Digital Transformation

(CLP) Programs

Appleton Greene corporate training programs are all process-driven. They are used as vehicles to implement tangible business processes within clients’ organizations, together with training, support and facilitation during the use of these processes. Corporate training programs are therefore implemented over a sustainable period of time, that is to say, between 1 year (incorporating 12 monthly workshops), and 4 years (incorporating 48 monthly workshops). Your program information guide will specify how long each program takes to complete. Each monthly workshop takes 6 hours to implement and can be undertaken either on the client’s premises, an Appleton Greene serviced office, or online via the internet. This enables clients to implement each part of their business process, before moving onto the next stage of the program and enables employees to plan their study time around their current work commitments. The result is far greater program benefit, over a more sustainable period of time and a significantly improved return on investment.

Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants.

 

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Executive summary

Digital Transformation – History

“Digital” is generally considered to be a new paradigm but, in fact, the transformation started over 50 years ago. Watches, which were originally driven by gears and sprockets were displaced by digital watches out of Japan; forcing traditional watch manufacturers to pivot and incorporate the new technology into their product in order to survive. Typewriters evolved into word processors and then desktop computers with rapidly increasing sophistication and capability. Companies like IBM (which started out as a typewriter manufacturer) who were able to embrace the change and adapt thrived while their competitor did not. Telephones morphed from rotary dial into touchtone and businesses adopted automated answering and call routing features. VOIP ushered in a new form of competition for conventional telecoms in the early 2000’s and many households today don’t even have conventional lines or VOIP anymore; using mobile phones exclusively – that often include incredible “smart phone” computing power. Bookstore powerhouses gobbled up the market in the 60’s and 70’s and were later eclipsed by Amazon; which now effectively leverages data and technology to dominate retail in general. Some would say that the more advanced digital capabilities such as IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning are the next wave of adoption but neural networks and algorithmic trading existed in the 80’s. Apple’s new, coveted watch may have to take its cue from Dick Tracy’s fictional wrist radio in the 40’s. The RFID tag was patented in the 70’s and early connected devices appeared around that same time.

So while digital transformation itself began decades ago, what is changing dramatically is the “rate” of change and the exponentially accelerating proliferation of new technologies and organizational capabilities.

 

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Digital Transformation – Current Position

Organizations in general are in an awkward state of embracing digital and pivoting around the opportunities. It is a difficult, complex journey but front-runners who’ve led the way have established models of what works and what does not. The more cautious organizations are in pursuit but the disruptive nature of digital leaves laggards at severe risk. Every industry faces disruption. Economic Darwinism favors organizations that can adapt. This means that digital transformation is both an opportunity for those that “get it” and a threat for those that do not. The challenges that seem to impede progress the most are:

Limited Understanding

Most companies that are trying to adapt are experimenting based on outdated assumptions and a limited understanding of the disruption and opportunities. Digital transformation is much more than investing in mobile or website enhancements. It is a call to overhaul the organization and processes to survive and stay competitive.

Ignoring the Customer Journey

Understanding how customers interface with the organization and how it is rapidly evolving is the top driver for digital transformation. But most organizations still do not have a clear understanding of that customer journey or how mobile devices affect those touchpoints.

Digital Literacy

Not everyone understands digital. The depth and breadth of digital optimization are constrained by limited vision. Executives and colleagues are still struggling to understand digital optimization and, therefore, prioritize it.

Human Dynamics

Comprehensive optimization requires comprehensive alignment. But ego, self-serving agendas, fear, scepticism and other subversive behaviors are a challenge. Conversations about digital transformation tend to focus on technology but overlook the human dynamic and helping people evolve and support new directions.

Lack of Executive Ownership

Many digital transformation efforts are failing to gain support from top management, which leaves grass roots efforts vulnerable to lower executive competing agendas and ego and difficulty in aligning the organization around a unified vision.

No Sense of Urgency

Despite the tremendous opportunity and shift in customer demands, many organizations are risk-averse or leadership does not have a sense of urgency to adapt so that they can remain competitive or even survive.

Lack of Digital Talent

With the rapidly emerging capabilities and technologies, it’s difficult for the work force to acquire the comprehensive skills and holistic vision necessary to drive organizational transformation. Furthermore the majority of organizations are not actively recruiting digital talent and many are missing the opportunity altogether and are still actively investing in legacy/aging skillsets.

Limited Vision

While some “pockets” within an organization attempt to respond to the opportunity and threat, successful transformation must eventually be an organization-wide, cross-functional effort or gains will be overrun by business as usual.

Organizations that are excelling are reaping the rewards. They outpace their competitors in profitability and in achieving their success goals. They excel by driving top-down, holistic, organization-wide efforts to leverage data and technology in optimization efforts and they typically prioritize customer experience optimization (EX) before focusing on internal operational optimization (OX). They also recognize that, in addition to getting the right data and technology in place, talent must be managed to ensure the right skillsets are available and the culture must embrace the vision and proactively contribute to the effort.

 

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Digital Transformation – Future Outlook

This is an interesting time to contemplate what the future might hold. We’re at a juncture where earlier sci-fi fantasies are becoming reality. New innovations are unfolding at a pace that’s difficult to keep up with; much less predict. The near future will hold improved adoption of recently emerged technologies and an increased migration from legacy org structures and processes to digitally optimized, agile organizations. While It’s difficult to predict what the future whiz bang widgets will be, we can predict they’ll arise faster. They’ll be adopted more quickly and the greatest value will be from converged solutions.

The world is still reeling from recently emerged digital technologies but that is changing. “Big Data” has been a ubiquitous buzz word for nearly a decade but most organizations are still struggling to make use of it. There’s plenty of data to go around but organizations have been struggling to develop strategy and acquire the technology and skills to make it usable and use it. This has created opportunities for additional digital solutions to aid in master data management and operationalization of Big Data, which is equipping organizations to better leverage their data. One of the catalysts for digital disruption has been “cloud” technologies, which reduce TOC, and make data and technology more accessible. More cloud delivered solutions are becoming available, compelling organizations to quell their fears of opening up their network and shift more of their investment away from on-premise solutions, which paves the way for more rapid, increased adoption of additional digital capabilities.

Other recently emerged digital technologies include IoT, additive manufacturing, AR/VR, solutions that incorporate data science and make artificial intelligence and machine learning more accessible and blockchain. From an adoption standpoint, the near future will see organizations finding practical application for these capabilities and retooling their processes around them. From a technology development standpoint, solutions will leverage exceedingly more converged capabilities to yield even more digital value. For example, autonomous vehicles will become more viable, which incorporate a host of digital capability from IoT, connection to cloud for in-vehicle “infotainment” and mechanical functionality as well as digitally enhanced onboard instrumentation and functionality.

The more distant future will likely see an increase in the rate and volume of digital innovation, made possible by deconstructed value chains (which open up infrastructure and channels to more easily deliver solution-specific products) and made necessary by the new opportunities, challenges and requirements, which will unfold from digital disruption.

 

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Curriculum

Digital Transformation – Part 1- Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Program Overview
2. Part 1 Month 2 Leadership Alignment
3. Part 1 Month 3 Business Objectives
4. Part 1 Month 4 Touchpoint Mapping
5. Part 1 Month 5 EX APEX
6. Part 1 Month 6 Maturity Baseline
7. Part 1 Month 7 Organizational Objectives
8. Part 1 Month 8 Operational Assessment
9. Part 1 Month 9 Executive Review
10. Part 1 Month 10 Data APEX
11. Part 1 Month 11 Initiative Tracking
12. Part 1 Month 12 Executive Review

 

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Digital Transformation – Part 2- Year 2

1. Part 2 Month 1 Communication Strategy
2. Part 2 Month 2 DNA APEX
3. Part 2 Month 3 Executive Review
4. Part 2 Month 4 Process Mapping
5. Part 2 Month 5 Candidate Qualification
6. Part 2 Month 6 Executive Review
7. Part 2 Month 7 EX APEX
8. Part 2 Month 8 CX Assessment
9. Part 2 Month 9 Executive Review
10. Part 2 Month 10 Digital Assessment
11. Part 2 Month 11 Operational Assessment
12. Part 2 Month 12 Executive Review

 

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Digital Transformation – Part 3- Year 3

