Four Things to Consider for Your Successful Digital Transformation

If there’s one thing IT experts can agree on, it’s that digital transformation should rank among most organizations’ top priorities. Competition demands that companies take advantage of digital business strategies to improve their customer experience, boost employee productivity, bring innovations to market faster, and grow in new directions.

What is less clear for most companies is exactly how to approach such a complex and multi-faceted transition. The possibilities can seem overwhelming. But through our research and first-hand experience, we’ve narrowed the list to a handful of focus areas that successful transformations have in common. We call them the four principles of digital transformation.

1.  Take a business- and customer-first approach.

In other words, don’t invest in technology for the sake of having the latest and greatest. Remember that the ultimate purpose of this transformation is to help your business work faster, smarter, and in new ways that benefit your customers and the bottom line. Technology investments should be directly aligned with desired business outcomes that will create measurable results. They should also be based on deep insights into customers’ preferences and behaviors, knowing what types of digital enhancements will truly improve their buyer-user experience and foster brand loyalty.

2.  Reimagine processes and create new business models.

Digital transformation often begins in the IT department, with isolated improvements to streamline certain tasks. Over time, other functions such as manufacturing or marketing might introduce their own digitized processes. These are steps in the right direction, but to achieve the type of full-scale transformation that can drive substantial business growth, companies need to think bigger—at an enterprise level. That means not only improving on current processes, but also keeping an open mind to what might be possible. By daring to challenge the company’s operational model, entirely new sources of revenue and delivery methods can be unveiled.

3.  Enable the people who make it happen.

Any major business initiative, even one that revolves around technology, must be designed and implemented by people. So a successful digital transformation requires careful attention to guiding employees through the transition. On the front-end, that means listening to employees’ needs and aspirations to understand how digital tools and processes can improve their performance. As transformation begins, communications, training, and visible leadership are essential to drive adoption and competency in a digitized environment. And after changes are made, companies must make the ongoing commitment to address any setbacks quickly and reward the behaviors that create a digital-first culture.

4.  Take IT to high-speed. 

As people throughout the business jump on board the digital train, they will turn to the IT department to help bring their plans to life. To keep pace with the demand for innovation, IT teams will be challenged to deliver solutions faster than ever before. They will need to reconsider their own organizations, analyzing their processes to eliminate friction, and ramp up velocity while remaining flexible. In an increasingly digital world, speed to market and the ability to turn on a dime will be what business leaders value most. Those qualities, when closely aligned with business strategy and supported by an engaged workforce, will define the industry leaders of the years ahead.

Join this insightful webinar with experts from Dell Digital Business Services' team to learn about the four core tenets of successful digital transformation. Ready your business for the future. Dell Services provides the right IT expertise and solutions to ensure business agility and growth by helping you modernize and transform your organization. Be future-ready with Dell Services. 

About the Author: Suresh Vaswani