Digital transformation in business is not a new concept. However, many companies have been slow to embark on this journey, and smaller ones are only just getting started—in short, digital transformation is happening now! The IT department is therefore taking the lead in this transformation, tasked with identifying and deploying all the necessary technological solutions while addressing the on-the-ground needs of business units, and engaging and educating senior management on new IT topics, security issues, and more. So, IT leaders, you’re on the front lines!
Digital Transformation: A New Challenge?
For your company’s digital transformation to be a true success, it is essential to involve all departments. Transformation projects cannot be managed in isolation but must be addressed in a comprehensive and consistent manner, involving all business units. The departments responsible for transformationtherefore rely on the IT department—unless the IT department itself is the one orchestrating the process, prioritizing initiatives, and engaging employees.
Next comes the choice of which technological solutions to deploy. Whatever your options may be, digital transformation increases the number of human-machine interactions. It is therefore necessary to simplify these interactions in order to encourage the adoption of these solutions and foster collaboration among users. The resulting ecosystem profoundly impacts the way we work as well as our perception of work. It gives rise to new practices, such as remote workand working from home, and a new sense of time (employees no longer want to wait to have access to tools).
Ultimately, it is the very identity of your organization that is affected: you need to evolve your corporate culture to ensure that new practices become a lasting part of your organizational processes.
Digital Transformation: Is It the Responsibility of the Business Units?
Businesses are seeking new technologies, agility, and responsiveness. They use digital technology every day in their personal lives and expect to see itin their professional lives. As a result, they tend to want to digitize their work processes, but without going through the IT department. Indeed, the IT department operates on tight budgets, and the default response to any request is far too often “no.”
The IT department is too often seen as an obstacle because of its frequently long response times, which have given it a bad reputation. Furthermore, with SaaS, many employees go directly through external providers, leading to a proliferation of tools and shadow IT. This approach is not in line with the digital transformation that executives wish to undertake.
Digital Transformation and the IT Department: Why Should You Lead It?
Today, the IT department is no longer confined to a technical role. It must be a a true service center for the trades, a source of ideas and a driver of agile applications. In 2018, 53% of CIOs reported that they were leading technological innovation initiatives within their companies. That figure was only 32% in 2017*. You are therefore, more than ever, the conductor of this digital transformation.
In this context, the IT department must necessarily be reimagined. For many, your role consists of providing the essential IT equipment, as well as theassociated skillsneeded to support the business. Among other things, you are responsible for ensuring the consistency of the company’s information system. However, with the proliferation of data sources, the storage, sharing, and transmission of information are major challenges that you must address. Digital technology is present at every level. You must therefore make it available to all employees, ensuring the security and consistency of your company’s information system, while offering greater agility to business units and anticipating their day-to-day needs. You must build a true partnership with these units to drive this transformation.
Your role has changed: it has become more cross-functional. You are no longer limited to purely technical tasks, but also take on managerial and organizational responsibilities. Today, the IT department is expected to undergo its own transformation in order to skillfully lead its company’s digital transformation. And that is the challenge!
* According to an Accenture survey