1. Part 3 Month 1 Root Cause
2. Part 3 Month 2 OX APEX
3. Part 3 Month 3 Executive Review
4. Part 3 Month 4 TOC APEX
5. Part 3 Month 5 CX Assessment
6. Part 3 Month 6 Executive Review
7. Part 3 Month 7 Digital Assessment
8. Part 3 Month 8 Operational Assessment
9. Part 3 Month 9 Executive Review
10. Part 3 Month 10 Strategy Development
11. Part 3 Month 11 Performance Monitoring
12. Part 3 Month 12 Executive Review

 

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Digital Transformation – Part 4- Year 4

1. Part 4 Month 1 Ad-Hoc Analysis
2. Part 4 Month 2 Insights Automation
3. Part 4 Month 3 Executive Review
4. Part 4 Month 4 Task Automation
5. Part 4 Month 5 Digital DNA
6. Part 4 Month 6 Executive Review
7. Part 4 Month 7 Recruiting
8. Part 4 Month 8 CX Assessment
9. Part 4 Month 9 Executive Review
10. Part 4 Month 10 Digital Assessment
11. Part 4 Month 11 Operational Assessment
12. Part 4 Month 12 Executive Review

 

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program Objectives

The following list represents the Key Program Objectives (KPO) for the Appleton Greene Digital Transformation corporate training program.

