{{item.videoDuration}}
{{item.title}}
{{item.text}}
{{item.videoDuration}}
{{item.title}}
{{item.text}}
Digital transformation management: the four most common failures
In our previous article, we talked about the importance of revising your business’s IT strategy to realise the benefits of a new cloud solution.
But before you start setting up the framework for the right strategy, it's also important to understand what mistakes could be making or avoiding, and what isn’t the recommended approach.
IT projects are now business projects?
As digital transformation projects transition from the IT department to the business as a whole, cloud implementation projects now include training, change, and at heart, the people across the organisation. We see this shift not only in the type of stakeholders in the implementation projects but also in the drivers behind the move to digitally transform the business. Not understanding how these projects are transforming into a new type of project and the new priorities that come with that, is where most make their first mistake.
By understanding the “mistakes” you can reconsider your approach and get yourself and your people ready to make the most out your cloud solutions.
In our experience, we found these to be the most common mistakes:
- Underestimating the importance of change management: change management has been historically seen as the “minimal effort” part of a project. But as these formerly pure “IT” projects now transcend across businesses, change management is a key element in the transformation process. By underestimating and undervaluing the need for proper change you won’t be able to successfully implement the new solutions, and in return unable to see any of its benefits.
- Not putting your ‘people’ at the core: to leverage the new solution and get the benefits it brings, you need to turn to the only group that is capable of realising its benefits, the users. It’s crucial that you start by looking at your people as the biggest asset you have in realising the benefits your new cloud solution has to offer. Only once you put them at the core of all your actions, you can be successful.
- Not having a long-term adoption strategy in place: understanding and properly approaching the implementation phase is important when it comes to realising the benefits of these new solutions. However, with the changing nature of a transformation project you need to look beyond the initial implementation. To sustainably realise the benefits, you need to create a long-term adoption strategy especially for training and upskilling your people.
- Slowing down efforts after implementation: cloud solutions bring a continuous stream of updates and changes with them, beyond implementation. This ever-changing nature also means that your people (who are at the core of it all) need to stay informed on the most relevant changes, especially since they can help you realise the benefits. It is therefore crucial that you do not stop the efforts of change and upskilling after the implementation of the new solutions but continue it as part of your normal ‘daily business’.
Change management of the mindset
At this point, it’s become clear that if you want to realise the benefits of your new cloud solution(s), simple implementation is not enough. Look beyond the implementation phase and start drawing the entire roadmap you have towards change, training and upskilling.
In our next article we’ll be looking at what the right approach to training and digital upskilling can look like. But before we get there, these are the questions you need to have the answers to:
- Have you been making any of the four common mistakes?
- Are your people at the core of your digital transformation?
- What is your long-term adoption strategy?
- Are your people skilled in the latest updates and releases?
#social#
{{filterContent.facetedTitle}}
{{contentList.loadingText}}
{{contentList.loadingText}}
Contact us
Jeremy Wikler
Senior Manager, Technology Change and Adoption, PwC Switzerland
Tel: +41 58 792 46 41
