Embarking on a Digital Transformation?

0 December 2, 2020

Consider Data Compatibility Standards, and here is why

Many companies are embarking on a journey to transform their digital world for various reasons, including increased profits and business sustainability. This business digital transformation is becoming increasingly important as the pandemic has shifted the world to more virtual and digital environments. In support of this, Gartner has recently published “The IT Roadmap for Digital Business Transformation,” where they have methodically laid out a five key stage process. These stages include Ambition, Design, Deliver, Scale, and Refine. At Maxxphase, Data Compatibility Standards (DCS) are foundational for each digital business transformation stage.

1. Ambition: Strategy defined, and interest and excitement generated.

The key to any digital transformation is allowing organizations to align their digital business ambition and strategy without impacting the current business operations. Many digital business transformations are not successful because all parts of the organization are not able to align on key data for that transformation. That is understandable since different parts of an organization have different views of data and operate differently. For example, the definition of a customer in the operations world is much different than that of a customer in the marketing world. With the introduction (and noninvasive way) of Data Compatibility Standards, disparate data sources become compatible at their source. Different definitions can continue to exist while harmonizing the critical information for the organization.

2. Design: Options and ecosystem assessed for plan development.

DCS is a data product that allows an organization to identify, create, and build out new business and revenue models for a strategic advantage. And without relying on ETL and traditional data management methodologies, DCS can align the transformation vision faster and with higher quality. As with any transformation, the ‘to-be’ is defined, and the struggle becomes a migration effort from the ‘as-is’ state. DCS simply and elegantly links the ‘as-is’ to the ‘to-be’, which not only enables speed and quality but lowers cost.

3. Deliver: Minimum viable proof of concept executed and communicated.

When doing any extensive transformation, it is crucial to understand the impact of the change on the people in the organization and the culture. Many studies have shown small and incremental changes allow a “faster, better, and cheaper path to the end game.” DCS not only allows a minimum viable proof of concept to occur but also allows repeatable and contained changes to minimize the “S” curve with organizational changes.

4. Scale: Plan is commercialized and absorbed by the enterprise.

With scaling a digital transformation, it is important to evaluate how the governance will shift. More important, an organization will need to measure the changes and assess what critical changes will be required to facilitate and support the new digital business model. DCS enables a federated governance model by allowing data to stay ‘as-is’ and become ‘to-be’ at the same time. By having an ongoing before and after data view, DCS becomes even more powerful in scaling and measuring changes in infrastructure (both business operation and technology).

5. Refine: Assessment, optimization, and reevaluation.

As with any repeatable process, there is a need to change directions quickly and efficiently. As Gartner stated in their publication, “transformation is a journey, not a destination.” Since DCS is implemented around the source systems, changes can happen quickly in an agile manner, making it critical to the success of a business transformation journey.

Are you embarking (or helping a client) on a Digital Business Transformation journey? Consider exploring how Maxxphase and Data Compatibility Standards can assist.