Digital Transformation – Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Program Overview
   This program will guide the organization through a process that inherits DNA of the organizations that have been most successful in digital transformation and are reaping the greatest rewards and outpacing their competitor as a result. The program will guide the organization through the process of operating as a digitally optimized organization built on six pillars and progressively expanding upon their ability to leverage those six capabilities throughout the organization; beginning at the strategic levels, then in siloed, prioritized practice areas and ultimately organization-wide. The six pillars of digital maturity for this program gauge the organizational ability and propensity to leverage data and technology to gain visibility into performance, make intelligent decisions and optimize process and customer experience. Strategy Development: The first pillar is the organization’s ability to leverage data at the most fundamental levels to establish key business objectives and articulate basic KPIs that will indicate progress towards achieving those objectives. Monitoring: The second pillar is the organization’s ability to quickly access KPI metrics to effectively monitor performance against key business objectives. Ad Hoc Analysis: The third pillar is the organization’s ability to quickly leverage broader data points to dig deeper and gain additional insight into opportunities and pain points that may not be surfaced by monitoring established KPI data alone. Automated Insights: The fourth pillar is the organization’s ability to leverage artificial intelligence to not only understand what is happening through proactive research; but to have technology expose the most significant things that are happening, provide insight as to why those things are happening, what might happen next and what to do about it. Automated Tasks: The fifth pillar represents the pinnacle of what the organization can achieve through data and technology by leveraging machine learning to intelligently automate tasks. The benefits of task automation will vary depending on department and range from eliminating error and redundancy to improving employee and customer satisfaction to automatically personalizing customer experience with sophistication and scale that would not be possible without artificial intelligence. Digital DNA: The sixth pillar is not about data and technology specifically. It addresses how the organization manages its data and technology to achieve customer experience excellence and operational excellence. In maturity, the organization will not need to follow leadership from this program or digital savvy individuals. This program is designed to transfer vision and initiative to the organization so that digital optimization is engrained in the culture and is self-perpetuating from every level throughout departments and practice areas. Three assessments (Digital Maturity Assessment, Customer Experience Assessment and Operational Assessment) will be conducted at the beginning of this program to establish “ground zero” and annually to measure progress and guide next-step prioritization. These assessments will provide ongoing visibility into the evolving digital maturity of the organization with respect to the aforementioned six pillars and the organizational impact of that digital strength. Focus of the program will be somewhat bifurcated to enable “quick wins” that yield near-term value (so that the benefits aren’t fully deferred until late in the program) while simultaneously rebuilding the foundation to allow for sweeping, long-term success. The objective of this module is to align top level executive leadership and the primary digital transformation change agent (if not the top level executive) regarding end goals for the program. In addition to initial alignment, this program is structured for ongoing collaboration with executive levels via quarterly executive review. Quarterly reviews are designed to apprise executive leadership of progress and incorporate leadership into next step prioritization to ensure the program is advancing in a way that supports strategic objectives and to give leadership the opportunity to redirect focus as strategy shifts. Top level executive sponsorship will be necessary to transcend the friction and competing agendas that may arise from lower management levels. Optimal digital transformation may redefine roles allowing for team members to apply more time and energy to their core skills. For most team members this will be a very welcome change because individuals will be more productive and will be able to concentrate on higher value activity. But for some this may challenge efforts to expand territory and encroach on role responsibilities outside their domain. Top level executive sponsorship will be necessary to ensure the organization is focused on achieving what’s best for the company; not egos or self-serving bias. In this module the core digital transformation (DX) change agent and Data Optimization Committee will be appointed. Depending on the organizational structure and resources the DX may be an individual but ideally will be a small team consisting of a business analyst, program/project manager and a leader with a passion for improving profitability by guiding the organization through a process of leveraging data and technology to optimize customer experience and internal/external operations. The DX will not necessarily be a C-level as activity will span C-suite functions and may need to get very tactical. The DX leader will need to translate business objectives into technical requirements and will need to coordinate cross-functional assessment and implementation initiatives. The DX will operate as its own unit to coordinate the larger effort but will also be included in the other teams supporting this program. I.e. any reference to the Data Optimization Committee (DOC) and Technology Optimization Committee (TOC) inclusively refer to the DX. The Data Optimization Committee (DOC) will assist throughout the program to assess relevant impact of data related issues and implement the necessary remediation/optimization initiatives. The DOC should be spear-headed by a leader with visibility and responsibility across organizational data functions. For example, it may be the data warehouse leader with visibility into organization-wide data operations as opposed to an individual with siloed data focus. The stated goals should not be specific outcomes (ex. using a specific technology to do specific things or achieve specific results) but rather a general way of operating (ex. Customers will enjoy a personalized experienced where they have immediate access to the products they, as individuals, want on their preferred channel in that specific moment. Business users will be able to efficiently execute within their purview, with minimal support from technical resources. Management will have real-time visibility into performance across the organization. Inefficient redundancy and bottlenecks will be minimized through intelligent automation.). “Digital” is a rapidly evolving landscape and the technologies and achievable outcomes at commencement of this program will likely be different from those at its conclusion. During this program the organization will also have experienced redirection due to internal strategy shift and response to external pressures. So the objective is not to lock onto specific results. The objective is to build a framework and culture that achieves digital optimization through sustained assessment, exploration and discovery within the context of digital transformation. And to coordinate tightly with executive leadership throughout the process to allow for ongoing evaluation and re-prioritization. Operational pain-points, capacity constraints and related data/technology requirements will be ascertained throughout this program in effort to identify ideal solutions. It may not be reasonable to freeze hiring and technology acquisition activities until end of the program but these steps should be conservative until consolidated, organizational requirements are better known. Staffing requirements will likely be different once ideal solutions are in place so avoid overstaffing in roles that may soon be unnecessary. Also avoid locking yourself into resource-consuming tech implementation projects or long term licensing agreements that will inhibit mobility when it’s time to invest in ideal solutions. Lastly, the kickoff of each major focus module will refer to APEX. APEX stands for Analyze, Plan, Execute, Expand and represents the ongoing, cyclical optimization process. For example, EX APEX in Part 1 Month 5 refers to Experience Excellence APEX, which kicks off the process of continually optimizing the customer experience. The team will cycle through each phase of the process to Analyze current pain points and opportunities, Plan how to mitigate issues and capitalize on opportunities, Execute the plan and Expand the optimization process, which essentially restarts the Analysis step after hitting target benchmarks. Since this is a self-perpetuating process, the team will continue to progress through the optimization process in that focus area even if that focus area is not the subject of subsequent modules. The team will apprise leadership of progress during executive reviews and leadership will weigh in with prioritization any redirection necessary as the team continues the optimization process.
2. Part 1 Month 2 Leadership Alignment
   With top executive sponsorship, clarification of program goals and designation of the core DX team in place, The objective of this module is present the program to the remaining upper leadership team (including HR leadership) to refine vision and gain alignment.
3. Part 1 Month 3 Business Objectives
   The objective of this module is for the executive team to collaborate on crystallizing business objectives. Business objectives will have been established before the program but often focus slips from the big picture while working though the tactical details of pursuing goals. This is an opportunity to reassess objectives based on current trajectory. Once key business objectives (KBOs) are firmed, the leadership team will establish/confirm key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure progress towards those goals and key performance drivers (KPDs) that will guide tactical steps towards achieving those goals. Once executive level KBOs, KPIs and KPDs have been confirmed the DX and DOC teams will work with the executive team to audit executive visibility into organizational performance against established KPIs and KPDs. This audit will explore which of the KPIs and KPDs executives can answer critical questions on and how long it takes to answer them. Depending on the organization’s data and reporting proficiency, this will reveal where the DOC needs to begin work. Executives should be able to answer relevant questions concerning key metrics within 5 minutes – without massaging raw reports or repurposing other reports. The process required to get those reports in front of the executive should also be examined because the executive may be unaware of the work required to answer those questions. I.e. subordinate team members may be reworking and finessing data in order to provide the executive with a finished report. Or technical data resources may be hard coding aliases into queries to compensate for inadequate taxonomy or other issues with the master data. With optimized data and technology in place, executives will have real-time visibility into the organization’s key metrics. Any lag or manual labor involved with providing this visibility exposes problem areas and begins to scope data optimization for the DOC. Optimization here will provide executives with timely access to accurate, critical information necessary to enable quick, intelligent decision-making and will reduce bottlenecks, inefficiencies and “low value” tasks within the data team; freeing data talent to focus on more rewarding, cost effective, “high value” work. Lastly, any current investment plans for staffing or technology should be reviewed at high level. Digital optimization will have a direct, positive impact on staffing requirements and productivity but the full benefit will not be realized until later in the program. It may not be practical to delay all investments until later in the program but leadership may want to prioritize mission-essential investments and ensure technology investments don’t lock the organization into long-term contracts that restrict mobility or commit the organization’s resources to cost/labor intensive implementation projects for technology that may not suit long term objectives. The DX/DOC will convene regularly to optimize data infrastructure and management within direct context of supporting specific business objectives. Bi-weekly meetings are recommended to allow sufficient momentum and ample time to achieve meaningful progress between meetings. When meeting, the DX/DOC will apply APEX to data optimization with the goal of providing “on demand”, self-service access to key metrics. The DX/DOC will report on root cause analysis, remediation/optimization efforts, progress towards self-service and next steps at the first quarterly review.
4. Part 1 Month 4 Touchpoint Mapping
