Digital Transformation
Digital transformation requires many things. One can expect that any digital transformation will be a labor intensive project. It will have a huge learning curve and be quite time consuming. Not to mention these projects are usually very costly. It requires a long-term commitment of not just funds, but also the expertise from a variety of different fields.
These are the things that are obvious right from the start. Transformation teams know the path that lays ahead and prepare the best they can to ensure that things go as flawlessly as possible. So why do some projects run smoothly without delays or difficulties while up to 70% of projects are failing to meet their objectives? (Yeah, you read that right!) How can one give their project a better chance to meet all their requirements and objectives?
5 Tips For Your Digitalization Projects
Below, we give 5 tips that any team can use to see their digital transformation project start off without a hitch!
1.Set Goals. Obviously, this is number one. Set clear goals for yourself, team and project that correlate with the organizational goals. Frequently check with your team and make sure that the project is still heading towards the predetermined goals. Word of caution. Be ready to make goal adjustments later on if needed.
2.Have a strategy. Make sure your team is following the same strategy. This ensures the team is following the same path to fulfil the goals. Your strategy shouldn’t be based just on individual departments, but with the organization as a whole.
3.Get the right people. Now for those of you going “well yeah.. Duh” I’m not just talking about hiring digital experts or those who are at the top in their field. Can they follow the strategy laid out? Do they have the right mindset for this project? Can they blend with or better yet add to the business culture? Do they have the experience of implementing these kinds of transformations? Consider all these things when putting together a transformation team.
4.Use Lean startup techniques. It’s no surprise to hear that the biggest struggle any digital transformation project runs into isn’t lack of technological know-how or solutions. It’s usually bureaucracy. Sluggish projects can happen when there are too many out dated policies as well as slow decision making. This can avoided by establishing a lean approach to ensure that processes, structures, products and services are utilized.
5.Have the RIGHT team leader. A team leader, project manager or just a go-to person is highly important. In any project, in any organization, in any sector there will come a time at least once where someone gets fed up. Or worse, the whole team gets fed up. When differences of opinions (or egos) are blocking the progress that the team could be making, it’s important to have the right leader. The best team leader or project manager is someone who understands the goals, strategies and market and has the capabilities to keep the team on the right path while resolving any conflict. This is CRUCIAL for any project’s success.
Remember Your End User
Keep in mind these five tips for a successful digital transformation. However, there is one other thing that should be considered. The end user. While determining your goals and planning your strategies, remember why you have this project to begin with. By following these tips you and your team are sure to have a much better chance of meeting your project objectives!
