Digital transformation has been more and more common among large enterprises in the last couple of years. The COVID-19 pandemic has now speeded up digital initiatives across smaller verticals as well.
Managing a digital transformation is stressful and complicated even under normal circumstances. With the pandemic shifting consumer behaviours and creating pressure to quickly adapt in order to stay viable, new leaders are far more susceptible to making mistakes which could negatively impact the organisation.
If you are finding that navigate your organisation’s digital transformation, here are a number of do’s and don’ts to help guide your efforts.
Do: Pay Attention To Security
The move to remote work can leave organisations vulnerable to cyberattacks. Organisations that were unprepared to give their employees the required hardware and software to fend off cyber criminals left gaps in their security. At the moment, IT teams may have less oversight into what employees are downloading or the links they are clicking on. Re-establishing a high level of security needs to be a priority:
- What percentage of your employees have had their remote work technology (such as wireless printers, iPads and routers) vetted by IT at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Specifically for large companies, it is very important to ramp up your security plans as part of your digital transformation efforts. Think about how you will make sure that your remote teams have the proper equipment. Consider re-training current employees on IT guidelines more suited to the new reality of work.
Don’t: Underinvest In The Digitalisation Process
It doesn’t matter if you purchase the most expensive technology or go for the free version, that’s not what it’s about. It’s more about assessing the requirements of your company and then setting a realistic budget for what you’re going to require in your digital transformation.
It’s also quite possible that more than one investment will have to be made, particularly seeing that technologies and skills are evolving constantly.
Make an annual proposal that specifies each of the digital problems your company will face alongside its solution. This will help you see how the processes are interrelated as well as how to foresee and solve issues more naturally and efficiently.