Digital Transformation – Risk and Obstacles Ahead
Soโฆyou are strategizing, planning, or starting to roll out a Digital Transformation initiative?
Most people agree ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง is not only financially beneficial but also will be a necessity of survival.ย However, across the manufacturing industry, Less than half (๐๐%) of companies are in the โRolloutโ phase of their Digital Transformation Journey according toย PTC.ย That means ๐๐% are still figuring it out!
And if that isnโt surprising enough, according toย Boston Consulting Group (BCG), roughly ๐๐% of digital transformation initiatives fall short of their objectives.ย That is crazy!!!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ?
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐.ย Many processes and activities will change for most employees – Make sure as much effort is spent on the cultural change as the technological implementation.
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ. Before selecting a single technology or pilot application, be sure to have clear objectives that link back to desired business outcomes.
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ.ย Donโt just hire technical wizards. Select the right change agents who know how to guide the implementers.ย If you donโt have the knowledge and skills in-house, consider hiring consultants who do this for a living.
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. This is a company-wide transformation and therefore will most likely require changes and course corrections along the way.ย Let the goal guide you, not the technology.
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ (๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ).ย ย If you try to digitally transform merely by adding new technologies on top of existing systems and processes, you are bound to create redundancies, inefficiencies, unnecessary complexity, and be arbitrarily constrained by old systems.
โช๏ธย ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. Have a long-term strategy in place that leverages a flexible budgeting model based on a continual stream of incremental initiatives, successes, and easily demonstratable ROI.
โช๏ธ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. Donโt overestimate the importance and potential complexity of cybersecurity when digitally transforming. Net Solutionsโ digital transformation report for 2020 states that a companyโs successful digital transformation journey relies on its ability to secure its digital operations.
About the Author :
Mr. Jeff Winter
Industry Executive, Manufacturing
Jeff Winter is an Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Business Strategist | Avid Storyteller | Tech Geek | Public Speaker
Jeff Winter is an Industry Executive for Manufacturing with Microsoft where he acts as an industry advisor helping manufacturers across the US digitally transform at scale. With over 15 years of experience working for different industrial automation product and solution providers, Jeff has a unique ability to simplify and communicate complex concepts to a wide range of audiences, educating and inspiring people from the shop floor up to the executive board room.ย As part of his experience, Jeff is also very active in the community of Industry 4.0.ย
Jeff is a part of the International Board of Directors for MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), he is in the leadership committee for the Smart Manufacturing & IIoT Division of ISA (International Society of Automation), he is a U.S. registered expert for IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) as a member of TC 65, and also part of Purdue University’s Smart Manufacturing Advisory Board.
Jeff Winter is Bestowed with the following Licenses & Certifications :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/je
Jeff is Voluenering in the following International Industry Associations & Institutions :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/je
He can be contacted at :
Email : jeffwinter@microsoft.com
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyrwinter/