An Executive Guide to Digital Transformation

Introduction

Many organisations are embarking on digital transformation programmes. Whether the driver is post-Covid or a desire to be more competitive, it is important that executives understand digital transformations and their role in a successful transformation.

This guide will give an overview of digital transformation and describe the role executives can play to make it a success.

Why is Digital Transformation Important?

It is likely that an organisation will run many programmes in a year. While all of these are likely to be important initiatives, transformation and digital transformations can be critical to the ongoing viability of an organisation. If this wasn’t true, then the programme probably isn’t transformational.

There are many examples of these types of ‘transform or die’ programmes. Netflix used new technology to transform its business from a physical rental model to an online streaming service. This was a great example of successful transformation resulting not only in survival but in killing its competition at the time, Blockbuster.

There are many drivers for transformation programmes and these include:

• New competitors
• New technology
• Change in customer behaviours, e.g. move to online shopping
• Mergers
• De-mergers
• External events forcing a change in business model – for example the Covid pandemic or Brexit

Transformation can therefore be critical to the ongoing survival of an organisation; this is why transformations need to be properly managed, sponsored and challenged.

These days most transformations are digital transformations, i.e. transforming an organisation by, wherever possible, replacing manual or labor-intensive processes with efficient digital technologies and systems.

To access the full guide please click on the following link: An Executive Guide to Digital Transformation.