Why you need a Digital Transformation Roadmap

The world is changing and adapting each day to the COVID-19 crisis. Many businesses are heavily leaning into digital innovation to help them navigate the tricky waters of the pandemic and a digital transformation roadmap is key to that process.

Digital transformation has become essential to success in these times and any business hoping to last needs to make swift digital alterations. However, this doesn’t mean we can afford to rush over the process, and a key tool to successful digital transformation is a roadmap.

What is a digital transformation roadmap?

Fundamentally, a digital transformation roadmap is put in place to facilitate digital capabilities and novel working methods becoming part and parcel of the entire company. It is a framework to help wide scale transitioning and is often broken down into three phases and ten steps.

Stage 1: Defining value

–        Secure senior management commitment

–        Set clear, ambitious targets

–        Secure investment

Stage 2: Launch and acceleration

–        Start with lighthouse projects

–        Appoint a high-calibre launch team

–        Organize to promote new, agile ways of working

–        Nurture a digital culture

Stage 3: Scaling up

–        Sequence initiative for quick returns

–        Build capabilities

–        Adopt a new operating model

Any enterprise looking to transform will encounter challenges at each stage of change. Most likely, the initial setbacks will have to be tackled by the CEO as they plot out the correct route for success. The company will have to be alert to further issues in the subsequent launch and acceleration phase – as well as across the longer term, when digital initiatives must be tailored throughout the enterprise.

·        Why are digital transformation roadmaps so effective?

It is common sense, but often forgotten, that planning out a route beforehand is the most effective way of getting to where you want to go. And the same applies to digital transformation. To get on the right course, a company must set a digital initiative within its agenda, as well as recognise what it will take to make that transition successful.

It is not a simple undertaking. But with sufficient commitment to its management, alongside investment and clear targets, it can be done – especially when working with companies like ENO8, who translate digital transformation into a concise roadmap.

·        How to build a digital transformation roadmap

There are some initial steps in the roadmap process that need to be handled correctly. Firstly, you’ll have to secure senior management commitment. Without the commitment of the CEO and the leadership team, there can be no digital transformation.

Any digital transformation cannot be sanctioned unless the CEO can communicate a precise vision of what can be achieved.

With this in mind, clear, ambitious targets must be set. Investments are much more effective when paired with targets that are both achievable and ambitious. Targets also serve to illustrate to impact that digital transformation can have and provide tangible benchmarks that people across the board can aim for.

Once targets are set, appoint a launch team – often headed by a CDO. This is an elemental part of the process as a CDO will work on co-ordinating transformation methodology and redesigning ‘customer journeys’. Then, as digitalization rolls out across the company, these digital pathways can be replicated to ensure a more efficient process.

There are many more guiding principles to a well-executed roadmap – some more easily achieved than others. Luckily there are many specialists available that have experience in working with clients to move faster, reduce their risk, and increase the impact of bringing new digital products to life. 

To learn more about the digital transformation process, take a look at our recent articles on digital transformation.