or costing more than its newer alternative. A good TA can cut costs for the future of your company by updating in the areas that can increase productivity and output, and also listen to employee’s priorities, and see where business transformation can improve motivation.

The team at Business Transformation School has put together the Transformation Associate Program (TAP).

The Transformation Associate Program is a 5days course program being developed to fix a huge gap in the market. The Digital Transformation School Faculty members include staff and key members of transformational companies such as MTN Nigeria, NBC PLC, Cummins West Africa, Farm Forte and Wakanow.

With an asking course fee of just NGN 150,000 per person, would you be willing to sign up yourself and your team for the Transformation Associate Program to learn business transformation this coming March?

The course outline is as follows:

• Group Data Strategy
• Digital Transformation processes & culture
• New/Strategic Market Development
• Data & Intelligence agile process & organization
• Working -As-A - Transformation Associate.

Comment "I'm Interested" or fill the short survey here to let them know.