Executing digital transformation is stressful and complicated even under ordinary circumstances
THE Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for digital initiatives in even the most reluctant of industries.
However, successfully executing digital transformation is stressful and complicated even under ordinary circumstances. With the pandemic drastically shifting the way the world works, it has also created immense pressure to adapt quickly to survive, let alone remain viable.
At times like these, without the critical control and transparency enabled by digital transformation, leaders are more susceptible to making mistakes that could cost organisations heavily.
UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT OF ISSUES
According to cloud-based work management platform Planally, a large part of our time is spent understanding the everyday challenges that organisations face and why there seems to be palpable resistance to digital transformation.
It's neither surprising nor hard to understand why this is so in reality. The company's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, Shiv Unnikrishnan, said this was because many organisations failed to understand the root of their issues and thus did not focus their efforts and resources on implementing solutions that were aligned with their goals.
"The process of digging deep to get to the source of organisational issues and realigning to newer more realistic goals often involves asking difficult questions towards achieving more realistic objectives," said Shiv.
SHIFT IN MINDSET
She said adapting to the digital era required willingness to make some calculated, albeit risky decisions.
"It is a big task that requires a shift towards a more flexible mind-set in terms of converting typically manual processes across an entire organisation."
Shiv said many digitalisation efforts required extremely large capital investments and took a long-term approach in delivering enterprise-level software solutions, usually designed to "transform" operations.
"These exercises tend to create a 'white whale'-like technology, that eventually leads to unachieved goals. The implementation of these technologies can take years of planning, delivery and execution. Typically, these projects grow with complicated workflows, significant scope creep and take little consideration of the 'end-state', which lies in providing immediate value to users," she added.
WORK MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
To help companies in digitising their businesses, Planally has come up with a user-friendly Work Management Platform that enables them to digitalise, automate and standardise their unique processes.
"Be it tasks, documents, endorsements and approvals, the Work Management Platform helps you configure your organisation's unique workflows, streamline work and unite both stakeholders and data silos, driving a focus on informed decision-making, well-ordered work delivery, greater transparency, accountability, governance, and compliance," said Shiv.
She said Planally provided a ready-to-use platform that took manual processes and digitalised them into apps within minutes.
"Our approach allows organisations to immediately digitalise their processes and have a tool that effectively manages all their work," she added.