Today I was fortunate enough to do a little bit of out-of-town business. Working out of my area is always exciting for me. I enjoy the little bits and pieces of insight I gain when dealing with businesses and their decision makers. You don’t need to travel far to experience people who think differently. Its one of the great pleasures of working in the world of Digital Transformation.
So, you now know why I have been enjoying myself these past few days. Let me tell you about an incredibly misunderstood concept, no matter how far I travel into new regions, this concept always manages to be present in my meetings, dampening my mood.
Digital Change is NOT Digital Transformation.
Six out of ten prospective clients tell me they are already on a digital transformation journey. They know they have a problem with their procurement system. Their current technology is outdated, and their staff hate working with the stone tablet of a DOS system installed on their computers. But, not to worry, they are working on improving their software through analysis and upgrading. Makes sense, right?
No it does not. Since when has polishing an old car ever given you anything but a shiny old car?
What you need is to transform – Transform the way you think about work processes. Transform the way you think about department specific siloed solutions. Transform your vision for a happy and productive team. Transform the way you think about data. Digital transformation done right will ensure your business survives these uncertain times. Absolutely nothing in life is certain except for change. So why invest in fixing something that broke yesterday? Transform by planning for change, improve your organization’s ability to adapt and create an agile way of thinking, ultimately making yourself fit for future.
I want to leave you with this;
- Digital change is not digital transformation, and
- Digital transformation is useless without a transformation strategy.
Please, for the love of all that is profitable, if you are going to get up and take action, make sure it’s the right action.
