Digital evolution is not about technological advancements
Digital Transformation, revolution, experience – the industry is full of jargon. While the industry was quick to accept digital transformation as the next step to take off and stay ahead of the competition, it has become the most relevant topic. The obstacles preventing digital transformation are not a lack of innovation or technological problems – rather a lack of clear goals and a disciplined process for achieving those goals.
Why language gets in the way
To make digital technology the very backbone of your institution, you must first define the meaning.
The term digital is very broad. The first Apple computer was sold in 1976, we wore digital watches in the 70s. Isn’t digital transformation old news? To bring a stronger definition to the term, we need to frame it in the context of broader change affecting our lives via the concept of Digital Evolution.
We always had digital – we are now finally focusing and building capabilities to stay ahead of the competition and meet both consumer and market demand in the long term.
Digital Evolution is not about technological advancements
Digital evolution is not about upgrading your technology – it’s about aligning your strategic thinking to include people. If you think about it, people are changing faster than technology itself. Their demands and expectations are far above what we can offer them. Without human involvement, our focus remains within the process of improvement and not meeting the needs to drive the business towards achieving its goals.
Technology will always evolve and change, but new technology alone does not matter unless it meets a consumer or market need. Technology is just a vehicle, while digital transformation is the energy to fuel the drive.
Don’t just digitize
While it is crucial to have a robust digital evolution strategy and plan – it is important to recognize the following factors:
- A strategy without execution is a dream, and yet an execution without a strategy is a nightmare.
- Do not adopt technology for the sake of saying you did so – remain focused on the strategic objective of the digital evolution
- Don’t just digitize your business process and think it’s done. Reinvent or streamline your operational processes all the way through for consumers and employees. Change your business model if you must.
- Just because it’s the latest technology does not mean it meets your needs or it will solve your specific problem. Identify the problem you are trying to solve first.
- Remain focused on the future – every change you make today will need to be reevaluated in 6 to 12 months.
Digital Evolution
Digital evolution is the outcome of enabled change aligned with your objective, driven by a well-planned organizational strategy. Remember, the hardest part is how to humanize the overall digital experience.
A humanized digital experience means partnering with the customer around their objective and needs as opposed to simply digitizing transactions and product sales. A shift from an internal efficiency strategy to a more customer engagement strategy, creating positive change for both the organization and the consumer.
