Making Digital Transformation a Reality

Recent innovations have forced every company to undergo digital transformation. 42% of the firms undergoing digitalisation are struggling to succeed in their mission. Businesses should therefore come up with measures to redress the challenges faced during the transformation. The following are measures taken by companies who have successfully undergone a digital transformation and who knew how to make digital transformation a reality.

In this article, we explore the nine ways to make digital transformation a reality in your organisation.

1. Prioritise progress instead of perfection

To make digital transformation a reality, know that technology keeps on changing very fast. Hence, business leaders should stop trying to perfect results in order to obtain success in the transformation. Employees should instead focus on ensuring there is progress.

2. Tracking the success of the transformation

To determine whether digital initiatives deliver the expected results, business leaders should track technology implementation. Value-added should be tracked accurately by correlating the inputs with the outcomes. Digital transition leads to an increase in revenue generation due to the optimisation of business operations.

3. Adopt transparency

The digitisation process requires leaders to enhance transparency in the business. Transparency is achievable through effective communication in business. Communication goes down, up, and across the enterprise. Employees should be able to air their views on the transition process without fear of victimisation.

4. Data governance

Data governance is vital in ensuring that leadership commitments and business processes align with the transformational agenda. The IT experts should enhance the accuracy of all corporate data and also maintain the source.

5. Gradual transition

Digitalisation should be gradual as businesses need to adapt to the changes. It should be in phases. During the digital transition, teams need to test, recapitulate, learn as they undergo the operational changes, and identify new opportunities and revenue streams.

7. Adoption of cross-functional approach

A successful digital transition requires close collaboration between technology experts and business leaders. Both parties, business people and IT experts, should understand the roles played by each other. Business leaders must acknowledge the benefits brought by technology in business operations. IT experts must also know the business operations to diagnose any challenges arising during the implementation.

8. Adopt innovation besides digitalisation

Digital transition can't be successful without creating room for innovations to identify businesses' remedies during the transformation. Leaders should develop a culture of innovation within the workforce as it is a pre-condition to a successful digital transition.

9. Implement the changes systematically

Since people fear and resist change, digital transformation should be systematic for it to be successful. The changes should be gradual. Business leaders should not force their team to change but help them embrace and accept the digital modifications at their own pace. Employees should understand the process of digitization and the importance of the process for it to be successful.