Why this seems so difficult – and what we can do:
There are a variety of reasons why organizations struggle to shape and implement digital transformation for themselves. There is always a lot written and discussed about them. We would like to take up a few of them here and describe them in more detail:
Lack of understanding: Many executives and decision-makers may have limited knowledge of the technical, process, and organizational aspects of digitalization. They may struggle to fully understand the impact and opportunities of digitalization for their business and apply them to their own business.
Resistance to change: People tend to resist change. If employees feel that digitization could put their jobs at risk, or that they don’t have the skills needed to meet the new demands, it can lead to resistance.
Cultural change: Digital transformation often requires a profound cultural change in the organization. This can be met with resistance as employees and managers are unsure of what this means for them. They need to step out of their comfort zone and adapt to new ways of working and processes.
Lack of resources: The implementation of digital transformation projects requires time, money and qualified personnel. Many companies may have limited resources and need to prioritize. It can very easily lead to a resource conflict between the project and day-to-day operations.
Complexity: Digital transformation can be complex, especially in larger organizations with many departments and processes. It can be difficult to bring all parts of the company up to the same digital standard.
To overcome these challenges, companies can take the following measures :
Clear strategy and communication: A clear digital strategy and vision are crucial to formulate the goals and path to digital transformation. These must also be communicated accordingly in order to make them known to the people of the organization and to offer orientation.
Change Management: Companies should employ accompanying change management practices to promote cultural change and minimize resistance. The communication, education and training described here are part of it. Creativity and sensitivity are required here to determine which other practices should be used.
Education and training: The organization should invest in training and upskilling employees to build digital skills.
Promote innovation: Creating creative freedom and fostering innovation within the organization can help generate new digital solutions and ideas. Having the courage to make mistakes and seeing this acceptance of mistakes as a learning opportunity also contributes to this.
External support: In some cases, working with external experts and consultants can be helpful to support digital transformation.
Digital transformation is a continuous process that requires readiness and commitment. Organizations that overcome these challenges have the opportunity to become more competitive and future-proof. The concrete start of the digital transformation requires a step-by-step approach and a clear strategy.
We help you to carry out an initial digital assessment of your organization and also to build and implement a complete digital transformation strategy for your company or a specific business unit.