David Christopher Miles’ Post

Digital Transformation - What are we talking about, and why is it important? This article looks to identify the strategic considerations and outline the tactical tools that can be used to take advantage of what some call the simultaneous 4th and 5th industrial revolutions brought about through technological enablement. Digital Transformation vs. Innovation Digital transformation involves rethinking business models and processes, while innovation focuses on creating new, unique offerings through research and experimentation. Therefore, if an organisation is to transform through connected data, then digital transformation should be seen as an ongoing journey of digital evolution, requiring constant iteration and innovation to keep pace with external changes and maintain a competitive edge. Like the children’s book ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ who went from page to page of the book, consuming whatever it came across to eat, there must be a point where an organisation transforms from just a data-hungry Caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly that can take flight. The 5 technologies executives and CIOs need to consider when embarking on their digital transformation critically. 1. Internet of Things - no digital transformation or data-driven decision can be executed without data. There is a multitude of devices that are now available to gather data on just about anything, tap into this and use it as part of the transformation strategy. 2. Artificial intelligence and machine learning - Ranked #1 in the CIO’s playbook of essential things to get right. 3. Automation - if an organisation isn't looking at automation solutions to take full advantage of the actionable intelligence derived from the data, then they can only expect less than 10% improvements on any digital transformation. 4. Blockchain- a sometimes-contentious topic but one that can enable scaled digital transformation of an organisation. 5. Digital twins - being able to see how technical developments operate within the existing operations without impacting those operations is an essential innovation tool. Final Thoughts From government organisations to airlines and the health sector, digital transformation is changing the way that we interact with humans. If the future is to be born out of data-driven decisions then organisations need to consider not only their Target Operating Model (ToM) but also the underlying technological enablement that allows the ToM to be achieved, but beware, without considering innovation along the transformative journey then the destination that they arrive at may not be the destination that they intended to reach, and the caterpillar will not be quite as beautiful as one hopes.

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