speak to this point, with 88% of surveyed CIOs saying that their role is becoming more digital- and innovation-focused.
Meanwhile, TEKsystems’ .
Regardless of the particular challenges to DX success, those who are for identifying and prioritizing digital transformation programs?” Adya asks.
Adya says many executives answer no.
“Data is essential for making informed decisions and measuring the success of transformation efforts,” Adya says. “Organizations should leverage data analytics to identify trends, gain insights, and optimize their transformation initiatives based on data-driven evidence.”
3. Is the organization’s data ready to drive transformation?
The like uptime and application availability to determine whether a tech-driven initiative is successful. Still, there’s no guarantee that CIOs use the most appropriate metrics for measuring progress on a DX program, says Venu Lambu, CEO of Randstad Digital, a digital enablement partner.
“It’s important to have the technology KPIs linked to business outcomes,” he explains. If your business wants to have faster time to market, improved customer engagement, or increased customer retention, those are what CIOs should measure to determine success.
10. Do I have a DX budget and/or completion timeline?
An affirmative answer to this question indicates a problem, as experts stress that transformation isn’t a task to undertake and complete but an operational and strategic imperative that should be woven into all the organization does.
Rogers acknowledges the challenges of that, saying “the constancy of transformation is the hardest thing for companies.” That’s particularly true for established organizations, which aren’t good at change due to their size and complexity.
This is not an insurmountable situation. Rogers in his latest book profiled established companies that are DX leaders and identified elements they have in common.
“They have a defined vision of where they’re going and why, and why they in particular should pursue that path. They have the discipline of picking the problems that matter most, and they’re good at validating ventures iteratively,” he says.
Other distinguishing points: at a much faster pace than in the past, he says, adding that tech leaders must also confirm that their is just the start, however. To truly be successful, CIOs need to evolve the IT operating model, too. For example, .
13. Is our workforce primed for digital success, and am I doing what’s needed to ensure that?
Workers throughout the organization also need skills to enable successful transformation, Landi says, noting that “CIOs have a key role to play here.”
She adds: “The question CIOs should be asking is: How do we get a workforce that’s highly skilled and engaged in working aside technology?”
CIOs cannot push this off to human resources, and they can’t see this as only a change management exercise, Lardi explains. Rather, CIOs should be part of the team communicating “everything to everyone around the digital journey and why it is important and making sure everyone in the organization has the necessary understanding of the technology.”
14. How much time do I have to be successful?
Laserfiche CIO Thomas Phelps puts it this way: “The question I’d ask is, ‘How much runway do I have for this initiative, and what are the competitive pressures?’ Because that question leads to the budget question and the resource questions. If I need to get there in six months versus two years, that impacts the budgets and resources I need to allocate and culturally whether the organization can change fast enough to get there as well. The worst thing to do in a transformation effort is to underestimate the level of resources needed. That’s why there are situations where there are starts and stops or initiatives that don’t pay off or fail.”
He notes that many organizations don’t allot a realistic enough time to achieve transformation, saying, “It’s important to understand the why, the context around the timeframe and the objectives of the initiative and to propose what’s realistic for the organization. Then as CIO you can give the executive sponsor and stakeholders options.”
He also advises CIOs to identify discreet milestones that can be used to measure progress and success along the longer, overall transformation journey.
15. Am I adequately addressing cybersecurity risk?
Cybersecurity threats are continuing to evolve, as are regulatory requirements and risks to data integrity.
“So the question should be: Are you keeping your cybersecurity frameworks up to date with the risks that are continuously evolving?” says Marc Lijour, an entrepreneur, researcher, educator and member of the professional association IEEE. “You don’t want to protect against the world of yesterday. You have to keep up to date with what the new threats are; you have to try to keep ahead of that cat-and-mouse game [with cyber adversaries].”
The CIOs who are successful in that attempt, Lijour says, are those who address security and risk early in their transformation journeys and those who have embraced a secure-by-design approach.
Adya offers similar advice: “Organizations implementing DX face potential risks and challenges, such as data privacy breaches, security vulnerabilities, and resistance to change. Organizations should establish strong data privacy policies to mitigate these risks, invest in cybersecurity measures, and foster a culture of change through effective communication and training.”
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