   At high level there are two outcomes that can be achieved with digital transformation. Operational Excellence (OX), which focuses on optimizing functions and process that support business operations. Experience Excellence (EX), which focuses on optimizing customer experience. This program will focus on both but will begin with EX as it is closer to revenue generation and leading with customer focus emulates the behavior of organizations that tend to reap the quickest and greatest rewards from their digital transformation endeavors. The objective of this module is to build a “skeleton crew” Center of Excellence that can begin identifying “quick win” opportunities pertaining to Experience Excellence (EX) and to map the touchpoints where customers intersect directly with your organization. This map will be used to build the foundational elements of your team and program. Your skeleton crew will consist of roles that are already engaged in connecting with your customers digitally. These will be roles such as marketing, website optimization/personalization, social, mobile and possibly sales. Later the Center of Excellence will grow to include representation from other practice areas to expand program focus but we need to narrow focus in the beginning to gain early success and to leverage talent that has already been exposed to digital so that the benefits of digital aren’t deferred until the end of the program. In all probability, you will not have strong digital strengths in the function areas that are not already working with “digital” at this point in time. So we’ll need to spend time qualifying and training those additional resources to ensure your CoE consists of team members that are willing and able to proactively contribute and take ownership of the program pertaining to their practice area. With the newly formed CoE skeleton crew (DX plus the skeleton crew), the CoE will begin mapping the points where customers intersect with your organization. This will provide an assumed chronological visual of the customer journey as it pertains directly to your organization. Customers, in this sense, are defined as those who consume your organization’s products and/or services and ultimately lead to revenue generation. In reality this will be an oversimplified view of the interactions that are actually taking place. Customers are different and will approach your organization in different ways. There are likely infinite journeys depending on the scale and complexity of your organization but human minds can’t process infinite alternatives. We’ll look to artificial intelligence and machine learning to build on this foundation as we progress through the program. While we don’t want to overcomplicate our view of the myriad customer journeys at this stage, it is important to think of your high level customer types when mapping out touchpoints in order to accommodate journeys that are structurally different and/or overlapping. For example, if a percentage of your customers are also part of an extended sales force and help distribute your products to other customers, then they may have a journey that is identical to your normal customers. But they will also have a journey that includes onboarding, enablement and sales/distributor growth. Their journey may overlap the normal customer journey in areas and toggle between customer/distributor as they progress through their lifecycle or the tracks may be completely separate depending on your organization and sales process. To guide this process conceptually, a key takeaway from this module will be identification of additional team members to assist with optimizing customer experience throughout the market, sales and support cycle. So think of the practice areas and departments that your customer types intersect with as you identify touchpoints. When the team is later expanded the goal will be to recruit one digitally savvy representative from each key function area to assist with the program. The first Customer Experience Assessment will also be conducted in this module to establish baseline for quality of the customer experience and to help prioritize focus on highest impact opportunities.
5. Part 1 Month 5 EX APEX
   Armed with the touchpoint map, the CoE will begin brainstorming ways to leverage data and technology to optimize the customer experience at each touchpoint. The objective here is not to identify opportunities to improve performance in singular metrics (ex. improve lead conversion on page A). Strategy for improvements such as those should already be developed in team meetings for that respective practice area. The objective here is to identify “big picture” ways to use data and technology to optimize customer experience. The CoE will explore questions such as “What do we not know about the customer that could be collected early in the journey?”, “How can we optimize the experience by ensuring behavioral customer data is passed from their initial interaction to the sales team?”, “Which emerging technologies (IoT, AR, VR) can we leverage at each touchpoint?”, “How can we connect the customer’s journey between touchpoints across channels/devices to provide a seamless, fluid experience?”. Once initial brainstorming has produced a list of possibilities the team will assess current initiatives, current customer-facing processes and current capabilities to determine which of the brainstorm ideas can be most quickly implemented and, of those, which would yield greatest positive impact. The CoE is not necessarily looking for a magic bullet here that will transform the company’s trajectory. We’re simply looking for low hanging fruit to gain early success that can be built upon. The leading net result of this brainstorming/abilities assessment and prioritization exercise will become the pilot project. The last step of this module is to tactically advance the pilot project forward. Specific steps will depend upon the organization’s project management methodology but this is where the objective is defined, requirements are gathered, dependencies are identified, resources are assigned and all other project kickoff related steps are taken. It should be managed as a formal project. But not necessarily managed by the program/project manager assigned to the DX team. The project should be formally associated with the program so that the broader organization can recognize the program in action. The project should also be attributed to the CoE within the project ticket so that the shift away from CoE initiated projects to organization initiated products can be monitored as an indicator of program success and organizational digital maturity.
6. Part 1 Month 6 Maturity Baseline
   With progress towards quick win customer experience optimization underway, the objective of this module is to establish ground zero digital maturity. This will determine what strengths already exist so that next steps can be prioritized to intelligently fill in any gaps and build. In addition to ground zero scoring/assessment, any organizational/departmental tech acquisition initiatives should be reviewed at high level to avoid overcommitting to solutions that may not be ideal long-term.
7. Part 1 Month 7 Organizational Objectives
   This module will focus on developing a comprehensive map of the organization. The map will assist in building the framework for the program and identifying potential Center of Excellence team members to collaborate in leading this transformation as it pertains to their practice area. To this point the DOC has been focused on specific, strategically focused data points. This was in order to provide near-term tangible value to the executive team and to enable the executive team to leverage deeper insights into organizational performance so that they could make informed decisions regarding how to prioritize effort and program focus. The objective of this module is to build on learnings so far about data related pain points and broaden focus to enable organization-wide digital maturity. Digital maturity will be measured by the organization’s ability to a. leverage its data to develop strategy and define relevant KBOs, KPIs and KPDs, b. leverage its data to measure performance against those KPIs and KPDs, c. leverage data beyond prefabbed KPI/KPD oriented dashboards to conduct ad hoc analysis (discovering/exploring pain-points and opportunities), d. leverage artificial intelligence to automatically raise pain-points and opportunities, e. leverage artificial intelligence to automate tasks (to eliminate redundancy and capitalize on advanced intelligence for efficiency gains). Depth of the organization’s maturity will be measured by how effectively the organization performs in those five areas 1st at executive level, 2nd sporadically in various silos and 3rd across the organization. The DOC will refer to the organization map to interview departmental/function area leaders and teams to assess data requirements across the organization. While digital optimization enables both visibility and execution, this module focuses on organizational visibility. The questions asked by the DOC will expose data related limitations and will serve as the basis for scoping the DOC engagement in this program. Technology will ultimately allow for real-time visibility but (in order to identify tactical steps with current technology) these interviews will address what critical questions department leaders can’t answer about their practice area’s performance in 5 minutes. These questions will prioritize focus on specific objectives, KPI’s and KPD’s for the function area but will also need to identify the general data points relevant to that function area. This will allow for optimization of data points needed to support ad hoc/on demand analysis (beyond the KPI/KPD metrics). Findings from these interviews will be analyzed to identify what requirements are common across all function areas (focus will be prioritized on common requirements to maximize value to the organization). Priority will be given first to supporting KPIs and KPDs and then ad hoc analysis.
8. Part 1 Month 8 Operational Assessment
   With a clearer view of the organizational components, relative objectives and key stakeholders, this module will focus on conducting the first Operational Assessment. Operational assessments will score the organization based on its ability to achieve objectives as determined by productivity, capacity and “actual role definition” which will examine role requirements and score the role on how much energy can be allocated to core skills as opposed to non-core skills such as massaging reports, writing advanced functions in excel, executing mundane tasks, etc. Non-core activities are symptoms of data and technology inadequacies. Rectifying these issues will improve employee morale/satisfaction, productivity and profitability. The operational assessment will also evaluate employee satisfaction with objective of improving satisfaction through the digital optimization program.
9. Part 1 Month 9 Executive Review
   This is the first quarterly executive review. We did not have one in the third or sixth months because the executive team was actively involved in the first few months. In this module the DOC will update the team on progress towards providing “zero friction” real-time, self-service access to key metrics. If not all key metrics have been made available, the DOC will provide insight as to what the hurdles are and what steps need to be taken in order to provide that insight. Lack of visibility at this stage should not be considered a failure of the DOC. This is a discovery phase to identify impediments so that the program can be more fully scoped and intelligent, informed remediation planning can begin. The CoE will update the executive team on pain points and opportunities exposed during the first of the three assessments, which will guide prioritization of next steps. The CoE will also update the executive team on insights from touchpoint mapping, details and progress of the pilot project and any of the remaining brainstorm output that could give the executive team a vision of what can be achieved through digital optimization. This may inspire the executive team to shift priorities so that progress can be accelerated in certain areas. This will also be an opportunity for the executive team to update the DOC and CoE on relevant focus areas. For example, heightened focus on “key” objectives/performance indicators or improved access to critical metrics may have stirred creativity on what insights are critical to the business. The executive team may need to refine the list of metrics for DOC focus.
10. Part 1 Month 10 Data APEX
    The objective of this module is a deep dive into the requirements addressed by the organization and the impediments to meeting those requirements. Challenges and roadblocks need to identified and categorized to scope focus of remediation efforts. Issues identified will likely range from infrastructure to taxonomy, master data management, governance practices, siloed data stores and business definitions. Properly categorizing the issues will help prioritize efforts based on where the low hanging fruit is and what will require more effort and investment to rectify/optimize.
11. Part 1 Month 11 Initiative Tracking
    The objective of this module is to establish framework for individuals within the organization to initiate digital optimization projects. Firstly, the program needs to be named so that related initiatives can be associated with it. Ex. “Digital Transformation”. Project tickets and idea submissions then need to be associated in the workflow as being a Digital Transformation idea or initiative. The mechanisms for this will depend on the organization’s infrastructure but will include elements such as submission of project tickets, ideas and submissions. Project/idea curators (ex. BA’s, Project Managers, Program Managers) also need to implement procedures to allocate projects and ideas to the “digital transformation” initiative for proper tracking within context of the program. Project and idea submissions need to be tracked to the individual submitting the requirement and their respective department, which may require new workflows to be created within the organization’s PSA/project management and idea curation tools. This will not only give team members a more significant voice and allow greater insight into organizational requirements for digital optimization but will also serve as a means to measure “digital dna”. Ie. The more trench-level team members driving digital optimization, the greater the digital dna. Depending on the organizational culture and structure, it may be necessary to reward managers based on their subordinate team members product/idea submissions to mitigate competition and tendency to take credit for the ideas themselves, which would skew visibility.
12. Part 1 Month 12 Executive Review
    The DOC will update the team on progress towards providing “zero friction” real-time, self-service access to key metrics. The CoE will update the executive team on progress of the EX Pilot project and/or any subsequent “quick win” initiatives that have been kicked off if the pilot project has been successfully completed. The CoE will continue to brainstorm ways to leverage data and technology to optimize customer experience but tactical energy will be invested in quick wins that can be implemented near-term with current state of data and technology. More complex engagements or projects that are not yet possible due to data integrity/access or tech limitations will be used to define data/technology requirements for later development. In earlier modules the DOC has focused on providing key strategic metrics but now, with insights from organization mapping, objectives and assessment, the DOC will have assessed broader limitations and will apprise the executive team of any findings regarding infrastructure, integrity, data management process and the lack of tools to effectively manage data to support organizational requirements. The executive team will also be updated on progress to implement digital project and idea submission mechanisms and related processes to track and attribute submissions appropriately.

