How do you really leverage the power of digital transformation? How do you take the raw material of your current state and change it into something amazing?
A digital transformation consultant can help you develop your roadmap. But you may wonder what goes into the secret sauce. How does an expert actually build a roadmap?
In this blog, we’re giving away all the secrets we’ve learned from working with 1,000+ clients. Let’s dive in!
Digital transformation roadmap ingredients
What does a digital transformation roadmap look like?
Every transformation project is unique, which means every organization’s roadmap will be highly tailored.
Some organizations may also produce a new roadmap for every project, while others may maintain a single roadmap that encompasses everything they plan to accomplish. It all depends on the organization’s needs.
Broadly speaking, though, every roadmap will contain certain components, though they may go by different names. Here’s the essential structure of a digital transformation roadmap.
- Audit current processes, systems, and pain points to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what systems and teams are involved.
- Envision the ideal future state. How should things work?
- Design the solution. (This could be a single system or project, or “the solution” could be an iterative transformation journey with multiple projects that build on one another.)
- Build, refine, and launch the solution. (Again, this could be a single project, or a series of implementations and refinements that move you toward your ideal state.)
- Support the solution after launch.
Example roadmap
What does this look like in real life?
Our client, Honor Flight Network, needed to replace spreadsheets and paper-based processes with digital workflows. This was a significant transformation for the organization, as it would happen right at the core of their operations.
We worked closely with the team at Honor Flight Network to develop their digital transformation roadmap. At a high level, here’s what we came up with:
- Audit Honor Flight Network’s current processes, data sources, and challenges to understand the requirements fully.
- Envision the ideal state of data flow, processing, storage, and retrieval by users.
- Design a custom database solution to satisfy the client’s unique requirements.
- Build, refine, and launch the custom database solution.
- Support the solution after launch with iterative improvements and refinements as needed.
How did our roadmap work out? Check out the case study for the full picture. (Hint: Honor Flight Network is now far more efficient, and the team has fewer headaches.)
Roadmap development process
It’s one thing to look at the ingredients of a good roadmap—and then to look at an example.
But how do you develop your roadmap in the midst of your organization’s unique challenges, culture, and politics? How do you get from concepts to reality?
Again, every organization is unique—which is one of the reasons to engage a digital transformation consulting partner to translate these principles into your situation. But at a high level, here’s what a healthy roadmap development process looks like.
A) Define success in a measurable way
It’s not enough to say, “Here’s what success looks like.” Success needs a metric—something you can measure. That’s the only way to know if you’ve achieved your goal.
Every digital transformation roadmap will have its own unique success metrics. There could be one overall metric for the project, a metric for every individual stage, or metrics at every level of the roadmap. It all depends on how complex the project is—and how closely you want to track progress.
Here are some sample measures of success that we’ve used with our clients.
- Reduce data processing errors by X%.
- Onboard X% of customers to the new system within 90 days.
- Reduce cost in a specific operational process by X%.
- Grow profitability by X% in a specific business unit.
B) Get buy-in from stakeholders at ALL levels
Some sources will tell you to get the buy-in of leadership. That’s essential, but ultimately, it’s not enough. The people who are directly affected by digital transformation need to understand what’s going on—not only what will change, but what’s in it for them. And the earlier you win them over, the better.
What does it take to do this? Much of it depends on the challenges your team currently faces (and your organizational culture). But the principles apply to all digital transformation roadmaps. Give every stakeholder a voice in the project and start as early in the process as you can. Take feedback to heart and adjust as necessary—before you pass the point of no return.
This is essential, because if the roadmap doesn’t work for everyone, you may encounter challenges with adoption and realization of your vision.
C) Consider applicable regulation
If you work in a regulated industry, it’s essential to make sure you’ll be compliant with applicable regulation after your transformation initiative. To ensure compliance, it’s best to work with a digital transformation partner who’s familiar with your industry and can advise on regulatory concerns and how this impacts your digital transformation project.
D) Calculate ROI
A transformation roadmap needs a clear ROI projection. Things can change in the course of the project, but at the very least, you want to model your expected return on investment. After all, if the project isn’t cutting costs, increasing revenue, or both, why bother?
ROI calculations get pretty complex in digital transformation. This is one area where a digital transformation consultant can help, as they’ve seen the results of many projects over time.
E) Consider cybersecurity
Digital transformation can have an unexpected impact on your organization’s security posture. As you’re developing your roadmap, it’s essential to consider how your attack surface will change—and how you’ll go about mitigating any net-new risk.
Hint: This is one of the biggest reasons to work with a full-service digital transformation partner like Corsica Technologies. Our team is comprised of experts in IT, cybersecurity, B2B data integration, EDI, and digital transformation. We provide that holistic view that covers all your bases so you can reap the benefits of your digital transformation roadmap.
F) Consider data governance
Nearly every transformation project will bring changes to your data landscape. These will be positive changes if you’ve taken a strategic approach in developing your roadmap. However, digital transformation doesn’t remove the need for smart data governance policies. In fact, transformation initiatives often provide an opening to review data governance and improve it. This is an essential perspective to work into your roadmap.
Getting the digital transformation roadmap you need
Digital transformation is complex, but it doesn’t have to keep you up at night. The right roadmap will spell out exactly what you need to do and when. If you haven’t led many different transformation projects in your career, it’s helpful to engage a digital transformation partner who can bring significant experience to bear on your situation.
Here at Corsica Technologies, we’ve helped over 1,000 clients achieve noteworthy business outcomes through technology. Contact us today, and let’s start developing your digital transformation roadmap.
Ready to flesh out your roadmap?
Reach out to schedule a consultation with our digital transformation specialists.
