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Businesses Transitioning Into Technology: Issues
Short-term view challenge, culture challenges, aligning business and IT challenges, and data challenge, are some issues that managers of established private businesses face when transitioning into the technology-based business model.
SHORT TERM VIEW CHALLENGE
- According to Michael Graham, "CEO of Epilogue Systems," one of the lasting challenges a business manager must overcome is guaranteeing that the company plans for the adoption of digital transformation go beyond the first 3 to 5 months.
- Michael Graham believes that when the adaptation period, the business managers provide is about 3 to 5 months. It is "simply a project task," that may undermine years of the company work, organizational disruption endured, and of "millions of dollars invested."
- Also, Graham states that many business managers neglect to plan for project fatigue when they near the end of their digital transformation initiatives.
- Graham explains that digital transformation projects involve many people within and outside the company for over a long period; therefore, he argues that business managers must plan for budget and staff exhaustion.
- The CEO of Epilogue Systems claims that if business managers neglect to plan for project fatigue, then once the company staff reaches exhaustion, and the external influences are gone, the end-users are left to adapt to the changes when the organization reaches the go-live date.
- Graham warns that a company "Without the dedicated resources in place before go-live to ensure end-users are properly equipped… adoption will be irrevocably hurt."
CULTURE CHALLENGE
- Melissa Henley, "director of customer experience at Laserfiche," said "shaping organizational culture" is critical and often undervalued challenge business managers face in facilitating effective digital transformation.
- According to Melissa Henley, changing culture will always be more challenging than changing technology, and that is why business managers must proactively address the changes needed to instill a digital culture.
- Henley believes that digital transformation impacts every business area; therefore, it is necessary for business managers and team leaders to co-ordinate their teams and work together.
- Also, Henley argues that business leaders must be proactive in creating a digital culture, including changing existing technologies and systems that impede change, to effectively lead the digital transformation.
ALIGNING BUSINESS AND IT CHALLENGE
- John Mullen, North America CEO at Capgemini, believes that business managers should not begin any digital project until the IT and company priorities are aligned.
- John Mullen claims one of the most significant obstacles business managers face is the lack of alignment between business and technology.
- The North America CEO at Capgemini, argues that business managers must understand that it is no longer a question of whether they "should use technology to transform for their customers," but how they can swiftly do it at scale.
- John Mullen argues that fear of the transformation process impedes many business managers from transforming the company successfully. The North America CEO at Capgemini believes that organizations need leadership that promotes the risk-taking; managers need to change their operations and embrace an evolving innovation culture.
- John Mullen explains that "It's imperative that organizations gain alignment between IT and the business. It is no longer possible for the CIO and the IT organization to operate separately from other C-Suite leaders."
- John Mullen argues that business managers will need to engage other staff in every step of the transition process, besides alignment at the top.
- John Mullen claims that if business managers integrate the technologies by retraining their employees to understand new skills, businesses can achieve digital leadership.
DATA CHALLENGE
- MemSQL CEO Nikita Shamgunov, believes that data is the most significant challenge that managers face in the digital transformation process.
- Nikita Shamgunov argues that "data economy" has turned into a "decision economy" where business managers that make the best and faster insight-driven decisions have a competitive advantage over their peers.
- Nikita Shamgunov explains that there would be data infrastructure challenges for business managers in the transformation process. The MemSQL CEO believes that the key to the success of the digital transformation process is when business managers provide innovative technology and the right infrastructure to scale up these innovative applications.
- Nikita Shamgunov claims that there would be data information management and security challenges for business managers in the transformation process. The MemSQL CEO believes that the centralization of data will be essential to ensuring that the digital infrastructure of the enterprise is scalable without losing the consistency and safety of data management.
RECOMMENDED TOPICS
- Current trends of Business digital transformation.
- Future trends (2020) of Business digital transformation.
- Examples of how digital transformation has impacted business performance.
- Digital transformation technologies.
- Digital transformation challenges for small and mid-size businesses.