Digital transformation, the human factor to the rescue

Faced with the imperative of digital transformation, companies no longer hesitate to invest massively in cutting-edge technologies. But finally, after a few years, a significant number of companies feel disappointed by the results obtained.

How to explain this dissatisfaction? To be successful in digital transformation, the implementation of specific technologies alone is not enough. It is necessary to combine it with the appropriate business strategy, nurture it with technological catalysts and, above all, include the ‘human factor’ to ensure that collaboration between teams is key.

A successful digital transformation is not based only on applications or technologies. Organizations must now accept to change the paradigm by integrating all their teams in a common project, pushing the limits and thus projecting themselves in the creation of the new digital frontiers. In the era of the ‘everything digital’, pioneering organizations will stand out for a strategy where the human being prevails over technology.

Technology alone does not guarantee success

The period of evangelization in favor of a digital transition is over. Organizations have now understood the value of next generation technologies. They no longer hesitate to invest in Big Data, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, automation… However, according to McKinsey, 70% of digital transformation projects do not bring the expected benefits. A study by Forbes Insights indicates that 75% of senior executives say that they are always waiting to obtain a tangible benefit from these technologies that they sometimes perceive as ‘disruptive’.

They are not wrong: they are. It is still necessary that the changes they bring are well targeted and well ‘metabolized’ throughout the company. It is not enough to disturb, and therefore break the balances that work, so that the change is positive and gives the expected results.

AI is a particularly striking example. According to a joint study by BCG-MIT, only 10% of companies manage to obtain financial benefits from their deployment. And it’s for good reason. The fundamental mistake is thinking that the selection and implementation of a technology solution alone will allow you to achieve your strategic objectives more quickly and capture new market shares.

Adding solutions is not a strategy as such. As Deloitte points out in a study, “When all organizations are digital, any strategy must be a digital strategy; the strategy will be the differentiating factor”. Having a vision based only on financial benefits and productivity means, ultimately, losing all the opportunities that are open to companies in this context: sustainable innovation, sustainable growth, agile development, etc., all the benefits they deserve. be considered.

The human factor to the rescue of the digital world

Therefore, to be successful in the digital transformation strategy, it is essential to broaden the vision and be able to project yourself into new frontiers. It is more essential than ever to adopt a holistic approach where the human factor is central. Not to mention implementing dynamic synergies between business forces and technology catalysts.

The construction and collaboration of what is called ‘the profession’ is now the essential factor for a successful digitization of the company itself. Once again, regardless of the human, no success can be complete.

A digital transformation rooted in people: the new frontier

Successful digital transformation projects demonstrate an elegant, harmonious and interdependent interaction between technology and people. One element by itself cannot be successful without the other. That is why the human factor must now be considered as the starting point of any digital transformation strategy to reach these new frontiers.

The latter should no longer be questioned by management and IT teams. The corporate culture must be oriented in this direction to establish solid foundations and obtain concrete results that unify the entire company around a clear project. Therefore, an inclusive process built around training courses to launch and establish transversal and cross-functional collaboration is often an excellent starting point.

In any case, silo effects must be avoided. Multidisciplinarity and communication are therefore queen and princess respectively. Both will allow, in the long term, a complete analysis of the motivations, the ‘pain points’, the expectations, but also and, above all, the requirements of each one with a view to maximizing the alignment.

It is precisely the establishment of constructive collaboration that will make it possible to avoid, at the end of the chain and once the solution has been deployed, having to waste time and energy implementing a change strategy. We should no longer try to change the human factor, it is infinitely more productive to integrate it from the beginning in the strategy. It is at this precise point where true innovation lies, the one that moves frontiers and promotes change.

Identify and measure consequences

Can we really succeed in our digital transformation if we do it this way? The first companies that have successfully implemented AI at scale prove it. The organizations that perform the most do not hesitate to invest regularly in it. They adopt a budget for employees that is double that allocated to technology.

This success also implies dealing with the technological issues of the teams usually assigned to their treatment and integrating them into precise and quantifiable business objectives. It also requires the ability to identify challenges and potential impacts, both in business and technology.

Cybersecurity, for example, according to BCG, “is not a technological project, it is a business project with a strong technological component; must be considered holistically to support deep organizational and business changes.” Another example, a McKinsey study predicts that around 30% of tasks in 60% of jobs will be able to be automated in the near future.

Therefore, this new approach necessarily implies supporting the human factor in its adaptation to changes in work environments. As such, constant training and development of internal skills are essential to implement a sustainable growth and innovation strategy.

Author: María López, Business Consultant, Prodware