What does success look like? 🤔🙄
Let’s consider the objective of the digital transformation. When can we consider the transformation successful? When the desired project objectives – whatever they may be are met. Objectives are usually attaining visibility of performance metrics or improving efficiencies or productivity. An important point to note here is that productivity and efficiencies improve year on year – so how much of it is attributable to the transformation? Is the productivity increase because of the transformation? Are people experiencing a reduction in work time? Are people feeling more empowered because they can see things through the changed system not visible before in real time? How do we know? Can we ask people and go by what they are saying? Or conduct a survey?
The “visible” success indicator 👀😎
Claims of successful implementation made be companies may not be a success indicator because they may be made for several different reasons. A primary reason is because there is a reputation at stake. A team has implemented it. Now they cannot say “No - Its not working”. Very often a reason is the financial returns promised. There will be unpleasant questions to answer. Another good reason is the publicity created before implementation. If a project has been announced with much fanfare it has to be declared a success for saving face.
Indications of system failure 🤢🤷♀️
Indications of system failure are evident some years later, typically when a new manager comes in. This person finds no one defending the system and in fact everyone distancing themselves away from the system. People are either not using the system or use only rudimentary aspects of it. They may or may not admit openly that the system is not helping them – depending upon the prevailing environment.
Then the new manager proposes a “New System” to change things and people are willing to try this out. The new system is implemented, but the results are again not apparent. The cycle repeats itself. When we come to a point - when people are not willing to let go of existing functionalities unless they are implemented in the new system - then we know that the current system for those functionalities is a success.
The litmus test for transformation success ✔👌
There is only one sure shot way of knowing whether the transformation is a success. Are people using the tools created? Are they eager to show how it works? Why are Google, Facebook, Watsapp and MS Office such a run-away success? Its because of the people using it. Similarly, in the mobile world, people watch out for the number of downloads an app has to see if it is successful. Usage of the tools is what makes it a success and this essentially is the goal of every digital transformation.
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