In our everyday culture, we communicate, consume, play, work, buy and give in digital ways at least some of the time, expecting an efficient and personalised experience all of the time. Algorithms. Artificial Intelligence. Augmented customer engagement. Big data/analytics. Blockchain. Cloud. Collaboration technologies for connected workers and collaborators. Cybersecurity. The current reality is that the A-B-C of being a relevant and resilient business is no longer as easy as 1-2-3. The ongoing digitisation of our world requires disruptive change in most organisations, and transforming to be fit for purpose is a demanding ongoing business and leadership challenge.
Organisations need to consider whether the digitisation of “1-2-3” business-as-usual core capabilities and assets can strengthen existing business models. Institutions wanting to remain attractive, engaging and sustainable need to focus on developing new value propositions from digital and data innovations that customers and citizens want or need. Should your physical experiences, products and services be meshed with digital versions? Could your IP and data be released in innovative ways for extra value? Could your traditional value propositions be redesigned to meet new customer needs?
Integrating the opportunities of digital into an organisation demands transformation across its whole. That’s because today, every business is a digital business. IT strategy can longer be separate from business strategy. Digital transformation is not about technology, its not purely about the IT. It is about growing the ambition to realise how digital can change strategy and introduce new ways of thinking about enterprise putting the customer at the centre.
What is The Digital:Transformation Approach?
The Digital:Transformation Approach is a change methodology for enterprises looking to build adaptability, capability, capacity and confidence to deal with the continuous disruption of digital technologies. Digital leadership requires not that you know all about technology, but that you commit to reimagine your business’ core capabilities to create value for your customers. In a digital landscape, how do you maximise your platforms, your relationships with customers, your data, and your co-opetition to thrive?
Designed by Dr Hannah Rudman, The Digital Transformation Approach blended the methods of modern change management consultancy with action research; and utilises the tools, attitudes, and techniques of design thinking, and creative practice. Technology tools defined the “what” and “how” of digital transformation, but it is us humans who define the “why” of it: applying our human creativity, insight, wisdom, and empathy is essential, and is encouraged by The Approach.
The Approach was used extensively used extensively by Hannah and other change consultants with a range of over 250 organisations for ten years between 2008-18. It was iteratively improved, integrating the learnings and experiences of enterprises that have transformed. You can watch case study stories of the impacts and outputs of the transformation journeys already undertaken by enterprises through working with The Digital:Transformation Approach. Academic research has verified that 86% of organisations adapted at least two parts of their business to become digital, with 37% of these transforming all aspects of their business to become fully digital businesses. See Rudman, H. A framework for the transformation of the creative industries in a digital age.
The approach and tools were iteratively improved with the best new ideas and tools emerging in the digital transformation field. The Approach’s online toolkit was FREE to use and was specifically designed for organisations of any size, type and operational model – to enable any enterprise to approach digital transformation with confidence.
The online toolkit was a blend of:
• practical tools, templates, tips and exercises to help enterprises work through the method;
• video case study stories of the results organisations have achieved through undertaking The Approach; and
• links to other expert-written resources, to help you go deeper into a digital development subject or area of specific interest.
AmbITion programmes increased the legacy of work with organisations, by curating and sharing a rich resource of lessons learnt through the undertaking of digital developments, including How To… Guides, curated Learning Journeys through many digital development topics, and toolkits for the self guided learning of various digital development topics online. There’s case study videos from enterprises that undertook change journeys, plus video on demand of past masterclasses and debates, video case studies of the results enterprises have seen, and video learning journeys through digital development topics.
The Digital:Transformation Approach was the framework utilised by a number of national digital transformation programmes, securing £millions public funding. Read more about the AmbITion programmes. It has also been licensed by other public and private sector clients, including global technology solutions company Leidos, and international cultural sector advisors, BOP Consulting.