WHY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY NEEDED TO ALIGNED TO OUR BUSINESS GOAL
There are so many business already jumping into the digital transformation train, the truth is that there is a huge risk that just a few of them understands and to accomplish the most important benefits unless they assume a better alignment between their business goals and strategy. When any business is given the pace of change, executives may struggle to determine where to place bets, how much to invest, and when to do it. If they wait too long, then they risk seeing market value quickly dropping; invest inefficiently or ineffectively, and they could face bankruptcy. No one doubts anymore that digital transformation is more than just the fancy idea , as businesses are realizing that they will need to embrace digital transformation if they want to survive the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
Technologies like IoT, big data, social media, mobile and automation are already changing the way things are done and dragging business with them. Digital transformation is about managers and business leaders taking command, but is also about IT departments assuming a new, bigger role when it comes to strategic decisions about the company they are in. It requires a change in the way companies work, from accounting processes to daily reports. Only the ones that will have the
capability to adapt will be able to ride this perfect storm towards the future. In this digital era, the lines between technology, product development, applications, service delivery and management are becoming thinner with a tendency to disappear; that is why business should develop an integrated view of the company and all that surrounds it.
By doing so, the work will become easier whenever a business needs to support strategic planning and investment prioritization. Traditionally, IT’s role in an organization was a supportive or administrative one, not strategic at all! But times are changing and only when IT understands the business, it can better fulfil its needs. Here you have some ideas of what could be done in order to assure business and IT are all sailing the same boat: No more walls should be built; no more doors should be closed; to align IT project
and business strategy, leaders from both parts must be involved since the beginning: defining a strategic planning stage. So, if the strategy is to be delivered through IT initiatives, project leaders must be present when those plans are aligned.
All in all, early engagement of the IT talent leads to a natural evolution where business and IT strategy grow side-by-side, shaping each others edges. A good IT project governance could be the key to a successful work and a magnificent business. So, as soon as the two areas start to take different paths, it is time for the manager to jump in and adjust accordingly.
I know you’re thinking, how do I align my business strategy and IT? This is the huge question, but the answer might not be that difficult to find. The answer is, you have to adapt Agile Development! By adopting Agile practices and values, your company can improve the agility of software professionals, IT teams and organizations. Agile development methods help break product development work into small pieces, minimizing the amount of up-front planning and design.
Since immemorial times, IT role in an organization is regarded as just a supportive one! This idea has to change so companies can integrate technology into the modern economy underlying that IT is also an important way to achieve business goals. Change your mindset about IT today and grow forever.