2024 Top Struggles in Digital Transformation Initiatives
Change is easy to envision, but hard to implement.
๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ
Digital transformation isnโt a one-time projectโitโs an ongoing adventure! While this transformation is comprised of many initiatives and projects that have clear starts and ends, the journey itself continually evolves as our company progresses, technology advances, market demands change, and our industry adapts.
There is a vague general understanding of what digital transformation means: Most would agree digital transformation is the process of adopting and implementing digital technology by an organization to create new or modify existing products, services, and operations by translating business processes into a digital format. The goal is typically to increase value through innovation, invention, improved customer experience, and efficiency. Regardless of when you started (1990s or 2024), what it means and what companies do about it has been constantly changing.
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ
Right now in 2024, according to a LinkedIn study I recently conducted, the top struggle for many companies is WHY (justification and buy-in). And this matches data from WalkMeโs 2024 State of Digital Adoption report, which found that on average ๐๐% of digital transformation efforts over the last year failed to meet their objectives due to a lack of adoption by end users.โ This tells me that most people donโt truly understand the WHY.
Convincing stakeholders and teams of the need for transformation and securing their support is critical. However, this may change from year to year and company to company. Next year, the biggest hurdle might be defining a clear vision or aligning the strategy with real-time feedback and data. Even if you created what was thought of as a clear vision in the past, that may change as you progress, learn more about your own company, the market, competitors, or as technology changes. So what was once clear in the past may need additional clarity again in the future, and that is okay!
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐
Stay Flexible: Adapt strategies as you go, keeping them responsive to change.
Celebrate Wins: Every success counts, no matter how small it seems.
Keep Learning: Stay ahead of trends by continuously updating your knowledge.
Embrace the journey, celebrate the evolution, and keep pushing forward!
Source: Jeff Winter LinkedIn Poll 3/3/2024, n=263
