Transformation Frameworks

Digital transformation necessitates changes in an organization’s operational processes. According to Harvard, a focus on operations can lead to business process optimization and entirely new revenue streams. Three common routes for this are the following:     

• Robotic process automation (RPA) which uses artificial intelligence to automate routine activities     
• Remote worker enablement that uses workspace virtualization and advanced visualization technologies     
• Performance management decision making based on real-time data that delivers deeper insights into customers, products, and operational regions 

An important component of operational change is gaining a better understanding of your end customer. By observing and recording the digital footprint of consumers, information can be accumulated on customers, processes, organizations, and devices.

Since customers and businesses are increasingly active and identifiable online, organizations can operationally leverage digital marketing tools to personalize their product and service promotions, with the goal of increasing customer loyalty.

Digitize Products and Services  

Organizations today increasingly realize they can no longer focus on just selling products; they need to sell an experience.

Advanced digital technology, powered by a Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud (SMAC Stack) that is informed by sensors, can improve business processes in several ways.

For example, big data analytics can help inbound logistics run more smoothly by tracking product movements; the cloud can be used to create uniform business processing platforms; and mobile platforms can enable employees to perform their work anytime, anywhere, on any device.

With value chains increasingly integrated among businesses, organizations can become part of a larger ecosystem, enabling them to offer end-to-end services to their customers.

Organizations can either shape and orchestrate an ecosystem themselves and provide a significant number of products and services, or focus on a niche service that adds value to the customer experience and becomes part of an already existing ecosystem. 

Collaboration Is Key

Digital collaboration today stretches beyond the borders of the organization, with communities co-creating products or services, and customers providing opinions and suggestions for product improvements through online forums.

Organizations operate with a familiar legacy perspective of customers, processes, metrics, business models, and technology, believing that it remains the solution to digital relevance. Individual groups recognize the strength in collaboration as their research, work, and shared insights contribute to new strategic road maps that plan for digital transformation ownership, efforts, and investments.

A dedicated digital transformation team forms to guide strategy and operations based on business and customer-centric goals. The new infrastructure of the organization takes shape as roles, expertise, models, processes, and systems to support transformation are solidified.

According to the research, understanding the six stages of digital transformation maturity will lead to the following business benefits:    

• Customization of the maturity model to inform specific road map development     
• Peer company benchmarking     
• Executive alignment and buy-in     
• Bolster sense of urgency     
• Future marketing trend insights     
• Prioritize digital transformation initiatives     
• Set a new vision, course, and platform for leadership     
• Develop new models, processes, and a purpose for technology and the future of work 

Organizations should adopt and use one of the many digital transformation frameworks to manage the process of creating a digital business strategy.

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