HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM

CONTEXT

Digital transformation is not a single project but a collection of multiple processes and use cases that need to be digitized and automated.

One of the main challenges is to keep all stakeholders engaged and aligned. The organizations have silos and struggle to collaborate effectively across different functions and departments.

IT CHALLENGES

Organizations rely heavily on the expertise and skills of IT staff and software developers, which creates a bottleneck. This puts a lot of pressure on the IT teams and also causes frustration and delays for the rest of the organization.

IT is also responsible for maintaining all infrastructure and core systems working and delivering a seamless experience to the users, and today, with the users with Internet access by your professional computer, it is not easy.

To manage the lack of IT literacy of some users is also a big challenge. Too much time is spent solving problems that a simple software update could have prevented. In these cases, IT needs to assume the uncomfortable position of "rules manager," putting the other departments in a defensive position when the subject is innovation or new solutions implementation.

THE RISE OF USER POWER

Some organizations try to overcome this problem by empowering their non-technical users to create and implement their own automation and workflow solutions using no-code platforms and tools or buying "incredible solutions" via web.

This sounds appealing, but it also has some drawbacks. For instance, these solutions may not be well integrated with the core business systems and data, which can lead to inefficiencies and security risks. Moreover, these solutions may still require some IT support and maintenance, which adds to the workload and costs for the IT managers.

Nobody denies that the demand for a new solution is born in the business department; it has the pain. It is also one of the main responsible for the selection of the solution, internal or external.

What is questionable is the business contract for an external solution without IT support or ignoring IT recommendations.

THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION

The key to successful digital transformation is to foster collaboration between the IT and the business teams.

It is not realistic to expect digital transformation to happen without IT involvement, but it is also not effective to leave it entirely to the IT teams without input from the business users.

It is crucial that the IT department has professionals who can communicate well with the business users, understand their needs and expectations, and provide them with suitable solutions. Likewise, it is important that the business areas have representatives who can liaise with the IT teams, convey their requirements and feedback, and have some basic digital literacy.

In 2024, it is no longer acceptable for anyone in the business to lack the minimum technology literacy.

On the other hand, IT people finally need to understand that they depend on business to have a job.