The rush to digital transformation is largely influenced by the customer experience. Customers are increasingly enjoying personalized engagement with companies, and the competition to grab the attention of consumers requires companies to stay on the cutting edge of technology.
This shift has led to a line of business managers leading the way in the choosing, vetting and implementation of cloud technology. The problem is, their specialization is in their line of business, not in cloud software. If they’re not working closely with their IT division, they can cause a variety of difficulties related to everything from security to infrastructure management.
Marketing executives are emerging as the most likely corporate leaders initiating digital transformation. They understand that digital transformation is the difference between companies that thrive and those that go out of business.
It’s estimated that there are more than 5,000 marketing technology solutions available, and marketing executives may implement one application after another, resulting in stacking of applications with no strategy for infrastructure.
As a result, IT professionals are coming alongside that line of business managers to help them make more informed technology decisions and prevent the kinds of problems that come with blind implementation of cloud technology.
How IT Professionals Can Guide Digital Transformation
No doubt your company has a working business strategy, with KPIs for sales growth, quality control and other objectives. It’s important that companies also have a digital transformation strategy within the more comprehensive business plan so that there is a clear set of goals and boundaries for software implementation. Some elements to include:
Authority: Who decides what gets placed on your network, and which applications will be on-premise or in the cloud? You need clear parameters on who should sign off on these decisions. Your line of business managers and your IT team can create a collaborative approach to these decisions and eliminate the perception that IT is working against their goals.
Your approach to cloud technology: Digital transformation is a broad term. If that’s the goal, what specific objectives do you have to get there, and what will determine the timing on those objectives? There may be a feeling of excitement that fuels a rush to the cloud to experience cost savings and better productivity, but there needs to be a plan that also evaluates risks along the way.
Security: This is a big topic, but it’s one that you specialize in, and your line-of-business managers do not. You need to include parameters for protecting your data into your strategy. What kinds of data are okay to be placed in cloud storage, and what’s the most cost-effective mix of on-premise and cloud security?
Navigating a digital transformation requires a partner you can trust. Talk with the consultants at eXemplify. We walk you through every step of a cloud implementation and help foster collaboration between departments in your company for a seamless digital transformation.