Maturity, product vision and correct skills are three of some of the main failures that happen in this process of change and innovation of digital transformation Digital Transformation is no longer an option and companies that have not yet started this process are lagging behind. However, in the race to change, some crucial mistakes happen, either for lack of objective or maturity, of strategy and business vision or even for lack of basic tools to structure this revolution.

Are we really ready for Digital Transformation?

This is a question that every company must ask itself first and foremost. We are living in a moment when everything is for yesterday and, as a result, some corporations do not dedicate enough time to understand what is really necessary when it comes to digital transformation. We see many people wanting ready-made solutions, such as a “cake recipe”, but the descriptive solution does not always meet the existing needs. To know if you are really ready for the Digital Transformation, it is necessary to have a transparent purpose to go through this change, as it is a delicate moment, in which it will be necessary to involve all employees and have clear goals for everyone to follow to the same direction. The lack of strategy alignment within a company can generate several failures, such as a lot of effort dedicated to tasks or initiatives that do not generate any value for the digital transformation; misunderstandings or unfounded discussions between business areas or product teams; in addition to disconnected deliveries or postponement thereof.

Does this product really solve the customer’s problem?

Before you invest in an idea it is extremely important that the purpose and value your product will generate for your customer is clear. In other words, what problem for your customer will this product solve? When a product does not have a defined purpose, any idea can be good, but with that the focus is lost and investments become losses. Knowing your user/customer, your competitors and having a defined goal for your product often avoids the above scenario. But, this depends a lot on the dedication to data analysis and research for you to really have autonomy over your product. Another very common situation is when the strategy is linked to a personal objective – which may or may not be aligned with the company’s – in which the achievements are focused on delivering only functionalities, without knowing how useful they are for the customer. In this case, the focus is quantitative, leaving the qualitative aside and causing the product to lose quality and reliability for the customer. Most of the time, these goals are disconnected with the company’s strategy and the digital transformation.

Do we have the right people for this journey of transformation?

To make a big change within a company it is necessary that everyone is really involved with the goal of this transformation. People need to keep in mind why the company chose this initiative, what benefits will be generated, risks mitigated, etc. But unfortunately that’s not what happens. In some cases, the news reaches employees in a “distorted” way or as an order and then chaos reigns in the company. All kidding aside, but that’s almost it! The lack of training and the knowledge needed to implement new initiatives can generate a lot of frustration, due to the time spent in this process and the delay in get the return on investment. As a result, the pressure on employees will increase in a way in which they will feel overwhelmed and demotivated, causing them to decrease their productivity or decide to quit. Every change creates discomfort, as people will have to leave their status quo both to perform tasks in a different way and to seek knowledge.  At this moment, the company needs to encourage people and provide them with more training, showing how impactful and important the digital transformation process is, in addition to aligning and leveling the knowledge of everyone involved. These are the three mistakes we usually find within a company undergoing digital transformation: the company is not ready and does not have the necessary foundation to start, not having the right product vision and not investing in the right people to start the process. By investing in these points as you begin your journey of change, we believe your chances of success will increase exponentially. If you are going through a process of digital transformation and are seeing some of these situations going on, talk with us here</a >! We will be happy to help. A hug!