April 9, 2024
“Whether you know it or not; did you know that you are on a digital transformation journey?”
That was the opening sentence in an earlier Activate Digital 2019 article by Paolo Del Nibletto titled “Do you know if you are on a Digital Transformation Journey?”
The view that everyone is on a digital transformation journey is one that I share even though a Mckinsey global study found that of the 1,600 executives they surveyed just 23 percent had a definable digital strategy for their organization. What this would seem to suggest is that the 77 percent who do not have a strategy are in a holding pattern.
I believe that the only difference – and it is an important difference, between the two groups of executives, is that the former have socialized a tangible framework for transformation in which they have organization buy-in and clearly defined metrics so that they can quantify both their progress and success.
With the 77 percent majority, even though they indicated that they did not have a strategy in place, in reality, they are still on a digital journey because they have likely upgraded their current infrastructure.
The long and the short of it is that the 23 percent are proactively transforming their business model from the inside-out, while the 77 percent are “being transformed” from the outside-in. Or to put it another way, for the 77 percent digital transformation is something that is happening to them as opposed to something they are making happen for them.
Given the above, the real question should not be; are you on a digital transformation journey. You are whether you know it or not.
The question you need to be asking yourself, is “how do I make it happen for my organization?”
The Three Pillars
Have you ever tried sitting on a stool in which one of the legs is shorter than all of the others? What was your solution? You probably used a stop-gap measure such as placing a folded piece of cardboard under the shorter leg to make it even with the other legs. However, and as I am sure you already know, this is a temporary measure at best. While it may be alright to continue to make do with the stool you have and keep replacing the folded cardboard versus replacing either the leg or stool itself when it comes to digital transformation a similar approach isn’t a good idea.
Providing a longer-term solution as opposed to a temporary fix is what the Citrix Three Pillar Approach is all about.
What are the three pillars?
We look at the digital transformation of every organization from the standpoint of; 1. End-user/IT experience, 2. Infrastructure security, and 3. Device choice and adaptability.
When we talk about end-user experience, what I am referring to is the fact that digital transformation, is not about technology alone, it is about people. It is about empowering your people through the creation of a collaborative environment to leverage intuitive digital solutions that will help them to achieve their objectives quickly and easily.
What about infrastructure security? A January 3rd, 2018 ZDNet article highlights cybersecurity has a “top risk area” for business leaders. Specifically, a report that confirms why for executives and board members cybersecurity is of greater concern than economic uncertainty and regulation. Advancing your digital transformation strategy cannot happen without addressing said concerns.
Finally, when it comes to “device choice,” we are no longer simply referring to having a “Bring Your Own Device” or “BYOD” policy in place. What we are talking about is the progressive “consumerization” of the work environment that encompasses a panoply of devices from smartphones, to computers and any of a range of growing tools and applications which extends to include the flexibility for your organization to select whatever public or private cloud to consume.
When you join me at Activate Digital 2019, I will with my team expand on each of these areas of the three pillars as well as share with you client successes and how you can move towards making digital happen for you and your organization.