What Does It Expect from Us? Accepting Change, Adaptation and Flexibility
Digital transformation is the integration of digital technological developments and opportunities into ways of doing business, processes, competencies and models, within the framework of a strategic plan, in a way that accelerates them and makes them more efficient.*
A Choice, a Preference or a Necessity?
Digital transformation is no longer a choice or a preference; it is an absolute necessity. Every company that stays outside this change will be unable to survive in a competitive environment.
With this transformation, companies will need to change many processes, including the way they create and develop products and services, the way people work with each other and the methods managers use to build their teams. Companies that fail to make these changes will not be able to sustain their success and will face the risk of disappearing from the market.*
Have you noticed how definitive and clear these statements are? There are no "maybes" or vague expressions at all.
That is exactly what "digital transformation," a term we have been hearing so often in the business world lately, is like. It sits squarely in the middle of our lives and is waiting for us to understand it much better, and soon.
- So why is the concept of digital transformation so important, and why has everyone been talking about it, especially over the last few years?
- Is it indispensable?
- How should we view a topic for which companies and big brands run projects lasting months and allocate large budgets?
With all these questions in mind, let's set out on a short "digital transformation journey."
First of all, the concept of "digital transformation" has many different definitions, both online and in the articles and books written on the subject. We chose the definition by Assistant Professor Zeki Pağda because we believe it covers many of its aspects. Let's move forward step by step, starting from this definition.
To achieve digital transformation, the first thing we need to do, as with anything, is to analyze and identify our needs as accurately as possible. We need to determine exactly what we need and define very clearly what we expect from digital transformation.
- Why do we need a digital transformation, and more importantly, what do we expect from it?
- Where do we want it to take us, and from where?
In our view, these are very important questions that must be answered in detail before starting the project.
On the other hand, needs and the expectations that come with them will certainly vary from company to company.
What needs and expectations typically lead us into digital transformation projects? Here are a few examples:
- To make your current organization more agile,
- To use changing technologies more effectively in your ways of working and your current business model,
- To offer your customers more useful products and services and to diversify them in line with new technologies,
- To carry out your existing work within the company faster and more efficiently, and to deliver "a good digital experience" by creating a digitally focused climate within the company.
There could be many more examples, and any of these needs could be a digital transformation project. What comes next, you might ask?
Once the need and the expectation have been defined, the second important point is "vision and strategy."
In our view, it would not make much sense to embark on any transformation project without knowing and defining where we are going (the vision) and the roadmap that shows how we will get there (the strategy).
So, once we have identified our needs, clarified our expectations and set our direction in terms of vision and strategy, what needs to be done? We are now ready to set off.
First, we need to know one thing: this may not be an easy process. From both our corporate experience and our consulting experience, we know that even many large companies go through very difficult times in transformation efforts like these. So what should we pay attention to?
A few small tips can help us in these processes.
- First of all, take this step knowing that the work, that is, creating a transformation, will be hard. Good planning, managing time well and setting out with a competent, strong team will always help, but no transformation is painless. Accept this from the very beginning and put your mind at ease.
- Keep in the back of your mind from the outset that your organization may, in certain situations, fall short for this transformation (in terms of time or competencies). It may not be possible for you to do everything yourself. Getting advice from outside experts in the field, supporting the team with training when needed or, if necessary, reviewing and perhaps changing your organizational structure in line with the transformation can be helpful solutions in this process. Always keep the alternatives in mind.
- While you are trying to create a digital transformation, two things will never stop: your ongoing work and constantly changing technology. You have to keep your business running as usual, and you have to keep up with constantly changing and evolving technologies. In this sense, you will need to be flexible and use that flexibility quickly when reflecting changes in the process. Don't forget that.
- You will need to think about and manage many things at once and ultimately change them, sometimes completely and fundamentally, sometimes to a certain extent: people, the work you do, your processes, the technologies you use today and will use tomorrow, and the habits that arise and persist from all of these, in other words, your corporate culture. While transforming all of this, you are very likely to encounter resistance at some points. Getting used to the new and changing existing habits is always hard for human beings. Be prepared for this resistance in advance and bring the whole company on board with a good communication plan. People struggle to accept and sustain things they have not embraced or in which they can't find something of themselves, and that is completely normal. Since it is relevant here, let us share again the result of a survey we previously posted on our Instagram account.
This is a question that was put to managers working on digital transformation projects:
Which is more challenging in digital transformation projects? Implementing technological changes, or implementing cultural and organizational changes?
According to data from Jabil Inc., only 26% of respondents said they found technological changes difficult. The remaining 74% agreed that cultural and organizational changes were more challenging for them. Striking figures, aren't they? The takeaway is that no matter how good our technological changes are, if we cannot also bring them to life culturally and organizationally, that is, if we cannot persuade people to write the "digital transformation" story together, there is a chance that what we do will not really take hold, even if we use the most perfect digital systems. This carries with it the obstacle of failing to evolve digital transformation into a "digital culture," which can be dangerous and more costly for companies in the long run.
- Digital transformation is an ongoing concept, or rather, a phenomenon that does not fit a "we did it, it's done, it's over" mindset. If we look at it that way, the change we make will carry us only so far, for a while, and then stall. But if we understand that this transformation is a continuous, living concept that has needs and is nourished by many other things, and if we give it the means to be nourished, it will live on in our organization and, over time, can naturally and spontaneously become the "culture" that we value so highly. This spontaneous state is the most desired outcome in projects like these, and at that point we start talking about it not as "digital transformation" but as "digital culture."
What do I mean? If a digital transformation in a company is understood, owned and sustained in the same way by everyone in that company, over time it becomes that company's "culture" and turns into a lasting concept independent of time and people. The essential point in digital transformation projects is to underline that the ultimate goal of this journey is always to succeed in moving to the "digital culture" stage.
- Digital transformation is also a concept that must be approached as a whole. Today you might identify the two most important processes in your company that touch your customers and decide to digitalize them. But if, when making this decision, you do not include your other processes in the plan, or do not think in advance about how two processes, one digitalized and one not, might affect each other, this can create greater costs for you over time. That is why the best approach is to handle these processes from as holistic a perspective as possible and to plan systematically, considering how all processes across the company affect or will affect each other. Even if some processes are not included in the digital transformation right away, forecasts and plans about when they will be included will help you see the road ahead more clearly.
So far, we have summarized what we expect from digital transformation. Now, as we near the end of the article, shall we also look at "what does digital transformation expect from us?"
Digital transformation expects us to think not only about the present and today, but also about the future and what is to come, and to be ready for it, because it is alive and can change at any moment. To keep pace with its volatility, the most important condition is that we, too, accept change in all its forms, have the ability to adapt to it as quickly as possible and, at the same time, act as flexibly as we can. If we cannot do these things, we are accepting that we start out 3–0 down against "digital transformation."
As a final word, friends, it's worth making a note of this.
Let's accept that there is no ready-made, clear-cut solution to these transformation efforts that works in every situation, in every company and in every way. Each of us has to identify the most suitable digital transformation opportunities for our own company and find the optimal solutions.
That is why every digital transformation project is unique and special in its own way. Seen from this perspective, the work becomes all the more valuable and enjoyable.
Wishing all of us success in delivering the best digital work that will make our processes as efficient as possible,
See you in the next article,
* Zeki Pağda – Dijital Transformasyon ve IK'ya etkisi (Digital Transformation and Its Impact on HR) – February 2018 – HBR Türkiye
