Digital Transformation Check List

digital transformation

Digital transformation is more than simply digitizing data. True digital transformation employs an innovative approach—one that combines technology and organizational processes for developing and delivering new services. This requires a clear vision of where to start. Active participation in the definition of a cloud strategy makes it easier to implement new ideas on an ongoing basis.  Establishing a new mindset is also critical in the digital transformation process. Updating technologies is not enough.

To improve engagement and productivity, and accelerate service delivery, this change is essential across all levels of the organization. It’s about rethinking the approach, and how new technology can help it materialize. An agile development environment, cultural shift, and the right technology model can help businesses further their modernization efforts.

  • Communicate a vision for what success looks like.
  • Define a clear governance strategy, including the framework for achieving goals and the decision makers responsible for creating them.
  • Build a cross-functional team to execute activities that support the strategy and goals.
  • Identify technology partners with the expertise to help meet these goals.
  • Move to a flexible IT system that supports rapid change.

Shifting Culture

digital transformationThe idea of change can be daunting. To successfully navigate a digital transformation, it is imperative to reshape the culture accordingly. This starts with shifting the organizational structure from traditional hierarchies and silos to smaller teams that are empowered to make decisions. Collaboration between development staff, IT, and other strategic units eliminates the “throw it over the wall” mentality and can ultimately translate improved service. Innovation works best with a bottom-up approach, where incentives are structured to recognize teams, rather than individuals. And by rewarding experimentation, you can remove barriers and eliminate the fear of failure. To drive cultural change, do the following:

  • Reorganize staff into smaller teams to empower decision-making.
  • Train staff on new policies and best practices.
  • Give permission to deviate from traditional rules.
  • Build an environment that exists as a place to play and build confidence with new skills.
  • Shift to a short-term planning mindset and continuously iteration (agile project management).
  • Consider hiring consultants to help with initial projects.

 

Tracking Progress

During the digital transformation journey, it is essential to establish metrics to track progress. The collaboration Roadmap is an example of how to track digital transformation progress with specific collaboration timeline and expected commitment.

digital transformation

With early indicators in place, it’s possible to take immediate action if something goes wrong.

Checklist
  • Create a data-driven metrics system.
  • Evaluate improvements and progress toward goals.
  • Assess whether the organization is planning and delivering consistently on goals within specified timeframes.

Collaborate for Improved Worker Productivity

Business can quickly achieve goals by leveraging experience across multiple organizations. By facilitating real-time communication to share information between teams, efficiency increases. In addition, the sharing of information fosters a culture of trust and innovative thinking. And with improved access to information, workers are able to make better-informed decisions to achieve business results.

Checklist
  • Pool limited resources to reduce cost and redundant efforts.
  • Evaluate whether incremental changes produce higher-quality results.
  • Be specific about how to improve communication.

 

In Conclusion

Digital transformation requires strong leadership to drive change, as well as a clear vision. Organizations are experimenting with and benefiting from cloud technology to achieve digital transformation. The result of this transformation is a more resilient and innovative businesses that can deliver and help retain innovative talent. Whether it is transforming how individuals collaborate, or the way in which organizations execute large-scale processes, digital transformation offers significant upside for all businesses, regardless of their size or mission.