Our top tips for successful Digitalisation

Evaluate your current position

Begin by understanding what the challenges are. Without a clear understanding of the current situation, it will be impossible to develop or implement effective business transformation. Before you can plan for an improved future state, you need to fully understand the current ‘as is’ state of the business.  

This means evaluating all current processes, policies, workflows and practices across all business units, functions or departments you plan to transform. Even a relatively small-scale business transformation project will often have interdependencies elsewhere in the organisation so it’s important to do a proper evaluation, regardless of the scope of project.

Once you understand the current situation, you can then start to plan how to address any problems, weaknesses or bottle necks, by introducing appropriate new technologies, tools, processes and approaches.

Get management and employee buy-in

Business transformation initiatives can be a hard sell to upper management, for a whole host of reasons including complexity, resources, timescales, impact and disruption and cost.

However, it is vital to get senior management buy -in. Spending time and effort on this means you gain valuable support for the changes and ensures you have key allies who also influence, define and champion organisational values, culture and goals.

Senior management support can also help in fighting any battles and tackling challenges and in generally communicating and sharing the need for and value of business transformation in helping the organisation achieve its goals and ambitions.

Employee buy-in is equally important. Organisations need employees to support the change process and to align themselves with business transformation goals. In order to gain their support, organisations must help them understand the benefits of Digital Business Transformation.

Why is the business doing this? How will it change? What value will the change bring? Employees will want to know how and if it effects their working life and indeed their future at the company. Their fears and concerns must be acknowledged and addressed and their changing circumstances must be a key consideration. There’s no “I” in team!

Employee engagement at all levels, across all functions and age groups is central to a viable Digital Transformation strategy. There must be frequent, effective and consistent internal communications between departments so that employees can feel informed and that their voices are being heard. Otherwise, they may feel apprehensive, as most people naturally are towards big changes.

Ongoing engagement and dialogue

As aforementioned, good, regular and consistent communication is an essential part of all successful business transformation strategies.

Employees need to understand what’s happening at every stage – from planning to implementation and follow up. Open dialogue about any potential changes should be on a regular basis.

There are many ways to engage your workforce in regular dialogue. It’s about creating an atmosphere where employees feel at ease when sharing their opinion, feedback and suggestions.

Organisations often struggle with this, perhaps through using the wrong internal channels, such as relying on emails and intranets.

It doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s about thinking through the best, most effective options for your organisation and employees.

Focus on communication

New and improved digital technologies, processes and policies are powerful tools to help transform a business – but they rely on people to use them effectively.

One must focus on developing informed, engaged and supportive people across the organisation and do that- it’s about focusing on and improving communication in order to maximise your digital business transformation efforts.

Focus on clear, ongoing communication from the start – within the project team and within and between management and employees at all levels and across all functions and locations.

As well as keeping everyone in the loop, informed about what’s happening and why, what their role in it is and what resources are available to help, effective communication is one of your most powerful tools to laying the foundations for successful and sustainable digital business transformation.

Develop efficient change management 

Well planned change management is pivotal.

A carefully planned change management process means you will be able to track, analyse, measure and better understand any changes while gaining insight into the impact of those changes across the organisation.

Those involved in change implementations need excellent communication skills to ensure the right information is available when needed. 

These skills will break down barriers to change by sharing why change is happening and the benefits and value change will bring.

Setting goals and taking action

It’s important to set short term and longer term goals and clearly communicate them.

People need to know what the goals are, how and when they will achieve them. Smaller short-term goals are good for motivation and progression towards the end-goals of transformation.

Milestones are a great way to mark key stages and achievements along the road to the greater long-term goals. Businesses must remember to celebrate their achievements along the way.

For motivation, it is prudent to consider and state timescales and deadlines to create that sense of urgency.

Without this, it can lead to apathy or inaction particularly on a longer term, more complex transformation. Project leaders and managers should clearly communicate a sense of urgency and reason why the business transformation project needs to be implemented now rather than kicked down the road.

Remove the fear

Change often results in uncertainty and fear which can be major barriers to successful digital business transformation, or digitalisation.

Fear and uncertainty cause insecurity and frustration and can lead to silo thinking, lack of cooperation, hostility, lack of trust and at its worst deliberate attempts to slow or frustrate progress.  Managers, project leaders and those involved in communications around the transformation are all responsible to help manage and address barriers, fears and conflicts that arise.

It’s natural that people will be anxious when faced with change. Research shows that only 38% like getting out of their comfort zone, which means 62% are not comfortable with change.

For some, business transformation can prompt thoughts that their skills or experience will no longer be needed or they’ll be left behind, unable to cope with new changes and technologies, particularly when it’s a digital transformation.

In reality, despite employee fears, research suggests 67.8% of companies say technology disruption has had a neutral-to-positive impact on job creation whilst 37.3% report a net increase in job creation as a direct result of digital business transformation initiatives.