When we talk about digital transformation, we have to think about its purpose. It should generate benefits for companies and consumers. Thus, it is based on the following pillars.
Technological advancement has greatly facilitated access to information about consumer needs and desires. The most important thing now is to make good use of this data and ensure that it guides the company’s focus.
The concept of “fail fast” is embedded here: make a mistake quickly. He assumes that errors are natural in building new products and services. Therefore, they must be tested, improved, or swiftly discarded, per customer feedback.
This idea is in line with changes in project management processes. The traditional waterfall model — one stage started when the other ended, and a finished product was only delivered at the end — was replaced by other more efficient models with more agile deliveries, as advocated by the Agile Methodology.
Adaptation To Changes
Context switching is permanent and very fast. Therefore, the company needs to keep up with the pace, make its processes more flexible and keep an eye on new trends.
Although we have not mentioned technology, it is clear that it must be present as a way to implement the digital mindset since digital transformation is a structural change.
The discussion about whether the technological advance changed the global context or the opposite — if it was this change that drove the evolution of technology — is innocuous. The two are interconnected and constantly interact, one pulling the other.
In this sense, we live in a “VUCA” world: “volatile,” “uncertain,” “complex,” and “ambiguous.” This concept emerged in the 1990s to explain the post-Cold War world and applies well to intense and disruptive transformation moments.
In this new reality, it becomes more difficult for companies to outline future scenarios. Therefore, the ability to adapt to market instabilities gains importance. This is where the role of digital transformation comes in, which requires this new mindset from the organization.
Agile methodologies such as Scrum and practices such as Design Thinking are well suited to this scenario. They encourage the creation of multidisciplinary teams, creative approaches to problem-solving, product prototyping, and agile deliveries.
What Are The Main Challenges Of Digital Transformation?
As we said, digital transformation starts with a change of mindset in companies, which is the main challenge. Changing the organization’s structure and how communication happens is necessary, which can cause discomfort. See below the main challenges to implementing a more digital culture in companies.
Have A Sense Of Urgency
The cases of companies that let the opportunity pass and succumbed to market changes are varied. We can cite the already famous example of Kodak — which did not believe in the strength that digital would have in the world of cameras — or that of Blockbuster — which missed the opportunity to transform its business model for streaming, leaving the ground open for Netflix.
Although it is impossible to practice futurology to know which direction the world is heading, the clues are available to everyone. It is necessary to have a sense of urgency to keep up with the offers available in the market, always bearing in mind the needs of customers.
Here, we return to topics we have already covered in this article: fail-fast and agile methodologies. The challenge is precisely to have this agility. For this, it is necessary to have a structure that allows testing hypotheses, building quick experiments, and learning from them. This way, you can get immediate customer feedback and get important information out of it.
Giving Up Command And Control In The Right Measure
Companies have a more or less standard command and control structure, with the boss determining what should be done. However, there is no guarantee that this is the best idea. Therefore, the leader needs to give up the idea of command and control and adopt the concept of an inspiring leader, inviting everyone to collaborate and exchange information.
Adopt The Culture Of Experimentation
Talking about experimentation is much easier than implementing it. The truth is that companies are still very reluctant to test. That’s because testing means being open to the idea that you might fail — which happens most of the time. But no one wants to die, and this is still not well seen in many companies, no matter how different the speech is.
Thus, adopting a culture of experimentation for real is a big challenge and requires a huge change of mindset in the organization. For this, it is important to implement MVPs, which allow testing hypotheses in shorter terms and implementing changes while the product is being improved.
