Keys for a digital transformation

A project generally has a beginning and an end. And that’s precisely why a digital transformation cannot be considered a project.

A digital transformation is about much more than optimizing a website, automating services or analyzing customers’ online behaviour. It’s above all a state of mind. It’s the strategic decision to go from a fixed and rigid structure to an agile, flexible model that’s constantly evolving. Essentially, a digital transformation means working to always improve your ability to adapt in order to better navigate a world that seems to shift a little every day.

Carrying out a change like that obviously takes time. Especially since being capable of truly adapting to new things that come along involves developing the right reflexes. That’s why a digital transformation can quickly begin to feel like an endless maze if you aren’t properly prepared. Luckily, there are some elements to consider that will help you get a clearer picture and avoid pitfalls.

A digital transformation is primarily about people. Technology just happens to be the icing on the cake.

The first step involves asking yourself some questions about your corporate culture:

Implementing the right reflexes internally is the basis for success, but it’s also what will maximize results. You’ll surely not master everything immediately, and it’s vital to set aside some time to familiarize yourself. But by adopting these approaches, you’ll always be able to reinvent yourself and continue asking the right questions.

Putting together IKEA furniture without an instruction manual, getting to a new place without GPS, cooking without a recipe… You see where we’re going with this. A digital transformation must rest on a solid plan. And for your plan to be rock-solid, it absolutely needs a strategy.

Your strategy should reflect your challenges, opportunities, and ambitions—it must be a vision expressed in a series of consistent actions. And for a digital transformation to be a success, it must be considered as a whole. In fact, if you try to solve specific problems without first having laid the basis for a tailored plan, you risk:

A solid plan helps you justify and confirm each one of your choices. And therein lies the relevance of a strategy. It’s also important to be sure to involve your employees in creating the plan. They’re the ones who have their finger on the pulse of operations on a daily basis, and it’s therefore them who truly know what goes on in your company. By giving everyone the chance to contribute, you can get a clear, honest picture and thus be able to develop a plan and a strategy that genuinely takes into account your reality.

All of your activities generate data: Google Analytics, Meta, your transactions, your production. Data is everywhere. More than simple statistics, they’re a bit like your company’s vital signs, and they speak volumes about the state of things.

Want to know if a new process is effective, evaluate your conversion rate or determine if your indexing is optimal? Analyze your data, and you’ll find all the answers you’re looking for.

That’s why a great deal of importance must be placed on data. Not only is data the mirror of the current state of your activities, but it also helps you follow your progress in real-time. If you have elements you need to perfect, change or prioritize, data will show you the way.

A digital transformation doesn’t necessarily involve new technology. Yes, you read that correctly. You can achieve numerous improvements simply by changing a few processes. The key is to test often and quickly learn from the results.

To do so, start by carefully documenting your current processes. Make a visual representation of them to easily zero in on the hiccups. Then, try to find solutions to these problems without involving technology. Get creative: Is there another solution to increase a process’s output by 20%? It’s a good bet that the possible gains will surprise you. And finally, when you really do need to use a new tool, its effect will be heightened. Plus, this exercise will give you the opportunity to become aware of your own limits.

In the same vein, it’s a good idea to start with small goals that are in line with your strategy. Set a quantifiable target for yourself and try to reach it by comparing the difference between the objective and the result. By documenting your observations and repeating the exercise several times, you’ll produce a valuable analysis that your whole team can benefit from.