You've decided to revamp your company's website, become cloud-based, or depend more heavily on data analytics, but where do you begin? What kinds of digital transformation obstacles should you anticipate?
Almost every company, regardless of size, has challenges during the digital transformation process. Here's how to deal with them.
- Different businesses, same issues
- Employee pushback, a lack of skills to lead digital projects, organizational structure standing in the way, and a lack of overall strategy plague businesses of all sizes. Once you've mastered these, the process will run smoothly.
- Put your long-term goals and your people first.
- Successful businesses are based on identifying customer needs and then having the right team to meet those needs. That is to say, people work with each other. There are always new technological solutions on the horizon, and you should welcome them if you believe they can benefit your company, but they aren't your most valuable resource. Yes, it's beneficial, but you'll also need your team's buy-in.
- Avoid early digital transformation pitfalls
- Make sure your management team is engaged, dedicated, and consistent. Concentrate on modest, manageable projects. Engage your team as soon as possible. Hire the best professionals to help you with your digital transformation.
When it comes to digital transformation, all businesses endure growing pains. This post will go over some of the most common roadblocks and lead you in the right direction for help.
Different companies, same problems
Surprisingly, firms of all sizes face many of the same challenges when it comes to implementing a digital transformation strategy. On one hand, this is aggravating, but the fact that there is so much overlap suggests that some universal lessons may be learned and applied.
Jabil, a technical manufacturing company, surveyed 300 companies and discovered that when it came to digital transformation, the same five issues were commonly cited in companies of all sizes (ranges were 1-100 employees; 100-1k employees; 1k-5k employees; 5,000+ employees).
- Employee pushback. People make up businesses, and people have difficulty breaking out of their habits and accepting the uncertainty that comes with a new path.
- Inability to lead digitization projects due to a lack of knowledge. Experts are needed to design and then implement a vision, just as they are for any other endeavor. Unfortunately, many businesses believe they already have this and learn the hard way that they don't.
- The organizational structure obstructs progress. Every firm relies on a predictable structure to operate, yet a digital revolution may necessitate a reorganization of divisions and responsibilities.
- A lack of a comprehensive digitization plan. Only 23% of organizations claimed they had a company-wide digitization plan, according to the Jabil poll. However, like with any other initiative, you'll need a strategy.
- Budget constraints. Nobody has an endless supply of money; at some point, you'll run out of spending options.
These issues all have one thing in common: they are all internal, which means they can be avoided.
Focus on the long term and your team
The difficulties identified by Jabil point to a wider issue raised by Forbes. While it is straightforward to incorporate new technology or protocols into a firm, it is frequently the case that no real change occurs. That is little or nothing being done to address employee concerns or the lack of mechanisms in place to implement the digital transformation roadmap that has been envisioned. This causes both immediate and long-term problems.
You'll get into trouble if your entire concentration is on deploying new technology. Customers' needs must be identified first, and then the correct team must be assembled to meet those needs. To put it another way, people collaborate with one another. There are always new technological solutions on the horizon, and while you should welcome them if you believe they will benefit your company, they are not your most precious resource. Yes, it's valuable. But you'll need buy-in from your team as well. The best way to accomplish that is to keep your focus on the future and value the long-term effects of change.
Avoid early pitfalls of digital transformation
Recent global developments have hastened everyone's plans for digital transformation. If we've learned anything from the COVID-19 era, it's that staying fluid and adaptable is critical. This is an unpredictable period, but that does not mean you are powerless. If you've already built a new system, you may take some concrete actions to avoid typical mistakes.
- Make sure your executive leadership is committed, engaged, and consistent. Digital revolutions are difficult, but half-measures will not suffice — your company management must be willing to disrupt to evolve.
- Concentrate on modest, manageable activities. Overreach is one of the fastest ways to destroy an initiative, so think of the early phases of your change as a series of sprints rather than a marathon.
- Engage your team as soon as possible. Some team members will protest if new tools are introduced too quickly, requesting that they be allowed to continue utilizing legacy software. You can avoid this by familiarizing them with the digital endeavor when it is still being planned.
- Hire the best professionals to help you with your digital transition. Choose digital professionals who can engage people and solve problems, not just those who know how to use the new platform.
Putting a digital transformation plan in motion is a daunting endeavor for anyone, regardless of who they are or what type of organization they run. Not only are there continuously shifting dynamics at play within any given organization, but technology is continually evolving as well. As a result, break down the big picture into smaller chunks.
Ready to take action? Provisio is here.
We can assist you in determining the best options for your digital transformation, no matter where you are in the process. With an established process for tackling all aspects of the transformation process, Provisio is the perfect partner for taking on your company’s complex challenges. Connect with us today to tell us about your business and digital transformation goals.