Technology is often the easiest of the components of digital transformation. People, culture, and processes are the tougher elements to modify to fully digitalize the fabric of an enterprise.
Transformation Journey
During my digital transformation journeys in the CPG industry, I often started with the need for analytics to power decision-making. In my view, data that leads to insights and action lies at the center of any major transformation. More often than not, we have to navigate through a complex set of systems that were created independently of each other, with few and inefficient interfaces. The real business transformation starts with replacing, modernizing, and interconnecting all the systems that support the company’s core processes: digital commerce, sales and marketing, supply chain, finance, talent management, and product innovation. This transformation from legacy systems to a 21st-century digital enterprise with a secure, flexible, interconnected architecture becomes the big lift for IT.
Lessons Learned
Digital Transformation is not an end in itself. It is a continuous journey. Viewing it as a “one and done” will leave out the natural evolution and growth of technology and business models. Digital Transformation is not a "technology" project. It is a business imperative and as such, requires Board and CEO support from the beginning to have a chance at success. Digital Transformation is made up of a combination of people, processes, and technology. One of the most difficult elements to get right is the “people” component, which includes organization culture—a make-or-break element for the transformation.
