Change management is the compass of the digitalisation manager
Change management and business development are needed as all industries are affected by the ongoing digitalisation. As an example, the construction sector may seem unconcerned by the winds of digitalisation - houses are still to be built from concrete, beams and girders. After all, you can't live on the internet. Who in the company, regardless of sector, is expected to look up and see opportunities with digital developments? Who is the change leader to take the helm and steer the ship into new, uncharted waters?
The short answer to who is responsible for a company's direction, digital or analog, is the management team. But who in the management team takes an extra hand in the company's digital strategy? One position that shoulders this responsibility and is becoming more common in the management team is a digital manager.
What does a digital manager do?
The Chief Digital Officer (CDO) is responsible for navigating the digital transformation of the company and for the digital business plan. By analysing and evaluating how new digital tools can be used in the business, the CDO is tasked with leading the company into modern ways of working and business development. A simplified explanation of a position that is varied and at the forefront of development.
Change management - part of the digital business plan
In the forward-looking company, the digital business plan is an integral part of the overall business plan. As with a conventional business plan, the digital business plan must be based on customer challenges and market expectations. How can the company best respond to customer needs and create added value through digital solutions?
The digitalisation manager looks at what the trends are in the industry in the long and short term. Is the current situation embedded in the management team, is there a plan for how the company will move forward, is there a change management team that gets employees on board? It's a lot of work that spans the whole business, from the details and tools to the big picture and the customer experience.
When it comes to planning a digital strategy, a set five-year plan doesn't work. The digital strategy needs to be flexible to keep pace with developments.
Many tools in the digital toolbox
Digital developments have given us a host of digital tools to work smarter and collect data. Collaboration tools used without a well thought-out plan and data collected and piled up without being structured are of no use to the company. It is up to the digital manager to develop and embed strategies for digital tools and data collection in the management team to get the maximum return on investment and new processes.
Change management in practice
So what does it take for a company to take the next step in its digitalisation journey? Most likely, the digital business plan has many points with several possible scenarios. It is up to the digital manager to encourage pilot projects where the digital strategy can be tested against reality. It's about change management in practice: finding projects that are easy to launch and easy to follow up to verify that the plan works and delivers the desired results.
The digitisation manager also has an important role in continuously reminding the management team that digitisation does not stop and it does not follow a five-year plan. Digitisation is not something you finish, it is always on.
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What challenges do you face? Do you have a digitalisation manager in your management team? Are you working on change management? Get in touch and we'll tell you more about how we can help you and your business with your digitisation strategy. Curious? Read more about our digitisation workshop in the article Start your digitisation with a personal tour guide or read other inspiring articles on our Blog.
