{"id":11282,"date":"2018-03-21T10:55:51","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T15:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=11282"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:09:57","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T22:09:57","slug":"5-digital-transformation-mistakes-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/5-digital-transformation-mistakes-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"5 (more) digital transformation mistakes to avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-725\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Education.jpg\" alt=\"Education\" width=\"76\" height=\"100\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><em>Summary: Digital transformation&#8211;the reinvention of an organization through the use of digital technology to improve performance&#8211;is a priority for many businesses these days. However, it\u2019s a complex task. Many businesses dive in without truly understanding the process and make key mistakes along the way. In the second part of this two-part article, we explore 5 more common digital transformation mistakes to avoid.<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"20180103\"><\/a><!--more--><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7706\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/small__3534516458-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/small__3534516458-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/small__3534516458.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo credit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/marcobellucci\/3534516458\/\">Marco Bellucci<\/a> via <a href=\"http:\/\/photopin.com\">photopin<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>Over the last few years, digital transformation moved from a trendy topic to a competitive necessity. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/smarterwithgartner\/embrace-the-urgency-of-digital-transformation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">Gartner<\/span><\/a>, \u201cTwo-thirds of all business leaders believe that their companies must pick up the pace of digitalization to remain competitive.\u201d Organizations realize they need to jump on board or get left behind.<\/p>\n<p>The problem: Digital Transformation is uncharted territory for many businesses. While they recognize its importance, they aren\u2019t aware of potential pitfalls along the way. As a result, they make key mistakes that can derail the entire process. <\/p>\n<p>What are the most common mistakes? In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/5-common-digital-transformation-mistakes-avoid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">first part of this article<\/span><\/a>, we explored these five common mistakes:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"arrow-list colored\">\n<li>Starting without a clearly defined goal<\/li>\n<li>Using legacy thinking with digital tools<\/li>\n<li>Failing to include everyone in the company<\/li>\n<li>Thinking that digital transformation is just a technology change<\/li>\n<li>Assuming old development efforts fit a digital business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Today, let\u2019s finish up the list. Here are 5 more common mistakes to avoid in your digital transformation journey.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #6: Assuming you have the necessary skills\/resources<\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest stumbling blocks in any digital transformation journey: Resources. After all, most IT departments are already understaffed and overworked. Additionally, a <span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">recent study<\/span> found that only 17% of companies had enough employees with the right skills to embark on a smooth digital transformation. <\/p>\n<p>Yet, many make the mistake of assuming their existing team can handle the change.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"line-height: 1.7em; background-image: none; margin-left: 0; padding-left: 18px; height: auto;\"><p>\n\u201cThey assume that the same IT resources can take on the transformation,\u201d says Ron Wince, CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myndshft.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">Myndshft<\/span><\/a>. \u201cMost companies we work with are spending 80% or more of their time keeping the current plumbing working. It\u2019s a real stretch for the current IT teams to absorb more transformational work in their current workflows and capacity.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>How can you bridge that gap? You really have two options: Either bring in more resources or get more value out of your existing resources. How can you get more value out of your existing team? It\u2019s a topic we covered in a past article, which you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/5-tips-to-maximize-your-it-departments-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">can find here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #7: Biting off more than you can chew<\/h3>\n<p>Many make the mistake of assuming digital transformation requires a \u201cbig bang\u201d approach. They think they must tackle everything at once.<\/p>\n<p>The result: The project size overwhelms them, to the point that they just put it off. Or, they run into unexpected issues that make the project more complex.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"line-height: 1.7em; background-image: none; margin-left: 0; padding-left: 18px; height: auto;\"><p>\n\u201cBecause of budget cycles or pushes from the C-suite, companies will commit to these huge transformative undertakings,\u201d says Chris Boulanger, Digital Marketer &#038; PM, <span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">chrisboulanger.com<\/span>. \u201cBut then they discover a large number of dependencies that have to be addressed before they can do any transforming. Common issues are realizing you&#8217;ll need to recode legacy software integrations, merge\/manage data from more sources than you knew existed, or needing to bring in a 3rd-party to handle key integration tasks because you lack either the staff or the knowledge to do it properly.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In reality, digital transformation isn\u2019t an \u201call or nothing\u201d project. Start small. Find the processes and technology that could provide the most value, and work on that first. This gets the ball rolling, and demonstrates value that will bring the whole business on board.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #8: Thinking you can delay the process<\/h3>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9284\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9284\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/turtle-279399_640-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/turtle-279399_640-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/turtle-279399_640.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9284\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/en\/turtle-tortoise-reptile-animal-279399\/\">amayaeguizabal<\/a> via <a href=\"http:\/\/pixabay.com\/\">pixabay<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\">cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>Many businesses take the \u201cwait and see\u201d approach with new trends. They watch others to see if a trend will catch on, and how they can best use it to their advantage. For many trends, this is a great approach.