What Is a Digital Transformation Framework?

A digital transformation framework can be thought of as a go-to guide to navigate your business through the evolving digital landscape, and changing markets and consumer habits. It is designed to be a reference point underpinning all your digital transformation projects by keeping you focused on the core goals.

You might be thinking, why do we need that? After all, isn’t innovation all about flashes of brilliance and individual genius? Well, when you consider that 70% of digital transformation programs fail, according to McKinsey Research, it’s probably not a good idea to rely on those “Eureka!” moments and establish a serious and measured approach.

By putting a robust framework in place, you are giving your business the best chance of overcoming challenges such as resistance to change, aimless digital leadership, and poor collaboration. A digital transformation framework is designed to put innovation front of mind and make the adoption and use of digital technologies a core corporate strategy as the company pursues its business goals.

Methodology Behind Digital Transformation

So, let’s get into the steps required for creating a digital transformation framework:

• Set digital transformation objectives: At the foundation of your framework will be the company’s core digital transformation goals. These won’t be targets related to adopting certain technologies (like “adopting big data”), but rather more business-focused objectives like enhancing the user experience and improving profitability.

• Grasp the potential of digitization: In today’s world driven by digital advancements, the key to success lies in understanding the significance of customer experience. Numerous businesses possess products and services that entail intricate methods of customer delivery, and it is crucial for your framework to evaluate how digitization can streamline and enhance these processes.
• Examine areas for process optimization: Businesses rely on personnel to sustain their operations, which is why they employ staff members. However, with the progression of digital technology, many of these manual and time-consuming tasks can be automated or simplified, leading to reduced workforce or enabling employees to engage in more value-added responsibilities.
• A robust digital transformation framework should prioritize the enhancement of operational efficiency within the organization.
• Contemplate potential novel business models: Digitization opens up possibilities for new and innovative business strategies that were previously inaccessible to your company. Your framework must encompass the potential offered by digital technologies to expand upon your existing capabilities and venture into new markets.

You’ve Acquired a Digitalization Framework, Now it’s Time to Take Action

Once you have defined your goals for digital transformation, it is essential to implement your framework with a well-defined roadmap. The transformation strategy should encompass the entire business rather than focusing on digitizing specific teams or processes.

By adopting this approach, you ensure that your entire organization is aligned towards digitization, and your systems and operations remain integrated. Keeping this in mind, let’s explore the different ways your roadmap can take shape:

1. Begin with digitizing operations, then prioritize customer value: This roadmap is suitable when customer expectations are not overly demanding, and your product is a physical asset or a service that is relatively easier to sell. Starting with automating processes and digitizing operations makes the most sense for your business if these characteristics apply.
2. Enhance customer value through digital engagement, then incorporate digital operations: Businesses that need to deliver an exceptional customer experience to attract and retain customers should prioritize digital engagement initially and consider digital operations as a secondary focus. It is crucial to think about how digitization can make customers’ lives easier by better addressing their needs and creating emotional connections online to drive loyalty.
3. Simultaneously establish digital operations and engagement to optimize customer value and efficiency: If your business has sufficient resources and available funds for a dual approach to digital transformation, your framework can assign equal importance to operations and customer experience. In this scenario, you can design your back-office and front-office IT systems in a complementary manner, maximizing efficiency while delivering the highest possible customer value.

Remember, the success of your digital transformation lies not only in formulating a robust framework but also in executing it effectively based on your specific business context

This Is Key to Implementing the Technology Strategy Framework

When you have an idea of what your digital transformation framework will look like, you need to start thinking about how to create a culture that will make best use of the framework and create an ecosystem of partners to bring digital transformation to life. 

Nurturing a digital culture requires ongoing training and cross-functional communication, as well as clear leadership that champions a digital-first approach.

When it comes to partners, there are a few key ones to keep in mind:

• Digital consultants: Depending on the level of IT talent you have in-house, IT service providers can be an invaluable resource for companies putting together a digital transformation framework. They have the ready-made expertise to help you understand which digital technologies and strategies will reap the highest rewards for your business.
• Technology vendors: You will need technology to make your digital transformation happen. It’s important to establish relationships with vendors so they can help you build the most effective solutions.
• Training providers: With so many emerging technologies disrupting the business world, it makes sense to enlist the services of training providers that can empower your staff with new skills and knowledge related to digitization. These courses can get deep into new technologies or be more focused on the business considerations of digital transformation.

See How ConcurTEC Is Supporting the Dreams of the Doers

• Appraise Your Company’s Digital Transformation
• Developing a Business Information Technology Strategy for Success
• ConcurTEC Acquires Award-Winning Digital Transformation Company,

You’ve Got a Framework for Your Digital Journey, What Now?

Now that you have a high-level understanding of what it takes to create a digital transformation framework, it’s time to start putting your strategic plan into action. The first hurdle you are likely to face is convincing your leadership peers that such a framework is required. 

To overcome this, point to examples of where frameworks have made a difference and present a compelling business case. You might choose to be proactive and put together an informal framework in your own time, starting with small-scale projects so you can bring proof points to show the value that a framework brings. 

This will help you to overcome the focus on immediate results and resistance to technology investment.

Whatever stage you’re at with the digital transformation journey, CITC has seen it all and we’d love to help you with your business transformation framework. Get in touch today to learn more about how robust digital transformation frameworks help put businesses on the path to success in the digital world.