7 Considerations for Digital Transformation

1. Post-pandemic, companies have implemented new technologies up to 40 times faster than before the pre-pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced government institutions and other organisations to change the way they work. Often, this had to be implemented with rapid turnover in order to maintain business in changing times. According to reports, most companies have implemented technology 20 to 40 times faster than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that these companies had the ability to apply changes quickly but were driven by the external pressure or motivation to do so.

2. Stay focused on why the organisation is driving change

In the past year, many organisations have proven that they can quickly drive change when necessary. The key to keeping up motivation for change is to stay focused on the goals and reasons why change is needed. While identifying the goal prior to starting a change initiative is key, it is equally important to communicate this to the team; ensuring that the organisation has a common goal and understand the "why" behind it.

3. Discuss challenges with a multi-disciplinary team

When addressing challenges, it is important to involve team members across different disciplines and functional teams. While working on transformation, it will benefit the organisation to work together and gain input from different perspectives. 

4. Work on successful data sharing and avoid working in silos

We know that using data and factual evidence is important for any transformation programme, however, communicating this data and utilising the right technology is equally vital for collaboration across different departments. This allows each team to see how their piece of the puzzle may impact the process and organisation as a whole. 

5. Deal with stagnant culture from the top-down

Sometimes transformation requires a culture change. This usually starts at the top, providing a strategic approach to changing the way teams work. However, it is important that executives and leaders of these teams are aware of the needs driving transformation, and clearly communicate the intentions in their plans. Staff should be encouraged to discuss and evaluate the way the work, sharing both the positive and negative elements. Creating this culture of open communication not only creates employee satisfaction, but allows you to create more efficient ways of working. 

6. Help employees embrace change and adapt to new technology

When implementing new technologies, there is often a learning curve. Helping staff with this transition can help teams to adopt and implement new technologies more quickly. 

In addition to training and promoting the goals of new technology, you can train "digital champions" within the organisation who can help to drive the changes. When it comes to evaluating new technologies, it is equally important to balance digital champions with digital "critics". This may be someone who understands the business and the capabilities of their team to decide if the proposed solution will be the right fit. Together, the two roles can make the right decision on what technology to use and when to implement. 

7. Put human-centric process management at the heart of management programmes

At times, organisations can struggle with a high volume of management initiatives and programmes being put in place at once. Creating common ground and identifying goals can often be the key to effectively implementing them. Often, process management helps to create this common ground and establish a foundation upon which these initiatives can be built. For example, visually outlining how processes in the organisation work today allows teams to identify opportunities for improvement - which can lead to benefits such as time and cost savings. 

Check out the case study of Sedgemoor District Council to see how they used process management as a driver and foundation for their Transformation initiatives.