Telecom & Technology Consulting
Ever since the dawn of the “Digital Transformation” concept, IT leaders have perceived the initiative as a point A-to-point B type of project. Specifically, at a high level, that means integrating digital technology into every aspect of the enterprise.
But the cultural and business context for digital transformation has changed – in fact, it constantly changes, especially with the introduction of emerging technologies like AI. Transformation, in itself, is no longer the sole objective. You have to execute with speed on an ongoing basis.
By definition, you can only continually transform by continually innovating. This isn’t mere semantics. Companies must find new approaches for developing and testing novel ideas as they come to mind. And you can’t delay, as you always require a healthy amount of viable (and potentially profitable) solutions in the pipeline.
This is why it’s critical to have a formal innovation process, which allows you to immediately capitalize on creative sparks and run with fresh ideas. However, that’s only possible when your innovation team is agile, and has adequate funding in order to carry out their mission to full potential.
That said, every new idea doesn’t necessarily warrant immediate exploration; you must prioritize the list. Take a less-is-more approach by focusing on fewer initiatives rather than going full steam ahead on every idea. That’s because a given business unit may myopically view their idea as having more transformative potential than it may in reality.
More so, trying to explore and develop too many initiatives simultaneously will undoubtedly strain resources, leading to slower delivery and subpar results. Besides, undertaking a smaller number of projects accelerates the speed with which you can test viability and, in turn, release the solution to the market.
Prioritization requires tech leaders to separate projects that may move the financial needle from projects that may (at least on the surface) only contain intellectual interest. What can improve sales? What can boost growth? What can enhance efficiency? Focus on the initiatives that directly connect to those topics.
Once you’ve established priorities, you must also erect boundaries regarding project goals. Remember that the speed of transformation work inherently includes the potential for scope creep. A random conversation in the hallway, or a flurry of instant messages, can plant the seed for additional, non-project related requests that somehow sprout in the soil of the original project plan.
Avoid this trap. Digital transformation objectives must be airtight. If not, there’s a good chance you’ll veer away from the true goal without ever realizing it, which is another reason why it’s essential to identify outcomes in your prioritization process.
You can further increase the speed of transformation by adding other executives to the project team. Rather than having leaders merely (and passively) observe progress, invite your C-Suite colleagues to participate in transformative initiatives. By actively being part of the digital transformation process, they will understand context and can make fully informed – and thus quicker – decisions. Just as important, you get genuine buy-in to the project, and naturally create advocates who will lead the charge for adoption throughout the organization.
As you shift from one digital transformation project to the next, also be sure to anticipate new user needs and capabilities. But it’s not sufficient to only remain current with competitors and market trends. Technology leaders are responsible for always looking into the future, for envisioning the features users will demand, the systems that will need to evolve, the ideas that will no longer serve the enterprise’s mission and long-term brand objectives.
Distilled to its essence, that means being proactive. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CIO or CTO. Digital transformation, to be successful, has to be executed with a sense of purpose, with goals and technology investments precisely aligned with measurable outcomes. It’s something you must work on everyday. Because once one digital transformation initiative launches, it’s time to start the next one.
