What is digital transformation and where is your organization on this journey? The movement is quickly changing the way we think about business, but the term itself can be vague, nebulous and well, just plain confusing. That’s why in last week’s blog we covered exactly what digital transformation is—and what it isn’t—find all the details here.
If you’re looking for a fast refresher here’s MicroAge’s one-sentence definition:
Digital transformation is reimagining business processes with new technologies to drive a competitive edge and a more positive customer experience.
Bookmark this blog to keep that definition handy when your IT department is trying to decide whether a new initiative is going to move your organization forward, or even grappling with where to invest in technologies.
In this week’s blog, we’re looking at how to chart your transformation journey. Here are three guidelines that will help you navigate your path to digital transformation:
It’s a company-wide initiative.
So, we know what digital transformation is, but how do you unleash its transformative power at your organization? For starters, it’s important to remember that this isn’t a path exclusive to information technology teams—it’s a journey for your entire organization. In fact, digital transformations are 1.5 times more likely to be enterprise-wide in scale than other initiatives.
That’s because to move your company and customer experience forward in a meaningful way, you need to start examining and reimagining all your business processes. That’s how you can discover how new technologies will fuel dramatically faster, bolder results to drive growth and keep pace with consumer demand and expectations.
It goes further than the cloud.
We all know there’s a new level of collaboration available on the cloud that’s changing how teams interact and work more effectively. And while the cloud is a mission-critical starting point for any organization, transformation goes past cloud and cloud computing.
In our modern business economy, every company is a technology company. And having the right technologies makes being a tech organization an undeniable positive.
With the growing presence and influence of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) there are new approaches to every aspect of day-to-day operations. There is no status quo anymore.
The right technologies can position your human resources and recruiting department to make faster hires and reduce turnover by finding the just-right candidates for your company based on their experience and patterns in the workplace. If you’re in retail, having an AI-based technology can empower your organization with more pinpointed forecasting to reduce waste and increase return on investment. And if you’re manufacturing any type of product or prescription, ML and AI can power your warehouse for fewer errors, faster delivery and less employee turnover.
It involves taking risks.
We’re talking about making transformative progress. And when it comes to digital transformation, taking bold risks can mean remarkable progress. So, what does that look like? CIO Magazine had some great advice:
First, be undaunted with your focus.
Don’t limit the potential areas for transformation that can unlock startling results. When CTOs and CIOs recognize the value of these technologies across different business functions, they can have a clear understanding of where the return on investment is for the organization at large.
Next, push the envelope further, faster by adopting agile execution.
Build a mantra into your organization’s digital transformation mission statement that empowers taking intelligent risks. Because transformation is never flawless, and it means failing fast and learning along the way.
Lastly, get ready to disrupt yourself.
Stop reacting. Digital transformation mandates calculated strategic changes and course corrections that can sharpen your competitive edge and keep your organization moving faster in the marketplace. Building out tech initiatives based on competitive pressures or what others in the market are doing isn’t going to end, but digital transformation demands a more forward-thinking approach.
This is where your teams can get innovative in pioneering a new kind of customer experience that touches every consumer interaction.
Are you on the right path?
Let’s talk
You aren’t alone, our experts are here to help. Contact your Account Executive, or email our Solutions desk to start talking about your digital transformation journey.