 

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Digital Transformation – Year 2

1. Part 2 Month 1 Communication Strategy
   Now that initial ground work has been laid, baseline has been established, quick win initiatives are progressing and mechanisms have been implemented to enable the broader organization to actively participate in the digital optimization process… it’s time to kickoff the formal communication strategy. This will be a routine communication such as a weekly or monthly employee newsletter. The frequency will be depend on available resources and other priorities for internal communications but it should be as frequently as reasonably possible without overwhelming employees. The email will achieve several objectives: Unify Vision: Employees will understand the digital optimization process as a top level strategic initiative that they can contribute directly to; Expose organization to possibilities: Employees will need to see how data and technology are being used to optimize process and profitability. Content will be prioritized according to departmental priorities for transformation. Case studies (weighted towards priority department use cases) will be distributed so that employees can see digital in action, which will enable them to envision those possibilities applied to your organization so that they can initiate improvements in their teams and departments; Promote Successes: In addition to seeing the benefits of digital outside your organization, your own organization’s digital successes will be publicized to reinforce the vision and foster an appreciation for what is being accomplished and what can still be achieved; Keep expectations top of mind: Your organization is rightfully preoccupied with day-to-day requirements of performing their job. It will be difficult to keep this new initiative in focus until it becomes more a part of the culture. Frequent communication will remind them of the opportunities and expectation to play an active role; Brand the program: This publication will be named referencing the program name addressed in Part 1 Month 11 Initiative Tracking (Digital Transformation was the example given). With that example in mind the publication might be named Digital Transformation Update or News. This will help elevate program visibility and progress; Excite: Frequent communication about the possibilities and successes will excite the organization about the how the transformation will benefit them and alleviate natural concerns over change; Call to Action: Each communication will provide learning resources and direct access to the means available to make suggestions and initiate digital optimization.
2. Part 2 Month 2 DNA APEX
   The objective of this module is to begin focusing on the last and arguably the most important pillar; which is a transformed culture where the vision and management of digital optimization has transferred from appointed leadership to all areas and levels of the organization. This early in the program there are two factors to consider. The organization’s actual DNA: How willing and capable is the organization of self-managing digital optimization if there were no impediments? The expression of the organization’s DNA: It is not possible to fully know the digital tendencies and capabilities of the organization due to data, technology and strategy constraints. This program is designed to both remove barriers and deliberately upskill and enable the organization to have and reflect a digital culture. There are several elements that will impact the organization’s ability to holistically, organically drive it’s digital strategy: Vision: The organization needs to have a clear understanding of the strategic vision, the opportunity for them to contribute and the expectation for them to contribute; Aptitude: Employees need to have a natural ability to learn/understand the value of data and technology applied to their tasks and the broader, connected organization, partner ecosystem and customer base; Enablement: The organization needs to have the tools and resources to contribute to the extent of their abilities; Talent: The organization needs to have the right quality and quantity of necessary skills in the workforce; Propensity: Employees need to have the natural propensity to proactively contribute. The communication strategy in Part 2 Month 1 is designed to help with the vision, and talent components. The data and technology focused modules will help with enablement. The CoE and HR will need to work together to upskill current employees (that have the aptitude and propensity to contribute) and to develop the hiring strategy (Part 4 Month 5) that attracts candidates with the aptitude, skills and propensity to play an active role in driving digital optimization. Lastly, this module will begin upskilling the organization with high level training. The program publication in previous module will begin to provide training to the organization but this module will deliver more condensed information to get the ball rolling and to pave the way for expanding the CoE in a few months. The training in this module is not intended to provide all the answers. The possibilities are evolving too rapidly to have all the answers at any point in time. The training is intended to expose potential team members to the possibilities so that their ability to synthesize the information (aptitude) and contribute insights (propensity) as to how your organization might be able to achieve similar results can be assessed.
3. Part 2 Month 3 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection; EX APEX: The CoE will review EX updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection; DNA APEX: the CoE and HR will review updates and priorities related to digital project and idea submissions as well as feedback from training and communication initiatives.
4. Part 2 Month 4 Process Mapping
   This module will focus on developing a comprehensive map of the work flow throughout the organization and to/from extended entities outside the organization. The map will assist in identifying data flow, fluidity, touchpoints, bottlenecks and opportunities to improve process within the program.
5. Part 2 Month 5 Candidate Qualification
   This module is a 2nd qualifier step to identify which practice area resources are able to provide value to the CoE. In Part 2 month 2 the organization will have been exposed to a series of case studies and real world examples of how other organizations are leveraging data and technology to make gains in efficiency, profitability and competitive edge. Now that they’ve had time to digest the information, their potential value to the team can be assessed based on workshop participation that simulates the process your expanded CoE will undertake. The organization will also have had time to submit ideas and project initiatives. Quality and quantity of their participation and insights will be used to identify team members that are able and will to proactively contribute.
6. Part 2 Month 6 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The CoE will review EX updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. DNA APEX: the CoE and HR will review updates and priorities related to digital project and idea submissions as well as feedback from training and communication initiatives. The CoE will update the executive team on insights gained from process mapping and how that impacts experience optimization or the impending focus on team expansion. The executive team will feedback regarding any prioritization and/or next steps from those insights. The CoE and HR will apprise the broader team of insights from the candidate qualification exercise to address CoE expansion as well as to determine whether external resourcing may be required to cover some roles within the CoE, if adequate capabilities do not exist within the organization.
7. Part 2 Month 7 EX APEX
   Work on customer experience optimization will have begun over a year ago with limited resources and limited ability to effectively leverage the organization’s data or ideal technology. Much has since been learned about the organization’s capabilities and available talent and it is time to expand the team (with respect to experience optimization) to build upon previous successes and expose requirements that will support upcoming tech acquisition efforts. From the candidate qualification exercise in Part 2 Month 5, additional team members will have been selected that represent the customer touchpoint departments and practice areas. These new team members will have benefit of the groundwork already laid and will help expand the effort to digitally optimize the customer journey at each step and help identify gaps in the data and tech stack that impede progress.
8. Part 2 Month 8 CX Assessment
   The objective of this module is to execute the 2nd customer experience assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
9. Part 2 Month 9 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: Focus of the CoE is still on customer experience optimization but the EX focused team has recently been expanded. Updates for this executive review will include commentary regarding assimilation of the new members, broadened focus and updates to the roadmap that have resulted from additional insights and perspective. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. The CoE will also update the executive team with insights from the 2nd customer experience assessment. Ideally there will have been improvements made from the EX focus thus far and there will likely have been an evolution in the data points collected and referred to from heightened focus on experience optimization.
10. Part 2 Month 10 Digital Assessment
    The objective of this module is to execute the 2nd digital assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
11. Part 2 Month 11 Operational Assessment
    The objective of this module is to execute the 2nd operational assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
12. Part 2 Month 12 Executive Review
    Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: Focus of the CoE is still on customer experience optimization but the EX focused team has recently been expanded. Updates for this executive review will include commentary regarding assimilation of the new members, broadened focus and updates to the roadmap that have resulted from additional insights and perspective. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. Insights from the 2nd digital and operational assessments will also be reviewed to identify progress made and adjust priorities as needed based on current pain points and opportunities according to their impact on strategic objectives.

 

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Digital Transformation – Year 3

1. Part 3 Month 1 Root Cause
   This is the last stage of analysis to understand what impedes progress towards achieving the organization’s true potential. By now baseline characteristics have been gathered and results have been weighted to identify the most crippling pain points. The objective of this module is to understand (specifically) what is impeding progress in each of the assessed areas. This insight will help guide the organizational towards intelligent remediation efforts so that energy and resources can be properly invested to achieve highest possible results. For example, a desire for faster or increased output in a specific function might appear to require additional hiring at surface level. But throwing more people at a problem that is predominantly a technology problem will not yield the most substantial improvements and will result in underutilized resources and diminished ROI. It is critical to know whether subpar output is the result of understaffing, data challenges or technology challenges so that proper remediation steps can be determined.
2. Part 3 Month 2 OX APEX
   By now significant resource has been applied to EX, we have better visibility into the operational pain points and potential talent with each department/practice area that can drive digital optimization. The objective of this module is to expand focus yet again to include Operational Excellence (OX). Data gathered from the Candidate Qualification module and digital initiatives/ideas submitted will be leveraged to identify additional team members that are able and willing to contribute to the CoE. Data from operational and digital assessments and root cause analysis will also be leveraged to prioritize focus on greatest pain points and/or greatest opportunities. The structure of the CoE will also need to be evaluated to suite the size and structure of the organization. There’s value in meeting as a single core team as possible to facilitate collaboration/knowledge transfer as well as to avoid creation of new silos. But larger, more complex organizations may find it difficult to advance with so many cooks in the same kitchen and may be better served with a hub and spoke type structure that allows for more focus within a practice area.
3. Part 3 Month 3 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: Focus of the CoE is still on customer experience optimization but the EX focused team has recently been expanded. Updates for this executive review will include commentary regarding assimilation of the new members, broadened focus and updates to the roadmap that have resulted from additional insights and perspective. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. All teams will review insights from the root cause analysis exercise to begin identifying best solutions to organizational challenges. Lastly, the CoE will update the executive team on its recently expanded focus to include Operational Excellence, the expanded roadmap, anticipated initiatives/benefits and any restructuring that may have occurred as a result.
4. Part 3 Month 4 TOC APEX
   With now advanced perspective into what can be achieved through digital optimization and insights from previous “ground zero” analysis the TOC will begin consolidating departmental requirements and conducting gap analysis to understand where technology deficiencies exist. The TOC’s role is not to vet every single piece of software the company might need. The objective is to assist the CIO (or CTO depending on the organization) in translating business requirements into technology requirements and evaluating the expansive ecosystem to determine which solutions are appropriate to meet the needs of the organization in terms of gaining visibility and effectively leveraging organizational data in execution. Because digital transformation, customer experience and operational optimization all require access to the full cycle of customer data, focus is specific to technology that integrates disparate data, enables effective master data management, makes that data available to solutions at the edge where visibility and execution occur. There are many potential solutions available and more are emerging at an exponential rate. The criteria required to vet this can be daunting but the prevailing requirement is that the solutions enable practitioners to fully execute their tasks with minimal dependency on non-relevant roles. Another way to view this is to ask “If we wanted to scale operations in this specific role, would we need to hire more of this specific role exclusively or would we have to hire more technical data/IT roles or other supporting roles. If you’d have to hire more roles outside the role-specific skill set, then the solution is not a strong business enabler. Solutions that don’t fully enable the business should be scored lower as they engineer bottlenecks into the workflow, require overstaffing in non-relevant roles and will leave that practice area “hamstrung”; unable to efficiently execute the vision for their practice area. In addition to business requirements, the TOC needs to be mindful of any increased security risks that will arise from additional solutions and touchpoints and will need to factor security into the tech analysis/vendor selection process as well.
5. Part 3 Month 5 CX Assessment
   The objective of this module is to execute the 3rd customer experience assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
6. Part 3 Month 6 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will update the executive team on organizational requirements, current capability gaps and vendor analysis efforts. The team will also review insights from the 3rd customer experience assessment to understand improvements made and prioritize next steps. Insights and any improvements should be highlighted in the digital program communications so that the organization can better understand the impact of digital optimization and apply learnings to their practice area as best possible.
7. Part 3 Month 7 Digital Assessment
   The objective of this module is to execute the 3rd digital assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
8. Part 3 Month 8 Operational Assessment
   The objective of this module is to execute the 3rd operational assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
9. Part 3 Month 9 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will share findings from tech analysis/vendor selection engagement and will present recommendations for acquisition and budget request. The team will also review insights from the 3rd digital and operational assessments to understand improvements made and prioritize next steps. Insights and any improvements should be highlighted in the digital program communications so that the organization can better understand the impact of digital optimization and apply learnings to their practice area as best possible.
10. Part 3 Month 10 Strategy Development
    Digital Maturity Pillar 1: Strategy Development. At this point we have a well-developed understanding of what the opportunities are and where focus needs to be prioritized. Data should be in a reasonably well processed state, master data management and governance strategies should be maturing, we should be in an active technology acquisition/implementation stage and we have organization-wide participation in driving digital optimization. I.e. the barriers to intelligently implementing a digital optimization strategy have been minimized and we can productively advance on the last leg of the transformation journey. The objective of this module is to focus on the foundational pillar on our maturity path; ensuring that we have real-time, on-demand access to the data necessary to develop and refine business strategy (throughout the organization). We may have fully achieved this through the course of the program already but this is an opportunity to reassess business objectives, priority KPIs/KPDs and ensure that the required data is available to enable required visibility.
11. Part 3 Month 11 Performance Monitoring
    Digital Maturity Pillar 2: Performance Monitoring. The objective of this module is to focus on the 2nd pillar; being able to leverage data in real-time to monitor performance against strategic objectives. As with pillar 1, this has been a focus for most of the program but KPIs will have evolved as have our capabilities due to improved data quality, accessibility and improved technology.
12. Part 3 Month 12 Executive Review
    Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will provide updates on new tech implementation progress and pending acquisitions/implementations. The teams will also review insights and progress from concentrated focus in the first two digital maturity pillars (Strategy Development and Performance Monitoring).

