Achieve Digital Transformation Without Missteps

When a business makes the decision to take on a Digital Transformation (Dx) initiative, there is a lot of planning involved. The enterprise cannot simply declare its intention and leave the rest to fate. It must plan carefully and include all crucial components if it hopes to succeed and to launch this initiative in a timely manner.

According to a recent study by Statista, there are several primary Digital Transformation (Dx) obstacles cited by organizations:

• Lack of IT or transformational skills: 54%

• Dependence on legacy systems and technologies: 53%

• Lack of senior management buy-in: 43%

• Lack of time: 39%

• Lack of money: 35%

‘As with any other project that requires specific skills and additional resources, the best approach for a Dx project is to engage a Digital Transformation partner with expertise in all aspects of Dx.’

In this article, we discuss some of the considerations and aspects of each of these obstacles.

IT and Transformational Skills

Even for a small or start-up organization, Digital Transformation (Dx) is a task that requires a comprehensive overview of requirements, as-is status, and desired state. That means your IT team and management team must have the skills to undertake these tasks and to create a detailed plan that will accomplish its goals. In most cases, engaging a Digital Transformation (Dx) partner is a wise idea. It allows the organization to remain focused on its core capabilities and to deliver its requirements to its partner for refinement, planning and deployment.

Dependence on Legacy Systems and Technologies

Unless your business has a process and budget in place to constantly reassess and upgrade its technologies, you are likely going to have issues with Dx obstacle. The fact is, you are likely to have to upgrade and/or change technologies. Sometimes, this can be done in a shorter time and with less expense if you can re-engineer. Other times, you will have to replace systems, or invest in integration technologies to allow the enterprise to fully leverage its data across best-of-breed, legacy, and other systems. Again, a Dx partner can help you plan for this and provide a roadmap to get you where you need to go with the least expense and the fastest results.

Lack of Senior Management Buy-In

Your senior team MUST be invested in this process – dedicating money, time and resources to the project – if you intend to succeed. If you are planning to pitch a project to your team, you may wish to bring in a partner before you begin the project. Reviewing your needs and your project plan and providing statistics and outcomes for senior team review can help you gain approval and buy-in. Without that buy-in, you cannot achieve your goals and it will be an uphill battle.

Lack of Time and Money

Be realistic about the time and money required. Trust your Digital Transformation (Dx) partner to provide dependable estimates and budget time, money and resources accordingly. While time and money are always a concern in any software or technology project, you are more likely to stay within budget and schedule if you are working with a skilled partner. If your team is attempting to take on this project alone, and without the resources and skills to complete the tasks, you will definitely fall behind on the schedule and run over on the budget.

‘Engaging a Digital Transformation (Dx) partner is a wise idea. It allows the organization to remain focused on its core capabilities and to deliver its requirements to its partner for refinement, planning and deployment.’

When a business is planning a comprehensive, large scope Digital Transformation (Dx) project, it may seem like the best way to approach the project is with internal staffing and controls. Businesses often make the mistake of thinking that they will have more control and can achieve their goals in less time and with less expense. But, as with any other project that requires specific skills and additional resources, the best approach for a Dx project is to engage a Digital Transformation partner with expertise in all aspects of Dx. From technology assessment and implementation to cultural assessments and business process changes, there is a lot to be done and you are more likely to accomplish your goals with the right skills and resources.

If you need a roadmap to a Dx strategy, take a look at our White Paper for more details on the factors to consider in planning and deploying a Digital Transformation (Dx) initiative: Preparing Your Business For Digital Transformation And Data Literacy. Be sure that your Data Transformation (Dx) strategy encompasses other aspects of your business environment like enterprise culture, etc. Let us help you get started with a Digital Transformation (Dx) initiative.

To Succeed with Digital Transformation, Understand the Obstacles and Engage a Partner

Digital Transformation (Dx) is a comprehensive process that includes a review of and changes to technologies, infrastructure, corporate culture, business processes and more. If you want your Dx project to succeed, engage a Digital Transformation partner with the skills and resources to achieve your goals on time and on budget.