Creating individual digital strategies allowed for business units to purchase and implement specific platforms to improve their work.
Most business departments across the organization share digital transformation goals. And yet, there is little to no technological alignment across the numerous business units and departments. Two departments within an organization often implement different productivity and analytics tools for the same job. Then there are the many platforms and systems that are role-specific. At any time, each employee within a department can be required to wield between 11 and 14 different platforms. The weight of platform usability falls on the employee. Organizations expect employees to decipher and extract value from platforms even when leadership is not streamlining digital goals.
How do decision makers cultivate intentionality and alignment within this paradigm?
Collect Data On Current Cloud Software
CIOs need visibility into what is working, how it is working and why it is working (or not working). Instead of onboarding additional software as a Band-Aid fix, digital leaders need to understand what they already have on their plate. The path to acquiring this visibility is by tracking platform analytics against business goals and across technology silos.
Promote Adoption Above All Else
Minimalism, digital or otherwise, means learning to use each tool to its fullest extent. Once CIOs grasp what a platform is offering the company and how employees are using it, the next step is to improve that relationship. Standardizing the application of tech in the workplace sets the stage for breaking silos and creating a more dynamic, digitally connected organization.
Champion The Employee Experience
Organizations must take into account the cultural differences and the digital dexterity of employees that dictates the usability of digital tools. When different departments within the organization work in silos, the employees become an afterthought. When employees become an afterthought, transformative efforts fail.
In this frustrating and overwhelming technology-oriented world, the urge to stop buying all technology is a common and real feeling. Is this actually attainable? No. But you should drastically change the way you look at technology buying and implementation.
Ultimately, buy less, and buy smart.