Digital transformation is a phrase that has been thrown around a lot lately. It describes the shift of business activities, processes, competencies, and models to fully leverage the changes and opportunities provided by digital technologies.
The desire for digital transformation among organizations is greater than ever due to the increased speed of technological advancements, and our increased access to them. However, while digitally transforming your company sounds appealing, the process tends to lead to disjointed efforts that may cause more problems than they solve.
According to Brian Solis, Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group, this means that business units and functions that tend to operate in their individual silos will now have to collaborate to achieve purposeful, enterprise-wide, digital transformation. This year, The Altimeter Group released a report titled the “Six Stages of Digital Transformation.” One of the more interesting findings explored the significant gap that exists between those further along the “six stages” than average organizations also investing in digital. The reason was attributed to businesses continuing to rely on their silos rather than collaborating as a holistic team.
To unify your company, it's important to understand who owns digital transformation. In the not too distant past, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Technology Officer (CTO) was responsible for technology and its evolution. However, according to the study, due to the shifts in use and access, ownership now resides with the CMO (34%) vs. the CIO/CTO (19%)
So why the shift from a technology-focused role to one that is marketing-focused?
In study after study, respondents cite customer experience (CX) as a critical business priority. Today, the role of the CMO is to lead the charge in technology investments that help build and strengthen touch points along the customer decision journey.
Companies that have experienced successful digital transformations have proven that the greatest progress occurs when cross-functional groups within the organization work together to improve the customer experience.
Surprisingly, according to Altimeter study, only half surveyed have mapped their consumer journey, and just 20% are considering their mobile customer journey.
Simply put, you can’t advance your organization digitally unless you work cross-functionally to identify your current consumer journey. Only by doing so will you begin to fully understand the current CX and identify opportunities for improvement.
Consumer Decision Journey mapping may seem like a daunting task – especially if you have a number of business lines and target personas. However, it’s important to develop stronger connections with your customers and prospects in order to enact meaningful change.
Read the full Altimeter report here.
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