THE SURVIVAL
GUIDE TO
GOING DIGITAL
By Mike Hill
Few people wake up, open their eyes and say “My company should go digital today.” Those that do
soon learn that it’s more a process than a flip of the switch.
Most organisations are actually well on their way to transitioning to the digital economy, and IT is at
the centre of these changing business models. The shift to digital puts a lot of pressure on internal
IT organisations, which often operate in old world systems and processes that dominate their time.
People end up seeing IT as the problem, not part of the solution.
Going digital means something different to each organisation—it can mean a significant
transformation of a business model, execution of new business opportunities that span the digital
and physical worlds, or simply the use of a digital solution to slowly but surely implement changes
throughout the business. Whatever your end goal, to be successful in this transition requires an
adaptive approach to IT.
HOW TO GET TO DIGITAL
The truth is that many
organisations don’t know what
going digital should look like.
There are also serious barriers
to entry: Changing models,
accelerating business cycles
and tsunamis of data can be
crippling. You need to make
every bit of
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DIGITECH Magazine
your strategy, delivery and
architecture adaptable. You
need all three capabilities—
adaptable strategy, delivery and
architecture—to bring business
solutions to life; flaws in one
area lead to a total failure to
deliver sustainable change.
It’s a daunting task, and not
for the faint of heart.
Summer 2017
To begin your journey
towards digitisation, focus
on the specific drivers and
constraints of performance
and adaptability. Think of these
as something to constantly
monitor and improve against.