By Stephen Mann
6. Is there a natural progress or planning path to prepare an organization for digital transformation?
As I suggested during the webinar, someone like Charles Araujo – an industry analyst, author, and Founder of the Institute for Digital Transformation – is best positioned to answer questions related to digital transformation. Here’s an abridged version of his answer:
“First and foremost, organizations must understand that digital transformation is NOT about technology. It is primarily a business transformation driven by a shift in power away from the organization and to the customer. That means that the essence of digital transformation is a move away from optimization and efficiency (organizational-centricity) to a focus on the customer journey and engaging them effectively and on their terms at every step along it (customer-centricity).
In addition, organizations must view digital transformation as an on-going process — not some project to complete and check-off the list. A core element of this process is the reimagining of organizational roles. It is virtually impossible to execute a digital transformation and leave the organization in the same state structurally or organizationally. But in most cases, this is exactly what you see — a clear sign that no true transformation has occurred.