Tunapozungumza juu ya mabadiliko ya dijiti, tunapaswa kufikiria kusudi lake. Inapaswa kuzalisha faida kwa makampuni na watumiaji. Hivyo, inategemea nguzo zifuatazo. Maendeleo ya kiteknolojia yamefanya iwe rahisi sana kupata habari kuhusu mahitaji na matakwa ya watumiaji. Jambo muhimu zaidi sasa ni kufanya matumizi mazuri ya data hii na kuhakikisha kwamba inaongoza kampuni ya lengo. Dhana ya "kushindwa haraka" ni embedded hapa: kufanya kosa haraka. Yeye kudhani kwamba makosa ni ya asili katika kujenga bidhaa mpya na huduma. Kwa hiyo, lazima vipimwi, kuboreshwa, au kuondolewa haraka, kwa maoni ya wateja. Wazo hili ni sawa na mabadiliko katika michakato ya usimamizi wa mradi. Mfano wa kawaida wa maporomoko ya maji - hatua moja ilianza wakati nyingine ilikoma, na bidhaa iliyokamilika ilitolewa tu mwishoni - ilibadilishwa na mifano mingine yenye ufanisi zaidi na utoaji wa haraka zaidi, kama inavyoungwa mkono na Mbinu ya Agile. Adaptation To Changes Context switching ni ya kudumu na ya haraka sana. Kwa hiyo, kampuni inahitaji kushikilia kasi, kufanya michakato yake kuwa rahisi zaidi na kuweka jicho juu ya mwenendo mpya. Ingawa hatujazungumzia teknolojia, ni wazi kwamba lazima iwepo kama njia ya kutekeleza mawazo ya dijiti kwani mabadiliko ya dijiti ni mabadiliko ya muundo. Majadiliano kuhusu kama maendeleo ya kiteknolojia iliyopita muktadha wa kimataifa au kinyume <unk> kama ilikuwa ni mabadiliko haya kwamba kuendeshwa mageuzi ya teknolojia <unk> ni harmless. Vitu hivyo viwili vimeunganishwa na kuingiliana daima, kimoja kikivuta kingine. "Kwa maana hii, tunaishi katika ""VUCA"" ulimwengu: ""mchanganyiko, ""haijulikani, "" "" tata, "" na ""ambiguous. "" Dhana hii ilitokea katika miaka ya 1990 kuelezea baada ya Vita Baridi dunia na inatumika vizuri kwa wakati mkali na kuvuruga mabadiliko." Katika hali hii mpya, inakuwa vigumu zaidi kwa makampuni kuelezea matukio ya baadaye. Kwa hiyo, uwezo wa kukabiliana na kutokuwa na utulivu wa soko hupata umuhimu. Hapa ndipo jukumu la mabadiliko ya dijiti linapoingia, ambayo inahitaji mtazamo huu mpya kutoka kwa shirika. Mbinu agile kama Scrum na mazoea kama Design Thinking ni vizuri suited kwa hali hii. Wao kuhamasisha uundaji wa timu multidisciplinary, mbinu ubunifu kwa kutatua matatizo, bidhaa prototyping, na utoaji agile. Ni nini changamoto kuu za mabadiliko ya dijiti? Kama tulivyosema, mabadiliko ya dijiti huanza na mabadiliko ya mawazo katika kampuni, ambayo ni changamoto kuu. Kubadilisha muundo wa shirika na jinsi mawasiliano hutokea ni muhimu, ambayo inaweza kusababisha usumbufu. Angalia hapa chini changamoto kuu kwa ajili ya kutekeleza utamaduni zaidi digital katika makampuni. Kuwa na Hisia ya Haraka Kesi za makampuni ambayo kuruhusu fursa kupita na succumbed kwa mabadiliko ya soko ni mbalimbali. Tunaweza kutaja mfano maarufu wa Kodak, ambayo haikuamini nguvu ambayo dijiti ingekuwa nayo katika ulimwengu wa kamera, au Blockbuster, ambayo ilipoteza fursa ya kubadilisha mtindo wake wa biashara kwa utiririshaji, ikiacha ardhi wazi kwa Netflix. Ingawa haiwezekani kufanya mazoezi ya futurolojia kujua ni upande gani ulimwengu unaelekea, vidokezo vinapatikana kwa kila mtu. Ni muhimu kuwa na hisia ya haraka ili kuendelea na inatoa inapatikana katika soko, daima kukumbuka mahitaji ya wateja. Hapa, tunarudi kwa mada ambazo tayari tumezungumzia katika makala hii: fail-fast na agile mbinu. Changamoto ni hasa kuwa na agility hii. Kwa ajili ya hili, ni muhimu kuwa na muundo ambao inaruhusu kupima nadharia, kujenga majaribio ya haraka, na kujifunza kutoka kwao. Kwa njia hii, unaweza kupata maoni ya wateja mara moja na kupata habari muhimu kutoka kwake. Kuondoa amri na udhibiti katika kipimo sahihi Makampuni yana zaidi au chini ya kiwango cha amri na udhibiti muundo, na bosi kuamua nini lazima kufanyika. Hata hivyo, hakuna uthibitisho kwamba hilo ndilo wazo bora zaidi. Kwa hiyo, kiongozi anahitaji kuacha wazo la amri na udhibiti na kupitisha dhana ya kiongozi wa kuchochea, akiwakaribisha wote kushirikiana na kubadilishana habari. Kuchukua Utamaduni wa Majaribio Kuzungumza juu ya majaribio ni rahisi zaidi kuliko kutekeleza. Ukweli ni kwamba makampuni bado ni wasiwasi sana kufanya majaribio. Hiyo ni kwa sababu kupima ina maana ya kuwa wazi kwa wazo kwamba unaweza kushindwa - ambayo hutokea wakati mwingi. Lakini hakuna mtu anayetaka kufa, na hii bado haionekani vizuri katika makampuni mengi, bila kujali jinsi tofauti ya hotuba ni. Kwa hivyo, kupitisha utamaduni wa majaribio kwa kweli ni changamoto kubwa na inahitaji mabadiliko makubwa ya mawazo katika shirika. Kwa hili, ni muhimu kutekeleza MVPs, ambayo kuruhusu kupima nadharia katika muda mfupi na kutekeleza mabadiliko wakati bidhaa ni kuwa kuboreshwa.