The DX Journey in the Enterprise and its Leadership
• Compliance : legal and regulatory compliance , defensibility , auditability , traceability
IIoT systems deemed as “ enterprise systems ” must follow these enterprise standards and best practices throughout their design , implementation and operational stages . When such systems are involved or even touched by DX initiatives , their adherence to these enterprise standards must be maintained throughout the DX journey . Organizations must also be prepared to adjust and evolve their enterprise standards to meet unexpected changes in market conditions .
An example of such an “ enterprise IIoT system ” is the IIoT system at Colonial Pipeline which manages the actual operation of the pipeline infrastructure and is integrated with business systems on the on the IT side . Risks to either side of this IT-OT integrated solution portfolio can affect the whole enterprise , as demonstrated by the recent security events there 20 . This means that in such enterprises , IT-OT considerations play a major role in the DX journey .
The organization must consider setting up a program to drive the DX initiative and execute on its vision . This program must embody the executive vision and strategy and transform them into a mission and a realistic and practical roadmap . The program must also be driven by a crossfunctional team ( dotted-line ) that represents the various stakeholders , who must remain committed and engaged throughout their involvement in the DX journey .
The DX program leadership must also understand that the answer to the basic question “ what is DX ” can vary depending on the stakeholder and whether the DX effort will be business-led or ITled . Business may be more interested in developing innovative and transformative models , Management may be focused on restructuring the organization and re-skilling its staff , IT may be mainly interested in what is involved to apply the transformative technologies , and finally Operations may be focused on implementing projects that can help them optimize production and operations and augment the trustworthiness of their IIoT systems .
The organization must also adopt a middle-out approach that takes into consideration the topdown and bottom-up perspectives of stakeholders and harmonizes the local DX activities with the overall vision and aligns them . Perspective Description
A senior executive should take on the responsibility of DX Executive Sponsor . This Top-down Executive CxO should define the DX vision , and mandate and empower a “ DX Leader ” with authority and resources to execute and deliver on that vision .
Bottom-up
Stakeholder groups may have their own and siloed perspectives about how to optimize and transform their local operations ( e . g . digitize factory production lines or implement AI to optimize preventive maintenance ).
28 November 2021