 

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Digital Transformation – Year 4

1. Part 4 Month 1 Ad-Hoc Analysis
   Digital Maturity Pillar 3: Ad Hoc Analysis. The objective of this module is to focus on pillar 3; our ability to experiment with non-standard data points and metrics to discover pain points and opportunities across the organization.
2. Part 4 Month 2 Insights Automation
   Digital Maturity Pillar 4: Insights Automation. By now, new technology should have been implemented. Data teams will have tools to assist with master data management, front line practitioners have had time to begin gaining proficiency with the new business-user facing tools and our ability to leverage fundamental data points is progressing. The focus of this module is to expand our use of artificial intelligence to improve decision making through automated data insights. The CoE will have brainstormed this in earlier modules but will likely not have had the technology required to fully leverage AI. Continued focus on digital optimization since then may also have allowed for new ideas to develop. This is an opportunity to update the earlier plans for AI and to implement the organization’s plans to improve decision-making AI-driven automation.
3. Part 4 Month 3 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will provide updates on new tech implementation progress and pending acquisitions/implementations. The teams will also review insights and progress from concentrated focus in the first four digital maturity pillars (Strategy Development, Performance Monitoring, Ad Hoc Analysis and Insights Automation).
4. Part 4 Month 4 Task Automation
   Digital Maturity 5: Task Automation. The last pillar in our pursuit of digital optimization is the use of artificial intelligence to automate tasks. Task automation will help reduce costs and inefficiencies associated with unnecessary redundancy. It will also help improve employee morale by reducing the menial tasks required to perform their jobs so they can focus their energy and talents on higher value tasks. But AI-driven task automation can also improve overall efficacy by automatically injecting machine learning into the workflow. This allows work to be done more quickly and more intelligently because technology is able to process incredible amounts of information and instantaneously action that information.
5. Part 4 Month 5 Digital DNA
   Digital Maturity Pillar 6: Digital DNA. The objective of this module is to increase focus on our digital DNA. We’ve been cultivating this DNA throughout the program but have been crippled by data and technology limitations and unable to fully act on our talents and desire to collaborate for success. With better access to useful data and tools to leverage it, we are now in position to reassess and reprioritize efforts to support employees in their efforts to drive the organization forward. We’ll leverage insights from the assessments thus far to pinpoint remaining skills gaps and reinforce training for those roles. But focus here will emphasize the aptitude, propensity and talent elements of the culture by developing a hiring strategy that will ensure the organization is staffed with employees who are able and willing to assume an active role in building the digitally optimized organization.
6. Part 4 Month 6 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: HR will present skills gaps insights and propose hiring strategy for executive review/approval. The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will provide updates on new tech implementation progress and pending acquisitions/implementations. The teams will also review insights and progress from concentrated focus in all six digital maturity pillars (Strategy Development, Performance Monitoring, Ad Hoc Analysis and Insights Automation, Task Automation and Digital DNA).
7. Part 4 Month 7 Recruiting
   This objective of this module is to formally launch recruiting initiatives to support requirements identified in the Part 4 Month 5 Digital DNA module.
8. Part 4 Month 8 CX Assessment
   The objective of this module is to execute the 4th customer experience assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
9. Part 4 Month 9 Executive Review
   Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will provide updates on new tech implementation progress and pending acquisitions/implementations. HR will update the team regarding digital dna hiring initiatives. The teams will review insights and progress from concentrated focus in all six digital maturity pillars (Strategy Development, Performance Monitoring, Ad Hoc Analysis and Insights Automation, Task Automation and Digital DNA). The team will also review insights from the 4th customer experience assessment to understand improvements made and prioritize next steps. Insights and any improvements should be highlighted in the digital program communications so that the organization can better understand the impact of digital optimization and apply learnings to their practice area as best possible.
10. Part 4 Month 10 Digital Assessment
    The objective of this module is to execute the 4th digital assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
11. Part 4 Month 11 Operational Assessment
    The objective of this module is to execute the 4th organizational assessment to highlight successes and expose remaining or new pain points. Results of this assessment will drive next step prioritization.
12. Part 4 Month 12 Executive Review
    Data APEX: The DOC will review data optimization updates and priorities with the executive team and the executive team will provide any necessary feedback and/or redirection. EX APEX: The recently expanded CoE will update the executive team on progress towards digitally optimizing both customer experience and organizational operations and processes. DNA APEX: The CoE and HR will update the executive team regarding project and idea submissions and general engagement from the broader organization. TOC APEX: The TOC will provide updates on new tech implementation progress and pending acquisitions/implementations. HR will update the team regarding digital dna hiring initiatives. The teams will review insights and progress from concentrated focus in all six digital maturity pillars (Strategy Development, Performance Monitoring, Ad Hoc Analysis and Insights Automation, Task Automation and Digital DNA). The team will also review insights from the 4th digital and operation assessments to understand improvements made and prioritize next steps. Insights and any improvements should be highlighted in the digital program communications so that the organization can better understand the impact of digital optimization and apply learnings to their practice area as best possible. This is the final executive review and represents conclusion of the “scripted” program. All modules have been completed and the organization has transitioned from “transformation” state to “transformed”. Progress and review moving forward will continue diving deeper into the application of data and technology to improve capabilities in the six digital maturity pillars. Bear in mind that we’ve really only just begun. Business-enabling tools and processes have only recently been implemented and the organization is just beginning to capitalize on the new capabilities. Increased experience with these new capabilities will fuel inspiration to do business in new ways and new technologies will continue to emerge that transform possibilities. This program was not intended to achieve a specific outcome. The objective was to equip the organization with currently available tools and provide the process and methodology to sustainably pursue the optimization that can only be afforded by effectively leveraging data and technology. There is no completion stage in the pursuit of optimization. It is a continuous process of Analysis, Planning, Execution and Expansion (APEX).

