Leaders will need to play a critical role to communicate the vision clearly
Published on : Monday 21-10-2019
Digitalisation is imperative but enterprises are still struggling with implementation. How can begin the process?
Enterprises will need to start with a clear vision in mind. Goals need to be defined for just 1 quarter at a time in alignment with the vision. Cultural context of the enterprise should be considered to determine the pace of the implementation. Key people across the enterprise will need to be onboarded on the vision to help evangelise Digitalisation and the benefits.
So the process steps are:
1. Define the vision
2. Define the goals tied to the quarterly business cycles
3. Understand the cultural context of the enterprise and set the timeline for implementation
4. Onboard people on the vision and help them become the brand ambassadors for digitalisation.
For many organisations, the stumbling block is the silos, which ironically, digitalisation seeks to break. Is this a classic chicken and egg story?
Digitalisation is a business transformation journey and any new journey will need to begin with positive intent. So the blocks can be removed if we clear the intent, when we start in silos, people have no idea on what’s happening and the black box approach leads to anxiety which leads to resistance. Basic human behaviour! So Leaders will need to play a critical role to communicate the vision clearly (Intent), set the timelines (people like to know by when and how) and take baby steps, look for wins as people want to be part of the winning story. We have done this as a Digital Transformation Services organisation for us and our customers very successfully.
Is joining one of the digital platforms the only way for an average enterprise?
Digital platforms are only enablers and choices are plenty. But for any enterprise the – Why, What, When are the most important questions they need to find answers for and we see some of them struggle to find answers for those. Once you know that, making it happen through any of the platforms is fairly easy. Having said that, due to choices on platforms, the acceleration and standardisation which the platforms provide is the key ingredient for success. So it is a critical component. Hence Platforms become critical.
Often, companies get bogged down in discussing technologies rather than outcomes. How should an effective CTO deal with this?
The CTO today is at the cusp of major changes all over – new technologies, new business models, new customer demands, and new business goals…with such agile world and “fast food instant culture”, the CTO needs to have clear transformation mind to accept and embrace changes rapidly. Align with customer demands and accelerate the business forward. So the limiting factor is not technology but the understanding of the customer demands. Doing it first, fast and frugal will lead to lot more success. Any market leader across any industry sector does this.
Finally, is multiplicity of vendors creating conflict in the process?
Multiplicity of vendors is giving choices and conflicts come when you evaluate one vendor against another. But if the enterprise is clear on their Vision and Goals, vendors who map to those goals are few in number and choices become easy. For example: Vendor capabilities which are solving your business problems or meeting your needs, do they have similar or past experience (which if you want to do First) not necessarily same industry but can be from another industry too, can they execute things as promised (execute Fast) and finally will they meet your budgets (Frugal). 3F strategy works well and we have done this for many of our customers who find value. This approach avoids conflicts as the choices become easy for the decision maker.
Manikantan NS is Global Delivery Head & Digital Transformation Leader – Oil & Gas Vertical. As digital transformation leader, Manikantan is responsible for designing and delivering compelling digital transformation solutions and services. As account head, he is also responsible for global revenues, profitability, client satisfaction and team satisfaction. Other responsibilities include researching the customer’s situation, conducting customer discovery sessions, matching customer pains to Tech Mahindra solutions and services, and demonstrating business value to customers.