With so many organisations already jumping on the digital transformation train, only a small number of them will likely comprehend and achieve the most significant benefits this era promises. Unless they can assume a stronger alignment between goals and business strategy.
We are living in a time where digital transformation is driving major change across all industrial sectors; therefore, businesses must be able to match functional and cross-functional project activities to their strategic objectives.
No one argues anymore that “digital transformation is more than just the latest fancy idea” as businesses are understanding that “they will need to adopt digital transformation projects (and methods) if they want to survive the 4th Industrial Revolution”. Technologies like IoT, big data, social media, mobile, and automation are already transforming the way things are done and bringing business along with them.
Understanding the Objectives and Possibilities of Digital Transformation
Every organisation has a unique set of goals for digital transformation consulting, but there are a few common drivers that persist across industries and maturity levels.
Organizations, for example, may seek to strengthen their business resiliency through continuity and catastrophe planning. IT leaders may see that their departments could be more efficient and successful, but they require a greater understanding of their departments’ strengths and limitations in comparison to best practices. Teams may require assistance in completing projects or improving the services they provide to internal and external clients.
As part of a merger or acquisition, a company may hire digital transformation consultants to help with due diligence or IT integration. Alternatively, a new CIO may wish to get a more comprehensive understanding of all facets of an IT ecosystem, from service management to financial management. Typically, IT leaders do not have the time or resources to perform an effective internal assessment or to address any shortcomings that are discovered.
Finally, all of these factors contribute to an organization’s IT maturity, bringing it from a reactive or even chaotic state to a proactive, service-oriented state that aligns with business priorities.
The lines are getting thinner.
The lines between technology, new product development, applications, service delivery, and management are becoming increasingly blurred in the digital economy; as a result, businesses must establish an integrated vision of the firm and everything that surrounds it. As a result, when the company needs to assist in strategic planning and investment prioritisation, the process will become easier.
Traditionally, IT’s position in a business was one of support or administration, not a strategy! However, things are changing, and IT can only better serve the demands of the business when it is aware of them. Here are some ideas for what may be done to ensure that business and IT are all on the same page:
- Engagement is the Keyword: No more walls should be created; no more doors should be locked; you must recognise that company strategy in the digital era has a big, huge open environment where everyone is working towards the same objectives, along the same lines, and expecting the same results. To match an IT project and a company strategy, officials from both sides must be involved from the start, establishing a strategic planning stage. As a result, if the strategy is to be implemented through IT efforts, project managers must be present when those plans are aligned. Overall, early IT talent engagement leads to a natural evolution in which business and IT strategy evolve side by side, moulding each other’s edges.
- Aligned but not Siamese: Yes, business and IT are as aligned as they can be, but please ensure that one does not duplicate the other. That is, each area should have their ideas, propose them, and work on them while always considering its demands as well as the needs of the other part. If one is bright and sparkly, the other could be black and white; the actual magic lies in the fact that administrators can combine the two to achieve the same goals.
- Governance and adaptability: A good IT project governance could be the key to a prosperous work and business. As soon as the two sectors begin to diverge, the administrator must intervene and make necessary adjustments. The same is true for flexibility: business alignment must be adaptable. If you develop a strategy today, the same concepts may need to be very different in six months or a year. Consider this when developing a plan for digital and business transformation.
Clarify Issues and Get Solutions through In-depth Discovery
One of the most essential services provided by digital transformation consultants is assisting IT and business leaders in determining where they are and where they want to go. What executives believe they want is frequently at odds with what the organisation requires or desires. For example, an organisation may be tempted to shift a portion of its business services to the cloud at first, but the discovery process may reveal that a hosted IT colocation is a superior path to the desired end state.
This approach, for example, may answer various critical concerns, such as:
- How do internal customers assess the strengths of the IT department?
- How are identified vulnerabilities influencing the organisation, and how will team members know when those flaws have been appropriately addressed?
- Who hasn’t bought into the desired outcomes yet?
Empowering Digital Transformation with EXMCloud
The EDGE platform is the linchpin for organizations seeking to align IT and business objectives during digital transformation. It facilitates early engagement between IT and business leaders, ensuring strategic planning is in sync with digital goals. EDGE fosters alignment without redundancy, allowing both sides to contribute unique ideas while harmonizing efforts. With robust governance and adaptability features, it keeps business alignment flexible in the dynamic digital landscape. Ultimately, EDGE clarifies issues, streamlines solutions, and empowers organizations to make informed decisions, enabling successful digital and business transformation.
Sayali Gadade 
EXM Cloud 