The little big bang theory

Does every Digital Transformation (DX) project necessarily need to begin with a 'Big Bang' idea? One that promises suitably explosive results but then, as commonly as not, fails to deliver them?

Absolutely not. Indeed, where DX is concerned, real and lasting success is very often the product of comparatively humble beginnings, more of which I'll explain below…

Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery, that all started with a Big Bang (Bang!)

Did it though? All start with a Big Bang? The universe? Well yes, in all probability it did. But -- to make the point early -- not everything needs to. Or should.

And that’s especially true when it comes to Digital Transformation (DX).

Allow me to explain.

Working, as I do, for an international services company, headquartered in Scandinavia -- especially one that’s been instrumental in the region’s impressive and renowned Digital Transformation over the last few years -- I often get asked what may sound like a simple question, but actually isn’t:

What lessons can UK PLC learn from Scandinavia’s experience?

There are so many answers and ways of explaining, you see. One is simpler and resonates more than any other where getting DX projects over the line is concerned, however. Size.

It matters.

So, whereas the approach that say, the Danish government has taken in digitizing many of its operational disciplines -- tax and social welfare benefit transformation for example has been to 'chunk down' major undertakings and make them more snackable and manageable, similar projects in the UK often remain outsized, unwieldy, and top-heavy.

'Big Bang' rather than 'Little Bang' if you will.

Proof? One need only visit the National Audit Office to see some very good -- or perhaps very bad -- examples of where big-bang tactics haven’t worked out so well.

Now, before going any further, I have to point out that while the UK may be a little behind the pace in the DX stakes right now, and while not every project has been as successful as it might have been so far, these shortcomings are in no way the result of a lack of capability, skills, or commitment.

Quite the opposite in fact. There are some superlatively smart, capable people in both the public and private sectors here in the UK, and their digital aspirations are almost always spot on. Equally however, it’s fair to say that many have experienced some difficulties in marrying those aspirations with their underlying strategies -- and ultimately, therefore, with successful transformations.

So, what’s the math, science, and history that will unravel the mystery here? How do we pull together the elements of our ‘little bang’?

In truth, there’s no real mystery to it at all. It’s all simply a matter of thinking carefully about:

1.     What you’re trying deliver

2.     Whether that’s what you really want to deliver

3.     With whom you’re trying to deliver it

4.     Your delivery mindset

5.     The associated metrics and KPIs

6.     The future

This all needs to be approached in a piecemeal or gradual way. Start by chipping off small projects and tackling them step-by-step until what’s needed gradually appears.

Why? Because DX isn’t a destination, but a journey.

So, let’s deal with those criteria one at a time.

What are you trying to deliver and why?

Technology is, of course, the great enabler. But it’s wise to be cautious about what it is you're trying to enable. Put another way, be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it. Closely define not just what you want, but the outcomes you want it to make possible.

With whom you are trying to deliver it?

Is the balance right in terms of ownership and outcomes? Who is ultimately responsible, your technology partner or you? Where the responsibility for outcome delivery still sits solely with the customer rather than being balanced out via partner co-ownership, that’s a problem. After all, who wants to choke their own throat? 

What’s your mindset?

Extraordinary things were accomplished during COVID. It broke down the barriers that used to get in the way of successful project delivery, and held up a mirror to what was possible. The resulting quick-and-dirty mindset saw many organizations surprise themselves and completely redefine what could be achieved.

Which makes it all the more incredible -- and ironic -- to see so many of them apparently returning to the big-bang, pre-pandemic mindset. Don’t be one of them. Stay in the pocket.

Bite off, deliver, bite off, deliver, bite off, deliver.

What are your metrics and KPIs?

In very simple terms, stop procuring products and services, and start contracting for outcomes. That’s already started to happen across many private-sector verticals.

Be strict and disciplined in what you do and don't do. Agility is vital, but open-ended agility -- agility without control -- often ends in disaster. Every project, however small, needs to be 'real', with clearly defined KPIs and metrics.

Think about it in terms of constructing a house. Where’s the point in thinking about the bricks and mortar before knowing what it is you’re trying to build? Consult the right 'architectural' expertise. Draw up a clear blueprint of what the house should look like.

Fail to do so and, however expert, your partners won’t be able to deliver and you’ll swiftly end up with something derelict and unfit for human habitation. At best.

Do the opposite on the other hand -- formulate a lucid rationale with a well-defined set of outcomes -- and the onus of delivery will be placed firmly on your partner or ecosystem.

It's extraordinary how often digital projects don't follow this kind of basic framework.

What does the future look like?

Massive pressures -- environmental, societal, political, geo-political -- are currently being brought to bear across the commercial world. Recessions, energy crises, climate change. The list goes on.

This is forcing organizations to ask themselves what they can do to not just create efficiencies within their existing business models, but innovate whole new ones.

What many seem to be failing to realize, however, is that all these challenges can be directly addressed and overcome by the smart, innovative application of technology -- of DX.

In this context, transformation is like any other science. It’s about rigor, not guesswork.

Just ask Sheldon Cooper.

You could choose to ignore the science of course. Do so though, and there’s a fair chance of your project ending up -- to paraphrase one Leonard Hofstadter -- attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis.

You may want to Google that last phrase if you’re not a physicist.

Photo Credit: Sashkin/Shutterstock

Richard Davies is UK Country Manager at Netcompany.