There doesn’t appear to be an accepted definition of what digital transformation is. Is it about moving to the cloud? Where does remote working fit in? Is it to do with mobile apps?
The answer to all those questions is not really. They are just examples of steps on a digital transformation journey, but the destination is about so much more. Changing and improving technology is a key component for businesses to adapt to customer and market demands and to stay relevant but it is a journey and not a destination.
It is also important to remember that the word transformation is just as important as the word digital.
Company-wide change
When we understand that, it’s easy to see that while isolated examples of technology adoption - creating a new customer app or replicating legacy IT infrastructure in the cloud - might be useful, they are siloed initiatives of limited impact. They are not transformative in a business-wide sense.
By contrast, true digital transformation impacts the entire organisation, not just the IT or Finance department. It is not about products or even processes. It is about enhancing business and customer value. It is a response to the digitization and evolution of our culture, mind-set, and collective behaviours.
What does this mean? We all want to shop, bank, and work remotely. We want to be able to self-serve or self-care. We want quick acknowledgement and resolution of problems. We want to be able to communicate in ways of our choosing. We want easy, intuitive interactions with technology to complete our transactions or obtain our desired results. These are just some examples
Digital transformation is about aligning your business with this new digital reality, and that’s true whether your primary purpose is meeting the needs of consumers or servicing other businesses. Practically, that can mean many things, from the greater use of data-based insights to the lightning-fast adoption of new ways of working. Speed is indeed of the essence in the truly digital business. The pace of innovation, adaptation and change is quicker than ever.
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