Case Study Part I
In an organisation which is actively increasing its overall digital presence, as it transitions from a traditional bricks and mortar company to compete in a broader context, there are a number of key elements which should be brought to bear when starting out on a digital transformation programme and these may include:
- viewing current digital activities holistically
- taking the stakeholders on the digital journey
- interrogating the data
- identifying with existing and potential customers
- empowering the team to make a difference
Addressing these areas in turn. Businesses should consider how their core message can be communicated to customers not only across single country, single language websites, but also across multi-language and multi-locale digital entities. This requires a level of diligence to ensure that the message is culturally relevant across locations and also meets local regulatory requirements. This is a cross-functional activity involving all disciplines including sales, marketing, social media, data management, UX, product, IT, project management and the localization teams.
As the stakeholders have a deep understanding of the business it is vital that they share their input and expertise as subject matter experts. They should be up-dated on progress of the project and actively foster a culture of full transparency across functions to avoid disciplines working in silos.
Most businesses are data driven in some way. However, finding the most relevant data may be a journey of exploration. Available data may not be joined up, ie does a specific call to action lead to an increase in the value of sales? And it may be that new KPIs and metrics are required to meet the organisation’s business direction.
Bringing the customer on board – sophisticated digital consumers expect to be able to interact with businesses online on multiple devices including desktop, tablet and mobile. All demographics assume that they will be able to interact with brands at any time and in any place online. There is an expectation among internet-savvy consumers that they will be able to enjoy seamless experiences when carrying out activities online, for example one-click purchases, intuitive IA and mobile-optimised sites.
By empowering the teams who are working on the myriad elements of the project, enabling them to brainstorm, to make decisions and work together to reach successful outcomes, the business can benefit enormously from their collective knowledge and experience.
Companies that lead a digital transformation of their business are 26% more profitable than their industry average (according to “Leading Digital, Turning Technology into Business Transformation“). These companies do not just apply digital magic to existing processes but thoughtfully integrate technology into those processes to streamline the flow of work.