Digital transformation is no longer a buzzword or something that can be taken lightly. It's imperative for organizations to be intentional with their digital transformations to ensure that they're taking the right steps and not just doing things for the sake of them.
Too often, we see companies try to adopt new technologies without really thinking about how it can benefit their business or how it will change the way they operate. And while there are definitely some cases where a company can succeed by implementing new technologies without much forethought, more often than not this approach leads to disaster.
Here you will find:
3 Tips for Accelerating Digital Transformation in Your Organization
Create a Frictionless Experience When Applying Technology in The Workplace
Be Intentional with Digital Transformation
Recognize That Digital Transformation Is Difficult
The topic of digital transformation continues to appear in many surveys from CIOs and business leaders as a key focus in the upcoming year, as well as perhaps heading into a potential recession.
According to this article by the Harvard Business Review, “using technology to make technology disappear, actively shape day-to-day behavior, and systematically reinforce desired behavior changes” are three key tactics to enable a successful digital transformation. A few questions come to mind regarding this information:
- How can your organization make this initiative successful?
- How can your organization implement digital transformation and make sure the desired outcomes are achieved?
To help address this, below are 3 tips focused on accelerating digital transformation in your organization:
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1. Create a Frictionless Experience When Applying Technology in The Workplace 🖥️
You need to recognize that technology ideally is transparent. It should be frictionless.
Organizations should strive for those frictionless experiences between the existing jobs of their employees and the new processes/technology being introduced such as automation or cybersecurity. The most important reason is that a frictionless experience makes employees more productive. When technology works seamlessly, employees can spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting their work done. Any changes brought on by digital transformation should not make an employee’s job harder to do.
Security is a perfect example of this. I think, traditionally, people have assumed that there is a tradeoff between security and productivity. The idea that the more secure something is, the more hoops an employee needs to go through can become a barrier as it creates a friction point which can motivate employees to avoid the digital transformation that you just deployed.
When pursuing digital transformation initiatives, let's look for solutions that don't add friction to how your employees do their work because that will actively work against the objectives you are trying to achieve. A smooth technological infrastructure can make employees feel like their organization cares about them and is willing to invest in their success.
2. Be Intentional with Digital Transformation 💡
Intentionality is important especially when talking about large projects like an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or a large CRM (Customer Relationship Management) rollout where it's all about taking what your organization currently does and either digitizing it (because your organization doesn't have a digital process) or taking what exists in your old technology system and migrating it to a new system with improved functions.
And when you do take this step, it's important to take a moment to think about what your organization is doing and why it is embarking on this transformation. This starts with asking yourself these tough questions:
- Are all your organization’s existing processes still relevant to its updated business goals?
- How can your company empower team members to be independent?
- How can your organization connect two different independent processes together?
Organizations need to be thoughtful about their digital transformations and take the time to plan out each step of the process. They need to ask themselves what their goals are and what they hope to achieve with these changes. And they need to make sure that everyone in the company is on board with these changes and understands why they're happening. Because if there's any resentment or lack of buy-in from employees, it will only make things more difficult down the road.
Let’s not do things just for the sake of doing them and get hung up on “this is how we've always done things so we should stick with that way”. Try to be intentional with digital transformation at your organization and apply the answers to the questions above in an intentional manner.
3. Recognize That Digital Transformation Is Difficult ⏳
The hardest part of any digital transformation is recognizing just how difficult it is. Any change is hard. But when you think about how much time you spend at work, how much time you spend with the tools you use to do your job, asking people to change significantly what they do is going to be difficult. There's going to be resistance and there's going to be pain.
Given all of these factors, it's important for organizations to recognize how difficult digital transformation can be, and to make sure they have a good plan in place for managing the change. Change management is critical for ensuring that the transition goes smoothly and that the benefits of digital transformation are realized.
Your organization needs to have plans for how it will help affected employees through this transition and help them feel comfortable with the incoming changes to existing business processes and workflows. Is there a way to turn those “naysayers” into advocates? Can your organization seek feedback early on? This can involve using change management techniques tailored towards your industry or company size.
The point here is don't underestimate the significance of change management in your digital transformation initiative. Organizations that underestimate the role change management plays are likely to find themselves struggling with the transition and may not see the full benefits of digital transformation. In many cases, the change management element can be as significant an effort as the actual digital transformation initiative itself.
This can, sometimes, lead to a conversation about establishing an appropriate budget for digital transformation. For example, in an ERP project, the change management element can be a significant portion of the budget to ensure that the work environment is primed to receive the benefits of the desired digital transformation. This way, your organization can achieve its stated organizational goals and identify the initiative as a success.
To learn more from our CTO, watch this video:
Conclusion
So, before you start your digital transformation, take the time to think about why you're doing it and what you hope to accomplish. Make sure everyone in your organization is on board, and be prepared for some bumps along the way. By taking these things into account, you'll give yourself the best chance for a successful digital transformation.
Need help with accelerating digital transformation in your organization? Partner with us today and see how ProServeIT can help.
