A digital transformation can create an inflection point to make critical changes that impact strategy and help the business stay competitive. Startups are known for their agile decision-making, rapid prototyping, and flat structures, which enable them to pivot quickly and exploit an opportunity or a challenge. Startups can use the latest technologies and design processes that fit the moment. But companies that have been around for a while often have to deal with the technical baggage of their old systems and processes, making it hard to adapt to a changing environment.
The digital transformation uses technology to create new business processes or change existing ones. Even though these changes may seem minor or tactical, they can affect strategy, change a company’s culture, improve the customer experience, and speed up the time it takes to respond to the market.
The challenge for a company considering digital transformation is the inherent uncertainty of change. It’s essential to embrace change; change is good, and it’s better to affect change before it’s forced upon you. But it is common to find managers and teams fighting against change. A digital transformation can create the momentum necessary to execute the complex changes experienced when introducing new processes, workflows, and systems. If done right, digital transformation will keep a business competitive and gain the entire company’s support. The digital transformation starts with an assessment of the business. Caution, the exercise required to execute digital transformation will expose every aspect of departments, processes, and roles across the entire organization – the good, the bad, and the ugly. This exposure will cause the team to experience FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Once started, it may be difficult not to take action.
To execute a successful transformation:
Communicate: share the goals with the company, and make sure everyone is in the loop.
Participation: Include the teams in the planning, their input during the planning will make the execution easier. The customer-facing teams usually know what areas to improve.
Stay agile: make changes provisionally and then adjust; decisions must be made quickly, tested, and measured.
Get flat: traditional hierarchies get in the way. It’s best to adopt a flat organizational structure for faster decision-making; if it’s a department, it may be necessary to keep it separate from the rest of the organization. Then bring the rest of the company in as the project permits.
Leaders are required to make decisions that are not popular and many times the middle of the road compromises can be a disaster. John Adams
As the Web2 and now Web3 economy begins to affect legacy business models, many companies are finding that the biggest hurdle to future success may
