The hardest part for a company leader is deciding on a digital transformation. Because it is expensive, difficult and associated with a host of unknowns: how much time and money will be spent on transformation, who will be entrusted with it, and what problems will have to be faced. CDTO and Systems Architect Sergey Koval told how to prepare for the digital transformation of the company and reduce possible risks during its implementation.
1. Prepare for Stress and Costs Once a leader is embarking on a digital transformation, they must prepare for the costs and challenges.
Half measures won’t work. The manager must take this as seriously as death – he will have to become a desperate adherent of the innovative movement for at least a year in advance with digital transformation consulting firm.
2. Encourage innovators.
It is necessary to take an honest look at the company’s attitude towards initiatives. If the management wants new ideas, but in fact the initiative is punishable in the company, then forget about transformation. It is necessary to allow employees to put forward initiatives and express any, even stupid ideas, without the risk of being convicted or punished.
3. Assign a digital transformer and his assistants
Most likely you will not be able to do a digital transformation with your “old” colleagues. They have an overly blurry view of your company. It is necessary to invite a specialist from the outside, and it is not a fact that he will stay in your company after he puts the process on a digital track. Be prepared that the team will be very polarized in relation to your digital leader: some people will begin to adore him, and some will hate him.
4. Prepare for sabotage when launching new software
During the transformation, the company will have new additional programs and services. You and your staff will have to learn how to work with them. Understand the essence of the new software, understand what a blockchain is, a production environment, git, who is a devops or a digital marketer. Otherwise, you will not be able to keep your finger on the pulse.
It sounds scary, but it’s actually quite doable and interesting. Here, resistance will surely begin from part of the team and you will need to appoint an “instructor” who will walk around and help set up Slack in accounting or Jira in a project office, for example. You will be lucky if there is an enthusiast, but most likely you will have to pay him extra.
5. Strategic and Personnel Regrouping
You need to prepare yourself for the fact that you will not be able to calculate the effects of digital transformation:
This process takes place almost entirely in the field of uncertainty and corresponds to the concept of the VUCA-world.
It all depends on the practice and knowledge of the specialist who will lead the transformation in the company.
You need to be prepared to cannibalize some of your current profits for the sake of changes in the future.
Up to looking for investments from the outside or a long-term loan in your bank.
6. Alert management of unforeseen costs
Costs will begin to pour in, and transformation may stall without ever starting. Especially if your company has a complex process of approving payments or contracts. Your digital transformer will often run to you with ideas and demands to pay for something. From time to time you will have to include direct management “I said so”, trampling on existing processes.
7. Explore new technologies.
Most likely the following technologies will be introduced or modernized: big data mining and analysis, business analytics mobile applications cloud data miscalculations and cloud storage online presence remote identification integration of various API services cybersecurity and penetration testing neural networks.