<\/p>\n<p>However, some businesses make the mistake of taking this approach with digital transformation. The problem is, digital transformation isn\u2019t a trend. It\u2019s a reality. The world is moving in that direction. It\u2019s not something you can choose to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>Adopting a \u201cwait and see\u201d approach to digital transformation will only put you further and further behind the competition. As explained below, we\u2019re living in an age where speed is the name of the game. Any time you spend waiting around will only hurt your business in the long run.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"line-height: 1.7em; background-image: none; margin-left: 0; padding-left: 18px; height: auto;\"><p>\n\u201cThere is harm in being slow and risk averse in the age of digital transformation,\u201d says Leslie Swanson , the CEO of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.exaltsolutions.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">eXalt Solutions<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIn the last century moving slow and not taking risk was acceptable. But today we are living through unrelenting disruption of all industries. Gone are the days of spending months on a strategy.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Mistake #9: Treating it like a process that\u2019s uniform across industries<\/h3>\n<p>A digital transformation should revolve around better serving your customers using digital technologies. Therefore, digital transformation will mean different things for different businesses. <\/p>\n<p>This is where some businesses make a key mistake. They adopt \u201ctrendy\u201d technology because that\u2019s what others are doing. Or, they try to copy another organization\u2019s approach. <\/p>\n<p>In reality, there is no \u201cright way\u201d for every company. Digital transformation will differ depending on your company\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"line-height: 1.7em; background-image: none; margin-left: 0; padding-left: 18px; height: auto;\"><p>\n\u201cDigital transformation means different things to different industries,\u201d says Matt Garrepy, Chief Digital Officer at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">DigitalUs<\/span><\/a>. \u201cA major mistake is treating it like a process that\u2019s uniform across all industries. Digital transformation can include anything from upgrading hardware to streamlining software to automating common practices. Your specific industry colors what digital transformation specifically means to you and your business. Ultimately, transformation should be defined by outcomes for your company.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Mistake #10: Treating digital transformation like a typical project<\/h3>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9492\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9492\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/entrepreneur-696966_640-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9492\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9492\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/en\/entrepreneur-start-start-up-career-696966\/\">geralt<\/a> via <a href=\"http:\/\/pixabay.com\/\">pixabay<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\">cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>Many businesses go into digital transformation like they would any other project. They assume that once they implement the appropriate technologies, they\u2019re done. <\/p>\n<p>This is a mistake. <\/p>\n<p>The digital world we\u2019re living in now is constantly evolving. Digital Transformation is an ongoing effort that requires constant change. The technologies and processes you implement are designed to help you adapt and change course as needed. As explained below, this mindset is essential in any digital transformation process.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"line-height: 1.7em; background-image: none; margin-left: 0; padding-left: 18px; height: auto;\"><p>\n\u201cThere is a paradigm that can be either your biggest challenge or your biggest competitive advantage when it comes down to digital transformation,\u201d says Anna Lebedeva, Head of Media at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: red; font-weight: bold;\">SEMrush<\/span><\/a>. \u201cAlthough it is widely accepted that having a solid strategy in place and building a strong architecture for further digitalization of your business is the key to future success, one thing often gets neglected &#8211; the speed at which circumstances change and the rate at which external digital environment is moving.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, as much as strategy and long-term goal-setting is necessary to successfully become rapidly digitalized, embracing change and market transformations is as important. Don\u2019t forget that digital transformation consists of two words &#8211; \u201cdigital\u201d and \u201ctransformation\u201d. So how do you embrace the two and at the same time? When it came to SEMrush, we implemented (early on) the philosophy of agile &#8211; in development, and then in our marketing and even other departments. It was the flexibility and quick reaction to market changes that really determined our strategy. And it definitely worked to our favour &#8211; having the strategy but the details of that strategy are constantly getting reconsidered and adjusted according to the current shifts, and in the digital world those shifts are the only constant you can really count on.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Summary<\/h3>\n<p>In these two articles, we&#8217;ve explored 10 common mistakes to avoid in your digital transformation journey. Would you like to add to this list? Feel free to comment below!<\/p>\n<div id=\"sendgrid_nlvx_widget-2\" class=\"widget widget_sendgrid_nlvx_widget\" style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;width: auto;text-align: center;background-color: #edeff4;border: 1px solid #d1d1d1\">\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"widget-title\" style=\"font-size: 18px;margin-top: 28px;font-weight: 400;margin-bottom:25px\">If you enjoyed this article, sign up for email updates<\/h3>\r\n<p>Sign up below, and we'll notify you of new blog articles via email. We value your privacy and will never share or sell your information. To learn more about how we handle data, please review our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/about\/privacy.html\">privacy policy<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: Digital transformation&#8211;the reinvention of an organization through the use of digital technology to improve performance&#8211;is a priority for many businesses these days. However, it\u2019s a complex task. Many businesses dive in without truly understanding the process and make key mistakes along the way. In the second part of this two-part article, we explore 5 &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/5-digital-transformation-mistakes-avoid\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 (more) digital transformation mistakes to avoid<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","slim_seo":{"title":"5 (more) digital transformation mistakes to avoid - mrc&#039;s Cup of Joe Blog","description":"Summary: Digital transformation--the reinvention of an organization through the use of digital technology to improve performance--is a priority for many busines"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[105],"class_list":["post-11282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-digital-transformation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11282"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14217,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11282\/revisions\/14217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}