 

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Methodology

Digital Transformation – Program Planning

This program methodology follows an Agile type framework in that it is an iterative, collaborative, cyclical process of discovery, planning, execution and review. Objectives are attained throughout the program (rather than “achieving success” at the conclusion of the program) and the methodology is flexible in order to respond to organizational and strategy change and the ideation that occurs throughout the modules.

The program is replete with iterations of an optimization process labeled APEX (Analyze, Plan, Execute, Expand), which is applied to each major focus area. Planning occurs at the “Plan” stage after the Analyze stage to ensure plans are developed and prioritized leveraging data driven insights and current, high-impact requirements.

 

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Digital Transformation – Program Development

This program defines Digital Transformation as “organization-wide ownership of optimally leveraging data and technology to enhance performance and maximize outcome”. It was developed with focus on the anatomical components of digital transformation and helping organizations adopt a digital optimization process that guides them to maturity; following in the footsteps of the organizations that that have been most successful in embracing digital opportunities, incorporating a digital optimization practice and in reaping the rewards for having done so.

There are three overarching focus areas that indicate digital maturity in this program. 1. The six pillars of digital optimization. 2. Who is driving the effort. 3. The organizational depth with which they are being applied.

The six pillars of digital optimization are based on the organizations propensity and ability to use data and technology; ranging from simple to advanced. They are 1. Leveraging data to guide and develop strategy. 2. Leveraging data to monitor performance against strategic objectives. 3. Ability to perform real-time, ad hoc analysis of material data points. 4. Leveraging technology to automate data insights and benefit from predictive analytics. 5. Leveraging technology and data to intelligently automate tasks. 6. Ownership transference of the above from appointed “digital transformation leadership” to the individuals throughout the organization.

This program is designed to drive optimization, based on the above six pillars, throughout the organization; beginning with prioritized strategic level, then expanding into prioritized silos and, finally, organization-wide.

 

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Digital Transformation – Program Implementation

This digital transformation program is implemented on an Agile framework in that it is iterative and collaborative; achieving short term goals while simultaneously transforming the long-term “big picture” with respect to the organizations ability to improve profitability by leveraging data and technology. The program begins with strategic leadership to set the stage and then gives autonomy to digital leadership to execute the vision with regular quarterly executive review so remain in sync with executive leadership until the organization is “transformed” and the optimization process has been adopted holistically by the organization. Digital leadership will implement the program following the APEX optimization process.

 

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Digital Transformation – Program Review

The goal of this program is to achieve sustainable, ongoing optimization driven organically by every facet of the organization. As such, there is no terminal point where the ultimate goal has been achieved and we can stop and reflect. Review is interwoven throughout the program during quarterly executive reviews and in the expand (X) stage of the APEX optimization process, which governs each focus area and cycles iteratively throughout the program.

 

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Industries

This service is primarily available to the following industry sectors:

Technology

High-tech is being transformed by the same technologies as other industries but, ironically, the high-tech industry that has contributed substantially to digital revolution is not excelling in their digital transformations. Today’s market demands require rapid innovation and faster development-release cycles than ever before. This is where emerging disrupters may excel but it is difficult for enterprises to remain close enough to the customer to anticipate and act on opportunities, stave off competitors and grow. External pressures are driving the need for digital transformation within high-tech companies to overhaul their own internal operations in hopes of remaining competitive.

Digital transformation in the marketplace (spawned by many of these high-tech vendors) is largely the source of the pressure. Customers are no longer satisfied with point products or prepaying for future value that may never come (as is the case with historical licensing models). Customers today need exceedingly more strategic solutions that can integrate hardware, software, services and a range of data sources spanning internal practice areas and external sources such as social, mobile, cloud solutions, IoT and 3rd party data. Customers are also less tolerant of substantial upfront license fees and ongoing support contracts. They require on demand “as a service” subscription models that allow pay-as-you-use-for-what-you-use access. This allows customers to move to better solutions more nimbly if their current provider isn’t supporting requirements satisfactorily.

Supporting customers in this digital age requires significant transformation from high-tech providers to incorporate digital capability both in their products to better enable and attract customers and in their businesses to accelerate innovation and time-to-market, improve efficiencies and remain competitive in the marketplace.

 

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Retail

Digital transformation is likely most visible in the retail industry where empowered consumers are relying on digital channels in unprecedented fashion for social commentary on products and services, comparison shopping, easy access to products and services across devices and the expectation that retailers will meet their individual needs across those devices.

In addition to external pressure from intensifying customer demands, advancing technologies such as mobile, big data, automation and IoT are enabling transformation from within the industry. For example, where understanding and optimizing different channels was a priority in the recent past; the focus now is on blurring the omnichannel lines to create a seamless, personalized experience across devices wherever the customer may be. Where advanced segmentation was a focus in recent years, advancing digitalization enables leaders to move beyond segmentation towards more fluid individualized personalization.

While some technologies help understand and manage the customer experience others such as IoT, VR and AI are redefining the experience altogether.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to sensor equipped hardware devices that can relay information to remote servers and in many cases respond to commands from those servers to better serve the customers that own them.

In the retail industry IoT enables customers to enjoy enhancements in many areas such as health, safety, automation and comfort to name a few. For example, smart lighting in the home can respond to sensors in an automobile or mobile device to turn on as the customer approaches the home. Heart monitors can communicate with sensor-laden refrigerators to inventory the food on hand and make recommendations for healthy grocery shopping if the customer is experiencing high blood pressure and isn’t sleeping well at night. Smart speakers enable customers to command other smart devices, order products with simple voice commands and customize the content they hear through the speaker.

Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are “futurizing” the way people interact with their environment; ushering in a real life sci-fi reality where people can interact with people and things that aren’t in the same location or may not truly exist at all.

For example, a transplanted housewife in Akron Ohio can peruse the shelves of her favorite grocery store back in San Francisco, see product reviews for the items on “shelf”, consult with an AI driven “humanoid” to find favorited recipes and purchase the ingredients for those recipes (based on what’s not already in the pantry – thanks to IoT) for shipment to Akron all without leaving her home.

In the retail industry we will apply APEX to identify areas within the business that may be holding us back. We’ll ensure focus is exceedingly more on creating superior experiences and we’ll consistently improve our ability to leverage sophisticated data to “wow” customers and take the reins in leading the industry (rather than struggling to keep up with disruptors).

 

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Manufacturing

Digitalization within the manufacturing industry has been dubbed (in some circles) Industry 4.0. While Industry 4.0 shares common characteristics with non-manufacturing counterparts the focus is on connecting machines, data, workpieces and systems to ensure products are cost-effective, well suited to the consumer and that the process is continuously optimized through increasing levels of sophistication. Industry 4.0 relies heavily on IoT, machine learning, robotics and secure networking.

Digital transformation exists both within the manufacturing plants where products are designed, created, warehoused and shipped out as well as outside the factories where manufacturing does not occur on an assembly line.

Industry 4.0 within a plant focuses on creating “smart factories” which (in their highest functioning state) leverage cyber-physical systems to monitor processes, make decentralized decisions and coordinate IoT devices which help control each other and perform tasks autonomously.

Examples of Industry 4.0 outside the plant include robotics and AI that improve efficiency and safety such as in the use of autonomous heavy equipment that can be remotely controlled by operators removed from hazardous environments.

Industry 4.0 allows manufacturing companies to streamline workflows, optimize inventory and Work in Progress, and improve value chain decisions. Dispersed teams can collaborate quickly and effectively. New levels of predictive accuracy offer the scale to manage Overall Equipment Effectiveness, improve speed, efficiency, reduce waste, improve quality control and even customer support.

 

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Internet

The internet itself is the catalyst for digitalization and is at the heart of this ubiquitous, cross-industry revolution. The internet and its related technologies have rapidly transformed consumer expectations and industry abilities to meet those expectations. Its overhauled the ways we conduct market research, manufacture products, engage with the market, get products and services to market, and use products and services. Perhaps the most disruptive force within the internet industry today is the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT refers to sensor equipped devices that are connected and able to communicate with a remote server (aka “the cloud”); relaying collected data and in many cases responding to data-driven commands from the cloud.

