Key conditions for success in digital transformation

What does success look like and does it involve cloud?

You need a clear vision of the desired outcome, for every project, regardless of whether it’s a datacentre consolidation or a full process re-engineering, digital transformation programme.

Cloud is not the business outcome, it is an enabler.

Cloud confusion reigns, you must clear the fog to see the the cloud.

Understand if there is value and if so, which cloud components will you exploit to meet your needs. Cloud does not always parallel with digital transformation, but it mostly does.

Cloud is an enabler for strategic change, be it wholesale digital transformation or a datacentre consolidation. Cloud is not the outcome, clouds are collections of commoditised components which you need to exploit, in order achieve the outcome.

My experience has repeatedly shown digital transformation projects are won and lost because of situational awareness and the conditions in-which plans are incubated.

These vital conditions must exist to achieve your vision

• Buy In — Is your project on the right people’s radar, and is it understood? A cloud or digital endeavour being known and understood at the C-level is a key condition for a successful outcome.
• Resourcing — Do the resources exist in your organisation to go it alone? If not, you need to budget for bringing-in proven expertise, to augment your own.
• Cultural acceptance — Is there cultural acceptance of the need for a change? If you’re closing a datacentre, is the need to-do this accepted among key stakeholders? If you’re re-designing processes, do the heads of department accept there is a problem which needs solving? No consensus, leads to a failure of change.
• Time and pace — You’re likely to have aggressive timescales; do you have the team, the tools and the focus to be able to set and keep pace? You must command enough authority and trust to move fast.
• Expectations set — ‘Cloud’ and ‘digital’ have become widely used words, but mean different things to different people. Do your stakeholder priorities align to the benefits your project should bring? Do your stakeholders understand what you mean when you say ‘digital’? Where have you defined cloud and digital?
• Appetite to Invest — Transformation projects are investments, there must be acceptance of the necessity to invest-to-save and investing in order to focus on the mission.

These are pre-conditions, which from my experience, heavily influence the success of cloud and digital endeavours.

Do you understand your situation? Is there enough intellectual honesty and candour to have important discussions? Do you need outside help to make these conditions a reality?