Examples of IoT devices include automotive sensors that can relay information about mechanical performance, interior conditions and other vehicular attributes. Apparel and accessory laden biotechnology can monitor blood pressure, heart rate and other health factors. We have devices to monitor baby activity and health status to reassure doting parents and reduce SIDS casualties and we have many other “smart” devices such as light bulbs, thermostats, refrigerators and more.

These sensors enable manufacturers to leverage useful data throughout manufacturing, delivery and field application. This data helps improve product quality and usability, gain manufacturing cost efficiencies, improve production processes and improve overall consumer satisfaction.

Vehicle sensors aid drivers by alerting them to maintenance issues, controlling environmental conditions, managing accessories, finding the vehicle in crowded parking lots and much more. These sensors improve safety by allowing remote monitoring services to dispatch emergency vehicles if there is an accident and the driver is unable to call for help. They also help improve security by enabling remote shutoff if the vehicle is stolen.

In commercial applications vehicle sensors help improve cost efficiencies, dispatch operations and other aspects of fleet management. The benefits of smart technology are even being aggregated to the civic level. Forward-thinking cities are upgrading their infrastructure to emerge as “smart cities” with advanced abilities to manage traffic, pollution, crowding, energy, resources and improve quality of life for residents.

 

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Defense

The aerospace and defense industry has arguably been leading the digital transformation movement since the 1960’s with innovations that ultimately culminated in GPS and the internet.

Warfare has been in a constant state of evolution as technological advances upgrade enemy threats and counter-measures. Ironically, the recent regression from major force-on-force combat; utilizing large, conventional orders of battle to lower-tech paramilitary/terrorist tactics has paved the way for higher-tech advancements that enable warfighters to operate more safely and effectively in smaller units; moving among often unidentifiable insurgents. Urban operations require extremely rapid processing of information and accurate decision making to respond to threats and opportunities that occur unexpectedly and may last for only a few seconds.

Battlefield digitalization capitalizes on integrating data and technology to improve intelligence, strategy development, planning, preparation and operations.

Intelligence and Strategy: Today’s intricate, highly coordinated battlefield operations require in-depth intelligence on enemy capabilities and intentions. Intelligence disciplines such as HUMINT, SIGINT and IMINT are augmented by sensor-collected data aboard drones, equipment, spy planes and troops at the tactical edge and fed to distance command centers. The raw data can then be processed by analytics and AI to develop superior, pre-emptive strategy and disseminate orders to dispersed warfighters and unmanned systems.

Planning and Preparation: Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) offer tremendous advantage in training simulation to provide a wide array of realistic training scenarios; reducing dependence on costly OPFOR-facing war game rotations. For example, the U.S. Army is developing an AR warfare simulator (Future Holistic Training Environment Live Synthetic). Live Synthetic will be remotely accessible from virtually anywhere and will use AI to conscript intelligent digital enemy forces and provide relevant digital tutorial.

Sophisticated data and machine learning can also be used in forecasting, anticipation of enemy tactics and movement and logistics and mission planning to support fast, accurate decision-making.

Operations: The power of digitalization in battlespace operations can be seen in a number of applications already. Wearable sensors transmit warfighter location and vital signs. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data, video and imaging is sent from the field back to command centers or remote bases to share intelligence.

The convergence of data and technology are revolutionizing the battlefield to enhance communications, command and control functions, improve force vitality, coordination and management, logistics, increase speed and accuracy in the sensor-to-shooter cycle and improve overall operational efficiency.

As futuristic as this seems already, incredible advances are not far off. Innovators predict that we’ll one day rely heavily on virtual reality to connect remote command centers with the tactical environment without the substantial costs and vulnerabilities associated with forward tactical operations centers. Advances in artificial intelligence and sophisticated “fuzzy logic” one day be capable of handling more advanced tasks in more complex environments to improve speed and accuracy in decision-making or even operating autonomously.

But the opportunities afforded by this technological revolution do not come without a dark side. The proliferation of digital solutions invariably introduces digital vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity resources and measures are essential to leveraging these technologies without unabated enemy cyber incursion and attacks to compromise defense objectives, warfighters and even critical civilian systems and infrastructure.

 

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Locations

This service is primarily available within the following locations:

New York NY

New York city ranks on the Global Economic Power Index and is an international hub for banking, finance, retail, world trade, transportation, tourism, real estate, media, advertising, legal services, accountancy, insurance, theater, fashion, and the arts.

New York maintains a portfolio of high-tech companies spanning a range of industries in Manhattan dubbed “Silicon Alley”; playing off of the west coast cradle of technology innovation.

As a global hub, New York will continue to be a leader in digital transformation.

 

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San Francisco CA

San Francisco is a major port, international business hub and extends into the Silicon Valley; recognized globally as an epicenter of high-tech innovation. Many of the world’s largest corporations and disruptive start-ups are headquartered in and around San Francisco.

The San Francisco also has an “early adopter” culture with a high constituency of innovators and tech savvy consumers ready to try test new technology.

San Francisco also benefits from the data/analytics students and faculty at nearby University of California, Berkley who actively collaborate with the city to transform San Francisco into a “smart city”; relying on big data, automation and machine learning to solve civic challenges such as traffic, emissions, health & safety and quality of life.

 

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San Jose CA

San Jose is the largest city in Northern California and is the economic, cultural, and political center of Silicon Valley. As a global center of innovation, San Jose is one of the wealthiest cities in the world and has the third highest GDP per capita in the world.

High-tech companies such as Cisco, eBay, Adobe, PayPal and Samsung maintain their headquarters in San Jose along with thousands of start-ups who base operations there to benefit from the concentrated venture capital, research and business talent and entrepreneurial atmosphere.

San Jose is arguably the innovation leader in the U.S.; producing more U.S. patents than any other city.

 

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London UK

London is a world cultural capital and is considered the world’s largest financial center; hosting more international retailers and ultra-high-net-worth individuals than any other city.

London also has one of the largest metropolitan GDPs in the world with industry spanning the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transportation.

An increasing number of technology companies are emerging from East London Tech City (the Silicon Roundabout).

 

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Dubai UAE

Dubai is considered the global business hub of the Middle East.

The Emirate’s Western-style model of business drives its economy with the main revenues now coming from tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. Dubai is the most expensive city in the Middle East and among the most expensive in the world.

Although Dubai’s early economy was based on trade and oil exploration revenues from oil and natural gas account for less than 5% of the emirate’s revenues. Dubai is also a hub for service industries such as information technology and finance hosting IT firms such as Hewlett-Packard, EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, Dell and IBM as well as media organizations such as MBC, CNN, BBC, Reuters, Sky News and AP.

 

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Benefits

Testimonials

Adobe

”Mr. Tanner is a level-headed business minded professional. He negotiates well for the interests of his company, but also looks for win/win opportunities. In the face of difficulty, Mr. Tanner works hard to maintain positive working relationships with everyone. Companies looking for partner-centric relationship managers and channel professionals would benefit from Mr. Tanner’s experience and expertise.”

 

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Google

”Many potential digital disruptors will underperform and miss their potential because they don’t have a Mr. Tanner on board to help crystalize the vision, align teams around business objectives and achieve the necessary outcome.”

 

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Acceleration Digital Consulting

”Mr. Tanner has been indispensable in managing our digital consulting channel business, strategic partners and complex team with precision and accuracy. He is highly effective in less structured environments where “outside the box’ approaches and creative solutions are required. His relationship management skills and first-class client handling criteria is a true asset to any company. Having spent more than 2 years working together I have enjoyed my time working closely with Mr. Tanner, and look forward to continuing our working relationship in the future.”

 

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Wunderman Data

”Mr. Tanner has been brilliant in the way he’s brought diverse stakeholders from our company and our strategic partners to the table to work through competing objectives, resolve commercial friction and scale our mutual business. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr. Tanner and highly recommend him.”

 

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SHOP.COM

”Mr. Tanner stands out as someone with great vision, clarity and the uncommon ability to navigate our organization to get things done.”

 

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More detailed achievements, references and testimonials are confidentially available to clients upon request.

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